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
make war with the Lamb that is they make war with the Saints and shed their blood For these ten Kings do execute the will of the beast in making war with the Saints for in making war with the Saints they may be said to make war with the Lamb. And as the faith and patience of the Saints did bear their cruel torments to the terrifying of the souls of their persecutors even whilest in this life So that the sufferings of the Saints with patience and chearfulness for they have no other weapons of war but the weapon of the Spirit That is to say a Breast-plate of Righteousness the Shield of Faith the Helmet of Salvation the Sword of the Spirit these are the Lambs weapons of war and he doth furnish his Saints with them so that they shall be able to overcome all their enemies Who fighteth with Spear and Shield or with Sword of steel or Gun these are the devils weapons of war and he fighteth with the Saints with these and such like weapons and so kills the body and hath no more to do That is he puts to death this natural life which is called but a killing the body and hath no more to do But the weapons of war the Saints do use they being spiritual they kill the persecutors soul and yet shed no blood For as carnal weapons doth kill the natural life of man and shed his blood So likewise those spiritual weapons afore-mentioned doth kill that spiritual life in the persecutors with an eternal or second death and yet shed no blood and in this manner shall the Lamb overcome these ten Kings which ten Kings doth include all persecuting spirits whatsoever For the Lamb being King of kings and Lord of Lords he hath chosen his Saints and they are faithful to fight under his banner for he hath called them for that purpose And the Lamb being their King and Captain the Saints shall certainly overcome their persecutors and in this sense the Lamb shall overcome them CHAP. LXIIII. VErse the fifteenth And he saith unto me the waters which thâ—â— sawest where the whore sitteth are peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues I have opened this verse before so that I need not speak any thing more of it here but I shall pass by this and go to the sixteenth verse Verse the sixteenth And the ten borne thou sawest upon the beast these shall hate the where and shall make her desolate and naked and shall eat her flesh and burn her with fire These ten horns are those ten Kings aforesaid they received power before from the beast to persecute the Saints and to make war with the Lamb. And now they receive power from God to hate the whore and to fight against her spiritual power as you may see in the seventeenth verse For God hath put it into their hearts to fulfil his will Yet I would have the Reader to minde that these ten horns or ten kings doth imploy all wicked kings who are subordinate or under the beast For all wicked beasts are included in this one beast and all idolatrous spiritual power is included in this one whore or City Babylon So that God will put it into the hearts of wicked kings to put down the spiritual power of idolatry So that the Fifth-Monarchy-men are mightily mistaken thinking in themselves that those Kings or great persons that shall pull down the Popes spiritual power or any other spiritual power that hath neer affinity with the Popish worship I say they are much mistaken For God will put it into the hearts of wicked reprobate men to do his will they shall hate the whore and make her desolate and naked That it they shall smite her flesh with a sword of steel and burn her with fire that is they shall utterly destroy her For burning with fire signifies utter destruction and eating her flesh it signifies the being well pleased in their mindes so that their mindes doth feed upon the destruction of her and in this sense they may be said to eat her flesh Onely this I do confess that the Pope is that whore that must be made desolate for the same spirit of fornication concerning spiritual matters or worshipping of idols is in the Pope and others as there was in other whores who profess the same spiritual power as the Pope doth For one spirit of idolatry hath run thorow the line of them all in all ages and the Pope succeeding after the Ten Persecutions he is called by the Spirit a whore and the last whore And doth not she by her spiritual power sit upon many waters which waters doth signifie multitudes of people nations and tongues doth not she by her spiritual power and temporal both sit almost upon all Europe Doth noâ— she sit upon almost all the Beasts that is the Kings of Europe So that when this whore is made desolate the world will be at an end Onely this I would have the Fifth-Monarchy-men to minde that they must be wicked reprobate men that doth make her desolate for all that fighteth with carnal weapons that is a sword and Gun they are wicked Though God doth put it into their hearts to do his will for one wicked man shall destroy another with carnal weapons For these ten horns which signifies all wicked Kings when they have made the whore desolate they shall give their kingdoms unto the beast until the words of God shall be fulfilled That is these conquerors