Babylon, and there to remain the space of threescore and ten years captive in Babylon, before the fall of it, according to the prophesy of Jeremiah, and others of the prophets; as you may see Jeremiah xxv. 11, concerning the nations of Judah and Israel serving the king of Babylon seventy

years.

So likewise Jeremiah and the rest of the prophets, did prophesy of the downfall of that temporal Babylon, Jeremiah xxv. 12, 13, concerning God's punishing Babylon when those seventy years were accomplished, and the Caldeans, and will make it a perpetual desolation.

This Babylon here spoken of by the prophets, it was that temporal Babylon which the prophets saw would fall, and so it did when the time was accomplished. But this Babylon John speaks of that is fallen, it is that spiritual mystery Babylon that is fallen, he speaking with relation to the end of the world; for John did see by faith the end of the world to be as certain, as the prophets did see by faith the downfall of that temporal Babylon. Also it is to be minded, that this mystery Babylon spoken of Revel. xvii. 5, where is said,and upon her head was a name written, mystery, Babylon the great, the mother of harlots. &c.

This Babylon in chap. xiv. which John saith is fallen, is that mystery Babylon that is fallen in faith's account, as the temporal Babylon is.

Now this history, or temporal Babylon, it was appointed of God to punish the nation of the Jews for their idolatry. That is, they being so subject to it, when as they had a law of worship given them of God

by

by Moses. So that God gave them into the hands of the king of Babylon for a time, that they might see the extream abominations of the Heathen, and how far they did exceed in idols in worshiping of false gods beyond the Israelites; so that the Israelites might drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. That is, that the nation of the Jews might be drunken with the worshiping of idols; even as men are drunken with wine, and commit fornication in their spirits with the idols and worship of Babylon, even as men commit fornication with women with their bodies, till they have hardly any strength of nature left in them.

So that this spiritual idolatry and fornication in the mind with idols and false worship, it becomes the wine of the wrath of her fornication. That is, when wine, the strength of it, hath the upper hand in man's brain, so that he hath lost his senses, that man may be said to have the wrath of the wine in him. And if the wrath of the wine should always continue, that man would be fit for no business in this world at all, neither is he all the while the wrath or strength of the wine doth remain upon him. So is it in the spiritual, whoever doth worship idols and false gods, let it be in what form or manner soever, they may be said to drink the wine of the wrath of her fornication.

Neither are those idolatrous people who are drunk with idols and false worship, fit for any service in the worship of the true God, until the strength of that false worship be wrought out of the people; for they be as drunk with spiritual fornication and false worship,

B b

worship, as men are with wine and fornication in the natural, as aforesaid.

Observe, you may remember that I have said before, that there are two Babylons spoken of in scriptures, a history, or temporal Babylon; and a mystery, or spiritual Babylon; and both these Babylons in faith's account are fallen. Therefore John speaks it twice over, because there are two Babylons, yet both included into one, because the spiritual Babylon, is the last that is to fall, yet by the eye of faith he saw it was fallen; therefore saith he, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city.

Now that Babylon where the Jews were carried captive, it was a great city, and many nations were drunk with the wine of her idolatrous fornication and worship, as aforesaid; only this is to be minded, that this Babylon in the temporal, it was appointed for the punishment of the nation of the Jews, they being the chosen people of God to worship him, according to the law of Moses. So that this temporal Babylon it did belong only to those people that were under the commision of Moses and the prophets, to be a punishment to them for their disobedience unto the worship of Moses, and the prophets; for the prophets all complain of Israel's declining and disobedience to the worship of Moses.

But this Babylon John speaks of here in the Revelation, it is that spiritual and mystery Babylon that is fallen. This spiritual mystery Babylon it doth belong to the commission of the gospel, and what worship was set up by Christ and his apostles, was to be obeyed at the time of their commission.

But

But there was another form of worship set up by those beasts aforesaid, who were kings in great power, who commanded all nations to worship those idols and images that were set up by them. So that all nations were made to drink the wine of this spiritual Babylon's fornication, as they were of the other, aforesaid. Mind, it is called spiritual Babylon, because the worship set up by the aforesaid beasts, it was in oppositon to the worship of the gos pel; the gospel-worship being more spiritual, than the worship of the law. And as the kings of Babylon did defy the God of Israel, and their worship of the law, so did these beasts, in the commission of the gospel, defy the living Jesus, and the worship set up by his apostles. And in this regard, this Babylon John speaketh of, may be said to be a spiritual Babylon, who made all the nations of the earth to drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.

And as certain as the other Babylon was destroyed with a perpetual destruction, when the seventy years were accomplished, so will this Babylon aforesaid, be destroyed with an eternal destruction, when the time appointed of God is accomplished. And as the Jews nation were under Babylon's yoke, so were the saints in the primitive time, or in the commission of the gospel, under the yoke of persecution of this spiritual Babylon.

And this spiritual Babylon who made all nations drunk with spiritual fornication, in worshiping of idols, and images as aforesaid, is that great city Babylon; is called a great city, because she made all nations to become idolatrous. For when a man

doth bow down and submit to worship any idol, image, or form of worship that is false, it not being set up by command from God, he may be said to drink of the cup of spiritual fornication.

More might be said of this thing, but I shall have occasion to speak of it hereafter; only this is to be minded here, that the saints in all this time of the commission of the apostles, did not drink of the cup of fornication. That is, they were not polluted with worshiping of idols and images, or any false worship, but did cleave close to the faith and worship of Jesus.

I mean those that did truly believe the apostles doctrine, and those that were converted by it in the time of their commission, their worship differing in every thing from the worship of the Whore of Babylon; even as the worship of the Jews did differ from that great city, the Whore of that Babylon, as aforesaid.

This is the true interpretation of the great city, the spiritual Babylon, who made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication; as you may see in verse 9. And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship his image, and receive the mark in his forehead or in his hand, in verse 10, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, &c.

So that none of the saints after they truly believed, did worship the beast, nor his image, nor practice that manner of worship that was set up by the power of the beast; neither did they receive his mark, neither in their foreheads, nor right hands. That is,

they