other? And finally, "DO THEY RUN LIKE THE LIGHTNINGS?" If so, then it is the day of GoD's PREPARATION "to burn the earth and the world, and all that is therein." Reader, look at this point carefully, and see if the prophecy does not have a literal fulfilment in our own day. Put Isaiah 40th chapter, and Nahum ii. 3, 4, together.

CHAPTER VI.

THE SEVEN LAST PLAGUES.

THE first question to be settled, in reference to the seven last plagues, is, are they, any or all of them, past, or are they all future? It is the opinion of most expositors of the Apocalypse, that there are at least six of them already executed. The time has been when I was disposed to fall in with the prevailing opinion; but more recently have been constrained to dissent from that view, and consider them what they are emphatically said to be "THE SEVEN LAST PLAGUES," in which "IS FILLED UP THE WRATH OF GOD." The chronology of their execution seems to me to be in the future, and after the second advent. Some of the reasons for this opinion are the following:

1. They are introduced after the Son of man comes on a white cloud to "reap the harvest of the earth," the saints, for they are the wheat. Then the vintage will come, and the vine be cast into the great wine-press of the wrath of God. Rev. xiv. 14-20.

2. The redeemed are represented as standing on the sea of glass, having the harps of God, and

singing the song of Moses and the Lamb, before the vials are poured out. But the song of Moses is the song of triumph and deliverance. See Ex. xv. So also is the song of the Lamb. "Thy judgments are made manifest." See Rev.

XV.

3. Another reason for considering them all future, is analogy. In the destruction of the old world, God secured Noah in the ark, before the flood came on the ungodly. Before the storm of fire came on Sodom, God, by a special interposition, and the ministry of his angels, brought righteous Lot out of the devoted city, to a place of safety.

When destruction was to come on Jerusalem, the Saviour took care to deliver those that trusted in him, and they were led to a place of safety before the dreadful siege began, and not a Christian perished there.

4. Yet again, the very first vial, when it is poured out upon the earth, will affect the men who have the mark of the beast, and them that have WORSHIPPED HIS IMAGE. Rev. xvi. 2. The image of the beast did not exist until the present century, (see Chapter III. of this book,) and could not be worshipped before it existed. And also those who gain the victory over the IMAGE of the beast are to stand on the sea of glass before the vials are poured out.

Although the saints are to stand on the sea of glass, as it were mingled with fire, before the vials are poured out, no man can enter the temple of heaven until all the plagues are fulfilled. Rev. xv. 5-8. The saints will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air, to be forever with

But the

him, in a moment, at the last trump. New Jerusalem will not come down and the saints enter it, until the earth is desolated, and the new heavens and earth appear, and the New Jerusalem comes down. Then the saints shall have right to the tree of life, and enter in through the gates into the city.

The vials, I must regard, as producing the same literal effects ascribed to them in the 16th chapter of Revelation. The plagues are almost identical with those which came on Egypt when God delivered his people, and I can see no reason why these will not be as literal as those.

THE VIALS AND THEIR EFFECTS.

Rev. xvi. 2: "The first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men who had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshipped his image." Some of those will be alive who HAD the mark of the beast in his day; and those will be alive who "worshipped his image." The beast will have passed and the image be alive.

"Noisome and grievous sore." This will be best illustrated by referring to Ex. ix. 8-11: "And the Lord said unto Moses and unto Aaron, Take to you handfuls of ashes of the furnace, and let Moses sprinkle it toward the heaven in the sight of Pharaoh. And it shall become small dust in all the land of Egypt, and shall be a boil breaking forth with blains upon man, and upon beast, throughout all the land of Egypt. And they took ashes of the furnace, and stood before

Pharaoh, and Moses sprinkled it up toward heaven; and it became a boil breaking forth with blains upon man and upon beast. And the magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boil; for the boil was upon the magicians, and upon all the Egyptians." Why will not the antitype be as real and literal?

Verses 3-7: "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. And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters: and they became blood. And 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. And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judg

ments."

In illustration of these two vials, read Ex. vii. 17-21: "Thus saith the Lord, In this thou shalt know that I am the Lord: behold, I will smite with the rod which is in mine hand upon the waters which are in the river, and they shall be turned to blood. And the fish that is in the river shall die, and the river shall stink; and the Egyp tians shall loathe to drink of the water of the river. And the Lord spake unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Take thy rod, and stretch out thine hand upon the waters of Egypt, upon their streams, upon their rivers, and upon their ponds, and upon all their pools of water, that they may become blood; and that there may be blood throughout