ntains of waters," (ch. viii. 10; Exodus vii. 19.) These
symbols may signify the several kingdoms of the empire, tributary by
their wealth and traffic to the great city. And as the witnesses
continued to prophesy, giving increased point and publicity to their
testimony, and as the Turks were making encroachments upon the
territories of nominal Christian princes in the west, extensive wars and
great slaughter were the results. These awful judgments are followed by
the plaudits of two angels. The eternal Jehovah is recognized as the
Author of these judgments. The Mediator may here be understood, (ch. i.
8;) (John v. 22, 27.) The "angel of the waters" may be the same who
poured out the vial. He gives to the Lord the glory of his
justice:--"Thou art righteous." He also approves the "law of
retaliation:"--"For they are worthy." The other angel "out of the altar"
speaks on behalf of the martyrs, (ch. vi. 9, 10,) recognizing the
faithfulness of God:--"True and righteous are thy judgments."

8. And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was
given unto him to scorch men with fire.

9. And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of
God, which hath power over these plagues; and they repented not to give
him glory.

Vs. 8,9.--The object of the fourth vial is the "sun," (ch. viii. 12.)
"Power was given him,"--the angel. The two witnesses are represented as
armed with "fire, which proceedeth out of their mouth, devouring their
enemies," (ch. xi. 5.) As the formal object of all the vials is the
ecclesiastical, rather than the civil empire, and the sun is the symbol
of the chief dignitary, perhaps this vial strikes more directly upon the
"man of sin." The expression in the introduction to the vials, (ch. xv.
4,)--"thou only art holy," seems to be a testimony against the
antichristian "name of blasphemy,"--"His Holiness." By the Reformation,
symbolized by successive angels of the fourteenth chapter, those valiant
men tormented the Pope and his vassals, so that they raged and
blasphemed more and more, but "repented not to give God the glory." So
it was at the sounding of the sixth trumpet, (ch. ix. 20, 21.)

10. And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast;
and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for
pain,

11. And blasphemed the God of heaven, because of their pains and their
sores, and repented not of their deeds.

Vs. 10, 11.--"The se