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
Commission of the Gospel defie the living Jesus and the Worship set up by his Apostles And in this regard this Babylon John speaketh of may be said to be a spiritual Babylon who made all the nations of the earth to drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication And as certain as the other Babylon was destroyed with a perpetual destruction when the seventy years was accomplished So will this Babylon aforesaid be destroyed with an eternal destruction when the time apointed of God is accomplished And as the Jews nation were under Babylons yoke so were the Saints in the primitive time or in the Commission of the Gospel under the yoke of persecution of this spiritual Babylon And this spiritual Babylon who made all nations drunk with spiritual fornication in worshipping of Idols and Images as aforesaid is that great City Babylon is called a great City because she made all nations to become idolatrous For when a man doth bow down and submit to worship any idol Image or form of worship that is false it not being set up by command from God he may be said to drink of the cup of spiritual fornication More might be said of this thing but I shall have occasion to speak of it hereafter onely this is to be minded here that the Saints in all this time of the Commission of the Apostles did not drink of the cup of fornication That is they were not polluted with worshipping of idols and images or any false worship but did cleave close to the faith and worship of Jesus I mean those that did truly believe the Apostles doctrine and those that were converted by it in the time of their Commission their Worship differing in every thing from the worship of the whore of Babylon Even as the worship of the Jews did differ from that great City the whore of that Babylon as aforesaid This is the true interpretation of the great City the spiritual Babylon who made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornications As you may see in the ninth verse And the third Angel followed them saying with a loud voice If any man worship his Image and receive the mark in his forehead or in his hand in the tenth verse the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God c. So that none of the Saints after they truely believed did worship the Beast nor his Image nor practice that manner of worship that was set up by the power of the beast Neither did they receive his mark neither in their foreheads nor right hands That is they did not submit to his worship neither willingly nor unwillingly so that the Saints did not drink of the wine of her fornication at all in that they did not worship any idols images or forms of false worship which was set up by this great City the spiritual whore of Babylon Whose torment is expressed in the verses following both she and all those that drunk of her cup of fornication and received the mark But I shall pass by those verses which speaketh of that there being more sayings hereafter that speaks much of the torments of the whore of Babylon and those she committed whoredom with Therefore I shall pass by that and two verses more there being little matter in them but what is commonly known by all so I shall proceed to the fourteenth verse CHAP. XLIV ANd I looked and behold a white cloud and upon the cloud one sate like unto the Son of Man having on his head a golden Crown and in his hand a sharp sicle This Son of Man John saw sit upon the white cloud I declare it was no other but Christ the onely God though said by John to like unto the Son of Man He may well be said to be like unto the Son of Man because he be is the Son of Man for he called himself so For saith he when he was on earth the Son of Man must be betrayed into the hands of sinners meaning himself And other places in Scripture where he calls himself the Son of Man Now to know why Christ called himself the Son of Man he being the Son of God nay God himself it will be worth the unfolding of this mystery To this I say he calls himself the Son of Man because he took upon him the nature of Man in the womb of Mary the virgin That is he gained the Godhead nature and Manhood together in the womb of Mary the Virgin and there cloathed the Godhead nature with pure humane flesh So that he when he was born into this world was perfect God and Man according to that saying Isaiah the nineth To us a childe is born to us a Son is given he shall be called the mighty God the everlasting Father with other titles of the divine Godhead yet a childe a perfect man childe born of a Virgin And she conceived in her womb by the Holy Ghost that is by the holy God so the Virgin she being the Mother that bare Jesus and brought him forth into this world as other children are brought forth into this world In this regard he did call himself and is called by the Spirit the Son of Man For he taking the nature of Man upon him and being born of a Virgin he may call himself the Son of Man That is he is the Son of Man but by the Mothers side but not by the Fathers side For by the Fathers side he called himself the Son of God and so he was yea he was God himself The parrallel is much like unto Cain and Abel they were both brothers by the mothers side but not by the father For they had two several fathers Adam was the father of righteous Abel and the serpent-angel was the father of cursed Cain as the Scripture doth plainly prove if understood by the Reader For it is not written no where in Scripture that Adam begot Cain Yet notwithstanding Eve was the mother of them both and so Cain and Abel were brothers by the Mothers side but not by the Fathers side So likewise Christ was the Son of God nay God himself by the Fathers side but by the Mothers side he was the Son of Man And in this sense he called himself The Son of Man And this Son of Man is that Son of Man John looked and saw sit upon a white cloud having on his head a golden crown and in his hand a sharp sicle This cloud he sate upon it was that cloud the Apostles speaks of Hebr. 12. Wherefore seeing we also are encompassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses Now what this cloud is it is expressed in the eleventh chapter concerning the faith of the Patriarchs and Prophets and Saints who had the righteousness of faith in them beginning at righteous Abel Enoch Noah Abraham Isaac Joseph Moses David Samuel and the Prophets with other Saints who suffered wonderful strange deaths for their Faith These and many more were
