a scroll and where the place of the reprobates shall be Chap. 21. What is meant by the four angels who had power over the winds and what by the sealing of the servants of God in their foreheads Chap. 22. What is meant by the first and second Angels sounding and of the mountain burning with fire and what is meant by the third part of creatures that died in the sea Chap. 23. What is meant by the Star that fell from heaven and how it burned like a Lamp Chap. 24. What is meant by the rivers and fountains of waters being made bitter and how those that drunk of them died Chap. 25. What is meant by the sun being smitten that she could not shine but a third part of her only and what is meant by the Moon and Stars being smitten and how a third part of them did not shine nor give no light in the night Chap. 26. What is meant by the Star that fell from heaven unto this earth what is meant by the bottomless pit and the key that openeth it and of the smoke that did arise out of the bottomless pit Chap. 27. What is meant by the smoke of the pit and by the locusts that came out of it how the Saints are called green grass and trees Chap. 28. What the four Angels were and how mens heads may be said to be like Lyons heads and what is meant by fire smoak and brimstone that issued out of their mouthes Chap. 29. What the serpent is and how they may be said to be the â—ayle and how they may be said to have stings and how they do hurt Chap. 30. How the Papist Episcopal Presbytery and Independent Ministery doth resemble the angels of the Churches of Ephesus Smyrna Pergamos and Thyatira and what Judgements did follow Chap. 31. How the Baptist Ranter and Quaker their Ministery doth resemble the Angels of the Churches of Sardis Philadelphia and Laodicea and how plagues doth follow at and in the sounding of their Ministery Chap. 32. The Interpretation and difference between the dragons ten horns and the beasts ten horns and how they may both be said to have seven heads apiece Chap. 33. No true faith upon the earth but in the time of a Commission from God Chap. 34. The Interpretation and distinction why man may be called a dragon devil or serpent and how the seed of Reason may be said to be in heaven Chap. 35. How the beast may be said to be like a Leopard what is meant by his feet being like the feet of a Bear and his mouth like the mouth of a Lyon and what is meant by his deadly wound being healed Chap. 36. What is meant by the Tabernacle in heaven and by those that dwell in it how the Saints are not called the world and how they may know their names are written in the Book of Life Chap. 37. What is meant by the beast out of the earth with two horns like a Lamb and what the two horns doth signifie and how those miracles he wrought were counterfeit and meer shadows Chap. 38. What is meant by the Image and how the Image may be said to speak Chap. 39. What is meant by receiving the mark of the beast in the forehead and in the right hand and how they may be said to have the name of the beast and the number of his name Chap. 40. The Interpretation of the number of the beast and how he may be said to be six hundred threescore and six and yet but the number of a man Chap 41. What is meant by the Lamb that stood upon mount Sion and what those hundred forty and four thousand were who stood upon mount Sion with him and how the voices of the Saints are called the sound of waters and as the noise of thunder Chap. 42. The Interpretation how men and women may be said to be not defiled with women and in what sense they may be called Virgins And why the Jews are called the first-fruits unto God and who the Angel was that did flie in the middest of Heaven and how the everlasting Gospel was preached to every nation and kindred and tongue and people Chap. 43. The difference between the temporal Babylon and the spiritual Babylon expounded and how men may be said to drink the wine of the wrath of her fornication Chap. 44. How Christ is called by the Spirit The Son of Man and what is meant by the white cloud and the Crown of Gold upon his head and what is meant by the sharp sicle in his hand and what is meant by reaping the earth and how the wine-press of Gods wrath is â—roden without the gates or City of Jerusalem and what the City is Chap. 45. How the Saints of God are capable to stand upon the sea of glass in heaven as men may upon this earth they being spiritual bodies Chap. 46. What is meant by the seven vials of Gods wrath poured out upon the earth and what Angels they were that poured them out and why they are called seven Angels and how the Angel of the Gospel doth pour out his plagues as the Angel of the Law did Chap. 47. The Interpretation of the waters being turned into bloud and how the waters of the soul of man is turned into bloud in the spiritual as the natural waters of Egypt were Chap. 48. How the seâ—d of Reason did drink the Saints bloud and how they must drink their own bloud and what is meant by pouring out the vial upon the Sun and by scorching men with fire Chap. 49. An Interpretation of the kingdom of darkness in the temporal and what that darkness signifies Chap. 50. How the spirit of Cain doth run through all wicked Herods and how the Land of Goshen doth signifie true light and the Land of Egypt hell death and darkness Chap. 51. What is meant by the great River Euphrates in the natural and in the spiritual and how it may be said to be dryed up and who they are that are called kings of the earth Chap. 52. How these three unclean spirits like frogs proceeded from one spirit and yet by their several operations and workings they may be called three Chap. 53. A further Interpretation of the dragon beast and false prophet and how all the worship set up by them is false Chap. 54. An Interpretation of the operation of that wisdom that cometh out of the dragons mouth and why it is called by the Spirit an unclean spirit like a frog Chap. 55. What the unclean spirit is that came out of the beasts mouth and how they are clothed in scarlet Chap. 56. What is meant by the false prophet and how he cometh to be clothed in sheeps clothing and how these three unclean spirits like frogs deceive one another and all people else Chap. 57. What is meant by the great earthquake and by that great hail and how every stone may be said to weigh a talent and how mingled with fire and brimstone
