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 of this awful picture.
Then follow "sorceries," plainly pointing out pretended revelations,
false miracles, etc. To these are to be added "fornications," corporeal
and spiritual, in a mass of superstitions added to, or supplanting
divine ordinances; together with vows of celibacy, monkeries and
nunneries,--followed by public license of brothels. And
finally,--"thefts." By these are to be understood the illegal exactions