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<center><h1>Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary
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on the Whole Bible</h1>
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[<A HREF="MHC00000.HTM">Table of Contents</A>]<BR>
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Matthew Henry<BR><I>Commentary on the Whole Bible</I> (1721)
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<!-- (Begin Body) -->
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<CENTER>
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<BR><FONT SIZE=+3><B>R E V E L A T I O N.</B></FONT>
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<BR>
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<BR><FONT SIZE=+2>CHAP. XVI.</FONT>
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<HR SIZE=1 WIDTH=50>
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</CENTER>
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<FONT SIZE=-1>
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<P>
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In this chapter we have an account of the pouring forth of these vials
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that were filled with the wrath of God. They were poured out upon the
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whole antichristian empire, and on every thing appertaining to it.
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I. Upon the earth,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Re+16:2">ver. 2</A>.
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II. Upon the sea,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Re+16:3">ver. 3</A>.
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III. Upon the rivers and fountains of water,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Re+16:4">ver. 4</A>.
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Here the heavenly hosts proclaim and applaud the righteousness of the
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judgments of God.
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IV. The fourth vial was poured out on the sun,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Re+16:8">ver. 8</A>.
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V. The fifth on the seat of the beast.
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VI. The sixth on the river Euphrates.
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VII. The seventh in the air, upon which the cities of the nations fell,
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and great Babylon came in remembrance before God.</P>
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</FONT>
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<A NAME="Re16_1"> </A>
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<A NAME="Re16_2"> </A>
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<A NAME="Re16_3"> </A>
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<A NAME="Re16_4"> </A>
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<A NAME="Re16_5"> </A>
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<A NAME="Re16_6"> </A>
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<A NAME="Re16_7"> </A>
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<A NAME="Sec1"> </A>
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<TABLE WIDTH="100%" BORDER=0>
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<TR><TD><FONT SIZE=+1><I>The Seven Vials.</I></FONT></TD>
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<TD ALIGN=RIGHT VALIGN=BOTTOM><FONT SIZE=-1>A. D.</FONT> 95.</TD></TR>
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<TR><TD COLSPAN=2><HR SIZE=1></TD></TR>
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</TABLE>
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<P>
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<FONT SIZE=+1>1 And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the
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seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath
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of God upon the earth.
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2 And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth;
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and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had
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the mark of the beast, and <I>upon</I> them which worshipped his
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image.
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3 And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it
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became as the blood of a dead <I>man:</I> and every living soul died
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in the sea.
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4 And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and
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fountains of waters; and they became blood.
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5 And I heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous,
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O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou hast
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judged thus.
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6 For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou
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hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy.
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7 And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God
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Almighty, true and righteous <I>are</I> thy judgments.
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</FONT></P>
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<P>
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We had in the foregoing chapter the great and solemn preparation that
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was made for the pouring out of the vials; now we have the performance
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of that work. Here observe,</P>
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<P>
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I. That, though every thing was made ready before, yet nothing was to
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be put in execution without an immediate positive order from God; and
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this he gave out of the temple, answering the prayers of his people,
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and avenging their quarrel.</P>
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<P>
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II. No sooner was the word of command given than it was immediately
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obeyed; no delay, no objection made. We find that some of the best men,
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as Moses and Jeremiah, did not so readily come in and comply with the
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call of God to their work; but the angels of God excel not only in
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strength, but in a readiness to do the will of God. God says, <I>Go
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your ways, and pour out the vials,</I> and immediately the work is
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begun. We are taught to pray that the will of God may be done on earth
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as it is done in heaven. And now we enter upon a series of very
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terrible dispensations of Providence, of which it is difficult to give
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the certain meaning or to make the particular application. But in the
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general it is worth our observation that,</P>
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<P>
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1. We have here a reference and allusion to several of the plagues of
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Egypt, such as the turning of their waters into blood, and smiting them
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with boils and sores. Their sins were alike, and so were their
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punishments.</P>
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<P>
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2. These vials have a plain reference to the seven trumpets, which
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represented the rise of antichrist; and we learn hence that the fall of
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the church's enemies shall bear some resemblance to their rise, and
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that God can bring them down in such ways as they chose to exalt
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themselves. And the fall of antichrist shall be gradual; as Rome was
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not built in one day, so neither shall it fall in one day, but it falls
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by degrees; it shall fall so as to rise no more.</P>
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<P>
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3. The fall of the antichristian interest shall be universal. Every
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thing that any ways belonged to them, or could be serviceable to them,
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the premises and all their appurtenances, are put into the writ for
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destruction: their earth, their air, their sea, their rivers, their
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cities, all consigned over to ruin, all accursed for the sake of the
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wickedness of that people. Thus the creation groans and suffers through
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the sins of men. Now we proceed to,</P>
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<P>
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(1.) The first angel who poured out his vial,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Re+16:2"><I>v.</I> 2</A>.