Nobility have Crowns of Gold upon their headâ— though not so absolute Crowns of Gold as the King himself Yet they have a resemblance and likeness of crowns signifying that they are of the Blood Royal. So is it in heaven the four and twenty Elders being of the Blood Royal Co-heirs unto the kingdom of Heaven they have Seats to sit upon round about the Kings Throne And as for the four and twenty Elders what they are I have opened at large in the Interpretation of the eleventh of the Revelation Therefore I shall not speak of them here but as for their being cloathed in white raiment the meaning of that is this They were cloathed in their mindes while they lived in this world with the righteousness of Faith which purifies the â—eart and not by the righteousness of the Law son by the deeds of the Law shall no flesh be justified but by the righteousness of faith is every true believer justified And these four and twenty Elders being justified by faith in the blood of the Lamb they may be said to be cloathed in white râ—iment That is they are pure and white in their souls by being washed in the blood of the Lamb by faith as aforesaid They have no guilt of sin upon them at all c. And in the 5 verse it is said That there were seven Lamps of fire burning before the Throne which are the seven Spirits of God The meaning of those seven Lamps which burned before the Throne I declare they were the seven Churches of Asia That is the souls of the true believers which were of the seven Churches of Asia were those seven Lamps which burned before the Throne And the seven Spirits of God are those several gifts of Graces which he gave to the seven Churches of Asia as aforesaid And that grace of faith and love which God gave to the seven Churches of Asia it burneth in the lamps of their souls before the Throne of God to eternity For every soul is a lamp for the fire of Gods love to burn in if there be but oyl in your Lamp that is if there be but faith in the heart It will be a glorious place for the candle of the Lord which is the spirit of God to burn in and happy will that man be that hath his Lamp burning before the Throne of God as these seven Churches of Asia shall For this I would have the Seed of Faith to understand that John speaketh of things to come as if they were in present being For visions and revelations speaketh of things at a distance as if they were in present sight Because God and Faith knows that time will be swallowed up into eternity Therefore it is that John doth say in his vision that he saw such and such things already when as the things which he speaketh that he saw were not accomplished at that time nor many of them not as yet But however they will be accomplished because God is truth and will not frustrate the faith of his Prophets Apostles and Saints But according to their faith it shall be unto them So much concerning the seven Lamps and the seven Spirits of God I suppose the Seed of Faith may understand the true meaning of it CHAP. IX IN the sixth verse John saith 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 behinde Here you that have faith may see that there is in Heaven above the stars a chrystal Sea like unto glass or a Sea of glass like unto chrystal that is the glorious Water or Sea above the stars is set forth by those things which are most pure and most esteemed of by the reason of man here in the kingdom of this world But as certain as there is a sea and waters in this world else the creatures therein could not live So likewise there is a sea and waters above the stars though of another nature differing from this here below yet they are real substances as these are But because mortal men cannot declare nor make known the nature and substance of them neither can mortal man understand it if it could be declared Therefore the Revelation of John calls it a Sea of Glass like unto chrystal because chrystal is highly esteemed of by the reason of man But however it is for certain that there is a Sea and Waters above the stars let it be like what it will For this I would have the Reader to understand that the things which are were not made of things which do appear according to Pauls words then of necessity they must be made of things that do not appear that is of things above the stars from whence the original of all life came But in what condition things were and are in there in Heaven no man can tell but by faith Therefore if the revelation of the spirit of Faith will call the waters above the stars A Sea of Glass like unto chrystal who shall gain-say it Neither is it to be looked upon as an Allegory as many do vainly imagine but a real spiritual substance For this must be understood by the Reader that God created or made all creatures of something he had matter and substance to make every creature of He did not make living substances of an Allegory that is as if we should say God made all things of nothing For an Allegory is nothing and of nothing comes nothing Yet the vain imagination of wise and learned men have not been ashamed to say that God made this world of nothing but I shal let that pass Again what should be the meaning of the four beasts full of eyes before and behinde These four beasts which John saw in his Vision in the midst of the Throne and round about the Throne I declare they were four good beasts That is they were four good Kings and if there were four thousand good Kings yet they are all reckoned but into four all good Kings are included in these four These four beasts do signifie the four Monarchies that is all the good Kings that acted well and had faith in the true God under the four Monarchies are called by the Revelation of John the four beasts full of eyes before and behinde Now what particular persons these four beasts were the Revelation of John gives no light into But this I say that King David was one of these four beasts he being the first beast that was like a Lyon he being of the tribe of Judah from whence the Scepter should not depart until Shiloh come This Shiloh being Christ the Root of David he is called The Lyon of the Tribe of Judah as may be read in Revel 5. verse 5. And David being of the Tribe of Judah and he being chosen King by the Lord Jesus the Almighty God as he was the Creator Who afterwards became a Childe as Isaiah
into the sea and after they were destroyed the Charriots swum upâ—n the waters and in this regard they are called by the Revelation of John ships For when Pharaoh was drowned we do not read that he nor no Nation else had any ships but what hath been builded since So that John might call his Charriots that swum upon the waters after they were destroyed ships And the life of his horses and his mules and his men were the third part of creatures which died in the sea And this was that Mountain burning with fire that was cast into the sea at the second Angels sounding the trumpet c. CHAP. XXIII VErse the tenth And the third Angel sounded and there fell a great Star from Heaven burning as it were a lamp and it fell upon the third part of the rivers and upon the fountains of waters And in the eleventh verse The Name of the Star is called Wormwood and the third part of the waters became Wormwood and many men died of the waters because they were made bitter This third Angel sounded when Elijah and Elisha did those wonderful Mâ—racles in Israel in their reproving of Ahab and his sons for their idolatry and when Isaiah the Prophet prophesied against the King of Assyria For when the Angel doth sound there is always some great trouble upon the earth attends to one or more particular Nations As there was in the days of Elijah and more especially in the days of Elisha the Prophet when as the King of Syria warred with Israel but was prevented by the Prophet Elishas counsel As you may read 2 Kings and the sixth Chapter beginning at the eighth verse how many times he prevented the King of Syria But in process of time another King of Syria came against Samaria as