burthen is therefore augmented, and the yoke of "a cruel lord" prepared for their necks.* To the egyptians the common blessings of heaven were reversed, and the light of day was turned into the darkness of midnight.Christ, the enlightening and animating SUN of the christian system, scorches up his apostate enemies with the fierceness of his intolerable blaze, and torments them, with the brightness of his near approach.-He rules his rebellious subjects with a rough hand, "bruises them with a sceptre of iron, and dashes them in pieces like a potter's vessel."†

The darkening of the SUN, and turning the MOON into blood, and the falling of the STARS from their orbits, is a well known fi gure for the overthrow of empires. But in this judgment upon the mystical Egypt the portent is reversed. The SUN is not blotted out from the face of the political heavens, but receives a baleful augmentation of his power,

* Isai. xix. 4.

† Ps. ii. 9.

Isai. xiii, 10; Joel ii. 10, 31; Matt. xxiv, 29.

which no longer nourishes and sustains nature, but scorches it with a destructive heat. This plague also, (as it is to be generally understood of all the rest,) is limited in its influence to the worshippers of the BEAST, and those in his connection; with others who for great delinquencies, are doomed to drink of bis cup, though not originally prepared for them. This, which was declared at the commencement of these plagues, is still evident, from the effect produced by it upon these infatuated idolators; who instead of being led thereby to salutary reflection and amendment, redouble their blasphemous prayers to their canonized gods, to fatigue and provoke, to the very uttermost, the patience of the God of heaven, which alone "bath power over these plagues." "And they repented not, to give bim glory."

A cock crowing to the rising SUN, is said to be the emblematical device of the kingdom of FRANCE, and as the holy spirit of prophecy adapts the method of its divine revelation to the ideas generally received amongst

men,

it is naturally to be presumed that by the SUN of the political heaven (at this period

of the prophecy,) that kingdom is alluded to, as being nearly central in the midst of the christian world, and ever distinguished by a closer connection than most others with the PAPAL POWER. This power, which originally set up on high the throne and empire of the beast, and obtained the flattering titles of "the most christian king, and the eldest son of the church," is destined to pull down her usurped power, " and to hate the WHORE, and make her desolate, and naked, and eat her flesh, and burn her with fire." And it is obvious that this part of the prophecy is now in a progressive advancement towards a perfect accomplishment. The KINGDOM of FRANCE

* That this prophecy points to the known custom of using emblems to denote particular countries, (and to that in question in particular,) is not improbable; as the scripture would not have been adapted to the general comprehension of mankind, had it not, in such a manner, accommodated itself to the received ideas and customs of the world, as our Saviour justly argued ;"If I tell you of earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe if I tell you of heavenly things," and that without'

Rivers and fountains are the known emis blems of religious doctrine. Thus in Isaiah xxx. 25, God promises that he will cause.

on every high hill rivers and streams of waters, or, that he will convey abundant light and knowledge of God into those countries which at that time were the most inaccessible to truth and salvation, being filled by "the god of this world" with superstition and idolatry. And our Saviour often uses the same metaphor, in the same sense.† Indeed the rivers of this mystical Egypt were not waters of life before this change happened; they were no "wells of salvation," but fountains of bitter water; yet such as answered the purposes of such a church: but now they can do even that no longer. They are now literally turned into the waters of death, which spiritually they had long time been. From that fountain of corruption of the heart, and hardening of the conscience, and blinding of

their holy church. The turning of the scriptures or water of life into blood, is nothing new to them-they have done this miracle themselves, and think nothing strange of it.

* Isai. xli. 18.

John vii. 88.

the reason of man, those revolutionary streams issued forth, and soon became mingled with blood. The curse of the first Judas comes upon this second, or MAN OF SIN; and "that which should have been for his saving health, becomes unto him an occasion of falling."

The rules of the notorious INQUISITION, like the cruel laws of DRACO, have been written in blood. "The dead bodies of thy servants have they given to be meat unto the fowls of the air, and the flesh of thy saints unto the beasts of the land. Their blood have they shed like water, on every side of Jerusalem, and there was no man to bury them."* -The woman, the emblem of the apostate church,† is represented as being "drunk with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus." But now, by a wonderful retribution of almighty wisdom and justice, in which her own crimes appear written

* Psalm lxxix. 2, 3, alluding to their denial of christian burial to heretics. + Rev. xvii. 6.