has been here said, explains 'sufficiently the meaning of the shower of hail and fire mixed with blood, which fell upon the Christian Church, according to the text of Apocalypse here considered.

And now may we not, for a moment, take a quiet view of the triumph of the Church over ali her enemies? The Devil, like a fierce lion had closely watched her, and made repeated furious attempts to devour her: But the Lion of the tribe of Juda stood for her protection, and defeated all his assaults, Those haughty Princes, the Roman emperors, by Satan's instigation, bore down against her with all the weight of their power, to which the faithful opposed no other arms but patience. Nevertheless the edifice of the Church could not be thrown down because he that built it was himself the corner-stone, and had declared, it should stand for ever. The Pagans persuaded themselves, that by dint of tortures and severities, they could totally crush the Christians, and extinguish their very name: but their expectations were frustrated, and they saw them daily increase under those very oppressions. The more Christians they tortured, or put to death, the more converts were made from the view of such amazing examples of fortitude; and the Christian. blood they spilt, as Tertullian told them, was the seed of new Christians. The heavy pressures the Church laboured under, served to purify her members, like gold in the furnace, and from the fire of persecution she rose up, like the Phoenix, more bright and more vigorous. The idolatrous emperors of Rome looked upon the Christian religion as a mere human invention, and in this lay their mistake: They were ignorant that the work was of divine construction, that it was the new kingdom of the God of Heaven which had just been founded, and to which, by the eternal decrees, all other kingdoms were to give place, Dan. ii. 44. It was the stone, foretold by the prophet Daniel, "cut out of the mountain without hands," Dan. ii. 34. which

should break down all preceding powers, even the great Empire of Rome itself; that is, it should destroy the empire of idolatry in all nations, and reduce them to the obedience of its own laws, even Rome itself, which was to be for a time the chief seat and fortress of idolatry. "This stone," pursues the same prophet, "grew up into a great mountain, and filled the whole earth," Dan. ii. 35. which signifies, that the extent of the Christian religion was to have no other bounds but the extremities of the earth. Such being the solid foundation of the Church laid by the Almighty's hand, all human efforts against her must of course prove vain and abortive. The persecutions, however violent, had no other effect but to throw a gloomy veil over her for a while; but that being once removed, she appeared with new strength, and like the sun emerging from an eclipse, she shone forth with greater lustre, and spread her influence over the whole earth.

Prelude to the pouring out of the seven Vials.

Apoc. Chap XV. v. 1. " And I saw," says St. John, "another sign in heaven great and wonderful: seven angels, having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God.”*

Here is a new vision, great and wonderful, shewn to St. John; seven angels holding the figurative symbols of seven plagues or scourges, that is, of seven dreadful punishments. They are called the last, because in them is filled up or completed the wrath of God, being inflicted on mankind in the last period of the world, which is the period of Christianity. Accordingly, the first of these scourges take place as we shall see, soon after the beginning of the Christian æra, and the seventh puts an end to the world.

In the Greek text, "having seven plagues the last, because in them was fulfilled the wrath of God,”

v. 2. "And I saw," continues St. John, " as it were, a sea of glass mingled with fire, and them that had overcome the beast, and his image,* and the number of his name, standing on the sea of glass, having the harps of God:

v. 3. “And singing the canticle of Moses the servant of God, and the canticle of the Lamb, saying: Great and wonderful are thy works, O Lord God Almighty: just and true are thy ways, O King of ages.†

v. 4. "Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and magnify thy name for thou only art holy. For all nations shall come, and shall adore in thy sight, because thy judgments are manifest."

By the sea of glass is meant, as before explained, the firmament that makes the floor of heaven; which here is said to be mingled with fire, in allusion to the persecutions and troubles, which the faithful servants of God, who are seen standing on this sea, have sustained during the whole course of the Christian ages. For here, it must be observed, we are transferred to the moment of time, when all the seven scourges are completed and past, which is at the end of the world Supposing ourselves therefore at that point of time, we see a great body of Christian saints standing upon the sea of glass. But who in particular are they? Those who have overcome the beast and his image, and his character, or mark, and the number of his name. By a beast is generally meant an animal that destroys mankind, or ravages a country. In allusion to that idea, the beast here stands for idolatry and heresy; both which always make great devastation and desolation in the Church. Pursuant to that double meaning of the beast, its image denotes, either the idols of the pagan Gods,

I

In the Greek is added, " and his character."*
In the Greek, "king of saints."

!

cious tenets heresy. By the characthe beast, we may understand, either tive mark of idustry or heresy, or a - exercised in defence of either. The ::e name of t. beast is appropriated, thereafter, t. the famous abettor of Artist. Those Christian champions We have courageous suffered death, other tribulations, rather than heresy under my respect whather collected together in heaven, hold- hands celestial harps to sound the

They are employed in singing the Moses the servant of God, and the canthe first unowledge the

in the seven. terrible what he has inflicted t: uiolates mi heretics.

sme thret, and wonderful The God Almigic. This canthette cantick of Moses the Kanange it bears the sense, and is the particle win the Israe -have passed Bed Sea Moses, and seem their eneFor thus sung they: for he is gloriously rider he has thrown To the canticle of immediately join the Just and true are has extolling his tions to them, trials, having grace, and conclude "Tht: God er, and

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all nations shall come, and shall adore in thy sight, because thy judgments, or punishments on the impious, are manifest."

From what has been exhibited in this scene we learn, that the Almighty is jealous of whatever injuries are offered to his servants, and takes upon himself the judgment of their cause. Though for the proof of their zeal, and for their greater crown, he permits their enemies for a while to exercise their tyrannical power over them, yet in his wisdom he reserves to himself a time, in which he will revenge the evils done to them, and severely punish their persecutors. Not only former ages furnish a great number of known instances of such punishments, but the word of God openly declares such to be the tenour of the divine economy. "Will not God," said our Saviour, "revenge his elect who cry to him day and night and will he have patience in their regard? I say to you that he will quickly revenge them." Luke xviii. 7. 8. Hence we are prepared for what follows.

v.5. "And after these things," proceeds St. John, "I looked, and behold the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened.

v. 6. " And the seven angels came out of the temple having the seven plagues, clothed with clean and white linen, and girt about the breasts with golden girdles."

Here the scene changes, and is carried back to the period of time that immediately precedes the beginning of the seven plagues or punishments. This removal of the scene St. John insinuates by the unusual circumlocution," after these things I looked and behold." Then "the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened." St. John sees in heaven a tabernacle of testimony, similar in form to the ancient Jewish tabernacle; and the temple, that is, the holy of holies, or sanctuary of this heavenly tabernacle, had been shut up