Thirdly. They were, so far as appears upon record, the first state in the world that ever 'persecuted for religion, that oppressed the true worshippers of God, as such ; as being " mad upon their idols," as the prophet saith they were, — they were inflamed upon them. They were the first that oppressed the church because of its worshipping of God, and destroyed that worship among them. Hence the church prays in this chapter, " The vengeance of the L.ORD and of his temple be upon Babylon : " — not only the vengeance of the Lord for destroying of his people, but the vengeance of his temple, for destroying of his worship, be upon Babylon, — " shall Zion say." " Others have afflicted me," saith he in the same chapter ; " but this Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, hath broken my bones." They were the great oppressors of the church.
Upon these three accounts (which is that I would observe), the name of Babylon, and all that is spoken of it in the Old Testament, is transferred to the apostate Church of Rome in the New, and all applied unto it, in the Book of the Revelation; and that upon this great analogy, which I shall now briefly show : —
Why doth God call the apostate state of the church, under the New Testament, " Babylon, Babylon the Mystery?" For these three reasons : —
First. As old Babylon was the rise and spring of apostasy from natural worship in the world unto idolatry, so this new Babylon was
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the rise and spring of apostasy from evangelical worship in the world unto idolatry. Mark the analogy. Hence she is called " The mother of harlots;" that is, she that had brought forth all the idolatrous churches and worship that were in the world. Did Babylon begin to apostatize into idolatry from natural worship? so Rome began to apostatize into idolatry from spiritual, evangelical worship. There- fore the Holy Ghost calls her Babylon.
Secondly. The peculiar idolatry of Babylon consisted in image- worship, — the worshipping of men departed under images made to their likeness. And the peculiar idolatry of Rome consists in image- worship, — the worshipping of saints departed; which is a great part of their idolatry. And therein they are Babylon also.
Thirdly. As Babylon was the spring of all persecution against, and oppression of, the church of God under the Old Testament, so Borne hath been the spring of all persecution and oppression of the church of God, since the apostasy, under the New Testament.
On these accounts hath the Holy Ghost, in infinite wisdom, trans- ferred over the name, and state, and other things spoken of Babylon from the old unto the new.
I have mentioned this, that you may see the interest of England in this text of Scripture. So far as the truth of religion is owned in this nation, so far as there is a testimony given against idolatry, we are to God as Israel and Judah, though the land be filled with sin. At the time of this prophecy, Israel and Judah were in danger of present destruction and desolation from the old Babylon ; and if we do not mock God in all we do, we are under apprehensions that Eng- land, and the church of God in England, is under danger of the same desolation and destruction from new Babylon, upon the same account and principle. If we do not mock God, this is that we profess at this day. Wherefore the parallel runs thus far equal. Such as was Baby- lon of old, such is that at present ; such as was the danger of Israel and Judah from them at that day, such is the danger of England from the new at this present. This is spoken in general.
For the opening of the words, observe these three things : —
First. That there is in them a reduplication of the names or titles of God. He is in this verse called by the name of " The Lord of hosts," and by the name of " The Holy One of Israel." Where there are such reduplications of the name of God or any of his titles, the Holy Ghost would have us take notice that it is a matter of great import- ance whereof he speaks.
Secondly. There is a distribution and application of these names of God unto distinct occa'siovs, suitable unto them.
1. There is in it mentioned an intimation of a surprisal with some protection or deliverance. Whom shall it be done by? " The Lord
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of hosts," saith he, " the Lord his God." And he doth not in vain add immediately, " The Lord of hosts," that title of God,— he who hath the host above and the host below in his sovereign disposal. God's host above are all the holy angels, and all the heavenly bodies in their influences. The stars in their courses fought against Sisera ; and he hath lately hung forth among us a flag or ensign of his host above, intimating that he is arising in his indignation, as " the Lord of hosts," and hath hung forth an ensign before his coming, full of dread and terror. And he is " the Lord of hosts" here below, of all men and of all creatures, disposing of them as seems good unto him. The prophet adds this name of God, because of the unspeakable greatness of the thing he mentions; namely, that Israel should not be forsaken, nor Judah, while the land was so filled with sin, and the whole interest of Babylon so coming upon them.