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fendered Fornication, is in the Original πορνεία; and signifies any Prostitution for Hire. It is primitively derived from wεράω, to sell; accordingly, Xenophon says, whoever sells himself for Hire, is called wίρνজ, and St Athanafius uses the Feminine in the same Sense: But as Fornication was the commonest, and, perhaps, earliest Prostitution, the Name of the Genus itself might be applied to this single Species: A great and abominable Sin, no Doubt it is: Yet such as would hardly bring down the Judgment of God on a whole People. Nor is the Phrase, to drink of the Wine of the Wrath of her Fornication, easily, I think, to be comprehended. Indeed, the Word Wine is frequently understood in a strongly metaphorical Sense; as the Wine of the Wrath of God, in the Text; and again, Chap. xvi. 19. so here, and in Chap. xviii. 3. where the Translators erroneously read Fornication, the Sense is doubtless extremely figurative; but agreeable to the Scripture Language.

If we will receive any Idea, therefore, from this Passage, we must tranflate it thus: Because she bath watered all Nations, with the Wine of the Violence of ber Prostitution. The Greek is, ὅτι ἐκ τοῦ δινου του θυμου τῆς πορνείας αυτῆς πεπότικε πάντα ἔθνη. But θυμός, which the Translators have

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have rendered Wrath, as properly fignifies Violence; and St. Paul himself, 1 Cor. iii. 6. hath taught us to express watering, by the Verb ποτίζω : And thus the wife Man, Prov. iv. 17. They eat the Bread of Wickedness, and drink the Wine of Violence : Where we may observe the Word Wine used in a Sense very fimilar to what it here bears.

And the first Verse of the Text itself directs us to this Exposition: For what can be meant by worshipping the Beast and his Image, and receiving bis Mark in their Hand, unless Prostitution for Hire? The Antients exprest Beasts and Money by the fame Words. The Athenians called their Money by the Name of an Ox, because it was marked with the Figure of one, and the Latins immediately derive the Word, which we translate Money, from that which represents Beasts in general.

That we can understand nothing but Money by the Mark of the Beast, is plain from the 16th and 17th Verses of the preceding Chapter; where, speaking of the Works of the Beast, it is said of him, that be caufeth all, both great and small, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a Mark in their right Hand, or in their Forebeads, and that no Man might buy or fell, lave

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