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
form of a white horse it is not much material for it the spirit will call the righteousness of Saints a white horse who shall gainsay it But however the white Robes of the Saints who are washed in the blood of the Lamb are as a white horse for God their King to ride upon So that if you understand the interpretation of this white horse you may the more easily know the meaning of the other three horses Also it is necessary to know who doth ride or sit upon this white horse I declare by Revelation from the holy Spirit that he which John saw sit on the white horse it was no other but Christ himself It was he that had a bowe and a crown was given unto him it may be said the crown was given unto him as he was the Redeemer For this crown of Glory that was given unto him it was as he was the Redeemer and not as he was the Creator And as he was the Redeemer he sate or rode upon the white horse And he went forth conquering and to conquer That is he being the author of the righteousness of Faith as he was the Redeemer that he made the Saints so pure and white that they became a white horse for him to sit upon So that they were able by their faith in the blood of the Lamb to suffer tribulation and death it self So that they became more then conquerors for he that suffereth persecution for the name of Jesus he doth conquer more then he that doth persecute and put to death So likewise Christ that sate upon this white horse as he was the Redeemer he went forth conquering and to conquer That is he went forth in the power of faith by which he created all things he went forth to redeem the Seed of Adam that was fallen under death and the fear of eternal damnation So that death and hell got power over Adam and his Seed so that Christ riding upon the white Horse of innocency or the righteousness of Faith he went forth conquering and to conquer That is he went forth to die to shed his most precious blood and by his giving himself up unto death He conquered over sin death and hell Therefore it is said in Scripture Oh death I will be thy death oh grave I will be thy victory That is he will get victory over the grave as he did over death for he destroyed death in that death could not keep him under it for ever in that he passed thorow it He got victory over the grave in that the grave could not keep him inclosed in the earth So that he went forth conquering and to conquer never leaving off until he had conquered all his enemies That is to say sin death devil hell the grave these all were his enemies and he hath conquered over them all by his becoming flesh and by his suffering of death upon the Cross as he was a Redeemer or as he was God the Son and these enemie did Christ which sate upon the white horse go forth conquering and to conquer to redeem the Seed of Adam And this is the true meaning what is meant by the white horse and by him that sate thereon and by his conquering and to conquer And the bowe which he had it signified the power he had to shout and kill those spiritual enemies which is sin death hell and devil Which could no ways have been killed but by giving his life up unto death and by his passing thorow death and quickening into life again he killed death sin hell and the devil With this dart of offering up his soul unto death it being shot thorow sin death and hell by the strength or bowe of the power of faith in God And as for the Crown that was given him it is spoken with relation to the Son-ship of God as he is a Redeemer So that the Crown of Glory that he hath given him it is attributed unto him as he is a Redeemer For the work of Redemption is counted by the redeemed ones more worthy of a Crown of glory then the work of creation So that this Crown of glory that is given to Christ that sate upon the white Horse it is in relation to his work of Redemption in that he conquered over all those spiritual enemies as aforesaid So much for the first and second verses CHAP. XVI IN the 3 verse it is said And when he had opened the second Seal I heard the second Beast say Come and see And in the 4 verse There went out another horse that was red and power was given to him that sate thereon to take peace from the earth and that they should kill one another and there was given unto him a great Sword These four beasts which John saw in the vision did signifie unto him those wonderful Transactions which were and should be acted here on earth in the state of mortality in the time of the four Monarchies And signified unto John in the way of vision by four horses Now the second horse that did appear to John in the vision was a red horse and power was given to him that sate thereon to take peace from the earth and that they should kill one another This Monarchical Government went forth upon a red horse that is shedding of blood should be the greatest work he that sate thereon should do It was called a red Horse because of the much shedding of blood so that the blood of men is called a red Horse even as the righteousness of faith is called a white Horse And as the souls of the Saints were made white with the blood of the Lamb so are these souls made red with shedding of one anothers blood So that every mans soul became a red horse and he that sate upon this red horse had power given him to take peace from the earth and for that purpose theâ—e was given unto him a great sword Now this great Sword it was to kill and in killing one another peace must needs be taken from the earth So that this Kingly Power though they were many Kings yet they are called but him that sate upon the red horse So likewise though there were many thousand slain and had their blood shed yet they are all called but A red horse so that there is but the horse and his rider for Kings and Magistrates do ride upon the people in that they command the people to kill one another So that people which go to fight to shed one anothers blood may well be called A red horse for they make their souls as red as scarlet with blood-shed And the power of the Magistrate doth ride and sit upon this red horse for he hath a great sword given unto him to command persecutors to kill one another and they must obey and become a red horse or else they must be killed themselves Thus in short I have given you the signification of the red horse and of him that sits thereon For
Prophet Elijah For the worshippers of Baal were so numerous that Elijah thought there was none but himself that did worship the God of Jacob. But there was seven thousand that had not bowed their knee to Baal And these were the oyl and the wine that should not be hurt by compelling of them to hurt their consciences by worshipping a false God as the generality of the people did thorow the darkness of their mindes They being the black horse for the ignorant dark power of the Head-Magistrate to ride or sit upon For as the horse is black so is the rider with ignorance and darkness in spiritual worship Onely he that sits upon the black horse is the dark power of reason Therefore the Apostles calls it the power of darkness for it is the dark reason of man that doth act deeds of darkness Therefore called the power of darkness and the deeds of spiritual darkness in point of worship is called by the Revelation of John he that sits upon the black horse Because he commandeth all people to worship his imaginary God And the people thorow the darkness of their understandings they do obey and so they become in point of spiritual worship a black horse For the dark power of reason to sit or ride upon c. CHAP. XVIII ANd in the 7 verse it is said And when he had opened the fourth Seal I heard the fourth beast say Come and see and in the 8 verse John looked and behold a pale horse and his name that sate on him was Death and hell followed with him and power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth to kill with sword and with hunger and with death and with the beasts of the earth I would have the Reader to minde the interpretation of this pale horse because everyone of us must be a pale horse for death to sit upon Except we be swallowed up of life as Moses and Elijah was Which I nor no man else at this day doth know he shall So that death must ride upon all sinful flesh Now to give you the meaning what this pale horse is it is no other but the sinful soul of man and woman Therefore as the Scriptures saith When sin entred into the world then death entred in upon it So that as soon as ever the souls of Adam and Eve had let sin enter into their souls Then death entered for death did ride upon sin and sin did ride upon the soul of ours first parents According to that saying of God in the day that thou eatest thereof meaning the forbidden fruit thou shalt dye the death So that as soon as sin entred into their souls death entred also So that the souls of Adam and Eve became as a pale horse for death to ride upon For there was not onely the fear of this first death but the fear of eternal death also Which made the soul of Adam to fear therefore he went to hide himself For the fear of death will make the soul to look pale so that it will become a pale horse for death to ride upon For by sin entering into the world death got power over all life So that death sits upon all life both upon man and beasts For the beasts are made subject to death by reason of the fall of man Onely I would have the Reader to understand this secret that the creatures the beasts were created of God on purpose to be killed for the nourishment of man But if sin had never been committed by man death would never have entered upon the life of man nor beast That is no beast would have died naturally as they do now But what were killed on purpose for some use so that no man would have had such lose as some men now have Some are undone by the dying of Horses others by Cows and others by Sheep and this is death that hath entered into the world upon the beasts For the sin of Adam brought death upon all his posterity and upon the beasts also as aforesaid So that the life of man and beasts is become a pale horse for death to sit upon And the fear of death in Adam did make his soul to look pale And so it doth in all mankinde the fear of death it makes the stoutest heart to look pale especially when the fear of eternal death is not taken away As very few men in the world have the fear of the second death taken from them So that their souls look pale indeed so that the generality of men and women have the fear of eternal death that sits upon their souls so that they are that pale horse that death rideth upon And hell follows immediately after the first death the second death and hell go both together hand in hand These things I say will make any soul to look pale This I can experience both by my self and others before I came to know the true way of redemption And because you the Seed of Faith may know that the soul of man is that pale horse that death sits upon Which sin did cause to enter upon all life I say this death it entered upon the life of God himself So that God died unto sin that is to satisfie sin that sin which brought death with it might enter upon the life of God and kill that life in God for a moment But the life of God being more strong then death it pierced thorow the body of death and quickened a new life again So that he overcame death in that death could not keep him under it As it doth the first Adam and his posterity It is much like unto a valiant soldier who by his valor and strength passeth thorow a body of men well armed And by his getting thorow that body of men he comes to rout and scatter them and gets the victory over them So was it with Christ the onely God he laying down his Godhead life it being in the Manhood unto death he passed thorow death and killed that which did kill him to wit sin death and hell These being mighty strong enemies too strong for any created soul or life to encounter with None could do it but the life of the eternal God himself For sin lyeth heavy upon the soul of man and death is the king of fears it maketh kings to fear and tremble at the sight of it And hell is worse then death it self yet these strong enemies are overcome by the blood of the Lamb and in all those that have faith in it and doth truly understand it So that you that have faith may see what this pale horse is John speaketh of and what death is that sits upon the pale horse And what power they have given unto them over the four parts of the earth Even to kill with the Sword and with hunger and with death and with the beasts of the earth The pale horse and death hath power given them over all life in the four