in the 14 verse of this Chapter so that there was a great and extream famine in Samaria as may be read in that Chapter But this King of Syria was disappointed also And in process of time there arose another King of Assyria which came up against Samaria and besieged it and at the three years end took it as in 2 Kings chap. 13. verse 8. So in the 18 chapter verse 13. In the fourteenth year of the reign of King Hezekiah did the King of Assyria come up against all the fenced Cities of Judah and took them And further he went on until he came to besiege Jerusalem with great high boasting words against the God of Israel as he did against other idol gods Which he cast into the fire as Rabshakeh the servant of the King of Assyria doth declare as the History doth abundantly relate So that Hezekiah King of Judah did send to the Prophet Isaiah to enquire of the Lord as in 2 Kings 19. verse 2. And the Prophet Isaiah put the king in good comfort that the Lord would destroy the king of Assyria and his host as afterwards was done according to the words of the Prophet Isaiah as may be read in the Chapter aforesaid Now this king of Assyria and the other kings of Syria and the king of Moab that rebelled against Israel but especially this great king of Assyria was that great Star which John saw in his vision fall from heaven burning as it were a Lamp for he was in his own thought with pride and loftiness of his heart as high as the Stars are from the earth in power from the King of Judah So that Hezekiah his strength it was but as the earth for him to tread upon or like a reed which he could crush in his hand And this Star it burned like a Lamp that is a rumor and noise of his great army it went thorow many kingdoms putting them into such a fear which made the inhabitants hearts to burn with fear of his strength for he burned as a Lamp That is not swiftly but slowly that is he overcame one kingdom after another for when he had burned one kingdom by overcoming them by the word and firing their wooden gods The noise of this burned like a Lamp in other Kings hearts with fear that they and their gods should be served so And so it did prove as you may read 2 Kings the 19. chapter and the 12 verse what a many kings and gods did he destroy So that he burned indeed like a Lamp until he had consumeâ— many kings and their wooden gods So that his heart was lifted up with pride even as a great Star in heaven so that he thought to do by the God of Jacob in whom Hezekiah did trust as he did by those wooden gods which other nations did worship Therefore he proudly saith What God shall deliver Hezekiah the King out of his hand So that he burned as a Lamp with fear and terror both to the King and all Judah so that Kings are called Stars as it is said in Scripture speaking of Christ A Star shall come out of Jacob. So that Christ being the King of the Jews he is called a Star So likewise this great King of Assyria who had overcome so many Kings and had burned all their wooden gods who thought to do so to Judah he was that Star that fell from heaven burning as it were a lamp It fell upon the third part of the rivers and upon the fountains of waters this Star is said to burn like a lamp in regard he conquered so many Kings and burned their gods with fire And this Star is said to fall upon the third part of the rivers and upon the fountains of waters because he fell upon those kings that were scituated by Jordan and the Sea-coast many kings did Senacherib King of Assyria subdue and burn their gods with fire as you may see 2 Kings 19. and 18 verse So 2 Kings 1. ver 33. Hath any of the Gods of the nations delivered at all his land out of the hand of the King of Assyria Where saith he are the Gods of Hamath with divers other Kings and Samaria or countries that have been delivered out of the King of Assyria's hand So that he hath digged and drunk strange waters and with the sole of his feet hath he dryed up all the rivers of besieged places as in the 2 Kings 19.24 And this was that great Star that fell from heaven which burned like a Lamp as aforesaid And this Star fell upon the third part of the rivers and fountain of waters It is said to be the third part of the rivers and fountains of waters in regard he stopped all those rivers and fountains of waters which did belong to all those kingdoms and lands which he conquered So that the inhabitants of those Lands could have no benefit of those Rivers and Fountains of waters which did belong to their Land For this Star falling upon their rivers and fountains of waters in besieging their Cities so that their rivers fountains of waters were dryed up with the sole of his feet For his Army was so great that the feet of
yet all are comprised by the Revelation and vision of John in the seven Angels Ministery of Asia So all Sects and Opinions are comprised in the seven Anti-angels Ministery of Europe And the Quakers Ministery it being the seventh and last Anti-angel that will sound the trumpet in regard there will come nor arise no higher nor better things in matter of Religion to the eye of reason So that men and women which doth not know truth when they want satisfaction in their mindes they must fall into the Quakers And as the Plagues and Judgements upon the earth are greater at the sounding of the Trumpet of the seventh Angel of Asia it being no less Plague then the end of the world Which Plague is far more greater then those six Plagues which was at the other Angels sounding So likewise there will be greater Plagues upon the earth at the sounding of the Trumpet of the seventh and last Anti-angel then there hath been at the sounding of the other six Angels for no more will come to the end of the world And the nearer it grows to the end the greater Plagues will be upon the earth For is not almost all the world in an uproar killing and destroying one another ever since the seventh Anti-angel did begin to sound And yet greater Plagues then hath been or is now will ensue upon the sounding of this Angel But I shall leave it to what providence and time will bring forth onely this to let the Reader see and know what a resemblance there is between the seven Churches of Europe and the seven Churches of Asia And how that the seven Anti-angels were included in the vision in the seven Angels of Asia and Plagues on the earth in like manner And as the Revelation of John in his vision did see that the end of the world would be at the sounding the trumpet of the seventh Angel the Anti-angel being included in the vision it will so come to pass But what day hour or year is not known to any man Therefore I shall leave it unto God who hath appointed an end in his own secret decree and hath declared it by his servants the Prophets and Apostles therefore ought to be believed by all that do expect eternal life by Gods putting an end to this world Neither can there be any satisfaction to the mind of man except it be believed It is that that satisfies me so that I do not question the thing though the time when is uncertain an end there will be as certain as there was a beginning So I shall leave it unto God that made a beginning of this world unto man and