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
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
Chap. 58. How the spiritual Babylon is compared unto the temporal and how false worship may be and is called Mystery Babylon in opposition to the mystery of God with many other things opened And how and when the Scepter departed from the Jews and how the Gentiles worship is idolatrous and so becomes or makes up that great City Mystery Babylon the Mother of harlots and what is meant by her fornication Chap 59. How the Kings of the earth may be said to commit fornication and how the Saints do drink the wine of the wrath of her fornication how the scarlet coloured beast doth carry the whore and how she fits upon the beast and what is meant by the beast and why called a scarlet coloured beast Chap. 60. The Interpretation of the woman how she is arrayed in scarlet colour and purple and precious stones with a golden Cup in her hand and what these things do signifie and how the woman may be said to be drunken with the blood of the Saints Chap. 61. The Interpretation of the beast that was and is not and yet is and how he may be called the eighth and is of the seven with other deep secrets Chap. 62. How the woman may be said to sit upon seven mountains and what the mountains are Chap. 63. The Interpretation of the ten horns and what is meant by their having power one hour with the beast and how they make war with the Lamb and what weapons they fight with and with what weapons the Lamb doth overcome them Chap. 64. How the ten horns received power from the beast to persecute the Saints and how the same ten kings received power from God to make the whore desolate to fulfil Gods will yet all but wicked kings yet they did his will Chap. 65. How all this 17th Chapter was shewed unto John by vision and none could interpret it but he that hath a Commission from God Chap. 66. The difference between the temporal Babylon and the spiritual Babylon and how this spiritual Babylon is called an habitation of devils and a cage of every hateful bird and a hold of every unclean spirit and how the kings of the earth and all nations committed fornication with her Chap. 67. How the Saints may be said to come out of her and how she must drink her own blood and what is meant by filling her cup and giving it her double to drink and what maner of famine and fire she shall be destroyed with Chap. 68. What is meant by the Merchants standing afar off for fear of her torment Chap. 69. How the Prophets and Apostles are bid to rejoyce over the destruction of the great City in that God hath avenged himself on her Chap. 70. How the seed of Reason doth walk in the paths of the Scriptures yet cannot finde out the true God but the Seed of Faith can finde out God in all those narrow paths where he doth walk and how the voice of mirth did cease when Babylon is destroyed and the blood of Prophets and Saints is found in her Chap. 71. How the four beasts and four and twenty Elders and Saints do sing praise unto God for the perpetual downfall of spiritual Babylon Chap. 72. What is meant by the voice of many waters and the voice of mighty thunderings and how the Saints are married unto God Chap. 73. What is meant by the white horse and by the many Crowns that he had on his head and of the difference of glory between the work of Creation and the work of Redemption and how it may be said that no man knew his name but himself Chap. 74. The Interpretation of the garment of Christ down to the foot and his vesture dipt in blood what is meant by treading the wine-fat Chap. 75. What is meant by the Armies in heaven that followed Christ and how they al sat upon white horses and how Christ trode the fierceness of the wiâ—â—-press of Almighty God and yet not his Fathers wrath Chap. 76. The Interpretation of the Name of Christ written upon his thigh and how he may be called King of kings and Lord of lords in respect of the power of his Creation and the power of his Redemption and how his death got power over sin death and hell so that he can dispose of death now as he pleases for his own glory Chap. 77. What is meant by the fowls of heaven and what the Supper is they are invited unto and what it is they must have to Supper and how the Saints may be said to eat the flesh of Kings and of Captains and of mighty men Chap. 78. How the temporal Power signifies the Beast and the spiritual Power signifies the false Prophet and how they are both cast alive into a lake of fire and brimstone and what is meant by the remnant that were slain with the sword that came out of his mouth with the end of the nineteenth Chapter Chap. 79. The Prophets prayer and thanksgiving unto Jesus Christ the onely God who became very man and yet was very God at the same time Chap. 80. What is meant by Gog and Magog and how the Camp of the Saint may be said to be compassed about in all the four quarters of the earth and what that fire is that came down from heaven Chap. 81. How Non-commissionated men are those that do add unto the Prophecy of this Book of the Revelation and to all the Scriptures and 〈◊〉 the plagues written in that Book will be added unto them for going before they were sent of God Chap. 82. How men are said to diminish or take away from this Book and how he hath his part taken out of the Book of Life All the Chief HEADS of the most Divine MYSTERIES plainly opened in the several Chapters of this Book CHAP. I. THe first Chapter of