is so that this is to be understood that this Satan the devil shall deceive the nations in all the four quarters of the earth to their eternal perdition Also it is to be minded that there is a principle of persecution for religion worship even in Gog and Magog that is to say in all the heathen as there is in those that profess and confess the Scriptures For if Gog and Magog doth but hear of any man or people that doth worship any other God besides his God he will persecute him to death especially if he be a native under his dominions and so is it with all professors of Religion who know not the true God nor his true worship So that Satan the devil he hath gone forth unto all the four quarters of the earth and hath deceived the nations therein with false worships and imagining of false gods this many hundred years have they been deceived and not onely so but there is a spirit of persecution that doth run thorow the nations in all the four quarters of the earth even amongst professors of the Scriptures as there doth in the heathen So that all the four quarters of the earth they fight against God and compass the Camp of the Saints about and the beloved City The Saints are called by the Spirit the beloved City so that this beloved City must needs be compassed about because the Saints doth live in the four quarters of the earth and the nations of the four quarters of the earth being deceived by Satan they persecute the Saints every where So that they by their persecution they have and do and will to the end of the world compass the Camp of the Saints about who is the beloved City I say these aforesaid will compass the Camp of the Saints with persecution until fire come down from God out of heaven and devour them this fire that cometh down from heaven it is meant that eternal fire of Gods wrath upon his enemies as you may see in the 10 verse And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever The meaning is this that Gog and Magog with all the nations of the four quarters of the earth who were deceived by the spirit of reason the devil to worship false gods and to persecute the Saints in all parts of the earth They shall at the end of the world as aforesaid they shall be cast into the same lake of fire and brimstone as the beast and the false prophet are and shall be tormented for ever and ever as aforesaid So that at the end of the world that spirit of reason which men received from the lost Angel with all its wisdom whereby it hath deceived all the nations of the earth and hath always persecuted and killed the Saints the beloved City of God from the beginning of the world even from the righteous Abel to the end of the world I say this spirit of reason which is called by the Spirit Satan a devil this Spirit who hath caused Gog and Magog and all the nations of the earth to persecute the Saints This devil with all the seed who hath fought under his banner though in several forms and manner he and they with the beast and false prophet with all their adherents shal be cast into a lake of fire and brimstone where they shall be tormented for ever and ever and this fire and brimstone is that wrath of God that cometh down from heaven which is called by the Spirit fire that came down from God out of heaven and devoured them c. So that this chapter is but a rehearsal of what was said before in the 18 and 19 chapters both of the destruction of mystery Babylon and of the glory of the Saints Yet I thought it something necessary to open the meaning of Gog and Magog because I have not met with those words before neither have spoken of them in that book aforesaid But as for the rest of the matter in this 20 chapter I have said as much as need be said of it in one place or other in this Treatise and in The interpretation of the eleventh of the Revelation and to repeat one thing twice over would be needless and as for the chief heads contained in the 21 22 chapters I have opened them in the said Interpretation of the eleventh of the Revelation So that I shall interpret a little what is meant by those words of Johns Revelation the 22 chapter 18 19 verses and so conclude this Epistle CHAP. LXXXI THese words of John hath been an occasion of many persecuting and ignorant men and womens spirits to persecute and rail against the purest truth that ever was declared and against the true Messengers whom God hath chosen and sent Whom he hath endued with the spirit of Revelation and Interpretation of Scriptures more then all the men in the world besides in that when things have been declared and Scriptures interpreted beyond the common sense that learned men have declared and interpreted they have said with great anger and zeal that we have either added to the word of God or else we have diminished from it Therefore to satisfie the Reader I shall open how a man may be said to add unto the prophesie of this Book of Johns Revelation and how he may be said to diminish or take away the words of this prophesie of this Book The words of John are these verse 18. For I testifie unto every man that heareth the words of the prophesie of this book if any man shall adde unto these things God shall adde unto him the plagues that are written in this book Verse 19. And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophesie God shall take away his part out of the book of Life and out of the holy City and from the things which are written in this book I would have the Reader to minde and he may know whether a man doth adde unto this Book or take from it for this is to be minded that who ever doth undertake to be a Minister of Christ without a Commission from him or shall undertake to give the interpretation of the Scriptures without having the gift of Interpretation which gift he cannot have except he have a Commission from God or from him that did receive it from God For how is it possible that any man should give true interpretations of the Scriptures and of that Book of the Revelation of Saint John and yet not know the true God nor the right devil Therefore it is for certain that all Non-commissionated Ministers and Speakers whatsoever in all the seven Churches in Europe I say it is they onely that do add unto this Book and they onely that do take from it They may be said to add to it because they give this and that
sense upon the words of this Prophecy even what their imaginations doth dictate unto them they being uncertain in themselves that what they say to be true So that who ever doth take upon him to be a Minister of the Gospel to interprete the Scriptures without a Commission from God or that knowledge aforesaid I say such men as those may be said to add unto the words of the Prophecy of this Book of the Revelation and not only so but to the whole Book of the Scriptures For all men that do undertake to be Ministers and Preachers of Christ without a Commission from him they not being sent by him these men onely are those that do add unto the Prophecy of this Book that is they add their own vain thoughts and conceivings of their own imaginations unto the truths of God So that in stead of the true meaning of the Scriptures the people have nothing else but the Preachers thoughts and conceivings of the Scriptures and so are altogether unsatisfied in their spirits and these are those men that do add unto the Prophecy of this Book of the Revelation and to the Book of the Scriptures So in like manner will God add unto him or them the plagues that are written in this Book Now what these plagues are they are spoken of in this Book The plagues that shall be added unto them are spiritual that is to say spiritual darkness upon the minde here and the fear of the second death so that the soul of man shall possess the second death which shall burn as a lake of fire and brimstone in utter darkness where is weeping and gnashing of teeth to eternity These are those spiritual plagues that God will add to all those men that go to be Preachers of his Gospel and were not sent by him for they onely do add unto the Prophecy of this Book So that the Reader may see what a dangerous thing it is for a man to take upon him to prophesie preach or teach as a Messenger of Christ without a Commission from him For who ever doth so he doth add his own vain thoughts and imaginations in the Scriptures of those Heavenly Secrets Mysteries and Visions declared by holy men who were inspired by the holy Ghost or the revelation of Faith to write those things aforesaid yet men by their own imaginations by the gift of Learning and by the natural wisdom of Reason will undertake to interprete Scriptures and to be Preachers to others without a Commission from God and without any true knowledge of God And so these men do come to add other Interpretations of their own conceivings unto the Scriptures which is contrary to the mind of that Spirit that writ them and so they become capable to receive of those plagues that are written in this Book as aforesaid CHAP. LXXXII ALso I would have the Reader to know that the same men that do add their conceivings unto this book the same sort of men do take away from the words of this Book of this Prophecy They may be said to take away from it in that they will not suffer any true Interpreter to expound the meaning of the words of the Prophecy of that Book of the Revelation or any other Scriptures onely this some mens mindes are acted out one way and some another some men so they may be suffered to speak their own phantasies upon the Scriptures so as to please themselves and their Hearers that is they care not how much they add to this Book not minding to take any thing from it It is not their principles to take any thing from the Scriptures but their delight is altogether to add their vain conceptions conceiving the meaning thus and thus But he that taketh away from this Book is such a one that will not suffer the true Interpretation of the Scriptures nor of this Book of the Revelation because the true Interpretation of the Scriptures overthroweth all the Principles of Religion in the world So that if truth should be suffered to have freedom in the world then all the old Principles of Religion that have been received in the world so many hundred years by the Pope and others they would quite fall to the ground So that there is a necessity that there should be a number of men to add unto this Book and a number of men to take away from it For true revelation always had some to add to it and some to take from it so that he that taketh from it God will take his part out of the Book of Life and out of the holy City and from the things which are written in this Book The meaning is this that as they would not suffer no true Interpretation of the Scriptures to abide in the world but would take it quite away both the Interpretation and the Interpreter also So in like manner God will take his part out of the Book of Life and out of the holy City so that he shall have no part in that glory and everlasting life which is written of in this Book of the Revelation That is he thought by taking away from the words of this book that is by his persecuting the true Interpretation of it that he did God good service even as he did that added to it for he that adds unto it as aforesaid doth think he doth God good service So in like manner he that taketh from it as aforesaid that persecutes true Revelation and true Interpretation he doth think he doth God good service in so doing and so he thinks to have a part in the Book of Life and to be one of the members of the holy City and to have a right to that glory and happiness that is written in this Book when as alas alas he is one of them that hath taken away from the Prophecy of this Book by persecuting the true Interpretation of it so that God hath taken away that part he thought he had in the Book of Life and that confidence he had in being a member of the holy City and of the glory hereafter I say all these things will God take away from those men that doth take away from the words of the Prophecy of this book of the Scriptures and more especially this book of the Revelation of Saint John This is the true meaning of the Spirit in adding and taking away from this Book of Johns Revelation Oh where is there a man hardly to be found but he is guilty of one of these two either to add or to take