saith and so called The Son of David of the Tribe of Judah When as indeed he was Davids Lord He was Davids Lord as he was the Creator But as he took upon him the seed of the woman which is the nature of man he became a little Childe and so God became flesh And he being of the Tribe and â—â—age of David as he is a Redeemer he may be and is called The Son of David And whatsoever David did in point of war it was justified by Jesus Christ as he was his Lord For it is said in Scripture That David walked with a perfect heart before the Lord in all things onely in the matter of Uriah And David being the first King that wrought righteousness before the Lord in all his war and he being of the Tribe of Judah he is called by the Revelation of John the first beast that was like a Lyon For he acted as in the person of Christ who is the Lyon himself of the Tribe of Judah as Jacob did prophesie when he blessed his sons Now I would have the Reader to understand that all these four beasts spoken of here they were men though they be called by the Revelation of John beasts Also he doth distinguish them into four several forms the first like a Lyon the second like a Calf the third beast had a face like a man and the fourth beast was like a flying Eagle These four beasts as I said before were all men and not onely so but good men onely this I would have the Reader to minde that they are called Beasts in relation to the work that they were to do And so they acted after that manner as such beasts use to do As the nature of a Lyon is to destroy and tear in pieces And the nature of a Calf is to act simply and foolishly and yet innocent also Now the third beast had a face like a man that is he acted as a rational man by wisdom and policy And the fourth beast was like a flying Eagle that is he acted in swiftness and strength and according to other properties that is in an Eagle And so according to the natures and properties of these four beasts did men act and do act in this world therefore called four beasts when as they were no other but men But I shall leave the distinction of the persons of the other three to those that are better read in Histories than I am Neither is it revealed unto me who the persons were therefore I shall speak no more than is revealed unto me but the Reader may understand what the four beasts are by what is afore-written therefore I shall say no more of it but go unto the 8th verse CHAP. X. IN the eighth verse it is said That the four beasts had each of them six wings about them and they were full of eyes within and they rest not day and night saying Holy holy holy Lord God Almighty which was and which is and which is to come The chief things in this verse to be known is what is meant by those six wings which the four beasts had which were full of eyes within The meaning is this that each of these four beasts had six wings that is they had six wings apiece And these six wings apiece it was the spirit of revelation which gave them wisdom to order and manage the affairs of their battels And these six wings were employed thus Two of them were to be employed before in the fore-front of the battel And two of them were to be employed in the rere or hinder part of the Army lest the enemy should come upon the back of them And the other two wings were to be employed in the middle that in case their enemy should put them to the worst both before and behinde that they might flie away with those two wings in the midst And this was very good revelation and wisdom and called by the Revelation of John six wings For the Scriptures doth call revelation and good counsel wings As that saying Revel 12. verse 14. it is said There was given unto the woman two Wings of a great Eagle that she might flee into the Wilderness Which wings was no other but revelation as I have opened in the Interpretation of the Eleventh of the Revelation And where we finde in the Scriptures that God hath commanded his Prophets and Apostles to flie from one place to another in case of persecution it is not meant that God would give them wings to flie But he will give them wisdom and revelation to get from it And in this sense they may be said to have wings to flie away and in this sense the four beasts aforesaid may be said to have each of them six wings And as for their being full of eyes within that is they had a spirit of discerning both of spiritual and of temporal things Therefore it is said that these four beasts full of eyes before and behinde that is they had the eye of Faith before and the eye of Reason behinde That is they did discern by the eye of Faith before the things of God and how he became flesh and shed his blood as afterwards is expressed by these four beasts And the eye of Reason being behinde it did discern and see how the matters went in this world For though it be said they were full of eyes yet they had but two eyes apiece that is the eye of Faith and the eye of Reason But neither of these two eyes did offend them as it doth many thousands now adays And because the Seed of Faith may not stumble at this interpretation because I say there was but two eyes when as John saith they were full of eyes You may remember that I have written before concerning the seven Spirits of God and yet but one Spirit Onely that one Spirit had seven several workings in the seven Churches of Asia So likewise these beasts having but two eyes yet they were full of discerning both of spiritual and temporal matters For the eye of Faith did see up into heaven and the glory thereof and the eye of Reason did see the utmost parts of this world here below For these two eyes did see as much as could be seen if they had had forty eyes they could have seen no more But in regard they did see so much they are said by the revelation of the spirit that they were full of eyes before and behinde c. Again it is said That these four beasts rest not day and night saying Holy holy holy Lord God Almighty which was and is and is to come That is they cease not to give glory honor and thanks to him that sate on the Throne who liveth for ever and ever I would have the Seed of Faith to observe that these four beasts give glory and honor unto Christ here as he was God the Father As Isaiah the 6 and 3 where it is said And one cryed one to
nothing else but shadows meerly produced by natural magick for when the thing was over the shadow was vanished also So that the people heard nor saw no more of the Magicians Frogs So likewise when the imagination of reason is exercised upon a religious account though it be in the way of idolatry many strange things may be atcheived and attained unto where the imagination of reason is religiously bent For these two horns like a Lamb did signifie zeal in Religion though in an idolatrous way So that this beast being studious of Religion did by the strength of his imagination and his diabolical holiness He exercising his minde more upon idolatry and worshipping of images then the other beast did before him So that this beast with two horns like a Lamb could go further in his religious imagination then the other beast did And deceive the people more by a way of lying signs and wonders so that the people took this beast to be more god-like then the other for this beast did seem to make fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men He did this upon a religious account to deceive the people as the Egyptians did upon a temporal account as I said before That is he went to imitate the Prophet Elijah to bring fire from heaven in the sight of men as Elijah did even as the Magicians of Egypt did imitate Moses But this fire the beast brought from heaven it was no real thing but onely a shadow or likeness of fire as the Egyptians was For this fire that he brought from heaven it did no body no hurt onely dazled the phantasies of them that saw it with a shadow of fire but no substance Even as the Egyptians did in the temporal But the fire Elijah brought from heaven it burnt up two Captains and their fifties because the fire that came from heaven it was a real substance and did execution But a shadow doth nothing but deceive the phantasie of man for the present As in the fourteenth verse And deceived them that dwelt on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast saying to them that dwelt on the earth that they should make an image to the beast which had a wound by a Sword and did live In this 14 verse he had power to command the people to make an image and to dedicate it to the beast that received the wound with a Sword and did live And in the fifteenth verse he would shew another sign or miracle that should deceive the people more then the former sign of bringing fire from heaven on the earth in the fight of men So that he would deceive their dark understandings for he had power to give life to the image of the beast that the image of the beast should both speak and cause that as many as would not worship the Image of the beast should be killed CHAP. XXXVIII THis I would have the Reader to observe that the Image that this beast with two horns like a Lamb did cause to be made and set up the Image was the same form and likeness though made of wood or stone as that beast was of that received a wound by a Sword and did live And that beast was a man and the Image of that man did this beast cause to be set up to be worshipped For that beast with two horns like a Lamb had power by his subtile and diabolical inchantments to make this Image of the first beast to speak And by the speech of the Image it should cause that as many as would not worship the Image of the beast that is the form of this Image of a man should be killed now this seemeth very strange to the minde of man and so it did to those people in that time that the wisdom of reason the devil should by his witchcraft-power in point of Religion and worship to make an Image which the work-man hath made with his own hands for to speak It cannot chuse but to cause ignorant and dark-minded people to be deceived and to fall down and worship it They supposing that the Spirit of the holy Gods doth come into it at or in its season and speak to the people so that they are fully perswaded that it is the spirit of the holy Gods that speaketh in it So that they fall down and worship it not thinking that the imagination power and authority of the beast hath out-witted them for the beast did make an Image of the other beast aforesaid and did set it apart or dedicated it of purpose for a God to be worshipped And made Priests overseers of it and consecrated the Image by the Priests in a holy manner And some boy or childe had a way to go into the Image and speak in it such words as the beast and the priests should order the childe to speak So that the childe must speak thorow the mouth of the Image as if the Image did speak it self Just like unto a wooden puppet in a play But as the Scriptures saith none of their Images doth nor can speak thorow the throat But secresie between the beast and the priests might keep the thing so close that the people might know nothing but that the Image did speak it self And so they being bewitched with ignorance and darkness and deceived by this policy they do worship the Image And so much the more because the Image did speak and the words that the Image did speak they must be such words as he that gave order to make it would have it speak That is to worship the Image in the spiritual and to command all people small and great bond and free rich and poor in the temporal to receive a mark in their right hand or in their foreheads as in the sixteenth verse So that no man might buy or sell save he that had the mark or the name of the beast or the number of his name as in the 17. verse These were the things that the Image must and did speak and these were the miracles that this beast wrought in the eyes of the people whereby they were deceived For these seemed to be great miracles and so they were to that which knoweth not the true God for great things may be accomplished by the spirit of reason in man if backed with the authority and power of the nation But greater things then these have been acted in this nation upon a spiritual account and more spiritual wonders and miracles have been wrought by the spirit of reason in John Robins John Tancy and others For they have been able by that spiritual witchcraft-power to present half Moons Stars burning shining lights to the fancy of people Also John Robins hath presented by his spiritual witchcraft-power the form of a Dragon and the form of a serpent and thick darkness with divers other lying signs and wonders I call them lying signs because they
is the nature of Faith to rejoyce and not onely so but the holy Apostles and Prophets shall and will certainly rejoyce that God hath avenged them on her This is in like manner as the Kings and Merchants aforesaid did stand afar off and lament the downfal and destruction of this great City Babylon The one is required to rejoyce at her destruction and the other is said to stand afar off and doth lament her destruction Yet neither of them both doth see it visible but it is in the nature of one to rejoyce eternally over her destruction they beinâ— in eternal happiness and it is in the nature of the other to lamenâ— eternally for her destruction because their condition will be eternally sad with her So that the Spirit doth speak what things shall be though 〈◊〉 at the present time Likewise the Heavens are bid to rejoyce over her The Reader is not to understand that the starry Heaven or Element is to rejoyce over her but the Heaven doth imp oy those creatures that are in Heaven as the holy Angels who desired to pry into the mystery of Salvation by Christ So these holy Angels are capable to rejoyce with the Apostâ—es and Prophets over the destruction of this great City Babybon c. CHAP. LXX VErse the 21. And a mighty Angel took up a stone like a great milstone and cast it into the sea saying Thus with violence shall that great City Babylon be thrown down and shall be found no more at all Here the Reader may see that the lamentation of the Kings and the Merchants and the rejoycing of the Heaven and the holy Apostles and Prophets are set before the downfal of this City Babylon so that which must be first is last and that which must be last first This is that which puzzles all the wise men in reason but the Spirit of Faith can trace the steps of God and finde him out where ever he goeth For the Scriptures the Law and the Prophets and the Gospel have been the pathes for Gods Spirit to walk in but there hath been many turnings and windings in these two beaten pathes I may say beaten by the seed of Reason the seed of Reason Non commissionated men have travelled thorow these two pathes these many hundred years but never could finde out those narrow pathes where Gods Spirit use to go Neither could they finde him for if they could have found him they would have known him and many other heavenly Mysteries which is of absolute necessity for man to know but it is hid from their eyes and revealed to mean and inferior men in the sight of the world So that all Commissionated Prophets and Apostles and true Witnesses of the Spirit can trace the narrow pathes where God goeth nay though God seem to hide himself yet the Spirit of Revelation will finde him out Did not the Prophets finde out the meaning of Moses and so came to know the God of Israel Did not the Apostles finde out the Spirit of God in the Prophets writings Hath not God given us the Witnesses of the Spirit to finde out the meaning of the Prophets and of the Apostles And so we have found the true God in all those narrow pathes he hath walked in by his Spirit in the Law and in the Gospel Nay and in this Book of the Revelation of John God hath as it were hid himself more obscure than in most places of the Bible yet the revelation of Faith hath found him out as will be seen by the eye of Faith in this Treatise But the Reader may know that the latter part of this Chapter from the twentieth verse to the end is onely the Spirits rehearsing of the destruction of this spiritual Babylon And of the ransacking of that great City by the Angels who poured out the vials of Gods wrath upon her even as an Army doth ransack a City when they are overcome by their enemies As in the 22 23 24 verses And the voice of Harpers and Musicians Pipers and Trumpetters shall be heard no more at all in her That is all pleasant musick whatsoever shall be ransacked and taken from her so that no pleasure or delight shall be found Neither shall there be any crafts-man or milstone to grinde any more in thee That is no man shall use any Trade or grinde any corn any more in thee And the light of a Candle shall shine no more in thee and the voice of the Bridegroom and of the Bride shall be heard â—o more at all in thee That is all lights whatsoever shall be taken from her and that joy of marrying and giving in marriage shall be taken away These things afore-mentioned doth include all the glory and comfort that can be had or that men have had in this world The wrath of God hath ransacked this City of all and in the ransacking of this City there God doth finde the blood of Prophets and of Saints and of all that were slain upon the earth as you may see in the last verse of this Chapter So that God will ransack this City Babylon even as the King of Babylon did Jerusalem as Jer. 25.10 So Jer. 7.34 Then will I cause to cease from the cities of Judah and from the streets of Jerusalem the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride for the land shall be desolate c. That destruction of Jerusalem was much like unto this onely that was but for a time and that a short time too but this is for eternity So much for the interpretation of the chief things in the eighteenth Chapter CHAP. LXXI IN the eighteenth Chapter Johns revelation and vision did treat onely upon the utter downfal and destruction of the spiritual Babylon and this nineteenth Chapter doth set forth the joy and glory and triumph the Saints and Angels have in the destruction of this great City For now doth begin their eternal glory and not before neither is the one nor the other not as yet But as John saw in the vision the downfal of the Whore so in his vision he saw the rejoycing of the Saints and Angels in heaven after her destruction which things will be as certain as if at present therefore it is that John doth say he saw these things as if they were performed and done already For it is a usual course of the Spirit to speak of things to come as if they were in present being because the Seed of Faith can patiently stay Gods time for the accomplishment of his promise And are contented onely with the assurance of faith in themselves that they shall rejoyce in heaven that God hath avenged their blood upon this wicked city Babylon who killed the Prophets Apostles Saints and Martyrs of Jesus Chapter nineteen And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven saying Allelujah salvation and glory and honor and power unto the Lord
