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sufficiently determines the period for pouring out of the vials to follow immediately on the sounding of the seventhtrumpet. But whereas, in the vision, chap. xi. 19. the temple was not only opened, but the ark of the testament was seen; here, John only sees the temple opened, which is the tabernacle (the residence) of the testimony, that is. the ark of the testimony, or testament*. The reason of this difference in the visions appears to be this, the vision in the eleventh chapter is a complete miniature picture of the whole scheme of God's providence towards his church; but this vision in chap. xv., respecting the preparation of these seven angels for pouring out the vials of God's wrath, is but one compartment of that picture, and does not extend so far as to take in the discovery of the ark. The eighth verse will help to explain this, and inform us why it is that the ark of the testament is not yet seen. And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power, and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled. Blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke, in Joel ii. 30. are all symbolical representations of war. "Pillars of "smoke," says Daubuz, in his note on Rev. xix. 17.

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are the instruments to darken the sun and turn the "moon into blood, (the symbolic sun and moon)-so this "cloud of smoke, and smoky colour, may signify the

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eclipsing of authority, the pulling down of the standing government." By the temple then being filled with smoke from the glory of God, and his power, may be signified those awful judgments of God, by which he will glorify his righteousness, justice, and truth, in that war which is to be directed against Antichristian tyrants and systems, preparatory to the kingdoms of the world becoming the kingdoms of God. And till these judgments are finished, the revival of religion, and the displays of God's peculiar favour, are not to be expected. Though the temple of God may be opened, by all restraints on religion and conscience being removed, yet no man is able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues are fulfilled. All this is, thus far, exactly accomplished. When the witnesses rose to political life, the temple was opened; for the same law which restored them to life opened the temple; i. e. restored to the people religious ` liberty: but we see no great revival of religion yet; nor shall we, till all the plagues are finished.

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* Exod. xxv, 15.

But that the vials are the judgments of God under the seventh trumpet has long been admitted by the best commentators, such as Dr. Cressener, Dr. More, Mr. Whiston, Bishop Newton, Luther, Bengelius, &c. Dr. Cressener says, "The seven vials are an orderly succession of judg"ments upon the beast, to bring him to his last ruin," and argues that they could not begin before the Protestant reformation, because they are the last judgments upon the beast.* Mr. Mede says, "The effusion of the vials sig"nifies the ruin of the Antichristian beast."+ Dr. Newton, Bishop of Bristol, writes, on this subject, as follows: "God's judgments upon the kingdom of the beast, or An"tichristian empire, are hitherto denounced, and de"scribed in general terms, under the figure of harvest "and vintage. A more particular account of them fol"lows, under the emblem of seven vials, which are called "the seven last plagues, for in them is filled up the wrath "of God. These seven last plagues must necessarily fall "under the seventh and last woe trumpet, so that as the "seventh seal contained the seven trumpets, the seventh "trumpet comprehends the seven vials.-As the trum

pets were so many steps and degrees of the ruin of the "Roman empire, so the vials are of the ruin of the Ro"man church." + And if we compare the sentiments which he here advances, with what he has said respecting the destruction of the fourth monarchy of the world, it will appear that he expected the civil tyrannies of Europe to be destroyed by the judgments of God, under these vials, as well as the ecclesiastical. After contending § that the feet and toes of Nebuchadnezzar's image prefigured the Roman empire, divided into ten lesser kingdoms, he concludes by saying, "The image is still stand"ing upon his feet and toes of iron and clay; the king"dom of Christ is yet a stone of stumbling, and a rock of

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offence, but the stone will one day smite the image upon "the feet and toes, and destroy it utterly, and will itself "become a great mountain and fill the whole earth; or, in "other words, (Rev. xi. 15.) the kingdoms of this world "shall become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ, "and he shall reign for ever and ever." But it is needless to multiply quotations.

* Judgments on the Roman church, p. 227. Key of the Revelations, p. 113.

Vol. II. p. 313, 315.

§ Vol. I. p. 245, 282-236.

Chap. xvi. 1. And I heard a great voice out of heaven, saying to the seven angels, Go your way, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth. This great voice appears to be what, elsewhere, is called the sounding of the seventh trumpet; or, the voice of the seventh angel. These vials, or bowls, of wrath, are said to be seven. The first angel pours his upon the earth; the second is poured upon the sea; the third upon the rivers and fountains of water; the fourth upon the sun; the fifth upon the seat of the beast; the sixth upon the great river Euphrates; and the seventh into the air. The difficulty of explaining what is here said of these vials of wrath, arises, in a great measure, from our ignorance of the particular objects of them. Could we ascertain, with certainty, what is intended by the earth, the sea, the rivers, the sun, &c. the way would be much smoothed. But, by attending to events, and improving that assistance which the sacred records afford, we may be able, perhaps, to clear away a great deal of the difficulty which has encumbered the subject. It will require some considerable attention, and we must travel over no small space of ground, to attain our object; but those who are willing to submit to the terms, will, I think, find themselves rewarded.