away from this mysterious book of the Revelation of John So that the Reader may see what the Spirit doth mean by adding and taking away and who they are that doth this for this is to be considered that no man can interpret the Scriptures truly but he that is chosen and sent of God as Moses and Aaron Peter and Paul and us the Witnesses of the Spirit Also none can interpret the Scriptures truly but those that have the same Spirit as those had that spake the Scriptures that spirit can trace the steps of God Almighty in those three paths which God hath walked in Those three parths are Gods three Commissions or three Records on earth to wit the Water Blood and Spirit so that no Commissionated man of God can be said either to add to or diminish from the word of God for he is chosen of God to reveal the mysteries of the kingdom unto his chosen ones which mysteries are hidden in that letter So that the messengers of God they shall be punished of God if they will not go forth to declare the mysteries of his kingdom but on the contrary if men go are not sent of God they are punished of God for going before they were sent and in going before they are sent they do add and take away from the Scriptures and from this book of the Revelation for they being not chosen nor sent of God they do not know the true meaning of the Scriptures so they not knowing the truth of them they add their own conceits and senses upon them and diminish and take away the true Interpreter by persecution and will not suffer it to abide in the world lâ—st their own principles should fall by it and this is the true meaning of the Spirit and what is meant by adding and taking away from the words of the prophecy of this book of the Revelation of St. John I thought it something necessary to open these two verses because it hath been a thing common in most peoples mouths when they have heard the interpretation of Scriptures with many deep Secrets opened and many heavenly Mysteries revealed which never was revealed before or that hath not been commonly known amongst Religious people they have seemed hard sayings So that men have cryed out O Blasphemy or else say I have added to the word of God or if the interpretation doth differ from the common received opinion or interpretation Then they will say I take away from the word of God yet they know not what it is to add or to take away from it therefore I have opened these two verses in the last chapter and the last verses but one of the Revelation of St. John that the Seed of Faith may know what it is and who they are that add and diminish the words of the prophecy of this book aforesaid and who it is that doth not add nor diminish but doth give the true interpretation of all the deep secrets and hidden mysteries of the whole book of the Revelation And now last of all what it is to add and take away with the joy and glory of them that doth not add nor diminish thereunto with the plagues shame and misery of all those that doth add thereunto or diminish there from So much for the Interpretation of all the chief Head and hard sayings in the whole book of the Revelation of St. John and the conclusion of this Epistle Lodowick Muggleton FINIS
Chap. 58. How the spiritual Babylon is compared unto the temporal and how false worship may be and is called Mystery Babylon in opposition to the mystery of God with many other things opened And how and when the Scepter departed from the Jews and how the Gentiles worship is idolatrous and so becomes or makes up that great City Mystery Babylon the Mother of harlots and what is meant by her fornication Chap 59. How the Kings of the earth may be said to commit fornication and how the Saints do drink the wine of the wrath of her fornication how the scarlet coloured beast doth carry the whore and how she fits upon the beast and what is meant by the beast and why called a scarlet coloured beast Chap. 60. The Interpretation of the woman how she is arrayed in scarlet colour and purple and precious stones with a golden Cup in her hand and what these things do signifie and how the woman may be said to be drunken with the blood of the Saints Chap. 61. The Interpretation of the beast that was and is not and yet is and how he may be called the eighth and is of the seven with other deep secrets Chap. 62. How the woman may be said to sit upon seven mountains and what the mountains are Chap. 63. The Interpretation of the ten horns and what is meant by their having power one hour with the beast and how they make war with the Lamb and what weapons they fight with and with what weapons the Lamb doth overcome them Chap. 64. How the ten horns received power from the beast to persecute the Saints and how the same ten kings received power from God to make the whore desolate to fulfil Gods will yet all but wicked kings yet they did his will Chap. 65. How all this 17th Chapter was shewed unto John by vision and none could interpret it but he that hath a Commission from God Chap. 66. The difference between the temporal Babylon and the spiritual Babylon and how this spiritual Babylon is called an habitation of devils and a cage of every hateful bird and a hold of every unclean spirit and how the kings of the earth and all nations committed fornication with her Chap. 67. How the Saints may be said to come out of her and how she must drink her own blood and what is meant by filling her cup and giving it her double to drink and what maner of famine and fire she shall be destroyed with Chap. 68. What is meant by the Merchants standing afar off for fear of her torment Chap. 69. How the Prophets and Apostles are bid to rejoyce over the destruction of the great City in that God hath avenged himself on her Chap. 70. How the seed of Reason doth walk in the paths of the Scriptures yet cannot finde out the true God but the Seed of Faith can finde out God in all those narrow paths where he doth walk and how the voice of mirth did cease when Babylon is destroyed and the blood of Prophets and Saints is found in her Chap. 71. How the four beasts and four and twenty Elders and Saints do sing praise unto God for the perpetual downfall of spiritual Babylon Chap. 72. What is meant by the voice of many waters and the voice of mighty thunderings and how the Saints are married unto God Chap. 73. What is meant by the white horse and by the many Crowns that he had on his head and of the difference of glory between the work of Creation and the work of Redemption and how it may be said that no man knew his name but himself Chap. 74. The Interpretation of the garment of Christ down to the foot and his vesture dipt in blood what is meant by treading the wine-fat Chap. 75. What is meant by the Armies in heaven that followed Christ and how they al sat upon white horses and how Christ trode the fierceness of the wiâ—â—-press of Almighty God and yet not his Fathers wrath Chap. 76. The Interpretation of the Name of Christ written upon his thigh and how he may be called King of kings and Lord of lords in respect of the power of his Creation and the power of his Redemption and how his death got power over sin death and hell so that he can dispose of death now as he pleases for his own glory Chap. 77. What is meant by the fowls of heaven and what the Supper is they are invited unto and what it is they must have to Supper and how the Saints may be said to eat the flesh of Kings and of Captains and of mighty men Chap. 78. How the temporal Power signifies the Beast and the spiritual Power signifies the false Prophet and how they are both cast alive into a lake of fire and brimstone and what is meant by the remnant that were slain with the sword that came out of his mouth with the end of the nineteenth Chapter Chap. 79. The Prophets prayer and thanksgiving unto Jesus Christ the onely God who became very man and yet was very God at the same time Chap. 80. What is meant by Gog and Magog and how the Camp of the Saint may be said to be compassed about in all the four quarters of the earth and what that fire is that came down from heaven Chap. 81. How Non-commissionated men are those that do add unto the Prophecy of this Book of the Revelation and to all the Scriptures and 〈◊〉 the plagues written in that Book will be added unto them for going before they were sent of God Chap. 82. How men are said to diminish or take away from this Book and how he hath his part taken out of the Book of Life All the Chief HEADS of the most Divine MYSTERIES plainly opened in the several Chapters of this Book CHAP. I. THe first Chapter of the Revelation of John doth speak of things which must shortly come to pass John calls it The Revelation of Jesus Christ which God gave unto him to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass John might well say that God did give it unto him because Jesus Christ is God as he doth make it appear in his following Discourse in this Chapter Also those servants which he was to declare this Revelation of Jesus Christ unto I declare it was unto the Ministers of those Seven Churches in Asia and from them to the Churches themselves Also John doth speak much of this Book of the Revelation by way of vision as well as revelation and that doth make this Book of the Revelation to be the more difficult and hard to be understood or to be interpreted Therefore many wise and learned men have gone about to interpret some places of it but have left the greatest part of it as a sealed Book which cannot be opened and have left that which they have writ upon as dark to the Reader as it was at first And the cause is they do not know what
as the vessels of a Potter shall they be broken to shivers even as I received of my Father and I will give him the Morning Star Here those that are strong in faith who holdeth out to the end in keeping Christs works that is who ever holdeth out to the end of his life in suffering for the faith of Jesus He will give him that doth so power over the Nations and he shall rule them with a rod of iron That is he by his faith and sufferings shall have power over the Nations although he loose his life yet he shall have power over the Nations because his sufferings for truth shall lye so heavy upon the consciences of those Nations that persecute upon that account that shall be ruled as it were with a rod of iron for there is rods of iron upon the spirits of men as there is upon the bodies of men For this rod of iron which breaketh mens spirits to pieces even like a Potters vessel by wounding their consciences with the guilt of innocent blood so that the iron rod of Gods wrath will make them afraid of hell and torment will seize upon them and the fear of Gods eternal vengeance upon them for this sin of innocent blood So that all their peace joy and comfort they had in this world is broken in pieces by this iron rod of suffering for truth For was not that Nation of the Jews who put the Lord of Life to death broken to pieces in the comfort of their souls by that iron rod of Christs suffering death And not onely so but the temporal iron rod did break that Nation to pieces a so in a few years after Did not many of those Nations that persecuted the Apostles and Saints in the primitive times had not they a rod of iron upon their hearts And not onely so but a temporal rod of iron which broke them to pieces as to the peace of their mindes and to their temporal peace also as Histories doth mention so that suffering for truth it is as strong an iron rod to break persecuting spirits to pieces even as a rod of iron doth break a Potters vessel For this is to be minded that he that had the greatest faith never made use of any sword of steel nor any temporal rod of iron but as the Sword of the Spirit doth cut mens souls both ways So this rod of iron it is used in a spiritual sense for as words of truth doth cut men to the heart as the Jews were at Peters words so suffering for truth it doth bang the hearts of persecuting men even as a rod of iron and breaketh all their peace and hope to pieces even as a Potters vessel So that he that hath power to suffer for his faith he shall break his enemies to shivers both spiritual and temporal even as Christ did by his sufferings And as Christ did conquer by his sufferings over death sin and hell and not onely but over those persecuting spirits which caused him to be