A TRUE INTERPRETATION OF All the Chief TEXTS and Mysteriouâ— SAYINGS and VISIONS opened of the whole Book of the REVELATION of St. JOHN Whereby is unfolded and plainly declared those wonderful deep Mysteries and Visions interpreted concerning the true God the Alpha and Omega With variety of other Heavenly Secrets which hath never been opened nor revealed to any man since the Creation of the World to this day until now By Lodowick Muggleton one of the 〈◊〉 last Commissionated Witnesses Prophetâ— of the onely high immortal glorious God CHRIST JESUS Printed in the Year of our Lord 1665. for the Author 〈◊〉 Muggleton in Great Trinity-Lane London near the Sigâ— of the Lyon and Lamb. The Epistle to the Reader I Had thoughts when I writ The Interpretation of the eleventh of the Revelation to have written no more Books thinking in my self that there was sufficient mysteries written to have satisfied the spirit of any man as well as my self who came to understand the mysteries of the true God and the right devil as I my self did And because those heavenly things there treated upon were so strange neither did I ever finde or read such a kinde of language not in all the ancient Fathers writings and all who have undertaken to interpret the Scriptures and especially this book of the Barâ—â—â—tion of Saint John In all my zeal in religion which was very great I found no satisfaction neither in their writings nor in their preaching which 〈◊〉 an evident sign to me that those Preachers and Writers were not sent of God For certainly if they had I should have found rest there and so would many more but I see all our preachers and teachers of all opinions in religion they did and do come short of the glory of God in that none of them hath or can declare unto the people neither by writing nor speaking what the true God is in his form and nature nor the right devil his form and nature not with all their wisdom of reason and great learning and study of the Scriptures When as to know God is life eternal so that I know now by experience that there is a great deal of difference between knowledge and thinking I know For true knowledge it gives satisfaction to the spirit of man and who ever knoweth the true God must needs know the right devilâ— And can a man be more satisfied in his minde then he that knâ—â—â— the true God and the right devil for by this knowledge the spirit of man hath peace with God Also he knowing the devil where he is and what he is he i◠〈◊〉 afraid of him for the great trouble that lieth almost upon all 〈◊〉 and womens spirits is they know not God therefore they do not love God but fear his anger they do not know And as for the devil they fear him to be some spirit flying in the air even a fiction of their own brain The imagination of reason thorow its ignorance hath created such a devil to it self that the fear of it hath caused many men and women to looseÌ„ their wits When as indeed and in truth there is no devil but men and women neither doth any devil commit fornication neither temporal nor spiritual with idols but men and women neither doth any devil persecute and kill the Saints or others but men and women so that there is no other devil to be damned to eternity but men women So that this is to be minded that all the Scriptures as they were spoken by the holy Prophets and Apostles they were spoken to men and women that is to Saint and devil for the Scriptures were spoken to none but to these two And these two are men both Saint and devil and yet all the Interpreters of Scriptures cannot find what the devil is nor where he is And if they were well examined they would hardly find where and who are Saints And all this ignorance that lieth upon the spirits of men and women that produceth the trouble of mind or that non-satisfaction it is because the teachers of the people are ignorant and blind themselves in the knowedge of the true God and the right devil and of the true interpretation of the Scriptures So the mysteries of the Kingdom of eternal Glory is hid from their eyes so that they have not satisfaction in themselves nor the people that hear them so that whilst they preach to others they themselves are cast-aways or as Christ saith The blind leads the blind and both fall into the ditch of eternal perdition Yet I confess they cannot help it for it is the instinct of nature for the spirit of reason in man to go to preach before he be sent And it is the instinct and nature of the Spirit of Faith not to be willing to go on Gods Messages when he is sent of God This I can experience to be truth in my self for I was the unwillingest man in the world to be publick either in temporal things or in spiritual matters so that I was forced by a curse from the Lord if I would not go But now I see the same curse did God lay upon all Prophets and Messengers whom he had chose if they should not obey to go where God would send them witness Moses Jeremiah and divers other Prophets and as the Witnesses of the Spirit So that I would have the Reader to understand thus much thaâ— where a true Minister is he is sent of God and the doctrine he doth bring it giveth satisfaction unto himself and to all those that doth truly receive it So on the contrary that Minister that is not sent of God his Doctrine doth neither satisfie himself nor him that receives him tâ—â—â— most peoples experience can witness unto Else as Samuel said to Saul What meaneth the lowing of the â—â—en and the bleating of the sheep in mine ears So in like manner if men were true Messengers of Christ what meaneth the horror and torment of Conscience and the fear of eternal damnation in the souls both of Minister and people This many a Minister and hearer of them can witness unto And all is because they were not sent of God for it is counted as great a sin to run before a man is sent of God as it is not to go when he is sent which sin is called rebellion which is as bad as the sin of witchcraft I speak this onely that the Reader the Seed of Faith may see the difference between those Messengers that are not sent of God and their Doctrine from those that are sent of God and their Doctrine and see which will satisfie the spirit best for I know some hath tasted of both therefore they can tell best For this is to be minded that every true Prophet or Messenger of Christ can trace the footsteps of God in the Scriptures for the Scriptures are the paths for Gods Spirit to walk in and the paths of God are but three paths to
wit the three Records in earth Water Blood and Spirit That is to say the Commission of Moses the Commission of Jesus and the Apostles and the Commission of the Spirit these are the three paths which God doth walk thorow which every Commissionated Prophet could finde out God in that path he walked in Thus when Gods Spirit walked thorow the Law of Moses that being the path for Gods Spirit to walk in the Prophets afterwards did finde him out in that worship of the Law So likewise when Gods Spirit did walk in the path of the Gospel the Apostles did finde him out in the Gospel and could trace his â—tep in the paths of the Law So that the Apostles found God out in those two paths aforesaid Thirdly The Witnesses of the Spirit have found God out in all his three paths as thus 1. The Prophets kept close to the worship of the Law of Moses and therein they found God 2. The Apostles kept close to the worship of the Gospel and therein they found God 3. The Witnesses of the Spirit keeps close to the worship of God in Spirit and truth These three Records on earth are the three paths for God to walk in and who ever doth walk in them shall finde him Onely I would have the Seed of Faith to minde what advantage one Commission hath over another the Commission of the Gospel had great advantage of those in the Law In that the Apostles knew the path of the Law and the path of the Gospel also so that they had proofs from Moses and the Prophets that they were chosen to bear witness unto Jesus and that worship set up by them when as Moses had no books to proof he was chosen of God but he had the power of miracles to prove he was sent of God and the Prophets after him had his writings to prove that God had appeared to Moses so that the Prophets could go no further then Moses and he that could trace the steps of God until he came to Moses he was sure to finde God there but if any man went any further he could never finde God at all So that the Apostles advantage was great in that they had two paths to walk in when as the Prophets had but one for the Prophets in their time did see that God would become flesh and the Apostles did see that God is become flesh so that their advantage was great Thirdly The Commission of the Spirit hath advantage above them both in this respect in that the worship of the Spirit is spiritual without any outward ordinances so that the Spirit of Faith or revelation can walk thorow the path of the Law and can finde that God was there but he is not there now Secondly This Commission of the Spirit can walk thorow the worship of the Apostles and do finde that God was there but he is not there now Thirdly So that God is walking now in the third path or third record on earth even the Commission of the Spirit and there is no 〈◊〉 for any man to finde God but there for there is the knowledge of the true God and the true Interpretation of the Scriptures so that this Commission of the Spirit it hath a great advantage of the other two aforesaid in that the knowledge of the Spirit is a higher knowledge then that of the Prophets and Apostles and the Interpretation of Scripture more abundant then either Prophet or Apostle and more especially the interpretation of heavenly visions For this the Seed of Faith may minde that heavenly visions are hard to utter by those men that see them but it is more hard for a man to interpret that which he never saw for any mans reason would tell him that it was more easie for Pharaoh and Beltesâ—azzar to tell their dreams and visions on their heads then it was for Joseph and Dauid to interpret their dreams Yet this gift was given them of God so to do So likewise God hath given us the chosen Witnesses of the Spirit more knowledge in the Scriptures then all the men in the world at this day and not onely so but God hath given me the gift of Râ—â—â—lation and Interpretation of many Visions and Revelations in the â—â—â—â—ptures of truth and more especially in this Book of the Revelation of Saint John Which book doth consist of little else but heavenly Revelation and spiritual will be which if the Seed of Faith doth but minde they will finde in this Treatise all the most considerable Revelations and Visions and mystical sayings in the Book of Johns Revelation opened and interpreted So that who ever doth truly understand the interpretation of them may receive much satisfaction as to discourse in the Scripture language with any learned man in the world that speaks the English tongue And not onely so but much satisfaction will arise from the true understanding of it to their eternal peace joy and glory hereafter And though I had thoughts as aforesaid to write no more Books after the 〈◊〉 â—â—tion of the eleventh of the Revelation yet I 〈◊〉 written two 〈◊〉 onâ— the Quakers did extort out of â—e by their writing unto me but this the Revelation in â—pâ—â—â—g many places of this Book of the Revelation of John it came so powerfully 〈◊〉 that I thought it was better to break covenant with my self theâ— to 〈◊〉 those 〈◊〉 â—â—ly mysteries and divine secrets with my self And being importuned by some to let it be publick I did apply my selfe the in â—â—â—rious unto it so that I am not glad I did perfect 〈◊〉 thing for noâ— others will have it as well as my self so that I make no question but many will receive benefit by it which shall last to the end of their liveâ—â— and not onely so but the knowledge and benefit of this Book of the Interpretation of all thâ— chief mysterious sayings and visions in the Book of Johns Revelation it shall remain in some to the end of the world and happy will those be in whom it doth remain and miserable will those â—e who despise and reject it though I be laid in the dust so I shall leave the issue to my God my King and my Redeemer the Lord Jesus Christ God and Man in one singular person who is distinct of himself from Angels and men and conclude this Epistle Written by Lodowick Muggleton one of the last Witnesses of the spirit unto the High and Mighty God the Man Christ Jesus in Gâ—â— To my Worthy Friend Mr. LODOWICK MVGGLETON UPON HIS Interpretation of the Book of the Revelations 〈◊〉 Honored It was my great good happiness to see Part of this your â—â—vailed Mystery â—re to the censure of thâ— world it â—s 〈◊〉 And in that part we thought I did descry 〈…〉 and discerning ey◠〈…〉 which hidden were Enjoy those sweet Râ—vâ—â—s 〈◊〉 For they to us are truly now mad◠〈◊〉 To 〈…〉 wiâ—â—â—n And when at first this 〈…〉 view Like a Prospective glass it
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
as the vessels of a Potter shall they be broken to shivers even as I received of my Father and I will give him the Morning Star Here those that are strong in faith who holdeth out to the end in keeping Christs works that is who ever holdeth out to the end of his life in suffering for the faith of Jesus He will give him that doth so power over the Nations and he shall rule them with a rod of iron That is he by his faith and sufferings shall have power over the Nations although he loose his life yet he shall have power over the Nations because his sufferings for truth shall lye so heavy upon the consciences of those Nations that persecute upon that account that shall be ruled as it were with a rod of iron for there is rods of iron upon the spirits of men as there is upon the bodies of men For this rod of iron which breaketh mens spirits to pieces even like a Potters vessel by wounding their consciences with the guilt of innocent blood so that the iron rod of Gods wrath will make them afraid of hell and torment will seize upon them and the fear of Gods eternal vengeance upon them for this sin of innocent blood So that all their peace joy and comfort they had in this world is broken in pieces by this iron rod of suffering for truth For was not that Nation of the Jews who put the Lord of Life to death broken to pieces in the comfort of their souls by that iron rod of Christs suffering death And not onely so but the temporal iron rod did break that Nation to pieces a so in a few years after Did not many of those Nations that persecuted the Apostles and Saints in the primitive times had not they a rod of iron upon their hearts And not onely so but a temporal rod of iron which broke them to pieces as to the peace of their mindes and to their temporal peace also as Histories doth mention so that suffering for truth it is as strong an iron rod to break persecuting spirits to pieces even as a rod of iron doth break a Potters vessel For this is to be minded that he that had the greatest faith never made use of any sword of steel nor any temporal rod of iron but as the Sword of the Spirit doth cut mens souls both ways So this rod of iron it is used in a spiritual sense for as words of truth doth cut men to the heart as the Jews were at Peters words so suffering for truth it doth bang the hearts of persecuting men even as a rod of iron and breaketh all their peace and hope to pieces even as a Potters vessel So that he that hath power to suffer for his faith he shall break his enemies to shivers both spiritual and temporal even as Christ did by his sufferings And as Christ did conquer by his sufferings over death sin and hell and not onely but over those persecuting spirits which caused him to be put to death I say he brake all his spiritual and temporal enemies to pieces even as a potters vessel is broken to pieces with an iron rod. Even so it will be with every true believer whose faith doth hold out to the end he shall conquer both sin death and hell in himself and not onely so but he shall rule his enemies without him as with a rod of iron by keeping them under the fear of eternal death who persecute for truths sake So that the peace and hopes of their mindes by the patient sufferings of the Saints will be broken in shivers even as a Potters vessel And Christ will give him the Morning Star This Morning Star is that Day-star that doth arise in the heart as the Apostle speaks This Morning or Day-star is that light of truth or light of the true God that doth arise in the heart of every true Believer and doth guide him in the right way so that the soul is guided by the light of this Star in the way of truth here even to the assurance of eternal life And so the light of this Morning Star doth lead every true Believer into that eternal glory which God hath promised to all those that do overcome those spiritual enemies within and all perâ—ecuting spirits without by his faith and patience c. CHAP. III. 5. He that overcometh the same shall be clothed in white raiment and I will not blot out his name out of the Book of Life c. AS for this white raiment I shall shew what is meant by it in several places of this Treatise and as for Christs not blotting his name out of the Book of Life And as for the Book of Life and how mens names are written therein the Reader shall finde in the following Discourse And as for his name not blotted out of the Book of Life the meaning is this That he that overcometh as aforesaid shall not loose the sensibleness of his name being written in the Book of Life but shall have a certain assurance of it in himself For when a man doth not know by faith that his name is written in the Book of Life that is he having no assurance that he is of that Seed that shall be saved he cannot truly say any otherwise but that his name is blotted out of the Book of Life For though a mans name as he is an elect Vessel is written in the Book of Life yet he not knowing it is to him as if it were blotted out of the Book of Life So on the contrary if any man shall vainly imagine that his name is written in the Book of Life as most people in the world do and he being of the contrary seed his name is not written in the Book of Life neither is he certain that it is not so So that neither of these two they being both uncertain of the thing in themselves their names may be said to be blotted out of the Book of Life For the Seed of Faith his name is written in the Book of Life but he knows it not and the seed of Reason his name is not written in the Book of Life yet he thinks it is but doth not certainly know that it is not So that to the apprehension of them both their names are blotted out of the Book of Life For this I say that except a man hath some witness in himself by voice from God or some secret revelation or by a stedfast faith in those Messengers whom God doth send he cannot know that his name is written in the Book of Life but rather fear that his name is blotted out of it So that the assurance that a mans name is not blotted out of the Book of Life is when a man hath the witness in himself that he knoweth the true God and doth suffer persecution for the truth and not for a lye as all the world doth And so he that overcometh by faith and patient
sufferings for truth he cometh to have the witness in himself that his name is written in the Book of Life and that his name shall not be blotted out no not by God himself 6. Him that overcometh will I make a Pillar in the Temple of my God and he shall go no more out and I will write upon him the Name of my God and the name of the City of my God which is New Jerusalem which cometh down out of Heaven from my God and I will write upon him my new Name This Pillar in the Temple of God it signifies the great strength of faith and patience that was in the Church of Philadelphia So that their great faith should enable them to suffer with such patience that they should become a Pillar in the Temple of God that is their faith should be as a Pillar to encourage and strengthen and bear up those that were more weak in faith and more fearful to suffer But he that overcometh shall be as a Pillar to bear up the weak even as a Pillar of a Church of stone doth bear up the building that standeth upon it For the Temple of God is no other but true Believers they are called by the Spirit The Temple of God and he that is strong in faith and doth overcome all persecution by patient suffering for his faith in God he shall be made a Pillar to help bear up the Church of God And he shall go no more out That is he shall go no more out from being a Pillar but he shall be esteemed of God a standing Pillar in his Temple to all Eternity So that God will write upon him his own Name and the name of the City of God The Name of God is to be a King Priest and Prophet So that he that overcometh as aforesaid shall have this name written upon his heart King Priest and Prophet unto God And as for the name of the City of God New Jerusalem which cometh down out of Heaven from God which New Jerusalem I have opened what it is in the Interpretation of the Eleventh of the Revelation And as for the New Name God will write upon him I have shewed what it is before 7. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my Throne even as I also overcame and am sate down with my Father in his Throne Here the Reader may see what the Spirit doth mean by overcometh That is he overcometh sin death and hell within himself these being principalities and powers within a man Also he overcometh all persecution and the malice of the devil the spirit of reason without a man These things I say are overcome by the power of Faith in suffering patiently for truth as aforesaid For this was the way that Christ did overcome all his enemies and when he had overcome by his death sin in that he dyed unto sin And he overcome death in that he was deaths death Also he overcame hell in that the grave was not able to hold him under Therefore it is said by the spirit Oh death I will be thy death oh grave I will be thy victory Also he overcame by his sufferings the spirit of reason the devil who always persecuted the Prophets and Saints I say he overcometh by his death this spirit of reason the devil in that he hath procured by his death an eternal damnation to all persecuting spirits So that he hath overcome them and will kill them with a second death where will be weeping and gnashing of teeth for evermore And he overcometh these enemies aforesaid he is sate down in the Throne of the Father That is he is sate down in the same Glory as he had when he was the Creator or the same Glory which he had before the world was Even so in like manner shall every Prophet Apostle and Saint that overcometh those enemies aforesaid by the power of his Faith and his patient sufferings for truth To him will Christ grant to sit with him in his Throne that is he shall sit with Christ or be with Christ in the Kingdom of Eternal Glory Even as he himself after his sufferings is sate down in the kingdome which he had before the world was Which is called by the spirit the Throne of the Father in relation to that twofold condition in God as I have shewed in this Treatise following Thus in short I have given the Interpretation what is meant by those seven several Blessings given by the Spirit to the seven Churches of Asia and how they all differ one from another and yet all have relation to one and the same thing even to eternal happiness joy and glory in the presence of Almighty God their God their King and Redemeer CHAP. IV. I Would have the Seed of Faith also to understand that Christ the onely God is he which did send forth these seven Spirits unto the seven Churches Therefore called by the Revelation of John the seven Spirits which are before his Throne The seven Spitits I declare by Revelation that they are but one Spirit even the Spirit of Jesus Christ the onely wise God blessed for ever and ever Onely this I would have the Seed of Faith to understand that this one spirit of Christ it hath seven several operations or workings in the seven Churches Therefore called by the Revelation of John seven Spirits before the Throne Therefore you may read that John in his writing to the seven Churches of Asia giveth seven several Blessings as aforesaid So likewise he cometh with his message to the seven Churches with seven several titles and yet all from one God and one Spirit As thus First he writeth to the Church of Ephesus with this title Saith he that holdeth the seven Stars in his right hand who walketh in the middest of the seven Golden Candlestickâ— These Golden Candlesticks are the seven Churches Is there any spirit that can walk in the middest of the hearts of the seven Churches but the Spirit of Christ which is God surely no. Secondly John writeth to the Church of Smirna These things saith the first and the last which was dead and is alive Is not Jesus Christ the first and the last Was not he dead and rose again And so is alive Surely it is This was the saith of John and the rest of the Apostles and it is my faith also Thirdly John writeth these things unto the Church in Pergamos Saith he who hath the sharp Sword with two edges This Sword with two edges it cometh out of Christs mouth I suppose all men that profess the Scriptures will confess it Fourthly Unto the Church in Thyatira he writeth These things saith the Son of God who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire and his feet are like fine brass Here the Spirit of Christ gives himself forth under the title of his Son-ship but to the former Churches he gives himself forth under the title of the Father-hood Yet under the title