the Revelation of John doth speak of things which must shortly come to pass John calls it The Revelation of Jesus Christ which God gave unto him to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass John might well say that God did give it unto him because Jesus Christ is God as he doth make it appear in his following Discourse in this Chapter Also those servants which he was to declare this Revelation of Jesus Christ unto I declare it was unto the Ministers of those Seven Churches in Asia and from them to the Churches themselves Also John doth speak much of this Book of the Revelation by way of vision as well as revelation and that doth make this Book of the Revelation to be the more difficult and hard to be understood or to be interpreted Therefore many wise and learned men have gone about to interpret some places of it but have left the greatest part of it as a sealed Book which cannot be opened and have left that which they have writ upon as dark to the Reader as it was at first And the cause is they do not know what
is the Song of the Lamb that is the Song of the Gospel of Jesus And the other hundred forty and four thousand in the seventh Chapter they sung the Song of Moses that is the Song of the Law Now there is no man that could learn or sing this new Song of Praise unto the Lamb nor the Song of Moses but those that were redeemed from the earth Now the Song of Moses and the Song of the Lamb what they are I have opened before Also what the Harps are I have shewed before so that I need say no more of it here CHAP. XLII IN the fourth Verse These are they which were not defiled with women for they are virgins Also they are said to be the first fruits unto God and to the Lamb. And in the fifth Verse there is said In their mouth was found no guile for they are without fault before the Throne of God Observe that those hundred forty four thousand Saints they are said not to be defiled with women for they are virgins The meaning is this they were not defiled in their souls with idolatry in worshipping of idols and false gods For idolatrous men are called Whores and who ever worshippeth images or false gods may be said to go a whoring after strange gods and so comes to be guilty of spiritual whoredom and spiritual fornication and so may be said to be defiled with women as the Scriptures doth in many places prove the truth of this Interpretation And as for their being Virgins the meaning is this they were not tainted with the idolatrous worship of the Nations set up by those Beasts aforesaid that they were as pure in their souls from idolatry as a virgin is from knowing of man For as a virgin is not defiled with man so were these Saints not defiled with idols and images Which idols and images are called in the spiritual Women for they follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth that is they followed him in the Worship of the Gospel notwithstanding that great idolatry and persecution there was in the time while the Apostles Commission did last which was a matter of three hundred years And they are called The first fruits unto God Observe They are called the first fruits unto God because they were of the Jews Seed whom God made a Covenant with that they should worship him as Moses should direct them And these hundred forty and four thousand who were redeemed by their faith and obedience to the Gospel in the Apostles Commission I say these were of the Jews as I said before therefore called the first fruits unto God For the believing Gentiles are not called the first fruits unto God because God chose the Jews Church first Therefore the believing Jews are called by the Spirit in John the first fruits unto God And these being preserved in their spirits from defiling themselves with idols they are said in their mouth was found no guile for they are without fault before the Throne of God That is they were not guilty of worshipping of false gods and so not defiled with women but worshipped Christ in the way as he gave his Apostles to establish as aforesaid And in the sixth verse John saw in his vision another Angel flie in the midst of heaven having the everlasting Gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth and to every nation and kindred and tongue and people This Angel John saw flie in the midst of heaven having the everlasting Gospel to preach I declare it was Peter he being the Head-Apostle to whom Christ committed the preaching of the Gospel unto and to whom Christ committed the keyes of heaven and of hell and upon Peters Faith Christ called A Rock upon which he would build his Church Also I would have the Reader to minde that Christ gave this power to all the twelve Apostles as well as to Peter For they all had their Commission from Christ after he was ascended to preach the everlasting Gospel to all Nations that dwell upon the earth according to that saying of Christ to his Apostles before he suffered death Who said unto his Apostles whom he had chose Go preach the Gospel to every creature or to all nations and lo I will be with you to the end of the world c. Now this Gospel was preached to all nations according to the words of Christ in the time of the Apostles Commission As may be read Acts 2.5 And there dwelling at Jerusalem Jews devout men out of every nation under heaven Unto these Jews did Peter and the rest of the Apostles preach the Gospel of Jesus they speaking though unlearned men to every man in his own tongue the