Page images
PDF
EPUB

in the particulars of her judgment, that corrupt and persecuting religion becomes a cause of martyrdom to themselves. It is the devoted object at which the thunderbolts of the divine indignation are launched, and the putrid carcass which the eagles are in search of, as the prey allotted to them by the decree of heaven. "The sword of God is unsheathed" against the kingdoms of the BEAST, and it “will no more depart from his house," in one part of the world or another, until all these things be fulfilled. For "GREAT BABYLON is come in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath. And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth.'

For this cause "be

hold a whirlwind of the Lord is gone forth in fury, even a grievous whirlwind; it shall fall grievously upon the head of the WICKED. The anger of the Lord shall not return, until he have executed, and until he have perform

* Rev. xvi. 19.

ed the thoughts of his heart. In the latter days ye shall consider it."†

+ Jer. xxiii. 19, 20: Isai, xxxiv. 5, 6. The WICKED, as here (and in many other prophecies) connected with the judgments upon idolatry and apostacy from God, and with the emancipation of Israel, seems to allude to St Paul's MAN OF SIN,-the WICKED, or lawless one, the ANTICHRIST.Psalm 1.

L 2

SECTION XXII.

The church of the witnesses gives glory to God for the truth and justice of bis dispensations, in the fulfilment of prophecy.—The apostate church perseveres in her misapprebension of them.-The fourth vial poured out,-represents the scorching beat of despotic power and cruel tyranny. The fifth vial, a darkness both political and moral.The remarkable wisdom of Providence in these judgments, which are adapted to set before the eyes of sinners the crimes that drew these miseries upon them.

THE dreadful retribution of the former cruelties of the persecuting tyrant, thus introduced by the first vial, heightened by the second, and brought to a kind of crisis (but not a salutary one) by the third; and by a sort

of punishment, the same in kind as that he himself had inflicted upon the innocent martyrs of Jesus, and originating in his own wickedness; is on all accounts so righteous a dispensation of a divine over-ruling wisdom, that the church of the reformed gives glory to the eternal ALPHA AND OMEGA for it. "I heard the angel of the waters say, thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou hast judged thus. For they have shed the blood of saints, and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink, for they are worthy."* David had before celebrated in the ninety seventh Psalm the same event, of God's vindicating his church.-"confounded be all they that serve graven images, that boast themselves of idols; worship him, all ye gods. Zion heard, and was glad, and the daughter of Judah rejoiced; because of thy judgments, O Lord. Ye that love the Lord, hate evil. He preserveth

1

• Those hyperbolical figures in prophecy, of God's feeding his enemies with their own flesh, and giving them blood to drink, are emblematical of great slaughters, attended with circumstances of a peculiar atrocity. (Rev. xvi. 5.)

the souls of his saints, he delivereth them out of the band of the WICKED."

The fourth vial introduces a new method of torment for the beast and his empire, if indeed it may be called altogether new, since it still springs from the same root of popery* as the former, and is a continuation of the effects of the three preceding vials, with additional venom, which hastens on the demolition of his power, with great increase of his sufferings. "The fourth angel poured out his vial upon THE SUN, and great power was given unto him to scorch men with fire. And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues, and they repented not to give him glory."

The men that worshipped the beast and his image, (the objects of these divine judgments,) are still not moved to repentance of their practical and speculative errors.

Their

[ocr errors][merged small]
« EelmineJätka »