of the Son-ship he is exceeding glorious seemingly more glorious and terrible then under the title of God the Father For here his eyes are like unto a flame of fire and his feet like fine brass yet all this while it is he the same he which is the first and the last that is cloathed with flesh and bone yet a glorified body in the heavens above the Stars Fifthly Unto the Angel of the Church in Sardis write These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God and the seven Stars This he is Christ the first and the last he that was dead and is alive this is he that hath the seven Spirits of God and the seven Stars Who can have the seven spirits of God but he that is God And who can rule and govern the seven Stars which are the seven Churches but God onely Sixthly To the Angel of the Church in Philadelphia write These things saith he that is holy he that is true he that hath the Key of David he that openeth and no man shutteth and shutteth and no man openeth I suppose that all men which profess the Scriptures will acknowledge that this must needs be God he which is Holy he that is true he that hath the key of David who can shut up the minde of man in ignorance and darkness as he doth the wise and prudent men of this world and no man can open their understandings Also he can open the understandings of the Seed of Faith and let the light of life shine into their hearts and no man can shut up their hearts And he that can do this it God I suppose it will be confest by all but not believed but by few yet it is plain in Johns Revelation that this God is no other but Jesus Christ Seventhly To the Angel of the Church of the Loadiceans write These things saith the Amen the faithful and true Witness the beginning of the Creation of God Jesus Christ is the Amen the true and faithful witness he is also the beginning of the Creation of God because he is and was that God that created the world and all things therein in the beginning According to that saying in Scripture speaking of Christ By him the world was made and without him was nothing made which was made Intimating that there was nor is any thing created or made by any other God or infinite Spirit whatsoever but by the Lord Jesus Christ onely Here the Seed of Faith may see that the Revelation of John hath set forth Jesus Christ to be he that is and which was and which is to come and that these seven Spirits before his Throne proceeded from Jesus Christ the onely wise God blessed for ever yet I declare that it was all but one Spirit of God going forth into the seven Churches of Asia in giving them seven several reproofs and seven several blessings as aforesaid as I have here set down Also the Revelation of John hath given answerable to the seven Blessings seven several Titles to this God according to their several operations and Blessings in the seven Churches of Asia Therefore called the seven Spirits which are before his Throne Therefore I have set them down in order as before written And because the Seed of Faith may understand and know that these seven Spirits spoken of by John are no other but that one Spirit of Jesus Christ the onely wise God he that is and he that was and he which is to come I say from this Jesus proceeded those seven Spirits and those seven Titles are attributed to him which is which was and which is to come That is this Jesus is he that by his Spirit or Grace holdeth 1. The seven Stars in his right hand who walketh in the midst of the seven Golden Candlesticks The seven Stars in his right hand is the the Ministry of the seven Churches and the Golden Candlesticks are the Churches themselves as aforesaid 2. This Jesus is he that is the first and the last which was dead and is alive 3. Christ is he that hath the sharp Sword with two edges in that he is the Judge of the quick and the dead 4. This Christ Jesus is he whose eyes are like unto a flame of fire and his feet are like fine brass 5. This Jesus is he that hath the seven Spirits of God because he is God and hath the seven Stars 6. This Jesus is he that is holy he that is true he that hath the Key of David he that openeth and no man shuteth and shuteth and no man openeth 7. This Jesus is the Amen the faithful and true Witness the beginning of the Creation of God CHAP. V. THus in some measure I have opened what is meant by him which is which was and which is to come and what is meant by the seven Spirits before his Throne It will be necessary to open something what is meant by his Throne The Throne of Christ I declare is where he is as it is with an earthly King where the King is there is his Throne especially where the King doth sit in Judgement upon any matters of life and death But if he be not there in his own person yet his Arms is set over every place of Judicatory and the Judge of that place doth sit under the Kings Arms representing the person of the King And so the Judge fits in the Kings Throne Yet it may be said that the Kings Throne is there also for the Kings Throne is all over his Dominions and Kingdoms though he himself be but in one particular place where his honor and glory and greatness may be most manifest And that place where his glory is most seen and where he doth usually sit in Judgement I say that place may properly be called the Kings Throne For if the king were not a person and had a kingdom how could he set up a Throne in it And if there be a Throne set up in a kingdome there must of necessity be a King to sit upon it And this King must be the person of a man else why should we call him a King So likewise the Lord Jesus Christ he being God and Man in one single person he hath a kingdom above and beyond the Stars and he being King of heaven he hath a Throne to sit upon himself And many other Thrones in his kingdom above the Stars for all his Prophets Apostles and Messengers which he hath sent in this world Even as a King hath many Judges and Messengers in his earthly kingdom and the King hath given them many Thrones to sit upon which are visibly seen by the eye of sence and reason So likewise the eye of Faith doth as perfectly see God their King sitting upon his Throne in the kingdom of glory above the Stars and all those Prophets and Apostles Messengers and Ambassadors which he hath sent to sit upon Thrones of glory also So that there is Thrones of Glory in Heaven as
there is here on earth and there is a King of heaven to sit upon that Throne of Glory as there is many kings here in earth which doth sit upon Thrones of glory here Because this world is in many Kings hands therefore divided into many Kingdomes and that is the very cause that earthly Kings fight and kill one the other But the Kingdom above the Stars is but one kingdom and hath but one King over it and this King is no other but God himself which sitteth upon the Throne of Glory But I shall have occasion to speak something more of Thrones hereafter therefore I shall say no more of it here onely this will give you a little light into it CHAP. VI. ANd because men might be throughly convinced that Jesus Christ is the onely God I would have them to consider these places of Scriptures and the interpretation And see if they will bear any other sense and being well grounded upon that they will understand the whole matter the better Therefore I shall pass by some verses in this chapter I not conceiving them to be of so great concernment as this is The 8th verse of this chapter John meaning Christ where he saith I am Alpha and Omega the beginning and the ending saith the Lord which is and which was and which is to come the Almighty Here you that have faith to believe may understand that Jesus Christ is the beginning and the end the Lord Almighty And as John being in the Isle of Patmos as he saith in the 9th verse for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ here John seemeth as if he did suffer persecution for two that is to say for God and for Jesus Christ yet in the 10. and 11. verses he concludes them both in one saying That he was in the spirit on the Lords day and heard behinde me as he saith a great voice as of a trumpet I would have the Reader to observe that the Seventh-day Sabbath which was given to the Jews was called the Lords day Because it was given by the Lord Almighty to Moses and by him given to the people of Israel and so called the Lords day So likewise the Resurrection of Christ it being the first day of the week is called the Lords day also Now here being two Lords-days and yet but one Lord of them both how shall this matter be reconciled Thus the Lords-day which was made by the power of his Creation is one thing and the Lords-day that is made by the power of his Redemption is another Because the Lord Almighty was in two several states as thus when he created the world and made man in his own image and likeness he himself was a spiritual substance a body in form like a man but no flesh blood and bone This God was when he created man and all things else but when God became flesh he was in another condition he now having flesh blood and bone that he might work a Redemption to the Seed of Adam to a more excellent condition then that was wherein he was created and a more miserable condition to the seed of the serpent then he was created in And this I would have the Seed of Faith to understand that the same God which created man I say the same God redeemed man which thing is two proper and distinct works for one and the same God to do Therefore distinguished by two several denominations of Father and Son Neither was it proper for God after he became flesh to create any thing Neither could God have redeemed mankind to an eternal happiness but by his becoming flesh Neither could any serpent or devil have put God to death if God had not took upon him the nature of man For the nature of man cloathes it self with flesh blood and bone and so is made capable to be put to death by the seed and nature of reason which is the serpent or devil But I shall speak more of Gods death hereafter onely this I would have the Seed of Faith to minde that twofold condition of God as aforesaid And then you will not stumble at Johns saying that he did suffer for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ As if they had been two distinct things and so he doth in some other places in this book of the Revelation as in the first chapter verse 5 he saying And from Jesus Christ who is the faithful witness c. Which doth intimate to the seed of reason as if there were two Gods But I declare it is spoken with relation to Gods twofold condition that is to say the proper power and work of God as he was the Father it was to create And the proper power and work of God as he is the Son it is to die and to redeem And yet all but one God but in two conditions or in two states therefore set forth by the revelations in the Scriptures under nomination of Father and Son Therefore I would willingly have the Seed of Faith to understand the twofold condition of God And then the Scriptures which doth seem to contradict one the other will be reconciled in one and so there will be a great deal of peace arise from the right understanding of the Scriptures And the cause why where is so much dissatisfaction in reading the Scriptures by the professors now adays it is because they understand them not this I know by experience But as I said before as there was a twofold state in one God So likewise there was two Lords-days as aforesaid yet but one God But the meaning of John when he saith he was in the spirit on the Lords day I declare his meaning was the day of Christs Resurrection And this he calls the Lords-day that is it was the day of Gods rising from death to Life in that death was not able to keep him under for death doth keep every creature under it neither could any creature nor Son of God overcome death but God himself Therefore Christ must needs be God the Father of all Life in that he gave life to all creatures in his creation And nothing could procure by his death a Resurrection of a new life and an eternal Redemption but the blood and death of God himself Therefore let the Seed of Faith lay as much trust upon the blood of Christ believing it to be the blood of God as they can The more weight they lay upon it the more peace and satisfaction they shall finde So on the contrary those that deny and call it blasphemy for a man to say that God did die I say there is no salvation for such a man neither will he finde any benefit by the blood of Christ because he looks upon it to be but the blood of the humane nature or the blood of a man notwithstanding the Scriptures is so full to prove that Christ is God and Christ he died therefore God did die And this
Revelation of John is more clear that God did die then any other Scripture as you may see in the 11. verse of this Chapter in the 10. verse he was in the Spirit on the Lords day what day that was I have shewed before And John heard behind him a great voice as of a Trumpet in the 11. verse saying I am Alpha and Omega the first and the last and what thou seest write in a book and send it unto the seven Churches c. And in the 12. verse John turned to see the voice that spake to him and being turned he saw seven Golden Candlesticks these seven Golden Candlesticks were the seven Churches of Asia as aforesaid And in the 13. verse and in the midst of the seven Golden Candlesticks one like unto the Son of Man cloathed with a garment down to the foot and girt about the waste with a Golden Girdle This great voice which John heard it being as the sound of a trumpet came from no other but from Jesus Christ the onely God he being that Alpha and Omega the first and the last Which bade John write in a book what he had seen And in the 12 verse John turned to see the voice and in stead of seeing the voice he saw him that spake the voice And he was like unto the Son of Man cloathed with a Garment down to the foot Now what this Garment is I shall unfold hereafter There is many other glorious expressions in this Chapter to set forth this Son of Man in his glory but I shall pass by them onely this I would have the Seed of Faith to minde that this Son of Man which John saw in the midst of the seven Golden Candlesticks who was cloathed with a Garment down to the foot I declare it was the same Alpha and Omega which spake that great voice and John turning to see this Alpha and Omega he saw him like unto the Son of Man Therefore I would have the Seed of Faith to observe that there is no seeing of God the Alpha and Omega neitheir by vision nor by faith but in the form of a man Therefore called the Son of Man so that though Christ be called the Son of Man yet he is nevertheless God For he is the Alpha and Omega the first and the last as you may plainly see in the 17. verse of this chapter Where he saith And when I saw him I fell at his feet as dead and he laid his right hand upon me saying unto me Fear not I am the first and the last I am he that liveth and was dead and behold I am alive for evermore Amen and have the Keys of hell and of death Here you that have faith in the true God may clearly understand that this Jesus Christ which is called the Son of Man iâ— the Alpha and Omega the first and the last Also it may be as clearly understood by the Seed of Faith that God did die For if God be Alpha and Omega the first and the last as I think all men will confess then I say the same Alpha and Omega and the same first and last is he which was dead and is alive for evermore And was there any God that suffered death and rose again but Christ Hath any God the keys of hell and of death in his hands but Christ onely And that you may see the truth of this that Christ is Alpha and Omega the first and the last though become a Son having flesh blood and bone that he might be capable to suffer the pains of death as aforesaid Yet he is looked upon by the eye of Faith to be the first and the last the Lord Almighty he being the same as the Prophets prophesied of as you may see Isaiah the 41. and 4. verse Who hath wrought and done it calling the generations from the beginning I the Lord the first and with the last I am he So likewise in the 44. of Isaiah and the 6 verse Thus saith the Lord the King of Israel and his Redeemer the Lord of hosts I am the first and I am the last and besides me there is no God I would have the Seed of Faith to understand that this Lord and this God which is the first and the last that Isaiah speaketh of is the same that John speaketh of in the Revelation onely the Prophet speaketh of him as he was in the condition of the Father and was to redeem his people from their sins but John speaks of him as he is a Son and that he hath suffered death and redeemed his people And so John calls him the first and the last as he was a Son and suffered death but is now alive for evermore Amen Yet all but one God even the the man Christ Jesus who is that Alpha and Omega the beginning and the end the first and the last he who was dead and is alive and behold he is alive for evermore And no other God hath the keys of hell and of death but Christ onely which he hath purchased by his own blood his blood being no less then the blood of God the Alpha and Omega the first and the last as aforesaid CHAP. VII IN the 19. verse of this chapter John is commanded to write the things which he had seen and the things which are and the things which shall be hereafter To whom he was to write it was to the seven Churches of Asia and in the 20 verse which is the last verse of this chapter he interprets what the seven Stars which he saw in Christs right right hand is and what the seven Golden Candlestciks are therefore I shall say no more of it here And as for what John did write to the seven Churches of Asia it is set down in the two chapters following those two chapters treating onely upon the seven Churches of Asia and the chief things in those two chapters I have interpreted already and the chief things which are of most concernment in the first Chapter I have also interpreted therefore I shall go to the 4th Chapter but I suppose it will be necessary to the Reader for me to shew what a resemblance and likeness there is between the seven Churches now in Europe in these our days and the seven Churches of Asia And how the Angels of the seven Churches which is the Ministers or Speakers do agree with the seven Angels of the seven Churches of Asia I have spoken something of them in the Interpretation of the 11th of the Revelation but I shall speak a little more of them here because it is something necessary to inform the Reader Therefore minde the distinction between the one and the other We read that the seven Churches of Asia had seven several names as may be read and according to their good practice and their bad they were either reproved or commended as I have shewed before So likewise the Ministers of the Seven Churches of Europe may be called seven Angels
