Commentary on Revelation, Lecture 2
LECTURE II.
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 houre is thy judgement come.
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 linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and all manner vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious wood, and of brasse, and iron, and marble,
13.
And cinamon, and odours, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oyl, and fine flowre, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and slaves, and souls of men.
14.
And the fruits that thy soul lusted after, are departed from thee, and all things which were daintie and goodly, are departed from thee, and thou shalt finde them no more at all.
15.
The merchants of these things which were made rich by her, shall stand afar off, for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing,
16.
And saying, Alas, alas, that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls.
17.
For in one houre so great riches is come to nought. 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 cryed, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas, that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea, by reason of her costlinesse, for in one houre is she made desolate.
20.
Rejoyce over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets, for God hath avenged you on her.
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.
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.
24.
And in her was found the bloud of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth.
FOlloweth now the second part of this Angels discourse whereby the sad desolation of Rome is foretold, to wit, the sad lamentation of all her friends; it shall be so great and dreadfull, as to affect and astonish them all: This is the scope, which is clear, and we shall insist the lesse in the words.
The parties brought in lamenting, are of three sorts, most especially concerned, who are sufficient as to the scope. 1 Kings, ver. 9.10. then Merchants, ver. 11.3. Shipmen and Traders by Sea, ver. 17. All these shall joyn in lamenting, but for their severall ends.
The Kings, that is, some of the Kings, Chap. 17. who shall not hate her with the rest, but shall continue favourers of the beast, till the battell of Armageddon, they shall lament this desolation, not acknowledging Gods justice, but affected with their own particular, and otherwise blinded. By which it is clear, 1. That not all the ten horns, Chap. 17. but some of them, shall hate the whore. 2. That after Romes destruction, many shall remain unsatisfied with it, even when the prophesie is fulfilled, which saith, that the fulfilling of prophesies maketh them not palpably to be so where there is prejudice formerly drunken-in. 3. It saith, that Romes desolation will be sad to many Kings that are enemies to Christ, and therefore not be executed by them.
These Kings are such as have been partakers of her sin, and have been in love with her externall pomp and delicate way, now they have one common lamentation with the rest, Alas, alas, that sheweth affection in them, and desolation on her, that they lament for. 1. In its greatnesse, she is burned. 2. In its terriblnesse, they stand afar off for fear: they cannot or dare not help her, though they lament her. 3. In its greatnesse and unexpectednesse, that mighty city is destroyed in one hour. And seing these Kings both partake of her fornications and give their power to the beast, It must follow, that these go together: and therefore this sin, for which Rome is ruined, is Antichrists sin, and that defection hath been derived to all the Nations from it, and by it, before its destruction, and that for a long time, which hath intoxicated or bewitched them so to affect her.
If it be asked, why Kings so much lament, and are affected? Answ. Many of them, or some of them, are still drunken with that wine of her fornications, and cannot lay by that pomp of externall worship, whereby their magnificence hath opportunity to kyth, and they love a naturall formall way of worship, and cannot abide the simplicity and spirituality of the Gospel. 2. They have been for a long time entertained with counterfeit respects from that Court, receiving titles and priviledges from her that have sometimes been thought much of, such as to be Protector Ecclesiae to the Roman Emperour, Rex Catholicus to Spain, Rex Christianissimus to France, Defensores Ecclesiae to the Helvetians, Defensor Fidei to the Kings of England, sanctified Swords and Banners, &c. These vanities are now taken away from them. 3. All men (especially great men) love an easie and lazie form of worship, such as Popery is, to get dispensations to their oaths, unlawfull incestuous Marriages (as often many Popish Kings do, Spain with his Neece, Polland with his Brothers wife for the time) Pardons, and Indulgences for money for their greatest sins. These things the Kings love well, and will be in heaven as soon as any, if money will do it, and cannot abide to want these things that give them liberty, when there is hope by some money to recover all. 4. Enimity at Christs way and yoke, They see her going down maketh way …or the flourishing and spreading of the true Religion that they still were suppressing, and that galleth them. These reasons are from their interest. 5. Possibly also the fear of sharing in that judgement, they being joyntly someway engaged with her, it may affect them, and that fear maketh them stand afar off.
