_The four Angels._—How does the sealing angel, or messenger, ascending from the east, cry with a loud voice to these four angels or governments of messengers, to “hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees,” &c. In the first place, I understand that symbolic prophecies have literal statements interspersed, which serve as a key for the rest: i. e. they have a mixed character; for instance, earth and sea here, literal; _trees_, symbolical; meaning those that are _marked_, or _sealed_; the professed people of God—followers of Jesus. See the clear proof under the sounding of the fifth trumpet by the Turks, in ch. ix: 4th verse: “they were not to hurt any tree, but only those MEN which have _not_ the _seal_ of God _in their foreheads_.” This proves the trees to symbolize the followers of God; see also Hosea xiv: 8. Again, it is said that these four messengers were to “hold the wind from blowing on the _earth_, _sea_, or any _tree_.” By the _wind_, I understand as Paul teaches the Eph. iv: 14, “every wind of doctrine and cunning craftiness, and slight of men to deceive, and lead nations into carnage, war and bloodshed;” see also ii: 2, “being led by the Prince of the power of the _air_, working in men disobedience, according to the course of this world.” After the last great battle of nations at Waterloo, in 1815, then these blood-thirsty, conquering crowned heads, formed themselves into what they called a christian alliance, showing that there was now peace with all the world; since which time they and our own government have been petitioned or prayed to by those who professed to be the followers of the Prince of Peace, to abolish the wicked practice with themselves, and thereby restrain all other nations. Now let us learn the difference between the trees, (professors or followers of the Prince of Peace,) and _servants of God_ which are now to be sealed, viz. the 144,000. Thousands on thousands of these professors or trees since this work began, have died, and probably one hundred times that number have turned traitors, by deserting their leader and commander, while the great mass of advent believers, which stamped this truth upon them, (the nominal church) in Oct. 1844, have since that time, also turned into the enemy’s ranks, leaving the remnant to finish up the work. The great majority of these professors were once under the right banner, but the winnowing fan of their great leader has left them with the chaff, so that the voice of the remaining messengers, some of whom were sending these petitions to the four governments, and their prayers to God to restrain these wicked practices, have become so feeble and disregarded by their former associates, that the Devil, seeing his time is short, is now hard at work marshalling his united forces throughout the world, for a mighty victory; and these four messengers are his principle dependence to “gather the whole world to the