both Jew and Gentile being called that holy City even as the other Babylon was troden and destroyed without the City of Jerusalem Which was many miles off Jerusalem thus in short I have given the interpretation of the most things of concernment in the fourteenth Chapter CHAP. XLV CHapter the fifteenth in the first verse John saw another sign in heaven great and marvellous seven Angels having the seven last Plagues for in them is filled up the wrath of God This great and marvellous sign that John saw in heaven it was those Plagues or wrath of God that was to be poured out upon this spiritual Babylon and those beasts and nations and people who did drink of the cup of her fornication of idolatry which is more explained in the sixteenth Chapter Also John saith he saw another sign great and marvellous It is said to be another sign because he spake in the chapter before much of that temporal Babylon with the Plagues and fall of it But in this fifteenth chapter these Plagues hath relation onely to this mystery Babylon therefore said to be another sign in heaven great and marvellous It is great and marvellous indeed for he saw the utter destruction and end of the world therefore calls them the seven last Plagues before upon the other Babylon But these seven Plagues are the last Plagues that are to be poured out upon the earth therefore called by the Spirit marvellous because the whole wrath or final wrath of God is filled up or finished upon the whore beast false prophets and all idolatrous persons in the world And this is to be executed by seven Angels that is these seven holy Angels have Commission from God to pour out those seven last Plagues in a suitableness or likeness to those Plagues that was poured out upon Egypt as will appear in the next chapter In the second verse John saw as it were a Sea of glass mingled with fire and them that had gotten the victory over the beast and over his image and over his mark and over the numbers of his name stand on the Sea of glass having the harps of God The Reader may remember that I have shewed before when I treated upon the fourth Chapter of the Revelation that there is a Chrystal Sea like unto glass or Chrystal waters in heaven above the Stars as really as there is Sea of waters here upon the earth and as certain as ships and other vessels can and do swim or glide upon the Sea and waters here below So may spiritual bodies stand or walk upon the Sea of glass in heaven above the Stars And this Sea of glass is mingled with fire it is said to be mingled with fire to signifie the purity of it the more because fire is that which purifies more then any thing but water Therefore the spirit of God is compared to fire and to water as Christ shall baptize with the Holy Ghost and with fire and Christ will give every true believer water of Life so that as the Spirit of God the operation of it is compared to fire and to water those two being the purifying things upon earth So likewise this Sea of glass mingled with fire which John saw in heaven it was that Chrystal Sea or Chrystal waters like unto clear glass Which was before the Throne of God as in the 4th of the Revelation aforesaid And John saw all them that had gotten the victory over the beast and over his image and over his mark and over the number of his name stand on the Sea of Glass having the harps of God That is the Saints of God who by their patient suffering they got the victory over the beast for faith and patience will conquer the greatest enemies in the world both within a man and without a man And this faith and patience in the Saints in the second Commission Was that which kept them from worshipping of idols images or submitting any ways to that false worship set up by the beast And in this regard the Saints may be said to get victory over the beast his image mark and name Which things I have opened before onely this is to be minded by the way that the Saints that getteth this victory over all false worship they shall have spiritual bodies that shall be capable to stand upon the Sea of glass in heaven even upon that Chrystal Sea which is round about the throne of God Even as men do stand upon ships upon the Sea of this world as aforesaid Observe if there be such power in saith in bodies that are mortal as to make them to walk upon the waters as in Christ and in Peter who walked in those bodies of flesh upon the waters how much more shall those whose faith is become a fiery glory which hath spiritualized the whole body That is it is a spiritual body capable to stand upon the Sea of glass in heaven as our earthly bodies are upon the firmest earth here below And those Saints that stand upon this chrystal Sea of glass these have the harps of God Now what is meant by the harps I have shewed before And in the third verse these that stood upon the Sea of glass having the harps of God they sing the Song of Moses and the Song of the Lamb which two Songs I have opened before Now what the words of the Song of Moses and the Song of the Lamb are some of them are set down in the third and fourth verses And those that stood upon the Sea of glass with the harps of God did sing these two Songs in those words aforesaid Their tongues being the harps of God to sound forth his praise and glory for his great mercies towards them There is nothing else of any great concernment to know in this Chapter but what I shall have occasion to speak of in the chapters following therefore I shall say no more nor interpret no more of this fifteenth Chapter CHAP. XLVI IN the sixteenth Chapter and the first verse John heard a great voice out of the Temple saying to the seven Angels Go your ways and pour out the Vials of the wrath of God upon the earth These seven Angels are to pour out the seven last Plagues upon the earth they are called seven Angels because of those seven several Plagues that are to be poured out upon the earth in the last dayes These Angels who had the seven last Plagues to pour out upon the earth they were of the holy Angels but whether they were just seven more or less is not much material But because the Plagues are counted but into seven therefore called seven Angels who poured out their Vials of the wrath of God which wrath of God are those seven Plagues when as one or two Angels might at the command of God pour out all those seven vials But this Book of the Revelation of John doth speak much of seven And 1. of the seven Spirits of God before the Throne