The next who lament, are the Merchants, who have their Alas. (ver. 16.) also upon these common grounds (i.e. the ruine of an excellent outward glorious City) in a generall way of pity, especially considering that she, that was just now gallant in all pomp, is suddenly brought to this desolation; yet the ground is also more peculiar, they by their losse do lose their trade and gain in merchandizing; and thus their particular sticketh to them. Therefore Merchants are in two wayes in this lamentation to be understood, 1. Literally, the Merchants of those sorts of wares which Rome in its greatnesse and luxury made use of; and that for two ends, first, In their pomp and civill outward grandour. These four are mentioned, 1. all things serving for decking the body gorgeously, as ver. 12. Gold, silver, precious stones, pearls, fine linen, scarlet, purple, &c. 2. All things that adorn a house, as, Sweet-wood, ivory, vessels of precious wood, brasse, iron, ibid. ver. 12. 3. All manner of things for pampering the body, and the table, and for savour, as Spices, cinamon, odours, wine, sheep, oxen, wheat, &c. ver. 13. 4. All necessaries for outward pomp and equipage in peace and war, that is, Servants, horses, and chariots: In a word, whatever delicious thing was desirable. These were all much made use of at Rome, and are still by their Ecclesiastick Princes. Secondly, they are much made use of in their externall service, and manner of worship, Gold and Silver in their Images and decorement of Churches, Purple to their Cardinals; fine linen about, their Relicts and Masse, Tables or Altars; Oyl in many things, &c. Thus Merchants that were sure how to get these things sold at a good rate at Rome, are now disappointed of their gain; these things fell not so well, and they lament for it, as it is said concerning Tyrus, Ezek 27. but this is not all. This sort of merchandise is still of worth, Gold, silver, &c. and though Rome be destroyed they might have recourse elsewhere to their market; it must therefore be some other sort of merchandise and merchants who live especially by these wares of Rome, and whose merchandise and trade faileth, when it falleth and is so peculiar to Rome, it is clear; for, this merchandise is of souls of men, distinct from bodies (for the words, souls and bodies, in the Originall, differ in the case, to shew that one thing is not understood by both) that is, selling souls out of Purgatory, and sending them by it at their pleasure, and trading with their Dispensations, Indulgences, &c. And by her Merchants then must be understood their Cardinals and great Church-men, who are (ver. 23.) called the great men of the earth (and such a greatnesse is a part of Romes sin and a cause of her ruine) whose trade is now cryed down at Romes destruction, none buyeth their wares now when their vanity is discovered (as in a great part hath been since Luthers dayes) These wares are such as are peculiar to Rome, these make their great men rich; and therefore this decay maketh them cry out, Alar, ala… 1 This is merchandizing of false teachers, spoken of 2 Pet. 2.3. who professe themselves shepherds, but feed themselves and not the flock, Ezek. 34. This must be the merchandizing and the Merchants here understood; for, great men of the earth, are not for common wares, and this trade is pitched-on here as sinfull in respect of them, as committing fornication with her was in the Kings.
Having set down the Merchants (who are the great Clergie-men) their lamentation for their temporal losse and hazard also, to wit, both lucrum cessans, and damnum emergens, (which two are the great grounds of lamentation among the men of the world,) He proceedeth (ver. 15.) to the lamentation of the Ship-men and under-rowers of Peters Bark, (as they call it) or inferiour Clergie-men and Sub-ministers of the Church of Rome, who have their standing by this trade, ver. 17. and their lamentation is much more, as having … more sensible touch of their own misery in hers, They cast dust on their heads (possibly being more blinded than others) and regrate the desolation of that City that had no equall in her pump, and hath now no equal in her ruine; yet so they lament, as it appeareth what pincheth them most, She made all that traded in ships, rich, ver. 19. not simply all, who traded in outward things, but all her dependers in Abbacies and Convents, Priests, Jesuits, and all inferiour orders and officers, that were servants to this stately City in her merchandise, and providing for her venting of her wares, and carrying them through the world, and bringing back returnes for the adorning of her again; all in that Se… are made rich: So the Merchants suit with the wares, the Ship-men and Sea must be suitable to both, imploying a trade and traffick of Rome, sinfull to her, and inriching to her servants and merchants occupied in it, These Ship-mens standing dependeth on Rome, and her ruine is theirs: for, all of that sort live by her trade, and that is the change of her Merchants: from which it is clear, that that Sea is not literally to be taken here, but so as serveth to this Antichristian trade and end of merchandizing in the forms, laws and Ecclesiastick state of that Whore and her Clergie, who are most usefull in that imployment and made up by it. The Orders are the ships and men that trade; The Sea is the spirituality under which notion they trade. Hence also we may see what trade inricheth Rome most (to wit, of souls) and what holdeth on its Merchants, to wit, self interest; it giveth them such a being as they have in worldly esteem and grandour: and what wonder it be sad to them to part with such a trade?