according to his own appointment there will be an end So that I need not say any more concerning the seven Churches of Europe there being a likeness and resemblance of their Ministery unto the Ministery the seven Churches of Asia And so may be called Seven Angels that sounded their trumpets and Plagues did and doth fall upon the earth at the sounding of every one of the Anti-angels as aforesaid Now I have given the interpretation of the seven Anti-angels I shall pass by the 10 11 and 12 chapters as I said before and proceed to interpret the chief things of concernment in the thirteenth chapter CHAP. XXXII IN the first verse of the thirteenth chapter John saith he stood upon the sand of the Sea and saw a Beast rise up out of the Sea having seven heads and ten horns and upon his horns ten Crowns and upon his heads the name of Blasphemy I would not have the Reader to understand that John did stand upon the sand of the Sea with the feet of his body when he saw this beast to arise out of the Sea But the meaning is the revelation of his spirit it was carried in the vision by the revelation of Faith as if he had stood upon the sand of the Sea-shore For the revelation of the spirit can stand upon the sand or upon the Sea though the body of a man be many miles distant from it Likewise it is not to be understood that this beast which he saw did arise out of the Sea but as I said before in another case this beast with seven heads and ten horns he did arise out of those Islands which did border about the Sea or lands that are environed about with the Sea and other great rivers of waters as some places of this earth is as that of Jordan and other places Which those that have travelled the earth and sea can better relate then I. But it may be said that this beast did arise out of the Sea in regard this borders kingdomes and people were environed or surrounded by the Sea as the land of Canaan was So that except the waters of Jordan had been dryed up by the power of God there had been no entring into it by the people of the Jews And so those four Angels that were bound on the river Euphrates as I shewed before so is it with this beast that John saw to arise out of the Sea He may be said to arise out of the Sea for those reasons aforesaid This beast is said to have seven heads and ten horns Now it is said Revel 12.2 That the great red Dragon had seven heads and ten horns also The difference between these two is this the Dragons seven heads and ten horns is spoken with relation to seven Kings that should proceed out of his loins that should have ten horns That is they should exercise persecution against the Saints ten times in the time of the Apostles Commission And this was the Dragons war that he made with the remnant of the womans seed as in Revelation the 12 and the last verse And the ten horns that the Dragon had were the Ten Persecutions of the Saints which are called by the revelation of John ten horns as is more opened in The Divine Looking-Glass But the thing I would have the Reader to minde is this the difference why the Dragon is said to have seven heads and ten horns and the beast that John saw to arise out of the Sea he had seven heads and ten horns also The meaning is this the Dragons seven heads did signifie seven Kings besides himself that should exercise the same idolatry and persecution of the Saints as he did For he gave his power unto this beast who had the seven heads and ten horns But this beast that did arise out of the Sea is said to have seven heads and ten horns in regard that he was one of the seven heads himself And the first of the seven heads that the Dragon had So that the Dragon is the eighth and is gone into perdition as I shall open more when I come to it Onely this that the Seed of Faith may see some difference between the Dragons seven heads and ten horns and the Beasts seven heads and ten horns The one having seven heads besides himself and the other having
both Jew and Gentile being called that holy City even as the other Babylon was troden and destroyed without the City of Jerusalem Which was many miles off Jerusalem thus in short I have given the interpretation of the most things of concernment in the fourteenth Chapter CHAP. XLV CHapter the fifteenth in the first verse John saw another sign in heaven great and marvellous seven Angels having the seven last Plagues for in them is filled up the wrath of God This great and marvellous sign that John saw in heaven it was those Plagues or wrath of God that was to be poured out upon this spiritual Babylon and those beasts and nations and people who did drink of the cup of her fornication of idolatry which is more explained in the sixteenth Chapter Also John saith he saw another sign great and marvellous It is said to be another sign because he spake in the chapter before much of that temporal Babylon with the Plagues and fall of it But in this fifteenth chapter these Plagues hath relation onely to this mystery Babylon therefore said to be another sign in heaven great and marvellous It is great and marvellous indeed for he saw the utter destruction and end of the world therefore calls them the seven last Plagues before upon the other Babylon But these seven Plagues are the last Plagues that are to be poured out upon the earth therefore called by the Spirit marvellous because the whole wrath or final wrath of God is filled up or finished upon the whore beast false prophets and all idolatrous persons in the world And this is to be executed by seven Angels that is these seven holy Angels have Commission from God to pour out those seven last Plagues in a suitableness or likeness to those Plagues that was poured out upon Egypt as will appear in the next chapter In the second verse John saw as it were a Sea of glass mingled with fire and them that had gotten the victory over the beast and over his image and over his mark and over the numbers of his name stand on the Sea of glass having the harps of God The Reader may remember that I have shewed before when I treated upon the fourth Chapter of the Revelation that there is a Chrystal Sea like unto glass or Chrystal waters in heaven above the Stars as really as there is Sea of waters here upon the earth and as certain as ships and other vessels can and do swim or glide upon the Sea and waters here below So may spiritual bodies stand or walk upon the Sea of glass in heaven above the Stars And this Sea of glass is mingled with fire it is said to be mingled with fire to signifie the purity of it the more because fire is that which purifies more then any thing but water Therefore the spirit of God is compared to fire and to water as Christ shall baptize with the Holy Ghost and with fire and Christ will give every true believer water of Life so that as the Spirit of God the operation of it is compared to fire and to water those two being the purifying things upon earth So likewise this Sea of glass mingled with fire which John saw in heaven it was that Chrystal Sea or Chrystal waters like unto clear glass Which was before the Throne of God as in the 4th of the Revelation aforesaid And John saw all them that had gotten the victory over