in his right hand And no man in heaven nor in earth could open it nor read it There was cause enough for John to weep because that Book was the Book of Life And many thousands and millions of souls were written in that Book As he afterwards maketh mention of and many that had suffered persecution unto the death which were slain under the altar who suffered for the testimony of Jesus whose names were written in the Book of Life And if this Book should not have been opened the condition of the Saints would have been sad which suffered all those things for the name of Jesus who loved not their lives unto death who had their names recorded in the Book of Life That at the general day of Gods Account when he shall make up his Jewels their names being written in the Book of Life They may have that blessed reward which God did promise and they did faithfully believe and expect But if none could have opened the book neither in heaven nor in earth what benefit would they have had for all their faith and sufferings This was enough to make John and all other Prophets and Believers to weep also if there should be none found neither in heaven nor in earth that can open the Book of Life But in the 5 verse one of the Elders said unto John in the vision Weep not behold the Lion of the tribe of Judah the root of David hath prevailed to open the Book and to loose the seven Seals thereof One of the Elders puts John in good comfort again for there is one found now that can open the Book and read it also This is that Lion as Jacob prophesied of Gen. 59. ver 9 as I have spoken of before This Lion hath prevailed to open the book He openeth the Book as he is God the Son And as he became a Son he is called the Lion of the tribe of Judah and as he is God the Son he is called a Lamb. And as he was God the Son he suffered death to redeem his people And as he is a Redeemer he hath prevailed to open the Book and to loose the seven Seals thereof That is as he is the Redeemer he hath power to raise every one of them again that are written in the Book of Life That is all the Seed of Faith which are elected in the secret decree and councel of God as he was the Creator And as he is the Redeemer he hath power to give life everlasting to every one of the Seed of Faith who were written in the Book of Life And when John saw there was one found in heaven that could open the book he gave over weeping For one of the Elders had shewed him in the vision one that could open the Book and looâ—e the seven Seals thereof For in the 6 verse John beheld and lo in the midst of the Throne and of the four beasts and in the midst of the Elders stood a Lamb as it had been slain having seven horns and seven eyes which are the seven spirits of God sent forth into all the earth This Lamb which John saw in the vision in the midst of the four beasts and the Elders it was Christ This I suppose all men that profess the Scriptures will confess it Now observe that this Lamb which stood as it had been slain it was no other then God himself For this Lamb had seven horns and seven eyes now these seven horns which the Lamb had it was the faith and patience which the seven Churches of Asia had which did inable them to go thorow their sufferings with cheerfulness For when a man doth suffer for his Faith in God patiently and willingly he destroyeth his enemy more in submitting unto suffering or death it self than if he should resist his enemy And this doth become a horn to push the persecutors soul Thus it was with the seven Churches of Asia they were by their faith and patience made able to suffer persecution and death it self Which became as seven horns to push and gall the souls of their persecutors For though the horns of a Lamb doth but little harm to the outward flesh yet when they get within the flesh they will gall very much That is when the horn of suffering for righteousness gets into the minde and soul of the persecutor it doth gall his soul exceedingly with the fear of eternal damnation This I think experience will shew the truth of it For the Quakers and others which suffer for a lye yet they think they suffer for truth and the persecutors knows no other but that they do suffer for truth Therefore the sufferings of the Quakers cannot chuse but push and gall the persecutors Consciences The Quakers being so stedfast and confident in their way which do not fear their lives unto the death This suffering of theirs doth trouble and molest the mindes of the Civil Powers which doth shew that suffering in innocency though for a lye it will be a horn to push and gall the souls of the persecutors Then how much more would they push and gall if they suffered for Truth That is if their Ministery which provoke them to meet contrary to the Parliaments Order were true as the Ministery of the seven Churches of Asia were But it is not therefore they suffer for a lye yet the persecutor not knowing it he is and will be pushed and galled in his soul with the fear of eternal death for doing it CHAP. XIII NOw it is to observed that this Lamb that was slain had the seven horns and the seven eyes Now these seven horns as I said before which the Lamb had they were the sufferings of the seven Churches of Asia in the ten Persecutions According to that saying of Johns Revelation the second and the 10th he giving an exhortation to the Church in Smirna that they should fear none of those things which they should suffer Behold the devil shall cast some of you into prison that ye may be tryed and ye shall have tribulation ten days Now this devil that shall cast some of them in prison I shall shew what he is hereafter But as for the ten days tribulation which the Saints should suffer it was spoken with relation to the ten Persecutions And they are called by the revelation of the spirit but ten days When as it was at times a matter of three hundred years that their tribulation did last which was the ten Persecutions yet called by the spirit but ten days tribulation And the faith and patience which these seven Churches of Asia had being made able to suffer with chearfulness those ten days tribulation it being the ten Persecutions aforesaid They are called the seven horns which the Lamb had For they by their sufferings did push and gall the souls of the persecutors as the Lamb himself did when he did suffer death For he did procure no less then eternal damnation to his persecutors by his suffering
of death And being slain by them And these seven Churches having their power and strength to suffer from Christ the Lamb slain they walked in his steps in the way of suffering Therefore called the seven horns of the Lamb or the Lambs seven horns And as for the seven eyes which the Lamb had they are called the seven spirits of God sent forth into all the earth You may remember that I have shewed before what the seven spirit before the Throne is And these seven spirits which the Lamb hath are the very same That is they are all but one spirit of Christ onely this one spirit doth operate and work seven several ways to wit in the seven Churches of Asia Therefore said to be sent forth into all the earth Because the sound of these seven Churches of Asia of their gifts and suffering went thorow all the earth Therefore called the seven spirits of God yet I would have the Reader to understand thus much That the Lamb that had power to open the book the same Lamb had the seven horns and the seven eyes Now if these seven eyes were the seven Spirits of God then the Lamb must needs be God For the Lamb had the seven Spirits in him and he sent them forth unto the seven Churches of Asia Onely this I would have the Reader to understand that here he is called God as he is a Lamb slain Or as he was in the condition of a Son and a Redeemer So that what power honor or glory soever be attributed to God by the redeemed ones It is with relation to the Son-ship of God He being a Son he is called a Lion and called a Lamb which titles belongeth onely to the Son-ship of Christ He being the onely God though in a two fold state and condition as aforesaid And in the 7 verse it is said And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sate upon the Throne This he that took the book out of his right hand that sate upon the Throne It was the Lamb and this Lamb is Christ and Christ is God and Christ is called the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world He may well be called the Lamb of God because he is God For who can take away the sins of the world but God But God must become a little childe of flesh blood and bone and grow up to a man that he may be capable to suffer the pains of death In that he shed his most precious blood before he could take away the sins of the world And this Lamb which was slain here spoken of by John was no other but God himself But he being now in the condition of a Son in that he had been slain and was now risen again and had accomplished the work of Redemption he was able to sit down in the midst of the Throne And to take the book out of his own right hand as he was the Father and Creator of all things And as he was the Son or Lamb which shed his precious blood to redeem his people from their sins it was his proper work and place to take the book out of his own right hand as he was the Creator and to open the book and loose the seven Seals thereof For in his opening the Book of Life he found the names of all the elect seed written therein which were washed and redeemed with his precious blood Therefore it is said That no man in heaven nor in earth nor under the earth could open the Book but the Lamb onely So that this Lamb must needs be God the Father as well as God the Son for who can open the Book of Life but God himself But he must open it as he was God the Son therefore said to take it out of the right hand of him that sate upon the Throne c. CHAP. XIV ANd in the 8 verse The four beasts and the four and twenty Elders fell down before the Lamb. And in the 9 verse They sung a new Song saying Thou art worthy to take the book and open the Seals thereof for thou wast slain and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood c. I would have the Reader to mind these words why the four beasts and the Elders did sing a new Song Observe it is called a new Song in opposition to the old song As the Gospel of Jesus is called the New Testament and the Law of Moses is called the Old Testament So likewise there is the song of Moses and of the Lamb that is the song of the Lamb. Now the Song of Moses may be called the old song or the first song because Moses the Prophets and Elders of Israel and Saints under that Testament I say they gave praise honor and glory unto Christ as he was God the Father and Creator And as he was the Creator he blessed them with temporal blessings and temporal deliverances So that Moses and the people of Israel sing praise unto God for his wonderful works which he had wrought by the hand of Moses As you may read in the Scriptures in the Song of Moses how wonderfully he doth praise honor and magnifie the God of Israel who had gotten himself a great and terrible name among the heathen And this is called the song of Moses or the old or first song because it was the first manifestation of God as he is the Creator For Moses was the first man that gave us to know any difference of the God of Israel from the God of the Heathen And this manifestation as Moses gives us is that we might know God as he was the Creator and did deliver his people in a more wonderful manner then any other heathen gods could do And in this regard Moses and the Elders of Israel gave praise honor and glory unto the God of Jacob He delivering them out of so many temporal dangers and not onely so but blessing them with many temporal blessings which caused this song of Moses to be sung by the children of Israel And in this regard the song of Moses may be said to be old or the first song he being the first commissionated man to write that which we call the Old Testament Therefore the song of Moses may be called an old Song Because the song of the Lamb is more new for redemption was after creation therefore called a new Song It is called a new Song in relation to a new condition as the Song of Moses was with relation to temporal blessings as aforesaid But this new Song of the Lamb is with relation to spiritual and eternal Blessings So that John in his vision was sensible upon what account this new Song was sung And he seeing in the vision the four beasts and the four and twenty Elders fall down before the Lamb. Having every one of them Harps and golden Vials full of odours which are the prayers of Saints Now these golden Vials are meant
of the natural Moon and Stars it is their proper place when they shine to give light in the night But I have spoken more of the Moon in The interpretation of the Eleventh of the Revelation therefore I shall speak no more of it here Onely this to remind the Seed of Faith what great judgements did ensue upon the sounding of this fourth Angel Persecution of the Gospel persecution of the Law and destruction of the Jews which were the Stars These things were at the sounding of the fourth Angel You whose understandings are inlightned may see what hath followed upon the sounding of the Trumpet of these four Angels And how this fourth Angel it sounded half upon the Law of Moses and half upon the Gospel of Jesus So that now there is three Angels more to sound and great woes will follow upon it As it is said in the last verse of this chapter Woe woe woe to the inhabitants of the earth by reason of the other voices of the Trumpets of the three Angels that are yet to sound So that there will follow a great woe upon the sounding of these three Angels Which I shall unfold in order as they follow in the next chapter So I shall say no more of this I having given the interpretation in short of all the chief things of concernment in the eighth chapter CHAP. XXVI CHapter the nineth At the sounding of the fifth Angel in the first verse John saw a Star fall from heaven unto the earth and to him was given the Key of the bottomless pit Now this Star that fell from heaven unto the earth it was that beast or king that did arise out of the Sea which is spoken of Revel the 13 chapter and the first verse This beast was one of Herods the Dragons sons and the next beast that did arise after him And this beast he was like a Leopard and he had seven heads and ten horns and the Dragon gave him his power and authority And this beast had Crowns upon his ten horns And upon his heads the name of blasphemy So that he was furnished with the Dragons power and authority and his blasphemy to despise the living God and to persecute the Saints as his father the Dragon did when he persecuted Christ at his birth and made war with the remnant of his seed So that this beast which arose out of the Sea he may be said to be a Star that fell from heaven unto the earth because he was one of the Dragons sons For John saith he saw a wonder in heaven a great red Dragon that persecuted the woman which red Dragon was no other but Herod And this Star which fell from heaven unto the earth it was Herods first-born son therefore called a Star that fell from heaven unto the earth It is said to fall from heaven because this Star was of the same seed or nature as the Dragon was of For it is said by John that he saw a wonder in heaven a great red Dragon this red Dragon is said to be in heaven Because he had the spirit or seed of the fallen Angel in him in a great and extraordinary measure Which Angel was first in heaven he being created an Angel of light but was thrown down unto this earth when he deceived Eve Neither did that Angel that deceived her ever ascend up into heaven again to this day nor never shall But Herod and his sons and all wicked kings and rulers they being of the fallen Angels seed they may be said to fall from heaven And they being of his seed they may be called a Dragon and Satan a Serpent a Devil and Stars Though they act several ways yet all from one root that is from one seed even from the spirit or seed of the fallen Angel as aforesaid Therefore if any Head-magistrate or man doth act after the manner of a Dragon he may be said to be a Dragon as Herod And if any man act after the manner of a subtile serpent as those Jews did that tempted Christ they may be called Serpents And if any man act the part of a devil as Judas did he may be called a devil And if any king doth act as a Star that burneth like a Lamp or more worse this Star did that fell at the sounding of the fifth angel they may be called Stars that fal from heaven unto the earth Because as I said before the original or father of all wickedness even the fallen Angel he was thrown down from heaven unto this earth And the Dragon Serpent Devil and Stars they being of his seed they may be said by the Revelation of John to fall from heaven unto this earth For when the Angel was thrown down from heaven unto this earth his seed was all thrown down unto this earth with him And this earth hath and is the devils kingdom ever since and will be to the end of the world And in this sense it may be said that this Star fell from heaven unto the earth and to him that is unto this Star was given the Key of the bottomless pit And in the second verse it is said And he opened the bottomless pit and there arose a smoke out of the pit as the smoke of a great furnace and the Sun and the Air were darkned by reason of the smoke of the pit This bottomless pit here spoken of it is the imagination of reason in man for the imagination of mans heart is continually evil or bottomless or topless That is the imagination of Reason cannot finde out what God is nor where he is nor what the devil is nor where he is notwithstanding he is the devil himself That is the spirit of Reason which is the soul of man is the devil and the imaginations that proceeds from it is that bottomless pit the Scriptures speaketh of It is bottomless because it is eteenal for that which is eternal hath no end therefore no bottom so called by the Spirit A bottomless pit and he that had the key of the bottomless pit was the Star aforesaid The meaning is this He may be said to open the bottomless pit in that he had power given him to command the dark reason and imaginations of the idolatrous peoples hearts to come forth to fight for his Crown and Dignity and for the Image and Worship which he did set up Now he had power given him of the Angel of the bottomless pit that is from the fallen Angel aforesaid He being the Angel of the bottomless pit as it is said in the eleventh verse of this Chapter And they had a King over them which is the Angel of the bottomless pit whose name is Abaddon c. Now I would have the Reader to understand that from this king the Angel of the bottomless pit did Herod the Dragon receive his power He being that beast that did ascend out of the bottomless pit which is spoken of in the eleventh Chapter of the Revelation which
I have opened already And this Dragon gave his power to this Star so that the Angel of the bottomless pit did give power to his own seed or sons successively so that the Angels sons are called by several names And this son which had the key of the bottomless pit and had power given him to open it he is called A Star that fell from heaven unto the earth For all wicked Kings and Magistrates who are the seed of the fallen Angel they are called Stars because the first original of them was from heaven But as that seed is become mortal they may be said to fall unto the earth and here it is that they work all their wickedness blasphemy and idolatry against God And the bottomless pit is in the earth also for there is no other bottomless pit but the imagination of mans heart and out of this bottomless pit cometh all manner of wickedness And when this bottomless pit is opened either by the Law or Command of the good Magistrate or the bad there will arise unrighteousness fear wrath and envy out of it But this Star that had power given him he was a wicked Magistrate for when he opened the bottomless pit by his power and command there arose a smoke out of the pit as the smoke of a farnace And the Sun and the Air were darkned by reason of the smoke of the pit Now this smoke that did arise out of the bottomless pit of his own and his peoples imaginations and the pride of their hearts it was his and their breathings forth of blasphemy against the living God and revenge upon all those that would not submit to worship as they did And this smoke which was breathed forth from himself and his people it did darken the Sun and the Air. That is it made the Faith and Worship of the Gospel which did signifie the Sun to be darkned so that the Worship of the Gospel could not be seen to shine for a season And the Air was darkned also The Air doth signifie the light of reason That is the very light of reason was so darkned that they could not worship God according to the light of reason For the smoke of the pit was so great that is ignorant dark and idolatrous worship was breathed and threatned forth that it became like the smoke of a great furnace so that no Sun or Air could be seen That is the idolatrous dark worship was so great and overspread the earth and the threatnings against any other worship it being the smoke of the bottomless pit it darkned the Sun and the Air that they could not be seen for smoke That is no Worship of the Gospel nor Worship of the Law which was the light of Reason which signifies the Air could be seen by reason of the smoke of the pit For as the smoke is great that doth arise from a furnace so that it doth dazle the light of the fire and candle that it cannot be seen what is in the furnace So the smoke of the bottomless pit was so great that the light of the Sun and the Air was darkned that none could see into the bottomless pit That is the light of the Gospel nor the light of the Law could not penetrate thorow the smoke of the pit to see what was in it The breathings forth of blasphemy and idolatry was so great that it darkned the Sun and the Air as aforesaid CHAP. XXVII ANd in verse the third And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth and unto them was given power as the Scorpions of the earth have power Now these locusts that came out of the smoke of the bottomless pit I declare they were men though called by the revelation of John Locusts For it was the power of the Stars command that opened the bottomless pit of his own imagination and that breathed out threatnings against all that would not obey his command So that there arose out of the smoke of his imagination a multitude of locusts that is a multitude of wicked men and these wicked men should have power given as the scorpions of the earth have power That is this Star did give Commission to those locusts that came out of the smoke they had power given them by his Commission to spread themselves upon the earth And as the natural scorpions of the earth have power to hurt or sting any they shall light upon so likewise these locusts that came out of the smoke of the pit they also had power to hurt men whomsoever they did light upon Onely this their power was limited by a secret providence it was commanded them verse 4. That they should not hurt the grass of the earth neither any green thing neither any tree but onely those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads The green grass and green things and tree did signifie the Saints that sh uld not be hurt For though the smoke of the bottomless pit had darkned the Sun and the Air in that they durst not worship according to the Law nor Gospel not publick because of the smoke aforesaid Yet the Saints were not to be put to death nor hurt by these locusts not for a certain time For the Saints did forbear outward and publick Worship of the Gospel for a season so that the locusts did not hurt them according to the secret command and providence of God but onely those that had not the seal of God in their foreheads And in the fifth verse it is said And to them it was given that they should not kill them but that they should be tormented five moneths and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion when he striketh a man Now those men which had not the seal of God in their foreheads they were not to be killed by the locusts that came out of the smoak of the pit But they were to be hurt and stung by them and this stinging should torment them for five moneths That is for such a time as their power did last Now what the Spirit doth mean by five moneths as to time it is uncertain and not revealed But as the torment is great unto that man that is stung with a natural scorpion in his body So likewise the sting that these locusts did strike those men with who had not the seal of God in their foreheads it was as the sting of scorpions and the torment was like unto it Now this torment or sting hath relation to the minde of man as well as to the outward man For the sin of idolatry or false worship especially against a mans will it will torment and sting the soul of man as the sting of a scorpion doth the body so that no rest can be found For when men are forced to worship contrary to the light within them else they must loose their estates so that these locusts they do either sting men in taking away their estates and afflicting them with
