This chapter gives a notable event, which was subsequent to the second wo in the preceding chapter (which was fulfilled in the rise of the Turks); and was to be antecedent to the third wo,—the battle of the great day, as we are assured in verse 7. It is a notable descent of Jesus Christ, the angel of the covenant, with his seven thunders, aud his little open book. It will aid the exposition of this tenth chapter to consider, that it gives the same event, in this first general division of the prophetic part of the book, with that given in the eighteenth chapter, in the second general division:-the tenth chapter giving the terrors of the event to the nations; and the eighteenth, the terrors of it to the papal see. It is a signal coming of Christ, not for the final destruction of popery, as in the seventh vial; but for the subversion of its dominant power, as in the fifth vial, as will be shown. Light will be reflected on this chapter, when it shall be shown that it predicts the same event with that found in the closing part of the prophecy of Daniel, as well as in other prophecies. In the signal descent of Christ, in our text, he is "clothed with a cloud." This is a notable prophetic dress of the Saviour, when he comes for judgment. Thus we read of him, "Behold, he cometh in clouds!"-"Behold, the Lord rideth on a swift cloud!""Clouds and darkness are round about him." Christ came in a cloud of fire to the chosen tribes, fleeing from Egypt, and of confounding darkness to the pursuing Egyptians. Such a cloud is a bright emblem of his presence, of providential protection to his church, and ruin of her enemies. The rainbow on his head, is an emblem of his covenant faithfulness;-that he was now coming to fulfil some important parts of his word; and that he will in due time fulfil it all. This coming of Christ was on a vast design of judgment. His face appearing like the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire, are emblems (as was shown in chap. first) of his infinite divinity, and of the majesty and purity of his footsteps, in the fiery scenes then pending on his enemies. Several great events had been predicted as the coming of Christ, when it was evidently not a literal, but a mystical coming;-as that in the destruction of Jerusalem and the Jewish commonwealth;-that in the revolution in the Roman empire from paganism to Christianity by Constantine;-that in the reformation from popery, in the days of Luther;—that in the battle of that great day of God, just before the Millennium;—and that in our text. It is noted in vision as though it were a literal descent, as is

usual in language of prophecy. So familiar is this kind of language in the Christian world, that it is common to say, Christ has thus and thus come near to a nation,—a community, or an individual;-alluding to some judgment, or affliction. Some tremendous coming of Christ on a vast section of the papal earth, our text presents.

Ver. 2. And he had in his hand a little book open and he set his right foot upon the sea, and his left foot on the earth,

3. And cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roareth: and when he had cried, seven thunders uttered their voices.

This little book in the hand of the Captain of our salvation, is an emblem of the fact, that a new and very interesting era, in the events of the last days, is then commencing. A book, in prophetic language, denotes the counsels of God relative to a course of events to commence; as in chap. v. 1, where the sealed book, in the divine hand, was about to be opened. The book in our text is not a book which had been ever before seen, as the fancy of some men have suggested. It was a new book here presented: and it was a symbol of a course of events then introduced, of new and signal interest, between the second and the third wo trumpets, and distinct from both. This book Christ holds in his hand; assuring us, that all events fulfilling it are in the hand of our Saviour; and that his hand and special judgment should now be signally manifest. And the fact, that this book is open, seems a plain indication that when the event thus described should take place, it should be capable of being well understood; or it would be found to be of easy interpretation by the rules and analogies of the prophetic scriptures. Christ sets his right foot upon the sea, and his left foot upon the earth;-clearly to show both that he is God of earth and ocean; and that things were now going to take place on both these elements, which would be of deep interest to man. His crying with a loud voice, like the roaring of a lion, assures us that he was now going to take some notorious enemies in hand; as a lion roars, when about to seize his prey! Says the prophet, "God shall cry, yea roar, he shall prevail against his enemies." He is represented as shouting, when about to smite his enemies, as did warriors of ancient days. Seven thunders now utter their voices;-a strong figure of an unprecedented scene of wars. In Isa. xxix. 6, we find

thunder to be an emblem of war. And seven thunders striking at once, give an idea of those wars being general, and of awful terror; as the number seven, in this book, is a kind of perfect number. Most furious wars and battles then, were to desolate the regions marked out for the operations of this judgment.

To what scene of events then, does this chapter allude? It clearly alludes to a period subsequent to the judgment of the sixth trumpet, fulfilled by the rise and ravages of the Turkish empire in the fifteenth century, as described in the preceding chapter,-the sixth trumpet, which looses the four angels bound in the river Euphrates, &c. And it is distinctly antecedent to the seventh trumpet; as we are assured in verse 7 of this chapter. Upon the close of the description of the judgment of the Turks, this chapter commences, "And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven,"—given as a next great event.

