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magnified, the horse and the rider he has thrown into the sea," &c. Exod. xv. 1. To the canticle of Moses the Christian saints immediately join the canticle of the Lamb, singing; "Just and true are thy ways, O King of saints:" thus extolling his justice and bounty in his dispensations to them, for having subjected them to severe trials, having safely conducted them through by his grace, and crowned them with victory. Then they conclude their religious hymn in addressing Almighty God thus: "Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and magnify thy name? for thou only art holy. For all nations shall come, and shall adore in thy sight, because thy judgments, or punishments, on the impious are manifest."

From what has been exhibited in this scene we learn, that the Almighty is jealous of whatever injuries are offered to his servants, and takes upon himself the judgment of their cause. Though for the proof of their zeal, and for their greater crown, he permits their enemies for a while to exercise their tyrannical power over them, yet in his wisdom he reserves to himself a time, in which he will revenge the evils done to them, and severely punish their persecutors. Not only former ages furnish a great number of known instances of such punishments, but the word of God openly declares such to be the tenor of the divine economy. "Will not God," said our Saviour, "revenge his elect who cry to him day and night and will he have patience in their regard? I say to you that he will quickly revenge them." Luke xviii. 7, 8. Hence we are prepared for what follows.

V. 5. "And after these things," proceeds St. John, "I looked and behold the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened.

V. 6. "And the seven angels came out of the temple having the seven plagues, clothed with clean and white linen, and girt about the breasts with golden girdles."

Here the scene changes, and is carried back to the period of time that immediately precedes the beginning of the seven plagues or punishments. This removal of the scene St. John insinuates by the unusual circumlocution, "after these things I looked and behold." Then "the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened." St. John sees in heaven a tabernacle of testimony, similar in form to the ancient Jewish tabernacle; and the temple, that is, the holy of holies, or sanctuary of this heavenly tabernacle, had been shut up on the conclusion of the above canticles, and in it the Deity with the seven angels: but after a short space of time, on the

V. 4. "Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and magnify thy name? for thou only art holy. For all nations shall come, and shall adore in thy sight, because thy judgments are manifest."

By the sea of glass is meant, as before explained, the firmament that makes the floor of heaven; which here is said to be mingled with fire, in allusion to the persecutions and troubles, which the faithful servants of God, who are seen standing on this sea, have sustained during the whole course of the Christian ages. For here, it must be observed, we are transferred to the moment of time, when all the seven scourges are completed and past, which is at the end of the world. Supposing ourselves therefore at that point of time, we see a great body of Christian saints standing upon the sea of glass. But who in particular are they? Those who have overcome the beast and his image, and his character, or mark, and the number of his name. By a beast is generally meant an animal that destroys mankind, or ravages a country. In allusion to that idea, the beast here stands for idolatry and heresy; both which always make great devastation and desolation in the Church. Pursuant to that double meaning of the beast, its image denotes, either the idols of the pagan gods, or the pernicious tenets of heresy. By the character or mark of the beast, we may understand, either a real distinctive mark of idolatry or heresy, or a special power exercised in defence of either. The number of the name of the beast is appropriated, as we shall see hereafter, to the famous abettor of idolatry, Antichrist. Those Christian champions, therefore, who have courageously suffered death, or persecution, or other tribulations, rather than join with idolatry or heresy under any respect whatever, are here collected together in heaven, holding in their hands celestial harps to sound the praises of God. They are employed in singing the canticle of Moses the servant of God, and the canticle of the Lamb; the first to acknowledge the power and justice of God in the seven terrible plagues or punishments, which he has inflicted upon their enemies, the idolaters and heretics. Thus in that sense they sing Great and wonderful are thy works, O Lord God Almighty. This canticle is here said to be the canticle of Moses the servant of God, because it bears the sense, and is sung in imitation, of the canticle which the Israelites sung to God, after having passed the Red Sea under the conduct of Moses, and seen their enemies perish in its gulf. For thus sung they: "Let us sing to the Lord; for he is gloriously

magnified, the horse and the rider he has thrown into the sea," &c. Exod. xv. 1. To the canticle of Moses the Christian saints immediately join the canticle of the Lamb, singing; "Just and true are thy ways, O King of saints:" thus extolling his justice and bounty in his dispensations to them, for having subjected them to severe trials, having safely conducted them through by his grace, and crowned them with victory. Then they conclude their religious hymn in addressing Almighty God thus: "Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and magnify thy name? for thou only art holy. For all nations shall come, and shall adore in thy sight, because thy judgments, or punishments, on the impious are manifest."

