the mutual differences of their respective faith? Who, it may be confidently asked, can contemplate all these circumstances, of a character so novel in themselves, so important in their tendencies, and so peculiar to the present days, without feeling his conviction increased, that the time is come when Michael is, indeed, standing up for the people of Daniel, however indistinctly his operations may at present be discerned by us; and that, since the waters of the Euphrates are so visibly drying up, the return of the Jews is one object, at least, which Providence designs by this dispensation to accomplish? So far, then, as a Preparation for this event was to constitute a feature in the period of the Sixth Vial, so far it may be inferred that this period is actually arrived. CHAP. XI. THE SAME SUBJECT CONTINUED. A SECOND part of the Preparation which characterizes the Interval preceding the Time of Trouble, is that which relates to the destruction of the enemies of Christianity. Means will be busily employed during this eventful period to accelerate the final overthrow of the Antichristian Powers, no less than the deliverance of the Jews. These means are thus described by St. John (Rev. xvi. 13, 14-16.): "And I saw three unclean spirits, like frogs, come out of the mouth of the Dragon, and out of the mouth of the Beast, and out of the mouth of the False Prophet; for they are the spirits of devils, 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.And he gathered them together unto a place, called, in the Hebrew tongue, Armageddon.” * * The construction of the Greek language rather requires it to be read" and they gathered them," which is evidently the sense of the passage & ἐκπορεύεται καὶ συνή γαγεν. The instruments, here employed, are certain emissaries of evil, who by their machinations would stir up the kings of the (Papal) earth, and of the whole (Antichristian) world; and by these means, having gathered them together to the battle of Armageddon, would accomplish their destruction. As this catastrophe, however, does not occur till the close of the following Vial, it can here be mentioned only by anticipation, and for the purpose of intimating that at the time appointed it will certainly take place. It cannot, indeed, be supposed that this destruction of the enemies of God is the object, which these emissaries of evil will design to accomplish. They will, doubtless, have a very different purpose in view. But such will be the result, such the effect of their machinations. They will labour to excite opposition, and to prepare a formidable confederacy against the Cause and Kingdom of Christ. But He that sitteth in Heaven will laugh them to scorn. Having permitted his enemies to display their implacable hatred and impotent malice against Him, He will cause them to rush upon their own ruin, and to fall themselves into the pit which they had digged for others. But a more particular description is given of these emissaries of Evil. They are said to be three unclean Spirits, coming out of the mouths of the Dragon, the Beast, and the False Prophet: those three avowed, inveterate, and determined adversaries of Christ and his Church, animated by their spirit, breathing out their hostility, dis seminating their principles; like frogs, loqua cious, disgusting, and impure; and in the true character of the kingdom of darkness and of Antichrist, pretending, some of them at least, to confirm the truth of their statements" by power, and signs, and lying wonders." And is there nothing corresponding with this description to be seen at the present Crisis? Are not the agents of Infidelity, of Despotism, and of Popery, busily and incessantly at work, throughout not only the Papal kingdoms, but even the whole Christian world? Has there ever been a period in the history of the church, in which a more avowed, systematic, and perse vering opposition has been carried on against the Word of God? Is not every engine put in motion, which may retard the progress of the Gospel? Are any weapons, which may aid this unholy warfare, however discreditable in themselves, or disgraceful to those who use them, rejected or forgotten? Lies and falsehood, misrepresentation and mistatement, calumny and deceit are means unceasingly and unblushingly employed in resisting the cause of truth. How strikingly do many of the propagators of Anti christian principles in our own country resemble the description given of these emissaries of evil in the prophecy? Lost to all feelings of conscience, dead to the sense of shame, subtle and insinuating, filthy and offensive, they are unwearied in the work of mischief; and, like the plague of frogs in Egypt, infest all the borders of the land; and by their clamour or their writings, intrude their disgusting and pestilential tenets into every house and into every corner, among the servants, and among the people. It is probable, indeed, that the peculiar propriety of the symbols employed to describe these agents of Satan and his allies, may be still more clearly developed as their operations advance. But when, in addition to the preceding statements, we further reflect on those extraordinary circumstances which have marked the present Crisis on the avowed declarations and systematic attempts of the Papal sovereigns against the liberties of mankind; on the blasphemous edicts of the Roman pontiff against the Word of God; on the undisguised and violent opposition of the Papal priesthood to the dissemination of the Holy Scriptures; on the revived pretensions of that church to the gift of miraculous powers in confirmation of her claims to infallibility and supremacy-surely no proof can be wanting that the agents of the kingdom |