patience they are called by the Spirit Kings of the east So that Christ his Prophets Apostles and Saints are those Kings of the East who have the aforesaid waters dryed up that the way for these Kings of the East might be prepared That is there is no natural rivers upon earth that shall hinder or keep from being dryed up neither temporal nor spiritual For the vial of Gods wrath it will dry up all the rivers of waters upon earth natural and all rivers of waters spiritual when Christ shall come in the clouds of heaven with all his Saints the Kings of the East to put an end to this bloody persecuting unbelieving world And to dry up all the waters of peace in mens souls And the Kings of the East by their faith and patience shall walk upon the waters of wicked persecuting mens souls as upon dry ground That is the Kings of the East shall rejoyce in the eternal destruction of their enemies even as their enemies did over them when they persecuted and put them to death So that the way that is the hearts of the Saints enemies may be as a way for the Kings of the East to tread and trample upon all that joy peace and comfort that the Dragon beast and false prophet had when they persecuted the Saints Which Saints are the Kings of the East and that faith and patience the Saints had it prepared themselves to suffer with chearfulness the persecution and death it self So that the waters of the great river Euphrates even the waters of their persecutors souls was dryed up that the Kings of the East that is the Saints might be prepared to fight that good fight of Faith as the Saints did in the time of the Ten Persecutions So much for the interpretation of the twelfth verse CHAP. LII VErse the thirteenth And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs came out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet These three unclean spirits like frogs they are said to come out of the mouthes of three several persons to wit the Dragon beast and false prophet yet these three proceed all from one spirit even the spirit of the fallen Angel or as I may say the spirit of Cain that Dragon-devil who was the first murderer And the spirit of Cain remaining in the seed it bringeth forth many Dragon-devils like himself So that all Dragon-devils make up but one Dragon and so all wicked beasts make up but one wicked beast so all false prophets and false priests or false speakers they make up but one false prophet Now they are called three unclean spirits like frogs in regard of the threefold operations and workings of them For they proceeded from that one spirit of reason the devil Onely this one spirit of reason it doth work three several ways and by three several persons yet all three of them were like frogs They were all alike for wicked idolatry and persecution of the Saints and to deceive the people For they are the spirits of devils working miracles which go forth unto the Kings of the earth and of the whole world to gather them to the battel of that great day of God Almighty as in the 14 verse of this chapter So that these three spirits like frogs that came out of the Dragons mouth and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet They were to go forth to all the Kings of the earth and not onely so but to all great men in the whole world to invite them to persecute and to fight against the Saints with a sword of steel and with other cruel deaths When as the Saints had no other weapons of war but those that were spiritual to wit the sword of the spirit the shield of faith the helmet of salvation these and such like weapons of war the Saints do fight withal But the Dragon beast and false prophet they by their councel power and authority did invite all the kings of the earth and of the whole world to fight against the Lord Jesus and the remnant of the Seed of Faith who are the Saints With persecution and death as aforesaid with carnal weapons and inventions of cruel deaths as the Scriptures and History doth make mention of But the Revelation of John gave him to see that the last battel that will be fought between God Almighty and the dragon beast and false prophet it will be at the end of the world That is Jesus Christ he is God Almighty he and his Saints and Angels shall fight with the dragon beast and false prophet and with all the Kings of the whole world And he and his Saints shall give them an utter overthrow that is an eternal overthrow so that the dragon beast and false prophet with all the adherents unto them shall be destroyed with a second death which shall burn as a lake of fire for even and ever CHAP. LIII IT will be necessary to open something more of the dragon beast and false prophet and of those three unclean spirits like frogs that came out of their mouths The Reader may remember that I shewed before that there was many dragons since Cain yet all counted by the spirit but one dragon and so of the beast and false prophet all are included into one Now this dragon spoken of he is meant the same great red dragon spoken of in the 12. of the Revelation who persecuted the woman namely Herod though there was many dragons after him yet it is called all but one dragon they being all partakers of the same spirit and acted in the same persecution of the Saints So likewise that beast that did arise out of the Sea with seven heads and ten horns as in the thirteenth chapter verse the first Is that beast spoken of here by the spirit though there was divers other beasts after him yet they acting by the same spirit of persecution of the Saints they are all called by the spirit but one beast So likewise the false prophet is meant that government of worship that was established upon the Chief or High-priests of the nations so that there was a spiritual government of worship which did belong to those Images and Idols that was set up by the Power and Authority of the Beast As all Forms of Worships let them be true or false there must be some particular Head as Aaron was High-priest of the Worship of the Law and Christ the Head of the Gospel Worship yet there was many more High-priests besides Aaron yet all called but Aaron the High-priest Even so it was with the false prophet the same spirit of idolatry and persecution for conscience sake for not submitting to worship the beast and his image it did run thorow the spirits of all the false priests as it did in him that was the chief who was set up by the power of the beast at the
