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of others. The kings of her communion, who have committed fornication, and lived deliciously with her, bewail and lament for her: (ver. 9, 10.) but what kings were they who lived deliciously with old Rome, and had reason to lament her fall? The merchants of the earth weep and mourn over her; (ver. 11-17.) for there is an end of all traffic and commerce with her, whether fpiritual or temporal; for it is intimated (ver. 13.) that they make merchandise of the fouls as well as of the bodies of men. The ship-mafters, and failers, and as many as trade by fea, weep and wail: (ver. 17, 18, 19.) for they can now no longer import or export commodities for her, or convey ftrangers to and fro; for there is an end of all her coftlinefs. Thefe lamentations are copied from the like lamentations over Tyre in the 26th and 27th chapters of Ezekiel; and are equal to the most mournful ftrains of the Greek tragedians over Thebes or Troy. In all they Stand afur off, (ver. 10, 15, 17.) as if they were unable or afraid to help and affift her. In all they cry a1, 8x1, alas, alas, (ver. 10, 16, 19.) which is the third woe sal before mentioned; (VIII. 13. XI. 14.) for as the fall of the Othman empire is the end of the fecond woe, fo the fall of Rome is the completion of the third woe. In all they lament the fuddennefs of her fall; (ver. 10, 17, 19.) for in one hour is her deftruction come. At the fame time her deftruction is matter of joy and triumph (ver. 20.) to the holy apoftles and prophets, for God hath avenged them on her but what reafon had the Chriftians to rejoice over the calamities brought on Rome by Alaric or Totilas, in which they themfelves were the principal fufferers? and how were thefe calamities any vindication of their caufe, or of the caufe of true religion?

21 And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and caft it into the fea, faying, Thus with violence fhall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and thall be found no more at all.

22 And the voice of harpers, and muficians, and of pipers, and trumpeters, thall be heard no more at all in thee; and no craftfman, of whatsoever

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craft he be, fhall be found any more in thee; and the found of a millftone fhall be heard no more at all in thee:

23 And the light of a candle fhall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride fhall be heard no more at all in thee for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy forceries were all nations deceived:

24 And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of faints, and of all that were flain upon earth.

the

Yet farther to confirm the fudden fall and irrecoverable deftruction of Rome, an emblem is copied and improved from Jeremiah; (LI. 63, 64.) a mighty angel (ver. 21.) cafteth a millftone into the fea, declaring that with the fame violence this great city fhall be thrown down, and fhall never rife again. Her utter defolation is farther defcribed (ver. 22, 23.) in phrafes and expreffions borrowed from the ancient prophets. (If. XXIV. 8. Jer. VII. 34. XVI. 9. XXV. 10. Ezek. XXVI. 13.) There fhall be no more musicians for the entertainment of the rich and great; no more tradefmen or artificers to furnish the conveniencies of life; no more fervants or faves to grind at the mill, and fupply the neceffaries of life. Nay, there fhall be no more lights, no more bridal fongs; the city fhall never be peopled again by new marriages, but fhall remain depopulated for ever, For which utter defolation there are affigned these reafons, (ver. 23, 24.) her pride and luxury, her fuperftition and idolatry, her tyranny and cruelty. Her punithment fhall be as fevere and exemplary, as if he had been guilty of all the perfecutions that ever were upon account of religion; for by her conduct the hath approved, and imitated, and furpaffed them all.

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Rome hath never yet been depopulated and defolated in this manner. She hath been taken indeed and plundered (1) by Alaric king of the Vifigoths in the year

(1) See Petav. Rat. Temp. and Blair's Chron. Tables.

410, by Genferic king of the Vandals in the year 455, by Totilas king of the Oftrogoths in the year 546, and by others fince that time; but yet fhe is ftill ftanding and florishing, and is honored by many nations as the metropolis of the Chriftian world; the ftill refounds with fingers and musicians; the ftill excels in arts which ferve to pomp and luxury; fhe ftill abounds with candles, and lamps, and torches, burning even by day as well as by night: and confequently this prophecy hath not yet been, but remains yet to be fulfilled.

CHA P. XIX.

AND after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, faying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power unto the Lord our God:

2 For true and righteous are his judgments; for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his fervants at her hand.

3 And again they faid, Alleluia. And her fioke rofe up for ever and ever.

4 And the four and twenty elders, and the four beafts fell down and worshipped God that fat on the throne, faying, Amen; Alleluia.