the beast and over his image and over his mark and over the number of his name stand on the Sea of Glass having the harps of God That is the Saints of God who by their patient suffering they got the victory over the beast for faith and patience will conquer the greatest enemies in the world both within a man and without a man And this faith and patience in the Saints in the second Commission Was that which kept them from worshipping of idols images or submitting any ways to that false worship set up by the beast And in this regard the Saints may be said to get victory over the beast his image mark and name Which things I have opened before onely this is to be minded by the way that the Saints that getteth this victory over all false worship they shall have spiritual bodies that shall be capable to stand upon the Sea of glass in heaven even upon that Chrystal Sea which is round about the throne of God Even as men do stand upon ships upon the Sea of this world as aforesaid Observe if there be such power in saith in bodies that are mortal as to make them to walk upon the waters as in Christ and in Peter who walked in those bodies of flesh upon the waters how much more shall those whose faith is become a fiery glory which hath spiritualized the whole body That is it is a spiritual body capable to stand upon the Sea of glass in heaven as our earthly bodies are upon the firmest earth here below And those Saints that stand upon this chrystal Sea of glass these have the harps of God Now what is meant by the harps I have shewed before And in the third verse these that stood upon the Sea of glass having the harps of God they sing the Song of Moses and the Song of the Lamb which two Songs I have opened before Now what the words of the Song of Moses and the Song of the Lamb are some of them are set down in the third and fourth verses And those that stood upon the Sea of glass with the harps of God did sing these two Songs in those words aforesaid Their tongues being the harps of God to sound forth his praise and glory for his great mercies towards them There is nothing else of any great concernment to know in this Chapter but what I shall have occasion to speak of in the chapters following therefore I shall say no more nor interpret no more of this fifteenth Chapter CHAP. XLVI IN the sixteenth Chapter and the first verse John heard a great voice out of the Temple saying to the seven Angels Go your ways and pour out the Vials of the wrath of God upon the earth These seven Angels are to pour out the seven last Plagues upon the earth they are called seven Angels because of those seven several Plagues that are to be poured out upon the earth in the last dayes These Angels who had the seven last Plagues to pour out upon the earth they were of the holy Angels but whether they were just seven more or less is not much material But because the Plagues are counted but into seven therefore called seven Angels who poured out their Vials of the wrath of God which wrath of God are those seven Plagues when as one or two Angels might at the command of God pour out all those seven vials But this Book of the Revelation of John doth speak much of seven And 1. of the seven Spirits of God before the Throne
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
with garments down to the heel So that the outward garb and clothing of these three they do carry such a glory honor and majesty among the people in outward appearance that the people do believe or think there is more honor and glory within whereby they are mightily deceived in their expectations For these three sorts of men afore-mentioned are counted by the Spirit of revelation in John no other but three sorts of Frogs and those three spirits that sent them out they were but three unclean spirits And the work these Frogs aforesaid are to do it is to go forth to deceive the people of the earth for where is there a man hardly to be found not fourteen yeares ago upon the earth but they were deceived either by the Physician Lawyer or Priest Nay they deceive one another for the Priest is deceived by the Doctor of Physick and the Doctor of Physick he is deceived by the Priest For the Priest deceives his soul in that the Doctor thinks he can preach such saving Doctrine that may save his soul but alas he is altogether deceived for the Priest doth not know what will become of his own soul after death much less of anothers So likewise the Doctor of Physick he deceives the Priest making him believe and think that he will give him such a portion of Physick as shall restore him to life and health when as many times it doth cause the want of health and life both So that he deceives the Priest both of his health and money also just as the Priest did him in the matter of his salvation And as for the Lawyer he cheats the Doctor and the Priest both For they are both forced to make use of him and they do the the like by him for the Lawyer he must have the Priest for his Minister to save his soul and the Doctor to be his Physician So that they get pretty even one with another but all people besides that deal with them are sure to be deceived and to loose by them These three sorts of men are esteemed by the world the most honorable men of all but by the Spirit of Faith they are branded for the worst of all men In that they are called frogs for experience doth shew that these three sorts of men do overflow the earth like crooking frogs in the water on a hot sun-shiny day So that hardly a man can escape being persecuted or deceived or cheated by them These are those that are sent forth by those three unclean spirits which are called the spirits of devils which go forth to the Kings of the earth And of the whole world to gather them together to the battel of that great Day of God Almighty That is these three sorts of men shall incite and invite all ignorant Kings of the earth or Head-magistrates and all ignorant people to persecute and kill the innocent Saints who cannot fight with no other weapons but faith and patience And such spiritual weapons as these must destroy all the great Army of the whole world when they are gathered together Because this battel will be the last battel that will be fought between the Seed of Faith and the seed of reason Therefore called the great day of God Almighty and the place where this great battel must be fought where they were gathered together it is called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon That signifies the whole world or that great City mystery Babylon the mother of harlots who hath made all nations drink of the cup of the wine of the wrath of her fornications When that City is destroyed the whole world will be destroyed also But I shall have occasion to speak more of that in the seventeenth Chapter so that the Reader may see a little more clear what is meant by those three unclean spirits like frogs what they are and from whom they did proceed Also I have interpreted what followed upon the pouring out of the vial of the sixth Angel with many other things which may satisfie the Readers spirit if understood So I shall pass by a verse or two there being nothing of any great