our God The meaning is this after John had seen the utter overthrow of this great idolatrous City Babylon Immediately after he heard a great voice of much people in heaven that is he heard the voice of the twenty four Elders the four Beasts the Prophets and Apostles and the multitudes of Saints which cannot be numbered and the holy Angels saying or giving praise unto God in such like words as these Allelujah salvation and glory and honor and power unto the Lord our God All these sounding forth their praise unto God together must needs be a great voice indeed onely this is to be minded that none but the revelation of the Spirit could hear it in heaven and yet be here upon earth So that this great voice John heard in heaven it was by those aforesaid in praise unto God that he had avenged the blood of his servants at her hand as you may see in the second and third verse Again they said Allelujah and her smoak rose up for ever and ever So that all this joy and glory John heard in heaven it was even for this one thing that God had judged thus to give that whore who corrupted the earth with her spiritual fornication a perpetual torment that the smoak of it might ascend for ever and ever And in verse the 4th The four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God that sate on the throne saying Amen Allelujah so that you may see that all are concern'd in this matter to give praise unto God for this judgement upon her These four beasts the Reader may remember I have shewed what they are in this Treatise but for the four and twenty Elders I have said little of them here but I have spoken more largely of them in the Interpretation of the eleventh of the Revelation And in the fifth verse A voice came out of the Throne saying Praise our God all ye his servants and ye that serve him both small and great His servants signifies his Prophets and Messengers whom God did send Small and great doth signifie all true believers or Saints let them be ever so great in faith and knowledge or ever so small or weak in faith and knowledge Yet so it be true faith though but small they are all required by that voice from the Throne to praise God and for what must they praise God for even for his judgement upon the whore And not onely so but that God will raign now himself over you in eternal joy and glory and raign over the wicked persecutors in eternal pain and shame as you may see in the sixth verse CHAP. LXXII ANd I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude and as the voice of many waters and as the voice of a mighty thundering saying Allelujah for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth This voice of a great multitude and as the voice of many waters and as the voice of many thunderings they are the same as I said before to wit the four and twenty Elders the four Beasts the Prophets and Apostles and the multitude of Saints more then can be numbered and the holy Angels These in their praises unto God was the voice of many waters and the voice of thunderings I say these are they that doth sing Allelujah to the Lord God omnipotent who reigneth for ever and ever in joy and glory with his Saints and for ever and ever over the reprobates in eternal torments as aforesaid For these voices say in the seventh verse Let us be glad and rejoyce and give honor to him That is to God for the marriage of the Lamb is come and his wife hath made her self ready This Marriage is an eternal Marriage with God and the elect seed for all the elect seed are Saints from the beginning of the world to the end of it are called by the Spirit but one virgin And this Lamb the virgins Husband is no other but God himself as I have shewed before So that at the end of time all the Elect Seed shall be married unto God their King Redeemer not onely in true righteousness and holiness as they were in the state of grace here in this world But they shall be marryed unto the Lamb which is the onely wise God blessed for evermore to that eternal felicity joy and glory with him So that his wife shall have a propriety in those eternal joys even as a vertuous woman hath here in her husbands estate For in the eighth verse And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen clean and white For the fine linen is the righteousness of Saints that is the righteousness of Faith For faith purifies the the heart and Saints being clothed with this righteousness of Faith they become virgins They are called virgins in that they are not defiled in their souls with idols and false worship which is called by the Spirit fornication or whoredom So that this Bride the Lambs wife being clothed with the righteousness of Faith it is called by the Spirit fine linen clean and white and this is the righteousness of Saints who is the Bride to God her Husband Who putteth upon this white cloathing a Garment of eternal glory which will shine more brighter than the Sun More might be said in this thing but I suppose there is enough said to satisfie the Seed of Faith And as for the nineth and tenth verses I shall pass