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Observe,
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[1.] Where it fell--<I>upon the earth;</I> that is, say some, upon the
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common people; others upon the body of the Romish clergy, who were the
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basis of the papacy, and of an earthly spirit, all carrying on earthly
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designs.
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[2.] What it produced--<I>noisome and grievous sores on all who had the
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mark of the beast.</I> They had marked themselves by their sin; now God
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marks them out by his judgments. This sore, some think, signifies some
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of the first appearances of Providence against their state and interest
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which gave them great uneasiness, as it discovered their inward
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distemper and was a token of further evil; the plague--tokens
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appeared.</P>
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<P>
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(2.) <I>The second angel poured out his vial;</I> and here we see,
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[1.] Where it fell--<I>upon the sea;</I> that is, say some, upon the
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jurisdiction and dominion of the papacy; others upon the whole system
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of their religion, their false doctrines, their corrupt glosses, their
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superstitious rites, their idolatrous worship, their pardons,
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indulgences, a great conflux of wicked inventions and institutions, by
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which they maintain a trade and traffic advantageous to themselves, but
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injurious to all who deal with them.
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[2.] What it produced: It turned the sea into blood, <I>as the blood of
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a dead man, and every living soul died in the sea.</I> God discovered
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not only the vanity and falsehood of their religion, but the pernicious
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and deadly nature of it--that the souls of men were poisoned by that
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which was pretended to be the sure means of their salvation.</P>
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<P>
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(3.) The next angel poured out his vial; and we are told,
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[1.] Where it fell--<I>upon the rivers, and upon the fountains of
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waters;</I> that is, say some very learned men, upon their emissaries,
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and especially the Jesuits, who, like streams, conveyed the venom and
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poison of their errors and idolatries from the spring-head through the
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earth.
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[2.] What effect it had upon them: <I>It turned them into blood;</I>
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some think it stirred up Christian princes to take a just revenge upon
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those that had been the great incendiaries of the world, and had
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occasioned the shedding of the blood of armies and of martyrs. The
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following doxology
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(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Re+16:5,6"><I>v.</I> 5, 6</A>)
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favours this sense. The instrument that God makes use of in this work
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is here called <I>the angel of the waters,</I> who extols the
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righteousness of God in this retaliation: <I>They have shed the blood
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of thy saints, and thou hast given them blood to drink, for they are
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worthy,</I> to which another angel answered by full consent,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Re+16:7"><I>v.</I> 7</A>.</P>
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<A NAME="Re16_8"> </A>
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<A NAME="Re16_9"> </A>
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<A NAME="Re16_10"> </A>
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<A NAME="Re16_11"> </A>
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<A NAME="Sec2"> </A>
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<TABLE WIDTH="100%" BORDER=0>
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<TR><TD><FONT SIZE=+1><I>The Seven Vials.</I></FONT></TD>
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<TD ALIGN=RIGHT VALIGN=BOTTOM><FONT SIZE=-1>A. D.</FONT> 95.</TD></TR>
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<TR><TD COLSPAN=2><HR SIZE=1></TD></TR>
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</TABLE>
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<P>
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<FONT SIZE=+1>8 And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and
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power was given unto him to scorch men with fire.
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9 And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the
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name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they
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repented not to give him glory.
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10 And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the
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beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed
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their tongues for pain,
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11 And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and
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their sores, and repented not of their deeds.
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</FONT></P>
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<P>
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In these verses we see the work going on in the appointed order. The
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fourth angel poured out his vial, and that fell upon the sun; that is,
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say some, upon some eminent prince of the popish communion, who should
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renounce their false religion a little while before his utter downfall;
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and some expect it will be the German emperor. And now what will be the
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consequence of this? That sun which before cherished them with warm and
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benign influences shall now grow hot against these idolaters, and shall
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scorch them. Princes shall use their power and authority to suppress
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them, which yet will be so far from bringing them to repentance, that
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it will cause them to curse God and their king, and look upward,
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throwing out their blasphemous speeches against the God of heaven; they
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will be hardened to their ruin. The fifth angel poured out his vial,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Re+16:10"><I>v.</I> 10</A>.
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And observe,
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1. Where this fell--<I>upon the seat of the beast,</I> upon Rome
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itself, the mystical Babylon, the head of the antichristian empire.