with garments down to the heel So that the outward garb and clothing of these three they do carry such a glory honor and majesty among the people in outward appearance that the people do believe or think there is more honor and glory within whereby they are mightily deceived in their expectations For these three sorts of men afore-mentioned are counted by the Spirit of revelation in John no other but three sorts of Frogs and those three spirits that sent them out they were but three unclean spirits And the work these Frogs aforesaid are to do it is to go forth to deceive the people of the earth for where is there a man hardly to be found not fourteen yeares ago upon the earth but they were deceived either by the Physician Lawyer or Priest Nay they deceive one another for the Priest is deceived by the Doctor of Physick and the Doctor of Physick he is deceived by the Priest For the Priest deceives his soul in that the Doctor thinks he can preach such saving Doctrine that may save his soul but alas he is altogether deceived for the Priest doth not know what will become of his own soul after death much less of anothers So likewise the Doctor of Physick he deceives the Priest making him believe and think that he will give him such a portion of Physick as shall restore him to life and health when as many times it doth cause the want of health and life both So that he deceives the Priest both of his health and money also just as the Priest did him in the matter of his salvation And as for the Lawyer he cheats the Doctor and the Priest both For they are both forced to make use of him and they do the the like by him for the Lawyer he must have the Priest for his Minister to save his soul and the Doctor to be his Physician So that they get pretty even one with another but all people besides that deal with them are sure to be deceived and to loose by them These three sorts of men are esteemed by the world the most honorable men of all but by the Spirit of Faith they are branded for the worst of all men In that they are called frogs for experience doth shew that these three sorts of men do overflow the earth like crooking frogs in the water on a hot sun-shiny day So that hardly a man can escape being persecuted or deceived or cheated by them These are those that are sent forth by those three unclean spirits which are called the spirits of devils which go forth to the Kings of the earth And of the whole world to gather them together to the battel of that great Day of God Almighty That is these three sorts of men shall incite and invite all ignorant Kings of the earth or Head-magistrates and all ignorant people to persecute and kill the innocent Saints who cannot fight with no other weapons but faith and patience And such spiritual weapons as these must destroy all the great Army of the whole world when they are gathered together Because this battel will be the last battel that will be fought between the Seed of Faith and the seed of reason Therefore called the great day of God Almighty and the place where this great battel must be fought where they were gathered together it is called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon That signifies the whole world or that great City mystery Babylon the mother of harlots who hath made all nations drink of the cup of the wine of the wrath of her fornications When that City is destroyed the whole world will be destroyed also But I shall have occasion to speak more of that in the seventeenth Chapter so that the Reader may see a little more clear what is meant by those three unclean spirits like frogs what they are and from whom they did proceed Also I have interpreted what followed upon the pouring out of the vial of the sixth Angel with many other things which may satisfie the Readers spirit if understood So I shall pass by a verse or two there being nothing of any great concernment in them and shall go on to the 17 verse CHAP. LVII ANd the seventh Angel poured his vial into the air and there came a great voice out of the Temple of heaven from the Throne saying It is done This seventh Angel he poured out his vial into the air Now this is to be minded that the vials of Gods wrath they are poured out upon the earth and upon the sea and upon the Sun and upon the seat of the beast c. And now last of all upon the air so that the wrath of God is poured out upon every thing and place that doth yield comfort and refreshment unto the heart of man And air being the greatest refreshment of life of any thing else especially when life is like to die this experience doth shew the truth of it Also air is the last refuge that life hath to fly unto for many people will in sickness call for air because for want of they it die for air is the life of nature and when life is weak and not strong enough to take in air into it then it doth dye for so long as life can receive air into it it doth live So that this seventh and last vial of Gods wrath it is poured out upon the air Because the air is the last and greatest refreshment unto a natural life and not onely so but it is the conclusion of life the want of it So that the last vial of Gods wrath it is poured out into the air onely to signifie the annihilation of all natural life which he created at the beginning of this world So now at the latter end of this world his vial of wrath being poured out upon or into the air it will destroy that natural life of man and beast and all other creatures that hath life Therefore it is that great voice out of the Temple of heaven from the Throne saying It is done Signifying that the vial of Gods wrath being poured into the air is the conclusion and end of all Gods plagues upon natural life in this world For though God had destroyed the life of many thousands and millions more then can be numbered by those six vials poured out before as that of the earth and of the sea and of the sun and of the seat of the beast as aforesaid I say they are not to be numbered the multitude these vials did destroy Yet this vial poured out into the air it destroyeth more then all the rest It being the last and the utter annihilation of all natural life and the end of the world Therefore it is said by the voice out of the Temple in heaven It is done That is all the vials of Gods wrath are poured forth upon this wicked unbelieving idolatrous world neither shall there be any more vials of wrath or plagues poured out