wonderful things of God So that this Gospel which the Apostles preached it was carried to all Nations on the earth as you may read Acts 2. beginning at the seventh verse And as for the everlasting Gospel being preached to every nation and kinred and tongue and people it was preached at that time aforesaid and at other times For Jew and Gentile doth include all nations kinred tongues and people And Paul being chosen of Christ to preach the everlasting Gospel unto the Gentiles he was made one with the rest of the Apostles in the Commission of the Gospel So that Peter he being the Apostle of the Jews and Paul being the Apostle of the Gentiles they both preaching one everlasting Gospel so counted by the Spirit in John but one Angel flying in the midst of heaven having the everlasting Gospel to preach Therefore minde though there were Apostles besides Paul and divers other Preachers of the Gospel in the time of that Commission which did last a matter of three hundred years as aforesaid yet they are all called by the revelation in John but one Angel because they were all under one Commission And Peter being the chief and head Apostle of the Commission of the Gospel I declare by revelation that he is called by John that Angel that he saw flie in the midst of heaven having the everlasting Gospel to preach And this everlasting Gospel which was preached it was Christ crucified unto death and Christ risen again and ascended up into glory in that same body he suffered death in And this was that Gospel the Angel did preach unto them that dwell on the earth This is also the everlasting Gospel which is preached to every nation kinred tongue and people And according to the words of Christ when he was upon earth to his Apostles the Gospel was preached to every nation on the earth by Peter and Paul and the rest of the Apostles and Ministers ordained by them and Christ was with them to the end of the world That was to the end of their Commission which did last as aforesaid a matter of three hundred years So that you whose understandings are enlightned in the knowledge of revelation and interpretation of Scripture you may see what is meant by the Angel who had the everlasting
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
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
If the Ministers and Speakers of the seven Churches of Europe be all false for want of a Commission from God what will become of all the people which are congregated and joyned to their several Ministeries To this I answer That there is a remnant of the elect seed in every one of these seven Churches of Europe that wil be saved because the election of God standeth sure but this I must tell you that there is no man or woman that is congregrated or joyned to any of these seven Churches that can have the assurance of eternal life abiding in them while they live in this world For how is it possible that the sheep should know their eternal happiness when as the shepheards do not know their own salvation no not one of them Therefore according to my revelation and faith I cannot see by the rule of Scriptures that any of the Ministers or Speakers of the seven Churches of Europe now adays that can be saved though some of their members may This may and will be thought an hard saying of me but I cannot help it neither do I speak it out of any ill will to Ministers or Speakers but could rather be found a liar in this point But I being commissionated of God and finding the Prophets and Apostles of old to speak so much against those which take upon them to be Messengers Ministers Ambassadors and Preachers of the everlasting Gospel without a Commission from Christ they are more guilty of spiritual high treason then any other men so according to the faith of the Prophets and Apostles and my faith I cannot see how any counterfeit Ministers of what Church soever should be saved in the day of account For if it be such a dangerous thing to be a false Prophet or a false Christ why should it not be as dangerous a thing to be a false Minister to go before he is sent And let Ministers take this by the way and though the Civil Power doth uphold and maintain them yet when they die God will not uphold them in it Neither will their consciences justifie them in it but you must lay down your lives under the fear of eternal death because you went to preach the Gospel and was not sent of Christ Likewise you see that false Christs and false Prophets have been punished in all ages by the Civil Magistrates and the Priests together And so they served the true Christ and the true Prophets all of them were persecuted as false But it is seldom known that a Minister was persecuted as he is a Minister not by the Magistrate but for some other misdemeanor or for speaking evil of the Civil Power but not for his preaching without a Commission from Cod. Therefore his punishment will be no less then eternal damnation I speak this not onely to the Ministery of the Nation but to the Ministry of all the seven Churches now in Europe for they do all of them preach without a Commission from God and run into the Ministry before they were sent which will be counted by the Lord Jesus but a work of iniquity And what will be the wages of such a work but eternal damnation I know I shall offend the Ministers and Speakers of all the seven Churches aforesaid but seeing they be all false they may bear the better with me and with one another For they will have