powerful governments of the ten kingdoms, are "not found." "Great hail" denotes the extreme severity of God's judgments, which does not lead men to repentance; so that if a portion of them escape, they "shall be destroyed" on some subsequent occasion, "before they will be reformed."

Isaiah xxiv. 1-15. Behold the LORD maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste, and turneth it upside down, (Heb. perverteth the face thereof,) and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof.

This awakening prophecy describes just such a state of things as we would conceive must result from the unprecedented desolations which shall have overspread the ten kingdoms of the Latin earth, after terminating in the plains of Armageddon.

Ver. 2. And it shall be, as with the people, so with the priest; as with the servant, so with his master; as with the maid, so with, her mistress; as with the buyer, so with the seller; as with the lender, so with the borrower; as with the taker of usury, so with the giver of usury to him.

Such will be the depopulation of corrupt Christendom, and such the destitution of the comparatively few who remain, that all distinction of rank and authority shall cease! Such will be the wreck of commerce, that the merchant and the usurer, and those from whom they have derived their wealth, shall cease to be distinguished!

Ver. 3-12. The land shall be utterly emptied, and utterly spoiled for the LORD hath spoken this word. The earth mourneth and fadeth away, the world languisheth and fadeth away, the haughty people of the earth do languish. The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant. Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are desolate: therefore the inhabitants of the earth are

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burned, and few men left. The new wine mourneth, the vine languisheth, all the merry hearted do sigh. The mirth of tabrets ceaseth, the noise of them that rejoice endeth, the joy of the harp ceaseth. They shall not drink wine with a song; strong drink shall be bitter to them that drink it. The city of confusion is broken down every house is shut up, that no man may come in. There is a crying for wine in the streets; all joy is darkened, the mirth of the land is gone. In the city is left desolation, and the gate is smitten with destruction.

Although the above mournful description may, in the first instance, be applicable to the dispersion of the Jews at the destruction of Jerusalem and the subsequent desolation of their land, the judgments denounced are of a description too general to be confined to Judea; "The world languisheth," &c. "The inhabitants of the earth are burned," &c.-The Gentile apostate nations, it may be easily imagined, are here described. The city of confusion,* also, may be justly applied to Rome and her spiritual dependencies. "Peter Valdo and those who concurred with him, the Albigenses and Waldenses, in the twelfth century, called Rome, Babylon, and the Mother of all confusion," &c. Desolation must, indeed, overtake all Christendom before the beast shall be wholly subdued.

Ver. 13-15. When thus it shall be in the midst of the land among the people, there shall be as the shaking of an olive tree, and as the gleaning grapes when the vintage is done. They shall lift up their voice, they shall sing for the majesty of the LORD, they shall cry aloud from the sea. Wherefore glorify ye the LORD in the fires, (or valleys,) even the name of the LORD God of Israel in the isles of the sea.

"When the vintage is done" the people of God shall, as as it were, re-appear, and, "as the shaking of an olive tree," &c., i. e., though few in number, shall be animated with

* Gen. xI. 9; Rev. xI. 7, 8; xvIII. 2.

renewed vigour, shall praise him, and "cry aloud from” among the nations. They have already glorified God amidst the greatest dangers and sufferings, even Israel's God, in the cities of the nations. See Psalm XLVI. 1-7.

In the 13th chapter of Isaiah we have a very impressive description of God's judgments both on ancient and modern Babylon. The 14th, in which the subject is continued, proves this with regard to the latter, as it connectedly transfers our views to the times of the restoration of Israel; and it is expressly added, at

Ver. 3. It shall come to pass in the day that the LORD shall give thee rest from thy sorrow, and from thy fear, and from the hard bondage wherein thou wast made to serve, that thou shalt take up this proverb against the king of Babylon, and say, How hath the oppressor ceased! the golden city (or, exactress of gold) ceased! The LORD hath broken the staff of the wicked, and the

sceptre of the rulers. He who smote the people in wrath with a continual stroke, (Heb. a stroke without removing,) he that ruled the nations in anger, is persecuted, and none hindereth. The whole earth is at rest, and is quiet: they break forth into singing. Yea, the fir trees rejoice at thee, and the cedars of Lebanon, saying, Since thou art laid down, no feller is come up against us. Hell from beneath is moved for thee to meet thee at thy coming : it stirreth up the dead for thee, even all the chief ones (Heb. leaders or great goats) of the earth; it hath raised up from their thrones all the kings of the nations. All they shall speak and say unto thee, Art thou also become weak as we? art thou become like unto us? Thy pomp is brought down to the grave, and the noise of thy viols: the worm is spread under thee, and the worms cover thee. How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, (or, day-star,) son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, who didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thy heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north.

How remarkably descriptive is this passage of the perse

cuting power and usurped authority of the " man of sin" over the nations, and over the church of God! But "his pomp shall be brought down to the grave!" His blasphemous assumption of divine authority is thus further described:

Ver. 14. I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, (or heavens,) [i. e., assume infallibility,] and be like the Most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit. They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms; that made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; that opened not the house of his prisoners?

And is it not natural to suppose that the civilized world will be filled with astonishment, when, through the light of the Gospel, they shall be awakened to a sense of the "sorceries" by which this tyrant of tyrants has governed so many countries, and perpetrated such horrid cruelties on his unoffending species; especially in "the house of his prisoners," the Inquisition?

Ver. 21-23. Prepare slaughter for his children for the iniquity of their fathers; that they do not rise, nor possess the land, nor fill the face of the world with cities. For I will rise up against them, saith the LORD of hosts, and cut off from Babylon the name, and remnant, and son, and nephew, saith the LORD.

Thus their extirpation is manifest, together with the desolations before predicted.

Some of the following Scriptures emphatically foreshow the rejoicing and triumph,—the gratitude and praise of the people of God, both Jews and Gentiles, for their deliverance from the oppression and sufferings which they so unceasingly experienced under the power and influence of antichrist:

Isaiah LXI. 7-9. I will mention the loving-kindnesses of the LORD, and the praises of the LORD, according to all that the LORD hath bestowed on us, and the great goodness toward the house of Israel, which he hath bestowed on them according to his mercies, and according to the multitude of his loving-kindnesses, For he saith, Surely they are my people, children that will not lie so he was their Saviour. In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them in his love and in his pity he redeemed them.

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In the same chapter, Israel addresses a prayer to God, replete with humiliation and penitence; yet with entire confidence in their Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.

Ver. 17-19. O LORD, why hast thou made us to err from thy ways, and hardened our heart from thy fear? Return for thy servants' sake, the tribes of thine inheritance. The people of thy holiness have possessed it but a little while: our adversaries have trodden down thy sanctuary. We are thine; thou never barest rule over them; they were not called by thy name.

Psalm LXIX. 34-36. Let the heaven and earth praise him, the seas, and everything that moveth therein. For God will save Zion, and will build the cities of Judah: that they may dwell there, and have it in possession. The seed also of his servants shall inherit it: and they that love his name shall dwell therein.

Psalm CXLIX. Praise ye the LORD. (Heb. Hallelujah.) Sing unto the LORD a new song, and his praise in the congregation of saints. Let Israel rejoice in him (Heb. THEM,) that made him: let the children of Zion be joyful in their King. Let them praise his name in the dance: (or, with the pipe:) let them sing praises unto him with the timbrel and harp. For the LORD taketh pleasure in his people: he will beautify the meek with salvation.

Thus the meek are identified as his people. In this, as in all such instances, what a remarkable harmony exists throughout the word of God!

Let the saints be joyful in glory: let them sing aloud upon their beds, (or rather, couches.) Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two-edged sword in their hand, (i. e., the