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2. What effect it had there: The whole kingdom of the beast <I>was
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full of darkness</I> and distress. That very city which was the seat of
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their policy, the source of all their learning, and all their
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knowledge, and all their pomp and pleasure, now becomes a source of
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darkness, and pain, and anguish. Darkness was one of the plagues of
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Egypt, and it is opposed to lustre and honour, and so forebodes the
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contempt and scorn to which the antichristian interest should be
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exposed. Darkness is opposed to wisdom and penetration, and forebodes
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the confusion and folly which the idolaters should discover at that
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time. It is opposed to pleasure and joy, and so signifies their anguish
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and vexation of Spirit, when their calamities thus came upon them.</P>
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<A NAME="Re16_12"> </A>
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<A NAME="Re16_13"> </A>
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<A NAME="Re16_14"> </A>
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<A NAME="Re16_15"> </A>
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<A NAME="Re16_16"> </A>
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<A NAME="Sec3"> </A>
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<TABLE WIDTH="100%" BORDER=0>
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<TR><TD><FONT SIZE=+1><I>The Seven Vials.</I></FONT></TD>
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<TD ALIGN=RIGHT VALIGN=BOTTOM><FONT SIZE=-1>A. D.</FONT> 95.</TD></TR>
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<TR><TD COLSPAN=2><HR SIZE=1></TD></TR>
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</TABLE>
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<P>
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<FONT SIZE=+1>12 And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river
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Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of
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the kings of the east might be prepared.
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13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs <I>come</I> out of the
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mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out
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of the mouth of the false prophet.
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14 For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles,
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<I>which</I> go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole
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world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God
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Almighty.
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15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed <I>is</I> he that watcheth,
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and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his
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shame.
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16 And he gathered them together into a place called in the
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Hebrew tongue Armageddon.
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</FONT></P>
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<P>
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<I>The sixth angel poured out his vial;</I> and observe,</P>
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<P>
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I. Where it fell--<I>upon the great river Euphrates.</I> Some take it
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literally, for the place where the Turkish power and empire began; and
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they think this is a prophecy of the destruction of the Turkish
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monarchy and of idolatry, which they suppose will be effected about the
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same time with that of the papacy, as another antichrist, and that
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thereby a way shall be made for the conveniency of the Jews, those
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princes of the east. Others take it for the river Tiber; for, as Rome
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is mystical Babylon, Tiber is mystical Euphrates. And when Rome shall
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be destroyed her river and merchandise must suffer with her.</P>
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<P>
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II. What did this vial produce?
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1. The drying up of the river, which furnished the city with wealth,
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provisions, and all sorts of accommodations.
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2. A way is hereby prepared <I>for the kings of the east.</I> The
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idolatry of the church of Rome had been a great hindrance both to the
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conversion of the Jews, who have been long cured of their inclination
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to idols, and of the Gentiles, who are hardened in their idolatry by
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seeing that which so much symbolizes with it among those called
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Christians. It is therefore very probable that the downfall of popery,
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removing these obstructions, will open a way for both the Jews and
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other eastern nations to come into the church of Christ. And, if we
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suppose that Mahomedism shall fall at the same time, there will be
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still a more open communication between the western and eastern
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nations, which may facilitate the conversion of the Jews, and of <I>the
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fulness of the Gentiles.</I> And when this work of God appears, and is
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about to be accomplished, no wonder if it occasion another consequence,
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which is,
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3. The last effort of the great dragon; he is resolved to have another
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push for it, that, if possible, he may retrieve the ruinous posture of
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his affairs in the world. He is now rallying his forces, recollecting
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all his spirits, to make one desperate sally before all be lost. This
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is occasioned by the pouring out of the sixth vial. Here observe,
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(1.) The instruments he makes use of to engage the powers of the earth
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in his cause and quarrel: <I>Three unclean spirits like frogs</I> come
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forth, one <I>out of the mouth of the dragon,</I> another <I>out of the
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mouth of the beast, and</I> a third <I>out of the mouth of the false
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prophet.</I> Hell, the secular power of antichrist, and the
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ecclesiastical power, would combine to send their several instruments,
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furnished with hellish malice, with worldly policy, and with religious
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falsehood and deceit; and these would muster up the devil's forces for
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a decisive battle.
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(2.) The means these instruments would use to engage the powers of
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earth in this war. They would work pretended miracles, the old
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stratagem of him <I>whose coming is after the working of Satan, with
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all power, and signs, and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of
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unrighteousness,</I>
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=2Th+2:9,10">2 Thess. ii. 9, 10</A>.
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Some think that a little before the fall of antichrist the popish
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pretence of power to work miracles will be revived and will very much
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amuse and deceive the world.
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(3.) The field of battle--a place called <I>Armageddon;</I> that is,
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say some, the mount of Megiddo, near to which, by a stream issuing
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thence, Barak overcame Sisera, and all the kings in alliance with him,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Jdg+5:19">Judges v. 19</A>.
