How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.
Ver. 7. She hath glorified herself] As mother of Churches, queen of nations. Steuchus (one of her parasites) saith, That kings have but the use and administration of their kingdoms; the right and property belongs to her. Pope Boniface wrote thus to Philip the Fair, king of France: Volumus te scire te in temporali et spirituali nobis subiacere, &c. Contra sentientes pro insanis habemus: We would ye should know, that ye are to be subject unto us both in temporals and spirituals; and that none that are in their right minds can be otherwise minded. The king thus answered him again, Sciat tua maxima fatuitas, &c., I would your singular foolishness should know that I acknowledge no such subjection, &c. (Alsted. Chron.) It was tartly and trimly replied by one Leonard to Rustandus the pope's envoy, claiming all the churches here in England to be the pope's, Omnes Ecclesias Papae esse, tuitione non fruitione, defensione non dissipatione; That if the pope had such right to all the churches, it was to defend them, not to devour them. (Jac. Rev. de Vit. Pontif., p. 178.)
So much torment, &c.] Thus the sinner's cup of honey endeth in the dregs of gall; as Herodotus writeth of the river Hypanis, that the first day's journey from the fountain and head of it the water is sweet and wholesome; but after that, exceeding bitter. Pleasure and pain are tied together with chains of adamant. Oh, how short is the wicked man's Hilary term! a
a humorous. to keep Hilary term: to maintain hilarity, be cheerful or merry. Obs. ŒD