to that held by
the Roman Catholic church to the people who support and defend her
pretensions. Their alienation and withdrawal from her support, must
therefore be symbolized by the drying up of the great river Euphrates,
which becomes diverted into other channels. This is now apparently being
fulfilled in the marked alienation of feeling from the church of Rome,
which is evident throughout the ten kingdoms. During the last twenty
years, the hold of that community on the affection of her supporters in
Europe, has been constantly becoming weaker and weaker. Infidel principles
have been extensively propagated. Her cathedrals have been comparatively
deserted; and her existence has been endured more as a matter of
expediency than of affection. At the present moment, probably, the mass of
the people have little confidence in her pretensions; but it will require
a more marked withdrawal from her support than has yet been witnessed, to
fulfil, in all its significance, the meaning conveyed in the symbol.

The "kings of the east," whose way is to be thus prepared, are doubtless
her enemies, who, having produced the desired alienation from her support,
will take advantage of her defenceless position, and hasten her ruin; as
the kings of Media and Persia, in like manner, subjugated old Babylon.

Under the operation of the sixth vial, and, according to the fulfilment of
the preceding symbols, corresponding with the present time, are to be
developed:

The Unclean Spirits.

"And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth
of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the wild beast, and out of
the mouth of the false prophet. For they are spirits of demons,
performing signs, that go forth to the kings of the whole world,
to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty."
Rev. 16:13, 14.

The "dragon," "beast," and "false prophet," being regarded as symbols: the
first, of the Roman empire previous to its subversion by the northern
barbarians; the second of the ten kingdoms which subsequently arose; and
the third, of the eastern Roman empire--now the Mohamedan power; the mouths
of each, from which the frog-like spirits emerge, are next to be
considered.

To the wild beast was given "a mouth, speaking great things and
blasphemies," the power of which was "to continue forty and two months,"
Rev. 13:5. The agreement of this with the corresponding appendages of
Daniel's "litt