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immediate protection of God, and where, whilst this woe continues, the wicked fhall not dare to approach to hurt them.

If, then, this woe is not to fall on those that love and fear God, it must fall on thofe his enemies, who, giving themselves up to "work all uncleannefs "with greedinefs," conceive they can "live without "God in the world;" upon thofe liars who "deny "that Jefus is the Chrift; who deny both the Father " and the Son*." In brief, it is to fall upon that atheistical herd of mankind, whether refiding in France, or any other part of the earth, who have deluded their own fouls to believe a lie, that there is no God.

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But it may here be asked, when is the fecond woe to end, and the third to commence? The probable conjecture is, that the fecond woe is nearly at an end, and that the third woe has already begun. I have been led to make this conjecture for the following reafons. In the firft of the two preceding verfes, we have the "afcent of the two witneffes, or a great reformation in the church; and in the fecond, a great earthquake," or the deftruction of the atheistical power of France; and we are told, that these two events are to come to pafs "at the "fame hour," or within the fame fhort period of time: and then that "the fecond woe is paft." But it is immediately added, " And, behold, the third cometh "quickly." Now the word quickly means here, as I humbly conceive, inftantly, prefently, at the fame time, and, as it were, before the fecond woe is perfectly paft. Indeed this conftruction of the word seems to be countenanced by the events; for I have before fhown, that the two firft woes were to fall on

*

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1 St. John, ii, 22.

† 2 Thes. ii. 11.

the Chriftian church, as divine vifitations for her ingratitude and difobedience; that the Mohamedan and Papal apofiacies were to be the inftruments of divine juftice to inflict them, and that they were to continue 1260 years for that particular purpose: and it is clearly afcertained, by hifiory, that thofe twa apoftacies laid the foundation of their power, and began the depreffion of the church, in the year 606; and have ever fince, in a great measure, overwhelmed it with their apoftacies and darkness. Now, if we calculate the duration of the two firft woes from that æra, the period of the fecond woe will not expire until the year 1866, according to our prefent chronology; if we calculate it by fynchronic years, not before 1845: fo that there will be, at least, forty-four years before the fecond woe will perfectly be terminated, and the true believers in the revealed word of God be delivered from their long captivity.

Indeed we know that the Mohamedan and Papal apoftacies ftill exift, and hold a great part of the church in the chains of fenfuality and idolatry. If, then, the fecond woe is nearly finished, and the third woe is to come "quickly," or to commence before the second woe fhall completely be terminated, then THIS is the time to look for the commencement of those dreadful events which are to punish the antichriftian world; and more especially that part of it which "has the mark of the atheiftical beaft, and worships his image*."

Nor is this conjecture unfupported by a strong probability arifing from facts before us; for we have feen the revolutionary power of France inftrumental in pouring out the wrath of God, upon one of the

Chap. xvi. 2. See poftea, comment on the firft vial.

greatest

greatest and moft unrelenting enemies of the church of Chrift, the Papal hierarchy, by depriving it, at leaft, of 30,000,000 of its devoted profelytes, and carrying defolation and mifery into all the Roman Catholic countries. This they have done in the "fame hour," or within the fame short period of time, overwhelming France, in particular, with calamities never before fo" quickly" brought upon any country fince the deluge. What is yet more appofitely remarkable, we have feen that the countries in general where the Proteftant religion, and the " fear of "God," have prevailed, have, comparatively, been little affected by the machinations and dectruction of the "beaft of the bottomlefs pit," the avowed enemy of the church of Chrift. In fact, it feems fcarcely poffible for any unprejudiced perfon to confider and understand the events of this third woe, as they are predicted, and more particularly defcribed, under the feven vials of the wrath of God," and to compare those which have lately come to pass with their proper types, there detailed, without perceiving, that the four firft vials have, for fome time, been pouring out upon the enemies of Chriflianity; as I mean, with the help of God, to fhow here

after.

Ver. 15. And the feventh angel founded; "and there were great voices in heaven, "faying, The kingdoms of the world are be"come the kingdoms of our Lord, and of "his Chrift; and he fhall reign for ever and "ever."

The prophet having now fully treated of the events of the firft and fecond woes, under the fifth and fixth trumpets, proceeds, according to his

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cuftom, to take a fummary view of the dreadful events of the third and last woe. This he does by representing the feventh angel, having the third and laft woe-trumpet, as founding or proclaiming the awful and irrevocable decree of a LONG-FORBEARING GOD, against the wicked oppofers of his righteous will; and calling upon the feven angels, having the "feven vials of the wrath of God, to execute "it" He farther reprefents, that, upon hearing this decree, the church of Chrift rejoiced and worshipped God: "And there were great voices "(rejoicings) in heaven," (the church) " faying, "The kingdoms of the world are become the "kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Chrift; and he "fhall reign for ever and ever." It is added, "And the four and twenty elders" (meaning the faints and martyrs who had been the firft-fruits unto God through Chrift, and who fhall reign with him as kings and priefts unto God his "Father"), who fat before God on their feats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God, faying, "We give thee thanks, O LORD GOD ALMIGHTY, "which art, and waft, and is to come; because "thou haft taken to thee thy great power, and "haft reigned."

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In the eighteenth verfe it seems, that the church, now properly acquainted with the conduct of the past world, and with the infinite righteoufnefs and goodness of a long-forbearing God, vindicates his providence in general, and particularly with respect to this decree. For he goes on to fay, " And "the nations were angry;" that is (as I humbly prefume to conftrue it)," the nations of the earth, although they were the creatures of thy wisdom and pleasure, became degenerate, ungrateful, and + Chap. v. 10. xx. 6.

* Chap. xv. xvi,

rebellious,

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rebellious, difregarding thy righteous judgment upon the antediluvian world for its difobedience, contempt of thy mercy, and for its manifold fins. They departed from the godly example of thy fervant Noah, into polytheifm, and all manner of iniquity. They next feduced thy chofen people, the Jews, to break their covenant with thee; to forfake thy laws, and to commit all manner of idolatrous fornication with them. They had put to the most ignominious death upon the crofs thy well-beloved Son; whom, in the abundance of thy mercy, thou hadft fent to offer them pardon, to redeem them from everlafling perdition, and make them perfectly happy. They had feduced thy church, founded by thy bleffed Son, and ruling over the heathen world, to abandon thy eternal truth, and overwhelm it with apoftate fenfuality and blafphemous idolatry; and now, that they might leave no crime, no fin not committed, they have avowedly bid defiance to thine omnipotence, daringly and contemptuoufly ridiculed thine infinite power, thy wisdom, juftice, and mercy; nay, even denied thine exiftence. Hence it is that "thy wrath is

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come, and the time of the dead, that they should “be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward "to thy fervants the prophets, and to the faints, "and to them that fear thy name, fmall and great; "and fhouldest destroy them that deftroy the earth."

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