outward trouble Or else they must worship against the light of their conscience and so sting their souls and have the torment of his mind which is as the torment of a scorpion when he striketh a man So that when men are tormented and stung in this manner both in soul and body they will chuse rather to die than to live and shall seek for death but it shall flee from them These things hath been experienced in all Ages by some and will be to the end of the world Verse the seventh And the shapes of the Locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battel And the latter part of the verse The faces of these locusts were like men Verse the eighth They had hair like unto the hair of women and their teeth were as the teeth of a Lion And in the nineth verse They had breast-plates of iron And in the tenth verse And they had tails like unto scorpions and there were stings in their tails and their power was to hurt men five months These locusts that came forth of the smoak of the pit may be said to be in shape like horses prepared unto battel in regard of their strength and preparedness of minde they had to hurt and to destroy for the faces of the locusts were like the faces of men They must needs be like men for they were men onely they were wicked men therefore called Locusts Their hair is said to be like the hair of women in regard they did wear their hair long and their teeth may be said to be like Lions teeth in respect of the readiness they had to tear in pieces with their teeth And they may be said to have breast-plates of iron in that they were exceedingly well armed Also they may be said to have tails like Scorpions because of that poisonous nature that lay in their tailes for there was a sting in it which did hurt men five months Which men are called Scorpions as that of Ezekiel chap. 2. v. 6. he speaking to the rebellious house of Israel whom he calls bryers and thorns as they were fit for nothing else but for the fire Yet they like Scorpions did endeavor to sting Ezekiel but he was incouraged of God not to be afraid of them So that wicked men are Locusts and Scorpions and do sting men about worship with persecution and death it self And this sting may be said to be in their tails when they persecute men meerly for conscience or religion sake Then is the sting in their tails and they do hurt men as the Scorpion of the earth doth hurt when he striketh a man So that great Plagues were upon the earth at the sounding of the fifth Angel Which Plagues did proceed from the smoak of the bottomless pit it being opened by that king who is the the Angel of the bottomless pit whose name is called Appollion That is the Angel of Reason that was first thrown down from heaven unto this earth even he that deceived our first parents as aforesaid which is the destroyer And this Reason that is the fallen Angels nature is that which rules in all wicked Kings and Magistrates therefore called by the Revelation of the Spirit Serpents Dragons Devils Stars Angels the devil and his angels yet all from one Angel of reason fallen And this angel of reason fallen from heaven unto this earth is the Angel of the bottomless pit of the imagination of mans heart which doth send forth that smoak locusts and Scorpions which doth sting and hurt their fellow-creatures Which doth bring such Plagues and woe upon the inhabitants of the earth which is far more then I can relate at the sounding of the fifth Angel But I shall leave the Reader to consider of it therefore I shall say no more of it here CHAP. XXVIII ANd in the thirteenth verse The sixth Angel sounded and John heard a voice from the four horns of the golden Altar which is before God As for the Altar I shall not speak of that for that hath been opened in my other Writings neither shall I speak of the voice which John heard nor of the horns he speaketh of for the thing is of no great concernment to know But I shall proceed to the fourteenth verse The voice that came from the four horns of the golden Altar which is before God saying to the sixth Angel that had the Trumpet Loose the four Angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates Now I would have the Reader to understand that these four Angels that were bound in the great river Euphrates were not good Angels but evil angels That is they were the Dragons angels that is they were four kings that were of the same seed and nature as he was For they came from the old serpent the devil which beguiled Eve He may be called the old serpent because he was the first Angel that was thrown down from heaven unto this earth And where the spirit of this Serpent-angel is in King or Magistrate they being of his seed they may be called Angels also For the devil and his angels are reserved in chains of darkness until the Judgement of the great day The meaning is this the devil was that old serpent-angel that deceived Eve as aforesaid And he being an Angel of light before he was cast down from heaven but now he being upon this earth and dissolving into seed he is become an angel of darkness Why because he hath lost the knowledge of himself what he was himself and what the other Angels were that were of the same nature of reason as he himself is I say he hath lost the knowledge both of the form of Angels and their natures and what he was himself So that he is now in chains of darkness wondering in his imagination what the devil should be Not thinking himself to be the devil and this is spiritual chains of darkness not to know what the devil is in his form and nature And those great men that came of his seed that is to say the seed of the serpent As Cain the first-born of the devil cursed Cham scoffing Ishmael prophane Esau that Dragon Herod with thousands of other kings and great men that are of his seed therefore called angels So that these angels are reserved in chains of darkness until the Judgement of the great day as well as the devil their father For they are as ignorant what the devil is and that they are angels as the serpent is what he was before he was thrown down from heaven So that I would have the Seed of Faith to know that there is no such thing as the seed of reason doth vainly imagine as to think that there is any such thing as a devil and his angels in chains of darkness out of the body of man distinct from man For there is no devil but man and what is in the body of man And this spirit of reason in man is the devil and when the spirit of
the Presbyterian did persecute upon the account of Religion as many can witness at this day Likewise was not the King driven from Whitehall by the Presbyterians and Independents Was not great Armies raised against him was there not many men slain by both Armies Were there not many thousands of people undone and destroyed by these plagues and troubles at the sounding of these two Anti-Angels namely Presbytery and Independency When I say Presbytery the Scots are included So that plagues doth follow upon the sounding of the trumpets of these Anti-angels as there did at the sounding of the trumpets of the Angels of Asia And the Angel of the Presbyterian signifies and resembles the Angel of the Church of Pergamos And the Angel of the Independent doth signifie and resemble the Angel of the Church of Thyatira 5. Fifthly Was there not great plagues at the founding of the Baptists and the Angel of the Ranters these two sounded together also That is their Ministery sounded forth together as the Presbytery and Independent did And they held together in War as the other two Did not great plagues follow upon the sounding of these two Anti-angels Was not Oliver Cromwel upon the Baptists score at the first was not he made General was not many Baptists and Ranters made great Officers of the Army for the Levellers were of the Ranters and the Fifth-monarchy men were of the Baptists So that the Levellers were a Branch that sprouted forth of the Ranters And the Fifth-Monarchy men were a Branch that sprouted forth of the Baptists And were not these the men that overthrew the Kings Army and the Scotch Army Did not these beat down all those that stood against them Did not these cause Judgement to be given upon the King when they had overcome him Did not these make France Spain and Holland to bow and fear before them Was not Olivers name dreadful to Neighbor Nations was not he a Terror to the Cavaliers was there not great destruction in England and else where at the sounding of these two Anti-angels These things many that are now living can witness So that there is plagues upon the earth at the sounding of every Angel for the Angel of the Baptist being the fifth in resembling the Angel of the Church in Sardis And the Ministery of the Ranters being the sixth Angel in relation to the Angel of the Church of Philadelphia So that great plagues hath been upon the earth at the sounding of every one of these six Anti-angels far more than I can relate Onely this may give the Seed of Faith a hint whereby they may see what a suitableness there is in the sounding of the trumpets of the Anti-angels of the Churches of Europe to the Angels of the Churches of Asia and what plagues did follow CHAP. XXXI NOw when the seventh Angel of Asia did sound it is said That there should be time no longer as in Revel 10.6 And in Revel 11.15 it is said And the seventh Angel sounded and there were great voices in heaven saying The Kingdoms of this world are become the Kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ and he shall reign for ever and ever Intimating the end of all time at the sounding of the seventh Angel And as the Revelation of John hath involved the three Records in earth to agree in one That is to say the Water Blood and Spirit or the Commission of the Law and Commission of the Gospel and Commission of the Spirit These three being several and a great distance of time between every one of them as they were acted upon this earth Yet all but one record so is it with the Revelation of John in his vision he hath joyned the sounding of the seven trumpets of the seven Angels as if they did relate to no other but to the seven Churches of Asia When as the same spirit did sound in the time of the Law and so it doth now in these last days in the Commission of the Spirit For some of those Plagues that were upon the earth at the sounding of those four Angels they were acted in the time of the record of the Law which signifies the water yet seen in the vision by John as if they were all acted and performed by the seven Churches of Asia So likewise the seven Churches of Europe were included in the vision also For there is a remnant of the seed of the woman in all the seven Churches of Europe that will be saved though the Ministery of them be Anti. They being non-commissionated Angels yet called Angels who sound their trumpets And at the sounding of these Anti-angels great Plagues hath followed as I have shewed before Now the Quakers being the seventh and last Anti-angel that will sound in resemblance of the Angel of Laodicea There will fall great Plagues upon the earth at the sounding and in the sounding of this seventh and last Anti-angel For there is no more Angels to sound after the Quakers Ministery for this Ministery will last to the end of the world For there will never come no better nor higher Ministery while the world â—oth last For the Quakers Ministery is the seventh and last Anti-angel that will sound and as the mystery of God was finished in the days of the voice of the seventh Angel when it did begin to sound as in Revel the 10. and as I have declared in The Interpretation of the eleventh of the Revelation So likewise when this Angel hath sounded out-right the world will be at an end and the Kingdoms of this world will become our Lord Christs and he shall raign for ever and ever Revel 11.15 And this Plague will be the greatest Plague of all the other six Plagues unto the seed of reason who have persecuted the innocent and killed the just But how long time it will be when these things shall come it is not revealed to me nor no man else Onely this by revelation I know that the last or third Commission of the Spirit is now extant upon the earth And that the Quakers Ministery is the seventh and last Angel that will sound But how long time it will sound is not yet revealed to me But this I know that they are the last and being the last they may last a pretty while Neither would I have the Reader to think that the Ministery of the other six Angels will be extinguished for they will last to the end of the world also Onely this I would have the Reader to understand that all Sects and Opinions in matter of Religion are comprised in these seven Churches of Europe So that these seven Churches are the root and body and the other Opinions in religion though seemingly they differ from them yet I say they are but branches that are sprouted forth from some of these seven Churches of Europe Though they seem very great branches yet they are but branches as doubtless there was many differing opinions in the seven Churches of Asia
2. of seven Angels of the Churches of Asia and of the seven Churches themselves Also he speaks of a Lamb with seven horns and seven eyes and a beast with seven heads and now of seven Angels and seven vials and seven plagues So that this Book of the Revelation doth speak much upon seven which sometimes them seven spoken of were but one as I have shewed before Yet they may be called seven in relation to those seven several operations or works they do Likewise I would have the Reader minde that these seven vials of the wrath of God that are to be poured out by these seven Angels they have relation unto those plagues of Egypt that was poured out by Moses the Angel of the Covenant of the Law Which Nation of the Jews was called the Temple of God for God had established his worship of the Law in and upon them And the voice of God to Moses the Angel of the Covenant of the Law commanded him to pour out the vials of his wrath upon Egypt which was done accordingly Also we read in Scriptures of several of the holy Angels that poured out vials of the wrath of God as well as Moses the Angel of the Law As those two Angels that came to Lot poured out the vial of Gods wrath upon Sodom and burnt it to ashes Likewise the Angel of the Lord destroyed threescore thousand people of the plague for Davids sin in numbring the people Likewise the Angel of the Lord slew fourscore thousand men in one night of the King of Assyria's host according to the words of the prophet Isaiah With many other examples in Scripture that Angels did pour out the vials of Gods wrath upon the earth in former times But these seven Angels and the seven plagues that are to be poured out upon the earth I say the meaning of John was that they should be poured out upon those wicked beasts and false preachers or false prophets who setup a false worship and all false worshippers ever since that day that Christ entered into the Ministery or since the time that the Apostles received their Commission as in Acts 2. My meaning is this that ever since the Apostles had those cloven tongues sate upon them as of fire for then began people to worship Christ according to the Apostles directions who had their Commission from Christ Now what worship hath been set up since by Kings or Head-Magistrates who had no Commission from God they are called by the Spirit evil beasts false prophets false preachers and false worship And those seven Angels poured out their seven plagues upon those superstitions and idolatrous people who have drunk of the wine of the fornication of idolatry in worshipping false gods or idols ever since the Worship of the Gospel was set up by the Apostles of Christ I declare that these seven last plagues are to be poured out upon the enemies of the Gospel of Jesus he being the Angel of the New Covenant of Faith and Christ dwelling in their hearts by faith so that the true Believers of the Gospel are called by the Spirit The Temple of God And this great voice which John heard out of the Temple was no other but the voice of Christ who gave charge unto his Angels to pour out the seven vials of his wrath which are seven plagues upon the earth That is upon wicked idolatrous people who worship idols images and false gods since the Apostles Commission Even such like plagues as Moses the Angel of the Law and other Angels did pour out upon Egypt and upon other wicked and ungodly men as aforesaid Let the Reader observe and he may see that these last plagues that are poured out upon the beast his image and those that receive the mark and the number of his name That is upon all idolatrous people they are much like unto those plagues of Egypt as aforesaid as you may perceive in the seven vials pouring out those seven plagues In the second verse The first went and poured out his vial upon the earth and there fell a noisom and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast and upon them which worshipped his image This Plague the first Angel poured out it was upon those people that received the mark of the beast and those which did worship his image Even the same Plague was poured out upon the servants and inhabitants of Egypt for their wicked oppression of Israel they had grievous sores upon them as you may see Exodus 9.10 and 11 verses The sores were so grievous upon the Egyptians and upon the Magicians that they could not stand before Moses for the boyls were upon the Magicians both upon man and beast So in like manner is the Plague poured out upon the enemies of the worship of the Gospel of Jesus Verse the third And the second Angel poured out his vial upon the sea and it became as the blood of a dead man and every living soul died in the sea This second Angel poured out his vial and the Plague this Angel poured out it was much like to the Plague Moses poured out upon Egypt As you may see Exodus the 7. and the 17. how the rod in Moses hand smote upon the waters that were in the rivers and they became blood or was turned into blood And in the 18. verse And the fish that is in the river shall die and the river shall stink and the Egyptians shall loath to drink of the water of the river So in like manner will God pour out this vial of wrath upon the sea that is upon all the rivers and fountains of water which is for the comfort satisfaction and quenching the thirst of man and all other creatures For the vial being poured out upon the Sea the Sea doth imploy all manner of waters whatsoever And as this plague was poured out upon Egypt at the first when Moses had his Commission from God to gather Israel out of Egypt So in the end of the world when Christ shall gather his elect together that is the wheat from the tares This vial of his wrath shall be poured out upon the Sea as really as it was poured out upon Egypt by Moses as aforesaid And every creature in the Sea both man and beast fish and fowl shall die even as they did in Egypt CHAP. XLVII ANd verse the fourth The third Angel poured out his Vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters and they became blood The meaning is this that as the Egyptians rivers and fountains of waters were turned to blood by Moses so that the Egyptians could not drink of the waters of the rivers for they did loath to drink of them So likewise this Vial the third Angel poured out it was the wrath of God upon the fountain and river of water that is in every man For every man hath motions of peace and refreshing of minde that doth arise in his heart from the seed of