them by because I have spoken of them and given the meaning of them in the Interpretation of the eleventh of the Revelation CHAP. LXXIII VErse the eleventh And I saw heaven opened and he hold a white horse and he that sate upon him was called Faithful and true and in righteousness he doth judge and make war This white horse is the same white horse as I spake of before in the sixth chapter of Johns Revelation and he that sate upon this white horse is the same that sate upon that white horse to wit the righteousness of Saints And he that sate upon this white horse was no other but Christ Jesus the onely wise God as I have shewed before For this is to be minded by the Reader that though Christ hath a righteousness of his own which may be a white horse for himself to sit upon he being called Faithful and true and in righteousness he doth judge Yet nevertheless the righteousness of Saints is included all into one righetousness so make up but one white horse for the onely wise God to sit upon and to make war That is he made war with death hell and the devil as I said before and overcame them and so had many Crowns upon his head as you may see in the 12 verse These many Crowns upon his head they signifie but two Crowns all other Crowns of glory which he hath they are all included in these two That is he hath a Crown of glory upon his head as he is the Creator of all things
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
first So that though there were many priests that succeeded him and many that did officiate the priests Office besides yet they being all of one and the same spirit they are called by the Spirit in John but one false prophet For priests are called by the Spirit many times prophets as Baal had four hundred false prophets did belong to him that is they were four hundred false priests Now this I would have the Reader to minde that these three spirits like frogs that came out of the dragons mouth and the beasts mouth and the false prophets mouth I would not have the Reader to think that these three spirits like frogs did cease in the time of the ten Persecutions neither would I have him to think that there is no dragon nor beast nor false prophet now though there was then Although I confess the main drift of Johns Revelation had relation chiefly to those wonderful strange actions that was acted by the dragon beast and false prophet unto the Saints in the time of that Commission of the Gospel But this is for certain that the spirit of the dragon and the spirit of the beast and the spirit of the false prophet remains in its seed to this day and will do to the end of the world So that the spirit of the dragon beast and false prophet these three unclean spirits do send forth their spirits like frogs to the Kings of the earth to encourage them all to fight against Truth and against true Worship and to make the Saints to submit to their idolatrous worship For as I said before all Forms of Worship that are set up by men who have no Commission from God is a false worship and who ever is the chief Minister in that worship so set up he may be said to be a false prophet And by this rule all Opinions in Religion and Forms of Religion or Worship that is set up in the world at this day by several sorts of people they are all false because the Ministers are false and so they may be all called but one false prophet even from the first Pope to the last Quaker their Ministery being all false even one as well as the other CHAP. LIV. AGain I shall give the Reader a little distinction of the several operations of these three spirits and yet they all joyn together to fight against God Almighty And yet cozen and cheat one another and cheat the people of the world also So that very few in the whole world doth escape being deceived by one or more of these three unclean spirits like frogs that cometh out of the dragon beast and false prophets mouthes First the unclean spirit of the Dragon it seeketh after natural wisdom as Natural Philosophy Astrology Magick and so becomes a Physician or a Doctor of Physick to cure diseases The wisdom of the Dragon it doth pry into the knowledge of the Stars and the influence of them as the Magicians of Egypt did that they may be counted wise men Likewise this spirit of the Dragon it doth pry into the nature of Herbs Plants with the spirits of all Vegetable and all things of curious Arts so that the spirit of the Dragon comes to be wiser in things of nature than all other men So that all other men that are not skill'd in this wisdom of Nature they are subverted and deceived by this spirit and do honor him as a God thinking that God hath given him more wisdom in this kinde than to all other men So that this knowledge of Natural Philosophy Astrology and by sick makes men become honorable in the sight of all people Also it makes the people to part with their silver freely also it clothes the Physician in rich Velvet so that people may know what he is by his Vesture All this honor and much more than I can relate doth the spirit of the Dragon procure by that unclean spirit that cometh out of his mouth For all those wise Magicians Astrologers Natural Philosophers Doctors of Physick are those Frogs that came out of the Dragons mouth For these afore-mentioned they are a great multitude and do swarm as the Frogs in a warm day and do deceive multitudes both of their health and of their silver under pretence of doing them good This is the proper work and operation of the spirit or wisdom of Reason that cometh out of the Dragons mouth CHAP. LV. SEcondly The unclean spirit that cometh out of the Beasts mouth it is those persons that studies the Laws of the Land In as much as the Beast is the Head of the Law it is he that doth