and in the conclusion is added, (ver. 12,) "One wo is past, and behold, there come two woes more hereafter." At the sounding of the sixth trumpet, (ix. 13,) begins the plague of the Euphratean horsemen or Turks; and in the conclusion is added, (xi. 14,) "the second wo is past, and behold, the third wo cometh quickly." At the sounding of the seventh trumpet therefore, (xi. 15, &c.) one would naturally expect the description of the third wo to succeed but as it was before observed, there follows only a short and summary account of the seventh trumpet, and of the joyful rather than of the woful part of it. A general intimation indeed is given of God's taking unto him his great power, and destroying them who destroy the earth: but the particulars are reserved for this place; and if these last plagues coincide not with the last wo, there are other plagues and other woes after the last; and how can it be said that "the wrath of God is filled up in them," if there are others besides them? If then these seven last plagues synchronize with the seventh and last trumpet, they are all yet to come; for the sixth trumpet is not yet past, nor the wo of the Turkish or Othman empire yet ended and consequently there is no possibility of explaining them in such a manner as when the prophecies may be paralleled with histories, or evinced by ocular demonstration. The many fruitless attempts which have hitherto been made to explain them, are a farther proof that they cannot well be explained, the best interpreters having failed and floundered in this part more than any other. But before the vials are poured out, the scene opens with a preparatory vision, which is the subject of this chapter.

As seven angels sounded the seven trumpets, so seven angels are appointed to pour out the seven vials, angels being always the ministers of providence; and in order to show that these judgments are to fall upon the kingdom of the beast, the true worshippers of God and faithful servants of Jesus, who had escaped victors from the beast, νικῶντες ἐκ τοῦ θηρίου, and had never submitted to his tyranny or religion, are described, (ver. 2, 3, 4,) like unto the children of Israel, after their deliverance and escape out of Egypt. For as the children of Israel, (Exod. xv.) having passed through the Red Sea, stood on the shore, and seeing their enemies overwhelmed with the waters, sung the triumphant song of Moses: so these having passed through the fiery trials of this world, "stand on the sea of glass mingled with fire," which was mentioned before, (iv. 6,) and seeing the vials ready to be poured out upon their enemies, sing a song of triumph for the manifestation of the divine judgments; which is called "the song of Moses and the song of the Lamb," the words in great measure being taken from the song of Moses and other parts of the Old Tes

tament, and applied in a Christian sense. After this "the most holy place of the temple is opened," (ver. 5,) "and the seven angels come out of the temple," (ver. 6,) to denote that their com→ mission is immediately from God, " clothed" like the high priest, but in a more august manner, "in pure and white linen," to signify the righteousness of these judgments, "and having their breasts girded," to show their readiness to execute the divine commands, "with golden girdles," as emblems of their power and majesty. A vial then is given unto each of the seven angels, (ver. 7,) by one of the four living creatures, the representatives of the church; by which it is intimated, that it is in vindication of the church and true religion that these plagues are inflicted. Moreover "the temple is filled with smoke from the glory of God and from his power, so that no man is able to enter into it," (ver. 8;) in the same manner as the tabernacle, when it was consecrated by Moses, and the temple when it was dedicated by Solomon, (Exod. xl. 34, 35; 1 Kings viii. 10, 11,) were both filled with a cloud and the glory of the Lord, so that neither Moses nor the priests could enter therein; a farther proof of the majestic presence and extraordinary interposition of God in the execution of these judgments.

CHAP. XVI. (1) "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."

In obedience to the divine command the seven angels come forth to "pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth :" and as the trumpets were so many steps and degrees of the ruin of the Roman empire, so the vials are of the ruin of the Roman church. The one in polity and government is the image of the other; the one is compared to the system of the world, and hath her earth, and sea, and rivers, and sun, as well as the other; and this is the reason of the similitude and resemblance of the judgments in both cases. Some resemblance too there is between these plagues, and those of Egypt. Rome papal hath already been distinguished by the title of Spiritual Egypt, and resembles Egypt in her punishments as well as in her crimes, tyranny, idolatry, and wickedness.

(2) "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."

Vial the first is "poured out upon the earth ;" and so the hail and fire of the first trumpet, (viii. 7,) "were cast upon the earth." It produceth "a noisome and grievous sore ;" and in

this respect resembleth the sixth plague of Egypt, (Exod. ix. 10,) which was "boils breaking forth with blains." This plague is inflicted "upon the men who had the mark of the beast, and upon them who worshipped his image ;" which is to be understood of the others also, where it is not expressed. Whether these sores and ulcers are natural or moral, the event must show.

(3) "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. (4) And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood. (5) 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: (6) For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink ; for they are worthy. (7) And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments."

