harlot; for that great city Babylon doth consist of nothing else but spiritual harlots. So that the reader may see what is meant by this spiritual Babylon, and this great city, and what is meant by the woman, the great whore, and what is meant by her fornication; so that the reader may the better understand the interpretation of the chapter that followeth.

CHAP. LIX.

IN chap. xvii. 1, there was one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with John by way of vision and revelation, saying unto him, Come hither, and I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters.

Here it is clear that John did see by way of vision and revelation, the downfall or judgment of this great spiritual whore, which I have shewed what is meant by it before. And as for her sitting upon many waters, the many waters where the whore sitteth, it signifies multitudes of people, nations, and tongues, as you may see verse 15. That is, the spirit of reason in the whore, as aforesaid, should have such a spiritual power over the spirits of whole nations, and tongues, and multitudes of people, that she should cause them all to commit fornication with idols, or else they should be persecuted or suffer death. So that whosoever would not commit fornication with her, or at her command, they should drink of the wine of the wrath of of her fornication. That is, she would persecute K k

and

and put them to death, for death is the wine of her wrath; for the blood of the saints is that wine of her wrath, which is put into her golden cup that is in her hand, and she doth not only drink the blood of the saints that is in the golden cup herself, but she doth make the kings of the earth to drink it also.

For in verse 2. With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk of the wine of her fornication. That is, the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, in that they have been persuaded by her, and joined with her to worship idols. For except the kings of the earth, who are the temporal power, do join with her spiritual power, she could do nothing. So that the kings of the earthr committing fornication with her, that is, to worship idols with her; so they came to commit fornication with her; that is, the kings and head magistrates do uphold that spiritual power the whore hath, and do help to make the people to drink of the wine of her fornication; so that the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication. That is, the inhabitants of the earth, what with command from the spiritual power of the whore, and what with command from the temporal power of the kings of the earth, the inhabitants of the earth are forced to commit fornication with idols also; so that they are made to drink the wine of fornication with her; that is, look what comfort or satisfaction can be found in worshiping of idols, they shall drink it with her. But the wrath of her fornication, none shall drink that but the saints, because

they

they will not commit fornication with her; that is to say, not worship idols at her command.

Verse 3. So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness, and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads, and ten horns. As for the wilderness, I shall say nothing as to that, because I have opened what it is in the interpretation of the eleventh of the Revelation. But this woman who doth sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, the woman is the same, as I said before, that great city Babylon. And the scarlet coloured beast, it doth signify all kings and head magistrates, who have submitted unto the false suggestions of learned men, who have pretended to be prophets, and priests, and ministers of God, without a commission from God; and so by the advice of these false prophets, priests, and ministers, kings, and head magistrates have set up images or forms of worship, and have made laws for all people to obey in point of worship. as well as in point of civil or temporal affairs. Also they have made these persons aforesaid to have the charge to see the people worship according to that law; and have given them a spiritual power to punish all those that will not worship accordingly.

This hath been the practice of all kings and head magistrates, I mean all evil kings and head magistrates, ever since the first idolatrous practices were used under Moses's commission; and so a successive idolatrous power did follow, even amongst the professors of the God of Israel; and it was practised by many wicked kings and head magistrates, and Kk 2

false

false priests, and false prophets, which did cause many true prophets, and righteous men to be persecuted and put to death, for not givining way to their false worship.

tual

And so since the apostles commission, the same thing hath been acted by kings and priests, and so it will be to the end of the world. So that all evil kings and evil head magistrates, are counted by the spirit, but one scarlet coloured beast for the spiritual whore, the woman, to sit upon. She may be said to sit upon the beast, because she sits upon his power, for kings in all ages have been subject to the spiripower, though it hath been never so false; for we see by experience that all those that go upon a spiritual account, if he be but a minister of the gospel, so called, yet he sits upon the magistrate. For where is there a magistrate in a parish as a deputy, or such like, but the minister sits upon him? So that one can do nothing as to matter of worship without the other. So that the idolatrous woman, who is the chief, may well be said to sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, which beast signifies all kings and head magistrates, who give themselves up to be guided in matter of worship by non-commissionated men, who pretend a spiritual power, to be prophets, priests, or ministers of the gospel, or of the law, without a commision from God.

But this beast here spoken of by John, it doth chiefly relate to those beasts that did succeed after the destruction of Jerusalem, which was a matter of four years after Christ's death, in relation to those

ten

ten persecutions, which did last a matter of three hundred years. So that all those beasts that persecuted the saints in that time they are called by the spirit a scarlet coloured beast. He may be called a scarlet coloured beast, in regard he had assisted the woman with his temporal power, to persecute and shed the blood of saints; so that the sins of his soul, they were as red as scarlet with the blood of the saints, and in this sense he is called a scarlet coloured beast, and not only so, but full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads, and ten horns.

The meaning is this, so many heads, so many names of blasphemy; that is, there were seven kings that came out of his loins, as I shewed before and all these seven head, or beasts, they persecuted and shed the blood of saints, and blasphemed God that had power over plagues. So that they all blasphemed God, and shed the blood of the saints, for not worshiping their images; and in this regard he may be called a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy; for their souls were all made red as scarlet with the blood of saints, and they all blasphemed alike, and the woman sate upon them all alike, so that they are all called by the spirit, but one scarlet coloured beast.

VE

CHAP. LX.

ERSE 4. And the woman was arrayed in purple, and scarlet colour, and decked with gold, and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in

her