authorize men to be Expounders and Interpreters of the Law he doth authorize some to be Judges some Councellers some Attorneys with many other Titles that Lawyers have So that this unclean spirit that cometh out of the Beasts mouth it is the multitude of Lawyers that are authorized by him and these Lawyers they may be said to come out of his mouth because without his power and authority they can do nothing That is they cannot cheat and deceive the people as they do so that the Lawyers who practice Cases of Law they are so numerous that they can hardly be numbred Also they are clothed with fine scarlet with deceiving the people yet the Lawyers are but the sproutings forth of the unclean spirit that cometh out of the Beasts mouth And it is the proper work of the spirit of the Beast to clothe these Lawyers in scarlet even as the spirit of the Dragon did the Doctors of Physick clothe them in Velvet yet notwithstanding they are in their natures no other but Frogs sent forth by these two spirits aforesaid to deceive them that dwell upon the earth CHAP. LVI THirdly The other unclean spirit it came out of the mouth of the false prophet This false prophet signifies the Chief and Head-Governor of Spiritual Worship as the Pope or any Head-Minister of any Religion whatsoever but more especially of that Head-Minister or Head-Priest that is upheld by the Beast or the Civil Power For there is a spiritual Power invested upon the false prophet by the Beast or Civil Power so that none shall exercise or officiate the Office of a Minister but such as the false prophet shall send forth So that those men this false prophet or chief priest doth send forth to preach these are sent forth from that unclean spirit that cometh out of the false prophets mouth For the false prophet hath full power to ordain and send forth men to preach to deceive the people in a way of false worship as the Dragon had to the Physician and as the Beast had to the Lawyer And as the Doctor of Physick by his deceit came to be clothed in Velvet and the Lawyer by his deceit came to be clothed in Scarlet so likewise the Preachers ordained by the false prophet they come by their deceit to be clothed in sheeps clothing made of the finest wooll
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
sense upon the words of this Prophecy even what their imaginations doth dictate unto them they being uncertain in themselves that what they say to be true So that who ever doth take upon him to be a Minister of the Gospel to interprete the Scriptures without a Commission from God or that knowledge aforesaid I say such men as those may be said to add unto the words of the Prophecy of this Book of the Revelation and not only so but to the whole Book of the Scriptures For all men that do undertake to be Ministers and Preachers of Christ without a Commission from him they not being sent by him these men onely are those that do add unto the Prophecy of this Book that is they add their own vain thoughts and conceivings of their own imaginations unto the truths of God So that in stead of the true meaning of the Scriptures the people have nothing else but the Preachers thoughts and conceivings of the Scriptures and so are altogether unsatisfied in their spirits and these are those men that do add unto the Prophecy of this Book of the Revelation and to the Book of the Scriptures So in like manner will God add unto him or them the plagues that are written in this Book Now what these plagues are they are spoken of in this Book The plagues that shall be added unto them are spiritual that is to say spiritual darkness upon the minde here and the fear of the second death so that the soul of man shall possess the second death which shall burn as a lake of fire and brimstone in utter darkness where is weeping and gnashing of teeth to eternity These are those spiritual plagues that God will add to all those men that go to be Preachers of his Gospel and were not sent by him for they onely do add unto the Prophecy of this Book So that the Reader may see what a dangerous thing it is for a man to take upon him to prophesie preach or teach as a Messenger of Christ without a Commission from him For who ever doth so he doth add his own vain thoughts and imaginations in the Scriptures of those Heavenly Secrets Mysteries and Visions declared by holy men who were inspired by the holy Ghost or the revelation of Faith to write those things aforesaid yet men by their own imaginations by the gift of Learning and by the natural wisdom of Reason will undertake to interprete Scriptures and to be Preachers to others without a Commission from God and without any true knowledge of God And so these men do come to add other Interpretations of their own conceivings unto the Scriptures which is contrary to the mind of that Spirit that writ them and so they become capable to receive of those plagues that are written in this Book as aforesaid CHAP. LXXXII ALso I would have the Reader to know that the same men that do add their conceivings unto this book the same sort of men do take away from the words of this Book of this Prophecy They may be said to take away from it in that they will not suffer any true Interpreter to expound the meaning of the words of the Prophecy of that Book of the Revelation or any other Scriptures onely this some mens mindes are acted out one way and some another some men so they may be suffered to speak their own phantasies upon the Scriptures so as to please themselves and their Hearers that is they care not how much they add to this Book not minding to take any thing from it It is not their principles to take any thing from the Scriptures but their delight is altogether to add their vain conceptions conceiving the