A Key of Knowledge to Open Revelation, Part 4 · Chapter 6 · Notes 15
Notes vponupon Chap. 18.
Verſ. 1. And after theſe things: Theſe words ſhew the order of the viſion, one thing after another. I ſaw another Angell: that is, another from the ſeuen before mentioned; came downe from heauen: to ſhew, that hee commeth with the truth of God, and no dreame of his owne: hauing great power: to ſhew, his furniſhing with ſtrength to effect what is here ſpoken, touching the fall of Babylon. And the earth was lightened with his glory: to ſhew, that now the acts of this Angell ſhall make him glorious and apparent eueryevery where.
Verſ. 2. And he cried mightily with a ſtrong voice: hereby ſhewing, that now by this Angel all ſhould be made to take knowledge of that, which heere is ſpoken. Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen: The doubling noteth certainty; the words be the ſame with the words of the Angell, chap. 14. 8. which was a foretelling of this long before it ſhould fall out, but here, vponupon a preſent accompliſhment, or very nigh at hand to bee fulfilled, as the words in verſ. 4. imply; euen as Moſes warned the Iſraelites to depart from the tents of the wicked men, immediately before their deſtruction, Numb. 16. 26. Here is an alluſion to Eſa. 21. 9. Ier. 51. 8. Babylon here is Rome, (whereof that other old Babylon in Chaldea was a type) which is the woman, that great City, verſ. 10. chap. 17. 18. and 19. 2. And is become the habitation of diuels, &c. An alluſion to Eſa. 13. 21. 22. and 34. 11. 13. 14. 15. Ier. 51. 37. to note her vtter deſolation, and a place not to be inhabited any more, as the 21. verſe of this chapter doth plainly tell vsus. Viegas the Ieſuite, vnderſtandeth the words of the Idolatry, and execrable wickedneſſes of that City, only he thinkes it ſhal hereafter ſo come to bee; but it is true in his ſenſe at this preſent, if he and his like had eyes to ſee it, and grace to come out from it.
Verſ. 3. The reaſon of her deſtruction, partly mentioned before, chap. 17. 2. The wine of the wrath of her fornication: that is, which hath procured this wrath againſt her by her idolatrous doctrine, which the Kings of the earth: that is, thoſe of her falſe Church hauehave drunke vp with her. And the merchants of the earth: Here by Merchants, cannot be properly meant ſuch as we account to bee merchants; for theſe mourning merchants are not among the Saints, who as they are commanded, ſo doe they reioyce at Babylons deſtruction, chap. 19. 1-6. Theſe be ſuch Merchants, as after her deſtruction hauehave no more trafficke for their merchandize, verſ. 11. and yet gold, ſiluer, and the other things mentioned in verſ. 12. 13.. will not ceaſe to be in vſe among Merchants, as we call them; neither can her fall ſtay the common vſe of ſuch things. Theſe Merchants bee Merchants of mens ſoules, verſ. 13. ſuch be ſpoken of, 2. Pet. 2. 3. What is meant by Merchants, is expounded, verſ. 23. The great men of the earth: That is, of the earthly Antichriſtian ſtate, ſuch as trade in the ſea of that ſtate, of which in chap. 16. 3. of theſe Merchants and their merchandizes ſpeaketh, Mantuan, Saint Bernard, ſerm. 1. de conuerſ. Pauli, Budaeus in his Pandects, Lodo…icus Viues, vponupon St. Aug. booke, called the City of God, lib. 18. cap. 22.
Verſ. 4. A charge to all Gods, people to get out of that Antichriſtian ſtate, and from that Babyloniſh Citie; the exhortation is from Ier. 51. 6. 46. and 50. 8. & Eſa. 52. 11.
Verſ. 5. The greatneſſe of her wickedneſſe, alluding to Ier. 51. 9. and to the ſinnes of Sodome, Gen. 18. 20. 21. and 19. 13. Ion. 1. 2. the time of her iudgement being at hand, God now remembreth her iniquities to plague her, as is alſo ſhewed in cap. 16. 19.
Verſ. 6. An exhortation ſtirring vp to reuenge the cauſe of God vponupon her: the words are from Ier. 50. 15. 29.
Verſ. 7. I ſit a Queene, &c. An alluſion to Eſay, 47-7-8.
Verſ. 8. In one day: That is, ſpeedily, for her deſtruction is ſaid to bee in one houre, in verſ. 10. 17. 19. The plagues which ſhall be vponupon this City are death, ſorrow, famine (which argueth a beſieging of it before it be taken), then the vtter conſuming of it by fire, as is ſhewed before, chap. 17. 16, where they that ſhall doe this, are foretold vsus. The reaſon is like to that in Ierem. 50. 34, The worke is Gods, and his power only ſhall bring this to paſſe.
Verſ. 9. The Kings of the earth: Theſe are they in chap. 17. 2, as the next words following do ſhew; and not the tenne hornes in chap. 17. 16.