concernment in them and shall go on to the 17 verse CHAP. LVII ANd the seventh Angel poured his vial into the air and there came a great voice out of the Temple of heaven from the Throne saying It is done This seventh Angel he poured out his vial into the air Now this is to be minded that the vials of Gods wrath they are poured out upon the earth and upon the sea and upon the Sun and upon the seat of the beast c. And now last of all upon the air so that the wrath of God is poured out upon every thing and place that doth yield comfort and refreshment unto the heart of man And air being the greatest refreshment of life of any thing else especially when life is like to die this experience doth shew the truth of it Also air is the last refuge that life hath to fly unto for many people will in sickness call for air because for want of they it die for air is the life of nature and when life is weak and not strong enough to take in air into it then it doth dye for so long as life can receive air into it it doth live So that this seventh and last vial of Gods wrath it is poured out upon the air Because the air is the last and greatest refreshment unto a natural life and not onely so but it is the conclusion of life the want of it So that the last vial of Gods wrath it is poured out into the air onely to signifie the annihilation of all natural life which he created at the beginning of this world So now at the latter end of this world his vial of wrath being poured out upon or into the air it will destroy that natural life of man and beast and all other creatures that hath life Therefore it is that great voice out of the Temple of heaven from the Throne saying It is done Signifying that the vial of Gods wrath being poured into the air is the conclusion and end of all Gods plagues upon natural life in this world For though God had destroyed the life of many thousands and millions more then can be numbered by those six vials poured out before as that of the earth and of the sea and of the sun and of the seat of the beast as aforesaid I say they are not to be numbered the multitude these vials did destroy Yet this vial poured out into the air it destroyeth more then all the rest It being the last and the utter annihilation of all natural life and the end of the world Therefore it is said by the voice out of the Temple in heaven It is done That is all the vials of Gods wrath are poured forth upon this wicked unbelieving idolatrous world neither shall there be any more vials of wrath or plagues poured out
his Souldiers were every whereupon the rivers and fountains of water so that they were all become dry to the people of those Lands Neither could any of the inhabitants of those Lands not so much as taste of those Rivers and Fountains of water which did belong unto them For the feet of his army had besieged every place and in this regard the King of Assyria that Star that fell from heaven may be said to fall upon the third part of the rivers and fountains of waters and that he had dryed them up with the sole of his feet CHAP. XXIV ANd in the eleventh verse John saith the name of the Star is called Wormwood and the third part of the waters became Wormwood and many men died of the waters because they were made bitter Now John calls the Name of this Star aforesaid Wormwood in regard it made the third part of the waters it fell upon to be Wormwood also For many men that drank of these waters which this Star fell upon died because they were made bitter The meaning is this that when the men of those Islands or Lands did sally out or any other ways to get water out of those rivers or fountains to give themselves and their cattel drink Then the feet of this Star that is his souldiers fell upon those men and killed them So that the waters became bitter and that many men died of the waters for the waters were good of themselves but they could get none of them neither could they get any water no where else so that they must have of those Rivers and Fountains of water where the Star fell or else they must perish both men and beast for want of water So that they were forced to drink of those bitter waters though they died with it For the Star whose name was Wormwood was fallen upon them that is he had besieged the waters so in every place that the waters became as bitter as Wormwood So that whosoever did drink of them without the Stars leave he must die So that the waters became bitter indeed likewise many of Judah did drink of these bitter waters and as you may see Isaiah the 8 and the 7. In the 6 verse Judah is blamed for refusing the waters of Shiloah and many other waters therefore in the seventh verse it is said Now behold the Lord bringeth up upon the waters of the river strong and many even the King of Assyria and all his glory and he shall come up over all his Channels and go over all his Banks So that this Star whose name is Wormwood must go over the Channels and Banks of Judah and Samaria and make their waters as bitter as Wormwood So that they must many of them die of the waters also As it is said Jer. 9 ver 15. Therefore thus saith the Lord of Hosts the God of Israel behold I will feed them even this people with Wormwood and give them water of Gall to drink So that besieged waters are called by the revelation of the Prophets and of John Wormwood of waters And bitter waters and many are said to die of the waters because they were bitter It is because of the drought in that the Star the King of Assyria or any other power hath besieged or set guard upon the waters and so the waters becometh as bitter as Gall or Wormwood to those that shall drink of those rivers or fountains of water which are besieged They become as bitter as Gall or Wormwood and many men died of the waters in that they were bitter They were bitter indeed in that many men lost their lives in attempting to drink of them That is they were slain by the King of Assyrias host who was that Star whose name is called by Johns Revelation Wormwood And the rivers and fountains of waters which he besieged or any other power is called bitter Wormwood or Gall and who ever was seen to drink of these waters so besieged they were slain Therefore said to die of the waters because they were bitter as aforesaid So much for the sounding of the three Angels Now I would have the Reader to understand that there was other Kings that besieged the waters and fountains of Samaria and Judah Moab and Egypt and divers other kingdoms so that their waters became Wormwood and bitter So that many men died of the waters they being made bitter in that they were besiged by the enemy So that what King or power soever did act after the same nature and manner as the Star did aforesaid It may all be called but one Star which name of the Star is called Wormwood which made the waters bitter as aforesaid So that many men died of the waters and this was at the sounding of the third Angel So that what things hath been acted of that nature by any other Kings besides the King of Assyria between the sounding of the third Angel and the fourth Angel they are all included under one Star For at the sounding of every Angel there is some