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" with all plagues, as often as they will." The witneffes are chiefly the clergy, and their power to fmite the earth with plagues, is during the time which follows their mourning prophecy; that is after their refurrection and afcenfion, which coincides with the feventh trumpet, and confequently with thefe vials. Further, the punishment inflicted is procured by the prayers of the church. It is for this reafon that the wrath of God is faid to be contained in golden vials, alluding to the golden cenfers under the law, in which sweet incenfe was offered to God. Thus, the living creatures and elders are represented having golden vials full of odours, chap. v. 8. The incenfe was obviously typical of prayer; for in the temple-fervice, while the in

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(1) The whole verfe runs thus: "Thefe have power to "Thut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophe66 cy, and have power over waters to turn them to blood, "and to fmite the earth with all plagues, as often as they « will." Their power to fhut heaven is in the days of their prophecy; that is, during the 1260 days in which they wear fackcloth; and their power to fmite the earth with plagues, is in the period that follows after. I confider thefe words, " in the days of their prophecy," as inferted to distinguish betwixt thefe two diftinct periods, for if both the powers mentioned were enjoyed at the fame time, it would have been more natural to have placed these words either at the beginning or end of the verse.'

cense was burning, a folemn filence prevailed, and the whole congregation was employed in prayer, fo that the time of incenfe was called the hour of prayer. But to put the matter beyond all controverfy, we are told, that the golden vials full of odours are "the prayers of

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faints." They are called vials, rather than cenfers, to intimate, that they are transparent as glafs or cryftal, typical of the fuperior light and glory enjoyed under the Gofpel, beyond that which belonged to the Mosaic dispensation; for the fame reason, a fea of glafs is reprefented, chap. xv. 2. alluding to that in Solomon's temple, which was made of brafs .

7. An attention to the conduct of Providence muft convince us, that an infinitely wife God has difpofed events in every period, so as to resemble one another, whether thofe events respect the calamities and deliverances of his church, or the rife and fall of empires. It is the observation of the wifeft of men, "The "thing that has been, it is that which shall be, "and that which is done is that which fhall be "done,

(1) This account of the agents accords with the parallel vifion of the state of the church at the fame period, but can by no means agree to any time paft. It further affords a prefumption, that the period of pouring out these vials is at a confiderable distance. Chriftian piety and zeal are in our days too fcanty, to furnish agents of the defcription given above.

"done, and there is nothing new under the "fun." Nor can we wonder at this fimilarity of events in every period, when we reflect that the fame God carries on the fame end,, and governs the same subjects; for, "as face answer"eth to face in a glafs, fo does the heart of "man to a man." Now an attention to the conduct of Providence would rectify that love of the marvellous, and that expectation of extraordinary interpositions, which have frequently led to error, in the application of prophecy. To the influence of thefe principles, are owing partly the blindness of the Jews, in applying the prophecies concerning the Meffiah, and the extravagance of the primitive fathers, in their conjectures concerning Antichrift; while Popish writers have availed themselves of the fame. principles, for the defence of the Papacy against the charge of Antichriftianifm, by defcribing Antichrift with fuch characters as neither have been, nor fhall be verified in the world. Directed by these observations, I proceed to illustrate the vials in their order, by offering probable conjectures concerning the events represented by them.

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SECTION III.

66

The First Vial.

"And I heard a great voice out of the tem

ple, faying to the feven angels, Go your ways, "and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth. And the first went, and pour"ed out his vial upon the earth; and there fell

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66

a noifome and grievous fore upon the men "which had the mark of the beast, and upon "them which worshipped his image," Rev. xvi. 1, 2.

The church being now conftituted, and bleffed with the divine presence, by the voice of her public teaching, directs to the time and manner of inflicting the laft plagues on the adherents of Antichrift. Accordingly, having iffued her mandate," the firft angel went and poured "out his vial on the earth." The firft trumpet brought a plague on the earth. The earth there represents the territory, or rather the subjects of Imperial Rome. Here it muft fignify the persons subject to the spiritual jurisdiction of Papal Rome. Accordingly the perfons affected by it, are the men who had the mark of the beaft, and worshipped his image.

The plague occafioned

occafioned by it, is "a noisome and greivous "fore." This unquestionably refers to one of the plagues of Egypt, Exod. ix. 9. But a fore taken spiritually, fignifies fin, which is a disease and deformity of the foul. To this purpose the prophet uses thefe expreffions: "The whole "head is fick, and the whole heart faint; from "the fole of the foot even to the head, there is "no foundness in it, but wounds and bruifes, "and putrifying fores," Ifa. i. 6. which reprefent figuratively what he had faid plainly, (ver. "4.), Ah! finful nation, a people laden with ini

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quity, a feed of evil doers, children that are corrupters." I humbly apprehend, therefore, that the event pointed out in this vial, is, That the impiety and immorality of the Popish superstition shall be convincingly urged on the followers of the beaft at the period fpecified, fo that the boldest defenders of that fuperftition shall not be able to contradict the evidence, but must retire with fecret anguifh from the field of argument, like the magicians of Egypt, who would not stand before Mofes, because of their boils, Exod. ix. II. I am the more inclined to this opinion, because the witnesses are the agents, by whom all these plagues are inflicted; and the Reformation furnishes an event fimilar to the plague of this vial. At that time every tongue was employed, every pen was occupied, in defcribing

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