eternal happiness and that his blood might keep down the reprobate seed to endless misery So that the Reader may see what the Spirit doth mean by Christ being clothed with a garment down to the foot and his vesture dipt in blood For I think none are so ignorant as to think that it was any woollen or linnen or silk garment that was dipt in blood that would have been little benefit to any man But the ignorance of people is so great that they will think and believe any thing though never so contrary to reason and yet seem to be wise men in reason but the greater is their darkness in spiritual and heavenly things Yet the Seed of Faith may see what this vesture dipt in blood is and who it was that was clothed with this garment down to the foot It was no other but God himself as is said in the same verse And his Name is called The word of God for there is none can truly be called the Word of God but God for the Word was with God and the Word was God as I have shewed before CHAP. LXXV VErse 14. And the Armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses clothed in fine linnen white and clean These armies which were in heaven they are the Saints and the Prophets Apostles and Witnesses of the Spirit are the Captains over these armies that is all true Believers in every Commission are in these three armies and there is one Chief General in all the armies in heaven and that is God himself So that all these armies in heaven follow him upon white horses For as the General hath a white horse to sit upon so likewise have all the armies in heaven that is to say all the Saints white horses to sit upon also The Reader may remember that I shewed before what is meant by a white horse and how that God himself had a white horse to sit upon to wit his own righteousness of faith By which power of faith God created all things and by the power of faith he fulfilled the Law and by the power of faith he laid down his life unto death and by the power of faith did rise again so that this righteousness of faith is that white horse that Christ doth sit upon Likewise the armies in heaven they follow him upon white horses also that is all the Saints as aforesaid being true Believers in Christs death that his blood was the blood of God so that this blood hath washed their souls in it that their hearts are purified by faith in the blood of the Lamb so that they have the righteousness of faith in them and this righteousness of faith is called by the Spirit A white horse So that all the armies in heaven that is all true Believers they have white horses to sit upon to follow their God their King and their Redeemer And as for their being clothed in fine linnen white and clean that signifies their souls being purified by faith the guilt of all sin is cleansed from them so that though their souls were as red as scarlet with the guilt of sin yet now being purified by faith they are made as white as snow So that their souls are clothed now with peace joy and glory which is as fine linnen white and clean c. Verse 15. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword that with it he should smite the nations and he shall rule them with a rod of iron and he treadeth the wine-press of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God This sharp sword that goeth out of his mouth it is out of the mouth of Christ that is when he shall command his Angels to pour out their vials of wrath or plagues upon the enemies of truth It may be called a sharp sword that goeth out of his mouth so that by the word of his mouth he shall cause his Angels to smite the nations and when they have smitten them dead he by a word of his mouth will raise them again and rule them with a rod of iron in that he will make them undergo a second death So that the two-edged sword that goeth out of his mouth shall cut both ways that is to say it shall cut down this natural life and cut down that spiritual life also so that after death they shall have a living death and a dying life so that he will rule them with a rod of iron in utter darkness where is weeping and gnashing of teeth for evermore For as much as he hath trod the wine-press of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God he hath purchased to himself a greater power than he had before even a power that after he hath killed this natural life to kill both body and soul of his enemies in hell fire that is with a second and eternal death and so he will rule them with a rod of iron indeed I would not have the Reader to stumble because it is said in Scripture in divers places and in this verse also that he treadeth the wine-press of the wrath of Almighty God as if there were a Father above Christ as men have vainly imagined and have not stuck to say that Christ-trod the wine-press of his Fathers wrath But I would have the Reader to know that there is no such saying in all the Bible as that he trode the wine-press of his Fathers wrath but he treadeth the wine-press of the wrath of Almighty God for he is the Almighty God himself though in a two-fold condition as I have shewed before in this Treatise Which methinks might satisfie the minde of any sober moderate man but if it doth not satisfie the reason of man I cannot help it the thing is truth in it self and it was a truth to the Prophets and Apostles and to John the Evangelist and it is a truth to me and will be a truth to all true Believers to the worlds end CHAP. LXXVI VErse the sixteenth And he hath on his Vesture and on his Thigh a Name written King of kings and Lord of lords This vesture is the body of his flesh as I said before and on his thigh signifies that part of his vesture that is most fittest to write his name upon the thigh being the most fleshy part of a man and so most fittest to write upon That is it was the most fittest part of all the body to thrust the spear into so that there was written on his vesture and on his thigh King of kings and Lord of lords That is he was pierced with the devils spear in the body and in his thigh and by the blood that came out of his own vesture there was this name written upon his own body King of kings and Lord of lords That is that body was the body of God and that blood was the blood of God so that he being the King of Heaven he must needs be King of kings and Lord of lords for who is King of kings but
God himself onely So that as he was the Creator of all things he had this Name written on him as he was the Creator Jehovah God Almighty I am that I am this was the Name of God as he was the Creator and this name was written on his Spiritual body which was his vesture for his God-head Spirit to live in but now God is become flesh and hath cloathed the Godhead Life with a garment of flesh as a vesture and shed his most precious blood he being in the condition of a Son or a Servant he made himself capable of the pains of death and so died unto Sin that is to satisfie sin for nothing could satisfie sin but the blood of God And by his dying unto it he destroyed sin in that death could not keep him under it For if death could have kept that body of Christ in the grave so that it might not have risen again then sin and death would have lived for ever and ever and this world would have had no end So that by this death of God he hath conquered sin death and hell for the Seed of Adam that they shall have no power over them not as to keep them under eternal torments But on the contrary he hath by his death overcome sin death and hell so as to make them serve for the eternal torment of the seed of the serpent who have acted sin So that as he hath gone thorow the condition of a Redeemer and overcome sin death and hell upon those two considerations aforesaid By the body of his flesh he hath purchased to himself as he is the Redeemer a name written on that body of flesh which is called his vesture King of kings and Lords of lords But here is one thing more to be minded that this death of Christ was that which treadeth the wine-press of the wrath of Almighty God For God was wrath with sin and nothing could punish sin but an eternal death so that God having no way to destroy sin and to be even with the serpent that brought sin and death into the world not onely to himself and his own seed but also to Adam and his seed So that God being willing to avenge himself of the serpent and his seed and to restore Adam and his Seed again he took upon him the Seed of Abraham which is the nature of Adam and not the nature of Angels of whose nature the serpent was of And so clothed the eternal spirit with a body of flesh and so offered up the eternal spirit unto death that he might destroy him that had the power of death which is the devil which devil is no other but the spirit of reason in man So that as death was in the devils hands before Christs death yet now by his death he hath gained the power of death himself â—nto his own hands So that now he will deliver his own seed from it and will inflict the same death eternal upon the devil and his seed as he would have done upon God and his seed So that the wrath of Almighty God it was against sin and death which the serpent brought into this world upon all the seed of Adam and the body of God by the assistance of the eternal spirit must tread the wine-press of it That is the eternal spirit was the life of the blood that was in that blessed body so that he poured out his soul unto death and was offered up throw the eternal spirit and this was the treading the wine-press of the wrath of Almighty God he being the Almighty God himself and by this work of Redemption he hath a Name written upon that body of flesh he suffered death in King of kings and Lord of lords I confess these things are deep mysteries hard for me to explain in words and more hard to be understood by those who know not what revelation doth mean For things of this nature cannot be explained with that ease as other matters may which is more easie to understand but the Seed of Faith may see what is meant by the wine-press of Gods wrath and who it was that treadeth it in that his soul was made an offering forsin and so hath a Name by his sufferings King of kings and Lord of lords as aforesaid CHAP. LXXVII IN this sixteenth verse John hath concluded the marriage of the Lamb with the joy and glory the Saints shall have in heaven over the destruction of Babylon that is over the destruction of all wicked persecuting men from the beginning of the world to the latter end thereof and by what means these things hath been accomplished Even by that sharp Sword that goeth out of Christs mouth in giving his Angels command to pour out the vials of his wrath upon the earth and by his own garment dipt in blood hath he accomplished glory and eternal happiness to the Saints and shame and endless misery to the reprobate So that in the latter part of this chapter the Spirit doth call to rememberance the great destruction of that great City Babylon and doth incite the Saints in heaven to increase their joy in heaven by feeding upon the destruction of that great whore who caused all the nations of the earth to drink the wine of her fornication as you may see in the seventeenth verse Verse the seventeenth And I saw an Angel standing in the Sun and he cryed with a loud voice saying to all the fowls that she in the midest of heaven Come and gather your selves together unto the Supper of the great God These fowls that fly in the midst of heaven are the Saints they are called by the Spirit the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven and these fowls are invited to Supper with the great God Hâ—â—â— the Reader may see that Christ is the great God for they sup with him they were married unto that is the Lamb they were married unto and he the fowls of heaven must sup with Also this is he that is King of kings and Lord of lords even the great God and that which the great God and the fowls of heaven must have to supper it is set down in the 18 verse Verse the eighteenth That ye may ear the flesh of Kings and the flesh of Captains and the flesh of men and the flesh of horses and of them that fit on them and the flesh of all men both free and bond both small and great This verse doth imply all both great and small that fought under the banner of the beast and the false prophet which false prophet signifies the spiritual Power of the whore as aforesaid and the beast signifies the Civil Power or Head-magistrate who committed fornication with the woman and so joyned together to fight against God and his Saints And these Kings Captains and mighty men and small and great they were all authorized by these two Powers aforesaid to fight against God and his Saints and so they did persecute and kill
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
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
