The  infuriated  victims  of  wrath,  are  to  drink  blood,  and  that
their  own,  and  to  be  pronounced  worthy  of  it,  (Rev. xvi. 6.)
we  have  seen  this  already  in  France,  the  symptoms  of  its
approach  to  Spain  are  but  too  manifest. The  ebullition  of
the  revolutionary  frenzy,  was  only  possible  to  be  kept  down
by  the  weight  of  the  heavy  pressure,  of  the  iron  crown,  et
vultus  instantis  tyranni. The  very  consequences  predicted
after  the  pouring  of  the  fifth  vial  (  Rev. xvi. 11. )  are  now
apparent;  they  repent  not  of  their  deeds,  and  their  blasphem-
ous errors,  but  return  to  them  with  renewed  ardour,


MtEFACE  It

purpose  of  God's  judgments  in  the  seven  vials,
without  extending  to  a  total  prohibition  of
entrance  into  the  temple,  to  all  indiscrim-
inately. Durham  very  convincingly  inter-
prets the  smoke  in  the  temple  in  this  manner,
and  most  commentators  seem  thus  to  have
understood  it,  as  being  judicial,  and  con-
sequently not  universal  in  its  extent*  It  is
indeed  hardly  to  be  supposed  that  although
the  wire  formed  cannot  enter ,  during  the  whole
time  of  these  seven  vials,  which  appear  to
occupy  seventy  live  years,  yet  that  together
with  them,  the  sincere  worshippers  of  the
Deity  should  likewise  be  excluded. Because
it  isjor  their  sakes,  that  this  dreadful  visita-
tion of  the  sins,  of  the  long  time  triumphant
beast  e-t  last  takes  place. The  psalmist  allud-
ing to  the  same  circumstances  and  time  of
"  inquisition  for  blood,"  (Ps. ix. 12.)  gives  us
the  same  idea  of  Gods  judgments,  becoming  a
second  time  like  the  pillar  of  fire  which  went
before  the  host  of  Israel,  in  the  original
Exodus;  yielding  a  light,  and  salvation  to  the
persecuted  fugitives,  but  turning  its  dark
side  only  to  the  persecutor,  for  his  plague  and
destruction. In  this  latter  application,  the
smoke  only  signifies  thus  much ;  that  the  per-


%  MlEFACfc

sons  which  would  not  hear  nor  understand \
in  the  day  of  their  call,  should  not  be  able  to
penetrate   into   the   true   meaning   of  Gods
mysterious  providences,  when  the  season  of
judgment  is  come:  but  that  they  should  be
deceived  by  delusive  appearances  of  peace  and
intermission  of  judgments,  although  the  previ-
ous requisites  to  spiritual   peace  have  been
pertinaciously  rejected  by  them. 