Vial the second, (ver. 3,) is "poured out upon the sea,” and the sea becomes "as the blood of a dead man," or as congealed blood and in like manner under the second trumpet, (viii. 8,) the burning mountain was cast into the sea, and the sea became blood." Vial the third, (ver. 4,) is "poured out upon the rivers and fountains of waters, and they became blood :" and in like manner under the third trumpet, (viii. 10,) the burning star "fell upon the rivers and fountains of waters." There is a close connexion between these two vials; and the effects are similar to the first plague of Egypt, (Exod. vii. 19,) when "the waters of Egypt, and their streams, and their rivers, and their ponds, and their pools of water became blood." Seas and rivers of blood manifestly denote great slaughter and devastation and hereupon, (ver. 5, 6,) "the angel of the waters," for it was a prevailing opinion in the east, that a particular angel presided over the waters, as others did over other elements and parts of nature, and mention was made before, (xiv. 18,) of the angel "who had power over fire;" this angel of the water celebrates the righteous judgments of God in adapting and proportioning the punishment of the followers of the beast to their crime; for no law is more just and equitable, than that they who have been guilty of "shedding the blood of saints and prophets," should be punished in the effusion of their own blood. Another angel out of the altar, (ver. 7,) for (vi. 9,), "under the altar were the souls of them who were slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held,"

9

Im Persa existimant peculiari angelo demandatum esse tueri aquas, &c.' Hyde de Relig. Vet. Persarum, c. 6. Vide etiam, c, 19.

declares his assent in the most solemn manner, "Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments."

(8)" And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire. (9) And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory."

As the fourth trumpet affected the sun, (viii. 12,) so likewise the fourth vial (ver. 8, 9) is "poured out upon the sun." An intense heat ensues; "and men blaspheme the name of God, and repent not to give him glory." Whether by this intense heat of the sun, be meant, literally, uncommon sultry seasons, scorching and withering the fruits of the earth, and producing pestilential fever and inflammations; or figuratively, a most tyrannical and exorbitant exercise of arbitrary power by those who may be called the sun in the firmament of the beast, the pope, or emperor; time must discover. Men shall be tormented, and complain grievously; they shall, like the rebellious Jews, (Is. viii. 21,) "fret themselves, and curse their king, and their God, and look upward," look upward not to pray, but only to blaspheme; they shall not have the sense or courage to repent, and forsake their idolatry and wickedness. When the events shall take place, and these things shall all be fulfilled, not only these prophecies of the vials shall be better understood, but also those of the trumpets, to which they bear some analogy and resemblance.

(10) "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, (11) And blasphemed the God of heaven, because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds."

Vial the fifth (ver. 10, 11) is "poured out upon the seat (or throne) of the beast, and his kingdom becomes full of darkness," as Egypt did (Exod. x. 21) under her ninth plague. This is some great calamity which shall fall upon Rome itself, and shall darken and confound the whole Antichristian empire. But still the consequences of this plague are much the same as those of the foregoing one for the sufferers, instead of repenting of their deeds, are hardened like Pharaoh, and still persist in their blasphemy and idolatry, and obstinately withstand all attempts of reformation.

(12)" 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. (13) And I saw three unclean pirits 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. (14) 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. (15) Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame. (16) And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon."

2

Vial the sixth (ver. 12) is "poured out upon the great river Euphrates, and the water thereof is dried up, to prepare a passage for the kings of the east." Whether by Euphrates be meant the river so called, or only a mystic Euphrates, as Rome is mystic Babylon; and whether by the kings of the east be meant the Jews in particular, or any eastern potentates in general, can be matters only of conjecture, and not of certainty and assurance, till the event shall make the determination. Whoever they be, they appear to threaten the ruin and destruction of the kingdom of the beast: and therefore the agents and emissaries of popery, (ver. 13, 14,) of the dragon, the representative of the devil, and of the beast, the representative of the Antichristian empire, and of the false prophet, the representative of the Antichristian church, as disagreeable, as loquacious, as sordid, as impudent as frogs, are employed to oppose them, and stir up the princes and potentates of their communion to make their united and last effort in a religious war. Of necessity these must be times of great trouble and affliction; so that an exhortation is inserted, (ver. 15,) by way of parenthesis, of the suddenness of these judgments, and of the blessedness of watching, and of being clothed and prepared for all events. Beza conceives that this verse was transferred hither from the 3d chapter, where it should be subjoined to the 18th verse: but the 3d chapter and the 16th chapter are at too great a distance for such a transposition to be made. However, it is certain that this insertion hath in some measure disturbed the sense, and broken the connexion of the discourse; for our translators as well as several others render the following words, (ver. 16,) " And he gathered them together," when the true construction is, And they gathered them together, the evil spirits and agents before mentioned gather all the forces of the popish princes together, "into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon," that is, the mountain of de

struction.

M. S.

The three unclean spirits like frogs, Mr. ritus ranis similes non male referunt.' Mann conceives to be the Dominicans, Franciscans, and Jesuits. 'Dominicani, 2 Vide Bocharti Hieroz, Part. Post. 1. 5 Franciscani, et Loyalitæ tres impuros spic. 4.