Secondly, let it be considered, that as Babylon is a type of Rome, and of the world of sin and vanity, so Rome in turn nay be a type also, whether of some other city, or of a proud and deceiving world. The woman is said to be Babylon as well as Rome, and as she is something more than Babylon, namely, Rome, so again she may be something more than Rome, which is yet to come. Various great cities in Scripture, are made, in their ungodliness and ruin, types of the world itself. Their end is described in figures which in their fulness apply only to the end of the world; the sun and moon are said to fall, the earth to quake, and the stars to fall from heaven. As then their ruin prefigures a greater and wider judgment, so the chapters of which the text forms a part may have a further accomplishment not in Rome, but in the world itself, or some other great city to which we cannot at present apply them, or to all the great cities of the world together, and to the spirit that rules in them, their avaricious, luxurious, self dependent, irreligious spirit. And in this sense is already fulfilled a portion of the chapter before us, which does not apply to heathen Rome; I mean the description of the woman as making men drunk with her sorceries and delusions; for such, surely, nothing but an intoxication is that arrogant, ungodly, falsely liberal, and worldly spirit, which great cities spread through a country. 

To sum up what I have said. The question asked was, Is not (as is commonly said and believed among us) Rome mentioned in the Apocalypse, as having especial share in the events which will come at the end of the world by means or after the time of Antichrist. I answer this, that Rome's judgments have come on her in great measure, when her empire was taken from her; that her persecutions of the Church have been in great measure judged, and the Scripture predictions concerning her fulfilled; that whether or not, she shall be further judged depends on two circumstances, first, whether "the righteous men" in the city who saved her when her judgment first came may not, through GOD'S great mercy, be allowed to save her still; next, whether the prophecy relates in its fulness to Rome or to some other object or objects of which Rome is a type. And further, I say, that if Rome is still to be judged, this must be before Antichrist comes, because Antichrist comes upon and destroys the ten kings, and lasts but a short space, but the ten kings are to destroy Rome. On the other hand, so far would seem to be clear, that the prophecy itself has not been fully accomplished, whatever we decide about Rome's concern in it. The Roman empire has not yet been divided into ten heads, nor has it yet risen against the woman, whoever she stands for, nor has the woman yet received her ultimate judgment.

We are warned against sharing in her sins, and in her punishment. How shall we feel when the end comes, if we be found mere children of this world and of its great cities; with tastes, opinions, habits, such as are found in its cities; with a heart dependent on human society, and a reason moulded by it! What a miserable lot will be ours at the last day, to find ourselves before our Judge, with all the low feelings, principles, and aims which the world encourages; with our thoughts wandering (if that be possible then), wandering after vanities; with thoughts which rise no higher than the consideration of our own comforts, or our gains; with a haughty contempt for the Church, her ministers, her lowly people; a love of rank and station, an admiration of the splendour and the fashions of the world, an affectation of refinement, a dependence upon our powers of reason, an habitual self-esteem, and an utter ignorance of the number and the heinousness of the sins which lie against us! And when the judgment is over, and the saints have gone up to heaven, and there is silence and darkness where all was so full of life and expectation, where shall we find ourselves? Men now give fair names to sins and sinners; but then all the citizens of Babylon will appear in their true colours, as the word of GOD exhibits them, "as dogs, and sorcerers, And whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and lovers and makers of lies."

Musical Selection

Væ, væ civitas magna quia in corde suo dicit sedeo regina et vidua non sum et luctum non videbo.  Ideo in una die venient plagae eius mors et fames, et igne comburetur.  Væ, væ civitas illa magna Babylon, civitas illa fortis, quoniam in una hora venit iudicium tuum. Cecidit, cecidit Babylon magna et facta est habitatio dæmoniorum quia de vino iræ fornicationis eius biberunt omnes gentes et reges terrae cum illa scortati sunt et mercatores terræ de virtute deliciarum eius divites facti sunt. 

Væ, væ civitas illa magna quæ amicta erat bysso, et purpura et deaurata erat auro. Post hac vox citharoedorum et musicorum atque tuba canentium non audietur in te amplius: quia mercatores tui erant principes terræ, et in veneficiis tuis erraverunt omnes gentes. Et sanguis Prophetarum et Sanctorum in te inventus est.

Alas, alas, Babylon, that great city! For she saith in her heart, I sit a queen; and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.  Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire. Alas, alas, that great city, Babylon, that mighty city! For in one hour is thy judgment come. Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils. For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.

Alas, alas, that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and decked with gold.  After these things the voice of harpers, and musicians, and of pipers, and trumpeters, shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth, and by thy sorceries were all nations deceived: and the blood of prophets, and of saints was found in thee.