oly, because thou hast inflicted these judgments; for they have
poured out the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given
them blood to drink: they are worthy! And I heard one from the
altar, saying, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are
thy judgments!" Rev. 16:4-7.

Mr. Lord justly remarks that "Rivers and fountains of waters, are to a
sea, what smaller exterior communities and nations are to a great central
people." As the French nation was the sea, the "rivers and fountains"
symbolize contiguous or more remote communities surrounding it. These are
said to have become blood, without its being specified that the living
things in them perished, as in the sea. Accordingly, while the greater
portion of Europe continued, with little interruption, for twenty years
from 1792, to be deluged with war and bloodshed, the nobles and rulers of
the other nations were not exterminated, as in France.

The nations thus overwhelmed with blood, were those which had sanctioned
the shedding of the blood of the saints; consequently their retribution
was just.

The Fourth Vial.

"And the fourth angel poured out his vial on the sun; and it was
given him to burn men with fire. And men were burned with great
heat, and reviled the name of God, who had power over these
plagues; and they repented not to give him glory." Rev. 16:8, 9.

The influence of the sun on the earth and sea, is analogous to that of a
government on the subjects of its rule. As the right degree of light and
heat is conducive to vegetation, and the excessive action of the sun's
rays will scorch and destroy; so a genial government is a blessing to the
people, while its arbitrary and tyrannical acts are often insupportably
oppressive.

With the overthrow of the French monarchy under the second vial, there
arose new rulers in France, who usurped despotic powers, and subjected the
governed to most oppressive exactions. The rich were impoverished, the
nation was robbed, the business of the country was paralyzed, the
obnoxious were slain, every species of misery and wickedness abounded, the
males were subjected to military conscription, and hundreds of thousands
of them were sent to subjugate surrounding nations. The countries they
invaded were also devastated, and oppressed, and robbed by impoverishing
taxations. These continued, though in a milder form, under the imperial
rule, and all parts of the Roman earth f