cularly wanted in this depraved and dangerous time.

v. 9. "And I went to the angel, faying unto him, that he should give me the book. And he faid to me: take the book, and eat it up: and it fhall make thy belly bitter, but in thy mouth it fhall be fweet as honey." St. John goes and afks of the angel the little book: that is, a numerous clergy of all degrees, animated by the above voice, and infpired with new zeal and an apoftolic fpirit, afk a commiffion from the Church, to go and preach the gofpel to all the nations of the earth. This commiffion is given them, as the book was given to St. John; and they are enjoined "to go into the whole world, and preach the gospel to every creature," Mark xvi. 15. And as St. John is told to eat up the book," these new preachers are exhorted to proceed to announce the word of God with the fame ardour and eagernefs, with which the hungry man flies to his food. St. John is further told by the angel that the book will be fweet as honey in his mouth, but will make his belly bitter; both which the apostle experienced, v. 10. "And I took the book," fays he, "from the hand of the angel, and eat it up and it was in my mouth fweet as honey, and when I had eaten it, my belly was bitter." The new troop of apoftolic men, in fetting out on their miffion, feel an inexpreffible fatisfaction in undertaking a work, fo much to the glory of God, and to which are promifed fuch high rewards. In this fenfe is the gospel as honey in their mouth. But afterwards, when fwallowed, it makes their belly bitter, or causes them pains in the bowels; a figu rative expreffion of the perfecutions and feverities the preachers were to fuffer in confequence of their miniftry. Thus then it appears, their fate will be alike to that which our Saviour deftined for his apoftles and foretold them: "They fhall deliver you up to be afflicted, and fhall put you to death:

This will be done in the great perfecution of Antichrift, the cloud which clothed the angel.

v. 11. "And he," the angel," faid to me, (St. John) thou muft prophefy again to many nations, and peoples, and tongues, and kings."* Here then the abovementioned minifters of the gofpel, represented by the person of St. John, after having received their commiffion, are told to enter upon their work of preaching: "Thou must prophesy again to many nations," &c. Let us however obferve, that the expreffion of prophefying implies preaching accompanied with the gift of prophefy and of interpreting prophefies. We muft obferve alfo, that St. John is told, he muft prophefy again; the meaning of which is, that as St. John himself, with the other apoftles and preachers, had carried the gofpel through the world in the firft age of Chriftianity, in the fame manner the minifters of Chrift muft announce it again in the laft age. In this general preaching, St. John's gospel and his other writings will be chiefly made ufe of.

In this manner will the Almighty difplay the riches of his mercy for the converfion of mankind, by fending them zealous preachers endued with miraculous powers, and by fuch an abundant effufion of his graces, as will be proportioned to conquer the influence of the then prevailing wickednefs; though the greater part of men will remain hardened in their iniquity. And now the holy work will be in fome meafure advanced, and a felect number of people will be prepared for the afflictions and calamities, that the Almighty is upon the point of permitting, in his anger, to break out and burft upon mankind. "Behold, there come yet two woes more hereafter." Apoc. ix. 12. Of these two remaining woes the firft follows on the found

ing

*In the Greek, "Thou must prophefy before nations, and peoples, and tongues, and many kings.

cularly wanted in this depraved and dangerous time.

