empire declining on account of its idolatry and enmity to Christianity; and the third vial was poured upon it, to extinguish it. In the fourth trumpet we saw the revolt of the Greeks against the Church, and the fourth vial punished them. In the fifth trumpet we see the protestants revolting against the Church; upon whom then must the fifth vial fall?

The vial being poured upon the throne of the beast, it flows down from thence over his whole kingdom, the realm of the reformation. For, "his kingdom became dark, and they gnawed their tongues for pain." But with respect to the nature of this punishment, we shall be entirely silent, and leave it to be disclosed by the event. We shall only remark that, to judge from the expression of the text, the scourge seems to be severe, and we are extremely sorry it will be so ill received: "And they blasphemed the God of heaven, because of their pains and wounds, (or sores,) and did not penance for their works."

We shall here add another remark. The expression, they gnawed their tongues for pain, or rather, as it is in the Greek original, they did gnaw their tongues for pain, seems to refer to a time prior to that which follows, and is thus expressed, they blasphemed, &c. and may therefore relate to the first part of the punishments imported by this vial, which may be the scourge inflicted on the French people, and perhaps others, and seems to indieate distress of famine, &c.

CHAPTER X.

THE HISTORY OF THE SIXTH AGE OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH.

HITHERTO the account we find in history of the different ages, has contributed to explain the prophecies relating to them but with respect to the age we are now entering upon, as it yet remains sealed up in the womb of futurity, we can have no light but what must be drawn from the prophecies themselves. And because prophecies are generally conceived in few words, and those veiled with obscurity, it cannot be expected we should give so clear and comprehensive a history of the sixth age, as has been done in the preceding pe

riods. We may however acknowledge here an unexpected assistance, which was not allowed us before, inasmuch as that part of the Apocalypse which treats of the sixth age, seems to be expressed in somewhat clearer terms than any other, at least it appears so to us. The reason we may conceive to be, that the Almighty revealer of it is willing to give us beforehand a tolerable intelligence of transactions that will touch us | so nearly, and will be more terrible and trying to human nature, than any that have ever happened. By a previous, though imperfect, knowledge of dreadful calamities, we are warned to prepare for them. An impending evil, even the sentence of death itself, is less alarming when foreseen and expected. On that account therefore the divine bounty is pleased to be more copious and explicit in the revelations about the sixth age; and our prospect of it is further enlarged by many particular scenes to be found in the ancient prophets, which concur to throw an additional light over the whole picThese are helps which, doubtless, serve in some measure to promote and facilitate the present work; but it must be confessed, the obscurity that still remains is such, and other difficulties so numerous, as necessarily to demand the indulgence of the critic.

ture.

The preceding five ages opened with the transactions contained under their respective seals. In like manner we shall now begin the epocha of the sixth and the last age of the Church in this world, with the events announced at the open ing of the sixth seal.

The Opening of the Sixth Seal.

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Apoc. chap. vi. 12. And I saw," says St. John," when he (the Lamb) had opened the sixth seal: and behold there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair: and the whole moon became as blood.

V. 13. "And the stars from heaven fell upon the earth, as the fig-tree casteth its green figs when it is shaken by a great wind:

V. 14. "And the heaven departed as a book folded up; and every mountain and the islands were moved out of their places.

V. 15. "And the kings of the earth, and the princes, and tribunes, and the rich, and the strong, and every bondman, and every freeman, hid themselves in the dens, and in the rocks of mountains.

V 16. "And they say to the mountains, and the rocks:

fall upon us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb.

V. 17. "For the great day of their wrath* is come, and who shall be able to stand ?"

Here are stupendous prodigies and dreadful disasters announced, many of which cannot be now clearly explained, but will be very conspicuous to those who shall exist at that time. They are the forerunners of the approaching general dissolution of the world, and are employed to announce the last terrible judgment, and to admonish mankind to prepare for it. If the idea, which is conveyed to us by the simple description of these wonders, strikes us with terror, how dreadful must they appear when they really happen! great earthquakes; the sun darkened to such a degree as if covered with black hair-cloth, and the moon reddening like blood: the stars seeming to fall from the heavens as thick as green figs are shaken from the trees in a hurricane of wind: the sky appearing to fold up like a roll of parchment; and all the mountains and islands moved out of their places, perhaps by earthquakes and extremely vehement agitations of the sea. These tremendous phenomena, some real, others appearing to the human eye, show the violent convulsions nature will sustain, and the general confusion of the whole created system. At the sight of such events, what wonder if the wicked of every rank and denomination run to hide themselves for fear, as St. John tells us, and from the consciousness of their guilt suspect the great day is arrived, and that the Almighty is coming to judgment, which will make them wish that the mountains and rocks would fall upon them, to shelter them from the face of their angry God, and from the wrath of the Lamb.

