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edge of the state of religion in the Christian world, and of the deluge of ignorance, error and vice with which it is overflowed, it is presumed, the above description will not appear exaggerated, and that there are greater strides, and swifter progress made in infidelity, and irreligion, error and false religion, in vice and all kinds of wickedness, than have been ever known before; and that all these are more common, have a wider spread, and are carried to a higher degree at this time, than in former ages; and threaten to bear down all truth, and real Christianity before them: And that the appearance of things, in this respect, is just such as might be reasonably expected when the unclean spirits like frogs, the spirits of devils, are gone forth with a license and design to spread their influence among men, and deceive and corrupt the whole world."

I have been the more full upon this point, because I apprehend many have and still are, indulging wrong opinions and notions respecting the present state of the world-the multiplicity of Bible and Missionary societies, and the increase of them has led people in general, into the belief, that the world is growing better most rapidly. This is a false notion. Mankind are frequently induced to make pretensions to, and a great show of religion, from very different motives than those which are pure. Religion has at present got to be a fashionable thing. It has been so stripped of its humble native appearance, and so dressed up to accommodate the carnal worldly mind, that thousands of wicked, unregenerate, unholy men, find no difficulty nor cross in conforming to its present apparent requirements.

Thus we see that Bible societies, many of them are made up of the great men of the earth, who no doubt consider it will conduce to their worldly honour, to be a President, Vice-President, &c. &c. It is truly disgusting to eyes and ears of piety, to see with what worldly pomp Bible societies are dressed and presented to the world. General A. President,

Major B. C. D. Vice-Presidents, &c. Notwithstanding I would not be understood that I think Bible societies will not ultimately terminate to the glory of God, and the propagation of the principles of the gospel; but, that the establishment of them does not prove an increase of piety in those who may be engaged in them. For it is too plain to be denied, that multitudes who are high in office, in these societies, will, at the same time with all their heart, oppose the precepts of the bible. If therefore good shall come out of them, in the issue, there will be no thanks to them, for Christ will finally have all the glory of the salvation of the church, and those who have pretended to religion, and to help her cause from selfish and impure motives, instead of being finally honoured by him, will be clothed with everlasting shame and contempt IN THAT DAY WHEN GOD SHALL JUDGE THE

SECRETS OF ALL HEARTS!

Having now remarked that under the sixth vial the great river Euphrates would be dried up, and that through the instigation of the unclean spirits,* and by following the imaginations of their own hearts, the world would become ripe for the last judgments of God, which are to be displayed by the pouring out of the seventh vial, we next come to consider that awful, tremendous scene.

"And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air: And there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, IT IS DONE." This vial being poured out into the air, denotes that it should affect and destroy Satan's kingdom, and his followers in the world in general, who is the prince of the power of the AIR. And the voice from heaven, saying, It is done, is a prediction that the events under this vial, by which the battle before mentioned is to be carried on and completed, will utterly destroy

* Whether the holy alliance, falsely so called, may reasona bly be considered any part of the fulfilment of this, I leave to the reflection of the reader.-It has forcibly struck me in the affirmative.

the interest and kingdom of the devil in the world, and finish the awful scene of divine judgments, on the anti-christian church, and the wicked world in general. The prophecy then goes on to give a general and summary account of the battle of that great day, from the seventh verse to the end of the chapter, and the great and marvellous effects it will have upon great Babylon, i. e. the church of Rome, and upon the nations of the world in general. There will be the greatest convulsions and revolutions in the political and moral world, that have ever been, attended with awful judgments upon men; which are predicted in prophetic language. "And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings, and a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great. And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found." "And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: And great Babylon came into remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath." The great city, and great Babylon, seem to be one and the same thing, the church of Rome.

In the next chapter, this same false church is called "Babylon the great," and "The great city which reigneth over the kings of the earth."* What is meant by this city being divided into three parts will be better known, when the prediction shall be accomplished.It doubtless intends, that which shall break the antichristian church into pieces, and will issue in the ruin of it, the fatal blow being struck. Perhaps it intends a division and opposition among those who have been the members and supporters of that church, by which this spiritual Babylon shall fall, or which shall hasten on the ruin of it; as a kingdom divided against itself, cannot stand, but is brought to desolation. In the prophecy of this kingdom of anti-christ by Daniel, in the latter end of it, he says, "The kingdom

•Rev. xvii, 5, 18,

shall be divided; and by this it shall be partlybroken.* "And the cities of the nations fell." Divine judgments, and a peculiar measure of wrath shall fall upon the Christian world, in which the anti-christian kingdom has been set up; but the rest of mankind shall share in the calamity of that day, and be punished for their wickedness, to which this expression seems to have respect. The cities of the nations of the world are their strength, defence and pride.→ These shall be demolished and wholly taken away, that they shall no more be able to tyrannize over one another. The pride and power of Mahometans and heathen nations, shall be made to cease by a series of divine judgments. "The day of the Lord of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty, and upon every one that is lifted up, and he shall be brought low. And upon every high tower, and upon every fenced wall. And the loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of men shall be made low, in that day. And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the ter rible." The same is predicted in the following words: "I have cut off the nations, their towers are desolate; I have made their streets waste, that none passeth by: Their cities are destroyed, so that there is no man, there is none inhabitant. Therefore wait upon me, saith the Lord, until the day that I rise up to the prey: For my determination is to gather the nations, that I may assemble the kingdoms to pour upon them mine indignation, even all my fierce anger; for the earth shall be devoured with the fire of my jealousy." These words doubtless have reference to the events which were to take place under the sixth and seventh vials, when the nations and kingdoms of the world are to be gathered, and God will rise up to †Isa, ii. 12, 15, 17. xiii, 11. #Zeph. iii. 6, 8,

*Dan. ii. 41, 42.

battle, to the prey, and pour upon them his indignation, even all his fierce anger, for their obstinate continuance in sin and rebellion against him; and all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of his jealousy; and thus the cities of the nations shall fall; the nations shall be cut off; their towers made desolate, and their cities destroyed.

"The prophecy under the seventh vial goes on."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." There is reference in those words to the destruction of the Canaanites, in the great and terrible battle, when the Lord cast down great stones from heaven upon them, and they died, and there were more that died with hail stones, than they whom the children of Israel slew with the sword.* And God says to Job, "Hast thou seen the treasures of hail, which I have reserved against the time of trouble, against the day of battle and war." Therefore, when great judgments and awful destruction of men are predicted, they are represented by storms of great hail. "Behold, the Lord hath a mighty and strong one, which as a tempest of hail, and a destroying storm, shall cast down to the earth with the hand. Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet, and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies. The Lord shall cause his glorious voice to be heard, and shall shew the lightening down of his arm, with the in dignation of his anger, and with the flame of devouring fire, with scattering and tempest and hail stones." "Say unto them who daub with untempered mortar, that it shall fall: There shall be an overflowing shower, and ye, O great hail stones, shall fall, and a stormy wind shall rent it. I will even rent it with a stormy wind in my fury: And there shall be an overflowing shower in my anger, and great hail stones in tJob xxxviii. 22, 23. Ian. xxviii. 2, 17. xx. 30.

Josh. x. 11.

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