revelation which doth arise from the Seed of Faith is neither can they distinguish between revelation and vision many other reasons might be given why but I shall let that pass now But to the matter in hand It is said that the knowledge of theâ—â— great Mysteries should be signified by his Angel unto his servant John Now what this Angel was I shall speak some thing of it hereafter But John was to beat record of the word of God and of the testimony of Jesus Christ and of all things that he saw and this record which John bear it was to the seven Churches in Asia Therefore he directed his Revelation to them and his Revelation was this Grace be unto you and peace from him which is and which was and which is to come and from the seven Spirits which are before his Throne First what is meant by him which is and which was and which is to come This he I declare was no other but the Lord Jesus Christ this is he that is because he is now become flesh therefore he is called the Word of God that is the Word became flesh according to Johns saying In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God And this Word became flesh and dwelt amongst us and this was Christ which is that word of God which is God and is in heaven in that very same flesh which the eternal spiritual body became and suffered death in And in this regard John did say Grace and peace unto the seven Churches from him that is because he is now become flesh and is now in heaven in that same body as aforesaid Secondly it is said and which was this Jesus Christ is he that was also as you may see Exodus 3.14 A little before in that chapter God doth send Moses to Pharoah Moses desiring in whose name he must go God giveth him this answer God said unto Moses I am that I am and thus shalt thou say to the children of Israel I am hath sent me unto you This I am I declare by Revelation is no other but Jesus Christ and this is he which was that is he was without a body of flesh at that time when he spake to Moses and the Prophets yet he had a body when he spake to Moses in the form and likeness of a man 〈◊〉 man could not have been the Image and likeness of God 〈◊〉 Gods body though it was like a man yet it was a spiritual subâ—tance clear as chrystal and as I may say swifter then thought brighter than the Sun Therefore Moses could not see his face and live for a mortal eye-sight cannot see an heavenly and spiritual glory therefore there is no seeing nor knowing of God before he became flesh nor how he is ascended up into the same glory where he was before but by faith onely For no man can see the face of Jesus now he is in glory and live no more then Moses could see his face and live before he became flesh And this Jesus was that I am that spake to Moses and that Jehovah and that God which was that is he was from eternity and revealed to mankinde from the beginning Thirdly This Jesus is he which is to come that is he is to come to put an end to all time that there might nothing but eternity remain for as there was a beginning of time so likewise there shall be an end of time and as eternity had no beginning so shall it have no ending But here lyeth the great mystery that eternity became time and time became eternity again The meaning is this God became flesh and flesh was in time and Christ he being that flesh of God therefore called by the Revelation of John he which was before he became flesh he was God then under the title of God the Father And after he did become flesh the Revelation of John doth say He is that he is God now under the Title of God the Son and as he is to come he is God under the Title of God the Holy Spirit yet these three are but one personal glory They are all called by the Revelation of John but he that is which was and which is to come And as Moses and the Prophets did see by the eye of faith that God was a spiritual body in the form of a man and that this God would become flesh this I say they did see by the eye of faith and so were very well satisfied the truth of this may be understood by the eye of Faith from that saying of Moses unto the children of Israel where he sayeth God will raise you up a Prophet like unto me him shall you hear That is God will become flesh himself so that he may be capable to be a Prophet that you may be the more capable to hear him so likewise that place the 9. of Isaiah he prophesieth of God becoming flesh in that he saith To us a childe is born unto us a son is given and the govenrment shall be upon his shoulder and he shall be called the Mighty God The everlasting Father The Prince of Peace This Isaiah did see by the eye of Faith that God should become a little childe Great is this mystery of God but few that understand it For this Jesus is the onely wise God which is which was and which is to come which hath washed every true believers soul in his own blood neither can any thing cleanse and purge the conscience of man from the guilt of sin and fear of eternal death but the blood of a God But I shall speak more of that hereafter what should be the meaning of those Seven Spirits which are before his Throne I declare by Revelation that those Seven Spirits which were before the Throne of God they were those gifts and blessings of grace which Christ gave unto the Ministery of the Seven Churches after his ascension as may plainly be read in the second chapter of Johns Revelation Where he beginneth to write to the Seven Churches and the Angel of every several Church which Angel was the Minister I say they had every one of them a several reproof and a several gift and blessing therefore I shall let the reproof alone because it would be too large to interpret Onely I shall name the several Blessings because the seed of Faith may the better understand the interpretation of them therefore I shall set them down in order I. The first Gift and Blessing is sent unto the Angel of the Church of Ephesus which is as followeth To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the Tree of Life which is in the midst of the Paradise of God II. The Blessing of the Church of Smirna is Him that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death III. The Blessing of the Church of Pergamos To him 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 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
of the Son-ship he is exceeding glorious seemingly more glorious and terrible then under the title of God the Father For here his eyes are like unto a flame of fire and his feet like fine brass yet all this while it is he the same he which is the first and the last that is cloathed with flesh and bone yet a glorified body in the heavens above the Stars Fifthly Unto the Angel of the Church in Sardis write These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God and the seven Stars This he is Christ the first and the last he that was dead and is alive this is he that hath the seven Spirits of God and the seven Stars Who can have the seven spirits of God but he that is God And who can rule and govern the seven Stars which are the seven Churches but God onely Sixthly To the Angel of the Church in Philadelphia write These things saith he that is holy he that is true he that hath the Key of David he that openeth and no man shutteth and shutteth and no man openeth I suppose that all men which profess the Scriptures will acknowledge that this must needs be God he which is Holy he that is true he that hath the key of David who can shut up the minde of man in ignorance and darkness as he doth the wise and prudent men of this world and no man can open their understandings Also he can open the understandings of the Seed of Faith and let the light of life shine into their hearts and no man can shut up their hearts And he that can do this it God I suppose it will be confest by all but not believed but by few yet it is plain in Johns Revelation that this God is no other but Jesus Christ Seventhly To the Angel of the Church of the Loadiceans write These things saith the Amen the faithful and true Witness the beginning of the Creation of God Jesus Christ is the Amen the true and faithful witness he is also the beginning of the Creation of God because he is and was that God that created the world and all things therein in the beginning According to that saying in Scripture speaking of Christ By him the world was made and without him was nothing made which was made Intimating that there was nor is any thing created or made by any other God or infinite Spirit whatsoever but by the Lord Jesus Christ onely Here the Seed of Faith may see that the Revelation of John hath set forth Jesus Christ to be he that is and which was and which is to come and that these seven Spirits before his Throne proceeded from Jesus Christ the onely wise God blessed for ever yet I declare that it was all but one Spirit of God going forth into the seven Churches of Asia in giving them seven several reproofs and seven several blessings as aforesaid as I have here set down Also the Revelation of John hath given answerable to the seven Blessings seven several Titles to this God according to their several operations and Blessings in the seven Churches of Asia Therefore called the seven Spirits which are before his Throne Therefore I have set them down in order as before written And because the Seed of Faith may understand and know that these seven Spirits spoken of by John are no other but that one Spirit of Jesus Christ the onely wise God he that is and he that was and he which is to come I say from this Jesus proceeded those seven Spirits and those seven Titles are attributed to him which is which was and which is to come That is this Jesus is he that by his Spirit or Grace holdeth 1. The seven Stars in his right hand who walketh in the midst of the seven Golden Candlesticks The seven Stars in his right hand is the the Ministry of the seven Churches and the Golden Candlesticks are the Churches themselves as aforesaid 2. This Jesus is he that is the first and the last which was dead and is alive 3. Christ is he that hath the sharp Sword with two edges in that he is the Judge of the quick and the dead 4. This Christ Jesus is he whose eyes are like unto a flame of fire and his feet are like fine brass 5. This Jesus is he that hath the seven Spirits of God because he is God and hath the seven Stars 6. This Jesus is he that is holy he that is true he that hath the Key of David he that openeth and no man shuteth and shuteth and no man openeth 7. This Jesus is the Amen the faithful and true Witness the beginning of the Creation of God CHAP. V. THus in some measure I have opened what is meant by him which is which was and which is to come and what is meant by the seven Spirits before his Throne It will be necessary to open something what is meant by his Throne The Throne of Christ I declare is where he is as it is with an earthly King where the King is there is his Throne especially where the King doth sit in Judgement upon any matters of life and death But if he be not there in his own person yet his Arms is set over every place of Judicatory and the Judge of that place doth sit under the Kings Arms representing the person of the King And so the Judge fits in the Kings Throne Yet it may be said that the Kings Throne is there also for the Kings Throne is all over his Dominions and Kingdoms though he himself be but in one particular place where his honor and glory and greatness may be most manifest And that place where his glory is most seen and where he doth usually sit in Judgement I say that place may properly be called the Kings Throne For if the king were not a person and had a kingdom how could he set up a Throne in it And if there be a Throne set up in a kingdome there must of necessity be a King to sit upon it And this King must be the person of a man else why should we call him a King So likewise the Lord Jesus Christ he being God and Man in one single person he hath a kingdom above and beyond the Stars and he being King of heaven he hath a Throne to sit upon himself And many other Thrones in his kingdom above the Stars for all his Prophets Apostles and Messengers which he hath sent in this world Even as a King hath many Judges and Messengers in his earthly kingdom and the King hath given them many Thrones to sit upon which are visibly seen by the eye of sence and reason So likewise the eye of Faith doth as perfectly see God their King sitting upon his Throne in the kingdom of glory above the Stars and all those Prophets and Apostles Messengers and Ambassadors which he hath sent to sit upon Thrones of glory also So that there is Thrones of Glory in Heaven as
there is here on earth and there is a King of heaven to sit upon that Throne of Glory as there is many kings here in earth which doth sit upon Thrones of glory here Because this world is in many Kings hands therefore divided into many Kingdomes and that is the very cause that earthly Kings fight and kill one the other But the Kingdom above the Stars is but one kingdom and hath but one King over it and this King is no other but God himself which sitteth upon the Throne of Glory But I shall have occasion to speak something more of Thrones hereafter therefore I shall say no more of it here onely this will give you a little light into it CHAP. VI. ANd because men might be throughly convinced that Jesus Christ is the onely God I would have them to consider these places of Scriptures and the interpretation And see if they will bear any other sense and being well grounded upon that they will understand the whole matter the better Therefore I shall pass by some verses in this chapter I not conceiving them to be of so great concernment as this is The 8th verse of this chapter John meaning Christ where he saith I am Alpha and Omega the beginning and the ending saith the Lord which is and which was and which is to come the Almighty Here you that have faith to believe may understand that Jesus Christ is the beginning and the end the Lord Almighty And as John being in the Isle of Patmos as he saith in the 9th verse for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ here John seemeth as if he did suffer persecution for two that is to say for God and for Jesus Christ yet in the 10. and 11. verses he concludes them both in one saying That he was in the spirit on the Lords day and heard behinde me as he saith a great voice as of a trumpet I would have the Reader to observe that the Seventh-day Sabbath which was given to the Jews was called the Lords day Because it was given by the Lord Almighty to Moses and by him given to the people of Israel and so called the Lords day So likewise the Resurrection of Christ it being the first day of the week is called the Lords day also Now here being two Lords-days and yet but one Lord of them both how shall this matter be reconciled Thus the Lords-day which was made by the power of his Creation is one thing and the Lords-day that is made by the power of his Redemption is another Because the Lord Almighty was in two several states as thus when he created the world and made man in his own image and likeness he himself was a spiritual substance a body in form like a man but no flesh blood and bone This God was when he created man and all things else but when God became flesh he was in another condition he now having flesh blood and bone that he might work a