the fifth vial; Rev. xvi, 11; that while they gnaw their tongues for pain, they blaspheme the God of heaven, and repent not of their deeds. An account of the battle of the great day, the seventh vial accordingly follows; verse 8, 9: "Therefore wait ye upon me, saith the Lord, until the day that I rise up to the prey: For my determination is, to gather the nations, that I may assemble the kingdoms, to pour upon them mine indignation, even all my fierce anger. For all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of my jealousy. For then will I turn to the people a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of the Lord, to serve him with one consent." It is here decided, that the whole passage relates to the scenes of the last days. And we find, after a description of Papal wickedness, the fearful trains of preparatory judgments, answering to the fifth vial; to the wars and commotions; the seven thunders; the hour of God's judgment; the turning of the sun to darkness and the moon to blood; and the beginning of sorrows. The description appears to accord fully with the divine judgments, that we have seen in our day on Papal nations; desolating their towers; cutting off nations; laying waste their streets; destroying their cities! But these scenes are before, and distinct from, the fatal gathering and destruction of the nations, in verse 8; as much so, as are the different vials distinct from each other.

The same things are found in other passages of the Old Testament; particularly in Isa. xxvi, 9, 11, 21. But passages enough have been adduced to this point.

We may strongly conjecture, that within half a century we have seen the system of imposition, first noted by Christ, Matt. xxiv, 4, 5, as the first peculiar_harbinger of his coming, implied in these words; "Take heed that no man deceive you." This warning, we may believe, related to the Voltaire-system of atheism. We have heard the consequent wars and rumors of wars; the beginning of the sorrows of the last days. Within twenty-five years, we may believe that we have seen that descent of the Angel of the covenant, in Rev. x; his tremendous voice astonishing the nations; and

the seven thunders uttering their voices. We may see the propriety of the caution of Christ to his followers; "Be not terrified." For the scenes have appeared enough to terrify all men.

We have seen, that it appears natural and easy to view these passing events, as the commencement of the third woe, or the battle of that great day of God Almighty. Such a sentiment has in fact been excited. Yet the sacred passages consulted forbid their being viewed in this light. "The end is not yet." "The end is not by and by." "The time shall not be yet; but in the days of the seventh Angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God shall be finished; as he hath declared to his servants the prophets." Various events, most interesting to the Church, are still to intervene between the seven thunders, and the seventh trumpet; as has been noted.

It would appear analogous with the events of Providence, should even short seasons of peace, between the contending powers of Europe, intervene between the present scenes of judgment, which are fulfilling the fifth vial, and the judgments of the two following vials. These would more definitely mark the transition from one vial to its successor. These transitions between the three last capital vials, we may conjecture, will be attended with some distinguishing notifications, either of a short peace; or of some new and notable turn given to the events of Providence. Whether these transitions, from the fifth to the sixth vial, and from the sixth to the seventh, will be marked by short cessations of hostilities;-or, by what events the close of the one, and the commencement of another, will be distinguished, time must decide. But a transition from the fifth to the sixth vial may probably be ere long expected. The Ottoman Euphrates must soon be dried up, to prepare the way for the restoration of the Jews to Palestine.

Let it be asked; can there be much doubt then, whether the terrible scenes of the present age of the world, are those wars and commotions, those seven thunders, that hour of divine judgment, which have been noted? These certainly were to be very signal

events; and the beginning of a new period, which was to lead on to the great battle. It appears, in Rev. x, compared with the chapter preceding, that the notable descent of the Angel of the covenant, was to be subsequent to the second woe by the Turks in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries; and sometime before the third woe. Now, what events, since those ravages of the Turks, and before the revolution in France, can be viewed as answering to those prophecies, of the wars and commotions; and the seven thunders? There were none, which appear to answer by any means so clearly to them, as the events since the French revolution.*

* It is a truth, I apprehend, that the sixteenth century opened a new era of judgments on the Papal earth, and was the commencement of the judgment of the vials.

The following scheme then, has occurred to mind, as attended with some plausibility; which scheme I think I should adopt, as most probably true, if that in the preceding pages should prove incorrect. The scheme is this.

1. That the first warning given by our Savior, (relative to his coming in the battle just before the Millennium,) "Take heed that no man deceive you; for many shall come in my nameand shall deceive many," instead of relating chiefly to the Voltaire scheme of infidelity, related to Popery: As the apostle warned the Thessalonians; "For that day (the coming of Christ) shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition-whom the Lord will-destroy with the brightness of his coming."

2. That the subsequent wars and rumors of wars, which should be the beginning of sorrows, were fulfilled in the new period of wars, which opened in the former part of the sixteenth century, the wars in Italy between the emperor of Germany, and the king of France; in those which followed with the house of Austria; and those that raged through the Papal nations. That as these wars fulfilled the second and third vials, we see in them the notable descent of the Angel of the covenant, in Rev. x; and the fulfilment of the seven thunders uttering their voices. That as the Angel set his right foot upon the sea, and his left upon the earth; so the three first vials were discharged upon the earth, sea, and rivers and fountains of water. And that that was the time when the Angel lifted up his hand to heaven, and swore, that the time shall not be yet.

