be an Allusion to the violent, scorching and, fuffocating Heats of the Sun, and the burning Heat of the East-Wind which affli-cted Fonab, Fon. 4. 8, 9. and which usually accompany one another in the Eastern Climates, producing much Trouble and Grief as well in Mind as in Body.

V. AND the Fifth Angel poured out his Vial upon the Seat of the Beast, (i. e. Jerufalen,) and his Kingdom was full of Darkness (alluding to the Darkness that overspread the Land of Ægypt) and they gnawed their Tongues for pain, and N.IL. blasphemed the God of Heaven, because of their pains and their fores, and repented not of their Deeds. i. e. The Terrors of their Minds and Confciences made them blafpheme God and gnaw their Tongues, as in the greatest Rage imaginable, even as the Ægyptians were vexed and tormented during the Darkness that covered, them, with the Terrors of their own afrighted Confciences, and the Evil Angels, as the Book of Wisdom teftifieth, Chap. 17, 18.

VI. AND the Sixth Angel poured out his Vial upon the great River Euphrates, and the Waters thereof were dried up, that the Way of the Kings of the East might be prepared. The drying of Euphrates is unquestionably an Allusion to the Exploit of Cyrus, who dreined it, when he took Babylon, as was literally foretold by the Prophet Jeremiah. 50. 38.51. 32, 36. and to those Passages of the Prophets where the Return of the Jews into their own Land is described in the like Expreffións,

Ifa. 11. 15. Zech, 10. 11. Now Euphrates, which

4

which was one of the Branches into which fo
the River that watered Paradise was divide K
after it had passed through it, was alfotof
Eastern Boundary of the Land of Promit gi
to which David and Solomon extended the A
Conquests, and upon this River was eate cle
Babylon, the Enemy and Oppressor of God the
Church, and a Type of Antichriftian M
over which River the Jews were can fal
captive for their Iniquities into the All of
and Babylonish Countries. The Expreff
of the Kings of the East is undoubtedly E
Allusion to the Story of Cyrus, of whom the
Prophet Ifaiah speaks, Chap. 41. 2. B
God raised him up from the East, and v. I
that he shall come from the Rising of the San Sa
proclaim the Name of the Lord; so then to
allusion to his Personal Character may ch
meant some great Persons, perhaps of po
Ten Tribes, who shall come from the th
to the Glory of the Kingdom. See the th
Book of Efdras. Chap. 13. v. 42, 43. W
else as Cyrus was a Type of our Bleffed Lowas

by the Kings of the Eaft may be meant the th * Call'd Saints, who as so many Inferior * Meffia alfo by and Divinely Anointed Kings and Prio by Obadiah (by which Name Cyrus is called in S Saviours, pture) are to reign with Chrift, who is a T

21.

the East, the Morning, the Morning tow Oc, as was before observed. So then th the drying up of Euphrates I underta literally, the drying up its Waters to ma fe way for fome great Persons of the East, 1 haps some remains of the Affyrian and B lonish Captivity. And as this Vial m

of whom there har forfollong at Cochina in China or 230 & who are now become Blacks

some Preparations or Dispositions for the Kingdom of the Meffiah by the drying up of Euphrates, fo does it in the next Verse begin to prepare for the Destruction of the Antichriftian Powers. For v. 13. Three unclean Spirits, like Frogs, came out of the Mouth of the Dragon (i. e. the Devil) and out of the Mouth of the Beast (i. e. Antichrift) and of the false Prophet; V. 14. And they are the Spirits of Devils (or Diabolical Spirits) 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. By which is signified some strong Magical Influence diversified by the Operations of Satan, Antichrift, and the False Prophet, to excite the Kings of the Earth, or Antichristian Powers, to meet together to oppose the Kingdom of the Lamb, who was then begining to overcome the Beast, and that in the place (called Armageddon v. 16) where God had appointed to deftroy them; as is shown under the Seventh Vial. Now the word Armageddon in the Hebrew Tongue fignifies the Hill of Megiddo called Megiddon by the Prophet, Zech. 12. 11. הר מגדון Μαγεδδώ, LXXII. a Royal City in the Tribe of Issachar,but belonging to Manasseth, which the Canaanites possessed in despight of them. Josh. 17. 11, 12. and this City was famous in Scripture for the Miraculous defeat of Sifera and the Kings of Canaan (a Type of the Kings of the Earth) by Barak and the Ifraelites who came down from Mount Tabor (which was not far from that place,)

2

/

place,) and discomfited them at the Waters of Megiddo in the Hilly and Mountainous Parts of that Place, as Grotius upon the Place conjectures. It was also famous for the Death of Ahaziah, 2 Kings 9. 27. but especially of Fofiah, who received his deadly Wound with a great slaughter in the Vally of Megiddo, 2 Kings 23. 29, 30. 2 Chron. 35. 20---27. where he was bewailed with fo-great a Lamentation, that the mournings of that Valley is used by way of a Proverbial Speech by the Prophet Zechariab, Chap. 12. 11. and Megiddo is interpreted by the LXXII. the Valley of the Slain, or cut off, as if it fignified a Place of great Grief and Slaughter; and Megiddo may be chofen to be a Type and Symbol of the Place of this Valley of Decifion, to shew that as the Nation of the Jews did yearly bewail the Death of Fofiab in that Place, fo they should likewife bemoan him whose Type Fofiah was, and was flain near that Place just when he had prepared the Temple of God, which was the Emblem of Chrift's Kingdom. See Zech. 12. 11. It may be also fignifie (2dly) that God, who overrules Evil Designs for Good, and who declares, Judg. 4. 7. (the Place here alluded to) that he drew Sifera and his Multitude together, had ordained that these Kings should be totally overthrown as the Kings of Canaan were at Megiddo; and that the Lamb and his Company should triumph over them and bless God for the great Victory, as Jehofaphat and the Ifraelites did in the Valley

:,

Valley of Beracha for the defeat of that - great Multitude of wicked People that confederated against Ifrael, 2 Chron. 20.

26.

The Great
Earth-

VII. AND now the Seventh Angel pours out bis Vial, V. 17. into the Air, and there came a quake ungreat Voice out of the Temple of Heaven saying, der the -It is done. i. e. This is the last compleat-Seventh ing Act of Vengeance upon the Antichri-Vial. stian World, in order to make way for the Kingdom of Chrift. Under this Vial are comprized and effected Two notable E Events. The First is the Destruction of Babylon, i. e. the Antichristian City Rome; and of the great City Jerusalem. The Second is the Destruction of the Great Antichristian Army at Armageddon.

I. THAT the Great City, the Destruction whereof is so pompously described, Chap. 17. 18, 19. is Rome, has been (Í Xuy think) plainly and fully proved by Dr. More, Mr. Mede and all the Reformed Commen tators. And this City is to be destroyed under this Vial, upon the Effusion whereof, Chap. 16. V. 18. There were Voices, and qui Thunders, and Lightnings, and a Great Earthquake, such as was not fince Men were upon the Earth; so mighty and fo Great. Upon which the Great City (viz. Jerusalem) was divided into three parts, and the Cities of the Nations fell, and Great Babylon came into remembrance before God, to give unto her the Cup of the Wine of the Fierceness of his Wrath. And the Islands, and the Mountains fled away, and a Great Hail fell from Heaven upon the Men that survived, which Ο 3

Hail