5 And a voice came out of the throne, faying, Praife our God, all ye his fervants, and ye that fear him, both fmall and great.

6 And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, faying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.

7 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made her felf ready.

8 And to her was granted, that the fhould be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteoufnefs of faints.

9 And he faith unto me, Write, Bleffed are they which

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which are called unto the marriage-fupper of the Lamb. And he faith unto me, Thefe are the true sayings of God.

10 And I fell at his feet to worship him: And he faid unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellow-fervant, and of thy brethren that have the teftimony of Jefus: worship God: for the teftimony of Jefus is the spirit of prophecy.

Hereupon the whole church, (ver. 1-4.) agreeably to the exhortation of the angel, (XVIII. 20.) join praifes and thanksgivings to almighty God for his truth and righteousness in judging this idolatrous city, his truth in fulfilling his promife and threatnings, and his righteouf nefs in proportioning her punishment to her crimes. And her fmoke rofe up for ever and ever; which intimates that the fhould be made as fignal a monument of divine vengeance as Sodom and Gomorrah. It is taken from Ifaiah, who hath faid much the fame thing of Edom, and' by Edom (2) the Jews understand Rome. (Ifaiah, XXXIV. 9, 10.) And the fireams thereof shall be turned into pitch; in the genuin (3) editions of the Chaldee paraphrafe it is, And the rivers of Rome Jhall be turned into pitch, and the duft thereof into brimfione, and the land thereof shall become burning pitch. It shall not be quenched night nor day; the fmoke thereof shall go up for ever. This tradition of the rabbins may receive fome confirmation from thefe words of the apofile: and fuch an event may appear the more probable, because the adjacent countries are known to be of a fulphureous and bituminous foil; there have even at Rome been (4) eruptions of fubterraneous fire, which have confumed feveral buildings; fo that the fuel feemeth to be prepared, and waiteth only for the breath of the Lord to kindle it. But

(2) R. David in principio Obadiæ, Quod autem dicunt propheta devafa tione Edem in extremitate dierum, de Roma dixerunt. Buxtorf. Chald. Lex.

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(3) Et convertentur flumina Ro. mæ in picem, &c. Pofteriores editiones Vocem Roma omiferunt. Buxtorf. ibid.

(4) Vide Dionis Hift. Lib. 66. in Tito, πυς δε δη ἑτερον επίγειον τῷ εξης ετει πολλα πανυ της Ρώμης επενει μato. x. T. λ. Ignis autem alius fupra terram exortus anno infequenti magnam admodum Romæ partem abfumfit, &c. p. 756. Edit. Leunclav.

God

God is praifed not only for the deftruction of the great feat of idolatry, but also (ver. 5-8.) for the manifeftation of his kingdom, as before, (XI. 17.) and for the happy and glorious ftate of the reformed Chriftian church. She is no harlot tainted with idolatry, but a Spouse prepared for her Lord Chrift: fhe is not arrayed like an harlot in purple and fcarlet color, but like a decent bride, in fine linen, clean, and white, as the propereft emblem of her purity and fanctity. Chrift hath now, as St. Paul expreffeth it, (Eph. V. 26, 27.) fanctified and cleanfed his church with the washing of water, by the word, That he might prefent it to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any fuch thing, but that it Jhould be holy, and without blemish. So great is the felicity of this period, that the angel orders it (ver. 9.) to be particularly noted and bleffed and happy are they who fhall be living at this time, and be worthy to partake of this marriage feaft. It is a matter of confolation to all good Chriftians, and they may affuredly depend upon it, as the never-failing word of God. St. John was in fuch rapture and extafy at thefe difcoveries, that (ver. 10.) not knowing or not confidering what he did, he fell down at the angel's feet to worship him: but the angel prohibits all manner of worship, for he was no more than a fellow fervant of the apoftle's, and of all true prophets, of all who have the teftimony of Jefus, and the teftimony of Jefus is the spirit of prophecy. Worship not me then, fays the angel, but God, whofe fervants we both are, and who infpires us both with the fame fpirit of prophecy.

11 And I faw heaven opened, and behold a white horfe; and he that fat upon him was called faithful and true, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.

12 His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written that no man knew but he himfelf:

13 And he was cloathed with a vefture dipt in blood: and his name is called, The Word of God.

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