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they appear to be kings and priests in the kingdom of Christ, and in all probability, saints, appointed to distinguished offices in his future kingdom chap. xIx, 10.

Verse 7. And one of the four beasts gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God, who liveth for ever and ever.

8. And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled.

At this point the whole contexture of objects in this scene, rises to immense importance. One of the four Beings of lives is in motion, and gives unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God. This is no doubt the third Being of lives, who had a face as a man, and represents the Christian-economy, under which we now live. See my exposition of chap. IV, 6. 7. The meaning of this figure is, that at this period, the state of the Christian world in all its civil, political and ecclesi astical relations, together with the state of learning and philosophy, will have arrived at such an awful crisis, that the further existence and welfare of the Church of Christ require the execution of these judgments of the seven vials; and that these judgments actually originate in the then existing state and order of things.

We all know the mighty progress made in arts and sciences since the days of the Reformation. Every country of Europe has been favoured with men of the most splendid talents, who like comets, have attracted the eyes of the world, by traveling new and unfrequented paths through every field of learning and philosophy. Some of these erratic meteors have followed their insatiable desire after knowledge, with undaunted and gigantic strides, to the very boundaries of all human perception. This progress in arts and sciences has been accompanied by equal

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paces in civilization and luxury of every description, from the throne to the cottage. This state of things soon increased the wants of kingdoms and of all the higher clas-· ses of society, far beyond their revenue and salaries in former years; which gradually introduced oppression and tyranny into all the governments of Europe. The lower classes in time participated in the prodigality of their superiors, which gradually produced discontent, an insatiable thirst for riches, roguery, speculation and a deluge of vices. The existing order of things however, could still be supported, while religion, the first and principal pillar of all civil and political relations, retained its awful solemnity and influence. But when at last the spirit of philosophical speculation broke through the limits of human understanding, and carried its irreverent researches into objects of pure revelation and faith, even at the expense of virtue; then infidelity began to shake the pillars of Church and state to their foundation, and to threaten the Christian world with portentous scenes. The religious observer beheld the powers of darkness marshaling all their forces against the kingdom of Jesus Christ, and confidently began to expect some sublime movements on the part of the Lord, in behalf of his Church.

These movements of the immortal King of glory, they soon beheld to their great consolation. They consist, in what may also be considered the first indications of the morning-dawn of Millennian day. And to point out this important epoch in the Church for the comfort of his people, when the Son of God would first engage in that great and final conflict with the powers of darkness, and commence the first outlines of the fourth and Millennian economy, by depriving Satan of all his strong holds in the present dispensation; the third Being of lives before the throne of God is mentioned in the text as principally concerned. This last conflict which is forever to decide the fate of the Church of Christ on earth, is now began; and

the world has been echoing with the sound of this mighty combat, for thirty years. The plans of Satan are obvious, and have drenched all Europe in blood and confusion; but the wise and divine movements of our great Redeemer, are not so generally known, because divested of the pomp and splendor of worldly glory. They consist in revivals of religion; a spirit for forming Missionary-societies, Bible-societies, evangelical tract-societies, societies to support Sunday schools, & itinerant preachers for the benefit of the poor; an increased illumination in the knowledge of prophecies; a disposition to union among believers of all parties; a thirsting desire in the hearts of saints, for a more evident and personal manifestation of the Lord in his Church; and of late a disposition in some of the crowned heads in Christendom, to foster the Redeemer's kingdom with renewed zeal, and to become the guardians and nurses of his Church.

All this conflux of the united exertion of the human mind, influenced by the powers of light and darkness on the theatre of the Church, will now probably continue and increase, with short pauses between violent commotions, until the Lord in due season, brings about a total regeneration of the present economy and order of things in the world, for the purpose of introducing his personal kingdom. Reader behold the spirit of the present times! He scorns to wear the robes of state, and the holy garments of the Church, which have been the pride and glory of former centuries. His numerous innovations indicate, that he has fully outgrown his accustomed apparel, and will soon burst forth on every side. The evident symptoms of his internal strength and manhood, hitherto restrained, promise a sufficiency of resources, to accomplish the most splendid and all important achievements under the direction of the Lord. When he is once regenerated, he will be as lovely as he is now horrible and the children of God will desire to dwell in his presence.

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Seven golden vials full of the wrath of God. The Greek word for vials, an, signifies a large bowl in form of an inverted bell. They are of gold, because they are vessels belonging to the temple, which must corrode. This figure is a manifest allusion to the wine-cup of fury, Jer. XXV, 15. and to the cup of trembling, Isa, LI, 17. and denotes tremendous judgments of God; yet vials contain a certain measure, which here indicates righteous judgments.

And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from his power. The glory and power of God will be manifested by these judgments in a superior degree. This part of the vision seems to be an allusion to Exod. XL, 34, or to I Kings VIII, 10. where the presence of Jehovah in a cloud, at the time of the dedication of the tabernacle, and afterwards of the temple, prevented all human entrance. By this smoke may be signified, that the reasons and decrees of these judgments, and the designs of the Lord in them concerning his Church, remain to us in a great measure unsearchable mysteries, until the seven vials are poured out. There is no entrance into this sanctuary before that time, Ps. LXXIII, 17. ; which should be a caution to expositors of the following chapter. All petitions for the mitigation of these judgments, are inadmissible at his throne of justice; the Lord is perfectly inexorable, until his wrath is accomplished upon his enemies.

Let this be an intimation to praying people in our days, who implore Heaven in regard to these judgments, and lament that their petitions are not answered. The temple is now filled with smoke-for we probably live in the time of the seven vials.

CHAPTER XVI.

THE SEVEN VIALS,

From A. D. 1789 to 1839.

Verse 1. And I heard a great voice out of the temple, saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth.

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The contents of this chapter are exhibited in seven distinct parts, into which they are divided by the seven vials of the wrath of God. It must appear evident to attententive readers from the text itself, that they will all be poured out in a far more accelerated succession than the trumpets; because they are not accompanied by extraordinary numbers, and the adopted mode of narration here, is indicative of peculiar velocity. But the division of these vials, adopted by the learned Faber, into the vials of the harvest, the intermediate vials, and the vial of the vintage seems to me arbitrary, and not founded in the text. For according to the internal order of this prophecy, the harvest synchronized with the last exaltation of the beast of the sea, and cannot synchronize with the first vials.

All these vials are said to contain the wrath of God; most severe judgments of retribution. From an attentive review of their effects it would appear, that they are all of the same nature, and designed to be poured out on the moral relations of ecclesiastical, civil and political life ;

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