meaning thus and thus But he that taketh away from this Book is such a one that will not suffer the true Interpretation of the Scriptures nor of this Book of the Revelation because the true Interpretation of the Scriptures overthroweth all the Principles of Religion in the world So that if truth should be suffered to have freedom in the world then all the old Principles of Religion that have been received in the world so many hundred years by the Pope and others they would quite fall to the ground So that there is a necessity that there should be a number of men to add unto this Book and a number of men to take away from it For true revelation always had some to add to it and some to take from it so that he that taketh from it God will take his part out of the Book of Life and out of the holy City and from the things which are written in this Book The meaning is this that as they would not suffer no true Interpretation of the Scriptures to abide in the world but would take it quite away both the Interpretation and the Interpreter also So in like manner God will take his part out of the Book of Life and out of the holy City so that he shall have no part in that glory and everlasting life which is written of in this Book of the Revelation That is he thought by taking away from the words of this book that is by his persecuting the true Interpretation of it that he did God good service even as he did that added to it for he that adds unto it as aforesaid doth think he doth God good service So in like manner he that taketh from it as aforesaid that persecutes true Revelation and true Interpretation he doth think he doth God good service in so doing and so he thinks to have a part in the Book of Life and to be one of the members of the holy City and to have a right to that glory and happiness that is written in this Book when as alas alas he is one of them that hath taken away from the Prophecy of this Book by persecuting the true Interpretation of it so that God hath taken away that part he thought he had in the Book of Life and that confidence he had in being a member of the holy City and of the glory hereafter I say all these things will God take away from those men that doth take away from the words of the Prophecy of this book of the Scriptures and more especially this book of the Revelation of Saint John This is the true meaning of the Spirit in adding and taking away from this Book of Johns Revelation Oh where is there a man hardly to be found but he is guilty of one of these two either to add or to take away from this mysterious book of the Revelation of John So that the Reader may see what the Spirit doth mean by adding and taking away and who they are that doth this for this is to be considered that no man can interpret the Scriptures truly but he that is chosen and sent of God as Moses and Aaron Peter and Paul and us the Witnesses of the Spirit Also none can interpret the Scriptures truly but those that have the same Spirit as those had that spake the Scriptures that spirit can trace the steps of God Almighty in those three paths which God hath walked in Those three parths are Gods three Commissions or three Records on earth to wit the Water Blood and Spirit so that no Commissionated man of God can be said either to add to or diminish from the word of God for he is chosen of God to reveal the mysteries of the kingdom unto his chosen ones which mysteries are hidden in that letter So that the messengers of God they shall be punished of God if they will not go forth to declare the mysteries of his kingdom but on the contrary if men go are not sent of God they are punished of God for going before they were sent and in going before they are sent they do add and take away from the Scriptures and from this book of the Revelation for they being not chosen nor sent of God they do not know the true meaning of the Scriptures so they not knowing the truth of them they add their own conceits and senses upon them and diminish and take away the true Interpreter by persecution and will not suffer it to abide in the world lâ—st their own principles should fall by it and this is the true meaning of the Spirit and what is meant by adding and taking away from the words of the prophecy of this book of the Revelation of St. John I thought it something necessary to open these two verses because it hath been a thing common in most peoples mouths when they have heard the interpretation of Scriptures with many deep Secrets opened and many heavenly Mysteries revealed which never was revealed before or that hath not been commonly known amongst Religious people they have seemed hard sayings So that men have cryed out O Blasphemy or else say I have added to the word of God or if the interpretation doth differ from the common received opinion or interpretation Then they will say I take away from the word of God yet they know not what it is to add or to take away from it therefore I have opened these two verses in the last chapter and the last verses but one of the Revelation of St. John that the Seed of Faith may know what it is and who they are that add and diminish the words of the prophecy of this book aforesaid and who it is that doth not add nor diminish but doth give the true interpretation of all the deep secrets and hidden mysteries of the whole book of the Revelation And now last of all what it is to add and take away with the joy and glory of them that doth not add nor diminish thereunto with the plagues shame and misery of all those that doth add thereunto or diminish there from So much for the Interpretation of all the chief Head and hard sayings in the whole book of the Revelation of St. John and the conclusion of this Epistle Lodowick Muggleton FINIS