state of Israel And so the vials and Plagues that was poured out upon him they were temporal Plagues also And there was a temporal darkness for three days all over Egypt which darkness was but a shadow or type of that spiritual darkness upon the mind of man now and the eternal darkness at the end of the world CHAP. L. NOw I would have the Reader to observe that this beast here spoken of by John it was that beast that did rise out of the Sea having seven heads as in Chapter the thirteenth verse the first to whom the Dragon gave his Power Seat and Authority this was the first beast that persecuted the saints after the Apostles Commission came to be published upon the earth That is this was the first beast that made war with the saints about worship And so the same Spirit Power and Authority that was in this beast it did run thorow the loins of all other beasts that succeeded him all the time of the ten Persecutions And the same spirit hath and doth run in the line of all wicked persecuting Idolaters Kings and Head-magistrates they are called by the Spirit but one beast And look what beast or beasts are alive at the end of the world they shall be all counted but one beast and shall all be overthrown with one overthrow even as Pharaoh King of Egypt was For though there was many Pharaohs Kings of Egypt as aforesaid yet in the destruction of that one King Pharaoh all wicked Pharaohs are destroyed in him So likewise Herod that did seek to kill Christ when he was born in that he slew all the male children in Bethlehem who were two years old or under I declare this Herod was that Dragon John speaks of in divers places in the book of the Revelation who gave his power seat and authority unto this beast And so successively the spirit of the Dragon it runs thorow the line of all wicked beasts to the worlds end even as the spirit of the Dragon did run thorow the lines of many Herods since Cains birth Yet this Herod that persecuted Christ as soon as he was born is called by the spirit in John that great red Dragon And his spirit of persecution it was given to all those wicked beasts that did succeed immediately after him and that shall succeed to the end of the world For this is to be minded by the Reader that the Herod that would have killed Christ he died before this beast had any power but Herod the Dragons spirit remained in other Herods as that Herod that beheaded John Baptist who was eaten up with lice So that there was more Herods than one yet the same spirit of Cain the devil was in them all So that they may be called by the Spirit but one Herod dragon or devil they being all guided by one evil spirit even the spirit of murdering Cain the first man-devil or the devil become flesh So that this spirit of Cain who ruled in all those Pharaohs and Herods before God was manifest in the flesh is that Dragon-devil who gave his power seat and authority unto the beast That is the spirit of the Dragon did persecute oppress and kill before Christ came upon an natural account for fear of loosing his kingdom as Pharaoh king of Egypt did And Herod the Dragon he slew the young children for fear Christ should take his kingdom out of his hands So that most of their cruel murthers they acted it was upon a temporal account But the cruelties that was acted by those beasts it was upon a spiritual account I call it a spiritual account because the persecuting and putting to death of the Saints it was for worshipping of Christ according to the doctrine of the Apostles who set up a worship contrary to that which was set up by those beasts For there was a liberty granted of God unto the Worship of the Law of Moses for the Jews to fight with the Sword of steel and to destroy those Kings or Beasts that did molest them But the Worship of the Gospel did not teach men so to do but altogether to the contrary So that the sufferings of the Saints under the Gospel and ever since it is upon a spiritual account for who ever doth suffer meerly for his Faith or his Religion or his Worship he may be said to suffer upon a spiritual account And those Beasts that do persecute upon that account they persecute upon a spiritual account Even as this Beast did spoken of by John for this Beast did persecute the Saints in the time of the Gospel for worshipping of Christ and not worshipping his Image as Pharaoh did to the people of Israel in the temporal And look what Plagues were poured out upon Pharaoh and all the land of Egypt in the temporal so likewise will spiritual Plagues be poured out upon the beast and upon all that worship him or his image And as there was a natural darkness in all the land of Egypt upon the King as upon the people so likewise this spiritual darkness is poured out upon the seat of the Beast That is there is a darkness poured out upon the mindes of all evil Kings and Head-Magistrates who undertake to set up Forms of Worship as idols and images for the people to worship And there being a darkness poured out upon the minde of the Beast so that he doth worship false gods and not onely so but this vial of darkness is poured out upon the mindes of all those people who worship false gods That is there is a spiritual darkness upon the minde and spirit of the Beast and all that worship a false god I say a spiritual darkness is poured upon them all even whilest they are here in this world Even as that natural darkness was poured out upon Pharaoh and all the land of the Egyptians I say there is as gross a thick darkness poured out upon the spirits of the greatest part of men and women at this day concerning the true knowledge of God and the true worship that God requireth as there was upon Egypt And this spiritual darkness of the minde it is but a preparation or fore-runner of that eternal darkness which will as certainly be when time shall be no more as the darkness of the minde is at present in all the seed of the serpent who worship false gods But as there was light in all the places of the children of Israels dwellings as you may see Exod. 10.23 which dwellings of theirs it was in the Land of Goshen where the children of Israel were as in Exod. 9.26 Now this Land of Goshen it signifies the light of grace or spiritual and heavenly light in the mindes of the Seed of Faith and the children of Israel signifies the true Saints or true Worshippers of God in spirit and truth So that every true Believer in the true God he may be said to dwell in the Land of Goshen in his own minde in
which Land there is the light of Faith whereby they may see the way to that eternal light of Glory where no sad or melancholly thought shall arise to darken the light of peace joy and everlasting glory So on the contrary the Land of Egypt it signifies that hell and darkness of the minde So that all those who know not the true God nor his true Worship they are in that spiritual darkness in their mindes as the Egyptians were who gnawed their tongues for pain Even so will it be with all those wicked beasts who have and do set up Images and Idols of gold wood and stone or any false worship whatsoever contrary to Moses the Apostles and the two Witnesses of the Spirit I say all those that worship contrary to these three Commissions they are in that spiritual Egyptian darkness in their mindes whilest they are here in this world And this darkness in their spirits it will lead them to that eternal dark night when as no light shall appear for ever That is no motion of peace or hope of deliverance shall arise in their mindes for ever and ever And then shall this Beast and all that received his mark name or number of his name gnaw their tongues for pain to eternity For this Vial or Plague is poured out upon the seat of the beast then of necessity it will follow that all that worship according to his command will have the Vial of darkness poured out upon them also So much for the interpretation of the fifth Vial and of the tenth Verse CHAP. LI. I Shall pass by the eleventh and come to the twelfth verse And the sixth Angel poured out his Vial upon the great river Euphrates and the waters thereof was dried up that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared This great river Euphrates was in the Land of Canaan where those four Angels was bound as I shewed before And as those four Angels were loosed at the sounding of the Trumpet of the sixth Angel so at the pouring out of the sixth Vial this great river Euphrates must be dryed up Now this great river Euphrates it signifies all the rivers and fountains of waters in the whole world in the natural That is to say at the end of the world God will pour out his vial of wrath upon all rivers and fountains of waters so that they shall be dryed up so that the thirst of man and beast shall not be quenched this will God do in the natural Also God will pour out his vial of wrath upon the spiritual estate of man even upon the great spiritual river Euphrates that is upon all the souls and consciences of wicked idolatrous persecuting men and women all the world over That is the waters of their souls shall be dryed up so that no motion of peace shall arise or spring from their souls to quench the thirst of sin then no more then there did to Dives the rich man who being in hell wanted one drop of cold water to cool his tongue But the river of his soul that did run with motions of peace in his natural life it was now dryed up so that no drop of cold water could be had That is not one motion of peace or hope could arise in his spirit it being dryed up by the wrath of God being poured out upon the river of his soul So that the souls or spirits of all wicked persecuting idolatrous people all the world over maybe called in the spiritual the great river Euphrates and the vial of Gods wrath being poured out upon the spirits of those people aforesaid it doth dry up all the waters of their souls That is all their peace so that no hope of eternal happiness can arise in them For all hope is dryed up so that there is no motion of peace can arise in their souls to quench the fire of hell in them for all the waters are dryed up in their souls and this is that great spiritual river Euphrates spoken of by John Whose waters thereof are dryed up for the peace of the minde of man is called in Scriptures Water as Christ saith He that believes in me out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water So likewise Christ said to the woman of Samaria if thou hadst asked me I would have given thee water of Life and it should be in thee a well springing up unto eternal life So that there is spiritual waters that doth spring out of the soul of man as there is natural waters that doth spring out of the earth or out of the rocks And these spiritual waters doth satisfie the spirit of man in its kinde as the natural waters doth in its kinde And as there is a spiritual water that doth proceed from the Seed of Faith so likewise there is a spiritual water that doth proceed from the seed of reason in man And this water that doth proceed or arise from the seed of reason it doth give great satisfaction to the minde of man Now these spiritual waters that doth arise from the seed of reason are called by the spirit the great river Euphrates And this is that river Euphrates that the sixth Angel poured out his vial upon and dryed up all the waters as aforesaid Not but that the natural river Euphrates which signifies all the rivers in the world will be dryed up also Onely this book of the Revelation of John it hath generally a two fold meaning that is to say a spiritual meaning and a temporal meaning So that both the great river Euphrates in the temporal and the great river Euphrates in the spiritual the waters of them both will be dryed up at the end of time which thing will be unexpressible sad to all those who have no water of Life in their souls to drink It is said by the spirit of John that this great river Euphrates was dryed up that the way of the Kings of the east might be prepared Now what these Kings of the east are is very necessary to know These Kings of the East I declare they are all good Kings further I declare that Christ the King of Heaven is said to come out of the East as you may read Math. 2.2 3 verses Where the wise men from the East came to Jerusalem saying where is he that is born King of the Jews for we have seen his Star in the East and are come to worship him So that this Jesus the King of the Jews he is called the King of the East because his Star in the East directed the wise men to finde him out that they might worship him Now this is to be minded by the Reader that Prophets Apostles and Saints they are called by the Spirit Kings and Priests unto God as the Scripture saith So that all Prophets Apostles and true Believers may be called Kings And seeing the King of Kings came out of the East these all following him in the same steps of faith and
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
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
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
upon men any more to eternity For that voice John heard out of the temple in heaven from the throne it was from no other but from God himself saying It is done And immediately upon that voice there were other voices and thunders and lightnings and there was a great earthquake such as was not since men were upon the earth so mighty an earthquake and so great as you may see verse 18. This 18 19 20 21. verses have all of them relation to the end of the world which thing will be done in the pouring out of the vial of the seventh Angel which seventh Angel is now pouring out his vial of wrath upon the men of this world For as the seventh and last Anti-Angel namely the Quakers ministery doth sound and hath sounded neer upon twenty years so likewise the seventh vial hath been poured out this twenty years also And it will last pouring out to the end of time even as the seventh Anti-angels ministery will last to the end of the world as aforesaid And as I said before much like unto those Plagues that Moses brought unto Egypt God will bring upon the earth upon the sea upon the sun and upon the air at the end of the world And as there was a great hail in Egypt so that the Egyptians blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail Even so will it be in the end of the world when those great voices of the four and twenty Elders the four beasts the holy Angels and Saints shall utter their voice in Allelujahs unto God their King and Redeemer it will be as the voice of thunders and lightnings and will cause a mighty great hail every stone the weight of a talent That is God will rain down fire and brimstone upon the earth and sea sun and air so that none of these four which is the life of all creatures shall yield refreshment to the mind of man but it shall rain stones of fire mingled with brimstone which cannot be dissolved So that men shall blaspheme God eternally because of the hail it being exceeding great It must needs be exceeding great because it is eternal it being the last plague or last vial of Gods wrath it being the end of all time there being now nothing but eternal misery to remain For there will fall upon every wicked mans soul whose names are not written in the book of Life such an hail-stone of fire and brimstone that shall weigh a talent That is it shall weigh so heavy upon his heart that it shall press his soul down into the second death which is eternal So much for the interpretation of the chief matters in the sixteenth chapter of Johns Revelation CHAP. LVIII IN the sixteenth chapter of Johns Revelation it doth prophesie of the seven last plagues that God will pour out upon this wicked unbelieving idolatrous world Much like unto those plagues Moses poured out upon Egypt at the beginning of his Commission So likewise will God pour out the vials of his wrath upon the earth at the end of the world Which will be at the end of the Commission of the Spirit Now what these seven vials are I have opened in the 16 chapter Now this 17th chapter it doth contain a prophesie of the downfall of the spiritual Babylon or mystery Babylon It is compared by the spirit in John to a woman arrayed in scarlet to an adulterous woman to a whore to a great city Now this is to be minded by the Reader that there is two Babylons spoken of in Scripture two sorts of whores two sorts of fornication two sorts of Cities two sorts of Vials of Gods wrath to be poured out upon the earth That is there is a temporal Babylon and a spiritual Babylon or Babylon in the History and Babylon in the Mystery or a natural fornication of the flesh with woman and a spiritual fornication in the soul and minde of man with idols And so the one is called a whore or an adulterous woman in the temporal and the other is called a whore in the spiritual So that there is two sorts of whores and two sorts of fornications likewise there is two sorts of Cities that is a temporal City and a spiritual City The temporal City is that which the reason of man hath built for its own glory of wood and stone guilded with Silver and Gold the spiritual City is that which God hath built which is the body of man Therefore it is said in Scripture Your bodies are the Temple of the Holy Ghost so likewise the believing Jews and Gentiles they are called by the Spirit the holy City so that there is a spiritual holy City and there is a spiritual unholy City That is there is true worshippers of God and false worshippers of God a mystery Babylon a mystery of Gods temporal Plagues and spiritual Plagues To sum up all the meaning of Johns Revelation is this that all the true Believers both Jews and Gentiles that doth worship God according to the tennor of that Commission they are under whether it be the worship of the Law of Moses or the worship of the Gospel of Jesus set up by his Apostles or the worship of the Spirit set up by the Witnesses of the Spirit These three being all Commissionated of God so that who ever doth truly believe in these three Commissions in their time and place when they were in being upon the earth I say they are all counted by the Spirit but one City or one woman as Revel 12.1 A woman clothed with the sun c. So on the contrary all false worship that is set up by non-commissionated men who doth resemble or imitate the true worship set up by true commissionated men I say those men having no Commission from God so to do their worship is meer idolatry and all those people who joyn in that worship so set up they are all idolatrous people And so counted by the Spirit in John that great City Babylon in opposition to the holy City of God as aforesaid So that this is to be minded by the Reader that there is but two Cities that is to say the City of Saints and the great city of devils That is all true worshippers are called the holy City and all false worshippers are called by the Spirit the great City Babylon as aforesaid So likewise they are all called but one woman or one whore So that you that have any true light in your understandings you may see that all the messengers of idolatry and all idolatrous people they are called by the Spirit but one whore or one fornication So that look what worship hath been set up by a non-commissionated man at the first In that they did imitate Moses in his worship and so afterwards did imitate the Apostles worship without a Commission from God I say that the first brothers or imitators of Moses and the Apostles worship with all the adherents thereunto and the multitudes