put to death I say he brake all his spiritual and temporal enemies to pieces even as a potters vessel is broken to pieces with an iron rod. Even so it will be with every true believer whose faith doth hold out to the end he shall conquer both sin death and hell in himself and not onely so but he shall rule his enemies without him as with a rod of iron by keeping them under the fear of eternal death who persecute for truths sake So that the peace and hopes of their mindes by the patient sufferings of the Saints will be broken in shivers even as a Potters vessel And Christ will give him the Morning Star This Morning Star is that Day-star that doth arise in the heart as the Apostle speaks This Morning or Day-star is that light of truth or light of the true God that doth arise in the heart of every true Believer and doth guide him in the right way so that the soul is guided by the light of this Star in the way of truth here even to the assurance of eternal life And so the light of this Morning Star doth lead every true Believer into that eternal glory which God hath promised to all those that do overcome those spiritual enemies within and all perâ—ecuting spirits without by his faith and patience c. CHAP. III. 5. He that overcometh the same shall be clothed in white raiment and I will not blot out his name out of the Book of Life c. AS for this white raiment I shall shew what is meant by it in several places of this Treatise and as for Christs not blotting his name out of the Book of Life And as for the Book of Life and how mens names are written therein the Reader shall finde in the following Discourse And as for his name not blotted out of the Book of Life the meaning is this That he that overcometh as aforesaid shall not loose the sensibleness of his name being written in the Book of Life but shall have a certain assurance of it in himself For when a man doth not know by faith that his name is written in the Book of Life that is he having no assurance that he is of that Seed that shall be saved he cannot truly say any otherwise but that his name is blotted out of the Book of Life For though a mans name as he is an elect Vessel is written in the Book of Life yet he not knowing it is to him as if it were blotted out of the Book of Life So on the contrary if any man shall vainly imagine that his name is written in the Book of Life as most people in the world do and he being of the contrary seed his name is not written in the Book of Life neither is he certain that it is not so So that neither of these two they being both uncertain of the thing in themselves their names may be said to be blotted out of the Book of Life For the Seed of Faith his name is written in the Book of Life but he knows it not and the seed of Reason his name is not written in the Book of Life yet he thinks it is but doth not certainly know that it is not So that to the apprehension of them both their names are blotted out of the Book of Life For this I say that except a man hath some witness in himself by voice from God or some secret revelation or by a stedfast faith in those Messengers whom God doth send he cannot know that his name is written in the Book of Life but rather fear that his name is blotted out of it So that the assurance that a mans name is not blotted out of the Book of Life is when a man hath the witness in himself that he knoweth the true God and doth suffer persecution for the truth and not for a lye as all the world doth And so he that overcometh by faith and patient
another and said Holy holy holy is the Lord of Hosts the whole earth is full of his glory Likewise the four and twenty Elders fall down before him that sate on the Throne and worship him that liveth for ever and ever and cast their Crowns before the Throne saying Thou arâ— worthy O Lord to receive glory and honor and power for thou hast created all things and for thy pleasure they are and were created Revel 4. and 10 and 11 verses Here you may see that the four beasts and the four and twenty Elders gives glory unto Christ the onely God as he was the Creator and in the condition of the Father He being the Lord Almighty the Lord of Hosts the Alpha and Omega the first and the last he that liveth for ever and ever in that death could not keep him under as aforesaid But in the 5 chapter the four and twenty Elders give glory unto this Christ the onely God as he is a Son And hath redeemed them and so doth the four beasts also And as for the four and twenty Elders I shall say nothing of them here because I have spoken of them in the Interpretation of the 11th Chapter of the Revelation So I having given the interpretation of the chief things in the fourth chapter of Johns Revelation I shall go unto the first chapter and give the interpretation of the chief things in that also CHAP. XI IN the first verse of the 5 chapter John saw in the right hand of him that sate on the Throne a Book written within and on the backside sealed with seven Seals Why doth John say he saw in the right hand of him that sate upon the Throne a Book written within and sealed on the backside with seven Seals when as he that sate on the Throne was no other but God the Creator of all things And Jesus Christ is he that created the world and all things therein as aforesaid And yet he that had the Book in his right hand was not to open the Book nor to loose the Seals thereof The meaning is this that Christ Jesus as he was God the Fatherâ— and Creator of all things it was not his proper place and work to open the Book with seven Seals For it doth belong to him as he is God the Redeemer For as I said before God did and doth act according to the twofold state and condition he was in So that he had the Book of Life in his right hand as he was God the Creator but as he is God the Redeemer he must take the Book out of his own right hand and open it and loose the Seals thereof For John in his vision did see Christ to sit upon the Throne as he was God the Father and the Creator Also in his vision he saw Christ sit upon the Throne as he was God the Son and as he suffered death and so redeemed mankinde And in like manner he and the Elders give thanks and praise unto him as he is the Creator And sometimes they give thanks unto him all together as he is the Redeemer Yet all but one God however it doth seem by Johns vision as if there were two when as it is spoken with relation to a twofold state and condition in God But who can understand but the Seed of Faith Therefore I would not have the Seed of Faith to stumble at these sayings of John which doth here and there speak as if there were two Gods But consider he speaks it but by way of vision and all visions can never be understood so clear and plain as interpretation is For I am certain that John did believe in no other God but one even Jesus Christ the onely wise God blessed for ever and ever though spoken of with relation to a twofold condition as I have shewed before This Book which was in Christs right hand as he was God the Father I declare it was the Book of Life wherein was written the names of all the elect seed of all the seven Churches of Asia and of all the elect seed of the seven Churches of Europe I say the elect seed are all written in that Book of Life which is in Christs right hand and the seven seals on the backside of this book they were the seven visible Churches of Asia That is they were sealed up by the doctrine and faith of the Gospel they received the holy spirit of promise whereby they were sealed in their souls with the holy Spirit of promise that they were redeemed unto eternal happiness by the blood of the Lamb. And this I say that the witness of the spirit of Faith in the conscience here in mortality it is but a sealing up to the day of glory Therefore what assurance witness or sealing soever a man hath in his soul in this life it is called by the Revelation of John but a seal on the back side of the book of Life For those seven Churches of Asia were sealed with the holy Spirit of promise in that they believed the doctrine of Christs death and resurrection and so they were sealed in their hearts with the assurance of eternal life their names being written within the book of Life And because there was seven Churches of Asia which did truly believe and were sealed in their souls with the assurance of everlasting life They are called seven Seals on the backside of the Book of Life For all sealing of this side of death it is called but sealing on the backside of the Book of Life For it is much like unto a book or letter the matter and substance is within the letter or book but the seal is without or on the backside But he that breaketh open the seal of the letter or book he seeth what is within So is it with Christ he having the Book of Life in his right hand wherein the elect Seed are written and the assurance of faith which the elect Seed of the seven Churches of Asia had and as others have are called the seven Seals on the backside of the Book of Life Which no man in heaven nor in earth could open the Book nor loose the Seals thereof but Christ as he is God and Redeemer You that have faith may see what is meant by the Book and by the seven Seals on the backside c. CHAP. XII IN the second verse John saw a strong Angel proclaming with a loud voice Who is worthy to open the Book and to loose the seals thereof And in the third verse And no man in heaven nor in earth neither under the earth was able to open the book neither to look thereon I shall pass by these two verses there being but little matter of concernment in them but I shall go to the 4 verse And I wept much because no man was found worthy to open and to read the Book neither to look thereon Here John was at a hard set in his vision when he saw God have a B ok
in his right hand And no man in heaven nor in earth could open it nor read it There was cause enough for John to weep because that Book was the Book of Life And many thousands and millions of souls were written in that Book As he afterwards maketh mention of and many that had suffered persecution unto the death which were slain under the altar who suffered for the testimony of Jesus whose names were written in the Book of Life And if this Book should not have been opened the condition of the Saints would have been sad which suffered all those things for the name of Jesus who loved not their lives unto death who had their names recorded in the Book of Life That at the general day of Gods Account when he shall make up his Jewels their names being written in the Book of Life They may have that blessed reward which God did promise and they did faithfully believe and expect But if none could have opened the book neither in heaven nor in earth what benefit would they have had for all their faith and sufferings This was enough to make John and all other Prophets and Believers to weep also if there should be none found neither in heaven nor in earth that can open the Book of Life But in the 5 verse one of the Elders said unto John in the vision Weep not behold the Lion of the tribe of Judah the root of David hath prevailed to open the Book and to loose the seven Seals thereof One of the Elders puts John in good comfort again for there is one found now that can open the Book and read it also This is that Lion as Jacob prophesied of Gen. 59. ver 9 as I have spoken of before This Lion hath prevailed to open the book He openeth the Book as he is God the Son And as he became a Son he is called the Lion of the tribe of Judah and as he is God the Son he is called a Lamb. And as he was God the Son he suffered death to redeem his people And as he is a Redeemer he hath prevailed to open the Book and to loose the seven Seals thereof That is as he is the Redeemer he hath power to raise every one of them again that are written in the Book of Life That is all the Seed of Faith which are elected in the secret decree and councel of God as he was the Creator And as he is the Redeemer he hath power to give life everlasting to every one of the Seed of Faith who were written in the Book of Life And when John saw there was one found in heaven that could open the book he gave over weeping For one of the Elders had shewed him in the vision one that could open the Book and looâ—e the seven Seals thereof For in the 6 verse