N04757:228
An humble attempt to promote explicit agreement and visible union of God's people in…
An humble attempt to promote explicit agreement and visible union of God's people in extraordinary prayer for the revival of religion and the advancement of Christ's Kingdom on earth, pursuant to Scripture-promises and prophecies concerning the last time. By Jonathan Edwards, A.M. Minister of the Gospel at Northampton. ; With a preface by several ministers.
printed for D. Henchman, 1748
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
li.11. The Lord hath raised up the Spirit of the KINGS of the Medes; for his Device is against Babylon to destroy it. Ver. 28. Prepare against her the Nations, with the KINGS of the Medes, the Captains thereof, and the Rulers thereof.— The drying the Channel of the River Euphrates, to prepare the Way for these Kings and Captains of the East, to enter into that City, under it's high Walls, ⟨p. 155⟩was the last Thing done by the Besiegers of Babylon, before her actual Destruction: As this sixth Vial is the last Vial of God's Wrath but one, on the mystical Babylon; and the Effect of it, the drying up the Channel of the River Euphrates, is the last Thing done against it, before it's actual Destruction by the seventh Vial, and opens the Way for those that fight in a spiritual War against it, speedily to bring on it's Ruin.
Hence I think it may without Dispute be determined, that by the River Euphrates in the Prophecy of this Vial, is meant something appertaining or relating to the mystical Babylon, or the antichristian Church and Kingdom, that serves that, or is a Benefit to it, in a Way answerable to that in which the River Euphrates served old Babylon, and the Removal of which will in like Manner prepare the Way for her Enemies to destroy her. And therefore what we have to do in the first Place, in order to find out what is intended by the River Euphrates, in this Prophecy, is to consider how the literal Euphrates served old Babylon. And it may be noted, that Euphrates was of remarkable Benefit to that City in two Respects: It served the City as a Supply; it was let through the midst of the City by an artificial Canal, and ran through the Midst of the Palace of the King of Babylon; that Part of his Palace called the old Palace, standing on one Side, and the other Part called the new Palace, on the other; with Communications from one Part to another, above the Waters, by a Bridge, and under the Waters, by a vaulted or arched Passage; that the City, and especially the Palace, might have the Convenience of it's Waters, and be plentifully supplied with Water. And another Way that the Waters of Euphrates served Babylon, was as an Impediment ⟨p. 156⟩