For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of
her
fornication
That is, all the nations of the Roman empire, the European
nations, otherwise the Pagan and Mahometan nations have not; but
these have, being made to drink by her, and made drunk therewith,
that is, with her idolatries; (See Gill on
Revelation 14:8).
And the kings of the earth have committed fornication with
her;
joined with her in her idolatrous worship and practices, and
encouraged the same, and obliged their subjects to them in their
dominions; (See Gill on
Revelation 17:2).
And the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the
abundance
of her delicacies;
or "luxury"; which is not to be understood in a literal sense;
though it is true that many merchants, in all ages, have enriched
themselves by sending their commodities to Rome, where, through
the vast consumption and luxuriousness of the place, they have
bore a good price; but this is to be interpreted of spiritual
merchants; these are such who do not merchandise by sea, but are
land merchants, the merchants of the earth, and are said to be
the great men of the earth, ( Revelation
18:23 ) such as are equal to princes, lords, and nobles; such
are the cardinals, archbishops, and bishops; though the inferior
clergy of the Romish church, who are under these, may be
included: to which may be added, that one part of their wares is
said to be the souls of men, ( Revelation
18:13 ) which plainly shows what sort of merchants these are;
they are such who make merchandise of men, and pretend to sell
them heaven, and the salvation of their souls; these are they
that deal in pardons and indulgences, which they sell to ignorant
people, and for a sum of money say Mass to fetch souls out of
purgatory: all things have been saleable at Rome, crucifixes,
priests, altars, temples, prayers, heaven, Christ, yea, God
himself, as the poet Mantuan expresses it; and because of these
idolatries, and wicked practices, Rome will be at last destroyed.