The third part of the Angels denounciation followeth, vers. 20. setting out the greatnesse and fulnesse of this ruine by the great ground of joy it should give, and justly give to all Gods people formerly oppressed by her. The words are by an Apostrophe spoken to others than these he was speaking to in the words before. By Heavens, Apostles and Prophets may figuratively be understood the great glory God shall have out of Romes destruction, so that it shall affect heaven and be ground to them of joy; or, rather by heaven is meaned the Church, so they come in as obeying this, Chap. 19. and they sing, And by Apostles and Prophets is understood their successors, who are to be in the Church unto the end. The reason why they should joy, is, because in this judgement God hath had respect to them, to vindicate them and to liberate them, and is to take vengeance on her for them. If it be asked, how she, to wit, Rome antichristian, was guilty of the bloud of the Prophets and Apostles, vers. 20. and all Saints, vers. 24? Or, 2. How they are to rejoyce at her destruction? Answ. 1. She is guilty of the Apostles bloud as of the Prophets bloud (though she never actually shed the bloud of any of them) in these three, 1. because there is but one body, and who wrongeth any of the members on that common account, as such, he wrongeth the head and all the rest; for, they have one cause. 2. Because they who wrong one, they virtually wrong all; and their malice would reach to all, if they had them, as Matth. 23.31. ye are the children of them that killed the prophets, for ye shall slay me, and would have done so to them, if ye had had them. 3. They are accessory in serving themselves heirs to the judgements of all persecuters, who have all one lot, and who come last in, come in on the same score with the former; so is the generation that Christ lived in, guilty of all the bloud was shed from Abel's time (Matth. 23.) unto that. For answer to the second, they rejoyce not carnally or selfishly; But, 1. for that they see the glory of Gods justice manifested. 2. That they and especially the truth they suffered for, and the threatnings they had pronounced in his name, do appear now to be vindicated and ratified, and God owneth them, which for a long time was not believed in the world: Thus he hath judged your judgment, that is, there was still a controversie between them and Babylon, God cometh and now decideth for them, and declareth it was truth they suffered for, and not errour. 3. That by this mean, way is made to the spreading of Christs Kingdom, the snare is removed from many a poor soul. This is joyfull to them, and upon this account they formerly prayed for it, and this addeth to their joy, when God now heareth them, and maketh it appear He heareth them.
The last part of the Chapter followeth, from ver. 21. by the second Angel, who by word and sign confirmeth this finall and utter destruction of Rome. The sign goeth first, the word next, and the cause of it is set down in the close. The sign is a mighty Angels taking up a great stone, like a milstone, and casting it in the sea. So that as this heavy stone, which is thrown down by a mighty Angel to the bottom of the sea, cannot but suddainly fall and not arise, so sure shall this fall of Babylon or Romes destruction be, and that with violence, and she shall no more be found. This is the Angels exposition, vers. 21. as taken from Ier. 51.63, 64. and spoken of old Babylon. He proceedeth to amplifie this desolation, ver. 22, 23. out of Ier. 25.10, 11. where the sad desolation of Iudah is prophesied in these (almost the same) tearms. 1. There shall be no more chearfulnesse and mirth there. 2. No tradsmen-usefull for mans life there 3. No milstone, or provision meet for entertaining mans life there. 4. No light of a candle, or what is comfortable, but absolute darknesse there. 5. No marrying or chearfull solemnity of that kind, without out which there can be no continuing city. These particulars are instanced, according to the manner of the Prophets, to set out desolation, and its continuing in the highest degree.
The causes follow, and they are three great ones, the first is, vers. 23. for thy merchants were the great men of the earth: whereby it is clear, 1. These are not common traders, but such as become by this trade to be, and are accounted, great men on the earth, though not in heaven. 2. That it must be something sinfull and peculiarly sinfull to Rome, which is not to be found elsewhere, it being given here as the first cause of their judgement, which could not be of ordinary merchandizing, but that in an extraordinary way she imployed such men (and made it a trade honourable even for the best) in such things as were sinfull, wherein even Princes thought it honourable to be imployed, and these imployed were thought so; for though it be borrowed from the traffick of Tyrus, Ezek. 27. yet it is to be applyed spiritually, as many other things in this prophesie, not to temporall wares, but spirituall: this being Iohns way (as before was observed) to borrow expressions from the Prophets their setting forth of temporall evils, and to apply them to spirituall.