over the whore shall give their kingdoms unto the Beast who gave them Commission and power at the first to persecute and kill the Saints So that they take no notice that God did put it into their hearts to do his will upon the whore but they attribute all the power and glory of it to the beast looking more upon his Commission and Authority that he gave them To destroy the Saints and by the same Authority they think they do make the whore desolate not minding Gods putting it into their hearts Therefore it is they give their kingdom unto the beast until the words of God shall be fulfilled That is they shall give their kingdoms unto the beast until the end of the world When God shall make a final end that is an eternal destruction of the beast and of the whore and of these ten horns that gave their kingdoms unto the beast then will the words of God be fulfilled CHAP. LXV VErse the eighteenth and the last verse of this chapter And the woman which thou sawest is that great City which raigneth over the Kings of the earth I have spoken of these things in this verse in divers places before so that I need not say no more of it Onely this I would have the Reader to minde that all this seventeenth Chapter the things contained in it it was shewed unto John by way of vision And what judgement should befall in the end to all those that were concerned in those matters of spiritual and temporal
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
do at this day or shall hereafter to the worlds end Therefore if the Reader doth but understand the spiritual substance and meaning of Johns visions though not every particular circumstance I say it will give full satisfaction to the minde of man as to the Scriptures and to their eternal salvation The first thing that John saw in his Vision it was a door opened in heaven Now I would have the Seed of Faith to understand that there is a door belonging to heaven and a door belonging to hell Therefore called in Scripture the gates of heaven and of hell as Christ said unto Peter I have given thee the Keyes of heaven and of hell So likewise when the five foolish virgins came to the door where the Bridegroom was but the door was shut upon them so that they could not come in to that Eternal Marriage So that there is a door belongs to Heaven also there must be some body to open this door It is much like unto a Kings Palace where no inferior person can see into it except the Door-keeper do open the door There is no earthly Kings Palace but hath a door to it neither can any man see into it except the door be openâ—â— Now as there is a door of earthly substance which may be seen and felt belonging to every earthly Kings Palace the Palace being earthly also though decked and set forth very gloriously to the eye of Sense and Reason because it belongeth to Reasons kingdom So likewise there is as real an Heavenly Palace above and beyond the stars where Christ the King of Heaven doth sit upon his Throne Also there is a door belonging to it of a spiritual and heavenly substance which may be seen felt and understood by the eye of Faith as the other is by the eye of Reason Therefore it is said in Scripture by the Apostles We speak the things which we have seen which we have heard which we have tasted which we have handled of the word of life So that there is as real a spiritual substance to be seen tasted and handled by the Seed of Faith in the minde as there is temporal things by the seed of Reason Likewise Christ is called a Door himself and he hath the Key of Davia who openeth and no man shutteth And this is he that opened the door of Johns understanding and let him see in a vision the glory of heaven and him that sate on the Throne as you may see in the second verse For as soon as ever John had heard the voice that is as soon as ever the door of his understanding was opened the door of heaven was opened also And the door of heaven being opened there was presented in a vision to his sight few things that must be hereafter Now what those things which must be hereafter are they are signified in the vision in the chapters following For the voice which talked with John in the vision bade him come up hither and I will shew the things which must be hereafter And immediately John was in the spirit that is he was so ravished and wrapt up in his spirit w th the sight of heaven and the glory thereof in the vision the door of heaven being opened that he was as Paul was whether in the body or out of the body he could not tell For John did see things unutterable for indeed the things of Gods becoming flesh and suffering death and the glorious effects thereof they are unutterable that is the tongue of man cannot explain it not as it is in it self But men that have written the Scriptures and have had visions and revelations of these heavenly things they have expressed them to the capacity of man as they could by words So that men might believe the things of God which are spiritual and eternal by words of mortal men like themselves As men do understand one another in the things of this world And the gift of interpretation of Scriptures which was written by Revelation and Vision I say it is more profitable to man