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And in the valley of Megiddo Josiah was slain. This place had been
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famous for two events of a very different nature, the former very happy
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for the church of God, the latter very unhappy; but it shall now be the
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field of the last battle in which the church shall be engaged, and she
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shall be victorious. This battle required time to prepare for it, and
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therefore the further account of it is suspended till we come to the
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nineteenth chapter,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Re+16:19,20"><I>v.</I> 19, 20</A>.
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(4.) The warning which God gives of this great and decisive trial, to
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engage his people to prepare for it,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Re+16:15"><I>v.</I> 15</A>.
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It would be sudden and unexpected, and therefore Christians should be
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|
clothed, and armed, and ready for it, that they might not be surprised
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and ashamed. When God's cause comes to be tried, and his battles to be
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|
fought, all his people shall be ready to stand up for his interest and
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|
be faithful and valiant in his service.</P>
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<A NAME="Re16_17"> </A>
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<A NAME="Re16_18"> </A>
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<A NAME="Re16_19"> </A>
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<A NAME="Re16_20"> </A>
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<A NAME="Re16_21"> </A>
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<A NAME="Sec4"> </A>
|
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<TABLE WIDTH="100%" BORDER=0>
|
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<TR><TD><FONT SIZE=+1><I>The Seven Vials.</I></FONT></TD>
|
|
<TD ALIGN=RIGHT VALIGN=BOTTOM><FONT SIZE=-1>A. D.</FONT> 95.</TD></TR>
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<TR><TD COLSPAN=2><HR SIZE=1></TD></TR>
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<P>
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<FONT SIZE=+1>17 And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and
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there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the
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throne, saying, It is done.
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18 And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and
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there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon
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the earth, so mighty an earthquake, <I>and</I> so great.
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19 And the great city was divided into three parts, and the
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cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance
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before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the
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fierceness of his wrath.
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20 And every island fled away, and the mountains were not
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found.
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21 And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, <I>every
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stone</I> about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God
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because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was
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exceeding great.
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</FONT></P>
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<P>
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Here we have an account of the seventh and last angel pouring forth his
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vial, contributing his part towards the accomplishment of the downfall
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of Babylon, which was the finishing stroke. And here, as before,
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observe,</P>
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<P>
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I. Where this plague fell--<I>on the air,</I> upon the prince of the
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power of the air, that is, the devil. His powers were restrained, his
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policies confounded; he was bound in God's chain: the sword of God was
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upon his eye and upon his arm; for he, as well as the powers of the
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earth, is subject to the almighty power of God. He had used all
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possible means to preserve the antichristian interest, and to prevent
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the fall of Babylon--all the influence that he has upon the minds of
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men, blinding their judgments and perverting them, hardening their
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hearts, raising their enmity to the gospel as high as could be. But now
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here is a vial poured out upon his kingdom, and he is not able to
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support his tottering cause and interest any longer.</P>
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<P>
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II. What it produced,
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1. A thankful voice from heaven, pronouncing that now the work was
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done. The church triumphant in heaven saw it, and rejoiced; the church
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militant on earth saw it, and became triumphant. It is finished.
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2. A mighty commotion on the earth--an earthquake, so great as never
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|
was before, shaking the very centre, and this ushered in by the usual
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concomitants of thunder and lightnings.
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3. The fall of Babylon, which was divided into three parts, <I>called
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the cities of the nations</I>
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(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Re+16:19"><I>v.</I> 19</A>);
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having had rule over the nations, and taken in the idolatry of the
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nations, incorporating into her religion something of the Jewish,
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|
something of the pagan, and something of the Christian religion, she
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|
was as three cities in one. God now remembered this great and wicked
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city. Though for some time he seemed to have forgotten her idolatry and
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|
cruelty, yet now he gives unto her <I>the cup of the wine of the
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|
fierceness of his wrath.</I> And this downfall extended further than to
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|
the seat of antichrist; it reached from the centre to the
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circumference; and every island and every mountain, that seemed by
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|
nature and situation the most secured, were carried away in the deluge
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|
of this ruin.</P>
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<P>
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III. How the antichristian party were affected with it. Though it fell
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|
upon them as a dreadful storm, as if the stones of the city, tossed up
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|
into the air, came down upon their heads, like hailstones of a talent
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|
weight each, yet they were so far from repenting that they blasphemed
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|
that God who thus punished them. Here was a dreadful plague of the
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|
heart, a spiritual judgment more dreadful and destructive than all the
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|
rest. Observe,
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|
1. The greatest calamities that can befal men will not bring them to
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repentance without the grace of God working with them.
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|
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2. Those that are not made better by the judgments of God are always
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|
the worse for them.
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3. To be hardened in sin and enmity against God by his righteous
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judgments is a certain token of utter destruction.</P>
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