a scroll and where the place of the reprobates shall be Chap. 21. What is meant by the four angels who had power over the winds and what by the sealing of the servants of God in their foreheads Chap. 22. What is meant by the first and second Angels sounding and of the mountain burning with fire and what is meant by the third part of creatures that died in the sea Chap. 23. What is meant by the Star that fell from heaven and how it burned like a Lamp Chap. 24. What is meant by the rivers and fountains of waters being made bitter and how those that drunk of them died Chap. 25. What is meant by the sun being smitten that she could not shine but a third part of her only and what is meant by the Moon and Stars being smitten and how a third part of them did not shine nor give no light in the night Chap. 26. What is meant by the Star that fell from heaven unto this earth what is meant by the bottomless pit and the key that openeth it and of the smoke that did arise out of the bottomless pit Chap. 27. What is meant by the smoke of the pit and by the locusts that came out of it how the Saints are called green grass and trees Chap. 28. What the four Angels were and how mens heads may be said to be like Lyons heads and what is meant by fire smoak and brimstone that issued out of their mouthes Chap. 29. What the serpent is and how they may be said to be the â—ayle and how they may be said to have stings and how they do hurt Chap. 30. How the Papist Episcopal Presbytery and Independent Ministery doth resemble the angels of the Churches of Ephesus Smyrna Pergamos and Thyatira and what Judgements did follow Chap. 31. How the Baptist Ranter and Quaker their Ministery doth resemble the Angels of the Churches of Sardis Philadelphia and Laodicea and how plagues doth follow at and in the sounding of their Ministery Chap. 32. The Interpretation and difference between the dragons ten horns and the beasts ten horns and how they may both be said to have seven heads apiece Chap. 33. No true faith upon the earth but in the time of a Commission from God Chap. 34. The Interpretation and distinction why man may be called a dragon devil or serpent and how the seed of Reason may be said to be in heaven Chap. 35. How the beast may be said to be like a Leopard what is meant by his feet being like the feet of a Bear and his mouth like the mouth of a Lyon and what is meant by his deadly wound being healed Chap. 36. What is meant by the Tabernacle in heaven and by those that dwell in it how the Saints are not called the world and how they may know their names are written in the Book of Life Chap. 37. What is meant by the beast out of the earth with two horns like a Lamb and what the two horns doth signifie and how those miracles he wrought were counterfeit and meer shadows Chap. 38. What is meant by the Image and how the Image may be said to speak Chap. 39. What is meant by receiving the mark of the beast in the forehead and in the right hand and how they may be said to have the name of the beast and the number of his name Chap. 40. The Interpretation of the number of the beast and how he may be said to be six hundred threescore and six and yet but the number of a man Chap 41. What is meant by the Lamb that stood upon mount Sion and what those hundred forty and four thousand were who stood upon mount Sion with him and how the voices of the Saints are called the sound of waters and as the noise of thunder Chap. 42. The Interpretation how men and women may be said to be not defiled with women and in what sense they may be called Virgins And why the Jews are called the first-fruits unto God and who the Angel was that did flie in the middest of Heaven and how the everlasting Gospel was preached to every nation and kindred and tongue and people Chap. 43. The difference between the temporal Babylon and the spiritual Babylon expounded and how men may be said to drink the wine of the wrath of her fornication Chap. 44. How Christ is called by the Spirit The Son of Man and what is meant by the white cloud and the Crown of Gold upon his head and what is meant by the sharp sicle in his hand and what is meant by reaping the earth and how the wine-press of Gods wrath is â—roden without the gates or City of Jerusalem and what the City is Chap. 45. How the Saints of God are capable to stand upon the sea of glass in heaven as men may upon this earth they being spiritual bodies Chap. 46. What is meant by the seven vials of Gods wrath poured out upon the earth and what Angels they were that poured them out and why they are called seven Angels and how the Angel of the Gospel doth pour out his plagues as the Angel of the Law did Chap. 47. The Interpretation of the waters being turned into bloud and how the waters of the soul of man is turned into bloud in the spiritual as the natural waters of Egypt were Chap. 48. How the seâ—d of Reason did drink the Saints bloud and how they must drink their own bloud and what is meant by pouring out the vial upon the Sun and by scorching men with fire Chap. 49. An Interpretation of the kingdom of darkness in the temporal and what that darkness signifies Chap. 50. How the spirit of Cain doth run through all wicked Herods and how the Land of Goshen doth signifie true light and the Land of Egypt hell death and darkness Chap. 51. What is meant by the great River Euphrates in the natural and in the spiritual and how it may be said to be dryed up and who they are that are called kings of the earth Chap. 52. How these three unclean spirits like frogs proceeded from one spirit and yet by their several operations and workings they may be called three Chap. 53. A further Interpretation of the dragon beast and false prophet and how all the worship set up by them is false Chap. 54. An Interpretation of the operation of that wisdom that cometh out of the dragons mouth and why it is called by the Spirit an unclean spirit like a frog Chap. 55. What the unclean spirit is that came out of the beasts mouth and how they are clothed in scarlet Chap. 56. What is meant by the false prophet and how he cometh to be clothed in sheeps clothing and how these three unclean spirits like frogs deceive one another and all people else Chap. 57. What is meant by the great earthquake and by that great hail and how every stone may be said to weigh a talent and how mingled with fire and brimstone
