ge for his people, where he will hide them in his pavilion: and when their enemies shall attack them in their retreat, the Lord will suddenly manifest himself in their defence, and eternally reward their patience and fidelity. Ps. XXVII, 5. Rev. xix.

Verse 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 monntains were not found,

:

21. And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great.

I am perfectly convinced that this great city, which was rent into three parts by the above mentioned political earthquake, cannot be the great Babylon, nor the Latin empire; for the holy Seer expressly distinguishes it, by saying, that now, during the execution of this judgment on the great city here intended, Babylon also was brought in remembrance before God, probably by the holy martyrs, as having long deserved her dreadful doom. The original does not even necessarily imply one of the greatest, and most populous cities in the world; for the word

μy, which our English version renders great, also signifies old, ancient, fumous, Rev. XIII, 15. Rev. XIX, 5. the LXX Gen. xxxvi, 13. Jer. xxx11, 19, and a wodis n meyaaŋ may thus justly be rendered the ancient or famous city. But as ancient Babylon, in prophetic language, signifies both the city and the empire of which she was the residence'; so the mystic Babylon of the Revelation comprehends both Rome and the whole Papal hierarchy, its possessions and dominions. Upon the same principle,

sense here, as the finishing period of a past age and order of things on earth.

I consider the city which was here divided into three parts, as signifying a certain city of ancient fame, in con-nexion with the kingdom to which it belongs. From these observations it must be evident to the discerning reader, that those eminent authors, have most assuredly been deceived by the dazzling light of passing events, who have laboured to explain this city as signifying the Roman em pire, and thus confounded it with Babylon. The most probable conjecture in my opinion is, that this city indicates Jerusalem, as it will be built again at a future period, and the Mahomedan power with which it will then stand connected, as I have shown in chapter XI, 8. to which place I would refer the reader for aditional proof. However, there is one specious objection to be answered against this explanation. Some of my readers may allege, that Jerusalem is not the capital of the Turkish empire, to which I assent, and answer neither is it represented as the residence of any court in chap. XI, or in this place.

We are informed by this prophecy, that the violent revolution mentioned in the preceding verse will divide this city into three parts. The precise meaning of these words, cannot be determined before the time of accomplishment; but the most probable opinion is, that three new and distinct sovereignties will be established in that part of the world, even before the time of the two wit

nesses.

And the cities of the nations fell. The cities of the nations signify those inferior Pagan and Mahomedan powers with their capitals, which will be involved in this tromendous revolution. All their governments and authorities will from this period expire. If the battle of Armageddon is fought, about the middle of the time alloted to the seventh vial, even before the fall of mystic Babylon; then the accomplishment of this part of the prophecy may be easily anticipated. For when those kings and armics, which shall be gathered to this battle from so

many countries, have there met with utter destruction, then all thrones have become vacant, and every state and kingdom will be engulphed in anarchy and confusion. Consider the state of a radically corrupted mass of men, pregnant with raging demagogues and infidels thirsting for pleasures, property and dominion; a haughty nobility, and an ignorant multitude without restraints, forming parties, and ploting destruction against each other, will not on such a catastrophe their flourishing cities literally fall with their civil authorities, and all their grand edifices and superb temples, be hurled to the ground? But in case the battle of Armageddon should be fought later, the event will finally be the same concerning the cities, though producedby another cause, and in a different manner. What is here said in regard to Babylon, will be treated of inchap. XVII, more at large.

Verse 20. Island and mountains disappear. I would refer the reader to chap. vi, 14. where the downfall and total defeat of Pagan authority in the Roman empire, is represented by the same words and which bear a strong allusion to the last day of judgment, because of its being a final doom, as is alluded to in this place. Republics are sometimes represented by islands, the banks of which are washed by a tempestuous sea, as republican or democratical governments by the surrounding multitudes. But islands here probably signify governments upon the very frontiers of the civilized world, surrounded by Pagan hordes in a state of nature; and mountains, the great advance-walls and breastworks of nature against storms and seas, signify strong and durable kingdoms in the interior parts, Ps. XLVI, 2. 3. All these islands and mountains, will participate in the fate of the preceding cities. They shall sink, and in future disappear from the map of the world, like those of ancient fame, as they had never existed, until the symbolical earth is levelled down to a plain.

Verse 21. A great hail. A tempest of hail indicates a most destructive and ruinous invasion by an overwhelming army. See chap. VIII, 7. and Isa. xxx, 30. Thus the invasion of the land of Israel by the Assyrians, is represented by a tempest of hail, Isa. xxvIII, 2. and God's judgments upon Gog and Magog, Ezek. xxxvIII, 22. It is probable, that this hail-storm may allude to a dreadful invasion by foreign nations, which enter the theatre of this terrible scene just at its height, to wind up the whole by a tremendous catastrophe. Every stone will be about the weight of a talent, which according to Grecian weight, would be 125 pounds, and according to the Hebrew weight KIKKAR, Taλavrov, a talent, about 113 pounds. Those struck by hailstones of this prodigious weight, will fall, and never rise again; and no doubt, the number of these will be great. But those who escape with their lives, will be even less humbled than Pharoah, Exod. 1x, 4; though this judgment is far more terrible, and their sins more heinous. Instead of acknowledging their guilt, and justifying the ways and righteous judgments of the Lord by repentance, they blaspheme God for suffering his hand of justice to rest on them. The prodigious weight of the hail, shew this judgment to be of an extraordinary nature.

I am sensible, that I have not exhausted this important subject of the seven vials. Many interesting & momentous circumstances remain concealed in the secret recesses of the spirit of prophecy, intentionally hidden from the eyes of mortals for wise purposes. As to my views of unaccomplished prophecies, I have carefully watched my tremulous hand, and with sincere diffidence, I have trodden with awe on consecrated ground. And

*Talentum erat græcis pondus centum et viginti quinque librarum. Kutt. Hypom. Josephus A. I. L. III. C. 10. f. m. 43.

†Vide Eisenschmid pond. & mens. p. 183.

though Ihave intentionally limited my researches, to the critical meaning of these hieroglyphics, and ventured no idea unauthorized by the figure of language already established in its true sense; yet it would argue ignorance and vanity, to presume that my feeble eye should have clearly penetrated into the dark recesses of futurity. Perhaps these vials may also yet produce great changes in the physical world. For they are the peremtory judgments of the Lord against the beast, the false prophet and all the corruptors of Christendom; and at the same time intended, to prepare the earth for the theatre of the future personal kingdom of Jesus Christ. The aspect of the earth has already undergone a great change, when the Lord divided it in the days of Peleg, Gen. x, 25; and it may again suffer considerable alterations for the accomplishment of divine purposes. Let the reader reflect upon what is said of Jerusalem and Palestine Zech. XIV, 10.

No, I will even confess that I have some doubts, whether any of the vials are, as yet, poured out at all; which future accomplishments will alone determine. Though it is highly probable, that my explanation of the first five vials are correct; yet if they should be unaccomplished, my exposition will be found to bear all the principal features of a correct accommodation, on the day of completion. Moreover, my heart, willing to pay due reverence to the word of God, impels me to confess, that also my computation concerning the period of fifty years, alloted to the vials, may be incorrect, if none of them are as yet accomplished; but in that ease, they will be poured out in a still shorter time than I have here adopted. For, my general system of prophetic Chronology will be found nearly correct, at the unravelling catastrophe of this complicated and divine scheme, concerted by Eternal Wisdom.