Sayfadaki görseller
PDF
ePub

fcribing the deformity of Popery: Nor were thofe efforts vain, princes and people lent an attentive ear, multitudes were convinced that the charge was juft,

SECTION IV.

The Second Vial.

"AND the fecond angel poured out his vial CC upon the fea, and it became as the blood of a "dead man ; and every living foul died in the "fea," Rev. xvi.

3.

When the fecond angel founded his trumpet, the third part of the fea became blood. It fignified then a diminution of the dominion of imperial Rome, for the dominion of a state protects the fubjects, as the fea furrounds the land. Now, a diminution of the dominion of Rome was certainly the second step in the progress of the northern nations. In their first attack they plundered the fubjects, but afterwards retired with their booty to their own country; but in their following attacks they took poffeffion of the countries they invaded, erected independent kingdoms, detached whole provinces from the empire, and fo diminished the dominion of the city. It appears to me obvious, therefore, that

by

by the second vial there will be a fimilar diminution of the dominion of Papal Rome. Of this event likewife, we have fome view in a parallel event at the Reformation. Whole kingdoms renounced the Papal jurifdiction, and so leffened the Pope's dominion; but it is probable the diminution will be very great, when this vial is poured out; for we are told, that " every "living foul which was in the fea died." In the fecond trumpet, a third part of the sea is mentioned, here the whole sea; the reason may be, that Imperial Rome never extended her conquests, nor claimed a dominion beyond a third part of the earth; but Papal Rome claims a dominion over the whole earth, and has in some respect established it among all nations, by her emiffaries.

SECTION V.

The Third Vial.

"AND the third angel poured out his vial (6 upon the rivers, and fountains of waters; and

..

they became blood. And I heard the angel "of the waters," chap. xvi. 4, 5, 6, 7. The rivers fitly represent all the rulers of a state, taken collectively; for as the rivers derive their

origin from the fea, and return their waters to the fea, according to the wife man's obfervation, "All the rivers run into the fea; from whence "the rivers come, thither they return again," Eccl. i. 7.; fo the rulers derive their authority from the dominion of the state, while they exércise their authority to fupport that dominion in return. Again, the rivers mentioned in the third trumpet, according to the best interpreters, reprefent the rulers of Imperial Rome, the fall of the ftar, or of the imperial form of go. vernment, must have chiefly afflicted them with bitterness or forrow, because that fall implied the lofs of their authority and power; for though the government of Rome fubfifted for fome time after, it paffed from the former rulers into the hands of the Goths. From the refemblance betwixt that trumpet and this vial, I cannot doubt, that the objects of the plague are the rulers of Papal Rome; and who are these but the fuperior clergy of the church of Rome? This is confirmed by the fong of praise fung on that occafion: "Thou art righteous O Lord, " which art, and waft, and shall be, because "thou haft judged thus: For they have shed "the blood of faints and of prophets, and thou "haft given them blood to drink; for they are "worthy." This is faid of the Babylonish woman, chap. xvii. 6. "I faw the woman drunk

"en

[ocr errors]

"en with the blood of the faints, and with the "blood of the martyrs of Jefus ;" and again, chap. xviii. 24. "In her was found the blood "of faints and of prophets, and of all that were flain on the earth." Now, the deed of the church of Rome, as a collective body, is the deed of the rulers, and in fact all the murders of Chrift's faithful followers, for a thousand years paft, have been perpetrated by them, or by their inftigation. Who raised an army of crofs-bearers against the Albigenfes and Waldenses? Who put to death John Hufs and Jerom of Prague, notwithstanding the protection of the civil government? Who erected the infernal tribunal of the Inquifition? Who contrived the feveral private affaffinations and public maffacres that difgrace the annals of Europe fince the Reformation? The fame answer will fuit all these queries. The clergy of the church of Rome. I cannot doubt, therefore, that they are the perfons who have shed the blood of faints and of prophets, and to whom a righteous God, by the pouring out of this vial, will give blood to drink. This laft claufe ferves to illuftrate the nature of the plague, as the former points out the objects of it; it fhews that the deprivation or diminution of power (which is the spiritual meaning of it) fhall be accompanied with bloodshed taken in its literal mean

ing; so that these rulers fhall drink plentiful draughts of the cup which they administered to others.

The angel of the waters refers to what is faid, chap. xi. 6. "Thefe have power over waters, "to turn them to blood," which confirms the obfervation formerly made, that these plagues. are inflicted by the witneffes, after their refurrection and afcenfion. Not that I imagine the minifters of the church will perfonally take up the temporal fword to punish the rulers of Babylon, but they will procure the punishment threatened by their prayers, and fhall, fhew that the time of punishment is come by their doctrine, while, after it is inflicted, they fhall demonftrate the justice of God in the dispensations of his providence, as ground of praife and thankfulness. to his church. The angel of the altar may represent those who minifter at the altar; his declaring the righteous judgment of God may fignify the heinoufness of the fins committed by those perfons on whom the vial is poured out; even the minifters of reconciliation announce to them not pardon, but judgment; and the place where atonement was wont to be made, fhall not afford to them any afylum, but procure certain deftru&tion; yet still in a confiftency with God's law, which ordains, that the murderers fhall be taken from his altar.

« ÖncekiDevam »