Gospel to preach and what the Gospel is and when it was preached And to whom and how Christ was with the preachers of it to the end of the world c. CHAP. XLIII I Shall pass by the seventh Verse there being no matter of concernment in it but what is commonly known by all who will confess they ought to fear God and praise him that created or made the heavens and the earth and the sea c. In the eighth Verse it is said And there followed another Angel saying Babylon is fallen is fallen that great City because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication You that have the true light of Life in you observe what this Babylon is that John prophesies of or that he saw in his vision is fallen is fallen that great City Now what the Angel was that said so or shewed it to John I shall not speak of here being of no great concernment to know But the great matter to know is what is meant by this Babylon that is fallen and what is meant by the great City and the drinking the wine of the wrath of her fornication I would have the Reader observe that there is a two-fold Babylon the one in the History and the other in the mystery that is one is a temporal and the other a spiritual Babylon That is with relation to the Nation of the Jews who were carried captive unto Babylon and there to remaine the space of threescore and ten years captive in Babylon before the fall of it according to the prophesie of Jeremiah and others of the prophets as you may see Jeremiah 25 11. concerning the Nations of Judah and Israel serving the King of Babylon seventy years So likewise Jeremiah and the rest of the Prophets did prophesie of the down-fall of that temporal Babylon in Jeremiah 25.12 13. concerning Gods punishing Babylon when those seventy years were accomplished and the Caldeans and will make it a perpetual desolation This Babylon here spoken of by the prophets it was that temporal Babylon which the prophets saw would fall and so it did when the time was accomplished But this Babylon John speaks of that is fallen it is that spiritual mystery Babylon that is fallen He speaking with relation to the end of the world For John did see by faith the end of the world to be as certain as the prophets did see by faith the down-fall of that temporal Babylon Also it is to be minded that this mystery Babylon spoken of Revelation 17.5 where is said And upon her head was a name written Mystery Babylon the great the Mother of harlots c. This Babylon in the 14th chapter which John saith is fallen is that mystery Babylon that is fallen in faiths account as the temporal Babylon is Now this History or temporal Babylon it was appointed of God to punish the nation of the Jews for their idolatry That is they being so subject to it when as they had a Law of Worship given them of God by Moses So that God gave them into the hands of the king of Babylon for a time that they might see the extream abominations of the the Heathen and how far they did exceed in idols in worshipping of false gods beyond the Israelites so that the Israelites might drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication That is that the Nation of the Jews might be drunken with the worshipping of Idols even as men are drunken with wine and commit fornication in their spirits with the Idols and worship of Babylon even as men commit fornication with women with their bodies till they have hardly any strength of nature left in them So that this spirtual Idolatry and fornication in the mind with Idols and false worship it becomes the wine of the wrath of her fornication That is when wine the strength of it hath the upper hand in mans brain so that he hath lost his senses that man may be said to have the wrath of the wine in him And if the wrath of the wine should alwayes continue that man would be fit for no business in this world at all neither 〈◊〉 he all the while the wrath or strength of the wine doth remain upon him So is it in the spiritual who ever doth worship Idols and false gods let it be in what forms or maner soever they may be said to drink the wine of the wrath of her fornication Neither are those idolatrous people who are drunk with idols and false worship sit for any service in the worship of the true God untill the strength of that false worship be wrought out of the people For they be as drunk with spiritual fornication and false worship as men are with wine and fornication in the natural as aforesaid Observe You may remember that I have said before that there is two Babylons spoken of in Scriptures a history or temporal Babylon and a mystery or spiritual Babylon and both these Babylons in faiths account are fallen Therefore John speaks it twice over because there is two Babylons yet both included into one because the spiritual Babylon is the last that is to fall yet by the eye of faith he saw it is fallen Therefore saith he Babylon is fallen is fallen that great City Now that Babylon where the Jews were carried captive it was a great Citty and many nations were drunk with the wine of her idolatrous fornication and worship as aforesaid Onely this is to be minded that this Babylon in the temporal it was appointed for the punishment of the Nation of the Jews they being the chosen people of God to worship him according to the Law of Moses So that this temporal Babylon it did belong only to those people that were under the Commission of Moses and the prophets to be a punishment to them for their disobedience unto the worship of Moses and the prophets For the prophets all complain of Israels declining and disobedience to the worship of Moses But this Babylon John speaks of here in the Revelation it is that spiritual and mystery Babylon that is fallen This spiritual mystery Babylon it doth belong to the Commission of the Gospel and what worship was set up by Christ and his Apostles was to be obeyed at the time of their Commission But there was another form of Worship set up by those beasts aforesaid who were Kings in great power who commanded all nations to worship those idols and images that were set up by them So that all nations were made to drink the wine of this spiritual Babylons fornication as they were of the other aforesaid Mind it is called spiritual Babylon because the worship set up by the aforesaid beasts it was in oposition to the worship of the Gospel the Gospel-worship being more spiritual then the worship of the Law And as the Kings of Babylon did defie the God of Israel and their Worship of the Law so did these beasts in the
