A Paraphrase on the New Testament, Revelation · Chapter 18
CHAP. XVIII.
1. ANd after theſe things, I ſaw another angel come down from heaven, having great power, and the earth was lightned with his glory.
1. The Fall of Rome is ſo great a work that it was foreſhewed me, as by an Angel of wondrous Glory. Thoſe that tell us that this Angel was an eminent preacher, and ſuch other particularities of filling the earth with his Glory, go further than my knowledge goeth.
2. And he cried mightily with a ſtrong voice, ſaying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul Spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hatefull bird.
2. The Language of thoſe times was to call deferred ruined places where no man dwelt, the places haunted by Devils, and Goblins, and Satyrs and Owls and Serpents. So that this ſignifieth Deſolation: And the Jews then thinking that, as Babylon that before captivated them is deſtroyed, ſo the very City of Rome would be; the Prophecy calleth the Deſtruction of the Pagan Empire and Idolatry, with all its retinue of Literate upholders, by the name and titles of the Deſtruction of the City. For it was not Babylon, as a City, nor quâ Roma, as this City, nor as a Rich and Great City, But as the Great Idolatrous Power which captivated and perſecuted the Church; Therefore it is deſtroyed, not as a Great or Rich City, but as Babylon: And ſo it is deſolate. Some think that this is ſpoken of it, as when Rome was burnt in part by Totilas, and the remnant of Pagans deſtroyed by Alaricus: That's more than I can prove. But it being the Pagan Empire, that captivated the Church, that made it Babylon, I think Babylon fell when that fell, though many Pagans did ſurvive.
3. For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich, through the abundance of her delicacies.
3. For their Power and Learning have ſpred the poyſon, or drunkenneſs, of their Idolatry to all nations, and the Kings of the earth have been encouraged in the guilt; and her wealth and grandeur, have promoted all pride and ſenſuality in the nations, that have traded with her, or depended on her. Others ſay, It is the ſale of pardons, indulgences, and Ceremonies and Church-preferments, that are her Merchandize and delicacies.
4. And I heard another voice from heaven, ſaying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her ſins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. 5. For her ſins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembred her iniquities.
4, 5. That is, Away from Idolatrous Pagan Rome, as Lot fled from Sodom; if you love your lives and Souls avoid all partaking in her ſins: Eat not things offered to idols, imitate them not, and comply not with them in any act of Idolatry, or other ſin: For the time of her deſtruction is at hand, and you may ſuffer with her if you ſin with her, and fly not from her.
Or, Come out from Popery, and partake not of the ſin, leſt you partake of the plagues. Here, ſay ſome Proteſtants, we anſwer the queſtion, Where was your Church before Luther? And why do you ſeparate from Popery? To the firſt, ſay they, our Church was in Babylon, where God bore with it, till he call'd it out: To the ſecond, God commanded us to come out. No doubt, we muſt partake of no mens ſins.
6. Reward her even as ſhe rewarded you, and double unto her double, according to her works: in the cup which ſhe hath filled, fill to her double.
6. God, who is her Judge, will have you lay doubly more on her than ſhe laid on you by perſecution: And this is no injuſtice; it being for ſin againſt him, and not only as againſt you. This giveth the reaſon of Gods execution by Conſtantine; but alloweth no private men to take arms againſt Government, on pretence of revenging the injuries of the Church.
7. How much ſhe hath glorified her ſelf, and lived deliciouſly, ſo much torment and ſorrow give her: for ſhe ſaith in her heart, I ſit a queen, and am no widdow, and ſhall ſee no ſorrow.
7. The ſins of Sodom were pride, fullneſs, idleneſs, and unmercifulneſs: And Pagan Rome, grown proud and ſenſual by power and wealth, ſhall now ſuffer debaſement, and dejection. Or, Rome Papal that ſaith, I am the ſucceſſor of Peter, and the mother of all Churches, ſhall be dejected, and deſtroyed for her pride and cruelty.
8. Therefore ſhall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and ſhe ſhall be utterly burnt with fire: for ſtrong is the Lord God who judgeth her.
8. The Fall of the Pagan Empire ſhall be ſudden and terrible, like the burning of a City. Or, ſay others, The remnant of Pagans ſhall be burnt out of Chriſtian Rome by Alaricus, &c. Say others, Papal Rome ſhall be caſt down: Say others, burnt. But it is not like if the City were burnt, but ſome would rebuil'd it, as we did London.
9. And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication, and lived deliciouſly, with her, ſhall bewail her, and lament for her, when they ſhall ſee the ſmoke of her burning: 10. Standing afar off for the fear of her torment ſaying, Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.
9. The Nations, that were her companions in Idolary, ſhall bewail her great and ſudden fall. Obj. Papal Rome falls not ſuddenly. Anſ. We know not what it may do yet: But it's certain Pagan Rome did.
