*

this opinion of them. The descendants of the dispersed Israelites may have emigrated to different and distant regions. Admitting that the scattered descendants of Israel may, after the battle of the great day, be gathered from the cast, west, north, and south; from far, even from the ends of the earth; yet the Afghans in Persia, it appears most highly probable, are that body of the ten tribes, who are to be restored with the Jews to Palestine, before the battle of the great day, or the seventh vial. These Afghans call themselves Melchim, the Hebrew word for kings. These may prove to be the kings of the east, to prepare the way for the return of whom, to the land of their fathers, the mystic Euphrates must be dried up. For this empire extends between the Holy land and Persia, which lies in the east. And the Turks being in possession of the Holy land, and being of a religion utterly hostile to our holy Revelation, are as fatal an obstacle in the way of the return of Israel, as was the Red Sea, in front of the ancient tribes, when they came out of Egypt, and were

*Isa. xliii, 5,6.

† See Ezek. xxxvii, 16—21, in connexion with the context, and the succeeding chapter.

Possibly the kings of the east here may relate to, or include, the vast eastern kingdoms. They have been chiefly secluded from the blessings of the gospel. But we are led to believe they will be brought to the knowledge of the truth, at the introduction of the Millennium. The Mohammedan delusion is a vast obstacle in the way of their conversion. And the drying up of the mystic Euphrates, will no doubt be an essential step toward preparing the way for the general conversion of the vast kingdoms of the cast; whether this event is noted in the language of the sixth vial, or not. I have had some apprehensions that this language of the sixth vial may include such an event. It is striking that in a prediction of the coming in of the fulness of the Gentiles, Isa. xlix, 12, as though vast companies of them were then visible, it is said, "Behold, there shall come from far; and lo these from the north, and from the west; and these from the land of Sinim." The latter, Dr. Parish has shown, in his Gazetteer of the Bible, most probably is the vast empire of China. This is indeed their coming from far, and from the point opposite to the west; as Sinim clearly is in the text. "The Chinese books speak of their country under the appellation of Sin,” of which Sipim is the plural.

in Pihahiroth.* But as the Red Sea in that case was parted, as though it were dried up;† so the mystic Euphrates will be no less effectually removed under the judgment of the sixth vial.

Upon the fulfilment of the sixth vial, we read, And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the Beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are the spirits 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 that great day of God Almighty. Here we find predicted a complicated, powerful, extensive agency, which will be in a special manner exerted in the period between the sixth and the seventh vials. Upon this prediction a number of things are to be noted. The greatness of the event is forcibly indicated by the facts, that it was so long predicted; that the prediction occupied so considerable a part of the description of the vials; and that the event should occasion such a warning from the mouth of Christ, relative to his speedy, subsequent coming.-Behold I come as a thief: Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame. The origin of this agency, is interesting: Out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the Beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. The dragon here is the devil, as we learn in Rev. xii. The Beast is Antichrist. And the false prophet is the Papal system, after it ceased to be a Beast, at the rise of Antichrist, and was taken into his grasp, as a tool of ambition. "For they are the spirits of devils." The devil will be suffered to exercise a powerful agency among men, at that period. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the seu! For the devil is come doren unto you, having great wrath, because he kno ceth that he hath but a short time. (Rev. xi, 12.) His operations will be multiform, peculiar, and mischievous. The great infidel Power, and his tool, the Papacy, will unite in despatching their agents over the

* Exod. xiv. + Isa. li, 9, 10.

Rev. xvi, 13, 14.

world. And so completely under the direction of the wicked one will the whole agency be found to be, that it is said, For they are the spirits of devils. Their subtilty is indicated;-like frogs:-Unclean, hateful reptiles! Sly, out of sight, slippery, stationary, or swift in their motion, as will best answer their purpose; creeping into every apartment; as was said of the frogs in the Egyptian plague-which shall go up, and come into thine house, and into thy bed chamber, and upon thy bed, and into the house of thy servants, and upon thy people, and into thine ovens, and into thy kneading troughs. Sly, yet bold, impudent, and disgusting. Their power of deceit is noted. Work ing miracles; doing wonders in the sight of men.