From what has been exhibited in this scene we learn, that the Almighty is jealous of whatever injuries are offered to his servants, and takes upon himself the judgment of their cause. Though for the proof of their zeal, and for their greater crown, he permits their enemies for a while to exercise their tyrannical power over them, yet in his wisdom he reserves to himself a time, in which he will revenge the evils done to them, and severely punish their persecutors. Not only former ages furnish a great number of known instances of such punishments, but the word of God openly declares such to be the tenor of the divine economy. "Will not God," said our Saviour, "revenge his elect who cry to him day and night and will he have patience in their regard? I say to you that he will quickly revenge them." Luke xviii. 7, 8. Hence we are prepared for what follows.

V. 5. "And after these things," proceeds St. John, "I looked and behold the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened.

V. 6. "And the seven angels came out of the temple having the seven plagues, clothed with clean and white linen, and girt about the breasts with golden girdles."

Here the scene changes, and is carried back to the period of time that immediately precedes the beginning of the seven plagues or punishments. This removal of the scene St. John insinuates by the unusual circumlocution, "after these things I looked and behold." Then "the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened." St. John sees in heaven a tabernacle of testimony, similar in form to the ancient Jewish tabernacle; and the temple, that is, the holy of holies, or sanctuary of this heavenly tabernacle, had been shut up on the conclusion of the above canticles, and in it the Deity with the seven angels: but after a short space of time, on the

commencement of the new scene, the temple or sanctuary opens, and presently come out from the presence of God, the seven angels holding the seven plagues, clothed in clean and white linen, the emblem of the immortal glory they enjoy; and girt about the breasts with golden girdles, to show that they are vested with the divine authority, and that they are actually proceeding to execute the work they are charged

with.

V. 7. "And one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden vials, full of the wrath of God who liveth for ever and ever.

V. 8. "And the temple was filled with smoke from the Majesty 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.”

Here the seven angels receive seven vials full of the wrath of God: upon the pouring out of which, as we shall see, follow the seven plagues or divine judgments, upon the enemies of religion. The vials are given to the angels by one of the four living creatures, that is, by a prophet, because at that time the effects of the vials have not happened, but are to happen in time to come, and therefore are here announced by the way of prophecy. Then the temple in heaven is filled with smoke, manifesting first, the Majesty of God residing there; secondly, his power, which he is going to exert in the punishment of idolaters and heretics. A similar scene to this was formerly seen by the prophet Isaiah: "I saw," says he, "the Lord sitting upon a throne high and elevated.—And the house was filled with smoke." Isai. vi. 1. 4. In the present case, such is the overpowering force of the smoke, that no man is able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels be fulfilled; or, no man, soul and body together, is able to enter into the temple, the temple of heaven, till the seven severe scourges of God imported by the pouring out of the seven vials, have been inflicted on the enemies and persecutors of his Church. The Almighty by his power carries on his Church, through the period of time he thinks fit to allot it, and in its progress punisheth its opposers and enemies. When that period of time finishes, and the seven vials are poured out, and the punishments executed, then follows the general judgment; after which, the saints will enter soul and body into the temple of heaven. Almighty God is patient in his anger, and waits for the conversion of his undutiful and rebellious children, but their obstinacy arms at

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last his justice, and compels him to strike. The Lord is a jealous God," says the prophet, "and a revenger; the Lord is a revenger and has wrath: The Lord takes vengeance on his adversaries, and he is angry with his enemies." Nahum, i. 2.

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Apoc. chap. xvi. 1. "And I heard," continues St. John, a great voice out of the temple, saying to the seven angels: Go, and pour out the seven vials of the wrath of God upon the earth."

A great voice is heard from out of the temple or sanctuary, as coming from God who resides there: and delivering this order to the seven angels who hold the seven vials: "Go and pour out the seven vials of the wrath of God upon the earth."

Conformably to the remarks we made before the opening of the seals, and before the sounding of the trumpets, pp. 32 and 35, so here, before the pouring out of the vials, appears another scene of passing from the Jewish establishment to the Christian Church: the Jewish tabernacle with its sanctuary represented in heaven, being left by the angels going forth to pour out the vials of the wrath of God, which belong to the Christian age.

The pouring out of the first Vial of the wrath of God.

V. 2. " And the first (Angel) went, and poured out his vial upon the earth, and there fell a sore and grievous wound upon men, who had the character of the beast, and upon them that adored the image thereof."

Let us begin with observing that as at the sounding of the first trumpet the shower of hail, fire, and blood, fell upon the earth, that is, on the good part of the earth, or the Christian Church, so here the first vial of the wrath of God is likewise poured out upon the earth, that is, upon the guilty part of the world, or the persecutors of the Christians. The sore and grievous wound here inflicted, means a grievous punishment, which falls upon those who have the character or mark of the beast, that is, on the pagan emperors of Rome and their governors of the Roman provinces, as they bore in a special manner the mark of the beast or of idolatry, by employing their whole power in the support of it, and in persecuting the Christian religion. The same punishment also falls upon those who adore the image of the beast, that is, on the idolatrous people of the Roman empire. The Roman state was the principal seat and bulwark of idolatry. Hence the pouring out of the

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