the French Revolution, yet I apprehend no one who is acquainted with the recent spread of Catholicism and Puseyism throughout the world, will hazard such an assertion at present. The inconsistency therefore which attaches to the opinion that the dreadful judgments, indicated by the seven vials, are inflicted on the Anti-christian powers many years previous to the expiration of their appointed period of power and prosperity, loudly calls upon us to discard it.

4th. The rule that whenever the Temple of God is spoken of, and constitutes a part of the scenery of the Apocalypse, the events referred to receive their accomplishment subsequent to the sounding of the seventh trumpet, is another reason why none of the vials can be poured out previous to the seventh trumpet. In the sublime scene which introduces the pouring out of the seven last plagues the Temple of God is mentioned several times, and particular notice taken of the fact of its having been opened (Rev. xv. 5). It is therefore evident, if the above rule be just, the whole of the vials are poured out subsequently to the blast of the seventh trumpet. In the words of an old writer, "After the seventh trumpet sounds (Rev. xi. 15), and a brief summary is given of the events contained in it, in the three following verses it is said (verse 19), 'I saw the Tabernacle of God in heaven opened.' This expression I consider as a mark, inserted like the loop on the edge of the curtain, where the series of the narration is broken off. Accordingly the same words are repeated (Rev. xv. 6), like the connecting loop on the edge of the other curtain. Then it is said, 'And the seven angels came out of the temple, having the seven plagues, clothed in pure and white linen, and having their breasts girded with golden girdles.'

5th. The impossibility of finding any events in the past history of the world that can fairly be regarded as accomplishing the awful predictions contained in the six first vials,

is the last argument which I shall notice in support of the present position. The application of the vials to the dreadful events of the French Revolution, in which so many eminent expositors of prophecy agree, appears to be founded in a very erroneous interpretation of the symbols which describe those judgments. But as each of those interpretations will be immediately considered in treating of the import of the vials, it is unnecessary to forestal those remarks here.

The judgments predicted under the image of the effusion of the golden vials filled with the wrath of God are, from their awful character, as well as their near approach, entitled to the especial attention of every believer in revelation. I shall just premise a few remarks as to their general character, and then proceed to consider each separately, comparing at the same time the interpretation of those expositors who regard them as already accomplished, in order that the respective merits of the two conflicting systems may be impartially weighed by the reader.

It can hardly escape the observation of the attentive reader, that there subsists a striking analogy between the trumpets and the corresponding vials. The objects against which the latter are directed are almost in every instance the same as in the former, and the effects ensuing are also similar. The first trumpet affects the earth; so does the first vial. The second trumpet affects the sea, and it becomes blood; the second vial is poured on the sea, and the same effect follows. The third trumpet influences the fountains and springs; so does the third vial, and in both cases the consequence is death. The fourth trumpet affects the sun and heavenly bodies, and their light is eclipsed; the fourth vial is poured on the sun, and its heat is increased so as to scorch mankind. Similarly, the fifth trumpet occasions infernal darkness to obscure the sun and the air, and the corresponding vial afflicts the kingdom of the Beast with darkness. Lastly, the sixth

trumpet occasions some power

"bound in the great river Euphrates, to conquer and slay the third part of men ;” to which the sixth trumpet bears a wonderful analogy, in describing the destruction of this identical power,"the water of the great river Euphrates was dried up.”

Another remark I wish to make is, that the whole of the vials being inflictions of divine wrath upon the adherents and supporters of the two great systems of Despotism in Church and State, denominated the ten-horned beast of the sea, and the two-horned Beast of the earth, they cannot involve the true servants of God. This is plain both from the express character of the seventh trumpet (which contains, as we have seen, all the vials), which is to give reward unto his servants, (Rev. xi. 18), and also from the objects against which we are informed most of these judgments are directed being the subjects or kingdom of the Beast. The analogy too which has been often pointed out between the plagues of Egypt and the seven vials, affords another argument for the safety or exemption of the redeemed from the coming inflictions of divine wrath. The plagues of Egypt, it is well known, were directed against the oppressors of God's ancient people, who were miraculously preserved in perfect safety, whilst plague and pestilence and death raged on every hand around them. The remarkable similarity of the language of these two series of judgments proves, I conceive, that a striking analogy subsists between them; and hence there can be little doubt that faith in the blood of the Lamb will exercise that same efficacy in preserving Christians from the seven last plagues, just as the sprinkled blood of the passover warned the destroying angel to pass by the door of the Israelite in that fearful night when, from the king on the throne down to the very beggar, "the first-born of Egypt was slain.”

“And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the

upon

them which

As already ob

men which had the mark of the beast, and worshipped his image."-(Rev. xvi. 2.) served, the first vial, like the first trumpet, affects the earth, by which appears to be meant the more cultivated and civilised portion of the world, as opposed to those parts which remain barbarous and waste, like the sea itself. The particular kind of judgment denoted, it is difficult, or perhaps impossible, to foretel from the very brief and indefinite account of it here given. It is, however, easy to say what is the general character of the evil inflicted. It evidently involves the whole body of the subjects of the Beast's kingdom, -that is, the ten-horned Wild Beast described in the 13th chapter as constituting the ten European kingdoms of the present day. The first trumpet, on the sounding of which "there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up," seems plainly to denote the dreadful persecutions which the whole Christian Church experienced under the Pagan Emperors of Rome; for green grass is evidently the symbol of the servants of Christ (Rev. ix. 4). Similarly the first vial visits with retribution the whole body of the first Beast, or Western Empire, by occasioning a noisome or grievous sore to overspread their bodies.

This sore is evidently a figurative or moral sore, for the whole of the Apocalypse is written in that style, and probably signifies some cause or source of mental and moral torment, produced by some change in the state of society: the condition and circumstances of the Anti-christian body throughout Europe experience some alteration at this period (through the occurrence, it is to be supposed, of some recent event) which occasions constantly emotions of disgrace and torment. It does not imply that the Anti-christian part of mankind at this time become more wicked and vile than they always were, but the inherent corruptions of the heart (like

the corrupt humours of the body) are by some sudden occurrence caused to break out and assume the form of spiritual sores, grievous and noisome,-fixed, constant, and remediless sources of mental disgrace and suffering to the miserable objects of divine wrath, clinging to them in every occupation and situation of life.

The interpretation of Faber, adopted also by Cunningham Gauntlett and others, that this sore signifies the delusive spirit of atheism which marked the earlier stage of the French Revolution, appears to me very unfortunate. A sore denotes the effects of inward principles, but certainly not the principles themselves; and the retributive character which so plainly belongs to this vial, as well as all the others, is quite lost sight of here. The loose and indefinite illustration of Keith makes it difficult to know what particular judgment accomplished this vial; but the circumstance of his confining its effects to the single country of France is sufficient to render some other explanation requisite.

"And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea.”—(Rev. xvi. 3.) The import of this vial, like that of the second trumpet, is so plain that it can hardly be mistaken. The symbols are of such obvious signification, and the effects produced so easily comprehended, that it is certainly a matter of surprise that commentators should at all differ in its interpretation. This vial is poured on the sea, which is often used in the prophetical writings to signify immense multitudes of people,-(Rev. xvii. 15.) “ The waters which thou sawest are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues." And their becoming blood so clearly denotes the general slaughter of those "peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues," that it is quite superfluous to attempt the proof of it. The very same effects are said to follow the sounding of the second trumpet, which was unquestionably