Redemption to the Seed of Adam to a more excellent condition then that was wherein he was created and a more miserable condition to the seed of the serpent then he was created in And this I would have the Seed of Faith to understand that the same God which created man I say the same God redeemed man which thing is two proper and distinct works for one and the same God to do Therefore distinguished by two several denominations of Father and Son Neither was it proper for God after he became flesh to create any thing Neither could God have redeemed mankind to an eternal happiness but by his becoming flesh Neither could any serpent or devil have put God to death if God had not took upon him the nature of man For the nature of man cloathes it self with flesh blood and bone and so is made capable to be put to death by the seed and nature of reason which is the serpent or devil But I shall speak more of Gods death hereafter onely this I would have the Seed of Faith to minde that twofold condition of God as aforesaid And then you will not stumble at Johns saying that he did suffer for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ As if they had been two distinct things and so he doth in some other places in this book of the Revelation as in the first chapter verse 5 he saying And from Jesus Christ who is the faithful witness c. Which doth intimate to the seed of reason as if there were two Gods But I declare it is spoken with relation to Gods twofold condition that is to say the proper power and work of God as he was the Father it was to create And the proper power and work of God as he is the Son it is to die and to redeem And yet all but one God but in two conditions or in two states therefore set forth by the revelations in the Scriptures under nomination of Father and Son Therefore I would willingly have the Seed of Faith to understand the twofold condition of God And then the Scriptures which doth seem to contradict one the other will be reconciled in one and so there will be a great deal of peace arise from the right understanding of the Scriptures And the cause why where is so much dissatisfaction in reading the Scriptures by the professors now adays it is because they understand them not this I know by experience But as I said before as there was a twofold state in one God So likewise there was two Lords-days as aforesaid yet but one God But the meaning of John when he saith he was in the spirit on the Lords day I declare his meaning was the day of Christs Resurrection And this he calls the Lords-day that is it was the day of Gods rising from death to Life in that death was not able to keep him under for death doth keep every creature under it neither could any creature nor Son of God overcome death but God himself Therefore Christ must needs be God the Father of all Life in that he gave life to all creatures in his creation And nothing could procure by his death a Resurrection of a new life and an eternal Redemption but the blood and death of God himself Therefore let the Seed of Faith lay as much trust upon the blood of Christ believing it to be the blood of God as they can The more weight they lay upon it the more peace and satisfaction they shall finde So on the contrary those that deny and call it blasphemy for a man to say that God did die I say there is no salvation for such a man neither will he finde any benefit by the blood of Christ because he looks upon it to be but the blood of the humane nature or the blood of a man notwithstanding the Scriptures is so full to prove that Christ is God and Christ he died therefore God did die And this
If the Ministers and Speakers of the seven Churches of Europe be all false for want of a Commission from God what will become of all the people which are congregated and joyned to their several Ministeries To this I answer That there is a remnant of the elect seed in every one of these seven Churches of Europe that wil be saved because the election of God standeth sure but this I must tell you that there is no man or woman that is congregrated or joyned to any of these seven Churches that can have the assurance of eternal life abiding in them while they live in this world For how is it possible that the sheep should know their eternal happiness when as the shepheards do not know their own salvation no not one of them Therefore according to my revelation and faith I cannot see by the rule of Scriptures that any of the Ministers or Speakers of the seven Churches of Europe now adays that can be saved though some of their members may This may and will be thought an hard saying of me but I cannot help it neither do I speak it out of any ill will to Ministers or Speakers but could rather be found a liar in this point But I being commissionated of God and finding the Prophets and Apostles of old to speak so much against those which take upon them to be Messengers Ministers Ambassadors and Preachers of the everlasting Gospel without a Commission from Christ they are more guilty of spiritual high treason then any other men so according to the faith of the Prophets and Apostles and my faith I cannot see how any counterfeit Ministers of what Church soever should be saved in the day of account For if it be such a dangerous thing to be a false Prophet or a false Christ why should it not be as dangerous a thing to be a false Minister to go before he is sent And let Ministers take this by the way and though the Civil Power doth uphold and maintain them yet when they die God will not uphold them in it Neither will their consciences justifie them in it but you must lay down your lives under the fear of eternal death because you went to preach the Gospel and was not sent of Christ Likewise you see that false Christs and false Prophets have been punished in all ages by the Civil Magistrates and the Priests together And so they served the true Christ and the true Prophets all of them were persecuted as false But it is seldom known that a Minister was persecuted as he is a Minister not by the Magistrate but for some other misdemeanor or for speaking evil of the Civil Power but not for his preaching without a Commission from Cod. Therefore his punishment will be no less then eternal damnation I speak this not onely to the Ministery of the Nation but to the Ministry of all the seven Churches now in Europe for they do all of them preach without a Commission from God and run into the Ministry before they were sent which will be counted by the Lord Jesus but a work of iniquity And what will be the wages of such a work but eternal damnation I know I shall offend the Ministers and Speakers of all the seven Churches aforesaid but seeing they be all false they may bear the better with me and with one another For they will have wages all alike For as I said before according to the faith of the Prophets and Apostles recorded in the Scriptures and according to the faith which I have in the Scriptures there will be no salvation found for none of the Ministers and Speakers of the seven Churches aforesaid Except any of them be perswaded in their own mindes to lay it down before they die And so come to the knowledge of the true God For this I do affirm that no man so long as he doth exercise the office of a Minister without a Commission from God he cannot be in the state of salvation then of necessity he must be in the state of condemnation And this will be the condition of all the Ministers and Speakers of the seven Churches aforesaid And the Quakers Ministry being the seventh and last Anti-Angel that will sound until the end of the world And when the voice of this Angel did begin to sound the mystery of God is finished as he hath declared by his servants the Prophets That is the declaration of the mystery of God is and will be finished in the days of the voice of the seventh Angel Which voice is the Ministers of the Quakers as I have opened in the Interpretation of the Eleventh of the Revelation therefore I shall say no more of those seven Churches now That being the purest Angel of all the seven in respect of righteousness of life though the worst of all in point of doctrine And the Quakers Ministery doth deceive more then any of the other six For they are so Angel-and God-like that if it were possible would deceive the very elect For every one that hath but one eye that is the eye of reason may see that all the other Churches hath such a deal of corruption superstition unjustness idolatry and many other wickednesses which reason it self doth judge cannot be the way of God And that is the very cause that when people have been unsatisfied in the way of worship in the other Churches they have declined from them and have turned Quakers They being more pure in life for pureness of life giveth more peace to the minde of man then wickedness doth For every action hath a reward in it self whether it be good or bad for he that doth suffer persecution for his conscience is more to be justified then he which persecuted for conscience sake Yet nevertheless the reward of eternal life it belongeth onely unto the act of faith in the true God Which the Quakers Ministery doth not teach notwithstanding their purity of life c. CHAP. VIII NOw I have opened something what is meant by the seven Churches and the Angels sounding in the next place I shall come to open or interpret some chief sayings in the 4 chapter of Johns Revelation In the first verse of this chapter John looked and behold a door was opened in heaven and the first voice which he heard was as it were of a Trumpet talking with him which said Come up hither and I will shew thee the things which must he hereafter I would have the Seed of Faith to minde the interpretation of this chapter and they will understand the better the meaning of the 5 and 6 Chapters First it is to be understood that John saw these great and glorious things by way of vision Now I would have the Reader to understand that visions are hard to be interpreted by one that never saw them Yet as far as the revelation of faith can open them I shall do it which I know is more then any man in the world can
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
parts of the earth So that some being so affrighted at death they shall kill with the sword And others again shall be so fearful of death that they shall starve themselves for hunger Others again shall come under death by natural diseases even as the beasts of the earth dieth So that death that rideth upon the pale horse hath power given as long as this world doth last over all flesh that hath life For it is life that must die and death must take it into his custody and swallow up life into the belly of death Else he cannot be called death except death doth utterly annihilate life it cannot properly be called death For while life is in being death is utterly annihilated in life So that there is no being for death at all not in that mans body But when death entreth into that mans blood who was so full of life before Then death groweth more and more in the blood and eateth up the life quite into death So that there is nothing to be seen in all that life but a dead body For death hath got the life of that body in the body for the body was life before as well as the soul But death having overcome them both they are both swallowed up of death So that you may see death as he is As you did see life as he was before And not that the life goes out of the body as men do vainly imagine so that death is he that rideth upon the pale horse as I shewed before And these four horses as John speaketh of in his vision are the same horses as Zechariah speaketh of in his vision Zechariah the 6 and the 3 verse the Prophet saw in his vision four Charrets and Horses the first Charret had red horses and the second had black horses and the third had white horses and the fourth had grizled and bay horses Now the Prophet expresseth in his vision the horses in the plural number to be more horses then one of a sort But John declares them in his vision in the singular number Therefore though there be more exprest by the Prophet yet the matter and substance is all one For all horses are comprized under those four So that there needeth no further opening of the horses then there hath been For there is enough said concerning those four horses and their riders to satisfie the Seed of Faith But if one should speak never so much the seed of reason will not be satisfied Onely this I would have the Reader not to scruple because the Prophet calls the fourth horse grizled and bay when as John calls it a pale horse For grizled doth signifie death sitting upon the life as paleness doth So that the thing is all one though differing something in words So that there needeth be no further interpretation upon those four horses therefore I shall pass by them and come to the next thing of concernment CHAP. XIX IN the 9 verse of this chapter At the opening of the fifth seal John saw in the vision the souls of them that were slain under the altar for the word of God and for the testimony which they held Now I would have the Reader to consider that visions doth many times present to him that seeth it Things that are at a distance and far off as at present or neer at hand As if the thing were in present being This hath been the usual custom of those that write those visions in the Scriptures They being presented to the chosen Prophets and Messengers of the most high God Those visions so presented were to signifie either some extraordinary happiness and deliverances to a particular person or people or nation or else some great judgement