3. That the subsequent persecutions, noted by Christ, and those hinted in the bitterness of the little book, were fulfilled in the Papal persecutions of the Protestants, after the reformation, and while the four first vials were running; or in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.

Which of the vials has been fulfilled in the late scenes in Europe? Some one of them, at least, must certainly have been introduced. Which can it be? Which of

4. That the subsequent warning, that "false Christs and false prophets shall arise, and show signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect, (Mark xiii, 22; Matt. xxiv, 24) has been fulfilled in the Papal impositions; especially in the Jesuits; in the Voltaire system of imposition, and the three unclean spirits like frogs. (Rev. xvi, 13, 14)

5. That the warning, "And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold;" and, "Then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world;" (Matt. xxiv, 12, 21,) are fulfilling in the present scenes, in Papal nations, and others.

6. That the notice, "And this Gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world, for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come," is receiving its accomplishment in the missionary exertions of the present day. And

7. That the way is prepared for the battle of that great day te be nearer, than has been supposed.

In relation to the above scheme, I readily admit, that the 4th, 5th, and 6th particulars in it, relative to the powerful systems of imposition; the abounding of iniquity, and the waxing cold of the love of many; and the preaching of the Gospel to all nations; are now fulfilling. In these particulars, this scheme accords with the one in the preceding pages. But the question is, whether the beginning of the notices, given by Christ, of his coming, (viz. that notice relative to the signal danger of deception,) can be viewed as referring to an event so far back of his coming, as the commencement of the Papal delusion? And whether the "wars and commotions," next noted by Christ, as the beginnings of sorrows, could be at so great a distance from his actual coming, as were the wars of the sixteenth century? Whether those wars were sufficiently great and peculiar, to answer to the representation given? Whether the persecutions, predicted by Christ, as signs of his coming, could have been so long before his coming, as were those under the Papal tyranny? And whether those events of the sixteenth century (which are thought to have introduced the period of the vials) were of sufficient magnitude to answer to the descent of the Ángel, and the seven thunders, in Rev. xth chapter.

Upon these questions the following things are submitted.

1. Our Lord was not asked by his disciples to inform what events should take place from the then present time, till the end of the world; or till the battle of that great day. And there is no appearance, that this was the thing undertaken by Christ. Had this been his object, we should indeed expect, that he would have begun as far back as Popery, or farther: And that

the vials was to have been fulfilled by the vast events of the xth chapter of Revelation?-that descent of the Angel; and the seven thunders? Some one of the vials

he would have noted more than that one event,-(the Papal delusion,-) in the first fifteen centuries!

But Christ was asked, what should be the sign of his coming? and of the end of the world? This is what he appears to have undertaken to answer. As it related to the battle of that great day, we may view the question as follows: What events shall point out to the world, that this coming is near? What are the events, which shall appear intimately connected with it? And would Christ, to answer this, have stated things as far back, as the reign of Fopery? or even as the commencement of the vials, in the sixteenth century? Would he not rather have begun at that train of events, more nearly connected with his com ing; and indicative of its near approach?

2. Did the Church appear to need any special warning, that the wars of the sixteenth century were not the immediate coming of Christ in the seventh trumpet? The wars, of which he speaks, as the beginning of sorrows, Christ warns, are not that coming. "The end is not yet" "The end is not by and by." As the Angel also decides with an oath, "The time shall not be yet." These passages imply, (as was before noted,) that those wars predicted would be attended with a current sentiment, that the last trumpet had sounded. But did any such sentiment prevail, upon the wars of the sixteenth century, that the battle of that great day of God, was then actually introduced? I apprehend not; And that the events of those days were not adequate to the exciting of such an expectation. But the events, which have opened upon the world, in our day, are adequate; they are calculated to excite such an expectation; and have actually ex• cited it, in the minds of men of eminence!

3. Though the wars of the sixteenth century, were signally terrible, and it is thought to be evident, that a new era, in the events of the Apocalypse, then commenced; as has been noted under the first vial; yet those wars do not appear to have been so much more terrible, than all preceding wars, as to entitle them exclusively to the name of "wars and commotions." "And ye shall hear of wars and commotions:"-Implying, that all wars and commotions, that had preceded, were as nothing; or were unworthy of the name, compared with these. The wars of the French appear fully adequate to this representation. But I can hardly think the same can be said of any wars preceding the French revolution. When we view the wars of the northern barbarians, invading the Roman empire; the wars of the Saracens; the crusades; and the wars of the Turks; we can hardly imagine, that the wars of Charles V are entitled to the exclu