John beheld and lo in the midst of the Throne and of the four beasts and in the midst of the Elders stood a Lamb as it had been slain having seven horns and seven eyes which are the seven spirits of God sent forth into all the earth This Lamb which John saw in the vision in the midst of the four beasts and the Elders it was Christ This I suppose all men that profess the Scriptures will confess it Now observe that this Lamb which stood as it had been slain it was no other then God himself For this Lamb had seven horns and seven eyes now these seven horns which the Lamb had it was the faith and patience which the seven Churches of Asia had which did inable them to go thorow their sufferings with cheerfulness For when a man doth suffer for his Faith in God patiently and willingly he destroyeth his enemy more in submitting unto suffering or death it self than if he should resist his enemy And this doth become a horn to push the persecutors soul Thus it was with the seven Churches of Asia they were by their faith and patience made able to suffer persecution and death it self Which became as seven horns to push and gall the souls of their persecutors For though the horns of a Lamb doth but little harm to the outward flesh yet when they get within the flesh they will gall very much That is when the horn of suffering for righteousness gets into the minde and soul of the persecutor it doth gall his soul exceedingly with the fear of eternal damnation This I think experience will shew the truth of it For the Quakers and others which suffer for a lye yet they think they suffer for truth and the persecutors knows no other but that they do suffer for truth Therefore the sufferings of the Quakers cannot chuse but push and gall the persecutors Consciences The Quakers being so stedfast and confident in their way which do not fear their lives unto the death This suffering of theirs doth trouble and molest the mindes of the Civil Powers which doth shew that suffering in innocency though for a lye it will be a horn to push and gall the souls of the persecutors Then how much more would they push and gall if they suffered for Truth That is if their Ministery which provoke them to meet contrary to the Parliaments Order were true as the Ministery of the seven Churches of Asia were But it is not therefore they suffer for a lye yet the persecutor not knowing it he is and will be pushed and galled in his soul with the fear of eternal death for doing it CHAP. XIII NOw it is to observed that this Lamb that was slain had the seven horns and the seven eyes Now these seven horns as I said before which the Lamb had they were the sufferings of the seven Churches of Asia in the ten Persecutions According to that saying of Johns Revelation the second and the 10th he giving an exhortation to the Church in Smirna that they should fear none of those things which they should suffer Behold the devil shall cast some of you into prison that ye may be tryed and ye shall have tribulation ten days Now this devil that shall cast some of them in prison I shall shew what he is hereafter But as for the ten days tribulation which the Saints should suffer it was spoken with relation to the ten Persecutions And they are called by the revelation of the spirit but ten days When as it was at times a matter of three hundred years that their tribulation did last which was the ten Persecutions yet called by the spirit but ten days tribulation And the faith and patience which these seven Churches of Asia had being made able to suffer with chearfulness those ten days tribulation it being the ten Persecutions aforesaid They are called the seven horns which the Lamb had For they by their sufferings did push and gall the souls of the persecutors as the Lamb himself did when he did suffer death For he did procure no less then eternal damnation to his persecutors by his suffering
of death And being slain by them And these seven Churches having their power and strength to suffer from Christ the Lamb slain they walked in his steps in the way of suffering Therefore called the seven horns of the Lamb or the Lambs seven horns And as for the seven eyes which the Lamb had they are called the seven spirits of God sent forth into all the earth You may remember that I have shewed before what the seven spirit before the Throne is And these seven spirits which the Lamb hath are the very same That is they are all but one spirit of Christ onely this one spirit doth operate and work seven several ways to wit in the seven Churches of Asia Therefore said to be sent forth into all the earth Because the sound of these seven Churches of Asia of their gifts and suffering went thorow all the earth Therefore called the seven spirits of God yet I would have the Reader to understand thus much That the Lamb that had power to open the book the same Lamb had the seven horns and the seven eyes Now if these seven eyes were the seven Spirits of God then the Lamb must needs be God For the Lamb had the seven Spirits in him and he sent them forth unto the seven Churches of Asia Onely this I would have the Reader to understand that here he is called God as he is a Lamb slain Or as he was in the condition of a Son and a Redeemer So that what power honor or glory soever be attributed to God by the redeemed ones It is with relation to the Son-ship of God He being a Son he is called a Lion and called a Lamb which titles belongeth onely to the Son-ship of Christ He being the onely God though in a two fold state and condition as aforesaid And in the 7 verse it is said And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sate upon the Throne This he that took the book out of his right hand that sate upon the Throne It was the Lamb and this Lamb is Christ and Christ is God and Christ is called the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world He may well be called the Lamb of God because he is God For who can take away the sins of the world but God But God must become a little childe of flesh blood and bone and grow up to a man that he may be capable to suffer the pains of death In that he shed his most precious blood before he could take away the sins of the world And this Lamb which was slain here spoken of by John was no other but God himself But he being now in the condition of a Son in that he had been slain and was now risen again and had accomplished the work of Redemption he was able to sit down in the midst of the Throne And to take the book out of his own right hand as he was the Father and Creator of all things And as he was the Son or Lamb which shed his precious blood to redeem his people from their sins it was his proper work and place to take the book out of his own right hand as he was the Creator and to open the book and loose the seven Seals thereof For in his opening the Book of Life he found the names of all the elect seed written therein which were washed and redeemed with his precious blood Therefore it is said That no man in heaven nor in earth nor under the earth could open the Book but the Lamb onely So that this Lamb must needs be God the Father as well as God the Son for who can open the Book of Life but God himself But he must open it as he was God the Son therefore said to take it out of the right hand of him that sate upon the Throne c. CHAP. XIV ANd in the 8 verse The four beasts and the four and twenty Elders fell down before the Lamb. And in the 9 verse They sung a new Song saying Thou art worthy to take the book and open the Seals thereof for thou wast slain and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood c. I would have the Reader to mind these words why the four beasts and the Elders did sing a new Song Observe it is called a new Song in opposition to the old song As the Gospel of Jesus is called the New Testament and the Law of Moses is called the Old Testament So likewise there is the song of Moses and of the Lamb that is the song of the Lamb. Now the Song of Moses may be called the old song or the first song because Moses the Prophets and Elders of Israel and Saints under that Testament I say they gave praise honor and glory unto Christ as he was God the Father and Creator And as he was the Creator he blessed them with temporal blessings and temporal deliverances So that Moses and the people of Israel sing praise unto God for his wonderful works which he had wrought by the hand of Moses As you may read in the Scriptures in the Song of Moses how wonderfully he doth praise honor and magnifie the God of Israel who had gotten himself a great and terrible name among the heathen And this is called the song of Moses or the old or first song because it was the first manifestation of God as he is the Creator For Moses was the first man that gave us to know any difference of the God of Israel from the God of the Heathen And this manifestation as Moses gives us is that we might know God as he was the Creator and did deliver his people in a more wonderful manner then any other heathen gods could do And in this regard Moses and the Elders of Israel gave praise honor and glory unto the God of Jacob He delivering them out of so many temporal dangers and not onely so but blessing them with many temporal blessings which caused this song of Moses to be sung by the children of Israel And in this regard the song of Moses may be said to be old or the first song he being the first commissionated man to write that which we call the Old Testament Therefore the song of Moses may be called an old Song Because the song of the Lamb is more new for redemption was after creation therefore called a new Song It is called a new Song in relation to a new condition as the Song of Moses was with relation to temporal blessings as aforesaid But this new Song of the Lamb is with relation to spiritual and eternal Blessings So that John in his vision was sensible upon what account this new Song was sung And he seeing in the vision the four beasts and the four and twenty Elders fall down before the Lamb. Having every one of them Harps and golden Vials full of odours which are the prayers of Saints Now these golden Vials are meant
how shall a man know that his name is written in the book of Life but in that he knoweth the true God and how to worship the true God without any idolatry Can he know things of this nature but by a Commission from God surely no. And here lieth the comfort that the Seed of Faith have in this life by a Commission from God By faith they know their names were written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world That is they are to look no further than the beginning of the world that is to the first Adam they being of his seed are not counted by the revelation of Faith to be the world It is the seed of the serpent that is called by the Spirit the world and not the seed of Adam So that the Seed of Faith are those that died in the first Adam yet their names were written in his Seed and Christ the second Adam he being the quickening Spirit of that Seed And as the Seed of Faith was dead in the first Adam so likewise the same Seed is quickened again by the second Adam And so made alive again and may be said to be written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world It is said from the foundation of the world with relation to righteous Abel being slain So that who ever is of Adams seed is of Abels seed and who ever is of Abels seed he may be said to have his name written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world For the Seed of Faith doth go no further to finde his name written in the Book of Life than to righteous Abel For who ever goeth further to finde his eternal Life he will come short of it and never finde it I give this hint to the Seed of Faith onely to let them see where the Book of Life is and where they may finde their names written and not to go at rovers beyond the foundation of the world But go to the first Adam as Moses speaketh of and not as the imagination of Reason doth For who ever goeth beyond Adam to finde his name written in the Book of Life he will never finde it So much for the interpretation of the eighth verse CHAP. XXXVII I Shall pass by the two following verses there being nothing in them but what is commonly known therefore in the next place I shall come to the eleventh verse