and destruction to a person people or nation in the temporal as aforesaid Or else visions are presented to the understanding of man to signifie spiritual and eternal blessings To a number of people or else to signifie spiritual and eternal miseries unto a number of people So that what visions be declared by chosen men of God though the thing be not immediately at hand whether the vision doth signifie temporal or spiritual things Yet the Seed of Faith doth look upon it as if it were in present being Because they believe the truth of the thing as those Prophets of old did prophesie of Christs coming in the flesh as Isaiah saith in the 9 chapter To us a Childe is born and to us a Son is given meaning Christ c. Now the Prophet saith he is born when as he was not borâ— many hundred years after that And so other of the Prophets looked upon the birth of Christ the Redeemer as in present being For as I have said in my other Writings that faith doth look at things afar off and at a distance as neer at hand and in present being But because the seed of reason cannot do so therefore they do not prevent neither the temporal nor the eternal judgement that will come upon them But you the Seed of Faith may know that John did see in the vision by the eye of Faith the souls of them that were slain under the altar And he heard the cry of them when the fifth Seal was opened That God their Redeemer would avenge their blood on them hat dwell on the earth That is upon the persecutors that dwell on the earth Now I would have you the Seed of Faith to understand how these that were slain under the altar could cry for vengeance seeing they were dead under the altar and yet is said to cry aloud for vengeance on them that persecuted and put them to death The meaning is this that the blood of those that were slain for the testimony of Jesus it did cry vertually and efficaciously unto God that he would avenge it according to his will and promise And so God doth hear the cry of their blood that was slain under the altar I say God doth hear their cry as he did the cry of the blood of Abel it came up unto God as in Gen. 3. and 10. And God said unto Cain What hast thou done the voice of thy brothers blood cryeth unto me from the ground So that the blood of Abel did cry from the ground unto the Lord for vengeance and who must the righteous Judge be avenged of but he that shed his brothers blood And in this manner did the souls of them that were slain under the altar for the word of God and the testimony they held cry for vengeance upon those that persecuted and put them to death So that you the seed of reason may see that there is power in blood that is shed for conscience sake in point of worship to cry unto the Lord for vengeance upon those that do murder and kill upon that account And no persecutor of that nature will escape vengeance to come no more then Cain did escape that slew his brother For the blood of those that are slain in such a
case as aforesaid will speak no better things then the blood of Abel But the very same thing will cry aloud for vengeance as the blood of Abel and as their blood did that was slain under the altar as John saw in his vision Therefore the blood of Christ is said to speak better things then the blood of Abel But this I must tell you it speaketh better things to those that have faith in his death and so are washed by faith in his blood To those it speaketh peace joy life and salvation to the soul and these are better things then the blood of Abel or the blood of the Saints which speaketh to the soul fear horror death and eternal damnation These be the things that the blood of Abel and all innocent blood doth speak and the blood of Christ will speak the same things as Abels blood doth to those that persecuted and put him to death at that time So that according to the serpents desire his blood will be upon them and their children for the serpents children are those that walk in the steps of their fathers and as they that put him to death were the seed of Cain their father as Christ said To those Jews that sought his life he said unto them You are of your father the devil and his works you do for he was a murderer and a liar from the beginning And who was he that did the first murder was it not Cain and they were his children and all persecuting men since have been their children And in persecuting the innocent Saints they justifie the deeds of their fathers that persecuted Christ and their persecuting of Christ in so doing they justified the deeds of the devil their father that slew the Prophets and Cain that slew Abel The grandfather of all persecuting devils for worshipping of God contrary to the tradition of their fathers So that the blood of righteous Abel the blood of Christ and the blood of the Saints will be upon the consciences of the persecuting seed of the serpent and upon their children who walk in the steps of their grandfather Cain And this hath and will be fulfilled upon all the children of those persecuting Jews which put Christ to death So that his blood will be upon them and their children for these are their children and may be called so who are the seed of the serpent who walk in the way of their fathers who did kill the Lord of Life And so his blood will be upon them and their children as they did desire So that his blood doth cry as the blood of Abel did for eternal vengeance For none will shed blood upon that account but the serpent or devil and those that are his children So that you whose understandings are enlightned may see that there is a vertue and power in the blood of Prophets Apostles and righteous men which are Saints who suffer for the true declaration and worship of God To cry unto the Lord for vengeance upon those that shed their blood And the Lord will hear the cry of blood more then he will the cry of the Saint before his blood was shed For the very deed of murther for Religion sake hath the reward of vengeance in it So that God the rightous Judge must needs do right to reward every one according to his works So that the suffering of persecution and death for Truths sake as these Saints did as John speaketh of shall have a blessed reward as is said in the 11 verse Those that were slain under the altar for the word of God and the testimony they held they had white robes given unto every one of them And it was said to them Rest yet for a little season until their fellow servants also and their brethren that should be killed as they were should be fulfilled So that you the Seed of Faith may know that these souls that were slain under the altar were not yet in heaven neither is those white robes yet put upon them notwithstanding it is said there were white robes given them For surely if those souls had been in the heaven of glory with their white robes of the rightousness of faith upon them God would never have bid them rest a little season untill their fellow servants and brethren were killed as they were So that it may be clear to you that have faith in the death of the soul and of a resurrection that there is no souls go to heaven without bodies So that souls cannot go to heaven and put on white robes to stand in the presence of God without bodies So that these souls which cried for vengeance mustly still in the earth and rest a season untill the rest of the Seed of Faith hath passed from death as you have So that God may raise you all together and cloth you all with white robes of rightousness and immortality and glory at the resurrection at the end of the world So that you may all be rewarded and clothed with white robes together and not some served this year and other some the next but you shall all be happy together So that you must rest yet a little season untill all things is accomplished and then I will bless you with an everlasting crown of life Because you suffered death for my name in witnessing to me and I will avenge your blood upon mine and your enemies that persecuted and put me and you to death They shall have their reward also which reward of their deeds will amount to no less than to eternal damnation where the black and dark fire of hell shall burn in their souls to eternity Which shall cause them to cry Oh the eternity the eternity with sorrow pain and shame And when you Saints shall receive your eternal joys then shall your enemies receive their eternal sorrows Which is not yet neither will it be until all things be fulfilled which the Scriptures hath foretold of which cannot be long as men do vainly imagine Because the true Witness of the Spirit is now extant in the world who hath declared and made manifest the mystery of the true God becoming flesh and what the right Devil is with many other heavenly mysteries So that you that have faith in this Commission of the Spirit shall at the end of the world receive with the rest of the Saints white robes with them and you will not think it long for Faith doth look upon eternity as real as if it were in present being So that John might say by h s revelation in his vision that he saw under the Altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God c. and the white robes that were given unto them Because he by faith knew that God will give those that are clothed with the white robes of the righteousness of Faith a Crown of everlasting joy and glory at the end of the world which is as sure as if it were in present being Therefore by
faith he may say he saw the Saints that suffered for the testimony of Jesus to have white robes given them as if the thing were already done for when things are certain to be done and nothing can prevent it a man may say it is done So it is with Faith it knowing that nothing can prevent Gods design and purpose in that he hath determined to save and bless those the Seed of Adam and to destroy and curse those the seed of the Serpent to eternity So that eternity is looked upon by the Seed of Faith to be in present being And this was Johns revelation in the vision which he saw in the opening of the fifth Seal CHAP. XX. NOw in the twelfth verse John saw when he opened the sixth Seal He beheld and lo there was a great Earthquake and the Sun became black as Sackcloth of hair and the Moon became as blood I have opened the meaning of the Earthquake and of the Sun being as black as sackcloth of hair and the Moon like blood these things I have opened already in The Interpretation of the Eleventh Chapter of the Revelation so that I shall say no more of it here And as for the latter part of this Chapter it is onely a prophecy of the end of the world Onely this I shall give you a word or two to shew what is meant by the Heavens being departed as a scroll when it is rolled together as it is said verse 14. and Isaiah 34.4 The meaning is this that the Clouds of Heaven and the Air and the influence of the Stars of Heaven shall be rolled up as a Scroll For the Clouds and Air have spread themselves over the face of the Skie so they may be called the Heavens for were it not for the Clouds to scatter the Rain on the earth and the Air to blow upon the creatures here on earth all creatures would die So that man and beasts and all creatures do possess a Heaven in themselves even from the influence of the Clouds and the Air. So that the Clouds and the Air is that Heaven that God will at the end of the world roll up like a Scroll Also God will take away the Sun Moon and Stars so that they shall not penetrate their light and heat thorow the Air and Clouds of Heaven not to give any refreshment to the seed of the Serpent who shall be left here in this earth in utter darkness For this earth shall be the place of hell for the reprobate seed to be in to eternity so that they shall cry unto the Mountaines and Rocks to fall upon them to hide them from the wrath of the Lamb. That is they could wish that the Mountains and Rocks would crush them to pieces so that they might be hid as to have no being at all Seeing the Clouds and the Air which over-spread the Heaven which did refresh our lives which made our lives to live in Heaven also But now this is rolled up like a scroll there is nothing but black darkness without Air or Winde which makes us burn like fire and brimstone we having no refreshings from the Heavens so that it would be happy for us if the Mountains and Rocks would fall upon us that we might be hid or have no sensible being for ever And this will be the state of the reprobate seed at the end of the world And this is the true meaning of the Heaven being rolled up like a scroll and not the fixed Element For the fixed Element hath an earth standing upon it which shall stand to eternity Onely this the Sun Moon and Stars that gave light on this side the Skie shall be taken from the Heaven so that nothing but darkness shall remain for ever and ever But the Element which we call Heaven shall stand to eternity but that Heaven as must be rolled up like a scroll it is the Air and Clouds of Heaven as aforesaid So much concerning the Interpretation of the chief things in the sixth Chapter CHAP. XXI IN the 7 chapter it is said And after these things I saw four Angels standing on the four corners of the earth holding the four winds of the earth that the wind should not blow on the earth nor on the Sea nor on any tree These four Angels that John saw in the vision which had power to hold the four winds that the wind might not blow they were four Angels of pure reason Who had a Commission from God to hold the four winds that they should not blow upon the earth nor upon the sea nor upon any tree For if God should but take away the four winds from blowing upon the