that cloud the Son of Man sate upon they all expecting by faith Gods coming in flesh they being afar off That is their faith in them was satisfied that he would come though it was many hundred years after they were dead the apostles and saints afterwards were witnesses that the Son of Man was risen from the dead So that their faith was a cloud of witnesses also and the faith of Abraham Isaac and Jacob the Prophets Apostles and Saints it was that cloud the Son of Man did sit upon It is called a white cloud by the Spirit because they were never defiled with the fornication of Idols But worshipped the true God according to the Law of Moses and according to the faith of Jesus or the Gospel they not receiving the mark of the beast neither in the forehead nor in the hand That is they were not defiled with worshipping of any Images Idols or false gods whatsoever and in this regard they may be called A white cloud and this is that white cloud the Son of Man even Jesus the onely God doth sit upon As the whore in another case is said to sit upon many waters which I shall have an occasion to speak of when I come to it And as for that golden Crown that was upon his head I declare it was that honor and glory which the Prophets Apostles and Saints do attribute unto him as he is a Redeemer The work of redemption being wrought by him as he was a man he being in the form of a servant so that all the redeemed ones who are sensible of their redemption they do praise and magnifie the man Jesus the only God for his great love towards them in that they had faith to receive the benefit of his death And this honor glory and praise which is attributed unto the man Jesus by his Prophets Apostles and Saints is that golden Crown upon his head and in his hand a sharp sicle Now this sharp sicle in his hand it signfies his great power that when the end of the world shall be that he will send his Angels to reap the world even as Reapers doth corn when the harvest is ripe So when the worlds sins are ripe the harvest will be and much like unto a master of the harvest of Corn he will thrust in his sicle first then all his servants until the harvest is reaped So is it with him that sate under the white cloud when the time is accomplished and the harvest ripe he will thrust in hiâ— sicle first and then all his servants the Angels shall fall to reaping the harvest of this world And shall thrust in their sicles and reap until all be cut down that is Christ shall come in the clouds of heaven with all his holy Angels to destroy this world for ever Then will he thrust in his sicle indeed and this is the meaning of the sicle in his hand And those Angels that cryed to him that sate upon the cloud to thrust in the sicle are the holy Angels aforesaid that must help to reap the world for they have sicles also That is the Angels have power from Christ to destroy and cut down this wicked world when their sins are at the full then are they ripe fit to be destroyed even as the temporal Babylon was when their sins was ripe as in Joel the 3.13 verse Put you in the sicle for the harvest is ripe come get you down for the press is full the fats overflow for the wickedness is great The Prophet Joel spake this in relation to the reaping of Babylon the enemies of the Jews that after the seventy years captivity of Israel their enemies sins of cruel usage was at the full or ripe So that now the sicle that is the power of the sword temporal must utterly destroy Babylon the Jews enemies or reap it for the harvest of their sins and cruelties were fully ripe And the press was full that is their bodies were so full of wickedness and cruelty that they did overflow with wickedness their wickedness was so great So will it be with this spiritual Babylon when the harvest is ripe for this spiritual Babylon is so full of idolatry of idols images and worshipping false gods and persecution of the Saints That the press is full that is their bodies are so full of spiritual wickedness or spiritual fornication and persecution for conscience sake as aforesaid that their wickedness doth overflow even as the aforesaid Babylon did So that in the account of the spirit of faith this spiritual Babylon is as really destroyed and reaped their sins being ripe as the other Babylon was And as the sicle was thrust into them that they were destroyed and reaped so will it be with this as in the nineteenth verse of this chapter And the Angel thrust in his sicle into the earth and gathered the vine of the earth and cast it into the great wine-press of the wrath of God The earth signifies the people and the vine of the earth signifies the wicked idolatrous worship of the people and the great wine-press of the wrath of God signifies that eternal death and destruction upon all idolatrous people who worship false gods This eternal or second death is the great wine-press of the wrath of God and in the twentieth verse of this Chapter it is said And the wine-press was troden without the City and blood came out of the wine-press even unto the horse bridles by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs The meaning is this the wine-press was troden without the City that is the destruction of the enemies of Judah and Israel it was without the City of Jerusalem so will the eternal destruction of all idolaters at the end of the world be without the City New-Jerusalem That is none of the Seed of Faith who are the holy City in the spiritual shall see their destruction For blood shall come out of the wine-press even to the horse bridles the blood signifies the extream torment it being for ever The wine-press signifies the great wrath of God pressing their souls for their wickedness to eternity Unto the horse bridles signifies the extream fulness of wickedness so that the wrath of God might walk in their souls even as an horse may do thorow blood even up to his bridle For Gods wrath will he as many horses to crush and trample his enemies under feet so that their miseries may break forth as blood for Gods horses that is his vengeance to walk thorow to eternity As for the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs that signifies a great space and distance from the City of God that is from the spiritual City of God to wit the true believers So that this spiritual mystery Babylon who made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication as aforesaid I say she must undergo the wrath of God and be troden without the spiritual City the Seed of Faith