of people that are deceived by them who were the first brothers of this idolatrous worship set up by non-commissionated men I say they are all counted by the spirit but a whore in that they and all people who doth joyn in worship with them they do commit fornication in their spirits with idols So that who ever doth worship false gods by the instigation of the false prophet or false priest he doth commit fornication or whoredom with idols So that this is to be minded that all opinions in worship that people are in who hath not a true Commission from God to be a Minister or Preacher he and they do all commit fornication with idols For every opinion in religion that doth not worship the true God they do commit fornication with idols Neither can they do otherways because their teachers are false like priest like people Also this is to be observed by the Reader that the Revelation of the Spirit it hath onely relation to those peoples that do profess and confess the Scriptures So that Johns Revelation hath relation to all those that confess the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Gospel of Jesus and the Apostles and not relating to the heathen who never heard of the Scriptures So that all those false worshippers under the Law of Moses and all those false worshippers under the Gospel of Jesus they are called by the spirit that great City Babylon or mystery Babylon or a scarlet whore It is called mystery Babylon in relation to the mystery of God as aforesaid Likewise it may be called mystery Babylon in relation to that Babel that men would have built that should have reached up to heaven after Noahs flood in respect of the confusion there was in the building of it so that it all came to utter confusion and destruction So likewise there is such a confusion in all false worship and worshippers that at the last that Babylon they have built with idols thinking to reach in that superstitious way up to heaven But they shall be confused in their understandings and in the true knowledge and worship of the true God So that they shall be utterly destroyed both them and their Babel that is their worship with an eternal destruction But this is to be minded that the first mention of this temporal Babel Genes 11.4 where the sons of Noah said Go to let us build us a City and a Tower whose top may reach unto heaven And in the seventh verse God consumed this tower by confounding their language So likewise the first rise of this mystery Babylon it was amongst the Jews That is when the Jews would worship other gods besides that God which Moses did declare unto them even the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob to wit the God of Israel yet nevertheless those Jews who were the seed of the serpent they would have other gods as the Amorites and the heathen had to go before them Therefore they would have a Calf to be their God to worship as Exodus chapter 32.1 this Calf was the first false god the people of the Jews did worship Though they murmured against God and Moses many times before yet they never fell to worship idols as Gods before So that this was the first beginning of the setting up or the building of a false worship in opposition to that worship that Moses set up which was but a little before So that as soon as ever God did set up his worship by the hand of Moses that the people might come to know the true God I say the spirit of reason which is the devil in man he doth set up his worship in like manner to worship gods of his own imagination even the works of his own hands even a Calf For this Calf doth signifie all idols or false worship whatsoever For though the idols of men are many and their forms of worship many yet they all being false not worshipping the true God they do but worship a calf in stead of God And as these Jews who made this calf for a God were the first that began to build up a Babel of false worship this spirit of idolatry it did run thorow the line of the seed of the serpent until it got great power For after Moses and Joshua were gone the seed of the serpent grew in great power and did punish those that would not bow down to Baal For Baal signifies all false worship or all false gods so that when the serpents seed got power to set up his worship as Moses had power to set up the worship of God And as Moses did plague and punish those serpents for making that calf and worshipping it or any other idols in that many of them were destroyed by death So hath the false worshippers served the Prophets and Saints ever since that would not bow down to their false worship witness Jeroboam the son of Nebat who made Israel to sin and Ahab Manasses with divers other wicked kings and rulers and head-magistrates in the time of the Law who persecuted the Prophets and put them to death For telling them of their forsaking of the worship of the Law of Moses and worshipping of idols And the same spirit of reason the devil it continued in that nation of the Jews until Christ came according to that prophesie of Jacob the scepter shall not depart from Judah until Shiloh come So that there was a Scepter of Government that did remain upon the people of the Jews though they had no Jews kings a long time before So that a matter of forty years after Christs death in the destruction of Jerusalem the Scepter did depart from Judah That is from that nation of the Jews so that they are ever since a scattered people in many parts of the earth So that the Scepter that is the Government is departed from them indeed and the same spirit of persecution and idolatry it doth run along in the seed of reason the devil in the Gentiles So that the Gentile Kings and Head magistrates have been given mightily to idolatry imitating the worship of the Gospel And hath persecuted and put to death many Saints for not bowing down to that worship set up by these Gentile-Kings or Head-magistrates ever since the destruction of Jerusalem even to this day So that this is to be minded by the Reader that this mystery Babylon or great city or whore who hath committed fornication with the Kings of the earth The meaning of the Spirit is this that all Kings and Head-magistrates in the time of the Law and in the time of the Gospel who profess the Scriptures even to the end of the world That have or shall set up a false worship or idols by their power and cause the people to do the same they may be said to commit fornication with idols So that whoever doth worship false gods let it be in what form or manner it will it is all counted by the spirit but
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
Israel And it was practised by many wicked kings and head-magistrates and false priests and false prophets Which did cause many true Prophets and righteous men to be persecuted and put to death for not giving way to their false worship And so since the Apostles Commission the same thing hath been acted by Kings and Priests and so it will be to the end of the world So that all evil kings and evil head-magistrates are counted by the Spirit but one scarlet coloured beast for the spiritual Whore the woman to sit upon she may be said to sit upon the beast because she fits upon his power for Kings in all ages have been subject to the spiritual power though it hath been never so false for we see by experience that all those that goeth upon a spiritual account if he be but a Minister of the Gospel so called yet he sits upon the Magistrate For where is there a Magistrate in a Parish as a Deputy or such like but the Minister sits upon him So that one can do nothing as to matter of worship without the other So that the idolatrous woman who is the chief may well be said to sit upon a scarlet coloured beast which beast signifies all Kings and Head-magistrates who give themselves up to be guided in matter of worship by non-commissionated men who pretend a spiritual power to be Prophets Priests or Ministers of the Gospel or of the Law without a Commission from God But this beast here spoken of by John it doth chiefly relate to those beasts that did succeed after the destruction of Jerusalem which was a matter of four years after Christs death in relation to those Ten Persecutions which did last a matter of three hundred years So that all those beasts that persecuted the Saints in that time they are called by the Spirit a scarlet coloured beast He may be called a scarlet coloured beast in regard he had assisted the woman with his temporal power to persecute and shed the blood of Saints So that the sins of his soul they were as red as scarlet with the blood of the Saints and in this sense he is called a scarlet coloured beast and not onely so but full of names of blasphemy having seven heads and ten horns The meaning is this so many heads so many names of blasphemy that is there was seven Kings that came out of his loins as I shewed power and all these seven heads or beasts they persecuted and shed the blood of Saints and blasphemed God that had power over Plagues So that they all blasphemed God and shed the blood of the Saints for not worshipping their images and in this regard he may be called a scarlet coloured beast full of names of blasphemy For their souls were all made red as scarlet with the blood of Saints and they all blasphemed alike and the woman sate upon them all alike so that they are all called by the Spirit but one scarlet coloured beast CHAP. LX. VErse the fourth And the woman was arrayed in Purple and Scarlet-colour and decked with Gold and precious Stores and Pearls having a golden Cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication This woman is the same afore-mentioned and as for her being arrayed in Purple and scarlet-colour the purple signifies the civil outside appearance and rich array That is she was arrayed with such outside language and gestures and ornaments concerning the worshipping of Idols That it was as a garment of purple unto her which made the Kings and people all to bow down to her and glad they were that they might drink of that golden cup in her hand which cup was full of abomination And as for the scarlet-colour she was decked with that is within her That is her soul was made as red as scarlet with the blood of the Saints as the beast aforesaid And as for the precious Stones and Pearls she was decked with that signifies that good esteem the beast and the people had of her superstitious worship Thinking in themselves that she was precious in the eyes of the Lord or as a Pearl or Jewel in the sight of God and that she did God good service to kill his Saints that would not bow down and worship so holy a service as was required by her And as for the golden Cup in her hand the Cup signifies the form and manner of worship which she doth prescribe to the beast and the people to false gods And that which this golden Cup in her hand is full with it is the superstitious idolatrous worship that the beast and people must drink of That is they must do as she hath prescribed in matter of worship and so they come to drink out of the golden Cup in her hand and so they take a full draught of her spiritual abominations and filthiness of her fornications with idols and in the blood of the Saints Verse the fifth And upon her head was a name written Mystery Babylon the great the mother of harlots and abominations of the earth There need not be any interpretation upon this verse for I have shewed what is meant by Babylon before and what is meant by the mother of harlots so that I shall pass by this 5 verse and proceed to the 6 verse Verse the sixth And I saw the Woman drunken with the blood of the Saints and with the blood of the Martyrs of Jesus and when I saw her I wondered with great admiration Here John saw in his vision the Woman drunken with the blood of the Saints and Martyrs of Jesus That is mystery Babylon or City Babylon which is compared to a woman that is all persecuting Spirits in point of worship are compared to a woman For they have all drunk the blood of Saints and Martyrs so that John did see in his vision that they were all drunken with the blood of Saints even as men are drunken with wine So that John did wonder with great admiration to see that God should have so much patience as to stay so long before he did pour out his Judgements upon this Woman who had made her self drunken with the blood of the Saints and Martyrs of Jesus But in the seventh verse The Angel said unto John wherefore didst thou marvel I will tell thee the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carrieth her which hath the seven heads and ten horns As if he should say when thou seest the judgement of the woman and of the beast that I will bring upon them thou wilt then marvel no more at their being drunken with the blood of the Saints and Martyrs of Jesus CHAP. LXI IN verse the eighth the Angel doth explain unto Johns understanding what the beast is that doth carry the woman as he did the woman in the seventh verse But the explanation of the Angel it is as dark to the reason of man as the vision it self For who can understand what is meant by these
seven heads are called by the Spirit seven Mountains on which the woman fitteth These seven Mountains are those seven Beasts spoken of before though called here seven Mountains And as for the woman I have shewed what is meant by it before to wit all spiritual power in relation to the worshipping of false gods it being set up by non-commissionated men and all false worshippers they are called by the Spirit a woman or the great City Babylon So that those chief men that have set up forms of worship without a Commission from God they are called the woman that sitteth on seven Mountains She may be said to fit upon them because her spiritual idolatrous power is above their temporal power For as I said before the temporal Magistrate is commonly subject to the Priest especially in matters of religion so that in this regard the woman may be said to fit upon seven Mountains For she had power over all these seven Beasts to cause them to commit spiritual fornication and spiritual whoredom with her in worshipping of false gods and in sheding the blood of Saints Verse the tenth And there are seven Kings five are fallen and one is and the other is not yet come and when he cometh he must continue a short space The meaning is this that John saw in his vision that five of these seven persecuting beasts were fallen And he that one is in present being in the time of the Apostles Commission and that was the sixth And the other that was not yet come he was to come after the Commission of the Apostles was exterpated out of the world and when he is come he shall continue a short space That is he shall not continue to the end of the world for no man knoweth what the spirit doth mean by a short space but the spirit of the beast that was and is not he shall continue to the end of the world as in the eleventh verse And the beast that was and is not even he is the eighth and is of the seven and goeth into perdition The meaning is this that the spirit of the Dragon Herod the beast who is the eighth though of the seven wicked beasts because they all acted by his wicked spirit of reason the devil So that the spirit of the Dragon it shall run thorow the loins of all persecuting Kings and Head-magistrates even to the end of the world Hath not the spirit of persecution run thorow the loins of many Papist Kings by the power of the Popes spiritual fornication since the worship of the Gospel was set up by him all over Europe Hath not the spirit of spiritual fornication to worship false gods run thorow the loins of the Papists Protestant Presbytery Independent Baptist Ranter and Quaker all over Europe or as we call it Christendom So that this spiritual fornication all opinions doth commit with idols or in worshipping of false gods So that they all make up but one woman or one whore who commiteth sp ritual fornication or one great City Babylon So likewise there hath many Papist Kings since the Pope had this spiritual power that have been guilty of sheding the blood of Martyrs more then can well be numbered Neither can all Protestant Kings be excused in this point nor Presbytery neither Neither would the other four be excusable if they were in power So that the spirit of the Dragon it doth and hath run thorow the loins of all these beasts that have been since the Roman Catholick Religion was set up So that all the persecution that hath been for conscience sake all the blood that hath been shed for Religion sake it hath been acted from the spirit of the whore aforesaid in the Priests and from the spirit of the Dragon in the Head-magistrate who are called beasts And this spirit hath raigned and doth raign in the Head-magistrate ever since the Roman Catholick Religion was set up aâ— aforesaid and shall continue to the end of the world They all being counted by the spirit but one beast because they are all guided by one spirit of persecution and blood-shed for Religion sake So that I declare that this is the beast that was and is not even he is the eight and is of the seventh That is his spirit runs thorow the seed of the seventh and so it doth run thorow the bodies of these that are the eighth So that this spirit of the dragon which is reason the devil who hath persecuted and shed the blood of Saints Martyrs of Jesus for not worshipping false gods that they may all go into perdition together that is into eternal damnation CHAP. LXIII VErse the twelfth And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten Kings which have received no kingdom as yet but receive power as kings one hour with the beast These ten Kings were inferior to the Beast and were under his Dominions for the Beast was as it were an Emperor who had many Kings under him And these ten Kings lived in kingdoms but were not so established as that they could keep them against the Beasts will yet nevertheless if they would be obedient unto the Beast and execute his will he would give them power as Kings one hour with himself that was until they had extirpated the name of Jesus out of the world And that power they received of the beast it was to persecute and kill the Saints For these ten Kings were those ten horns upon the beast that had seven heads That is these ten Kings should receive power from the beast to execute those ten Persecutions upon the Saints Yet I would not have the Reader to think that there was but ten Kings and no more for ten Kings did not last 300 years But if there were ten score Kings the spirit doth call them but ten signifying those ten persecutions in the primitive times For the beast had seven heads and ten horns and these ten Kings were those ten horns and they received their power to persecute and shed the blood of Saints and Martyrs of Jesus from the seven heads which is called a beast So that the one hour that these ten Kings received power from the beast it was all the time of the Ten Persecutions for they were the ten horns as aforesaid This you may see in the thirteenth verse These have one mind and shall give their power and strengh unto the beast That is seing the beast had given them power as Kings to shed the blood of Saints they likewise proffer unto the beast their power and strength to serve him in what they can And the service these ten Kings must do the beast it is to shed the blood of the Saints as you may see in the fourteenth verse Verse the fourteenth These shall make war with the Lamb and the Lamb shall overcome them for he is Lord of lords and King of Kings and they that are with him are called and chosen and faithful These ten Kings aforesaid are to
come out of the world for she doth deceive all nations and her power is every where where Gods people doth dwell So that there is no going out from her power except they go among the heathen But the meaning of the Spirit is this that Gods people should come from their idolatrous worship and practise So that you may not commit fornication with idols that you may not be partakers with them of their sins and so you shall receive none of her plagues For in the fifth verse Her sins have reached up to heaven and God hath remembered her iniquities So that now she must be rewarded as she rewarded the Saints as in the sixth verse Reward her even as she rewarded you and double unto her double according to her works in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double That is as she hath drunk the blood of Prophets the blood of Apostles the blood of Saints and Martyrs of Jesus now she must have her own blood to drink And not onely so but her cup must be filled up double that is she shall drink the torments of her own soul eternally As soon as one torment is suffered the cup of her soul shall be filled up again with another torment So that her cup shall be always full of torment for her to drink eternally And thus will her cup be filled double and double again For though God hath suffered his servants the Prophets and Apostles and Saints to have their blood poured out and drunk by this whore and the beast The time will come that he will avenge their blood upon these two and all their adherents and give them their own blood double to drink So that their cup shall be so full of the wine of Gods wrath that they shall be drinking of it to eternity As for the seventh verse there is little matter of concernment so I shall pass it by and speak a little of the eighth verse where it is said Therefore shall her plagues come in one day death and mourning and famine and she shall be utterly burnt with fire for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her This eighth verse doth determine a total and final destruction of the spiritual whore or City Babylon and that her plagues shall come in one day death and mourning That is the first death which is a natural death it shall enter into a second death and cause much mourning because it is a living death and a dying life Else there would be no mourning in death and as for the famine she shall suffer the meaning is this That there shall be such a famine or want of peace in her soul in the second death that no motion or thought of peace or deliverance shall arise in her soul to give any hope so that there will be a famine of peace indeed for she will be utterly burnt with fire It will be a fire indeed for the fire of Gods wrath will burn eternally and never be quenched besides the destruction of the glory of this world So that the Reader may see what will be the end of this spiritual mystery Babylon with the beast and all false worshippers Which thing hath been prophesied of ever since Moses he being the first Commissionated Prophet and I being one of the last God hath given me understanding to interprete the Revelation of John the Evangelist even till I have found out a period of the destruction of that great City Babylon Which destruction and utter downfal is concluded by Johns Revelation in the eighteenth chapter and the eighth verse so that I shall patiently wait the time when God will make it visibly appear yet by faith I do know it will certainly be so even as all Prophets and Apostles have done before me CHAP. LXVIII FRom the eighth verse to the twentieth verse it is onely a relation of the astonishment in the mindes of men who were Merchants and had trading at Sea who were made rich by trading with idolatrous people For the Kings of the earth who have committed fornication with her and lived deliciously with her they shall bewail and lament her when they see the smoak of her burning They may well lament for her for they have committed fornication with her so that they shall suffer with her For there will be but little time for them to see the smoak of her burning before they are in it themselves But the Spirit doth speak what the heart of man would speak in case there were time given men to see such a destruction and he not in it himself So likewise it is said They standing afar off for fear of her torment That standing afar off is onely to set forth what the minde of man doth use to do in the case of a temporal destruction or if a temporal City were to be burnt up Men that are afraid will stand afar off for fear there is the same thoughts in man as to the end of the world men would stand afar off when that comes if they could So that the Kings who committed fornication with her and the Merchants that were made rich by her they did stand afar off in their mindes for fear of her torment But they were quickly in it as well as she and all that lamentation that was made rich by her in respect of that riches and temporal costliness that they had by her it was all in the minde of man and would have done so indeed had they had time For if this great City was destroyed in one hour there was little time to stand afar off to see her torment But the Spirit speaks forth what is in the nature and minde of man and what he doth use to do in temporal things and would do at that day if they could Therefore I shall pass by all their lamentation Alas alas this great City and come to the twentieth verse CHAP. LXIX VErse the twentieth Rejoyce over her thou Heaven and ye holy Apostles and Prophets for God hath avenged you on her Here the Reader may see that the holy Apostles and Prophets are encouraged to rejoyce at the destruction of Babylon before she is destroyed For she is not destroyed yet neither are the Prophets and Apostles as yet capable to rejoyce over her destruction for most of them are asleep in the dust of the earth But it is a usual thing for the Spirit to speak of things at a distance as at present being because God that is truth or the God of truth cannot lie but will give unto his servants the Prophets and Apostles the things he promised them And they by faith believed him and did suffer persecution and the loss of their lives by this City Babylon giving themselves up to their wicked wills depending upon God to avenge their blood on her So that they by faith did obtain the assurance in themselves that God would avenge their blood on her Again the Revelation of John may bid them rejoyce because it
