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fornication. So that the kings of the earth are in a worse condition than the other, because they committed fornication with her; that is, they were accessary to the setting up of all false worship, and in the council with her. So that the nations that did drink the wine of the wrath of her fornication, they did but obey her command, and so committed fornication with idols from a law, and a command. But it was otherways with the kings of the earth; but however, she, and all those that have committed fornication with her, either by consulting with her, or by obeying her commands, when she is destroyed with an eternal destruction, so will all these that have committed fornication with her, be where she is to eternity.

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CHAP. LXVII.

HEREFORE in verse 4. John heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her my people, that you be not partakers of her sins, and that you receive not of her plagues.

How should God's people come out of her? The spirit doth not mean that they should come out of the world, for she doth deceive all nations, and her power is every where, where God's people do dwell. So that there is no going out from her power, except they go among the Heathen. But the meaning of the spirit is this, that God's people should come from their idolatrous worship and practice. So that you may not commit fornication with idols, that you may not be partakers with them of their sins, and N n

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so you shall receive none of her plagues. For in verse 5. Her sins have reached up to heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities. So that now she must be rewarded as she rewarded the saints, as in verse 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. That is, as she hath drank the blood of prophets, the blood of apostles, the blood of saints and martyrs of Jesus, now she must have her own blood to drink. And not only so, but her cup must be filled up double ; that is, she shall drink the torments of her own soul eternally; as soon as one torment is suffered, the cup of her soul shall be filled up again with another torment; so that her cup shall be always full of torment for her to drink eternally. And thus will her cup be filled double and double again; for though God hath suffered his servants, the prophets, and apostles, and saints, to have their blood poured out and drank by this whore and the beast, the time will come that he will avenge their blood upon these two, and all their adherents, and give them their own blood double to drink. So that their cup shall be so full of the wine of God's wrath, that they shall be drinking of it to eternity.

As for verse 7, there is little matter of concernment, so I shall pass it by, and speak a little of verse 8, where it is said, 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. This eighth verse doth determine a total and final destruction of the

spiritual

spiritual whore, or city Babylon, and that her plagues shall come in one day death and mourning. That is the first death, which is a natural death, it shall enter into a second death, and cause much mourning, because it is a living death, and a dying life; else there would be no mourning in death; and as for the famine she shall suffer, the meaning is this; that there shall be such a famine, or want of peace in her soul in the second death, that no motion, or thought of peace, or deliverance, shall arise in her soul to give any hope, so that there will be a famine of peace indeed, for she will be utterly burnt with fire; it will be a fire indeed, for the fire of God's wrath will burn eternally, and never be quenched, besides the destruction of the glory of this world.

So that the reader may see, what will be the end of this spiritual mystery Babylon, with the beast and all false worshipers; which thing hath been prophesied of ever since Moses, he being the first commissionated prophet, and I being one of the last, God hath given me understanding to interpret the Revelation of John the Evangelist, even till I have found out a period of the destruction of that great city Babylon; which destruction and utter downfal is concluded by John's Revelation, in chap. xviii 8, so that I shall patiently wait the time when God will make it visibly appear; yet by faith I do know it will certainly be so, even as all prophets and apostles have done before me.

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CHAP. LXVIII.

FROM verse 8, to verse 20, it is only a relation of

the astonishment in the minds of men, who were merchants, and had trading at sea, who were made rich by trading with idolatrous people. For the kings of the earth, who have commited fornication with her, and lived deliciously with her, they shall bewail and lament her, when they see the smoke of her burning. They may well lament for her, for they have commited fornication with her, so that they shall suffer with her; for there will be but little time for them to see the smoke of her burning, before they are in it themselves. But the spirit doth speak what the heart of man would speak, in case there were time given men to see such a destruction, and he not in it himself.

So likewise it is said, They standing afar off, for fear of her torment. That standing afar off, is only to set forth what the mind of man doth use to do in the case of a temporal destruction, or if a temporal city were to be burnt up, men that are afraid will stand afar off for fear; there are the same thoughts in man, as to the end of the world, men would stand afar off, when that comes, if they could. So that the kings who commited fornication with her, and the merchants that were made rich by her, they did stand afar off in their minds, for fear of her torment; but they were quickly in it as well as she, and all that lamentation that was made rich by her, in respect of that riches and temporal costliness that they had by her, it was all in the

mind of man, and would have done so indeed had they had time. For if this great city was destroyed in one hour, there was little time to stand afar off to see her torment; but the spirit speaks forth what is in the nature and mind of man, and what he doth use to do in temporal things, and would do at that day, if they could. Therefore I shall pass by all their lamentation, Alas, alas, this great city? and

come to verse 20.

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CHAP. LXIX.

ERSE 20, Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her.

Here the reader may see, that the holy apostles and prophets are encouraged to rejoice at the destruction of Babylon, before she is destroyed; for she is not destroyed yet, neither are the prophets and apostles as yet capable to rejoice over her destruction, for most of them are asleep in the dust of the earth. But it is a usual thing for the spirit to speak of things at a distance, as at present being, because God, that is truth, or the God of truth, cannot lie; but will give unto his servants, the prophets and apostles, the things he promised them.

And they by faith believed him, and did suffer persecution and the loss of their lives by this city Babylon, giving themselves up to their wicked wills, depending upon God to avenge their blood on her. So that they by faith did obtain the assurance in themselves that God would avenge their blood on her,

Again,

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