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mean thrones and governments; the sun, moon, and stars, emperors, kings, princes, and great men, as well as empires, kingdoms, and states; the earth signifies the great mass of the common people, or the countries and provinces ruled over; clouds mean multitudes; wind, hail, storm, and thunder, as well as earthquakes, signify wars and commotions among multitudes and nations. Thus in Isa. xxviii. 2. when God, by his prophet, threat'ens to punish by war, the language is, "The Lord hath a mighty and strong one, which, as a tempest of hail, and a destroying storm, as a flood of mighty waters overflowing, shall cast down to the earth." And again, chap. xxix. 6. "Thou shalt be visited of the Lord of hosts with thunder, and with earthquake, and great noise, with storm and tempest, and a flame of devouring fire." The next verse explains what this thunder and storm is: "And the multitude of all the nations that fight against Ariel shall be as a dream." Sir I. Newton, On the Language of Prophecy, p. 18. says, "Tempestuous winds, or the motion of clouds, are put for wars; thunder, or the voice of a cloud, for the voice of a multitude; a storm of thunder, lightning, and hail, and overflowing rain, for a tempest of war descending from the heavens and clouds politic.' Dr. Warburton, in his Divine Legation, book iv. sect. 4. says, "The old Asiatic style, so highly figurative, seems, by what we find of its remains in the prophetic language of the sacred writings, to have been evidently fashioned to the mode of ancient hieroglyphics both curiologic and tropical. Of the second kind, which answers to the tropi cal hieroglyphic, is the calling empires, kings, and nobles, by the names of the heavenly luminaries, the sun, moon, and stars; their temporary disasters, or entire overthrow, by eclipses and extinctions; the destruction of the nobility, by stars falling from the firmament; hostile invasions, by thunder and tempestuous winds; and leaders of armies, conquerors, and founders of empires, by lions, bears, leopards, goats, or high trees. In a word, the prophetic style seems to be a SPEAKING HIEROGLYPHIC."

If we examine all the passages in the sacred writings where thunder is mentioned in the prophetic style, we shall find that it generally, if not always, signifies war. It is probable, then, that these seven thunders were intended to mark out, for the direction of the pious inquirer into the signs of the times, seven wars, or periods of war, between the sixth and seventh trumpet, which should af

flict this western part of the world, or those nations which had given their power to the Papal beast, or which in any form had assumed Antichristian power in religion, and which wars should prepare the way for the great scene

which was to follow.

But here it will be proper to ask, (for frequent observation has convinced me that such questions are not altogether needless,) Does the reader believe it as probable that a prophecy may be fulfilled by the events which take place in his own day, and which pass under his own observation, as well as by those of five hundred years back, or five hundred years to come? Does he think the wars and great events of nations which have or may take place in this age, and in these countries of Europe, as worthy to be the subject of prophecy as what was foretold by Daniel, (chap. xi.) respecting the invasion of Greece by Xerxes; or of the conquests of Alexander, and the fate of his empire; or of the league which was formed between Ptolemy Philadelphus, king of Egypt, and Antiochus Theus, king of Syria, by the marriage of Berenice, the daughter of the former, with the latter, and the consequences that followed that connection? I hope he

does.

As the seven thunders appear evidently to occupy the space between the sixth and seventh trumpet, and as thunder in the prophetic writings is allowed to be the speaking hieroglyphic of war, and as it is likewise probable that the sixth trumpet, or second woe, ended about the year 1697, it is worth while to inquire, whether these thunders have uttered their voices, that is, whether there have been seven periods of war in Europe since that time. On examination, the history of this century will inform us that, taking all the nations together which do or have made up the body of the Papal beast, and among whom the remains of religious corruption, usurpation, &c. continue, (and which almost all allow to be the object of these visions,) there have been just seven of these thunders, or periods of war, neither more nor less. And it is worthy of remark, that this is the case whether we take into the account those states and kingdoms only which sprung out of the ruins of the old Roman empire, or all those that compose the Latin church, or even the whole of Europe. We shall consider those wars' in which all Europe have been engaged, so far only as the nations which are or

1

have been subject to the Papacy, have been concerned in them *.

1. The first period of war commenced in 1700, and continued without intermission till 1721 inclusive; for when other powers terminated their destructions, and hushed the roar of war in some parts of Europe, by the peace of Utrecht, in 1713, and by that of Rastadt, in 1714, then, as though alarmed lest mankind should be too happy, the madman Charles the Twelfth of Sweden roused. himself from his bed of affected sickness at Dometica, and prosecuted his war against Russia, Denmark, Prussia, Poland, Hanover, and Saxony, with renewed vigour. In these wars the following powers were engaged: Sweden, Russia, Denmark, Poland, England, Holland, the Emperor, Spain, France, the Venetians, the Turks, &c. This was the first thunder.