earth sea and trees all creatures would immediately perish and die So that these four Angels which John saw in the vision which had such power over the four winds it was onely to signifie what shall be at the end of the world Then shall these four Angels execute their office so that the four winds shall not blow But there is something else to be done in the interim for though the four Angels have their Commission from God to do that work yet they must stay till such time as another work must be done As you may see in the 2 verse And John saw another Angel ascending from the east having the Seal of the living God and he cryed with a loud voice to the four Angels to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea Now this Angel that ascended from the East it was Christ himself he having the Seal of the living God he must needs have the Seal of the living God he being the living God himself He gave order to the other four Angels that they should not put their Commission in execution until he had sealed the servants of God in their foreheads For it is Christ that sealeth every servant of his in their foreheads in that they do receive the holy spirit of promise whereby they are sealed up unto the day of Redemption And when the soul is sealed and can witness in his spirit the assurance of his salvation he may be said to be sealed in his forehead And as for Johns saying this Angel that had the seal of the living God he ascended from the east it is spoken with relation of Christs coming out of the east at his birth to work the redemption for those that he now doth seal with the Seal of the living God That is with his own holy Spirit witnessing to their spirits the assurance of eternal life by his death Which they by faith do set to their seal So that they by faith do seal to the truth of the thing and he doth seal the assurance of everlasting life unto their consciences and this is the seal of the living God in their foreheads And in the 4 verse John heard the number of them which were sealed and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes
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
upon men any more to eternity For that voice John heard out of the temple in heaven from the throne it was from no other but from God himself saying It is done And immediately upon that voice there were other voices and thunders and lightnings and there was a great earthquake such as was not since men were upon the earth so mighty an earthquake and so great as you may see verse 18. This 18 19 20 21. verses have all of them relation to the end of the world which thing will be done in the pouring out of the vial of the seventh Angel which seventh Angel is now pouring out his vial of wrath upon the men of this world For as the seventh and last Anti-Angel namely the Quakers ministery doth sound and hath sounded neer upon twenty years so likewise the seventh vial hath been poured out this twenty years also And it will last pouring out to the end of time even as the seventh Anti-angels ministery will last to the end of the world as aforesaid And as I said before much like unto those Plagues that Moses brought unto Egypt God will bring upon the earth upon the sea upon the sun and upon the air at the end of the world And as there was a great hail in Egypt so that the Egyptians blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail Even so will it be in the end of the world when those great voices of the four and twenty Elders the four beasts the holy Angels and Saints shall utter their voice in Allelujahs unto God their King and Redeemer it will be as the voice of thunders and lightnings and will cause a mighty great hail every stone the weight of a talent That is God will rain down fire and brimstone upon the earth and sea sun and air so that none of these four which is the life of all creatures shall yield refreshment to the mind of man but it shall rain stones of fire mingled with brimstone which cannot be dissolved So that men shall blaspheme God eternally because of the hail it being exceeding great It must needs be exceeding great because it is eternal it being the last plague or last vial of Gods wrath it being the end of all time there being now nothing but eternal misery to remain For there will fall upon every wicked mans soul whose names are not written in the book of Life such an hail-stone of fire and brimstone that shall weigh a talent That is it shall weigh so heavy upon his heart that it shall press his soul down into the second death which is eternal So much for the interpretation of the chief matters in the sixteenth chapter of Johns Revelation CHAP. LVIII IN the sixteenth chapter of Johns Revelation it doth prophesie of the seven last plagues that God will pour out upon this wicked unbelieving idolatrous world Much like unto those plagues Moses poured out upon Egypt at the beginning of his Commission So likewise will God pour out the vials of his wrath upon the earth at the end of the world Which will be at the end of the Commission of the Spirit Now what these seven vials are I have opened in the 16 chapter Now this 17th chapter it doth contain a prophesie of the downfall of the spiritual Babylon or mystery Babylon It is compared by the spirit in John to a woman arrayed in scarlet to an adulterous woman to a whore to a great city Now this is to be minded by the Reader that there is two Babylons spoken of in Scripture two sorts of whores two sorts of fornication two sorts of Cities two sorts of Vials of Gods wrath to be poured out upon the earth That is there is a temporal Babylon and a spiritual Babylon or Babylon in the History and Babylon in the Mystery or a natural fornication of the flesh with woman and a spiritual fornication in the soul and minde of man with idols And so the one is called a whore or an adulterous woman in the temporal and the other is called a whore in the spiritual So that there is two sorts of whores and two sorts of fornications likewise there is two sorts of Cities that is a temporal City and a spiritual City The temporal City is that which the reason of man hath built for its own glory of wood and stone guilded with Silver and Gold the spiritual City is that which God hath built which is the body of man Therefore it is said in Scripture Your bodies are the Temple of the Holy Ghost so likewise the believing Jews and Gentiles they are called by the Spirit the holy City so that there is a spiritual holy City and there is a spiritual unholy City That is there is true worshippers of God and false worshippers of God a mystery Babylon a mystery of Gods temporal Plagues and spiritual Plagues To sum up all the meaning of Johns Revelation is this that all the true Believers both Jews and Gentiles that doth worship God according to the tennor of that Commission they are under whether it be the worship of the Law of Moses or the worship of the Gospel of Jesus set up by his Apostles or the worship of the Spirit set up by the Witnesses of the Spirit These three being all Commissionated of God so that who ever doth truly believe in these three Commissions in their time and place when they were in being upon the earth I say they are all counted by the Spirit but one City or one woman as Revel 12.1 A woman clothed with the sun c. So on the contrary all false worship that is set up by non-commissionated men who doth resemble or imitate the true worship set up by true commissionated men I say those men having no Commission from God so to do their worship is meer idolatry and all those people who joyn in that worship so set up they are all idolatrous people And so counted by the Spirit in John that great City Babylon in opposition to the holy City of God as aforesaid So that this is to be minded by the Reader that there is but two Cities that is to say the City of Saints and the great city of devils That is all true worshippers are called the holy City and all false worshippers are called by the Spirit the great City Babylon as aforesaid So likewise they are all called but one woman or one whore So that you that have any true light in your understandings you may see that all the messengers of idolatry and all idolatrous people they are called by the Spirit but one whore or one fornication So that look what worship hath been set up by a non-commissionated man at the first In that they did imitate Moses in his worship and so afterwards did imitate the Apostles worship without a Commission from God I say that the first brothers or imitators of Moses and the Apostles worship with all the adherents thereunto and the multitudes
of people that are deceived by them who were the first brothers of this idolatrous worship set up by non-commissionated men I say they are all counted by the spirit but a whore in that they and all people who doth joyn in worship with them they do commit fornication in their spirits with idols So that who ever doth worship false gods by the instigation of the false prophet or false priest he doth commit fornication or whoredom with idols So that this is to be minded that all opinions in worship that people are in who hath not a true Commission from God to be a Minister or Preacher he and they do all commit fornication with idols For every opinion in religion that doth not worship the true God they do commit fornication with idols Neither can they do otherways because their teachers are false like priest like people Also this is to be observed by the Reader that the Revelation of the Spirit it hath onely relation to those peoples that do profess and confess the Scriptures So that Johns Revelation hath relation to all those that confess the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Gospel of Jesus and the Apostles and not relating to the heathen who never heard of the Scriptures So that all those false worshippers under the Law of Moses and all those false worshippers under the Gospel of Jesus they are called by the spirit that great City Babylon or mystery Babylon or a scarlet whore It is called mystery Babylon in relation to the mystery of God as aforesaid Likewise it may be called mystery Babylon in relation to that Babel that men would have built that should have reached up to heaven after Noahs flood in respect of the confusion there was in the building of it so that it all came to utter confusion and destruction So likewise there is such a confusion in all false worship and worshippers that at the last that Babylon they have built with idols thinking to reach in that superstitious way up to heaven But they shall be confused in their understandings and in the true knowledge and worship of the true God So that they shall be utterly destroyed both them and their Babel that is their worship with an eternal destruction But this is to be minded that the first mention of this temporal Babel Genes 11.4 where the sons of Noah said Go to let us build us a City and a Tower whose top may reach unto heaven And in the seventh verse God consumed this tower by confounding their language So likewise the first rise of this mystery Babylon it was amongst the Jews That is when the Jews would worship other gods besides that God which Moses did declare unto them even the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob to wit the God of Israel yet nevertheless those Jews who were the seed of the serpent they would have other gods as the Amorites and the heathen had to go before them Therefore they would have a Calf to be their God to worship as Exodus chapter 32.1 this Calf was the first false god the people of the Jews did worship Though they murmured against God and Moses many times before yet they never fell to worship idols as Gods before So that this was the first beginning of the setting up or the building of a false worship in opposition to that worship that Moses set up which was but a little before So that as soon as ever God did set up his worship by the hand of Moses that the people might come to know the true God I say the spirit of reason which is the devil in man he doth set up his worship in like manner to worship gods of his own imagination even the works of his own hands even a Calf For this Calf doth signifie all idols or false worship whatsoever For though the idols of men are many and their forms of worship many yet they all being false not worshipping the true God they do but worship a calf in stead of God And as these Jews who made this calf for a God were the first that began to build up a Babel of false worship this spirit of idolatry it did run thorow the line of the seed of the serpent until it got great power For after Moses and Joshua were gone the seed of the serpent grew in great power and did punish those that would not bow down to Baal For Baal signifies all false worship or all false gods so that when the serpents seed got power to set up his worship as Moses had power to set up the worship of God And as Moses did plague and punish those serpents for making that calf and worshipping it or any other idols in that many of them were destroyed by death So hath the false worshippers served the Prophets and Saints ever since that would not bow down to their false worship witness Jeroboam the son of Nebat who made Israel to sin and Ahab Manasses with divers other wicked kings and rulers and head-magistrates in the time of the Law who persecuted the Prophets and put them to death For telling them of their forsaking of the worship of the Law of Moses and worshipping of idols And the same spirit of reason the devil it continued in that nation of the Jews until Christ came according to that prophesie of Jacob the scepter shall not depart from Judah until Shiloh come So that there was a Scepter of Government that did remain upon the people of the Jews though they had no Jews kings a long time before So that a matter of forty years after Christs death in the destruction of Jerusalem the Scepter did depart from Judah That is from that nation of the Jews so that they are ever since a scattered people in many parts of the earth So that the Scepter that is the Government is departed from them indeed and the same spirit of persecution and idolatry it doth run along in the seed of reason the devil in the Gentiles So that the Gentile Kings and Head magistrates have been given mightily to idolatry imitating the worship of the Gospel And hath persecuted and put to death many Saints for not bowing down to that worship set up by these Gentile-Kings or Head-magistrates ever since the destruction of Jerusalem even to this day So that this is to be minded by the Reader that this mystery Babylon or great city or whore who hath committed fornication with the Kings of the earth The meaning of the Spirit is this that all Kings and Head-magistrates in the time of the Law and in the time of the Gospel who profess the Scriptures even to the end of the world That have or shall set up a false worship or idols by their power and cause the people to do the same they may be said to commit fornication with idols So that whoever doth worship false gods let it be in what form or manner it will it is all counted by the spirit but