spiritual fornication or whoredom So that all false worshippers or all that do worship idols or false gods from the greatest to the least from the beginning of Moses Commission to the beginning of the Apostles Commission and to the end of them and not onely so but to the end of the world even to the end of the Commission of the Spirit even the seven Churches of Europe For all spiritual idolatrous worship is in them also though they differ in several forms of worship one from another Namely the Papist Episcopacy Presbyterian Independent Baptist Ranter and Quaker all other Sects and Opinions are involved in these seven and every one of these seven are idolatrous Because none of them knoweth the true God therefore cannot worship him aright So that by consequence it will follow that they all commit fornication with idols for whoever worships a false god he committeth spiritual fornication which I am sure they all do For neither the Ministery of them nor the people doth know the true God nor the right devil for if they did then would they know what worship doth belong unto the true God now in these latter dayes So that all the false worshippers from the beginning of Moses to the end of the world they make up but one great City Babylon or one Woman or one scarlet Whore who hath made all Nations drink of the wine of her fornication That is this spirit of Reason in Kings and Head-Magistrates hath made all Nations to worship idols and images for God So that they have become drunk with spiritual fornication that the people have thirsted after the blood of the Saints as well as those in authority So that they are all become one City Babylon which will be destroyed at the end of the world This is that great Mystery Babylon that great City that John did prophesie the downfal of in the sixteenth Chapter And in the seventeenth Chapter he saw by faith the total downfal of this spiritual Mystery Babylon that great City the Mother of harlots that is of spiritual idolatry which is spiritual whoredom So that there was many more harlots then one yet they are all counted by the Spirit but one whore or harlot For that great City Babylon doth consist of nothing else but spiritual harlots So that the Reader may see what is meant by this spiritual Babylon and this great City and what is meant by the woman the great Whore and what is meant by her fornication so that the Reader may the better understand the interpretation of the Chapter that followeth CHAP. LIX IN the first verse of this seventeenth Chapter there was one of the seven Angels which had the seven vials and talked with John by way of vision and revelation saying unto him Come hither and I will shew unto thee the judgement of the great Whore that fitteth upon many waters Here it is clear that John did see by way of vision and revelation the downfal or judgement of this great spiritual Whore which I have shewed what is meant by it before And as for her sitting upon many waters the many waters where the whore sitteth it signifies multitudes of people nations and tongues as you may see verse 15. That is the spirit of reason in the whore as aforesaid should have such a spiritual power over the spirits of whole nations and tongues and multitudes of people that she should cause them all to commit fornication with idols or else they should be persecuted or suffer death So that whosoever would not commit fornication with her or at her command they should drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication That is she would persecute and put them to death for death is the wine of her wrath For the blood of the Saints is that wine of her wrath which is put into her golden cup that is in her hand And she doth not onely drink the blood of the Saints that is in the golden cup her self but she doth make the Kings of the earth to drink it also For in the a verse With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk of the wine of her fornication That is the Kings of the earth hath committed fornication with her in that they have been perswaded by her and joyned with her to worship idols For except the Kings of the earth who are the temporal power doth joyn with her spiritual power she could do nothing So that the Kings of the earth committing fornication with her that is to worship idols with her So they came to commit fornication with her that is the Kings and Head-magistrates doth uphold that spiritual power the whore hath and doth help to make the people to drink of the wine of her fornication So that the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication That is the inhabitants of the earth what with command from the spiritual power of the whore and what with command from the temporal power of the Kings of the earth the inhabitants of the earth are forced to commit fornication with idols also So that they are made to drink the wine of fornication with her that is look what comfort or satisfaction can be found in worshipping of idols they shall drink it with her But the wrath of her fornication none shall drink that but the Saints because they will not commit fornication with her that is to say not worship idols at her command Verse the 3. So be carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness and I saw a Woman sit upon a Scarlet coloured beast full of names of blasphemy having seven heads and ten horns As for the wilderness I shall say nothing as to that because I have opened what it is in the Interpretation of the eleventh of the Revelation But this Woman who doth sit upon a Scarlet coloured beast the Woman is the same as I said before that great City Babylon And the Scarlet coloured beast it doth signifie all Kings and Head-magistrates who hath submitted unto the false suggestions of Learned men who have pretended to be Prophets and Priests and Ministers of God without a Commission from God And so by the advice of these false prophets priests and ministers kings and head-magistrates hath set up images or forms of worship And hath made Laws for all people to obey in point of worship as well as in point of civil or temporal affairs Also they have made these persons aforesaid to have the charge to see the people worship according to that Law And hath given them a spiritual power to punish all those that will not worship accordingly This hath been the practice of all Kings and Head-magistrates I mean all evil kings and head-magistrates ever since the first idolatrous practices was used under Moses Commission And so a successive idolatrous power did follow even amongst the professors of the God of