The remarkable correspondence of the trumpets in chapters viii. and ix. with these vials now under consideration, must have been observed by every reader. There (chap. viii. 7.) the first angel sounded, and there followed hail, and fire mingled with blood; and they were cust upon the earth: here, (ver. 2.) the first angel pours out his vial upon the earth: there, the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain, burning with fire, was cast into the sea; here the second angel pours out his vial upon the sea; there, the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of water; here, the third angel pours out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters: there, the fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars; here, the fourth angel pours out his vial upon the sun. The objects of the fifth trumpet, and of the fifth vial, are dissimilar, but between those of the sixth trumpet, and the sixth vial, we trace a strong likeness, chap. ix. 13. The sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar, which is before God, saying to the sixth angel

which had the trumpet, lose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates; and here (ver. 12.) the sixth angel pours out his vial upon the great river Euphrates. Whence this striking agreement? I think there can be but little doubt, that where the same symbols, or terms, are used, the same sort of things, or the same places, or people, or whatever may be intended, are to be understood, both under the trumpets, and under the vials; and that the Holy Ghost intended this sameness of description to be as a clue to assist us in our researches, that, from the past, we might be helped in our pious inquiries, respecting what was to take place in the latter times of the world. "The design of the trumpets, in general," says Mr. Whiston," is to revenge the inno"cent blood of the martyrs on that wicked Roman em"pire which shed it, and in answer to the prayers of the "saints who groaned for deliverance from that new Anti"christian idolatry and persecution, which soon began to "be introduced into it, after it became Christian.-The "several trumpets have a mighty correspondence with "the several vials; and they are to be looked on, as some 66. way or other, answerable to one another all along, and so capable to afford light to each other perpetually.”* These sentiments exactly accord with my own. But no one, that I know of, has pursued this idea to any consi- . derable extent.

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What are we to understand by the earth, the sea, &c.? If we consult our commentators, and writers, upon these subjects, we shall find nearly all of them are agreed that as under the sixth trumpet the loosing of the four angels, bound in the river Euphrates, signified the letting loose of the Turks (who, for some time had been confined in the neighbourhood of that river,) upon the Greek empire, to overturn it, and chastise the corrupted Christians; so the sixth vial, which is poured upon that river, signifies those judgments of God, or those wars, which are to bring the Ottoman empire to ruin. The conclusion is certainly most natural and easy. The sixth trumpet refers to its setting up; the sixth vial to its pulling down. If then the Euphrates signifies the same people in both visions, by what rules of criticism are we to interpret the earth, the sea, the rivers, and the sun, in the former set of prophecies, or visions, to mean one thing, and, in the latter,

* Essay on the Revelations, page 169, 170.

something very different? And why may not the earth, the sea, and the rivers and fountains of waters, denote particular countries, kingdoms, districts, or situations, as well as the great river Euphrates signify the Turkish people, or empire? And why are earth, sea, and rivers, to be considered as used in a more symbolic and mystical sense than Euphrates? I can discover no reason.

I might swell these pages to a great extent, by enumerating the sentiments of others, respecting these visions, but, for the sake of brevity, I shall content myself with delivering my own, in as short a compass as the argument will admit of; leaving the reader to form his own judgment as to the probability of the truth, or falsehood, of the hypothesis advanced.

We have seen what the design of the seven vials of God's wrath is. It is to destroy the opposers of the kingdom of Christ, and to sweep from the face of the earth all that which opposes its progress, that is, all despotic and corrupt governments, and those ecclesiastical systems, by which a spurious Christianity is supported, and truth enslaved. The means will be suited to the end. He that killeth with the sword, must be killed with the sword.* There shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars: and upon the earth, distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; men's hearts fail ing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven (the symbolic heaven) shall be shaken. † All which is preparatory to a new order of things in human society, when the wilderness and the solitary place are to be glad, and the desert to rejoice, and blossom as a rose. ‡

If there be then but the shadow of a probability, that the present commotions are the commencement of this awful scene, as I verily believe they are, it surely becomes us to attend seriously to what is passing; and to feel a more than ordinary interest in events.-These vials of wrath appear to mark out the progress and consequences of God's last judgments. Let us not then grudge a little

attention.

To the right understanding of what is signified by the vials, it appears necessary to get as clear notions as possible of the judgments of the several trumpets; and respecting the objects, or countries, to which they are to be re

*Rev. xiii. 10. † Luke, xxi. 25, 26. ‡ Isaiah, xxxv. 1.

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