11. And the merchants of the earth ſhall weep and mourn over her, for no man buyeth her merchandiſe any more, 12. The merchandiſe of gold and ſilver, and precious ſtones, and of pearls, and fine linnen, and purple, and ſilk, and ſcarlet, and all thynewood and all manner veſſels of Ivory, and all manner veſſels of moſt precious wood, and of braſs, and iron, and marble, 13. And cinnamon, and odours, and ointments, and frankincenſe, and wine, and oyl, and fine flower, and wheat, and beaſts, and ſheep, and horſes, and chariots, ſlaves, and ſouls of men.
11, 12, 13. The Pride and Greatneſs of Rome, bought up all that many Countries could bring in, of all ſorts for neceſſity and delight; and they fed the Pagan Idolatry and Tyranny: Others apply it to Papal Pardons, Offices and Preferments. But theſe were rather bought at Rome, than ſold thither. By Souls of Men, ſome underſtand Pagan Romes Slaves, ſome their Soul-murdering Idolatry, and ſome Papal Soul-murders.
14. And the fruits, that thy ſoul luſted after, are departed from thee, and all things, which were dainty and goodly, are departed from thee, and thou ſhalt and them no more at all. 15. The merchants of theſe things, which were made rich by her, ſhall ſtand afar off for the tear of her torment, weeping and wailing, 16. And ſaying, Alas, alas, that great city, that was clothed in fine linnen, and purple, and ſcarlet, and decked with gold, and precious ſtones, and pearls! 17. For in one hour ſo great riches is come to nought.
14, 15, 16, 17. Rome's Pride and Senſuality found all the Countries money for all ſorts of commodities, whoſe Market ceaſeth by her deſtruction.
17. And every ſhip maſter, and all the company in ſhips, and ſailers, and as many as trade by ſea, ſtood afar off, 18. And cried, when they ſaw the ſmoke of her burning, ſaying, What city is like unto this great city? 19. And they caſt duſt on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, ſaying, Alas, alas, that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ſhips in the ſea, by reaſon of her coſtlineſs! for in one hour is ſhe deſolate.
17, 18, 19. The Fall of the Pagan Power and Religion, being the Political Life of the City, is thus repreſented in Viſion to John under the ſhew of the burning of the City-buildings (as our Eyes ſaw London burning three days 1666. Septemb. 2, 3, and 4th.) Or, ſay others, The Fall of Rome Papal was thus repreſented: But others ſay, that Rome Papal ſhall be thus really burnt and deſtroyed.
20. Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apoſtles and prophets, for God hath avenged you on her.
20. It was this ſame Roman Idolatrous Power which murdered the Holy Apoſtles and many Prophets that are now in Heaven: And they ſhall rejoice in the vindictive juſtice of God: And ſo ſhall the Church on earth; Not as it is revenge on private enemies, but as it is Gods publick deliverance of his Church, and vindication of his truth and Cauſe and Glory.
21. And a mighty angel took up a ſtone like a great milſtone, and caſt it into the ſea, ſaying, Thus, with violence, ſhall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and ſhall be found no more at all.
21. The Pagan Empire was never again reſtored; for Julian did but begin to attempt it, and was kill'd, before he could ſo much as lay any foundations for it. Yea Rome was never more the ſeat of the Empire, much leſs of the Pagan Empire: For Conſtantine did but, as it were, take up his quarters there for a ſhort time▪ and remove the ſeat to Conſtantinople: And his Succeſſours in the Weſt, had but the leſſer part of the Empire, and were, ſometimes at Rome, and ſomtime at Millan, and ſometimes at Ravenna, and after in France and Germany.
22. And the voice of harpers, and muſicians, and of pipers, and trumpeters, ſhall be heard no more at all in thee: and no craftſman, of whatſoever craft he be, ſhall be found any more in thee: and the ſound of a milſtone ſhall be heard no more at all in thee. 23. And the light of a candle ſhall ſhine no more at all in thee: and the voice of the bridegroom, and of the bride, ſhall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth: for by thy ſorceries were all nations deceived.
22, 23. Thus, as by the Emblem of a City totally ruined and deſerted, was the Fall of Pagan Rome repreſented to John: And that you may know, that it was not the burning and deſertion of the material buildings that is meant, he now tells you that, by the merchants, he meant the Nations that conſented to, and upheld, her Idolatry, and power.
24. And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of ſaints, and of all that were ſlain upon the earth.
24. God dealt thus ſeverely with her, becauſe ſhe had not only been the murderer of Apoſtles & Prophets, and the primitive Chriſtians, at Rome and abroad, in all her Dominions, in upholding her Idols, but (as Jeruſalem) had by imitating former perſecutors, juſtified them, and ſo ſuffereth for all. The conſidering of Dan. 7.11. Jer. 51.63. & 25.10. Ezek. 17.13. Ezek. 27.12, 13. Will help to expound all this.
Others ſay, It is Papal Rome, and how the blood of Apoſtles and Prophets was found in her, they tell us from Matth. 23.35. And how the blood of Saints will be found in her, is eaſily proved.