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foretold, by a period during which they shall take away his dominion, to consume and destroy it unto the end, is plainly intimated in the vision introductory to the seven last plagues, in which they that had gotten the victory over the beast and over his image are seen standing with the harps of God, and it is said, as if noting the sequence and the time, AFter THAT the seven last plagues, or the vials of the wrath of God, are poured upon the earth.

And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God. And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire; and them that had gotten the victory over the beast and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God. And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints. Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy for the nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest. And AFTER THAT I looked, and, behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened: And the seven angels came out of the temple, having the seven plagues, clothed in pure and white linen, and having their breasts girded with golden girdles; and one of the four living creatures gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God, who liveth for ever and ever. 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. Chap. xv.

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The last sight of the expiring martyrs, in human

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view, was on the gibbet or in the flames. And all that man could farther do was to disperse their mutilated limbs, or scatter their ashes in the air. But in the heavenly vision, they are seen standing on a sea of glass, and singing praises unto God, the song of Moses and the song of the Lamb. And at the very time when men were lifting up their voice against Heaven, renouncing all faith in Him that sitteth upon the throne, and in the Lamb that once was slain, and deeming it wisdom to deny the gospel, and to deride all the evidences of its truth, the saints in heaven were proclaiming that in the acts that were passing, and about to pass on the earth, even the judgments of God were made manifest. The interpretation of these judgments, therefore, should not be less clear and precise, than that of any, or of all, that have preceded them.

Many vague and discordant interpretations have given a seeming sanction to the prevalent suspicion and distrust respecting the application of prophecies to modern and existing events. Great caution, indeed, is requisite; but it may at least be questionable whether a careless incredulity savours of wisdom. The whole enigma of the world's history has yet to be solved by the Revelation of Jesus Christ. The varied and changeable fancies of men are not chargeable on the word of Him, who is the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever. The blessing promised to those who read and understand the words of this prophecy is not taken from them, because some, involving it in tenfold mystery, may have held forth extravagant imaginings of theirs as tantamount to the dictates of inspiration. And although it be possible that another Uzzah may have rashly put forth his hand to touch the ark in which the testimony is kept, as if it needed to be upheld by human power, and that some may have drawn their interpretations

rather from the air than from the earth, or more from fancies than from facts, yet it behoves all to remember that the book of Revelation is the ark of the testimony, from which it becomes us not to turn away, but towards which we may reverently inquire, knowing that of itself it is Revelation, that it is given to be read and understood, and that there is a time when the judgments shall be made manifest. Christians, therefore, may well consider not merely whether they be warranted to hear, but whether they be warranted to forbear from hearing; whether it becomes them to close their eyes or to shut their ears against the word that the Lord hath spoken; or whether, looking to the promised blessing on the deed, it does not rather behove them to hear and understand, whoever may wrest any portion of Scripture, or whoever may be silent, or whoever may sneer. If in our days, full as they are of events not less critical and marvellous, nor yet less influential on the fate of the world, than any of the past,as in all that have preceded them, the judgments of God be abroad on the earth, whether does the wisdom lie in considering or disregarding them? Nay, as touching hypocrisy itself, a word so carelessly bandied from mouth to mouth, is it not made chargeable by Jesus, (who taught men to pray always and not to faint), on others than on those who for a pretence make long prayers? Or who is it, that, appealing to an ordinary exercise of reason, and pointing to the earth and to the sky, did say, Ye hypocrites! ye can discern the face of the earth and of the sky, but how is it that ye do not discern the signs of the times? Are we to have less faith in the words of the prophets, and in the revelation of Jesus Christ, than in a cloud, or in the colour of the sky? and are we to regard their indications less than that of those changeful things? Caution, nay, extreme caution, is requisite

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on the part of any writer, who adventures on so serious a task, lest, on so sacred a theme, he should be greatly guilty of the slightest misrepresentation; and caution, nay, extreme caution, there also should be, on the part of the reader, lest he should be seduced to give heed unto a fable. But not less cautious or watchful should men be, that they do not copy the example of that generation whom the Lord Jesus thus charged with hypocrisy, and to whom, after disregarding many, no sign was given. It may not be always safe to let signs from heaven pass unheeded. And if the matter contained in the preceding pages be not a wild and reckless speculation; if there be reason to presume that nearly half a century is past, since the judgment began to sit upon the papacy, and the vials of the wrath of God began to be poured out upon the earth; and if the season thus be come concerning which it is announced that the judgments of God are made manifest, then the time now is, that the marvellous convulsions of which the earth has been recently the scene, may re-echo in the ears of men, on the passing of the last plagues, what the living creatures from around the altar said unto John, on the opening of each seal-come and see. There is at least a distinctiveness in the description of the seven last plagues, or the seven vials of the wrath of God, which demands some attention.

And I heard a great voice out of the temple, saying to the seven angels, go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth. And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshipped his image. And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man; and every living soul died in the sea. And the third angel

poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters, and they became blood. And I heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou hast judged thus for they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink, for they are worthy.

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And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments. And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire. And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which had power over these plagues and they repented not to give him glory. And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness ; and they gnawed their tongues for pain, and blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds. And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared. And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth, and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame. And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon. And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, it is done. And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake,

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