where it is said And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth and he had two horns like a Lamb and he spake as a Dragon This beast is said to come out of the earth because his power and dominion was most upon dry land Therefore said to come up out of the earth as the other beast did arise out of the sea But this beast had the same spirit of reason in a high nature as the other beast bad and as the dragon had and walked in the same steps or worse than the other beast did and exercised the same authority or worse than the dragon did Yet he had two horns like a Lamb. That is he did appear at his first coming into his Seat more Lamb-like than the other beast whose deadly wound was healed did That is he made a shew at his first appearance as if he would have been more meek and merciful to the Saints that worshipped Jesus than the other beast was So that the Saints had some little hopes that he would have let them exercise their Worship buy and sell and trade without taking the mark of the beast in their foreheads or in their hands And it is very like they had some little space of time at his first coming in to worship buy and sell and trade For it is not to be understood that the Saints were always persecuted and put to death if they had they would have been all extirpated out of the world before three hundred years were expired So that there was sometimes more liberty than at others as there hath been in all Ages So that the two horns of his power did seem to be like a Lamb as if they would do but little hurt for no man doth so much fear the horns of a Lamb as they do the horns of a Bull for the horns signifie Power Now these two horns like a Lamb they did signifie quietness in Religion and peace in the Civil State So that this beast appearing with two horns like a Lamb it gave great hopes to the Saints that they should have liberty of Conscience to worship Jesus And peace in the natural or temporal State to buy and sell and trade freely one with the other As these two Powers did signifie the spiritual power and the temporal power they being the two horns like a Lamb. But this beast he spake as a Dragon And in the twelfth verse He exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him and causeth the earth and them that dwell therein to worship the first beast whose deadly wound was healed Now what the power of the first beast was I have shewed before But in the thirteenth verse And he doth great wonders so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men Now these wonders that was done by this beast who had two horns like a Lamb they were but counterfeit Wonders and no real thing For the imagination of man may do seemingly great things to the sight of the dark minde of man There may be wonderful strange things produced by the imagination of reason When the minde is exercised upon a Religious score they may do seeming Wonders and Miracles as they do by their imagination upon a natural account Did not the Magicians and Southsayers in Egypt by their imagination do many seeming miracles as Moses did Did not they cause Frogs seemingly to appear before Pharaoh as Moses did and many other things as Moses did But this the Reader may understand that the Frogs that Moses brought upon Pharaoh they were real substances alive But the Magicians Frogs which they brought up in the sight of Pharaoh they were but shadows like Frogs without substance But the minde of Pharaoh and his people being ignorant and dark took the shadow for substance But if mens mindes be not as dark as pitch they may know that the Egyptians miracles were nothing else but shadows presented to the dark phantasie of man by the imagination of natural art and figure For if the things the Magicians did before Pharoah and the people had been any thing but shadows The people of the land and the King would have been as much troubled to get away the Frogs and other things that the Magicians brought upon Egypt as they were with those Frogs and other things that Moses brought upon Egypt But it may be clear to those that are not as dark as pitch that all those things which the Magicians of Egypt did were
A TRUE INTERPRETATION OF All the Chief TEXTS and Mysteriouâ— SAYINGS and VISIONS opened of the whole Book of the REVELATION of St. JOHN Whereby is unfolded and plainly declared those wonderful deep Mysteries and Visions interpreted concerning the true God the Alpha and Omega With variety of other Heavenly Secrets which hath never been opened nor revealed to any man since the Creation of the World to this day until now By Lodowick Muggleton one of the 〈◊〉 last Commissionated Witnesses Prophetâ— of the onely high immortal glorious God CHRIST JESUS Printed in the Year of our Lord 1665. for the Author 〈◊〉 Muggleton in Great Trinity-Lane London near the Sigâ— of the Lyon and Lamb. The Epistle to the Reader I Had thoughts when I writ The Interpretation of the eleventh of the Revelation to have written no more Books thinking in my self that there was sufficient mysteries written to have satisfied the spirit of any man as well as my self who came to understand the mysteries of the true God and the right devil as I my self did And because those heavenly things there treated upon were so strange neither did I ever finde or read such a kinde of language not in all the ancient Fathers writings and all who have undertaken to interpret the Scriptures and especially this book of the Barâ—â—â—tion of Saint John In all my zeal in religion which was very great I found no satisfaction neither in their writings nor in their preaching which 〈◊〉 an evident sign to me that those Preachers and Writers were not sent of God For certainly if they had I should have found rest there and so would many more but I see all our preachers and teachers of all opinions in religion they did and do come short of the glory of God in that none of them hath or can declare unto the people neither by writing nor speaking what the true God is in his form and nature nor the right devil his form and nature not with all their wisdom of reason and great learning and study of the Scriptures When as to know God is life eternal so that I know now by experience that there is a great deal of difference between knowledge and thinking I know For true knowledge it gives satisfaction to the spirit of man and who ever knoweth the true God must needs know the right devilâ— And can a man be more satisfied in his minde then he that knâ—â—â— the true God and the right devil for by this knowledge the spirit of man hath peace with God Also he knowing the devil where he is and what he is he i◠〈◊〉 afraid of him for the great trouble that lieth almost upon all 〈◊〉 and womens spirits is they know not God therefore they do not love God but fear his anger they do not know And as for the devil they fear him to be some spirit flying in the air even a fiction of their own brain The imagination of reason thorow its ignorance hath created such a devil to it self that the fear of it hath caused many men and women to looseÌ„ their wits When as indeed and in truth there is no devil but men and women neither doth any devil commit fornication neither temporal nor spiritual with idols but men and women neither doth any devil persecute and kill the Saints or others but men and women so that there is no other devil to be damned to eternity but men women So that this is to be minded that all the Scriptures as they were spoken by the holy Prophets and Apostles they were spoken to men and women that is to Saint and devil for the Scriptures were spoken to none but to these two And these two are men both Saint and devil and yet all the Interpreters of Scriptures cannot find what the devil is nor where he is And if they were well examined they would hardly find where and who are Saints And all this ignorance that lieth upon the spirits of men and women that produceth the trouble of mind or that non-satisfaction it is because the teachers of the people are ignorant and blind themselves in the knowedge of the true God and the right devil and of the true interpretation of the Scriptures So the mysteries of the Kingdom of eternal Glory is hid from their eyes so that they have not satisfaction in themselves nor the people that hear them so that whilst they preach to others they themselves are cast-aways or as Christ saith The blind leads the blind and both fall into the ditch of eternal perdition Yet I confess they cannot help it for it is the instinct of nature for the spirit of reason in man to go to preach before he be sent And it is the instinct and nature of the Spirit of Faith not to be willing to go on Gods Messages when he is sent of God This I can experience to be truth in my self for I was the unwillingest man in the world to be publick either in temporal things or in spiritual matters so that I was forced by a curse from the Lord if I would not go But now I see the same curse did God lay upon all Prophets and Messengers whom he had chose if they should not obey to go where God would send them witness Moses Jeremiah and divers other Prophets and as the Witnesses of the Spirit So that I would have the Reader to understand thus much thaâ— where a true Minister is he is sent of God and the doctrine he doth bring it giveth satisfaction unto himself and to all those that doth truly receive it So on the contrary that Minister that is not sent of God his Doctrine doth neither satisfie himself nor him that receives him tâ—â—â— most peoples experience can witness unto Else as Samuel said to Saul What meaneth the lowing of the â—â—en and the bleating of the sheep in mine ears So in like manner if men were true Messengers of Christ what meaneth the horror and torment of Conscience and the fear of eternal damnation in the souls both of Minister and people This many a Minister and hearer of them can witness unto And all is because they were not sent of God for it is counted as great a sin to run before a man is sent of God as it is not to go when he is sent which sin is called rebellion which is as bad as the sin of witchcraft I speak this onely that the Reader the Seed of Faith may see the difference between those Messengers that are not sent of God and their Doctrine from those that are sent of God and their Doctrine and see which will satisfie the spirit best for I know some hath tasted of both therefore they can tell best For this is to be minded that every true Prophet or Messenger of Christ can trace the footsteps of God in the Scriptures for the Scriptures are the paths for Gods Spirit to walk in and the paths of God are but three paths to