wages all alike For as I said before according to the faith of the Prophets and Apostles recorded in the Scriptures and according to the faith which I have in the Scriptures there will be no salvation found for none of the Ministers and Speakers of the seven Churches aforesaid Except any of them be perswaded in their own mindes to lay it down before they die And so come to the knowledge of the true God For this I do affirm that no man so long as he doth exercise the office of a Minister without a Commission from God he cannot be in the state of salvation then of necessity he must be in the state of condemnation And this will be the condition of all the Ministers and Speakers of the seven Churches aforesaid And the Quakers Ministry being the seventh and last Anti-Angel that will sound until the end of the world And when the voice of this Angel did begin to sound the mystery of God is finished as he hath declared by his servants the Prophets That is the declaration of the mystery of God is and will be finished in the days of the voice of the seventh Angel Which voice is the Ministers of the Quakers as I have opened in the Interpretation of the Eleventh of the Revelation therefore I shall say no more of those seven Churches now That being the purest Angel of all the seven in respect of righteousness of life though the worst of all in point of doctrine And the Quakers Ministery doth deceive more then any of the other six For they are so Angel-and God-like that if it were possible would deceive the very elect For every one that hath but one eye that is the eye of reason may see that all the other Churches hath such a deal of corruption superstition unjustness idolatry and many other wickednesses which reason it self doth judge cannot be the way of God And that is the very cause that when people have been unsatisfied in the way of worship in the other Churches they have declined from them and have turned Quakers They being more pure in life for pureness of life giveth more peace to the minde of man then wickedness doth For every action hath a reward in it self whether it be good or bad for he that doth suffer persecution for his conscience is more to be justified then he which persecuted for conscience sake Yet nevertheless the reward of eternal life it belongeth onely unto the act of faith in the true God Which the Quakers Ministery doth not teach notwithstanding their purity of life c. CHAP. VIII NOw I have opened something what is meant by the seven Churches and the Angels sounding in the next place I shall come to open or interpret some chief sayings in the 4 chapter of Johns Revelation In the first verse of this chapter John looked and behold a door was opened in heaven and the first voice which he heard was as it were of a Trumpet talking with him which said Come up hither and I will shew thee the things which must he hereafter I would have the Seed of Faith to minde the interpretation of this chapter and they will understand the better the meaning of the 5 and 6 Chapters First it is to be understood that John saw these great and glorious things by way of vision Now I would have the Reader to understand that visions are hard to be interpreted by one that never saw them Yet as far as the revelation of faith can open them I shall do it which I know is more then any man in the world can
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
parts of the earth So that some being so affrighted at death they shall kill with the sword And others again shall be so fearful of death that they shall starve themselves for hunger Others again shall come under death by natural diseases even as the beasts of the earth dieth So that death that rideth upon the pale horse hath power given as long as this world doth last over all flesh that hath life For it is life that must die and death must take it into his custody and swallow up life into the belly of death Else he cannot be called death except death doth utterly annihilate life it cannot properly be called death For while life is in being death is utterly annihilated in life So that there is no being for death at all not in that mans body But when death entreth into that mans blood who was so full of life before Then death groweth more and more in the blood and eateth up the life quite into death So that there is nothing to be seen in all that life but a dead body For death hath got the life of that body in the body for the body was life before as well as the soul But death having overcome them both they are both swallowed up of death So that you may see death as he is As you did see life as he was before And not that the life goes out of the body as men do vainly imagine so that death is he that rideth upon the pale horse as I shewed before And these four horses as John speaketh of in his vision are the same horses as Zechariah speaketh of in his vision Zechariah the 6 and the 3 verse the Prophet saw in his vision four Charrets and Horses the first Charret had red horses and the second had black horses and the third had white horses and the fourth had grizled and bay horses Now the Prophet expresseth in his vision the horses in the plural number to be more horses then one of a sort But John declares them in his vision in the singular number Therefore though there be more exprest by the Prophet yet the matter and substance is all one For all horses are comprized under those four So that there needeth no further opening