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desolate Church in the midst of the wilderness, sorrowful yet always rejoicing, during the period of the 1260 years. The 144,000 are the same as the two mystic witnesses: and they peculiarly represent the internal state of the Church previous to the era of the Reformation, although the witnesses will continue more or less to prophesy in sackcloth to the very time of the end. Their joy is purely of a spiritual nature, and subsists along with great temporal distress. p. 363.

1. After describing the 144,000, the prophet suddenly introduces an angel flying in the midst of heaven and bearing the everlasting Gospel. By this first angel, Luther and his followers seem to be intended, through whose instrumentality the Reformation was most unexpectedly begun. p. 368.

(1.) How the angel bears the everlasting Gospel. p. 369. (2.) How he is seen to fly in the midst of heaven. p. 370. 2. The first angel is followed by a second, prophetically de

nouncing the destruction of the mystic Babylon. By this second angel, Calvin, and the different reformed continental churches of his persuasion, appear to be meant. p. 371.

3. The second angel is followed by a third, denouncing ever

lasting misery to those, who shall continue to worship the beast and his image, and to receive his mark. By this third angel, the third great branch of the Refor mation, the Church of England, which is not profess edly either Lutheran or Calvinistic, seems to be represented. p. 374.

4. The great persecutions at the era of the Reformation prep. 376.. $

dicted.

II. The harvest and the vintage. p. 377.. e

1. Having passed the epoch of the Reformation, the prophet

describes in brief the events of the third woe-trumpet under the types of a harvest and a vintage; for this last chapter of the little book, like the preceding ones, extends through the whole period of the 1260 years. Yep. 378.

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2. The

2. The history of the third woe-trumpet however the prophet details at large in the greater book of the Revelation, dividing into the seven periods of the seven vials. These vials must be arranged in three classes, in order that they may be made to synchronize with the harvest and the vintage: namely the vials of the harvest; the intermediate vials; and the vial of the vintage. p. 380.

CHAP. XI.

Concerning the effects of the last trumpet, the pouring out of the seven viuls, and the restoration of the Jews.

AT the sounding of the last woe-trumpet, the seven vials

full of the last plagues begin successively to be poured out. The seven vials are all posterior to the 12th of August in the year 1792, when the third woe-trumpet began to sound, and when Antichrist was revealed. They more or less affect both the East and the West. Though they succeed each other in regular chronològical order, no intimation is given, that one shall be completely emptied, before another begins to be poured out. The harvest comprehends the three first vials, and symbolizes the miseries inflicted upon mankind by the tyranny of Antichrist during the madness of the French revolution. The vintage synchronizes with the seventh vial, and relates to the final destruction of all God's enemies in the land of Palestine. The remaining three vials occupy the intermediate space between the harvest and the vintage. p. 384.

SECT.

SECT. I.

Concerning the vials of the harvest.

THE harvest may be considered as commencing, not merely with the first vial, but with the earliest blast of the third woe; and the downfall of the tenth part of the great city may be esteemed the first-fruits of it. The harvest describes the miseries, both internal and external, produced by the frantic anarchy of the French revolution; and it comprehends the three first vials. p. 389.

1. At the pouring out of the first on the 26th of August 1792, the noisome sore of Atheism breaks out, or

publicly makes its appearance, in France and throughout the whole Latin earth. p. 390.

2. At the pouring out of the second in the beginning of September 1792, the horrible and long-protracted massa

cres, perpetrated during what was called the reign of terror, commence. p. 395.

3. At the pouring out of the third, the regularly established governments experience dreadful devastation from the arms of republican France during a series of bloody and unsuccessful campaigns, the issue of which has been a tremendous aggrandizement of the Infidel power. The figurative harvest having been gathered in when France once more became a monarchy and when a general peace was concluded in the year 1801, the affairs of the world have in some measure returned to their old channel. p. 398.

SECT

SECT. II.

Concerning the three intermediate vials.

THE period between the harvest and the vintage is marked by the pouring out of three vials, the last of which is the special precursor of the vintage. p. 404.

1. At the pouring out of the fourth vial, the first of the intermediate vials, the sun of the Latin firmament, or the now-existing principal government of the Papal Roman empire, scorches men with the intolerable heat of a systematic military tyranny. This government is that of France, under the present despotic usurper; and the blaze of his tyranny extends not merely to France, but likewise to Holland, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, and all the west of Germany. p. 404.

(1.) The influence of this vial will probably extend to the days of the vintage, and the military tyranny produced by it be the principal immediate instrument of forming the great confederacy and of leading it afterwards. in Palestine. p. 408.

(2.) Since the effects produced by the vials are only blasphemy and hardness of heart, we must not look for any further reformation from Popery. p. 409.

(3.) Reasons for thinking, that there will nevertheless be no

fresh general persecution of Protestantism; or, at least, that no attempt of that nature will prove successful. p. 409.

2. All the remaining vials are as yet future. At the pouring out of the fifth vial, the second of the intermediate vials, some. remarkable attack will be made upon the imperial authority of the last head of the secular beast, which shall fill his whole kingdom with confusion and irritate him to a pitch of demoniacal madness: but, what event may be alluded to, and what power will then be the representative of the last head

of

of the beast, it is impossible to determine before the

accomplishment of the prophecy. p. 412.

3. At the pouring out of the sixth vial, the third of the intermediate vials, the waters of the mystic Euphrates, which symbolize the Turkish monarchy, will be completely dried up, in order that a way may be prepared for the kings from the East; in other words, the Ottoman empire will be overthrown. These figurative waters have already begun to experience a rapid and great exhaustion: whence may infer, that the era of the sixth vial, or the downfall of the Turkish power, cannot be very far distant. p. 415.

(1.) The kings from the East are most probably the lost ten tribes of Israel, for the restoration of which the overthrow of the Ottoman empire will prepare the way. It is not impossible, that the ten tribes may, in part at least, be discovered in the Afghans. p. 419. (2.) Under this vial, the confederated kings of the Latin earth will begin to be gathered together, under the beast and the false prophet, to the great battle of Armageddon by the secret agency of three unclean spirits. p. 424.

SECT. III.

Concerning the vial of the vintage.

THE vintage is the catastrophè of the great drama of the 1260 years, and synchronizes with the last vial or the vial of consummation. p. 427.

1. At the pouring out of the last vial four important events take place: the earthquake, the storm of hail, the overthrow of Babylon, and the battle of Armageddon. The 17th, 18th, and 19th, chapters of the Revelation

all

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