wit the three Records in earth Water Blood and Spirit That is to say the Commission of Moses the Commission of Jesus and the Apostles and the Commission of the Spirit these are the three paths which God doth walk thorow which every Commissionated Prophet could finde out God in that path he walked in Thus when Gods Spirit walked thorow the Law of Moses that being the path for Gods Spirit to walk in the Prophets afterwards did finde him out in that worship of the Law So likewise when Gods Spirit did walk in the path of the Gospel the Apostles did finde him out in the Gospel and could trace his â—tep in the paths of the Law So that the Apostles found God out in those two paths aforesaid Thirdly The Witnesses of the Spirit have found God out in all his three paths as thus 1. The Prophets kept close to the worship of the Law of Moses and therein they found God 2. The Apostles kept close to the worship of the Gospel and therein they found God 3. The Witnesses of the Spirit keeps close to the worship of God in Spirit and truth These three Records on earth are the three paths for God to walk in and who ever doth walk in them shall finde him Onely I would have the Seed of Faith to minde what advantage one Commission hath over another the Commission of the Gospel had great advantage of those in the Law In that the Apostles knew the path of the Law and the path of the Gospel also so that they had proofs from Moses and the Prophets that they were chosen to bear witness unto Jesus and that worship set up by them when as Moses had no books to proof he was chosen of God but he had the power of miracles to prove he was sent of God and the Prophets after him had his writings to prove that God had appeared to Moses so that the Prophets could go no further then Moses and he that could trace the steps of God until he came to Moses he was sure to finde God there but if any man went any further he could never finde God at all So that the Apostles advantage was great in that they had two paths to walk in when as the Prophets had but one for the Prophets in their time did see that God would become flesh and the Apostles did see that God is become flesh so that their advantage was great Thirdly The Commission of the Spirit hath advantage above them both in this respect in that the worship of the Spirit is spiritual without any outward ordinances so that the Spirit of Faith or revelation can walk thorow the path of the Law and can finde that God was there but he is not there now Secondly This Commission of the Spirit can walk thorow the worship of the Apostles and do finde that God was there but he is not there now Thirdly So that God is walking now in the third path or third record on earth even the Commission of the Spirit and there is no 〈◊〉 for any man to finde God but there for there is the knowledge of the true God and the true Interpretation of the Scriptures so that this Commission of the Spirit it hath a great advantage of the other two aforesaid in that the knowledge of the Spirit is a higher knowledge then that of the Prophets and Apostles and the Interpretation of Scripture more abundant then either Prophet or Apostle and more especially the interpretation of heavenly visions For this the Seed of Faith may minde that heavenly visions are hard to utter by those men that see them but it is more hard for a man to interpret that which he never saw for any mans reason would tell him that it was more easie for Pharaoh and Beltesâ—azzar to tell their dreams and visions on their heads then it was for Joseph and Dauid to interpret their dreams Yet this gift was given them of God so to do So likewise God hath given us the chosen Witnesses of the Spirit more knowledge in the Scriptures then all the men in the world at this day and not onely so but God hath given me the gift of Râ—â—â—lation and Interpretation of many Visions and Revelations in the â—â—â—â—ptures of truth and more especially in this Book of the Revelation of Saint John Which book doth consist of little else but heavenly Revelation and spiritual will be which if the Seed of Faith doth but minde they will finde in this Treatise all the most considerable Revelations and Visions and mystical sayings in the Book of Johns Revelation opened and interpreted So that who ever doth truly understand the interpretation of them may receive much satisfaction as to discourse in the Scripture language with any learned man in the world that speaks the English tongue And not onely so but much satisfaction will arise from the true understanding of it to their eternal peace joy and glory hereafter And though I had thoughts as aforesaid to write no more Books after the 〈◊〉 â—â—tion of the eleventh of the Revelation yet I 〈◊〉 written two 〈◊〉 onâ— the Quakers did extort out of â—e by their writing unto me but this the Revelation in â—pâ—â—â—g many places of this Book of the Revelation of John it came so powerfully 〈◊〉 that I thought it was better to break covenant with my self theâ— to 〈◊〉 those 〈◊〉 â—â—ly mysteries and divine secrets with my self And being importuned by some to let it be publick I did apply my selfe the in â—â—â—rious unto it so that I am not glad I did perfect 〈◊〉 thing for noâ— others will have it as well as my self so that I make no question but many will receive benefit by it which shall last to the end of their liveâ—â— and not onely so but the knowledge and benefit of this Book of the Interpretation of all thâ— chief mysterious sayings and visions in the Book of Johns Revelation it shall remain in some to the end of the world and happy will those be in whom it doth remain and miserable will those â—e who despise and reject it though I be laid in the dust so I shall leave the issue to my God my King and my Redeemer the Lord Jesus Christ God and Man in one singular person who is distinct of himself from Angels and men and conclude this Epistle Written by Lodowick Muggleton one of the last Witnesses of the spirit unto the High and Mighty God the Man Christ Jesus in Gâ—â— To my Worthy Friend Mr. LODOWICK MVGGLETON UPON HIS Interpretation of the Book of the Revelations 〈◊〉 Honored It was my great good happiness to see Part of this your â—â—vailed Mystery â—re to the censure of thâ— world it â—s 〈◊〉 And in that part we thought I did descry 〈…〉 and discerning ey◠〈…〉 which hidden were Enjoy those sweet Râ—vâ—â—s 〈◊〉 For they to us are truly now mad◠〈◊〉 To 〈…〉 wiâ—â—â—n And when at first this 〈…〉 view Like a Prospective glass it
â—â—â—ly 〈◊〉 〈…〉 Glass May be a â—â—ll yet 〈…〉 To 〈…〉 〈…〉 So was th' foundation of this Piece too sure To hinder or a little doubt procure Of what proceeds for the foundation tryd There is no fear but th' Building will abide And that which followed drew so near my sight By what preceded that I know 't is right And will abide the storms of envies blast Or censures of the world or standers cast Either on it or those who do believe God did to you this heav'nly wisdom give Methinks they have been like to a tender Plant Who yields none of its precious fruit for want Of the assistance of the Gardners hand And he yet waits for an express command â—re he transplant a thing which is so rare On which his Lord hath an indulgent care And in 't takes pleasure so the Gardner will Not meddle with it to remove it till 〈◊〉 Lord give order which done he then â—â—â—tows It 〈◊〉 â—lace where pleasantly it grows And by 〈◊〉 â—elp of his industrious hand Proves to be th' mirror of all Plants i' th land And bears much fâ—â—â—t and that proves Cordial too And cures such Griefs as nothing else could do Like such a Plant as this these things have lain Till you transplanted them and made it plain You are the Gardner and your Works the Plant The Fruit's the experience of each precious Saint Which is an Antidote for to expel The poisonous and temptatious snares of hell And hath such peerless virtue that it can Inflame some Souls and quench some others then For as the one tastes in a strong desire To blow the coals and not to quench the fire So on the contrary the other who Doth taste but onely for to make a show That he hath tryd such things fâ—â—ds indeed They are but husks on which we seem to feed Then secretly this liquid Fruit it will Put out the warmness and an ice congeaâ— In that presumptious soul who dares to say This is not the right path or heav'nly way If we for parallels would seek we may Look o're the Bible and no other way For ther 's explained by the apostles there Such things as are not to be found elsewhere Till you in your great Works did so excel That onely to themselves they 'r parallel But if reflection back on them we make 'T will not a tittle of the glory take From this your Work but it will rather ad A lustre in confirming what you 've said I 'ave heard there is a fountain and some say 'T is in the Confines of Armenia Which hath such strength in that close Element That whosoe're 's by angry fortune sent Into this fountain or fals within its briâ—k It bears them up wil not let them 〈◊〉 Even such is your Commission for who e'â—â— Falls upon it he shall not need to fear That seeming danger which at first may show A threatning face or knit an angry brow And this clear fountain if considered 〈◊〉 Would represent more then my peâ—â—aâ—teâ— But our All-seeing God is he or whom You dayly wait for Revelation And your inspired Soul is so divine That 't is a Theam fit for Wits more sublime Then my weak Genius therefore I le give way To those who more refined Wits do sway And mine shall onely be a foil to clear Or make anothers verse more fair 〈◊〉 And so I wish you many succeeding 〈◊〉 That you may write again to Gods great praise And the Saint benefit 〈…〉 The Contents of this BOOK CHap 1. What is meant by him that is which was and which is to come and of the seven Spirits or seven Blessings of the seven Churches of Asia Chap. 2. What is meant by eating of the Tree of Life and of not being hurt by the second death and of the hidden Manna and what is meant by ruling with a rod of iron Chap. 3. What is meant by not blotting a mans name out of the book of Life and by being a pillar in the Temple of God and by him that overcometh Chap. 4. What is meant by the seven Spirits of God and how those seven Spirits are but one Spirit Chap. 5. What is meant by the Throne of God and that there is a Kingdom above the stars as there is here below Chap. 6. How Jesus Christ is called by the Spirit the Alpha and Omega and how God was in a two-fold condition and so made capable to suffer the pains of death Chap. 7. The resemblance and likeness of the seven Churches of Europe unto the seven Churches of Asia and how their Ministery doth differ and how the reward will differ also Chap. 8. A further Interpretation of the Throne of God in heaven and of the seven Lamps burning with fire and of the seven Spirits of God Chap. 9. What is meant by the Sea of Glass in heaven and of the four beasts full of eyes and how Christ is called Davids Lord and Davids Son and the difference of the four beasts in their forms yet all but men Chap. 10. The Interpretation of the fix wings the four beasts had a piece and what is meant by their being full of eyes before and behinde and of their giving thanks praise honor and glory to Christ as he is the Creator Chap. 11. The difference of the power of God as he was the Creator and his power as he is a Redeemer there being a two-fold state and condition in God what is means by the Book of Life and the seals on the back side Chap. 12. How John wept because he could see none in heaven nor in earth that could open the Book of Life how the Lyon of the Tribe of Judah doth prevail to open the Book as he is the Redeemer and not as he is the Creator and what is meant by the seven borns Chap. 13. A further Interpretation of the seven borns and what is meant by ten days tribulation and by the seven eyes how Christ opened the Book of Life as he is a Son Chap. 14. The Interpretation of the Song of Moses and of the Lamb why Moses Song may be called an old Song and the Song of the Laniâ— a new Song and what is meant by the golden vials and harps Chap. 15. The Interpretation of the white horse and he that sat upon him and in what manner he went forth to conquer and what the bowe in his hand signifies Chap. 16. What is meant by the red horse and he that sat thereon Chap. 17. The Interpretation of the black horse and him that sat thereon and what is meant by not hurting the oyl and the wine and what is meant by the oyl and the wine Chap. 18. The Interpretation of the pale horse and him that sits thereon and what is meant by hell that followeth him Chap. 19. What is meant by being slain under the Altar and how their blood cryed unto God for vengeance Chap. 20. How the heavens may be said to be rouled up like