of the horses then there hath been For there is enough said concerning those four horses and their riders to satisfie the Seed of Faith But if one should speak never so much the seed of reason will not be satisfied Onely this I would have the Reader not to scruple because the Prophet calls the fourth horse grizled and bay when as John calls it a pale horse For grizled doth signifie death sitting upon the life as paleness doth So that the thing is all one though differing something in words So that there needeth be no further interpretation upon those four horses therefore I shall pass by them and come to the next thing of concernment CHAP. XIX IN the 9 verse of this chapter At the opening of the fifth seal John saw in the vision the souls of them that were slain under the altar for the word of God and for the testimony which they held Now I would have the Reader to consider that visions doth many times present to him that seeth it Things that are at a distance and far off as at present or neer at hand As if the thing were in present being This hath been the usual custom of those that write those visions in the Scriptures They being presented to the chosen Prophets and Messengers of the most high God Those visions so presented were to signifie either some extraordinary happiness and deliverances to a particular person or people or nation or else some great judgement and destruction to a person people or nation in the temporal as aforesaid Or else visions are presented to the understanding of man to signifie spiritual and eternal blessings To a number of people or else to signifie spiritual and eternal miseries unto a number of people So that what visions be declared by chosen men of God though the thing be not immediately at hand whether the vision doth signifie temporal or spiritual things Yet the Seed of Faith doth look upon it as if it were in present being Because they believe the truth of the thing as those Prophets of old did prophesie of Christs coming in the flesh as Isaiah saith in the 9 chapter To us a Childe is born and to us a Son is given meaning Christ c. Now the Prophet saith he is born when as he was not borâ— many hundred years after that And so other of the Prophets looked upon the birth of Christ the Redeemer as in present being For as I have said in my other Writings that faith doth look at things afar off and at a distance as neer at hand and in present being But because the seed of reason cannot do so therefore they do not prevent neither the temporal nor the eternal judgement that will come upon them But you the Seed of Faith may know that John did see in the vision by the eye of Faith the souls of them that were slain under the altar And he heard the cry of them when the fifth Seal was opened That God their Redeemer would avenge their blood on them hat dwell on the earth That is upon the persecutors that dwell on the earth Now I would have you the Seed of Faith to understand how these that were slain under the altar could cry for vengeance seeing they were dead under the altar and yet is said to cry aloud for vengeance on them that persecuted and put them to death The meaning is this that the blood of those that were slain for the testimony of Jesus it did cry vertually and efficaciously unto God that he would avenge it according to his will and promise And so God doth hear the cry of their blood that was slain under the altar I say God doth hear their cry as he did the cry of the blood of Abel it came up unto God as in Gen. 3. and 10. And God said unto Cain What hast thou done the voice of thy brothers blood cryeth unto me from the ground So that the blood of Abel did cry from the ground unto the Lord for vengeance and who must the righteous Judge be avenged of but he that shed his brothers blood And in this manner did the souls of them that were slain under the altar for the word of God and the testimony they held cry for vengeance upon those that persecuted and put them to death So that you the seed of reason may see that there is power in blood that is shed for conscience sake in point of worship to cry unto the Lord for vengeance upon those that do murder and kill upon that account And no persecutor of that nature will escape vengeance to come no more then Cain did escape that slew his brother For the blood of those that are slain in such a
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
Gospel to preach and what the Gospel is and when it was preached And to whom and how Christ was with the preachers of it to the end of the world c. CHAP. XLIII I Shall pass by the seventh Verse there being no matter of concernment in it but what is commonly known by all who will confess they ought to fear God and praise him that created or made the heavens and the earth and the sea c. In the eighth Verse it is said And there followed another Angel saying Babylon is fallen is fallen that great City because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication You that have the true light of Life in you observe what this Babylon is that John prophesies of or that he saw in his vision is fallen is fallen that great City Now what the Angel was that said so or shewed it to John I shall not speak of here being of no great concernment to know But the great matter to know is what is meant by this Babylon that is fallen and what is meant by the great City and the drinking the wine of the wrath of her fornication I would have the Reader