how soon would the avenues of their cities be choked with the dead, and the fields be strewed with the dying! In short, how soon would the whole country present just such a scene as that which is described in the thirty-ninth chapter of Ezekiel.

The history of Sennacherib's army records a frightful instance of the terrible effects of this angel of death.

The Assyrian came up in all the pomp and pride of a mighty conqueror, to tread down Jerusalem. His heralds proclaimed his approach, and in his name demanded the surrender of the city. He scorned the God in whom the people trusted, and boastfully asked, what gods had been able to save other countries from his victorious arms?

The good Hezekiah, then upon the throne of Judea, pleaded with God for help against this powerful and presumptuous adversary. By the mouth of the prophet Isaiah, God assured the king, that the Assyrian should not come into the city, nor should he shoot an arrow there; but should be driven back by the way that he came.

;

Hezekiah was not left in long suspense as to the issue that very night the angel of death smote the Assyrian, and the next morning beheld one hundred and eighty-five thousand corpses scattered throughout the camp.

This angel of death, doubtless, was what is now called the Asiatic cholera. The dreadful scene of mortality produced in Sennacherib's army in one night, resembles very much the ravages of the cholera in Asia, and Europe, and our own country, within the last few years-sudden in its attack, and quick in its work of death.

It is no argument against this view of the providential use of the cholera, to say, that it is not a new infliction or calamity upon men-that it is as old as Sennacherib's army, and that its very name, "Asiatic cholera," denotes that it has long been known in the earth.

All this is admitted. But what this explanation, of at least one striking peculiarity of the seventh vial, contends for is,

that this is one of the principal, and perhaps the most remarkable one, of the mysterious means of chastising nations, adopted as a substitute for those which have passed away.

The cholera may have been known ages ago, but has never before, perhaps, been taken up by Providence as a means of general national chastisement. It is an old visitation, now applied to new purposes-an old rod hitherto used only in remote and secluded portions of the earth, but is now brought out and employed by the Almighty to chastise the obstinacy and rebellion of the people. Nor does it at all conflict with this view of the subject to say that the righteous also fall by this pestilence. What judgment of God ever visited any nation that the righteous did not fall, more or less? As human society now exists, the righteous unavoidably participate, to some extent, in the evil brought upon the world by the ungodly, whether it be war, or famine, or pestilence. But they do not suffer as enemies of God, but as his children, whose afflictions are sanctified to their good, whether they live or die.

When the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air, a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, made this solemn enunciation: It is done! Imagination can add nothing to the grandeur and solemnity of this announcement. It is the unalterable and eternal decree of Jehovah himself, proclaiming through the temple-that is, his church-that all that is earthly, all the institutions and systems, powers and principalities, hitherto known and familiar with men, will fade away from the earth, will disappear and be no more known when the effects of this vial have been completed. The united voice of the whole Church of Christ, which once, while the gospel day lasted, called men to repentance, and implored them to receive the proffered mercy of God, through Jesus Christ, now, upon the authority of God—that is, the voice from the throne-proclaims the day of grace is passed, the summer of mercy is ended, the work of salvation has ceasedit is done. A word more upon the last plague.

Numerous instances are upon record of sudden visitations of the Divine judgments upon a community or a countrysuch as the case of Sodom and Gomorrah of Egypt, and the history of the Israelites, and afterwards of the Jewish nation. But in all these cases the visitation was for a local or present purpose, to punish for social or national sins. But we are to suppose that the latter day, or judgment-day judgments, if I may so call them, by way of distinction, which will reach over all the earth and abide amongst all nations, will not come in that sudden manner, but will appear, and then disappear again, like the clouds, which for awhile obscure the face of the sun, then disappear, and all is bright again as before. Then they will rise again, and again disappear; but finally the whole sky is overcast, and the destroying tempest howls over the land and the sea.

The cholera arose in some remote part of Asia, and ravaged awfully as it coursed its way over than continent, then threw itself upon Europe. The people of Europe trembled and bowed before the dreadful scourge, and thousands were its victims. It left Europe, and, riding upon the winds, it crossed the Atlantic Ocean, and smote the cities and smaller towns of America ; not all at once, but one after another, observing generally, as a rule, not to attack two cities at the same time. This was one of the extraordinary peculiarities of the cholera when it first appeared in this country. Its second visitation was not marked so strictly by the observance of this rule. But it still walks in darkness-still maintains its mysterious and inscrutable character; shakes its fearful rod, first over one nation, then over another; throws one city into grief, and then appears in another, in quite a different part of the country. But when the day of judgment is comewhen the voice out of the throne, it is done, shall be heard, then this rod of God's anger will be laid upon the whole earth at once-will be as universal as the air, and, like the great hail, it will fill the earth at one time with an exceeding great plague.

VOL. II. -4*

Such, no doubt, was the manner in which the flood approached. Men were duly notified of it. Noah was warning the people and building the ark one hundred and twenty years. During this time, we may suppose that the earth gave frequent signs of the approach of that event: but when these subsided, the fears of the people subsided too. But the time came at last, of which Noah had warned them, and a universal deluge engulphed the earth.

The seals discontinue their developments by the half hour's silence in heaven, when the gospel-day closes. The trumpets extend their announcement of great changes in the religious and civil government of the world, and conclude with the opening of the temple of God in heaven, in which was seen the ark of his testament, signifying that the law of God will then become the great governing principle amongst the kingdoms of the earth. The changes which will produce this wonderful revolution in the kingdoms of this world are expressed in the language of the concluding verse of the eleventh chapter: And there were lightnings, and voices, and thundering, and an earthquake, and great hail.

The vials close the Revelations, or the Divine Dispensations, in the form of judgments; with the universal effects of those judgments, exhibited under the metaphor of great hail, corresponding with the closing scene of the trumpets.

Having brought all these revelations down to their close, the prophet now goes back, to exhibit and explain other things which had passed under his eye in the great drama of revelation.

The first subject which he takes up for exhibition is the corrupt connection of the Church with the kingdoms of this world; showing the great authority she had exercised over them, and the moral effects produced upon each other by this connection.

CHAPTER XVII.

THE WOMAN SITTING UPON THE SCARLET-COLORED BEAST.

1. And there came one of seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, come hither; I will shew unto you the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters;

2. With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.

3. So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness : and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet-colored beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.

4. And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet color, decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand, full of abominations and filthiness of her fornications.

5. And upon her forehead was a name written, Mystery, Babylon the Great, the Mother of Harlots and abominations of the earth.

6. And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.

One of the seven angels which had the seven vials, became the instructor of the prophet in this vision. Come, follow me, I will show you, or make you acquainted, with the moral character of this corrupt woman that sitteth upon many waters : that is, she exercises a controlling power and authority over