then the Scriptures themselves For what profit is it to a man to read another mans revelation or vision and know nothing of it himself Therefore interpretation of Scriptures is the best and most profitable gift unto the Seed of Faith now adays to lead them unto their eternal rest Therefore to unfold something more of Johns vision in the second verse And immediately he was in the spirit and behold a Throne was set in heaven and one sate on the Throne And in the 3 verse he tells what he was like that sate on the Throne and in the 4 verse he saith And round about the Throne were four and twenty Seats and upon the Seats John saw four and twenty Elders sitting cloathed in white Raiment and they had on their heads Crowns of Gold And in the 5 verse There were seven Lamps of fire burning before the Throne which are the seven Spirits of God And in the 6 verse And before the Throne there was a Sea of Glass like unto Chrystal and in the midst of the Throne and round about the Throne were four Beasts full of eyes before and behind And in the 7 verse And the first Beast was like a Lion and the second beast like a Calf and the third beast had a face like a Man and the fourth beast was like a flying Eagle The 8 verse And the four beasts had each of them six Wings about him and they were full of eyes within and they rest not day and night saying Holy holy holy Lord God Almighty which was and is and is to come The 9 verse And when those beasts gave glory and honor and thanks to him that sate on the Throne who liveth for ever and ever I shall give a short interpretation of these things afore mentioned In the second verse John saw a Throne in heaven and him that sate thereon You may remember how I have shewed before that there is Thrones in heaven as there is here in earth and there is a Throne in special for the King of Heaven as there is for a King here on earth And he which John saw to sit upon the Throne in Heaven it was no other but the Lord Jesus Christ as aforesaid Though John doth set him forth in the 3 verse that he was to look upon like a Jasper and a Sardine stone with other glorious expressions which is onely to set forth the glory of him that sate upon the Throne And in the 4 verse Round about the Throne were four and twenty Seats and upon the Seats were four and twenty Elders sitting cloathed in white Raiment and they had on their heads Crowns of Gold It is much like unto the Throne of an earthly King for an earthly King hath many Seats for his Nobility to sit on round about the Throne where he seats himself And the Nobility doth fit in those Seats according to their degree and place Likewise the
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 children of Israel Now it is not to be understood that John did mean exactly such a number and no more that were sealed But if the spirit of revelation will call a hundred hundred thousand but a hundred and forty four thousand who shall gainsay it But in regard there is an equal number spoken of by John of every tribe it is according to reasons account no more then one hundred forty and four thousand that were sealed of the twelve Tribes of Israel Therefore whether they were more or less sealed with the seal of the living God I shall not dispute the thing Neither is it much material to know so that I shall pass by the rehearsing of the Tribes and come to the nineth verse where it is said After this I beheld and lo a great multitude which no man could number of all nations and kindred and people and tongues flood before the throne and before the Lamb cloathed in white robes and palms in their hands This great multitude which no man could number they were the Gentiles that were brought to the faith of the Gospel in the time of the Apostles Commission which did last a matter of three hundred years then was all tongues nations kindreds and people brought to the Faith of Jesus And these were that great multitude which John saw in the visiâ—n which no man could number These were those that John saw stand before the Throne and before the Lamb these were those he saw cloathed in white Robes Now what these white Robes is I have shewed before not but that there hath and will be many thousands of the Gentiles tongues and nations since that time that will be saved But these that John saw in the vision it was chiefly those Saints in the Apostles Commission and it was them that he saw in the 10 verse to cry with a loud voice saying Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the Throne and unto the Lamb. And in the 11 verse All the Angels stood round about the Throne and about the Elders and the four beasts so that all the holy Angels and the Elders and the four beasts fell on their faces and worshipped God So that the Angels and Elders and the four beasts had faces else they could not fall on their faces to worship God For God hath a face of his own and those that worship him must have faces also Else they cannot worship God also they must have a tongue to say Blessing and glory and wisdom thanksgiving and honor and power and might be unto our God for ever and ever Amen So that Angels Elders and those four beasts had tongues to praise the living God Now John being in a