make war with the Lamb that is they make war with the Saints and shed their blood For these ten Kings do execute the will of the beast in making war with the Saints for in making war with the Saints they may be said to make war with the Lamb. And as the faith and patience of the Saints did bear their cruel torments to the terrifying of the souls of their persecutors even whilest in this life So that the sufferings of the Saints with patience and chearfulness for they have no other weapons of war but the weapon of the Spirit That is to say a Breast-plate of Righteousness the Shield of Faith the Helmet of Salvation the Sword of the Spirit these are the Lambs weapons of war and he doth furnish his Saints with them so that they shall be able to overcome all their enemies Who fighteth with Spear and Shield or with Sword of steel or Gun these are the devils weapons of war and he fighteth with the Saints with these and such like weapons and so kills the body and hath no more to do That is he puts to death this natural life which is called but a killing the body and hath no more to do But the weapons of war the Saints do use they being spiritual they kill the persecutors soul and yet shed no blood For as carnal weapons doth kill the natural life of man and shed his blood So likewise those spiritual weapons afore-mentioned doth kill that spiritual life in the persecutors with an eternal or second death and yet shed no blood and in this manner shall the Lamb overcome these ten Kings which ten Kings doth include all persecuting spirits whatsoever For the Lamb being King of kings and Lord of Lords he hath chosen his Saints and they are faithful to fight under his banner for he hath called them for that purpose And the Lamb being their King and Captain the Saints shall certainly overcome their persecutors and in this sense the Lamb shall overcome them CHAP. LXIIII. VErse the fifteenth And he saith unto me the waters which thâ—â— sawest where the whore sitteth are peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues I have opened this verse before so that I need not speak any thing more of it here but I shall pass by this and go to the sixteenth verse Verse the sixteenth And the ten borne thou sawest upon the beast these shall hate the where and shall make her desolate and naked and shall eat her flesh and burn her with fire These ten horns are those ten Kings aforesaid they received power before from the beast to persecute the Saints and to make war with the Lamb. And now they receive power from God to hate the whore and to fight against her spiritual power as you may see in the seventeenth verse For God hath put it into their hearts to fulfil his will Yet I would have the Reader to minde that these ten horns or ten kings doth imploy all wicked kings who are subordinate or under the beast For all wicked beasts are included in this one beast and all idolatrous spiritual power is included in this one whore or City Babylon So that God will put it into the hearts of wicked kings to put down the spiritual power of idolatry So that the Fifth-Monarchy-men are mightily mistaken thinking in themselves that those Kings or great persons that shall pull down the Popes spiritual power or any other spiritual power that hath neer affinity with the Popish worship I say they are much mistaken For God will put it into the hearts of wicked reprobate men to do his will they shall hate the whore and make her desolate and naked That it they shall smite her flesh with a sword of steel and burn her with fire that is they shall utterly destroy her For burning with fire signifies utter destruction and eating her flesh it signifies the being well pleased in their mindes so that their mindes doth feed upon the destruction of her and in this sense they may be said to eat her flesh Onely this I do confess that the Pope is that whore that must be made desolate for the same spirit of fornication concerning spiritual matters or worshipping of idols is in the Pope and others as there was in other whores who profess the same spiritual power as the Pope doth For one spirit of idolatry hath run thorow the line of them all in all ages and the Pope succeeding after the Ten Persecutions he is called by the Spirit a whore and the last whore And doth not she by her spiritual power sit upon many waters which waters doth signifie multitudes of people nations and tongues doth not she by her spiritual power and temporal both sit almost upon all Europe Doth noâ— she sit upon almost all the Beasts that is the Kings of Europe So that when this whore is made desolate the world will be at an end Onely this I would have the Fifth-Monarchy-men to minde that they must be wicked reprobate men that doth make her desolate for all that fighteth with carnal weapons that is a sword and Gun they are wicked Though God doth put it into their hearts to do his will for one wicked man shall destroy another with carnal weapons For these ten horns which signifies all wicked Kings when they have made the whore desolate they shall give their kingdoms unto the beast until the words of God shall be fulfilled That is these conquerors over the whore shall give their kingdoms unto the Beast who gave them Commission and power at the first to persecute and kill the Saints So that they take no notice that God did put it into their hearts to do his will upon the whore but they attribute all the power and glory of it to the beast looking more upon his Commission and Authority that he gave them To destroy the Saints and by the same Authority they think they do make the whore desolate not minding Gods putting it into their hearts Therefore it is they give their kingdom unto the beast until the words of God shall be fulfilled That is they shall give their kingdoms unto the beast until the end of the world When God shall make a final end that is an eternal destruction of the beast and of the whore and of these ten horns that gave their kingdoms unto the beast then will the words of God be fulfilled CHAP. LXV VErse the eighteenth and the last verse of this chapter And the woman which thou sawest is that great City which raigneth over the Kings of the earth I have spoken of these things in this verse in divers places before so that I need not say no more of it Onely this I would have the Reader to minde that all this seventeenth Chapter the things contained in it it was shewed unto John by way of vision And what judgement should befall in the end to all those that were concerned in those matters of spiritual and temporal
come out of the world for she doth deceive all nations and her power is every where where Gods people doth dwell So that there is no going out from her power except they go among the heathen But the meaning of the Spirit is this that Gods people should come from their idolatrous worship and practise So that you may not commit fornication with idols that you may not be partakers with them of their sins and so you shall receive none of her plagues For in the fifth verse Her sins have reached up to heaven and God hath remembered her iniquities So that now she must be rewarded as she rewarded the Saints as in the sixth verse Reward her even as she rewarded you and double unto her double according to her works in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double That is as she hath drunk the blood of Prophets the blood of Apostles the blood of Saints and Martyrs of Jesus now she must have her own blood to drink And not onely so but her cup must be filled up double that is she shall drink the torments of her own soul eternally As soon as one torment is suffered the cup of her soul shall be filled up again with another torment So that her cup shall be always full of torment for her to drink eternally And thus will her cup be filled double and double again For though God hath suffered his servants the Prophets and Apostles and Saints to have their blood poured out and drunk by this whore and the beast The time will come that he will avenge their blood upon these two and all their adherents and give them their own blood double to drink So that their cup shall be so full of the wine of Gods wrath that they shall be drinking of it to eternity As for the seventh verse there is little matter of concernment so I shall pass it by and speak a little of the eighth verse where it is said Therefore shall her plagues come in one day death and mourning and famine and she shall be utterly burnt with fire for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her This eighth verse doth determine a total and final destruction of the spiritual whore or City Babylon and that her plagues shall come in one day death and mourning That is the first death which is a natural death it shall enter into a second death and cause much mourning because it is a living death and a dying life Else there would be no mourning in death and as for the famine she shall suffer the meaning is this That there shall be such a famine or want of peace in her soul in the second death that no motion or thought of peace or deliverance shall arise in her soul to give any hope so that there will be a famine of peace indeed for she will be utterly burnt with fire It will be a fire indeed for the fire of Gods wrath will burn eternally and never be quenched besides the destruction of the glory of this world So that the Reader may see what will be the end of this spiritual mystery Babylon with the beast and all false worshippers Which thing hath been prophesied of ever since Moses he being the first Commissionated Prophet and I being one of the last God hath given me understanding to interprete the Revelation of John the Evangelist even till I have found out a period of the destruction of that great City Babylon Which destruction and utter downfal is concluded by Johns Revelation in the eighteenth chapter and the eighth verse so that I shall patiently wait the time when God will make it visibly appear yet by faith I do know it will certainly be so even as all Prophets and Apostles have done before me CHAP. LXVIII FRom the eighth verse to the twentieth verse it is onely a relation of the astonishment in the mindes of men who were Merchants and had trading at Sea who were made rich by trading with idolatrous people For the Kings of the earth who have committed fornication with her and lived deliciously with her they shall bewail and lament her when they see the smoak of her burning They may well lament for her for they have committed fornication with her so that they shall suffer with her For there will be but little time for them to see the smoak of her burning before they are in it themselves But the Spirit doth speak what the heart of man would speak in case there were time given men to see such a destruction and he not in it himself So likewise it is said They standing afar off for fear of her torment That standing afar off is onely to set forth what the minde of man doth use to do in the case of a temporal destruction or if a temporal City were to be burnt up Men that are afraid will stand afar off for fear there is the same thoughts in man as to the end of the world men would stand afar off when that comes if they could So that the Kings who committed fornication with her and the Merchants that were made rich by her they did stand afar off in their mindes for fear of her torment But they were quickly in it as well as she and all that lamentation that was made rich by her in respect of that riches and temporal costliness that they had by her it was all in the minde of man and would have done so indeed had they had time For if this great City was destroyed in one hour there was little time to stand afar off to see her torment But the Spirit speaks forth what is in the nature and minde of man and what he doth use to do in temporal things and would do at that day if they could Therefore I shall pass by all their lamentation Alas alas this great City and come to the twentieth verse CHAP. LXIX VErse the twentieth Rejoyce over her thou Heaven and ye holy Apostles and Prophets for God hath avenged you on her Here the Reader may see that the holy Apostles and Prophets are encouraged to rejoyce at the destruction of Babylon before she is destroyed For she is not destroyed yet neither are the Prophets and Apostles as yet capable to rejoyce over her destruction for most of them are asleep in the dust of the earth But it is a usual thing for the Spirit to speak of things at a distance as at present being because God that is truth or the God of truth cannot lie but will give unto his servants the Prophets and Apostles the things he promised them And they by faith believed him and did suffer persecution and the loss of their lives by this City Babylon giving themselves up to their wicked wills depending upon God to avenge their blood on her So that they by faith did obtain the assurance in themselves that God would avenge their blood on her Again the Revelation of John may bid them rejoyce because it
