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"things fhall come to thee in a moment in one "day; the lofs of children and, widowhood," Ifa. xlvii. 7, 8, 9. "How much he hath glo"rified herself, and lived delicioully, fo much torment and forrow give her : for fhe faith in "her heart, I fit a queen, and am no widow, "and fhall fee no forrow. Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourn"ing, and famine," Rev. xviii. 7, 8. "the fruits that thy foul lufteth after are de"parted from thee, and all things which were "dainty and goodly, are departed from thee, "and thou fhalt find them no more at all,"

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ver. 14.

Another reason is covetousness.

"And

"O thou

"that dwelleft upon many waters, abundant in "treasures, thine end is come, and the mea"fure of thy covetouínofs," Jer. li. 13. "Alas, "alas, that great city, wherein were made rich "all that had fhips in the fea, by reafon of her coftlinefs: for in one hour is fhe made defolate," Rev. xviii. 19. She is charged with idolatry likewise. "It is the land of graven "images, and they are mad upon their idols," Jer. 1. 38. "Babylon hath been a golden cup "in the Lord's hand, that made all the earth

drunken: the nations have drunken of her "wine; therefore the nations are inad," chap. li. 7. "Come hither, I will fhew unto thee

"the

"the judgment of the great whore, that fitteth

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upon many waters: with whom the kings of "the earth have committed fornication, and "the inhabiters of the earth have been made. "drunk with the wine of her fornication."And the woman was arrayed in purple,―ha

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ving a golden cup in her hand, full of abo"minations and filthinefs of, her fornication. "And upon her forehead was a name written; "MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS, AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE

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EARTH," Rev. xvii. 1, 2, 4, 5. "Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen,-for all nations have "drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have com"mitted fornication with her," chap. xviii. 2, 3. She is judged for perfecution of the people of God. "I was wroth with my people; I have "polluted mine inheritance, and given them "into thine hand: thou didft fhew them no

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mercy; upon the ancient haft thou very hea"vily laid thy yoke," Ifa. xlvii. 6. Behold, "I am against thee, O deftroying mountain, "faith the Lord, which destroyeft all the earth; "and I will stretch out mine hand upon thee, "and roll thee down fom the rocks, and will "make thee a burnt mountain," Jer. li. 25. "As Babylon hath caufed the flain of Ifrael to

fall; fo at Babylon fhall fall the flain of all

"the

"the earth," verfe 49.

"And I faw the wo

"man drunken with the blood of the faints, "and with the blood of the martyrs of Jefus," Rev. xvii. 6. "And in her was found the "blood of prophets, and of faints, and of all "that were flain upon the earth," ch. xviii. 24.

Let us now fee the confequences of this cataftrophe. When Rome fhall thus be deftroyed by the juft judgment of God, the feveral parties then on earth fhall be variously affected, according to their different fentiments. Perfons attached to her fuperftition, fhall experience anguish fimilar to the torment of the damned, a torment arifing from a ftrong conviction of the truth, while the will and affections refift it. This fentiment is conveyed by thefe expreffions, "They gnawed their tongues for pain," Rev. xvi. 10. And notwithstanding the gradual decline of the power and influence of the church of Rome, which precedes this deftruction, it would appear that severals of all ranks continue firmly attached to her at the time the event takes place; for thefe are reprefented as bitterly lamenting over her fall: particularly fome of the kings of Europe, who found her doctrine favourable to the gratification of their paffions, and the exercife of that defpotic authority with which they reigned, though they cannot give her effectual aid, fhall bitterly la

ment

ment her fall. "And the kings of the earth, "who have committed fornication, and lived "delicioufly' with her, fhall bewail her and "lament for her, when they fhall see the smoke "of her burning, standing afar off, for the fear "of her torment, faying, Alas, alas! that great city Babylon, that mighty city; hour is thy judgment come !"

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9, 10.

for in one

Rev. xviii.

Her clergy, who had for a long time amaffed the wealth of the world, by the fale of spirituals, and purchased all the luxurious wares of the earth" for bills drawn on heaven and hell, "never to be accepted," finding the ruin of their trade involved in her fall, fhall fincerly "And the merchants of the earth regret it. "fhall weep and mourn over her, for no man

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buyeth their merchandise any more.—The "merchants of these things, which were made "rich by her, shall stand afar off, for the fear of her

(1) Philip II. of Spain faid, that every king who was not of the Catholic religion must be a fool, because he could purchase, for a little money, every pleafare here and hereafter. "The pomp of worship which that reli"gion (Popery) carefully fupports, is agreeable to the "tafte of magnificence which prevails in courts, and "forms a fpecies of devotion, which, while it flatters the "pampered fenfes, gives little perplexity to the indolent understandings of the great." Hume's Hift. of Eng.

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"her torment, weeping and wailing, and saying, "Alas, alas, that great city, that was clothed in "fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and deck"ed with gold and precious stones, and pearls; "for in one hour fo great riches is come to "nought." Rev. xviii. 11, 15, 16, 17.

Her inferior clergy and missionaries, who propagated her doctrines with zeal, as shipmasters carry the commodities of one country to another, knowing that their gain and manner of fubfiftence is ruined by her fall, thall bitterly lament it. "And every fhipmafter, and all the company in ships, and failors, and as many as "trade by sea, stood afar off, and cried, when

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they faw the smoke of her burning, faying, "What city is like unto this great city? And "they caft duft on their heads, and cried, "weeping, and wailing, faying, Alas, alas, that

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great city, wherein were made rich all that "had ships in the fea, by reason of her costli"nefs; for in one hour is fhe made defolate !" Rev. xviii. 17, 18, 19.

On the other hand, the true church of Chrift shall rejoice, seeing in this fignal judgment the perfections of God manifefted, his word fulfilled, and his church delivered from the most grievous tyranny she had ever groaned under. She is exprefsly commanded to rejoice: "Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy

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