HOllILETICS. Vera. 9-24.-Laffll!'fftatiom over UuJ fall of Babylon. In our previous study of 11 Baby Ion the great," we had occasion to remark that there were three forms under whiqh
a great Babylon might be recognized. 1. In that world-wide spirit of alienation from God which bas corrupted every form of human life everywhere. 2. In any <.,'hun,a which, allying itself with the world-power, fornicates therewith, and puts itself -Oil the throne ioatead of God. 3. Most manifostly of all in t.he papal Church, when every form of spiritual harlotry ia Jl68n at its very worst. Mr. Porter rema.rks,1 "Zioi:i is the place where God dwells with men; great Babylon, the place where the priest sit.a in the seat of God." We would rather say, "Zion is where God dwells with men; Babylon the great is where any z, any unclean spirit, commercial or religious, aets a.iide the will of God, and 80 comes between men and their Maker." -This harlot is seated on seven mountains--whlcli are -seven kings or kingdoms-which are seven heads of the beast. 'l'he world's might and energy are "beheld concentrated under this mystic number seven-in the one symbol of the beast; and this, it is import.ant to bear in mind, is not merely Rome, nor the Rom&n empire, but a general symbol of secnlar anti-Christian power." If we thus see spirit r.ather than form referred to under this varied symbolism, we shall perceive at once the reason why BQme pe;rts of these chapters apply rather to a huge commercial power and other parts to a huge ecclesi11Stical one; aud hence the difficulty which is so frankly and clearly stated by Dean Alford I will no longer be felt. As the writer in the 'Speaker's Commentary• remarks, "'l'he whole passage points not to any single city, at any one single period, but to the world-city throughout all time;" and, we would add, not only to a religious but to a commercial harlotry; to any and every attraction by which the spirit of IIl&Il is seduced from allegiance to God. l. THE SAME SPIRIT OB' ALIENATION FROllf GoD, WHICH ASSUMES A RELIGIOUS FOBlf1 ALSO PRESENTS ITSELII' IN J. OOllfMEROIAL ABPEO'r, ALL THE WORLD OVER. It is just as possible to put "business,. between man and God as it is to put a priest between man and God. So far as we can read this Apocalyptic word, the oommercial · will tmrvive the downfall of the papal Babylon. For (eh. xvii. 17) we are told that when the kings of the earth have ceased their amours with the papacy, they will" give their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God should be fulfilled ; " as if there would be even a more determined manifestation of carnal world-force after the death or, at any rate, during the decline of the papacy. Certain. it is that these are the two lines along which history is moving at this hour. The papacy as a whole is on tb• decline. The world is opening up more and more to commercial interchanize; and it is just as clear that the commerce of the world, in the goJJessness which 80 largely pervades it, is Babylon the great on the secular side, as that papal Rome is Babylon the great on its ecclesiastical side. And just as easily as we could draw ou, a gronnd- plan in outline of a papal Babylon from the details in eh. xvil., so can we draw oa, a ground-,plan of the commercial Babylon from the details supplied in eh. xviiL' Ten features. L Seated on many waters. 2. A dominant power: "ruling over the kings of the earth.., 3. Proud and boastful : "I sit as a queen." 4. Serenely secure: ".I shall see no mourning.» 5. Self-snfficient: "I am no widow." 6. Luxurious li'ring in "wantonness." 7. lnto:Ecated, and intoxica.ting others, with her aplendour. 8. Carrying on an international merchandise. 9. Engaged in shipping. 10., Exporting or importing in sevenfold variety: (1) precious metals; (2) cost-ly attire; (3) ~teriala for furniture; (-4) spices ; (5) food; (6) cattle, sheep, etc.; (7) bodies and aou}g-of men. Could there be a more preciB!l description of the commercial world-spirit, which is at work among all nations, and ki11dreds, and people, and tongnes--a spirit of which thw 1 • Exposition■ of the Book of Revelation,' p. 314. 1 'Commentary,' ln 1M. 1 How la.rgelf the symbolism is drawn fl'Om the prophecies whioh announced the ran al Bahylnn and o Tyre, the student will ascertain from oompariog eh. :niii. 2 with la xili. 20-22, xn.iv. 10-16, and Jer. ix. 11 RDd Ii. 87; ver. 4 with Jer. Ii. 6, 45,48 and Zech. ii. 10; ver. 5 with Jer. Ii. 9; ver. 7 with Isa. ::dvii. 7; Ve%, 8 with IIB, ::dvii. l(l, 11 ; Tel& 11-19 with Ezek. xxvi. 1-416: ver, 21 with Jer. Ii 63, 6-l.~ ver, 12 with Jer. vii. M ...t uv.10. 436 THE REVELATIOR 01!' ST. JOHN THE DIVINE. [on.xvUL 1-k