differing Judgement did follow upon it So that these three Angels that sounded they were fulfilled in the time of the Law But at the sounding of the fourth Angel the Law and the Gospel are joyned together That is the end of the Law and the beginning of the Gospel were now tyed close together as one thing by the sounding of the fourth Angel Onely this I would have the Reader to understand that the same Judgements was acted upon the earth in the other Angels sounding in the time of the Gospel as there was in the time of the Law Onely they differ something in every Angels sounding And as the Law is involved in the Gospel so hath John involved those three Angels that sounded in the time of the Law into the Ministery of the seven Churches of Asia Which are called by the Revelation of John in the vision Seven Angels therefore I shall proceed to open unto you that can understand when the fourth Angel did sound CHAP. XXV THe twelfth verse of this chapter And the fourth Angel sounded and the third part of the Sun was smitten and the third part of the Moon and the third part of the Stars so as the third part of them was darkned and the day shone not for a third part of it and the night likewise The meaning I declare is this it is spoken with relation to Christ and John the Baptist and the Rulers of the Jews The third part of the Sun being smitten it was with relation to Christs sufferings He being the Sun of righteousness and the head of the Gospel that heavenly light that shined from him it was as the light of the Sun to all those that believed him But he being smitten with persecution and suffering while he lived it may be said that the third part of the Sun was darkned So that the Sun could not shine so bright as it would have done For never any man spake like
that cloud the Son of Man sate upon they all expecting by faith Gods coming in flesh they being afar off That is their faith in them was satisfied that he would come though it was many hundred years after they were dead the apostles and saints afterwards were witnesses that the Son of Man was risen from the dead So that their faith was a cloud of witnesses also and the faith of Abraham Isaac and Jacob the Prophets Apostles and Saints it was that cloud the Son of Man did sit upon It is called a white cloud by the Spirit because they were never defiled with the fornication of Idols But worshipped the true God according to the Law of Moses and according to the faith of Jesus or the Gospel they not receiving the mark of the beast neither in the forehead nor in the hand That is they were not defiled with worshipping of any Images Idols or false gods whatsoever and in this regard they may be called A white cloud and this is that white cloud the Son of Man even Jesus the onely God doth sit upon As the whore in another case is said to sit upon many waters which I shall have an occasion to speak of when I come to it And as for that golden Crown that was upon his head I declare it was that honor and glory which the Prophets Apostles and Saints do attribute unto him as he is a Redeemer The work of redemption being wrought by him as he was a man he being in the form of a servant so that all the redeemed ones who are sensible of their redemption they do praise and magnifie the man Jesus the only God for his great love towards them in that they had faith to receive the benefit of his death And this honor glory and praise which is attributed unto the man Jesus by his Prophets Apostles and Saints is that golden Crown upon his head and in his hand a sharp sicle Now this sharp sicle in his hand it signfies his great power that when the end of the world shall be that he will send his Angels to reap the world even as Reapers doth corn when the harvest is ripe So when the worlds sins are ripe the harvest will be and much like unto a master of the harvest of Corn he will thrust in his sicle first then all his servants until the harvest is reaped So is it with him that sate under the white cloud when the time is accomplished and the harvest ripe he will thrust in hiâ— sicle first and then all his servants the Angels shall fall to reaping the harvest of this world And shall thrust in their sicles and reap until all be cut down that is Christ shall come in the clouds of heaven with all his holy Angels to destroy this world for ever Then will he thrust in his sicle indeed and this is the meaning of the sicle in his hand And those Angels that cryed to him that sate upon the cloud to thrust in the sicle are the holy Angels aforesaid that must help to reap the world for they have sicles also That is the Angels have power from Christ to destroy and cut down this wicked world when their sins are at the full then are they ripe fit to be destroyed even as the temporal Babylon was when their sins was ripe as in Joel the 3.13 verse Put you in the sicle for the harvest is ripe come get you down for the press is full the fats overflow for the wickedness is great The Prophet Joel spake this in relation to the reaping of Babylon the enemies of the Jews that after the seventy years captivity of Israel their enemies sins of cruel usage was at the full or ripe So that now the sicle that is the power of the sword temporal must utterly destroy Babylon the Jews enemies or reap it for the harvest of their sins and cruelties were fully ripe And the press was full that is their bodies were so full of wickedness and cruelty that they did overflow with wickedness their wickedness was so great So will it be with this spiritual Babylon when the harvest is ripe for this spiritual Babylon is so full of idolatry of idols images and worshipping false gods and persecution of the Saints That the press is full that is their bodies are so full of spiritual wickedness or spiritual fornication and persecution for conscience sake as aforesaid that their wickedness doth overflow even as the aforesaid Babylon did So that in the account of the spirit of faith this spiritual Babylon is as really destroyed and reaped their sins being ripe as the other Babylon was And as the sicle was thrust into them that they were destroyed and reaped so will it be with this as in the nineteenth verse of this chapter And the Angel thrust in his sicle into the earth and gathered the vine of the earth and cast it into the great wine-press of the wrath of God The earth signifies the people and the vine of the earth signifies the wicked idolatrous worship of the people and the great wine-press of the wrath of God signifies that eternal death and destruction upon all idolatrous people who worship false gods This eternal or second death is the great wine-press of the wrath of God and in the twentieth verse of this Chapter it is said And the wine-press was troden without the City and blood came out of the wine-press even unto the horse bridles by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs The meaning is this the wine-press was troden without the City that is the destruction of the enemies of Judah and Israel it was without the City of Jerusalem so will the eternal destruction of all idolaters at the end of the world be without the City New-Jerusalem That is none