2. The second, though very violent while it lasted, was of shorter duration than the former, continuing only through the three campaigns of 1733, 1734, and 1735. In this war there were engaged the Emperor, France, Spain, Sardinia, &c. ↑ The interval of peace was short; for,

3. In 1737 the third thunder began to roll; nor did it cease to lay the fairest parts of Europe in ruins till 1748. In the wars which filled up this period of destruction the following powers were engaged: the Emperor, Russians, and Turks, led the way; England and Spain quickly followed; France, Prussia, and Holland, also united to increase the calamity.

4. In 1755 commenced another period of war, which soon set all Europe in a flame. Great Britain, France, Prussia, Saxony, Austria, Sweden, Spain, and Portugal, experienced its effects. This period of war lasted till 1763, and was the fourth thunder.

5. The fifth, though extremely violent where it raged, did not extend itself so wide. The parties engaged were

*Since the first publication of these thoughts I have seen the opinion of the famous Cl. Coccius, and Vitringa, on this passage. The former supposes these seven thunders to signify seven wars in Europe, and applies them to the wars of his own times. Vitringa interprets them as signifying the wars of the Crusades.

About the year 1726 the treaties of Vienna and Hanover had like to have kindled a general flame throughout all Europe; but it being happily extinguished just as it was breaking out, and the expence of preparation being the chief evil, what happened between us and Spain can by no means be reckoned a thunder.

the Russians, Poles, and Turks. The French and Corsicans also increased the roar. Poland was never so desolated. This commenced in 1768, and continued five years.

6. Peace, as usual, was but of short continuance. The dispute of Great Britain with her American colonies, which broke out into an open rupture in 1775, was the oceasion of a sixth general tempest breaking upon the chief maritime powers of Europe, and which continued from 1778 to 1782, five years. The powers engaged were Great Britain, France, Spain, and Holland.

7. The seventh and last period of war was from 1788 to 1791, inclusive. The parties engaged were the Russians and Austrians against the Turks; the Swedes against the Russians and Danes; the Belgians also, who revolted against the Emperor, increased the tempest. Denmark soon became neuter; and as far as the Emperor and Swedes were concerned, peace was restored in 1790, but the Russians and Turks continued their slaughter till 1791. This was the seventh thunder.

This last period of war seems, under Providence, to have been among the principal causes of the success of the revolutionists in France: for those who may be thought to have been the most disposed to assist the French court were otherwise employed. This circumstance has not been unnoticed by the writers of the day. It has been observed that it happened unfortunately with respect to the aristocratical party in France, that Europe had seldom been, through a long course of years, in a state less capable of affording the succours which were now demanded by the princes, nobles, and clergy of that country, or in which the minds of the people, or the dispositions of the sovereigns, were less calculated for undertaking any enterprise, than at present. The mad ambition of the Emperor Joseph, under the influence of the overwhelming power and vast designs of Russia, to which he became so miserable a dupe, besides the ruin and spirit of revolt which it spread through his own dominions, had, in no small degree, deranged the general policy of Europe. And it is worthy to be observed, that just when this prince was on the eve of making peace with the Turks, and which being accomplished, he might then have been able to turn his attention to the situation of his brother-in-law \ the king of France, he died, (Feb. 20, 1790.) His succes

sor, Leopold, immediately set himself to accomplish what death prevented Joseph from executing; but no sooner was peace concluded with the Ottoman court, and his revolting subjects in Brabant brought to obedience, than he died also, (March 1, 1791.) All these events counteracted every inclination which the court of Vienna might have to oppose the progress of the French revolution, and gave time for its gaining such a firm establishment, that before Francis, the present emperor, could be prepared for the meditated attack, the people of France were become too much enlightened as to the enormities of the old system, too much informed of their rights and strength, and too united, to be easily frightened into a retreat.

The courts of London and Madrid were occupied in a squabble about an object scarcely bearing or deserving a name. The king of Sardinia, from the state of his finances, of his army, of his fortresses, was not in a condition to hazard any attempt in favour of the old despotism, till too late. We We may add the immense debts, contracted in the wars of the present century, (originating from the impolitic and ruinous practice of funding, which must in the end, and perhaps very soon, terminate in events the most calamitous to those who have had resort to such unwise. measures) these debts, I say, and the consequent derangement of the finances of all the powers in Europe, proved highly favourable to the cause of the French reformers; and however great the fears of some might be, respecting the influence of this example, or however much inclined to listen to the supplications of humbled despotism, or to support the cause of the mortified nobility and clergy, whose cries for vengeance filled every court and every country, yet they were so shackled by circumstances as not to be able to yield them immediate assistance.

Thus have the wars of this century, united with the spread of knowledge, been preparing the way for the accomplishment of God's designs in the overthrow of the tenth part of the Antichristian city, and the destruction of the power of those privileged orders of men, who had been its chief supporters, which appears to be the slaying of the seven thousand names of men predicted Rev. xi. 13. and which events were to be the prelude to the seventh trumpet, which is to bring those judgments that are to perfect the overthrow of all the Antichristian kingdoms and churches, and of all Papal corruption and tyranny.

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