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The commencement of the Millennium will not be much sooner or later than the beginning of the seventh millenary of the world. The sixth vial is now running, and probably began to be poured out before the end of the last century, and will continue to run a considerable part of the next century; under which the power of antichrist is to be greatly weakened, and the way prepared for his utter overthrow.

And at the same time, the christian world, and mankind in general, will be so far from reforming that they will grow more and more corrupt in doctrine and practice, and greedily run into all manner of vice and wickedness, until they are prepared for the battle of that Great Day, and ripe to be cut down and destroyed by a series of divine judgments which will be inflicted under the seventh vial, and will usher in the introduction of the Millennium.

The river Euphrates has been drying up, and the way has been preparing, for near a century past, for the utter ruin of the Pope and the hierarchy of the church of Rome. Ignorance, error and delusion, abound and are increasing; and infidelity is rapidly spreading in the christian world. The unclean spirits like frogs appear to have gone forth to all the kings' courts, and the great men in Christendom. A spirit of irreligion is exceeding strong and prevalent, and a strong and general opposition to the great truths and doctrines of the gospel.

The heathen world are no more disposed to become Christians than they ever were, and the way to their conversion to christianity appears to be more obstructed. Mahometans and Jews hate and oppose christianity as much as ever they did, if not more.

It is certain, that most of the evil things now mentioned, have been found among the body of mankind, in a greater or less degree, in all ages; and the pious friends of God, and true religion, have complained of and lamented them. And it is probable that the representation now made will be considered by many only as the revival of the old complaint. But this opinion will not be any evidence that the representation is not true or just; but will rather serve to confirm it.

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There is reason to conclude, from what has already taken place, and from the prophecy of the unclean spirits, that they have not yet finished their work; but that the world will yet make greater and more rapid advances in all kinds of moral corruption and open wickedness till it will come to that state in which it will be fully ripe, and prepared to be cut down by the sickle of divine justice and wrath. And it may take near half a century from this time for the evil spirits to complete their work and gather the world to battle. 121