| 315 and order of her lord's house, and kept herself pure, and did not forsake her first love. She had also the power to add to her household, by adopting into the family all those that were willing to come. This she did by begetting them anew, by their being born again, of the pure element of water, and then laying her hands upon them in the name of her lord, that they might receive her spirit; thus she was to be fruitful and increase, until his return, when the marriage should take place; as in Revelations 19c and 7v-also Matthew 25c, 1 &c.,-for hitherto she had been as Mary was with Joseph-espoused, but they had not come together, although the contract or covenant was confirmed.
But in the 17th of Revelations, we have a different character set forth, although evidently the same person. She is there called "the great Whore that sitteth upon many waters, with whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication; sitting on a scarlet colored beast, full of names of blasphemy." Would John have called her a whore, if she had been innocent and pure? No! Then if she were really worthy of that appellation, she must have left her first love, and taken other lovers. And who had she taken? the world: and she was the whore of all the earth-then had she not broken her covenant with her lord? Certainly; and she became so adulterous and base that she, like all such characters, could not endure the company of the virtuous, but put them to death, until she was drunk with their blood. While she stood in the covenant, the world hated and persecuted her, as did Nero, Maximus, and others, and thousands of the true saints proved their fidelity to their lord by losing their lives by the hands of the wicked; but she, by degrees, became corrupt: she took into her house those that were not honest, and so the mystery of iniquity soon began to work-and the Lord suffered the wicked to oppress, and to destroy them; and just when she was almost worn down, partly by her own corruption, and partly by persecution from the world, Satan, to effect their overthrow, steps forward, as he did to the Savior, with the world in his hand. All, at once, turned a friend, in the person of Constantine, presented her with a gorgeous robe of purple and scarlet color, decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls, and a golden cup to put into her hand. She is not required to give up her power or authority, but to retain her form as before. This was like setting a bait, to catch a fish; and a large fish the world caught at that time-even the gain of the priesthood, which has been very extensive. This bait she (the church) takes, and at once rests from her toils and persecution, and receives therefor [therefore] robes and honor: but some of her children, still true to their lord and to the covenant, protested against her conduct. This at once brought upon them, her sore displeasure; but her anger only shewed [showed] them more plainly her corrupt and fallen state; and they could not but exclaim against it. There was no way left but either to return to their first love, or to get rid of those that would expose her corruptions; and as she approved of her new lord, and the treasures and honors he conferred upon her, that she could not give them up, she had learned from her new lord, before her espousals to him, the art of martyring, and soon had recourse to the same expedient to get rid of those she could not reconcile to their lot. The rack was again out in operation by her authority and direction;-the inquisition, the bastile, and the dungeon, were again occupied by the firm remaining, faithful saints of God. Their blood again drenched the ground, but by different hands-even those of their mother, who, as soon as she found the sweetness of power, became arbitrary in her measures; and was soon drunk with the blood of the saints, and her virtuous daughters were looked upon as a virtuous woman is by a whore; and she no longer admitted them to her polluted bosom-and now as she had left her first love, and had broken the covenant with him, she no longer has her name upon her, the Church of Christ, the Bride, the Body of Christ; but in legible characters her name is written on her forehead, Mystery, Babylon the Great, the Mother of Harlots, and Abominations of the Earth; and a golden cup is in her hand, full of abominations." Instead of the ornaments of wisdom, knowledge, faith, and the gifts of the spirit, as healing, tongues, miracles, and the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone, she now sits upon a scarlet colored beast, full of name of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns, and she is arrayed in purple and scarlet colors, and decked with gold and precious stones, and pearls. In these she shines-of these she glories; she begins to trade in these things, and in "silks, and all manner of vessels, of ivory, of most precious wood, and of iron, and marble, and brass, and cinnamon, and wine, and flour, and beasts, and sheep, and bodies and souls of men." Any thing by which she might obtain her beloved mammon, she still acts in the name of her lord, her first love; but she does not acknowledge her authority-her children may lie as did Ananias and Sapphira; they attempt to purchase the gift of God with money, as did Simon Magus: others can put forth their hands to the priesthood, as did Uzza;
(page 315) |