Verſ. 12. The merchandiſe are reckoned vp; An alluſion to that rich Citie Tyrus, Ezech. 27: theſe are ſaid in the former verſe, not to be bought any more, vponupon Romes deſtruction. Therefore by theſe things muſt be figuratiuely meant al precious and pleaſant ſpirituall things of eſteeme in that ſtate: for it is not like that theſe things, taken after the letter in their proper ſignification, ſhall loſe their eſtimation by Romes fall, which are of great account among thoſe, that both hauehave ſhaken off Rome, and with others, which neuer had to doe with it.
Verſ. 17. The other ſort of Mourners for Babylon, after the Kings and Merchants here, are, EueryEvery ſhip-maſter, and all the companie in ſhips, and ſailers, and as many as trade by ſea. An alluſion ſtill to the deſtruction of Tyrus, Ezech. 27. 29. 30. 31. 32. As the Merchants hauehave a figuratiue meaning, ſo muſt theſe bee vnderſtood figuratiuely. A ſhip-maſter is one that hath an eccleſiaſticall office, which is his ſhip, with which he doth traffike for the great men the Merchants: The companie in ſhips, all that depend vponupon ſuch offices at the commaund of the ſhip-maſter. As many as trade by ſea, that is, which get their liuing by the Church ſeruice.
Verſ. 18. The like complaint for Tyrus, Ezech. 37. 32, ſo for Babylon, Iere. 50. 46. The ſmoake of her burning: An alluſion to Eſai. 34. 10.
Verſ. 19. Caſt duſt: The like is ſaid in Ezech. 27. 30. The manner of heauie and downe-caſt ſpirits, Iob. 2. 12, and the crying, weeping and wailing ſhew deepe and moſt paſſionate ſorrow of heart. All that had ſhips in the ſea: That is, offices and dignities in that eccleſiaſticall ſtate.
Verſ. 20. The dutie of the godly (Pſal. 58. 11) is here vrged vponupon them, that they ſhould reioyce, as the other did mourne. Heauen is put for the faithfull people and Saints on earth, that is, the true viſible Church, as may appeare in chap. 19. verſes 1. 6, where this exhortation is performed by the Saints of God in heauen. Holy Apoſtles and Prophets: In theſe are to bee vnderſtood all true Miniſters of Chriſt, the Apoſtles ſucceſſors, who are termed Apoſtles, becauſe they were ordained by them, doe ſucceed them, and teach their doctrine: we ſee before, how the ordinarie Miniſters are called witneſſes, and their miniſterie prophecying, chap. 11. 3, and themſelues Prophets, heere in verſ. 24, ſo 1. Cor. 14. 32. Or, the words may bee taken, as ſpoken figuratiuely, after a propheticall manner, as in Eſai. 1. 2, and in Deut. 32. 1, and as it is foretold of the ioy ouer the deſtruction of Babylon, Iere. 51. 48, to ſet out a cauſe of exceeding ioy to the whole Church of God in heauen and in earth.
Verſ. 21. In this verſe and the reſt is foreſhewed the finall and vtter ruine of Rome, neuer to bee inhabited againe, which is here expreſſed by an act of a ſtrong Angell. An alluſion to Iere. 51. 63. 64. Found no more: That is, ſhall neuer bee any more inhabited, as is ſaid of typical Babylon, Eſai. 13. 20. Iere. 50. 40, and as the next verſes, 22. 23, plainlie declare by particulars, and as doe the words of the Prophet, to which theſe doe allude, Iere. 7. 34. and 25. 10. 11.
Verſ. 22. There ſhall be no more pleaſurable delights, no more men of trade to liue there, no ſound of a milſtone, that is, no vſe thereof for food, for that there ſhall bee none dwelling in that place.
Verſ. 23. Hee ſtill ſheweth by particulars, that all inhabitants ſhall thence be remoued, and no more there the increaſe of poſteritie, nor ſolemnizing of any mariages. For thy Merchants, &c. Theſe be one cauſe of Romes finall deſtruction, and therfore cannot bee (as before is ſaid) vnderſtood of Merchants properly, ſuch as liue vponupon honeſt trafique and trading, which (though they become rich) yet are not the great men of the earth, as theſe be. Sorſeries: Another cauſe of her deſtruction, hereby is to be vnderſtood that wine of her fornication, chap. 17. 2. 4, and the deceitfull miracles of the ſecond beaſt, chap. 13. 14, and falſe Prophet, chap. 19. 20.
Verſ. 24. The third cauſe of her ruine, her murthering and ſhedding the bloud of the Prophets and Saints, that is, the bloud of the Miniſters and people of God. And of all that were ſlaine vponupon the earth: To the like effect ſpeaketh Chriſt of the bloudy Scribes and Phariſies, Matth. 23. 35: for the laſt murtherers of the Saints fill vp the meaſure of the bloudſhed of all before them, as Chriſt there ſaith (verſ. 32), and ſo become guiltie of all the bloud ſhed before them.