great amaze in the vision to see such an innumerable multitude which no man could number to stand before the Throne of God all in white robes He in the 14 verse asketh one of the Elders what these be that are arayed in white robes And he said unto John These are they which came out of great tribulation and have washed their Robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Now what is meant by the white Robes and being washed in the blood of the Lamb I have shewed before and what is meant by the Throne so that to the end of the seventh chapter it is onely to signifie the glory of the Redeemed ones who were and are washed in their souls here in this life in the blood of Christ They shall serve him day and night in his temple in heaven and stand before his Throne of glory where he is Neither shall there be any more hunger nor thirst neither shall the heat of persecution light any more upon them Nor the natural sun to offend them any more by its extream heat For in this kingdom of heaven where the Lamb is in the midst of the Throne he shall feed them and shall lead them unto living fountains of water And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes this is that glorious and happy condition that all the saints shall have who have got those white Robes of the righteousness of faith being washed in the blood of the Lamb. And this will be at the end of time yet Faith doth look upon this condition immediately after the end of this natural life Therefore said by John as if the thing were already done and accomplished to him and to every one that is gone out of this world it is so but to us that are alive it is not yet accomplished So much for the interpretation of the seventh Chapter CHAP. XXII THe eight chapter in the first verse it is said And when he had opened the seventh Seal there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour Now I would have the Reader to understand that these seven Seals which were opened in Heaven they were those seven Seals that were on the backside of the Book of Life as I shewed before which were the seven Churches of Asia Likewise it is Christ that doth open the seven Seals and at the opening of every Seal John saw some extraordinary sight in Heaven either destruction upon the wicked and persecution upon the Saints or blessings upon the Saints So that the opening of every Seal produced something new to John in his vision But in the opening of the seventh Seal there was silence in Heaven about the space of half an hour That is there was a little space of time between the opening of the other six Seals before this seventh Seal was opened So that John had some little space of time before the opening of the seventh Seal was shewed unto him And this is that he calls silence in Heaven about the space of half an hour It might be forty hours for ought we know but if he saith half an hour who shall gainsay it But sure I am it was a little space of time between the opening of the other six Seals before the seventh Seal was opened unto his understanding For he made no stop in opening the six Seals before And as there was something did follow upon the opening of every one of the six Seals so there doth follow something upon the opening of the seventh Seal For in the 2 verse John saw the seven Angels which stood before God and to them were given seven Trumpets These seven Angels which John saw in the vision I declare they were the Ministery of the seven Churches of Asia These being those seven Angels which John did write unto as I said before for these seven Angels which John did write unto in the second chapter it was to signifie those great tribulations and sufferings that the Ministery and the Churches themselves should undergo But in the eighth chapter John saw these seven Angels which were the Ministers of the seven Churches of Asia in another condition He saw them now as if they were in a state of glory And now instead of tribulation for ten days which ten
spiritual the Son of God whose eyes are like a flame of fire and his feet like unto fiue brass This is he that treadeth the wine-press of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God as in Revel 19.15 Now as the vial of Gods wrath was poured out upon the natural Sun in that the Sun had power to burn up Sodom and Gomorrah as aforesaid So likewise the Son of righteousness had the vial of Gods wrath poured out upon him also In that he treaded the fierceness of Gods wrath that is his own wrath as he was the Creator So that he suffered death at the hands of his creatures which death is called by the spirit the wine-press of Gods wrath And this wrath being poured out upon the Son of Righteousness he hath power given him to scorch men with fire That is he hath power to scorch the consciences of wicked men with the fire of hell This power also doth he give to every true Prophet and Apostle and Minister whom he doth chuse And as the death of Christ is called the fierce wrath of God so likewise it may be called a fire for the wrath of God may be called a fire though executed in several other ways So that this death of the Son it being charged upon the consciences of all wicked persecuting idolatrous men and women by