The depth of their scheme, the unity of their design, their incredible perseverance, the corruptions of the human heart, and the agency of Satan, will all unite to give the most astonishing force to their operations. Every* incident, every corrupt passion, and all the power of sly insinuation, will be pressed into their service. Ia a word, licentiousness, Infidelity, and false religion, will unite their influence to aid the same cause.

So great, complicated, and fatal an agency, from the three kindred systems of licentiousness, of infidelity, and of false religion, as we here find predicted to go forth to the cabinets and nations of the world, after the sixth vial, cannot be expected to have risen at once. No verily! Their rise and organization will be found to have been a work of time. These very spirits are in fatal operation some time before the subversion of the Ottoman empire; though they are not noted in the predictions of the vials, till after the sixth vial; and to prepare the way for the seventh. The effects of these spirits of devils will then be more peculiarly seen, preparing the world apace for the tremendous harvest. They are hence predicted, as most notorious and fatal, at that period. But this prediction does not teach that those three systems of influence originate after the sixth vial; though the symbol presents them as then appearing from the mouths of the dragon, Beast and false prophet, This does not forbid, (and the vast deeds

in Pihahiroth.

But as the Red Sea in that case was parted, as though it were dried up;† so the mystic Euphrates will be no less effectually removed under the judgment of the sixth vial.

Upon the fulfilment of the sixth vial, we read, And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the Beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are the spirits 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 that great day of God Almighty. Here we find predicted a complicated, powerful, extensive agency, which will be in a spe. cial manner exerted in the period between the sixth and the seventh vials. Upon this prediction a number of things are to be noted. The greatness of the event is forcibly indicated by the facts, that it was so long predicted; that the prediction occupied so considerable a part of the description of the vials; and that the event should occasion such a warning from the mouth of Christ, relative to his speedy, subsequent coming.-Behold I come as a thief: Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame. The origin of this agency, is interesting: Out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the Beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. The dragon here is the devil, as we learn in Rev. xii. The Beast is Antichrist. the false prophet is the Papal system, after it ceased to be a Beast, at the rise of Antichrist, and was taken into his grasp, as a tool of ambition. "For they are the spirits of devils." The devil will be suffered to exercise a powerful agency among men, at that period. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! For the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he kno ceth that he hath but a short time. (Rev. xi, 12.) His operations will be multiform, peculiar, and mischievous. The great infidel Power, and his tool, the Papacy, will unite in despatching their agents over the Rev. xvi, 13, 14.

* Exod. xiv. + Isa. li, 9, 10.

And

world. And so completely under the direction of the wicked one will the whole agency be found to be, that it is said, For they are the spirits of devils. Their subtilty is indicated;-like frogs:-Unclean, hateful reptiles! Sly, out of sight, slippery, stationary, or swift in their motion, as will best answer their purpose; creeping into every apartment; as was said of the frogs in the Egyptian plague-which shall go up, and come into thine house, and into thy bed chamber, and upon thy bed, and into the house of thy servants, and upon thy people, and into thine ovens, and into thy kneading troughs. Sly, yet bold, impudent, and disgusting. Their power of deceit is noted. Work. ing miracles; doing wonders in the sight of men. The depth of their scheme, the unity of their design, their incredible perseverance, the corruptions of the human heart, and the agency of Satan, will all unite to give the most astonishing force to their operations. Every incident, every corrupt passion, and all the power of sly insinuation, will be pressed into their service. In a word, licentiousness, Infidelity, and false religion, will unite their influence to aid the same cause.

So great, complicated, and fatal an agency, from the three kindred systems of licentiousness, of infidelity, and of false religion, as we here find predicted to go forth to the cabinets and nations of the world, after the sixth vial, cannot be expected to have risen at once. No verily! Their rise and organization will be found to have been a work of time. These very spirits are in fatal operation some time before the subversion of the Ottoman empire; though they are not noted in the predictions of the vials, till after the sixth vial; and to prepare the way for the seventh. The effects of these spirits of devils will then be more peculiarly seen, preparing the world apace for the tremendous harvest. They are hence predicted, as most notorious and fatal, at that period. But this prediction does not teach that those three systems of influence originate after the sixth vial; though the symbol presents them as then appearing from the mouths of the dragon, Beast and false prophet. This does not forbid, (and the vast deeds