v. 9. "And I went to the angel, faying unto him, that he should give me the book. And he faid to me: take the book, and eat it up: and it fhall make thy belly bitter, but in thy mouth it fhall be fweet as honey." St. John goes and asks of the angel the little book: that is, a numerous clergy of all degrees, animated by the above voice, and infpired with new zeal and an apostolic spirit, ask a commiffion from the Church, to go and preach the gospel to all the nations of the earth. This commiffion is given them, as the book was given to St. John; and they are enjoined "to go into the whole world, and preach the gospel to every creature," Mark xvi. 15. And as St. John is told to eat up the book," these new preachers are exhorted to proceed to announce the word of God with the fame ardour and eagernefs, with which the hungry man flies to his food. St. John is further told by the angel that the book will be fweet as honey in his mouth, but will make his belly bitter; both which the apoftle experienced, v. 10. "And I took the book," fays he, "from the hand of the angel, and eat it up and it was in my mouth fweet as honey, and when I had eaten it, my belly was bitter." The new troop of apoftolic men, in fetting out on their miffion, feel an inexpreffible fatisfaction in undertaking a work, fo much to the glory of God, and to which are promifed fuch high rewards. In this fenfe is the gofpel as honey in their mouth. But afterwards, when fwallowed, it makes their belly bitter, or causes them pains in the bowels; a figurative expreffion of the perfecutions and feverities the preachers were to fuffer in confequence of their miniftry. Thus then it appears, their fate will be alike to that which our Saviour deftined for his apoftles and foretold them: "They fhall deliver you up to be afflicted, and fhall put you to death:

This will be done in the great perfecution of Antichrift, the cloud which clothed the angel.

v.

V. 11. "And he," the angel, faid to me, (St. John) thou muft prophefy again to many nations, and peoples, and tongues, and kings."* Here then the abovementioned minifters of the gofpel, reprefented by the person of St. John, after having received their commiffion, are told to enter upon their work of preaching: "Thou must prophefy again to many nations," &c. Let us however obferve, that the expreffion of prophefying implies preaching accompanied with the gift of prophefy and of interpreting prophefies. We muft obferve alfo, that St. John is told, he must prophefy again; the meaning of which is, that as St. John himself, with the other apoftles and preachers, had carried the gofpel through the world in the firft age of Christianity, in the fame manner the minifters of Chrift muft announce it again in the laft age. In this general preaching, St. John's gospel and his other writings will be chiefly made ufe of.

In this manner will the Almighty display the riches of his mercy for the converfion of mankind, by fending them zealous preachers endued with miraculous powers, and by fuch an abundant effufion of his graces, as will be proportioned to conquer the influence of the then prevailing wickednefs; though the greater part of men will remain hardened in their iniquity. And now the holy work will be in fome meafure advanced, and a felect number of people will be prepared for the afflictions and calamities, that the Almighty is upon the point of permitting, in his anger, to break out and burft upon mankind. "Behold, there come yet two woes more hereafter." Apoc. ix. 12. Of these two remaining woes the firft follows on the found

ing

* In the Greek, "Thou must prophefy before nations, and peo

ing of the fixth trumpet; and the fecond or laft belongs to the feventh trumpet, the founding of which will put an end to the world. We shall now fee of what kind is the wo, announced by the fixth trumpet.

The Sounding of the fixth Trumpet.

APOC. Chap. IX. v. 13. "And the fixth angel founded the trumpet: and I heard," fays St. John, "a voice from the four horns of the golden altar, which is before the eyes of God,"

v. 14. Saying to the fixth angel, who had the trumpet: loose the four angels, who are bound in the great river Euphrates.

v. 15. "And the four angels were loofed, who were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year: for to kill the third part of men.

v. 16. "And the number of the army of horsemen was twenty thousand times ten thousand. And I heard the number of them.

V. 17. "And thus I faw the horfes in the vifion: and they, that fat on them, had breaftplates of fire and of hyacinth and of brimftone, and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions: and from their mouths proceeded fire, and smoke, and brimftone.

v. 18. And by these three plagues was flain the third part of men, by the fire and by the fmoke and by the brimstone, which iffued out of their mouths.

V. 19. "For the power of the horfes is in their mouths, and in their tails. For, their tails are like to ferpents, and have heads: and with them they hurt.

v. 20. "And the reft of the men, who were not flain by these plagues, did not do penance for the works of their hands, that they should not adore devils and idols of gold and filver and brass and ftone. and wood, which neither can fee, nor hear, nor walk.

v. 21. Neither did they penance from their mur