Voices are governmental edicts and proclamations. Thunders and lightnings are symbols of wars and hostile invasions; and an earthquake is that of a revolution. There is a special importance attributed to the earthquake here predicted. The epithets employed in this instance, lead us to conclude, that it will be vastly important, as respects the objects aimed at, and the effects to be produced. It will be great and mighty as to its extent, embracing as it doubtless will, all the nations which once composed the Roman empire. Thrones will fall; kingdoms, empires and states will be overturned; and a new order of things will succeed. Tyranny, despotism, oppressive rule, both civil and ecclesiastical, will be abolished; and in their stead will be established constitutional governments, guaranteeing to the people their rights, and having in view the best good of the whole. It is probable, that the revolutions and commotions in Europe which have signalized the past and present year, are tending to this result.

and

19. And the great city was divided into three parts, the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.—The great city refers probably to the papal dominion, and its division into three parts, may signify three great parties, like those now existing in Italy, viz: those who are in favor of the civil and ecclesiastical supremacy of the pope; those who would allow him ecclesiastical supremacy only; and those who are for neither, but would abolish the hierarchy entirely.

In this period of convulsions, the cities of the nations will fall. This struggle for civil and religious liberty, which is now going on, has and will yet cause the capture and reduction of the principal cities of nations, or the civil power of those nations will be greatly diminished.

And great Babylon, the mystical name of Rome, was remembered by God, to give to her in his retributive justice, the wine-cup of his terrible wrath. This is an allusion, perhaps, to the ancient practice of putting criminals to death by giving them poisonous mixtures. That antichristian hierarchy, which has destroyed the lives of millions of protestants, is doomed to experience the awfulness of divine indignation. An expanded view of this is given in the eighteenth chapter.

20. And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found.-The fleeing away of islands and mountains, means the subversion of states and kingdoms, together with the long established political or religious systems. The phrase occurs in this sense in the sixth chapter, where the reference is to the overthrow of heathenism in the reign of Constantine, and the cessation of those false systems which were connected with it. A mountain is the symbol of a kingdom. Thus, in Nebuchadnezzar's dream, the stone, cut out without hands, that smote the image, became a great mountain and filled the whole earth, where mountain means the kingdom of Christ. So in Isa. 2 : 2. The mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the mountains; i.e., the kingdom of the saints will be established over all the kingdoms of men. The fleeing away of the islands and mountains, will be the overthrow of all the kingdoms and hierarchies, which are opposed to the cause of the Redeemer, with their idolatrous and oppressive systems, religious and civil. It is the divine purpose, that "the nation and the kingdom, that will not serve him shall perish.' The mountains were not found, is a very strong expression, showing as in the eighteenth verse, that the revolutions and consequent changes will sweep away the existing governments, so

completely, that no vestiges of them will remain. An entire new order of things will be produced.

21. And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great.-What is signified by a great hail out of heaven? One of the plagues inflicted on Egypt was a tempest of hail, which destroyed the flax and the barley, two of the most valuable productions of that country, and with these whatever was growing in the fields. Thus were their means of sustenance and the sources of their wealth cut off. It is to be observed, that the hail in the prediction before us, fell on the men, and that it came out of heaven, which, as I have repeatedly remarked, is in this book, the emblem of government. Now, it seems to me, that there is a peculiar significancy in each of these expressions; else why should it be said that the hail fell on the men, rather than the earth, or fruits of the earth? And as hail comes from the clouds as a matter of course, why should it be specified here that it came out of heaven? The interpretation which I would give is this: there will be ruinous burdens laid on the people by the government, consisting of exorbitant exactions in the levying of taxes and the plundering of their property; in conscriptions of men to fill the armies of conflicting nations in these turbulent times; and in oppressing them by other means, destructive to their interests and welfare. Wars and revolutions, destitution and distress will probably characterize this period.

A talent was a term used anciently for a certain amount of money; the Roman silver talent being of the value of about a thousand dollars; the Jewish talent was double that value.

Instead of true repentance while suffering these calami

ties, the people will blaspheme God, that is, speak against him, and manifest great obduracy and impiety. It is usually the case, that if men are not subdued and reformed by divine judgments, they are made worse; more obstinate and inimical toward Him who chastises them. An intensive expression is added, teaching, that these calamities will be peculiarly severe. The plague of the hail was exceedingly great.

We are assured then that the period of the seventh vial will be distinguished by unusual overturnings and distresses, even such as have never been since men were upon the earth. It will be the transition period in which the dominion of Satan will be weakened, and the cause of civil and religious liberty, of truth and godliness will obtain the ascendency. The final overthrow of that despotism, civil and religious, with which the eastern world has been cursed, will then be witnessed; and governments will become the guardian power of the rights, the peace, and the welfare of men. A glance at the state of the world, is sufficient to convince any one that the preparation for the reign of Christ, must involve vast changes in almost everything pertaining to the social, political, and religious state of mankind.

Ours is that preparation period. Ours is the time for recruiting the army that is to fight the battle of the great day of God Almighty. Ours is the important work of equipping the men and the women for that prolonged contest, which already is begun. But, let me not convey the idea that we are exempts. We are to bear our part, not only in preparing for what is to come, but in actual service, for even now the battle is begun. Our talents, our strength, our influence, our prayers, our efforts, our almsgiving, are needed now, and more now, perhaps, than they ever will be hereafter. It is a great thing to live in such an age as

this. It is a great honor to be in the forward ranks of that army which is moving on conquering and to conquer under the guidance of the King of kings. Truly our responsibilities are great!

CHAPTER XVII.

A description of the Papal Church.

As THE destruction of papacy is the next event in the series, the announcement of it is preceded by a description of that hierarchy; and though penned more than a thousand years before it had attained the height of its supremacy, it is accurate in every particular. A woman is a scriptural emblem of the church, and also of a city. The true church, maintaining purity of worship and doctrine, is styled ‘a chaste virgin,'—'the spouse of Christ,'—' the bride and wife of the Lamb.' A church that is corrupt in doctrine and worship, so that it forfeits its character, and becomes reprobate, is called a harlot, and sometimes an adulteress. ferring to the early period of its purity, we have had the true church represented as a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and a crown of twelve stars on her head. 12: 1. Now, we have an apostate church described in its deepest degeneracy, as an abandoned woman given to mercenary lewdness and prostitution; and her condemnation is declared.

Re

1 and 2. And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will show unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters; With whom the kings