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
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
many of them yea they killed Christ himself So that now as these men did eat the flesh of the Saints and drink their blood in that they were pleased in their mindes that they had shed the blood of Saints and the blood of Prophets and Apostles for that is called by the Spirit eating and drinking So likewise now the great God hath by the sword that goeth out of his mouth destroyed with a final and eternal destruction those Kings Captains and great Men aforesaid Now the great God and all his Army of Saints who are the fowls of heaven shall sup with the flesh of these men aforesaid That is they shall eat their flesh not with their teeth but their spirits shall feed upon their eternal damnation with joy delight so that their souls shall be satisfied or filled with their flesh For the fowls of heaven shall feed upon their eternal damnation in their mindes even as men do upon the tendrest flesh that is with their teeth and their spirits will be as well satisfied with their destruction as mens hungry stomachs are with sweet flesh So that there is a spiritual eating of the flesh of Kings and Captains and the flesh of mighty men in their destruction as there is a spiritual eating of the flesh of Christ and drinking his blood to their eternal joy and happiness And this kinde of Supper are the Saints invited unto that they may sup with the great God for they shall have the same flesh to eat as he hath as he is satisfied in eating their flesh so shall they CHAP. LXXVIII VErse 19. And I saw the Beast and the Kings of the earth and their Armies gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse and against his Army This nineteenth verse signifies the same things as the eighteenth verse doth onely John saw the Beast and those Kings muster up their Army together to fight with him upon the horse and against his Army But he that sate upon the horse was Christ and his Army that followed him were the Saints and his horse was a white horse and all his Army sate upon white horses also as I shewed before But he that sate upon the horse was too hard for the Beast and the Kings of the earth so that the Beast was taken as in verse 20. And the Beast was taken and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the Beast and them that worshipped his image These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone This Beast and false prophet signifie the Civil Power and the Ecclesiastical or Spiritual Power for the beast signifies the temporal Power and the false prophet signifies the Spiritual Power For these two always committed fornication together and in all Ages they joyned together to persecute the Prophets Apostles Saints and Christ himself and so they will do to the end of time And John seeing by the eye of Faith and Revelation the end of the world he saw also the Beast and the false prophet taken That is he saw the whole temporal Power of this world and the whole spiritual Power of this world who joyned together in false worship and in persecuting the Saints John saw them both taken they were both cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone So that this spirit of the Beast shall remain in its seed to the end of the world and the spirit of the false prophet shall remain in its seed to the end of the world so that they may both be cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone with all those that received the mark of the Beast and that did worship his image Verse 21. And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse which sword proceeded out of his mouth and all the fowls were filled with their flesh The remnant that were slain signifies all those that were of the Beasts and false prophets minde yet did not gather themselves together to the Beasts Army but they were as it were a remnant left behinde as a Reserve as it is a custom for Generals of Armies to leave a remnant behinde as a Reserve but if the Generals Army be beaten and he taken the remnant will quickly be destroyed by him that overcometh So it is with Christ when he hath taken the Beast and false prophet and cast them alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone and when he had spoiled the Kings of the earth and the Captains and the mighty men of war and all the common soldiers who had received the mark of the Beast in the fore-head or in the right hand it was an easie matter for him that sat upon upon the horse to slay the remnant with the sword that goeth out of his mouth In fine the slaying of the remnant with the sword it was to cast the remnant and the Kings and Captains and mighty men and all both great and small into a lake of fire burning with brimstone with the Beast and the false prophet So that all the Saints which are called by the Spirit the fowls of heaven they were all filled with their flesh so that the Saints shall nâ—ver hunger or thirst more but shal be fully satisfied in their damnation who alwayes made the Saints to hunger and thirst after peace and quietness And to reign with God their King and Redeemer in that eternal felicâ—ty joy and glory where is all satisfaction that can be had where there will be no hunger nor thirst but a continual increase of new joys for evermore So much for the interpretation of this Nineteenth Chapter CHAP. LXXIX WHen I had gone thorow this Book of the Revelation of St. John I found many things in it exceeding mysterious even as a sealed Book as it were impossible for any one to interprete yet through the assistance of the revelation of the Spirit of Faith I having the knowledge of those two Foundations the Scritures standeth upon before to wit the knowledge of the true God and the right devil so that from these two Foundations all the chief and great mysteries and hard sayings in that Book hath bin opened unto me and I have given the interpretation of all the chief matters of concernment in that Book first and last yet but very short considering the variety of mystical sayings in that Book of Johns Revelation But when I had seriously considered and understood the height and depth of these heavenly sayings of John concerning the true God the Alpha and Omega the first and the last that was dead and a alive and behold he liveth forevermore With many other heavenly mysteries which was in my heart which I understood but I had not words in my self to set it forth and to declare it to others that they might understand these mysteries also yet nevertheless I thought it was better to
express these heavealy Secrets as well as I could rather than to bury them with my self alone So that who ever doth read this Treatise of the Interpretation of this Book of the Revelation of St. John I say they must take it as it is and let them remember that God seldom chose Learned men to declare the mysteries of his kingdom but let that pass When I had weighed and pondered in my minde this great mystery of God that God became flesh I was moved in my minde to express my self thus unto God Oh Lord God of truth thou that wert from eternity and hadst thy being of thy self a spiritual body in form like a man thou who knowst no beginning of thy self neither dost thou know any ending of thy self yet thou by thy own wisdom and power became very man clothing thy spiritual body with pure humane flesh onely the Life of that body was no other but the Godhead Life so that thou madest thy self a little lower then the Angels also thou madest thy self capable to suffer the pains of death by thy own creatures and so thy vesture was made red it being dipt in thy own blood for the Redemption of thy own seed the seed of Adam It is thee O Lord that wert the first revealer of heavenly secrets unto mankinde some thou hast revealed thy minde unto by voice of words some by secret inspiration of thy Spirit and others thou hast revealed the mysteries concerning thy self and thy kingdom by the Spirit of Faith that doth arise out of its seed so that the original of all true Revelation and understanding the mysteries of thy kingdom it doth come from thee Oh Lord God of truth so that I can truly say with Moses the Prophets Apostles and Saints Blessed be the Lord God of truth who hath revealed unto me the mystery of God and the mystery of the right devil with the interpretation of many other heavenly secrets spoken of by John in this Book never revealed before unto Prophet or Apostle therefore unto thee O Lord God of truth thou that art King of kings and Lord of lords who art that Alpha and Omega whose garment of flesh was made red and whose vesture of flesh was dipt in his own blood for the Redemption of mankinde thou who art the first and the last even he that was dead but is alive and behold he liveth for evermore to thee onely be ascribed all Allelujah of praises by me thy servant whom thou hast chosen when I thought not of it Also let Allelujah blessing glory and honor be given unto him by all those that doth truly understand and believe these things interpreted in this Treatise I say again let us give all praises honor and glory unto our God our King and our Redeemer even the Lord Jesus Christ both now and for evermore Amen Amen CHAP. LXXX AS for this twentieth Chapter it is onely a relation of things done before and as for the chief things in this Chapter concerning Satans being bound for a thousand years and after the thousand years was expired Satan was let loose with many other things depending thereupon they are opened already in the Interpretation of the eleventh of the Revelation Onely I shall give a word or two to shew what is meant by Gog and Magog This Gog and Magog is the Turk Pagan and all heathen men who never professed the worship of Moses nor the worship of the Gospel that is the same spirit that was in the heathen in former time who were called by the Spirit Gog and Magog as you may see Ezekiel 39.1 Thus saith the Lord God behold I am against thee O Gog. And in verse 6. God will send a fire on Magog So chapter 38.2 Son of Man set thy face against Gog the land of Magog and in the 3 verse and say Thus saith the Lord behold I am against thee O Gog the chief Princes of Meshech Now this Gog and Magog spoken of in Ezekiel it was no other but Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon he I say is called by the Spirit Gog as in 2 Chron. 36 6 and all his princes who had great armies who helped him to fight against Jerusalem and they are called by the Spirit Magog as you may see 2 Kings 24.1 2. Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon came up that is he came up to fight against Jerusalem and there came against Jerusalem bands of the Caldees and bands of the Syrians and bands of the Moabites and bands of the children of Ammon these all came against Judah to destroy it and so they did according to the word of the Lord. And these bands of men aforesaid are called by the Spirit Magog so that it may be clear to the Reader that this Gog and Magog spoken of by John it is meant all the Heathen power upon the face of the earth in that the heathen hath three parts of the world in his hands For this is to be minded by the Reader that this Gog and Magog spoken of by the Prophets they were Heathen powers and people who never did profess nor confess the Scriptures of truth And this Gog and Magog John speaketh of are Heathen men also for the same spirit that was in that Gog and Magog it doth run in the line of that seed even to the end of the world So that the Heathen that shall be destroyed at the end of time may be called Gog and Magog as the other Gog and Magog was destroyed after the seventy years were expired they were destroyed with a temporal destruction but this Gog and Magog John speaketh of they will be destroyed with an eternal destruction at the end of time For this spirit of reason the devil or Satan that was bound for a thousand years and when the thousand years was expired he was let loose which things I have opened in The Interpretation of the eleventh of the Revelation This spirit of reason the devil as aforesaid it being loosed out of prison which prison I have shewed what it is in that book aforesaid so that this Satan being loosed he goeth forth to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth as in the eighth verse of this chapter Gog and Magog to gather them together to battel the number of whom is as the sand of the Sea So that the Reader may see that Satan shall go out to deceive the nations that are in the four quarters of the earth which four quarters doth signifie all the world for the world is divided but into four parts and all these four parts of the earth they are deceived by this spirit of Satan which spirit of Satan I have shewed what it is in my other writings but this is to be minded that the Saints the Seed of Faith are excepted by the Spirit for though they live in the four parts of the earth yet they are not deceived by the spirit of Satan not as to their eternal perdition as the other
is so that this is to be understood that this Satan the devil shall deceive the nations in all the four quarters of the earth to their eternal perdition Also it is to be minded that there is a principle of persecution for religion worship even in Gog and Magog that is to say in all the heathen as there is in those that profess and confess the Scriptures For if Gog and Magog doth but hear of any man or people that doth worship any other God besides his God he will persecute him to death especially if he be a native under his dominions and so is it with all professors of Religion who know not the true God nor his true worship So that Satan the devil he hath gone forth unto all the four quarters of the earth and hath deceived the nations therein with false worships and imagining of false gods this many hundred years have they been deceived and not onely so but there is a spirit of persecution that doth run thorow the nations in all the four quarters of the earth even amongst professors of the Scriptures as there doth in the heathen So that all the four quarters of the earth they fight against God and compass the Camp of the Saints about and the beloved City The Saints are called by the Spirit the beloved City so that this beloved City must needs be compassed about because the Saints doth live in the four quarters of the earth and the nations of the four quarters of the earth being deceived by Satan they persecute the Saints every where So that they by their persecution they have and do and will to the end of the world compass the Camp of the Saints about who is the beloved City I say these aforesaid will compass the Camp of the Saints with persecution until fire come down from God out of heaven and devour them this fire that cometh down from heaven it is meant that eternal fire of Gods wrath upon his enemies as you may see in the 10 verse And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever The meaning is this that Gog and Magog with all the nations of the four quarters of the earth who were deceived by the spirit of reason the devil to worship false gods and to persecute the Saints in all parts of the earth They shall at the end of the world as aforesaid they shall be cast into the same lake of fire and brimstone as the beast and the false prophet are and shall be tormented for ever and ever as aforesaid So that at the end of the world that spirit of reason which men received from the lost Angel with all its wisdom whereby it hath deceived all the nations of the earth and hath always persecuted and killed the Saints the beloved City of God from the beginning of the world even from the righteous Abel to the end of the world I say this spirit of reason which is called by the Spirit Satan a devil this Spirit who hath caused Gog and Magog and all the nations of the earth to persecute the Saints This devil with all the seed who hath fought under his banner though in several forms and manner he and they with the beast and false prophet with all their adherents shal be cast into a lake of fire and brimstone where they shall be tormented for ever and ever and this fire and brimstone is that wrath of God that cometh down from heaven which is called by the Spirit fire that came down from God out of heaven and devoured them c. So that this chapter is but a rehearsal of what was said before in the 18 and 19 chapters both of the destruction of mystery Babylon and of the glory of the Saints Yet I thought it something necessary to open the meaning of Gog and Magog because I have not met with those words before neither have spoken of them in that book aforesaid But as for the rest of the matter in this 20 chapter I have said as much as need be said of it in one place or other in this Treatise and in The interpretation of the eleventh of the Revelation and to repeat one thing twice over would be needless and as for the chief heads contained in the 21 22 chapters I have opened them in the said Interpretation of the eleventh of the Revelation So that I shall interpret a little what is meant by those words of Johns Revelation the 22 chapter 18 19 verses and so conclude this Epistle CHAP. LXXXI THese words of John hath been an occasion of many persecuting and ignorant men and womens spirits to persecute and rail against the purest truth that ever was declared and against the true Messengers whom God hath chosen and sent Whom he hath endued with the spirit of Revelation and Interpretation of Scriptures more then all the men in the world besides in that when things have been declared and Scriptures interpreted beyond the common sense that learned men have declared and interpreted they have said with great anger and zeal that we have either added to the word of God or else we have diminished from it Therefore to satisfie the Reader I shall open how a man may be said to add unto the prophesie of this Book of Johns Revelation and how he may be said to diminish or take away the words of this prophesie of this Book The words of John are these verse 18. For I testifie unto every man that heareth the words of the prophesie of this book if any man shall adde unto these things God shall adde unto him the plagues that are written in this book Verse 19. And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophesie God shall take away his part out of the book of Life and out of the holy City and from the things which are written in this book I would have the Reader to minde and he may know whether a man doth adde unto this Book or take from it for this is to be minded that who ever doth undertake to be a Minister of Christ without a Commission from him or shall undertake to give the interpretation of the Scriptures without having the gift of Interpretation which gift he cannot have except he have a Commission from God or from him that did receive it from God For how is it possible that any man should give true interpretations of the Scriptures and of that Book of the Revelation of Saint John and yet not know the true God nor the right devil Therefore it is for certain that all Non-commissionated Ministers and Speakers whatsoever in all the seven Churches in Europe I say it is they onely that do add unto this Book and they onely that do take from it They may be said to add to it because they give this and that