â—hat is all creatures according to the instinct of nature do shew forth honor and glory unto a Divine Being who hath created all things for his own glory So that there is an exceeding great Crown of glory upon the head of Christ Jesus as he is the Creator and the other Crown of glory upon his head it is as he is the Redeemer For Redemption in all those that are concerned in it is of more worth and of higher esteem than the work of Creation is So that this work of Redemption it hath procured to himself a a Crown of glory of more weight then the work of Creation So that all Crowns of glory he hath upon his head they are all included in these two and the white horse he doth fit upon it is the righteousness of Faith For by this righteousness of Faith he conquered death hell and devil and by this Faith he hath made war with these spiritual enemies and by the same power of Faith he will overcome and destroy all temporal enemies with an eternal destruction as John doth speak of as if it were already done as aforesaid Verse the twelfth His eyes were as a flame of fire and on his head were many Crowns and he had a Name written that no man know but he himself As for his eyes being as it were a flame of fire that is onely to signifie the exceeding glory and brightness of his eyes They are so piercing that he can see thorow Angels and men so that no mortal man can look upon him no more then the eyes of a man are able to look upon the Sun in its brightness and as for the many Crowns upon his head I have spoken of that in the verse before But it is said And he had a Name written that no man knew but he himself The meaning is this there was no man knew his Name that was written upon him but he himself until he did reveal it to some man For who knew him by the Name of Jehovah God Almighty until he revealed it to Moses Also who knew his name was the Word of God as in the thirteenth verse had he not revealed it unto John As it is said in the Gospel of John In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God So that his name must needs be the Word of God and how should any man know this but he himself until he did reveal it unto some man so that when the Name of God was known to no man but to he himse f The thing was then a secret thing but now it is revealed unto man it doth belong unto us and to our children For secret things belong unto God and revealed things to us and our children So that when God hath revealed any secret or heavenly mystery unto man it may not then be called no more secret but man may know it in a measure even as God doth himself So that the Name of God is known by his servants the Prophets Apostles and Witnesses of the Spirit and by his Saints to their exceeding great joy and glory so that his name is known to others now besides himself CHAP. LXXIV VErse the thirteenth And he was clothed with a vesture dipt in blood and his Name is called The word of God The Reader may remember that when I came to the thirteenth verse of the first Chapter of Johns Revelation I found such a like saying as this that is John saw in the midst of the seven golden Candlesticks one like unto the Son of Man clothed with a garment down to the foot Which garment I said I would open hereafter so that now being come to it again I shall open what is meant by this garment down to the foot and by his vesture dipt in blood This Son of Man John saw in the middest of the seven golden Candlesticks it was no other but Jesus Christ and this Jesus Christ is the onely wise God as I have shewed before And it is he that John saw clothed with a garment down to the foot and it is he that is clothed with a vesture dipt in blood Now the word Vesture and the word Garment signifie both one thing onely this is to be minded by the Reader what the Spirit doth mean by this garment down to his foot and his vesture dipt in blood The meaning of the Spirit is this The eternal Spirit it became flesh so that the flesh of Christ was a garment or a vesture that did clothe the God-head Spirit with So that he being clothed with flesh from the head to the foot this flesh is called by the Spirit a garment down to the foot So that this garment of flesh is that vesture dipt in blood according to that saing of Isaiah the Prophet Isaiah 63.1 Who is this that cometh from Edom with dyed garments So in the second verse Wherefore art thou red in thy apparrel and thy garments like him that treadeth in the wine-fat This prophesie of Isaiah is that God would become flesh and so clothe himself with a garment of flesh so that this garment might be made red with blood That is the whole body of flesh which is called the garment of the God-head-life might be made red even as one that treadeth the wine-fat For if a man should tread the wine fat of the grapes with no other apparel on but his flesh onely it would make him look red as if he had been treading in a pool of blood Even so doth the Prophets words signifie when he saith Wherefore art thou red in thine apparel and thy garments like him that treadeth in the wine-fat As if the Prophet should say Wherefore doth thy flesh which is thy apparel or thy garment look red for thou hast been treading the wine-press of the wrath of Almighty God like unto him that treadeth the wine fat of the grape So that thy flesh which is thy garment down to the foot must needs look red with blood for the garment of his flesh is that vesture dipt in blood This the Prophets did see by the eye of Faith and so they called the flesh of Christ a Garment red like the wine of the ripe grape in regard he had not yet suffered death in the flesh but was to suffer But the revelation of John saw that he had suffered death in that flesh and therefore saith And he was clothed with a vesture dipt in blood meaning his flesh was dipt in blood in that he had trodden the wine-press of the wrath of Almighty God that is he trod the wine-press of his own wrath against sin For he is the Almighty God himself though he clothed himself with a garment of flesh that he might be capable to die and that ason the devil might be the more capable to put him to death r That the garment or vesture of flesh he had on him might be dipt in blood for the redemption of the Seed of Adam to an
express these heavealy Secrets as well as I could rather than to bury them with my self alone So that who ever doth read this Treatise of the Interpretation of this Book of the Revelation of St. John I say they must take it as it is and let them remember that God seldom chose Learned men to declare the mysteries of his kingdom but let that pass When I had weighed and pondered in my minde this great mystery of God that God became flesh I was moved in my minde to express my self thus unto God Oh Lord God of truth thou that wert from eternity and hadst thy being of thy self a spiritual body in form like a man thou who knowst no beginning of thy self neither dost thou know any ending of thy self yet thou by thy own wisdom and power became very man clothing thy spiritual body with pure humane flesh onely the Life of that body was no other but the Godhead Life so that thou madest thy self a little lower then the Angels also thou madest thy self capable to suffer the pains of death by thy own creatures and so thy vesture was made red it being dipt in thy own blood for the Redemption of thy own seed the seed of Adam It is thee O Lord that wert the first revealer of heavenly secrets unto mankinde some thou hast revealed thy minde unto by voice of words some by secret inspiration of thy Spirit and others thou hast revealed the mysteries concerning thy self and thy kingdom by the Spirit of Faith that doth arise out of its seed so that the original of all true Revelation and understanding the mysteries of thy kingdom it doth come from thee Oh Lord God of truth so that I can truly say with Moses the Prophets Apostles and Saints Blessed be the Lord God of truth who hath revealed unto me the mystery of God and the mystery of the right devil with the interpretation of many other heavenly secrets spoken of by John in this Book never revealed before unto Prophet or Apostle therefore unto thee O Lord God of truth thou that art King of kings and Lord of lords who art that Alpha and Omega whose garment of flesh was made red and whose vesture of flesh was dipt in his own blood for the Redemption of mankinde thou who art the first and the last even he that was dead but is alive and behold he liveth for evermore to thee onely be ascribed all Allelujah of praises by me thy servant whom thou hast chosen when I thought not of it Also let Allelujah blessing glory and honor be given unto him by all those that doth truly understand and believe these things interpreted in this Treatise I say again let us give all praises honor and glory unto our God our King and our Redeemer even the Lord Jesus Christ both now and for evermore Amen Amen CHAP. LXXX AS for this twentieth Chapter it is onely a relation of things done before and as for the chief things in this Chapter concerning Satans being bound for a thousand years and after the thousand years was expired Satan was let loose with many other things depending thereupon they are opened already in the Interpretation of the eleventh of the Revelation Onely I shall give a word or two to shew what is meant by Gog and Magog This Gog and Magog is the Turk Pagan and all heathen men who never professed the worship of Moses nor the worship of the Gospel that is the same spirit that was in the heathen in former time who were called by the Spirit Gog and Magog as you may see Ezekiel 39.1 Thus saith the Lord God behold I am against thee O Gog. And in verse 6. God will send a fire on Magog So chapter 38.2 Son of Man set thy face against Gog the land of Magog and in the 3 verse and say Thus saith the Lord behold I am against thee O Gog the chief Princes of Meshech Now this Gog and Magog spoken of in Ezekiel it was no other but Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon he I say is called by the Spirit Gog as in 2 Chron. 36 6 and all his princes who had great armies who helped him to fight against Jerusalem and they are called by the Spirit Magog as you may see 2 Kings 24.1 2. Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon came up that is he came up to fight against Jerusalem and there came against Jerusalem bands of the Caldees and bands of the Syrians and bands of the Moabites and bands of the children of Ammon these all came against Judah to destroy it and so they did according to the word of the Lord. And these bands of men aforesaid are called by the Spirit Magog so that it may be clear to the Reader that this Gog and Magog spoken of by John it is meant all the Heathen power upon the face of the earth in that the heathen hath three parts of the world in his hands For this is to be minded by the Reader that this Gog and Magog spoken of by the Prophets they were Heathen powers and people who never did profess nor confess the Scriptures of truth And this Gog and Magog John speaketh of are Heathen men also for the same spirit that was in that Gog and Magog it doth run in the line of that seed even to the end of the world So that the Heathen that shall be destroyed at the end of time may be called Gog and Magog as the other Gog and Magog was destroyed after the seventy years were expired they were destroyed with a temporal destruction but this Gog and Magog John speaketh of they will be destroyed with an eternal destruction at the end of time For this spirit of reason the devil or Satan that was bound for a thousand years and when the thousand years was expired he was let loose which things I have opened in The Interpretation of the eleventh of the Revelation This spirit of reason the devil as aforesaid it being loosed out of prison which prison I have shewed what it is in that book aforesaid so that this Satan being loosed he goeth forth to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth as in the eighth verse of this chapter Gog and Magog to gather them together to battel the number of whom is as the sand of the Sea So that the Reader may see that Satan shall go out to deceive the nations that are in the four quarters of the earth which four quarters doth signifie all the world for the world is divided but into four parts and all these four parts of the earth they are deceived by this spirit of Satan which spirit of Satan I have shewed what it is in my other writings but this is to be minded that the Saints the Seed of Faith are excepted by the Spirit for though they live in the four parts of the earth yet they are not deceived by the spirit of Satan not as to their eternal perdition as the other