Fer. 51. 8. Babylm is ſuddenly fallen and deſtroyed, There is doubt,- but both the Prophets ſpake of that rh into which the Jews were carried captive; but that Babylon was typical of another Babylon, called here the great City, and great Babylon, Chap. 16. 19. and 17. 5. and 18. 10, 21. and the Mother of Harlots, Chap. 17. 5. There neither 1s, nor ever was any City in the World, to whom theſe things could agree, but to Rome, rightly enough called the Mother of Harlots, and the Abominations of the Earth, Chap. 1 7. s. both in reſpe& of carnal Filthineſs there tolerated to make the Br- ſhop of Rome a Revenue, and ſpiritual Whoredom, which is Idolatry : called alſo Sodom and Egypt, chap. 11. 8. the former of which was famous tor beaſtly Luſts, the latter for Idolatry, and Oppreſſion of God's Iſrael. The Ruin of old Babylon is denounced by the Pro- phet, 1/2. 21. 9. becauſe of her Idolatry in Image-worſhip, for which the new Babylon is every whit as famous. The word tran- ſlated, Wrath (though it oft ſo ſignifies) yet ſhould rather be here tranſlated, Poiſon, as we tranſlate it, Deut. 32, 33. 7oh. 20. 16. The LXX in thoſe Texts uſe the ſame word that is here uſed, vw: : ſo the Senſe is [with the poiſonous Wine of her Idolatry] intimating to us the yenemous Condition of Remiſh Superſtitions and Idolatries to intice 1gnorant People to be in love with them, as Harlots uſe with their Philters, or poiſoned Cups, to make Men in love with them. If we better approve of our Tranſlation of the term iVrath, The Wine of the Wrath of her Fornication, ſignifieth her Fornication which brings Wrath upon them that zoyn with her in it. :
9 And the third angel followed them, faying with a loud voice, It any man worſhip the beaſt and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand z.
# God letteth his Servant Fohn know, That during the Rei and Rage of Antichriſt, as he to. have Miniſters of the Goſgel that ſhould preach the Truth, and mind Men to keep themſelves from Idols, worſhipping God alone ; and others that ſhould aflure them the Papacy ſhould go down, myſtical Babylon ſhould fall ; ſo he would have others that ſhould give warning to Men and Women of thoſe dreadful Plagues that ſhould come upon them that entred themſelves in this great City, either worſhipping the Devil after the Pagan manner, or the Image of the Beaſt, i. e. committing Ido- latry after the Antichrifian Popiſh Faſhion, or that Chould either be ſubje& to this Idolatrous Head, or be Soldiers to fight for it. What thoſe Judgments ſhould be, God ſheweth in ver. 10. and poſſibly there 15 not a more ſevere Denunciatioh of Judgment in the whole Book of God.
10 The ſame ſhall drink of the wine of the wrath of God w, which is f poured out without mixture +Ch: into the || cup of his indignation x ; and * he ſhall ; "n be tormented with f fire and brimſtone in the pre: || Chap. 16. ſence of his holy angels, and in the preſence of the 15-
Lamb y. *Chap. 20 w Thoſe that do yield Subjetion to him, and profeſs his Faith, 40
ſhall drink of the Wine of the Wrath of God; that is, ſhall feel the Se- TChap. 19: verity of God's judicial Diſpenſations, which in Scripture are expreſ- ra ſed by the Wine Cup of his Fury, Fer. 25, 15. See alſo Job 21. 20. Pſ. 78. 8. Iſa. 51. 17. either from the intoxicating quality of Wine, or the ſtupifying quality of it, when mixed with Myrrh, or other ſtu- pifying things. x But here it is faid without Mixture, which figni- fies their ſenfible feeling of the Effe&ts of Divine Wrath, or the greatneſs of the Wrath; as Wine is ſtrongeſt when not mixed with Water. y That is, in ſhort, he ſhall go to Hell at laſt ; the exquiſiteneſs of which Torments, as to the Pain of ſenſe, is ſet out by Fire and BrimStone ; Brimſtone being a material in which Fire holds longeſt to torment any Fleſh put into it. |
11 * And the ſmoke of their torment aſcendeth up , Ia. 24 for ever and ever 2; And they have no reſt day nor ,,, | night a, who worſhip the beaſt and his image, and Chap. 19
whoſoever receiveth the mark of his name 6. 3 z That is, their Torments ſhall be everlaſting, as well as moſt exquiſite, and cauſing the moſt acute Pain. a This 1s but the ſame thing in other words: their Torments ſhall be ſuch as ſhall give them no reſt at any time. b The Senſe of theſe two Verſes, 15 no more than this, That all Idolaters ſhall fall under the Venge- ance of God in this Life, and at laft ſhall be thrown to Hell; not only ſuch as worſhip the Beaſt, committing Paganiſh Idolatry, wor- ſhipping Stocks and Stones, and Devils, as the term of their Wor- ſhip, but ſuch as worſhip the Image of that Beaſt ſet up by __ ; chri 8
NM.
\ 1%
Cha
*Ch.13.10
* 1Cor.I 5. 18.
1 Thel. 4, 17.
1 Or, from henceforth ſaith the Spirtt, yea.
+ Ch.1.13+
*To: :01q Zo Mat.1 ..39 | Or, a ied,
XIV P. j 4 | - chriſt, worſhipping of Ange!s and Saints, or their Images. From hence an eafie Anſwer may be given to that —_— Whether a Man can be ſaved in that which at this day is called the Roman Ca- tiolick Religion ? If they either worſhip the Beaſt, or the Image of the Beaſt, they cannor:: whether they do or no, let the Reader judge from what hath been before ſaid.
12 * Here Is the patience of the ſaints c : here are they that keep the commandments of God and: the faith of Jelus. d. |
c God having in the former Chapter ſhewn his Servant John the Reign and Rage of Antichriſt in his time of 42 Months, and in this Chapter, what ſhall be the end both of him, and all his Adherents, here concludeth with telling him, This is a Period of time wherein the Patience ef his Holy Ones will be tried, buth in waiting for t'eir Deliverance, and alſo in their patient induring Antichriſt's Opprefſi- on and Tyranny. d And here will be the trial of Men, whether they will keep to the Faith of Chriſt, and Obedience of God's Com- mandments, by cominp out, or keeping in this Spiritual Babylon 7 Thoſe that come out of her will ſhew both , thoſe that keep in that Idolitrous Communion, wil! fheiv neither,
13 And 1 heard a voice from heaven, ſaying unto me, Write e, Ble{led- are the dead which * diz in the Lord f, || from henceforth g : Yea, ſaith rhe Spirit þ,
tht they may reſt from their labours ; and rheir wo: ks |
do tollow them #.