the Apostles Prophets and Ministers chosen by them It doth scorch their consciences with the fear of eternal death which is the fire of hell as in the nineth verse And men were scorched with great heat and blasphemed the Name of God which hath power over these Plagues So that every true Messenger of Christ hath power to scorch the consciences of men and to kindle the fire of hell in all persecuting spirits and false worshippers who worship false gods And this fire and heat was very much poured out by the Apostles and those Ministers ordained by them in the primitive times so called For none knows what those persecuting beasts and false worshippers who received the beasts mark did suffer nor how their consciences were scorched with the fire of hell even whilest they were in this world which was but a taste of what shall be hereafter But this taste it made them blaspheme against him that had power over these Plagues For the minde of man is so desperately wicked that if he could destroy that God that hath power over these Plagues even as they did those his messengers and the Saints that believed them But the Saints may see that there is a secret spiritual power in every true Messenger of God to scorch the souls of persecuting and despising men and women with the heat of hell fire this I know to be true by experience as well as by faith For the doctrine of the true God and his true Worship it doth torment the souls of the seed of the serpent inwardly as the heat of the Sun doth outwardly to a mans body and men are more subject to blaspheme for the torment within then they are for torments without Because the one is but for a time but the other is for eternity So that the spiritual scorching with great heat is that John chiefly intends in this chapter in relation to the torment of mind that was upon those beasts that persecuted the Saints and all those that received his mark as aforesaid In the time of the Apostles Commission and with relation to the end of the world Thus in some measure I have given the litteral and spiritual meaning of the fourth Angel pouring out his vial upon the Sun and of the 8. and 9. verses CHAP. XLIX VErse the tenth And the fifth Angel poured our his vial upon the seat of the beast and his kingdom was full of darkness and they gnawed their tongues for pain This fifth vial it hath a twofold meaning that is a litteral and spiritual meaning The litteral meaning is in relation to the vial or plague that Moses poured out upon Egypt as you may see Exodus the 10.22 23 And Moses streched forth his hand towards heaven and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days and in the 23. verse They saw not one another neither rose any from his place for three days c. Here the Reader may see that this vial was poured out in the natural upon Egypt and upon the seat of the King of Egypt Pharâ—ah being king Therefore called the beast and the seat of the beast signifies the power and authority that Pharaoh had over all the land of Egypt And this Vial being poured out upon the seat of the beast it signifies upon all those that were under his government That is that were of his own people so that there was thick darkness in the Kings palace and upon his servants no place free as there was upon the inhabitants of Egypt so that darkness was all over the land of Egypt no place free For if any place had been free from darkness in the land of Egypt then I say the vial had not been poured out upon the seat of the beast So that this vial Moses poured out of thick darkness it was upon the seat of the beast that is upon King Pharaoh in whom the power and authority of Egypt did stand So that when darkness was poured out upon the King in whom the light of all the Laws of Egypt did shine forth upon the people if the Seat in whom the Law is placed be darkned then the people which must obey must needs be darkned also For where a King or Head Magistrate hath power given him either from God or from man to make Laws for people to obey that power and authority is called by the Spirit the Seat of the beast And when God doth pour out the vial of his wrath upon this Authority then I say the vial may be said to be poured out upon the Seat of the Beast so that the Reader may see what is meant by the Seat of the Beast Now I have opened a little what is the litteral or natural meaning of the fifth Angel pouring out his vial or plague upon Egypt and what the Plague was and what the Seat of the Beast is I shall now also give you to understand the spiritual meaning of these things aforesaid Observe there was many Pharaohs that were Kings of Egypt in those four hundred years that Israel was in bondage in Egypt yet all these King Pharaohs are included in that one King Pharaoh unto whom Moses was sent So that all the Kings of Egypt are counted by the Spirit but one King Pharaoh And all those Plagues which Moses poured out upon Egypt it was upon this King Pharaoh even until God had utterly consumed him and he did in the Red-sea these things were fulfilled in the history and in the natural at the beginning of Moses Commission And that beast Pharaoh king of Egypt his actions of oppression to the Israelites they were upon the temporal