:

The description here given by our Christian prophet seems to specify only the principal and most terrible of the signs and calamities that will happen in the last period of the world and in them one may understand are comprehended those that are of a less destructive and terrifying nature. Some or other of these alarms we may suppose will open the sixth age, and will serve to fix the date of the epocha. They will continue to alarm mankind at different times during the course of that period, to remind them of the approaching end of the world. We may also observe that some of these striking events are likewise announced by the ancient prophets, and shall be taken notice of in proper places. The * In the Greek," his wrath."

extraordinary signs and prodigies both in the heavens and on the earth here described, evidently speak the majesty and power of him, whose approaching coming they are designed to announce. They therefore necessarily tend to reflect that glory on the Lamb, which was said to be his due. Apoc. v. 12.

The nature of the subject seems to require we should subjoin to the preceding account that other, which our Saviour himself gives of the same or similar prodigies. The assemblage of both will contribute to enlarge our knowledge of that interesting subject; and the comparison of them may serve as a proof, that the expressions used by St. John are to be taken in their natural acceptation, and not in a metaphorical sense, as some might imagine; many of his expressions being similar to those of our Saviour, which have been generally understood in their natural sense.

The account which Christ delivered of the prodigies we are speaking of, is to be found in St. Matthew, chap. 24. St. Mark, chap. 13, and St. Luke, chap. 21. His disciples having asked him by what signs they should know the approaching ruin of Jerusalem, and also what signs would precede the general dissolution of the world, Christ answers both questions. But in the first part of his answer he seems to assign the same prodigies for announcing both those. events: as the destruction of Jerusalem may be a very expressive figure of the destruction of the world. And in this sense the holy fathers have explained his discourse. In the latter part of his answer, Christ seems to confine himself solely to the pointing out of the signs, which will be the presages of the approaching end of all things.

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He thus begins his discourse: Take heed that no man seduce you. For many will come in my name, saying, I am He, I am Christ; and the time is at hand; and they will seduce many go you not therefore after them." The appearance of false Christs or false Messiahs was then the first mentioned by our Saviour, and first warning of the approaching fate of Jerusalem. That many such impostors rose up in Judea before the demolition of Jerusalem by the Romans, we learn from Josephus, in his history of the Jewish It is here the opinion of the holy fathers, that Christ intended also to intimate by the preceding words, that false Christs will arise in a similar manner in the last age of the world, and be a sign of its approaching end.

wars.

Our Saviour proceeds:

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You shall hear of wars

and rumours of wars: See that you be not troubled. For these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; and there shall be pestilences, and famines, and great earthquakes in divers places, and terrors from heaven, and there shall be great signs." These calamities happened before the ruin of Jerusalem, as the above-mentioned Jewish historian testifies. The same will likewise be experienced, it is supposed, in the last age. But Christ adds: "Now all these things are the beginnings of sorrows." Though great evils, they are only to be deemed the prelude of greater. Then he goes on: "But before all these things they will lay their hands on you, and persecute you, and put you to death," &c. Here are the persecutions foretold, which fell upon the apostles and first Christians. The same will likewise rage in a more fierce manner hereafter under Antichrist.

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And many false prophets shall rise, and shall seduce many: and because iniquity hath abounded, the charity of many shall grow cold." From this rise of false prophets or teachers of false doctrine, and the abounding of wickedness, before the fall of the Jewish nation, it is concluded by the holy fathers that similar unhappy circumstances will take place before the finishing of the world. And; indeed, that false prophets or false teachers will then arise, we shall see it again expressed in the sequel of our Saviour's discourse; and that iniquity will likewise abound, is fully intimated by what Christ said on another occasion: When the Son of Man cometh, shall he find, think you, faith on the earth?" Luke xviii. 8.

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"And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world, for a testimony to all nations, and then shall the consummation come." A new people of Christians was to be formed by preaching the gospel, before the Jews, the ancient people of God, were rejected, and their city and temple abolished. The gospel will likewise be preached with extraordinary zeal in the latter times over the whole earth, to stem the prevalence of imposture and depravity of morals, and to oppose in particular the furious efforts of Antichrist against religion.

"When therefore you shall see the abomination of desolation, which was spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place, he that readeth, let him understand. When you shall see Jerusalem compassed about with an army, then know that the desolation thereof is at hand." Here