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be an Allufion to the violent, fcorching and, fuffocating Heats of the Sun, and the burning Heat of the Eaft-Wind which affliated Jonah, Jon. 4. 8, 9. and which usually accompany one another in the Eastern Cli mates, producing much Trouble and Grief as well in Mind as in Body.

V. AND the Fifth Angel poured out his Vial upon the Seat of the Beaft, (i. e. Jerufalenr,) and bis Kingdom was full of Darkness (alluding to the Darkness that overfpread the Land of Ægypt) and they gnawed their Tongues for pain, and NII blafphemed the God of Heaven, because of their pains and their fores, and repented not of their Deeds. i. e. The Terrors of their Minds and Confciences made them blafpheme God and gnaw their Tongues, as in the greateft Rage imaginable, even as the Egyptians were vexed and tormented dur ing the Darkness that covered, them, with the Terrors of their own afrighted Confciences, and the Evil Angels, as the Book of Wisdom teftifieth, Chap. 17, 18%.

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VI. AND the Sixth Angel poured out his Vial upon the great River Euphrates, and the Waters thereof were dried up, that the Way of the Kings of the Eaft might be prepared. The drying of Euphrates is unquestionably an Allufion to the Exploit of Cyrus, who dreined it, when he took Babylon, as was literally foretold by the Prophet Jeremiah. 50. 38.51. 32, 36. and to thofe Paffages of the Prophets where the Return of the Jews into their own Land is described in the like Expreffións, Ifa. 11. 15. Zech, 10. 11. Now Euphrates, O which

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which was one of the Branches into whic fo the River that watered Paradife was divid K after it had paffed through it, was alfo of Eaftern Boundary of the Land of Promi to which David and Solomon extended the A Conquefts, and upon this River was feat cle Babylon, the Enemy and Oppreffor of Goth Church, and a Type of Antichriftian M over which River the Jews were car fa captive for their Iniquities into the Alof and Babylonifh Countries. The Expre of the Kings of the East is undoubtedly E Allufion to the Story of Cyrus, of whom th Prophet Ifaiah fpeaks, Chap. 41. 2 B God raised him up from the East, and . I that he shall come from the Rifing of the SS: proclaim the Name of the Lord; fo then to allufion to his Perfonal Character may ch meant fome great Perfons, perhaps of p Ten Tribes, who fhall come from the th to the Glory of the Kingdom. See the th Book of Efdras. Chap. 13. v. 42, 43.0 W elfe as Cyrus was a Type of our Bleffed Las by the Kings of the Eaft may be meant th *Call'd Saints, who as fo many Inferior * Meffi alfo by and Divinely Anointed Kings and Priy Obadiah (by which Name Cyrus is called in S Saviours, pture) are to reign with Chrift, who is a the East, the Morning, the Morning &c, as was before obferved. So then t the drying up of Euphrates I unders literally, the drying up its Waters to m way for fome great Perfons of the Eaf, haps fome remains of the Affyrian and B lonish Captivity. And as this Vial m fo

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fome Preparations or Difpofitions for the Kingdom of the Meffiah by the drying up of Euphrates, fo does it in the next Verfe begin to prepare for the Deftruction of the Antichriftian Powers. For v. 13. Three unclean Spirits, like Frogs, came out of the Mouth of the Dragon (i. e. the Devil) and out of the Mouth of the Beast (i. e. Antichrift) and of the falfe Prophet; v. 14. And they are the Spirits of Devils (or Diabolical Spirits) 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. By which is fignified fome ftrong Magical Influence diverfified by the Operations of Satan, Antichrift, and the False Prophet, to excite the Kings of the Earth, or Antichristian Powers, to meet together to oppofe the Kingdom of the Lamb, who was then begining to overcome the Beast, and that in the place (called Armageddon v. 16) where God had appointed to deftroy them; as is fhown under the Seventh Vial. Now the word Armageddon in the Hebrew Tongue fignifies the Hill of Megiddo called Megiddon by the Prophet, Zech. 12. 11. 1

Mayda, LXXII. a Royal City in the Tribe of Ifachar,but belonging to Manaffeth, which the Canaanites poffeffed in defpight of them. Joh. 17. 11, 12. and this City was famous in Scripture for the Miraculous defeat of Sifera and the Kings of Canaan ( a Type of the Kings of the Earth) by Barak and the Ifraelites who came down from Mount Tabor (which was not far from that

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place,) and discomfited them at the Waters of Megiddo in the Hilly and Mountainous. Parts of that Place, as Grotius upon the Place conjectures. It was alfo famous for the Death of Abaziah, 2 Kings 9. 27. but efpecially of Jofiah, who received his deadly Wound with a great flaughter in the Vally of Megiddo, 2 Kings 23. 29, 30. 2 Chron. 35. 20---27.. where he was bewailed with fo great a Lamentation, that the mournings of that Valley is ufed by way of a Proverbial Speech by the Prophet Zechariah, Chap. 12. 11. and Megiddo is interpreted by the LXXII. the Valley of the Slain, or cut off, as if it fignified a Place of great Grief and Slaughter; and Megiddo may be chofen to be a Type and Symbol of the Place of this Valley of Decifion, to fhew that as the Nation of the Jews did yearly bewail the Death of Jofiah in that Place, fo they fhould likewise bemoan him whose Type Jofiah was, and was flain near that Place juft when he had prepared the Temple of God, which was the Emblem of Chrift's Kingdom. See Zech. 12. 11. It may be alfo fignifie (2dly) that God, who overrules Evil Designs for Good, and who declares, Judg. 4. 7. (the Place here alluded to) that he drew Sifera and his Multitude together, had ordained that these Kings fhould be totally overthrown as the Kings of Canaan were at Megiddo; and that the Lamb and his Company fhould triumph over them and blefs God for the great Victory, as Febofaphat and the Ifraelites did in the

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Valley of Beracha for the defeat of that great Multitude of wicked People that confederated againft Ifrael, 2 Chron. 20.

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VII. AND now the Seventh Angel pours out his Vial, V. 17. into the Air, and there came a quake ungreat Voice out of the Temple of Heaven Saying, der the It is done. i. e. This is the last compleat-Seventh ing Act of Vengeance upon the Antichri- Vial. ftian World, in order to make way for the Kingdom of Chrift. Under this Vial are comprized and effected Two notable Events. The Firft is the Deftruction of Babylon, i. e. the Antichriftian City Rome; and of the great City Jerufalem. The Second is the Deftruction of the Great Antichriftian Army at Armageddon.

I. THAT the Great City, the Destruction whereof is fo pompously defcribed, Chap. 17. 18, 19. is Rome, has been (Í oÿ think) plainly and fully proved by Dr. More, Mr. Mede and all the Reformed Commentators. And this City is to be deftroyed under this Vial, upon the Effufion whereof,

Chap. 16. V. 18. There were Voices, and xvi. Thunders, and Lightnings, and a Great Earthquake, fuch as was not fince Men were upon the Earth; fo mighty and fo Great. Upon which the Great City (viz. Jerufalem) was divided into three parts, and the Cities of the Nations fell, and Great Babylon came into remembrance before God, to give unto her the Cup of the Wine of the Fierceness of his Wrath. And the lands, and the Mountains fled away, and a Great Hail fell from Heaven upon the Men that furvived, which

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