To what then, does this notable descent of Christ allude? What great event on the papal earth did, at the period noted, occur which could answer to the figures here presented? It must allude to the scene of horrors introduced by the revolution in France of 1789, which for twenty-five years converted the papal nations of Europe into fields of blood and terror, till the close of the battle of Waterloo! The revolution,—the reign of terror in France,—and the following wars and battles, were such as to be fully adequate to the figures in this chapter. It has been calculated that not less than ten millions of the human race perished by the violent measures of these scenes. These horrors are too well known to this generation, to need any thing like a full history of them to be here given. The minds of millions now on the stage retain impressions of those events too deep to be easily removed, or to need here much of any recapitulation of them. Europe was long involved in a terrific blaze of war; in which vast armies were slaughtered in quick succession; kings were hurled from their thrones; and a great part of that quarter of the world was revolutionized! Old governments were torn down, and new ones set up, as in a day. The greatest empires trembled for their existence, and the political world seemed about to be hurled from its foundation! Some particulars of these scenes shall be given in future lectures.

Some of the horrors of the closing parts of these wars, shall here be concisely noted, to evince that this scene was fully adequate to the figurative descriptions given in

this tenth chapter. And let these events which shall be noted, be contemplated not as merely historical events. But let them be piously and devoutly considered, as strokes of divine judgments, inflicted by Jesus Christ on his enemies to fulfil his word, to vindicate his authority, and to prepare the way for the advancement of his own kingdom of grace and salvation. It is in this point of light that we read of the wars and battles of the Old Testament, as a part of the word of God. These scenes we ought to view as in fulfilment of important prophetic scriptures, and in fulfilment of that covenant faithfulness of Christ, symbolized here by the rainbow upon his head, and his feet being as pillars of fire. A new interest will hence be given to the closing events of this descent of Christ, now to be contemplated. The faith of the child of God may fasten upon them as events of deep interest, which fulfil the judgment, and display the glory of the Captain of our salvation!

The terrible empire, which soon after the French revolution of 1789, burst upon the world, seemed about to trample all nations under foot. An universal military despotism was the manifest and most sanguine object of the first leader, the Corsican emperor! Some obstacles yet stood in his way, which he was resolved should be soon effectually removed: and probably what was published in our American gazettes of the day, as the declared sentiments of the emperor Bonaparte, was but too correct; that, after removing several remaining obstacles, "he would henceforth trample on all the rights of neutrality!" Russia and Britain were to be destroyed. An expedition was hence planned and undertaken by Bonaparte into Russia, with an army of vast preparation; an army of four hundred thousand men; the best appointed, probably, that was ever seen to move on the face of the earth! They were soon hundreds of miles in the enemies' territories, and pressing towards the heart of the Russian empire. But it ere-long began to appear, that the power of Russia was not to be immediately crushed; and the arms of the terrible empire were not invincible! In a general battle at Borodino, in which 80,000 men fell in one day, a mortifying conviction was forced upon the invader, that his power was not omnipotent. It seems doubtful which army might claim the victory. But the leader of the invading army was suffered to force his way onward to the ancient capital of the Czars of the north; where he was made to read the death-warrant of his cause. For he found

that, through the astonishing patriotism of his enemies, a sea of liquid fire had been made to roll over that ancient capital; that the habitations of 250,000 people had been doomed to smoke in ashes, that they might afford no accommodation to the French. The astonishment of the emperor, and of his invading army, is related by Count Segur (an eyewitness) as dreadful. He had led his armies hither, fatigued and worn down; but with full expectation of finding the best of winter-quarters, with provisions and plunder, far more than they could manage. And now, to find the whole consumed by relentless flames; he seemed to read the death-warrant of his army! They were in this far distant and frozen region of Russia, at the commencement of a tremendous Russian winter! almost naked, and destitute of food, and now sunk in discouragement, with not a ray of light to dawn upon them! They were many hundreds of miles from their own country; in the heart of an empire of a powerful, numerous, and justly enraged foe, fully prepared for action, and intent on merited vengeance! All will readily believe, when assured that the rash emperor and his army at once commenced their retreat, and fled towards their own region! Too late they found the fact, that they were plunged in a fatal snare; had digged a pit, and fallen into it! The scenes of judgment upon them began to be tremendous. They were worn out with fatigue; dispirited, famishing, and freezing; and surrounded by frightful and well-appointed armies of foes, whom their invasion had rendered furious, and intent on vengeance! What could they do? The worst of certain deaths, with all their horrors, stared them in the face! The French emperor attempted to parley, and to obtain some relief: but all in vain! He was pointedly assured, that not a word should be heard of peace, so long as an invading army was in the heart of Russia! that he had come uninvited to their capital, and might return as he could! The furious Russians assured him, that they were so far from being prepared to close the campaign, that they had but just opened it! The scenes of horror which followed baffle all description, and seem too dreadful to be contemplated. But, as God did in them fulfil some of his predicted judgments on his enemies of the last day; so the events should be piously contemplated. As a general view of the scenes, -this northern army was destroyed! and their emperor fled home, accompanied by but one man! Some particulars shall be given. We have here a most tremendous reverse