An humble attempt to promote explicit agreement and visible union of God's people in…

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⟩and Obstacle in the Way of it's Enemies, to hinder their Access to it to destroy it. For there was a vast Moat round the City, without the Walls, of prodigious Width and Depth, filled with the Water of the River, to hinder the Access of her Besiegers: And at each End of the City, the River served instead of Walls. And therefore when Cyrus had dried up the River, the Moat was emptied, and the Channel of the River under the Walls left dry; and so his Way was prepared.

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 Euphrats served Babylon, was as an Impediment