beaft's reign end with the clofe of the fixth trumpet, and that the vials are plagues on the beaft and his followers. Then taking it for granted, that the beaft could have no existence after the forty-two months were finished, he concluded that the vials muft have been previously poured out, in order to bring him to his end, and confequently muft have fallen in with the time of the fixth trumpet, beyond which the forty-two months do not extend. But the error of his reasoning confifts, in fuppofing that the beaft has no existence after the forty-two months are finished. These mark (as we have feen) the duration of his temporal fo vereignty. Now, as he acquired an extenfive spiritual fupremacy previous to the temporal fovereignty, fo after he is deprived of the temporal fovereignty, he fhall retain a great measure of his fpiritual fupremacy, for the reduction of which the vials are poured out. The temporal fovereignty is but the pedestal on which the idol of spiritual fupremacy was reared. After the pedestal is removed, the idol ftands on its own legs, till by the repeated blows of Divine ven geance, reprefented by the vials, his very exift ence is annihilated '..

The

(1) I am aware that an objection will occur to many against this reafoning. Fleming (in his difcourfe concern

The place of the vials in the feries of events being thus difcovered, the time they take up, or, in other words, the period which elapses from the founding of the feventh trumpet, when they begin, to the commencement of the Millennium,

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ing the fall of the Papacy) applies the fourth vial to the fall of the French monarchy; and conjectures fuch fall fhall take place in the year 1794. If the powers of Europe fhould this year acknowledge the independence of the French republic, Fleming's conjecture would be thereby established: And his application of the vial thus fulfilled will appear to many a more forcible argument for his interpretation than any reafons I can offer, to prove that none of the vials are yet poured out. In answer to this, objection, I obferve, that Fleming builds his conjecture on two grounds: The one is the fourth vial, which I confider to be a misapprehenfion; the other is, that there are correfponding points in the rife and fall of the Papacy, each of them measured by a period of 1260 prophetic years. Proceeding on this ground, he obferves, that Juftinian left Rome to the management of the Pope in the year 552; adding to thefe 1260 prophetic, or 1242 civil years, brings us down to the year 1794, when he supposes the French monarchy, the great fupport of the Papacy, fhall fall. Hear his own words:" words: "Whereas the prefent French king "takes the fun for his emblem, and this for his motto, "Nec pluribus impar, he may at length, or rather his fuc"ceffors, and the monarchy itfelf, at leaft before the year 1794, be found to acknowledge, that, in refpect to neighbouring potentates, he is even Singulis impar."

."

"But

lennium, when they end, appears to be exactly feventy-five prophetic years. For it is highly probable, that the commencement of the Millennium is intended by Daniel xii. 12. "Blef "fed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the "thousand

"But as to the expiration of this vial, I do fear it will "not be until the year 1794. The reafon of which conjec

ture is, that I find the Pope got a new foundation of "exaltation when Juftinian, upon his conqueft of Italy, left "it in a great meafure to the Pope's management, being "willing to eclipfe his own authority to advance that of "this haughty prelate. Now this being in the year 552, "this, by the addition of 1260 years, reaches down to the “year 1811, which, according to prophetic accounts, is "the year 1794." Should, therefore, Fleming's conjecture be established by the event, it will not militate against my reafoning; becaufe his calculation is founded on quite another principle, which I do not controvert.

1

Again, Fleming's general principle refpecting the vials is the fame with mine. He fuppofes that all the vials follow after the founding of the feventh trumpet. Only in this we differ; he supposes the ara of the feventh trumpet to be paft, at the Reformation. I fuppofe it is ftill future, and that it 'fhall take place about the clofe of the Ewentieth century. At any rate, that it is ftill future, will appear with convincing evidence to one who reflects, that five contemporary events precede immediately the founding of the seventh trumpet, of which not one is fully accomplished hitherto. Thefe events are, The end of the 42 months of the beaft;-of the 42 months in which the

Gentile

"thousand three hundred and five and thirty

days." In fimilar terms the Millennium is described by the Apoftle John, Rev. xx. 6. "Bleffed and holy is he that hath part in the "firft refurrection." The difference betwixt this number and "the time, times, and an half,” mentioned Dan. xii. 7. or (which is the fame thing) of the 1260 years that close the reign of Antichrift, is just seventy-five years. And as the firft of the vials is poured out immediately as the feventh trumpet founds, at the close of the 1260 years, fo the laft is poured out before the Millennium

Gentiles tread the outer court;of the 1260 days in which the witnesses prophecy in fackcloth ;-of the 1260 days during which the woman remains in the wilderness;

of the 'fecond wo, or fixth trumpet.-Now, it is evident to any one who reflects on the state of Europe at the prefent moment, that none of these events are accomplished. The Pope ftill reigns; therefore the 42 months of the beast are not ended. Popery is the established religion of a great part of Europe; therefore the Gentiles ftill tread the outer court. Proteftanifm is perfecuted in fome parts of EuPope; therefore the witneffes still prophecy in fackcloth. There is no union betwixt the feveral reformed churches; therefore the woman ftill remains in the wilderness. The Ottoman empire exifts, a hindrance to civilization, and a fcourge to Chriftianity; therefore the fecond wo is not paft. From the whole I conclude, that the feventh trumpet has not yet been founded; fo that, on Fleming's own principles, none of the viale havs yet been poured out.

Millennium begins; therefore the time they occupy is within the seventy-five prophetic years.

SECTION V.

Time of the Destruction of Rome.

THE portion of the above period of feventyfive years belonging to each of the first four vials, I pretend not to determine. But the laft three being more largely defcribed, the time of pouring them out may be conjectured.

The fifth vial reprefents the deftruction of the city of Rome. For it is poured out on the feat (or throne) of the beaft, Rev. xvi. Now, it is faid, Rev. xiii. 2. "The dragon gave him

(the beaft) his power, and his feat (or throne), "and great authority:" That is, the devil, who formerly perfecuted the church, by his deputes the Roman Emperors, after their fall, gave Antichrift, not only their power and authority, but likewife their throne, namely, the city of their refidence, to be his refidence; fo that the feat fignifies the imperial city, and the vial poured out on the feat muft therefore affect the imperial city.-Rev. xviii. throughout is an enlarged account of the fifth vial; and the fum of it is, Babylon is fallen, is fallen." It will be allowed, that the terms Babylon and City, as

ufed