The second cause is her sorceries whereby many were deceived, which is to be understood spiritually also, as the former of entysing or bewitching, (Gal. 3.1.) to idolatry and her superstitious worship, though literally sorcery, wherein Rome abounded, is not to be secluded, as neither in the former the literall trading where such was.
The third sin is persecution and bloudshed, and that of all sorts, Ministers and People; yea, she being the last persecuter and head of all the persecutions throughout other Kingdoms, whether by Inquisitions, Massacres or Wars, she is found justly guilty of all (upon the reasons given before) and it is now repayed on her, though others will not be freed of the judgement.
These are the sins, now if Rome be this Babylon, (as adversaries confess) these sins most either be the sins of heathen Rome, or of popish Rome, or of Rome under their feigned Antichrist that must procure this judgement (for, its ruine is not to be separated from its cause) but they cannot be sins of heathen Rome that procureth the ruine of that city, which is irreparable, such as is here: for, 1. the sins here procuring this judgment are such as Rome is to be actually taken in the guilt of, and many presently are acting in it; but that idolatry and persecution of old Rome is broken off long since. 2. This ruine is on an whore; and therefore such sins as belong to one making defection, which canot be applied to heathen Rome; for, this is whoring Rome that is here. 3. These sins are a following step of idolatry and persecution, that was to be on the earth, to wit, Antichrist after the heathenish persecution ceaseth, as was cleared, Chap. 6. for Saints are to be killed after that fifth seal, which is to be performed by the beast, Chap. 13. and 17. and here it is closed.
4. These sins for which Rome is destroyed, are the sins wherewith Babylon is formerly charged, Chap. 17. and whereof the world was guilty then, but these were not the sins of heathen Rome, but of Antichrist, neither is it very like that Rome so long time after will be punished for faults in thousands of years before; or, at least, many hundreds. It followeth then, 1. that that city Rome is by this prophesie especially holden out to be a seat of antichristian tyrannie, when she is found guilty of all this bloud; otherwise she would not be so singularly plagued with him and for him. 2. That Rome presently must be thus under this guiltiness, and that its present practice is the continuing of this guilt; for, we cannot consider Rome guilty thus, but as either under heathen persecuters, and this is not the guilt, for she is plagued for a present guilt, and taken in the act of whoring, for Gods punishment is not on the walls of a town, where such sins once were committed; but on persons, principally, presently sinning, or continuing former guiltiness, and long forborne, and on the walls for their cause; or, it must be considered as guilty under an Antichrist to come, and to suffer the ruine by him; (if so he be to come as they say) but this cannot be said either: for, 1. they say, Rome is not to be his seat, but Ierusalem, Therefore this judgement is not due peculiarly to Rome, if that defection be not singularily acted and plotted by it. 2. They say, Rome is to be destroyed by him, or by the ten Kings before him; but that destruction would be suffering innocently, and not justly for his sins, as here. 3. This judgement of Rome is given as an evidence of Gods justice, and to continue a time, as a ground of rejoycing to the Saints, and as a ground of lamentation to the Kings, who supported the beast and committed fornication with this whore: that must therefore be a longer time before the end of the world than they make it, and cannot be by Antichrist (as they say) but for him that its destroyed; for, that would be no rejoycing to the Saints, but mourning to them and joy to him and his. Seing then it is not Rome, one of these wayes considered, it must be Rome popish: for an other state of it, is not alleaged by them; yea, it is this Rome, and this destruction upon such causes yet to come: for, it is to be done by Kings that in Iohns time had not dominion, but were to receive it, and after to give it for a time to the beast, and were to commit whoredom with this whore, and then after that to hate her and destroy her. Again, it appeareth here also, that many will stick in their doting, to lament Rome, even after its ruine, which certainly could not be, if they understood this Prophesie. It is no marvell then it be dark to many as yet, who stick so to that Antichrist then as if he were not Antichrist; So, it is like, many will defend this Babylon at its ruine, as if it were not the Babylon spoken of here. The Jews still reject clear Prophesies of Christ and of their destruction for rejecting Him. Prophesies then after their fulfilling are clear to such whose eyes God openeth only, and are not discerned by all, as Papists speak. 3. Hence also we may gather, it is but foolish pitty that is shown on Romes greatness in her self or pendicles, such as Abbacies, Monasteries, &c. Gods justice should be acknowledged on them, and none should thus lament over them. 4. It must follow then, that the way of worship now at Rome, must be fornication and sorcery; their executions, persecutions, their selling of Pardons, &c. the merchandizing condemned here.