white stone and in the Stone a new name written which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it IV. The Blessing of the Church of Thyatira And him that overcometh and keepeth my works unto the end to him will I give power over the Nations and he shall rule them with a rod of Iron as the vessels of a Potter shall they be broken to shivers as I received of my Father and I will give him the morning Star V. The Blessing of the Church of Sardis Him that overcometh the same shall be clothed in white Raiment and I will not blot out his name out of the Book of Life but will confess his name before my Father and before his Angels VI. The Blessing of the Church of Philadelphia Him that overcometh will I make a Pillar in the Temple of my God and he shall go no more out and I will write upon him the name of my God and the name of the City of my God which is New Jerusalem which cometh down out of heaven from my God and I will write upon him my new name VII The Blessing of the Church of Loadicea To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my Throne even as I also overcame and am sat down with my Father in his Throne He that hath an â—ar let him hear what the spirit of Revelation in John hath said unto all the seven Churches of Asia CHAP. II. The interpretation of the several Blessings THis Tree of Life in the middest of the Paradise of God the Tree of Life is no other but the Person of Christ and the eating of it is believing in him to be the onely God this is to eat the flesh and drink his blood 2. He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death this second death is an eternal death that is a living death and a dying life that is always dying yet never dead this is called by the spirit the second death which all true believers shall be freed from so that they shall not be hurt of the second death 3. He that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden Manna and will give him a white Stone and in the stone a new name written which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it This hidden Manna is that peace and satisfaction every true believer hath in his minde in believing in the true God so that the mind or spirit doth feed upon those sweet refreshments that floweth from their faith in the true God For those motions of faith that doth arise in the mind it feedeth upon the assurance of everlasting life for eternal life is that hidden Manna which every true believer doth eat of So that the spirits of true believers doth eat of this hidden Manna of eternal life even as the Jews did eat of that Manna that Moses gave them in the Wilderness which Manna is called Angels food That Manna Moses gave them to eat it did signifie the Law by which the holy Angels did live by and by that holy Law the Angels do live that Law being written in their natures of pure reason And by their feeding upon that Law that is by their perfect obedience to God their Creator they do live in his presence for ever So that the Manna that came down from Heaven it was but a type or figure of the Angels Law written in their natures by which they live in the presence of God to eternity So likewise there is a Law written in the nature and seed of faith that is to say in every true believer and by this Law written in his heart he cometh to perfect obedience of faith and so liveth by the faith of the Son of God as Paul saith But I say true believers now they live by the faith of God himself and so it may be called the faith of Gods elect So that every true believer doth eat of the hidden Manna that is they eat the flesh of Christ for he is that bread that came down from heaven that whosoever doth eat thereof shall never dye So that to speak properly the flesh of Christ is that hidden Manna and that refreshments and assurance of eternal life as I said before is but types and figures as the other Manna was to the Jews So that every one that doth truly believe in the true God he doth eat of the hidden Manna it may well be called hidden Manna for indeed it is hid from the greatest part of the world and very few there is that doth eat of it at all For none doth eat of it but those to whom it is given but the Angels Manna is eaten of by every man and woman in the world And as for this white Stone this white Stone signifies clean hearts as thus whereas the heart before it was a heart of stone or a stony heart and not onely so but it was a black stony heart defiled with ignorance blindness darkness and unbelief So that the heart was compassed about and covered with the fear of hell and torment of soul and now this black or red stony heart it is purified by faith in the blood of the Lamb. It having a new Law written in it that is the Law of faith and so causeth men to walk in Gods Statutes which Statutes of God is to believe those whom he sends and that Faith will purifie the heart of that ignorance darkness and unbelief So that in spiritual matters the heart of man will become a white stone it is called a white stone because it is cleansed from those things aforesaid and made white by faith in the blood of the Lamb. So that this white stone is no other but a new heart or the old heart made new by the power of Faith And as for the new Name that is written in this white stone this new Name is a secret knowledge and assurance that he is one of the redeemed of God So that he hath the Name of the second Adam written in his heart even as all men have the Name of the first Adam written in their hearts because all men are in the fallen state by nature children of wrath And so every man can read his name in that he can read it in his own heart they all being under the name of the first Adam But the name of this second Adam which is called A new Name which none knoweth saving he that receiveth it this experience will witness that no man can know that secret knowledge and assurance of his own redemption by the second Adam but he that hath it written in him by the finger of Faith So that all that do receive this white stone they have this new Name written in it which they themselves can read to their eternal joy and glory though others cannot who have it not 4. He that overcometh and keepeth my works unto the end to him will I give power over the Nations and he shall rule them with a rod of iron
sufferings for truth he cometh to have the witness in himself that his name is written in the Book of Life and that his name shall not be blotted out no not by God himself 6. Him that overcometh will I make a Pillar in the Temple of my God and he shall go no more out and I will write upon him the Name of my God and the name of the City of my God which is New Jerusalem which cometh down out of Heaven from my God and I will write upon him my new Name This Pillar in the Temple of God it signifies the great strength of faith and patience that was in the Church of Philadelphia So that their great faith should enable them to suffer with such patience that they should become a Pillar in the Temple of God that is their faith should be as a Pillar to encourage and strengthen and bear up those that were more weak in faith and more fearful to suffer But he that overcometh shall be as a Pillar to bear up the weak even as a Pillar of a Church of stone doth bear up the building that standeth upon it For the Temple of God is no other but true Believers they are called by the Spirit The Temple of God and he that is strong in faith and doth overcome all persecution by patient suffering for his faith in God he shall be made a Pillar to help bear up the Church of God And he shall go no more out That is he shall go no more out from being a Pillar but he shall be esteemed of God a standing Pillar in his Temple to all Eternity So that God will write upon him his own Name and the name of the City of God The Name of God is to be a King Priest and Prophet So that he that overcometh as aforesaid shall have this name written upon his heart King Priest and Prophet unto God And as for the name of the City of God New Jerusalem which cometh down out of Heaven from God which New Jerusalem I have opened what it is in the Interpretation of the Eleventh of the Revelation And as for the New Name God will write upon him I have shewed what it is before 7. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my Throne even as I also overcame and am sate down with my Father in his Throne Here the Reader may see what the Spirit doth mean by overcometh That is he overcometh sin death and hell within himself these being principalities and powers within a man Also he overcometh all persecution and the malice of the devil the spirit of reason without a man These things I say are overcome by the power of Faith in suffering patiently for truth as aforesaid For this was the way that Christ did overcome all his enemies and when he had overcome by his death sin in that he dyed unto sin And he overcome death in that he was deaths death Also he overcame hell in that the grave was not able to hold him under Therefore it is said by the spirit Oh death I will be thy death oh grave I will be thy victory Also he overcame by his sufferings the spirit of reason the devil who always persecuted the Prophets and Saints I say he overcometh by his death this spirit of reason the devil in that he hath procured by his death an eternal damnation to all persecuting spirits So that he hath overcome them and will kill them with a second death where will be weeping and gnashing of teeth for evermore And he overcometh these enemies aforesaid he is sate down in the Throne of the Father That is he is sate down in the same Glory as he had when he was the Creator or the same Glory which he had before the world was Even so in like manner shall every Prophet Apostle and Saint that overcometh those enemies aforesaid by the power of his Faith and his patient sufferings for truth To him will Christ grant to sit with him in his Throne that is he shall sit with Christ or be with Christ in the Kingdom of Eternal Glory Even as he himself after his sufferings is sate down in the kingdome which he had before the world was Which is called by the spirit the Throne of the Father in relation to that twofold condition in God as I have shewed in this Treatise following Thus in short I have given the Interpretation what is meant by those seven several Blessings given by the Spirit to the seven Churches of Asia and how they all differ one from another and yet all have relation to one and the same thing even to eternal happiness joy and glory in the presence of Almighty God their God their King and Redemeer CHAP. IV. I Would have the Seed of Faith also to understand that Christ the onely God is he which did send forth these seven Spirits unto the seven Churches Therefore called by the Revelation of John the seven Spirits which are before his Throne The seven Spitits I declare by Revelation that they are but one Spirit even the Spirit of Jesus Christ the onely wise God blessed for ever and ever Onely this I would have the Seed of Faith to understand that this one spirit of Christ it hath seven several operations or workings in the seven Churches Therefore called by the Revelation of John seven Spirits before the Throne Therefore you may read that John in his writing to the seven Churches of Asia giveth seven several Blessings as aforesaid So likewise he cometh with his message to the seven Churches with seven several titles and yet all from one God and one Spirit As thus First he writeth to the Church of Ephesus with this title Saith he that holdeth the seven Stars in his right hand who walketh in the middest of the seven Golden Candlestickâ— These Golden Candlesticks are the seven Churches Is there any spirit that can walk in the middest of the hearts of the seven Churches but the Spirit of Christ which is God surely no. Secondly John writeth to the Church of Smirna These things saith the first and the last which was dead and is alive Is not Jesus Christ the first and the last Was not he dead and rose again And so is alive Surely it is This was the saith of John and the rest of the Apostles and it is my faith also Thirdly John writeth these things unto the Church in Pergamos Saith he who hath the sharp Sword with two edges This Sword with two edges it cometh out of Christs mouth I suppose all men that profess the Scriptures will confess it Fourthly Unto the Church in Thyatira he writeth These things saith the Son of God who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire and his feet are like fine brass Here the Spirit of Christ gives himself forth under the title of his Son-ship but to the former Churches he gives himself forth under the title of the Father-hood Yet under the title