power here upon this earth this was shewed him in a vision from the first verse to the nineth verse and from the nineth verse to the end of the chapter it is an interpretation to Johns understanding of the things he saw in his vision And though John did understand the interpretation thereof few or none else since that time that could interprete Johns vision or understand them either Nay none but he that hath a Commission from God can do it so that there is great need of the interpretation of these mystical sayings in this chapter and in the whole book of the Revelation of John unto the Seed of Faith But by the feed of reason wise and learned men perhaps it will be counted but as dreams and phancies of my own brain though they themselves doth not know how to interprete one verse in the whole book truly But I shall let them pass and advise the Seed of Faith especially those that understand the doctrine of the true God and the right devil to minde the interpretation of this chapter and all the rest and they will see how one thing depends upon another So that great satisfaction may be found as to their eternal Salvation CHAP. LXVI CHapter the eighteenth it doth contain a prophesie of the utter downfal and destruction of the spiritual Babylon who hath shed the blood of Prophets Apostles and Saints for worshipping the true God and not worshipping her idols Even as the temporal Babylon was utterly destroyed for her cruelties to Judah and Jerusalem as you may see Isaiah 47.6 so Jer. 25.12 So that there was a perpetual destruction upon the temporal City Babylon when the seventy years was expired for their cruelties to the Jews So likewise when the time appointed of God is expired there will be a perpetual downfal and destruction of this City spiritual Babylon for her cruelties to Prophets Apostles and Saints about worship In the first verse of this chapter John saw another Angel come down from heaven having great power so that the earth was lighted with his glory And in the second verse His message was to cry mightily with a strong voice saying Babylon the great is fallen is fallen She may well be called Babylon the great because this Babylon is a spiritual Babylon and of a longer standing then the other Babylon For this spiritual Babylon hath had a being ever since Moses and Joshua were taken out of this world ever since false worship hath been set up by man and learned men hath had power given them from the civil Magistrate to set up forms of worship So that it is become the greatest City in the world and will remain to the end of time before it be utterly destroyed Neither was there found in the destruction of the temporal Babylon any blood of Prophets Apostles or Martyrs of Jesus as there will in this spiritual Babylon For though the temporal Babylon was cruel it was upon a temporal account Neither was their cruelty to last but a matter of threescore and ten years but the cruelties of this spiritual Babylon it hath been upon a spiritual account And these cruelties hath been acted by her this many thousand years so that all the blood that hath been shed upon a spiritual account from the creation to the end of time may be brought upon this great City spiritual Babylon Because she is become an habitation of devils a hold of every foul spirit and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird It may well be said she is a habitation of devils for none but devils will execute her commands and such people that are of the worst sort of devils even unclean spirits or like hateful birds So that her power and authority it is as a cage to shelter these devils and unclean spirits and hateful birds For this is to be minded by the Reader that these devils are men the unclean spirits or men and the hateful birds are men and those wicked men who are imployed in the whores service to punish all those that will worship not her idols or false worship So that she is become a cage for all wicked spirited people to shroud themselves under As may be seen in the third verse For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication and the Kings of the earth have committed fornication with her That is by her spiritual power she hath sent forth these devils unclean spirits and hateful birds with commission from her to all nations to drink the wine of the wrath of her fornication That is if the nations would not commit fornication with idols willingly That is worship according to her command for her idolatrous worship the pleasure she receives in it is called the wine of her fornication But if people will not obey to worship as is required by these unclean spirits and hateful birds Then they must drink of the wrath of her fornication perhaps excommunication or death it self For though she hath a golden cup in her hand full of wine yet if people will not drink with her freely and willingly she will put poyson that is her wrath into the wine and make them drink whether they will or no. So that they must either drink her wine without wrath or the wine of her fornication and her wrath together Oh how many millions of people have drunk her wine alone and many thousands have drunk her wine and wrath together And that which is more then this the Kings of the earth have committed fornication with her That is the Kings of the earth have committed fornication with her in that they have worshipped false gods by the instigation of the whore she making them believe that this is the way to save their souls So that she hath deceived the Kings of the earth and all nations either by their committing spiritual fornication with her or else by drinking the wine of the wrath of her fornication So that the Kings of the earth are in a worse condition then the other because they committed fornication with her that is they were accessary to the setting up of all false worship and in the councel with her So that the nations that did drink the wine of the wrath of her fornication they did but obey her command and so committed fornication with idols from a Law and a command But it was otherways with the Kings of the earth but however she and all those that have committed fornication with her either by consulting with her or by obeying her commands when she is destroyed with an eternal destruction so will all these that have committed fornication with her be where she is to eternity CHAP. LXVII THerefore in the fourth verse John heard another voice from heaven saying Come out of her my people that you be not partakers of her sins and that you receive not of her Plagues How should Gods people come out of her The Spirit doth not mean that they should
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