Michael and his angels
have been holding him in play a long season, but yet he is not dead;
but, as I said, he shall descend into battle and perish, and shall
be found no more for ever.
"And the cities of the nations fell," Rev. 16:19; the cities of the
nations, the antichristian churches, otherwise called the daughters
of the mother of harlots. This is a second stroke that God will give
this man of sin, and a third cometh quickly.
Wherefore it follows, upon the downfall of those cities of the
nations, that great Babylon came into remembrance before God, to
give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.
Now then, strike at great Babylon. Great Babylon! What is that? Why,
I take it to be the mother, the metropolitan, the great harlot
herself. For though sometimes by great Babylon we may understand the
church of antichrist in general, yet by it is meant more properly
the mother of the daughters, of whose overthrow we have spoken
before.
We are now, then, come to the threshold of the door of the house of
the old one--to the door of the mother of harlots and abomination of
the earth. This then that but now is said to come into remembrance
with God, is that which gave being to the cities destroyed before,
to wit, the ministers, the queen, the mother-church as she calls
herself.
Pages:
519
520
521
522
523
524
525
526
527
528
529
530
531
532
533
534
535
536
537
538
539
540
541
542
543