observe that there is a two-fold Babylon the one in the History and the other in the mystery that is one is a temporal and the other a spiritual Babylon That is with relation to the Nation of the Jews who were carried captive unto Babylon and there to remaine the space of threescore and ten years captive in Babylon before the fall of it according to the prophesie of Jeremiah and others of the prophets as you may see Jeremiah 25 11. concerning the Nations of Judah and Israel serving the King of Babylon seventy years So likewise Jeremiah and the rest of the Prophets did prophesie of the down-fall of that temporal Babylon in Jeremiah 25.12 13. concerning Gods punishing Babylon when those seventy years were accomplished and the Caldeans and will make it a perpetual desolation This Babylon here spoken of by the prophets it was that temporal Babylon which the prophets saw would fall and so it did when the time was accomplished But this Babylon John speaks of that is fallen it is that spiritual mystery Babylon that is fallen He speaking with relation to the end of the world For John did see by faith the end of the world to be as certain as the prophets did see by faith the down-fall of that temporal Babylon Also it is to be minded that this mystery Babylon spoken of Revelation 17.5 where is said And upon her head was a name written Mystery Babylon the great the Mother of harlots c. This Babylon in the 14th chapter which John saith is fallen is that mystery Babylon that is fallen in faiths account as the temporal Babylon is Now this History or temporal Babylon it was appointed of God to punish the nation of the Jews for their idolatry That is they being so subject to it when as they had a Law of Worship given them of God by Moses So that God gave them into the hands of the king of Babylon for a time that they might see the extream abominations of the the Heathen and how far they did exceed in idols in worshipping of false gods beyond the Israelites so that the Israelites might drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication That is that the Nation of the Jews might be drunken with the worshipping of Idols even as men are drunken with wine and commit fornication in their spirits with the Idols and worship of Babylon even as men commit fornication with women with their bodies till they have hardly any strength of nature left in them So that this spirtual Idolatry and fornication in the mind with Idols and false worship it becomes the wine of the wrath of her fornication That is when wine the strength of it hath the upper hand in mans brain so that he hath lost his senses that man may be said to have the wrath of the wine in him And if the wrath of the wine should alwayes continue that man would be fit for no business in this world at all neither 〈◊〉 he all the while the wrath or strength of the wine doth remain upon him So is it in the spiritual who ever doth worship Idols and false gods let it be in what forms or maner soever they may be said to drink the wine of the wrath of her fornication Neither are those idolatrous people who are drunk with idols and false worship sit for any service in the worship of the true God untill the strength of that false worship be wrought out of the people For they be as drunk with spiritual fornication and false worship as men are with wine and fornication in the natural as aforesaid Observe You may remember that I have said before that there is two Babylons spoken of in Scriptures a history or temporal Babylon and a mystery or spiritual Babylon and both these Babylons in faiths account are fallen Therefore John speaks it twice over because there is two Babylons yet both included into one because the spiritual Babylon is the last that is to fall yet by the eye of faith he saw it is fallen Therefore saith he Babylon is fallen is fallen that great City Now that Babylon where the Jews were carried captive it was a great Citty and many nations were drunk with the wine of her idolatrous fornication and worship as aforesaid Onely this is to be minded that this Babylon in the temporal it was appointed for the punishment of the Nation of the Jews they being the chosen people of God to worship him according to the Law of Moses So that this temporal Babylon it did belong only to those people that were under the Commission of Moses and the prophets to be a punishment to them for their disobedience unto the worship of Moses and the prophets For the prophets all complain of Israels declining and disobedience to the worship of Moses But this Babylon John speaks of here in the Revelation it is that spiritual and mystery Babylon that is fallen This spiritual mystery Babylon it doth belong to the Commission of the Gospel and what worship was set up by Christ and his Apostles was to be obeyed at the time of their Commission But there was another form of Worship set up by those beasts aforesaid who were Kings in great power who commanded all nations to worship those idols and images that were set up by them So that all nations were made to drink the wine of this spiritual Babylons fornication as they were of the other aforesaid Mind it is called spiritual Babylon because the worship set up by the aforesaid beasts it was in oposition to the worship of the Gospel the Gospel-worship being more spiritual then the worship of the Law And as the Kings of Babylon did defie the God of Israel and their Worship of the Law so did these beasts in the