Wesley his hands on Coke hath laid,
But who laid hands on him?”
In 1787 the American Conference changed Mr. Coke's title to “Bishop.” Mr. Coke tried to introduce this title into the English Conference of which he was president, but the English Brethren could not accept it, despite his great earnestness in the cause. It must have been a strange sight to see a bright man like Wesley engaging those two presbyters of the Church of England to help him ordain somebody to a higher office than any of them had ever held. But the plan worked. All Methodists believe that Bishop Coke, the first Bishop of the Methodist Church received some “apostolic succession” from the original line described in comments on Rev. 2:13. These brethren have grieved that Pastor Russell did not get his ordination from the same source.
And to him was given the key of the [bottomless] pit OF THE ABYSS.—Wesley was given the key to nothing and to nowhere.
9:2. [And he opened the bottomless pit].—Wesley opened nothing. He did interpret Rom. 8:21 as meaning that the lower animals would go to Heaven, but that was an error. He was honest enough, however, to object to using the word Trinity because he did not find it in the Bible. “Christian Advocates” please note.
And there arose a smoke.—Confusion—a blinding haze.
[Out of] OVER the pit.—In the “air,” the ecclesiastical heavens.
As the smoke of a great furnace.—Methodism was no ordinary smudge.
And the sun.—The true Gospel.
And the air.—The Anglican Church.