that John doth say the tayl of this Army were like unto serpents and had heads and with them they do hurt For take a serpent by the head and he can do no hurt though his tayl be at liberty But the heads of these serpents were at liberty therefore it was they did hurt in killing of men This is to be minded that this great Army were heathen men and those upon whom these great Piagues fell were heathen men wicked idolatrous people which worshipped wood and stone guilded over with gold even the works of their own hands They make a god with their own hands and fall down and worship it as David saith Psal 115.4 5 6 7. Their idols are silver and gold even the work of mens hands they have mouthes and speak not eyes have they and see not noses have they and smell not hands and handle not feet but walk not neither do they speak thorow the throat as that which hath life doth So Psal 135.15 The images of the heathen are silver and gold c. So that these Plagues which John saw in the vision it was upon the Heathen Gentiles that had no faith in the Gospel of Jesus neither did they repent ever the more of their idolatry and worshipping of devils That is those men that were not killed by those Plagues did not leave off worshipping of devils in that they did still worship idols of silver and of gold and of brass and of stone and of wood which neither can hear nor see nor walk So in the last verse of this Chapter as they did not repent of their wicked idolatry neither did they repent of their other wicked sins which nature is addicted to That is to say their murthers nor of their sorceries nor of their fornication nor of their thefts But there needeth no further opening of the two last verses of this Chapter for they are easie to be understood therefore I shall say no more as to the Interpretation of the ninth Chapter CHAP. XXX NOw I have given the Interpretation of all the chief things of Concernment in all the nine Chapters of the Revelation of St. John and I have shewed in some measure what Plagues and Judgements did proceed upon the sounding of the Trumpet of every one of the six Angels And as for the seventh Angel sounding it sounds in the eleventh Chapter of the Revelation which Chapter I have interpreted already in that Treatise called The Interpretation of the Eleventh Chapter of the Revelation And as for the chief things in the tenth Chapter I have spoken of them in that Book also Onely the seven Thunders what they did utter I have not written concerning it Because John would have written what the seven thunders did utter but the Angel forbad him to write saying Seal up those things which the seven Thunders uttered and write them not So if he that heard them must not write what they uttered how should I that never heard them So that I shall pass by the tenth eleventh and twelfth Chapters for I have spoken of the chief heads of the twelfth Chapter in the aforesaid Treatise and in The Divine Looking-Glass so that I shall pass on to the thirteenth Chapter But before I come to interpret the thirteenth Chapter I shall speak something concerning the seven Anti-Angels sounding their trumpets as the seven true Churches of Asia did And how that there hath Plagues and Judgements been upon the earth at the sounding of the Anti-Angels as there was at the sounding of those Angels of Asia Now you may remember that I have shewed before that the Ministers and Pastors of every Church are called Angels And the preaching of those Ministers and Pastors is the sounding of the trumpet so that when the trumpet of every Angel did sound there was some great Judgement did follow As at the sounding of the trumpet of the Roman Catholick Ministery when they did put Christ and the Apostles into worship the Pope being made the first Bishop or Minister to succeed and sit in Peters Chair and so other Ministers were ordained under him Was there not great troubles upon the earth at the first sounding of the Popish Ministery after the Ten Persecutions The Histories of England doth make mention what strange things were acted upon the earth in those parts at that time But I shall leave that to those that have been accustomed to read Histories who have those Books to read But in the time of its sounding hath there not bin many plagues and troubles upon the earth upon people whose consciences have been tender and could not bow down to their idolatrous worship Hath not the Popish Ministery invented strange plagues and punishments for them as they did in the Ten Persecutions The Book of Martyrs doth relate many strange torments besides what other Histories do relate Which the Papists did use to torment men and women that could not bow down to the superstition which the Ministery of the Pope did set up So that it would be too tedious to relate what plagues hath bin upon the earth what with the temporal and with the spiritual plagues at and in the sounding of the trumpet of the Popish Ministery It being the first Anti-Angel of Europe in resemblance of the Angel of the Church of Ephesus in Asia 2. Secondly Was there not great plagues upon the earth about Religion and turning the temporal affairs of the earth when the Episcopal and Protestant Ministery did sound when Luther Calvin and others did blow the trumpet of their Ministery dissenting and differing something about matters of Religion This I suppose most men have the History to shew of that And what wonderful things have been acted by Protestant Kings and Protestant Ministers so that great plagues in the temporal and persecution for Conscience for differing in Religion hath been acted in the time of the Protestant Ministery It being the second Anti-Angel that did sound in resemblance and likeness of the Angel of the Church of Smyrna 3. Thirdly Was there not great plagues at the sounding of the Presbytery and Independent Ministery I put them together because they sounded their trumpets both together though there is a distinct difference between them in some particulars in point of Worship and Church Discipline But they were both of them that which is called Puritans and their Ministery did sound a long time before they got power to persecute for they could not do that until they had put down the Episcopacy neither could the Protestant Ministery persecute until they had turned out the Papist So that the sounding of one Angel did put down the other And was there not plagues in the temporal and persecution in Religion when the Presbyterian and Independent sounded their Ministery Was not the Bishops put down and the Presbyterian and Independent put in their room or places And did not the Presbytery persecute for Conscience sake in matters of Religion witness the Synod And after that was down
Sword of the Spirit which was in the Saints Even the faith of Jesus which enabled them to suffer with cheerfulness the spoyling of their goods and not loving their lives unto the death rather than to worship the beast or his image And this was that deadly wound that the beast had in his head and this was the first day and one of the ten days tribulation the Saints did undergo For when men suffer meerly for their faith of Jesus or in innocency of minde in matter of worship they do by their sufferings wound the persecutors soules more than if they should turn again and fight with a sword of steel So that it wa◠the Saints patient sufferings that did give this beast as John speaketh of that deadly wound in his head But after a season his deadly wound was healed That is after the plague of his heart was over that he saw he should not die He grew more worse much like Pharaoh when Moses had taken away the Plague from him and his people his heart was hardened and made more cruel and worse So was it with this Beast when his conscience had the fear of the present death taken off him so that he was healed as to that Then he grew worse then he was before For now his mouth uttered blasphemy and power was given unto him to continue forty two months as in verse the fifth These forty two months hath relation to the Ten Persecutions which did last a matter of three hundred years For the spirit and power of this beast did run thorow the loins of all them seven heads they all being partakers of the Dragons power seat and authority For it runs thorow the loins of al wicked Beasts or wicked Head-Magistrates For they have all the spirit of Reason even the spirit of the Dragon though not in such a measure as the Dragon hath So that the power of this beast should continue in himself and in others forty two months That was all the days of the Ten Persecutions which time was the same as the two Prophets did prophesie which is said to be forty two months Which time was as long as the Apostles Commission did last about three hundred years as aforesaid And as I have shewed in The Interpretation of the eleventh of the Revelation CHAP. XXXVI BUt in the sixth verse the 〈◊〉 that was healed of his deadly wound he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God to blaspheme his Name and his Tabernacle and them that dwelt in heaven So that you may see now this Beast was healed of his wound he was worse and blasphemed more against the living God and against his Tabernacle Which Tabernacle was the body of Christ And those that dwelt in heaven are the Saints who worshipped by faith in the Tabernacle of God which is in heaven Therefore said to dwell in heaven and in the seventh verse It was given him that is the Beast aforesaid to make war with the Saints and to overcome them and power was given him over all kindreds and tongues and nations Now the Beast being recovered of that wound the Saints did give him he comes on a fresh and makes war against them Not onely in blaspheming against the living God or living Jesus whom the Saints did worship and serve and would not worship and serve him Therefore he makes war with the Saints and overcomes them That is causeth all those he could light of to deny their Faith in Jesus and worship as he would have them or else they must be put to death So that he did overcome many of the Saints and put them to death For power was given him over all kindreds tongues and nations That is he had power over all other people but those that worshipped Jesus To command them to worship him and that worship he did set up and all people but the Saints did obey Some for fear and some for love but all did obey to worship the beast onely those that had faith in Jesus therefore they were overcome and killed by this beast But the others the kindreds tongues nations saved their lives for the world wandred after the beast his power was so great So that all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him whose names are not written in the book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world as in the eighth verse The meaning is this that the spirit of reason in this beast and in all other beasts or Head-Magistrates that are of the seed of the serpent should have such power over the dark reason of man to worship him and the image he doth set up And the whole world lying in ignorance and darkness they are thorow their ignorance ready and willing to worship any thing that the spirit of Reason in the Head-Magistrate shall command them And the ignorance and darkness of men in point of worship is so numerous that hardly any can be seen in the world but idolaters So that it may be said that all that dwell on the earth doth worship the beast none excepted but those whose names are written in the book of Life which are but few in comparison For the worshippers of the true God are but few in comparison of those that worship the devil For the spirit of reason is the devil and what image or form of worship is set up by the spirit of reason in the Head-Magistrate having no Commission from God it is but of the devils setting up And who ever doth bow down to worship in that manner and form they do but worship the Beast and his image and so worship devils And is not the whole world at this day as well as at that time as well those that profess themselves Christians as well as Heathen Turks and Pagans under that darkness of minde as to worship false gods idols and devils So that the whole world may be said to worship the beast and his image though not all one kinde of image For every Opinion of Religion in the world hath one image or other to worship in stead of God And it must needs be so because the world doth not know the true God in his form and nature therefore they worship devils in stead of God though in divers forms and manner But I would have the Seed of Faith to mind that when I say all the world the Elect Seed are excepted For the Seed of Faith are not counted the world though they be in the world As Christ said I pray not for the world but for them thou hast given me out of the world and that thou wouldest keep them from the evil of the world So that the Scriptures doth never count the Saints the world though they be in the world So that the Scriptures may say that all the world wandred after the beast for all the world doth wander after one false worship or other but those that have their names written in the book of Life Now