it is eternal life; but at this time it may be termed everlasting, in regard it shall never be again obfcured by the fubtilty of the dragon, and his emiffary the beaft. This angel preaches the gospel fo as to counteract the poifon of Babylon's doctrine. The doctrines of Popery impress the mind with the fears of purgatory, and of devils, together with an exceffive reverence of faints and angels, which have a tendency to banish from the mind the fear of God. But this angel recals the attention of mankind to that principle which is the fource of every duty we owe to God, and to mankind; faying with a loud voice, Fear God. He adds, Give glory to him. God is glorified by obedience to his commandments, but the church of Rome requires of her votaries implicit fubmiffion to her authority. So that it may be faid of them, as of the apoftate Jews, "Ye reject the command"ments of God, that ye may keep your own "traditions.

phecies, that after the fall of the beaft, the gospel fhall be propagated, fo as never to be again obfcured. Farther, the argument by which this angel enforces his preaching, cannot apply to the oppofition made by the Emperors of the Eaft, and Charlemagne. There was no Judgment at that time inflicted on the beaft: on the contrary, he was then haftily advancing to the zenith of his glory.

"traditions. In vain ye worship me, teaching "for doctrines the commandments of men." But this angel directs men to the true rule of obedience, the divine precepts: "And worship "him that made heaven and earth, the fea, and "the fountains of waters." The worship of God is the great mean by which obedience of heart and life is maintained. And in this likewife the church of Rome grofsly misleads the members of her communion, by enjoining the worship of angels and faints, and even of images and relicts; but this angel exhorts men in the language of God's law, "Thou shall worship the "Lord thy God, and him only fhalt thou ferve;" because, to him alone worship is due, who is the great Creator and Preserver of all things, the bountiful Benefactor, from whom every bleffing, temporal and spiritual, flows; while

he

urges these truths with fuccefs, from the completion of prophecy, made manifeft in the judgment of God fo recently inflicted on the beast, by depriving him of his temporal fovereignty.

A third view, reprefenting the efficacy of the gospel in these times, is laid before us, Rev. xi. And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was feen in his temple the ark "of his teftament." This took place immediately

19.

66

after

after the seventh trumpet founded, as we learn from verfe 15. and represents the clearer manifestation of himself, which God will bestow on his faithful worshippers at the time specified. Under the law, the high prieft only once a year was permitted to fee the ark. The vail which feparated the most holy from the holy place, prevented the priest, who officiated daily in the fanctuary, from seeing it; and if the high priest entered within the fecond vail, except on the day of expiation, he died for his temerity, Lev. xvi. 2. But under the New Teftament difpenfation, there is accefs for every real Chriftian" to the holieft of all, by the blood of "Jefus," Heb. x. 19. This access was typified by the rending of the vail at Christ's death, Mat. xxvii. 51. Accordingly it has been the privilege of fome individuals, in all periods of the Chriftian church, to be admitted to the holieft of all, and to fee the ark; but the extending of this privilege to the whole body of the church is referved for that period in which the seventh trumpet fhall found. The primitive church is reprefented by worshippers in the inper court of the temple, meaning the court of the priests in which the altar of burnt-offering ftood, Rev. xi. I. However that does not imply access to the holieft of all, to see the ark. In the time following the reign of Antichrift,

and

and during his reign, the temple and the inner court are shut, the outer court is trodden under foot by the Gentiles, (verse 2.), and the few witneffes faithful to God on earth, are mingled with those Gentiles, prophesying in sackcloth. But when the feventh trumpet founds, all the Gentiles are expelled from the outer court, and there is not only access to the inner court, as formerly, but the door of the fanctuary is thrown open, even the inner vail is removed, and all the worshippers are permitted to see the ark of the covenant; that is, God shall at that period give clearer views of his truth, and more comfortable manifeftations of his prefence, than at any former period, by bestowing more generally and more liberally the influences of his holy Spirit.

The fame truth is laid before us by another type borrowed from the Mofaic oeconomy, applicable to the fame period, Rev. xv. 8. " And "the temple was filled with smoke from the "glory of God, and from his power; that no

26

man was able to enter into the temple till the "feven plagues of the feven angels were fulfil"led." The opening of the temple is mentioned verfe 5. in almost the same words used Rev. xi. 19. There is a reference to that paffage, in order to fhew the time of opening the temple; namely, when the feventh trumpet founds. Out of the temple came the feven an

gels,

gels having the feven laft plagues. Immediately the temple is filled with fmoke, or a cloud, which continues during the time that the angels are pouring out the vials. This unquestionably refers to the confecration of the tabernacle by Mofes, and the dedication of the temple by So.. lomon. On these two memorable occafions, the house of God was filled with a cloud, fo that even the ministers of the fanctuary could not enter it; the cloud was a symbol of the divine prefence; it then filled the houfe; whereas it commonly appeared only on the mercy-feat within the vail, to intimate that his presence on that occafion was bestowed more abundantly than on ordinary occafions. That minifters of the fanctuary could not enter in, proceeded from their deep reverence for that visible display of the divine presence; juft fo when the seventh trumpet founds, the church of Chrift, purified from the defilements of Antichirst, and confecrated to Chrift, fhall be acknowledged by peculiar manifeftations of God's prefence, and the liberal influences of his Spirit.

These three representations afford a view tolerably clear, of the state of the church immediately after the founding of the feventh trumpet. The first shews the gospel propagated to kindreds, tongues, nations, and languages, and an innumerable multitude of converts introdu