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Taking this to be the bleffed temple, which is to be opened to let out the feven angels of the wrath of God, let us next inquire when it was built, how it came to be fhut up on earth, and when it is to be finally opened for the reception of all the children of God, never more to be fhut? It was built by Christ himself, in the first century, when, at that time, he eftablished the word of God in his church. It remained open, and continually received, all who, by a holy life and converfation, became worthy to enter into it, until it was fpread, in a manner, over the whole earth. And it was shut upon earth, of "caught up unto God and to his throne*," prophet elsewhere expreffes it, in the feventh century, when the church, ungratefully and foolishly, deferting the word of the true God, fell into Mohamedan fatalism, filth, and fenfuality, and Papal corruption and idolatry; and thereby difcarded its holy High Prieft. And it will continue thus fhut up, until the feven angels fhall be ready to come out of it, when it fhall be opened.

as the

But although opened, it is to be fo "filled with fmoke, from the glory and from the power of God, "that no man fhall be able to enter into it, till the "feven plagues of the feven angels fhall be ful"filled" meaning, as I humbly apprehend, from confidering the different texts upon the fubject, that as neither the reformation of the church, nor the atonement of Christ, to divine juftice, will fully be completed, nor the wrath of God upon the ungodly, fully appeafed; fo no man, the faints and martyrs. excepted, fhall be able to enter into it, until thofe purposes fhall be entirely accomplished, or the feven plagues of the feven angels" be fulfilled. Thefe purposes will not be accomplished, according

* Rev. xii.

+ Rev. vii. 15.

to

to St. Paul, until Chrift" fhall put down all rule, "and all authority, and power. For he muft "reign until he hath put all his enemies under his "feet. The laft enemy that fhall be deftroyed is "death. And when all things fhall be fubdued "unto him, then fhall the Son alfo himself be fub"ject unto Him that put all things under him, that "God may be all in all *." In the fame path with this great apofile, the prophet travels without the leaft deviation, and places the final opening of this temple, that the redeemed, through Chrift, may enter, after the feven vials and the utter deftruction of all his enemies, even of Satan and death itself; even after the deftruction of the world, the laft refurrection and judgment, and the creation of the new heavens and the new earth; and then reprefents its coming down from God with the new "Jerufalem, and the bleffed reign of God, and the "Lamb in it, for ever and ever.'

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SIXTEENTH CHAPTER OF THE REVELATION.

On the feven Vials AND I heard a great voice out of the temple, faying unto the feven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth.

2. And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noifome and grievous fore upon the men which had the mark of the beaft, and upon them which worthipped his image. 3 And the fecond angel poured out his vial upon the

of the Wrath of God.
fea; and it became as the
blood of a dead man and
every living foul died in the
fea.

4 And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters, and they became blood.

5 And I heard the angel of the waters fay, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and waft, and fhalt be, because thou haft judged thus.

* 1 Cor. xv. 24, 25, 26, 28.

6. For they have fhed the

+ Rev. xix. 3.

blood

blood of faints, and prophets, and thou haft given them. blood to drink; for they are worthy.

7 And I heard another out of the altar fay, Even fo, Lord God Almighty; true and righteous are thy judg

ments.

8 And the fourth ang è poured out his vial upon the fun; and power was given unto him to fcorch men with fire.

9 And men were scorched with great heat, and blafphemed the name of God, which had power over thefe plagues and they repented not to give him glory.

10 And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the feat of the beaft; and his kingdom was full of darknefs; and they gnawed their tongues for pain,

11 And blafphemed the God of heaven becaufe of their pains and their fores, and repented not of their deeds.

12 And the fixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the Eaft might be prepared.

13 And I faw three unclean fpirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beaft, and out of the mouth of the falle prophet.

14 For they are the fpirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of the great day of God Almighty.

15 Behold, I come as a thief. Bleffed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, left he walk naked, and they fee his fhame.

16 And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.

17 And the feventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, faying, It is done.

18 And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, fuch as was not fince men were upon the earth, fo mighty an earthquake, and fo great,

19. And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.

20 And every island fled away, and the mountains. were not found.

21 And there fell upon men a great hail out of hea

ven,

ven, every stone about the, the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great,

weight of a talent: and men blafphemed God because of

Ver. 1." And I heard a great voice out of the temple of heaven, faying to the feven angels, Go your way, and pour out the vials "of the wrath of God upon the earth."

Ver. 2." And the firft angel went and poured out his vial on the earth; and there "fell a noifome and grievous fore on the men "which had the mark of the beaft, and upon "them which worshipped his image."

WE have feen that the prophetic contents of the feven feals, relating to the rife and exaltation of the church over the heathen world, were revealed by Chrift himself; and the vifitations of God upon the church, by angels; but here we find that the laft plagues, or the laft tremendous judgments of an offended God, represented under the figures of "the feven vials of "his wrath,” are revealed to the prophet, by a great voice out of the temple " of heaven," or immediately from GOD HIMSELF. Hence, alone, there is reafon to expect, that they are to be more exemplary and more decifive, than any of his former judgments upon the children of men, fince the flood. But to remove all doubt upon this point, the vials are exprefsly called "the laft plagues." They are to be full of the wrath of God, who liveth for ever "and ever." And we are told, that "when "the feventh angel (having the third and last woe

* Rev. xv. 1.

+ Ibid. 7.

Rev. x. 7.

"trumpet)

"trumpet) fhall begin to found, the mystery of God "thall be finifhed, as he has declared to his fervants "the prophets." And, moreover, that when the feventh angel fhall have " poured out his vial into "the air," there fhall come "a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, "IT IS DONE."

6.

Such being the decifive and tremendous nature of these vials, it is a queftion worthy of confideration, upon whom they are to be poured out? There is no reason to believe, from any part of holy writ, that they are to be emptied upon that remnant of mankind, who fhall "fear God, and give him the glory." Indeed this is the very condition offered by Chrift himself, upon the performance of which they should avoid the threatening judgments. Befides, these are "the children of promife," "the children of "God §." "And God will not break his promise, nor deftroy his children :"" for God will dwell "with them, and they fhall be his people." Thefe vials, then, are deftined to be poured out upon the hardened and incorrigible "children of "difobe"dience," in whom Satan" worketh," and has perfuaded them to believe they can live" without "God in the world."

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Another question, which is of great importance, is, when is it, that the prophet gives us reafon to look for their effects? We have seen that he has divided his fubject into three periods of events, under the allegories of feals, trumpets, and vials. The events of the two firft, we have alfo feen, have come to pass, and the prophecies refpecting them been fulfilled in the order foretold. Nothing then remains. but the events of the third period, or of the feven

*Rev. xvi. 17. + Rev. xiv. 7. xi. 18, xix. 5. I Gal. iv. 28. § Gal. ii. 26. Rev. xxi. 3. ¶ Eph. ii. 2.

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