f
Mahomet, more durable and injurious to men than all their bloody
conquests. By this abominable system of delusion, the remains of the
Greek church in the Eastern division of the Roman empire, were almost
extirpated; Christianity was nearly extinguished in that part of the
world where the gospel had shone brightly, and there Mahometanism
continues till the present day. Such has been the desolating effect of
the sixth,--the second woe trumpet. Thus the Judge of all the earth
punishes impenitent communities. Besides the positive effects of the
second wo, we have intimation of some that are negative in the close of
this chapter.

20. And the rest of the men, which were not killed by these plagues, yet
repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship
devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of
wood; which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk:

21. Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor
of their fornication, nor of their thefts.

Vs. 20, 21.--The "rest of the men that were not killed by these
plagues," or morally destroyed by becoming Mahometans, by the foregoing
calamities, were not brought to repentance of their evil deeds. The
population of the Western Latin empire and nominal Christian church,
still persisted in their idolatries and immoralities. Both individually
and as associated, they openly violated both tables of the moral law. It
is evident from these two verses, that the sins enumerated in them were
the procuring causes of the divine judgments symbolized by the
trumpets,--the two woe-trumpets, all the trumpets,--yes, including the
seventh and the last. Professing Christians both in the Greek and Latin
churches, after all the plagues inflicted by the angels of the past six
trumpets, continue to this day in the practice of worshipping demons,
angels and saints, for which they can produce no better arguments than
their Pagan predecessors whom the Lord charges with "worshipping devils"
here and elsewhere. (1 Cor. x. 20; Ps. cvi. 37.) In their stupid worship
of senseless images, consecration of places, etc., who cannot perceive
the identity of modern Papists and prelates with those portrayed by the
pen of inspiration in the passage before us? The horrible "murders,"
massacres and bloody persecutions of the saints, are verified in
authentic history. Papal bulls, imperial and royal edicts, issued
against _heretics_, answer to the second part