of the Seed of Faith who are the holy City in the spiritual shall see their destruction For blood shall come out of the wine-press even to the horse bridles the blood signifies the extream torment it being for ever The wine-press signifies the great wrath of God pressing their souls for their wickedness to eternity Unto the horse bridles signifies the extream fulness of wickedness so that the wrath of God might walk in their souls even as an horse may do thorow blood even up to his bridle For Gods wrath will he as many horses to crush and trample his enemies under feet so that their miseries may break forth as blood for Gods horses that is his vengeance to walk thorow to eternity As for the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs that signifies a great space and distance from the City of God that is from the spiritual City of God to wit the true believers So that this spiritual mystery Babylon who made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication as aforesaid I say she must undergo the wrath of God and be troden without the spiritual City the Seed of Faith
2. of seven Angels of the Churches of Asia and of the seven Churches themselves Also he speaks of a Lamb with seven horns and seven eyes and a beast with seven heads and now of seven Angels and seven vials and seven plagues So that this Book of the Revelation doth speak much upon seven which sometimes them seven spoken of were but one as I have shewed before Yet they may be called seven in relation to those seven several operations or works they do Likewise I would have the Reader minde that these seven vials of the wrath of God that are to be poured out by these seven Angels they have relation unto those plagues of Egypt that was poured out by Moses the Angel of the Covenant of the Law Which Nation of the Jews was called the Temple of God for God had established his worship of the Law in and upon them And the voice of God to Moses the Angel of the Covenant of the Law commanded him to pour out the vials of his wrath upon Egypt which was done accordingly Also we read in Scriptures of several of the holy Angels that poured out vials of the wrath of God as well as Moses the Angel of the Law As those two Angels that came to Lot poured out the vial of Gods wrath upon Sodom and burnt it to ashes Likewise the Angel of the Lord destroyed threescore thousand people of the plague for Davids sin in numbring the people Likewise the Angel of the Lord slew fourscore thousand men in one night of the King of Assyria's host according to the words of the prophet Isaiah With many other examples in Scripture that Angels did pour out the vials of Gods wrath upon the earth in former times But these seven Angels and the seven plagues that are to be poured out upon the earth I say the meaning of John was that they should be poured out upon those wicked beasts and false preachers or false prophets who setup a false worship and all false worshippers ever since that day that Christ entered into the Ministery or since the time that the Apostles received their Commission as in Acts 2. My meaning is this that ever since the Apostles had those cloven tongues sate upon them as of fire for then began people to worship Christ according to the Apostles directions who had their Commission from Christ Now what worship hath been set up since by Kings or Head-Magistrates who had no Commission from God they are called by the Spirit evil beasts false prophets false preachers and false worship And those seven Angels poured out their seven plagues upon those superstitions and idolatrous people who have drunk of the wine of the fornication of idolatry in worshipping false gods or idols ever since the Worship of the Gospel was set up by the Apostles of Christ I declare that these seven last plagues are to be poured out upon the enemies of the Gospel of Jesus he being the Angel of the New Covenant of Faith and Christ dwelling in their hearts by faith so that the true Believers of the Gospel are called by the Spirit The Temple of God And this great voice which John heard out of the Temple was no other but the voice of Christ who gave charge unto his Angels to pour out the seven vials of his wrath which are seven plagues upon the earth That is upon wicked idolatrous people who worship idols images and false gods since the Apostles Commission Even such like plagues as Moses the Angel of the Law and other Angels did pour out upon Egypt and upon other wicked and ungodly men as aforesaid Let the Reader observe and he may see that these last plagues that are poured out upon the beast his image and those that receive the mark and the number of his name That is upon all idolatrous people they are much like unto those plagues of Egypt as aforesaid as you may perceive in the seven vials pouring out those seven plagues In the second verse The first went and poured out his vial upon the earth and there fell a noisom and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast and upon them which worshipped his image This Plague the first Angel poured out it was upon those people that received the mark of the beast and those which did worship his image Even the same Plague was poured out upon the servants and inhabitants of Egypt for their wicked oppression of Israel they had grievous sores upon them as you may see Exodus 9.10 and 11 verses The sores were so grievous upon the Egyptians and upon the Magicians that they could not stand before Moses for the boyls were upon the Magicians both upon man and beast So in like manner is the Plague poured out upon the enemies of the worship of the Gospel of Jesus Verse the third And the second Angel poured out his vial upon the sea and it became as the blood of a dead man and every living soul died in the sea This second Angel poured out his vial and the Plague this Angel poured out it was much like to the Plague Moses poured out upon Egypt As you may see Exodus the 7. and the 17. how the rod in Moses hand smote upon the waters that were in the rivers and they became blood or was turned into blood And in the 18. verse And the fish that is in the river shall die and the river shall stink and the Egyptians shall loath to drink of the water of the river So in like manner will God pour out this vial of wrath upon the sea that is upon all the rivers and fountains of water which is for the comfort satisfaction and quenching the thirst of man and all other creatures For the vial being poured out upon the Sea the Sea doth imploy all manner of waters whatsoever And as this plague was poured out upon Egypt at the first when Moses had his Commission from God to gather Israel out of Egypt So in the end of the world when Christ shall gather his elect together that is the wheat from the tares This vial of his wrath shall be poured out upon the Sea as really as it was poured out upon Egypt by Moses as aforesaid And every creature in the Sea both man and beast fish and fowl shall die even as they did in Egypt CHAP. XLVII ANd verse the fourth The third Angel poured out his Vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters and they became blood The meaning is this that as the Egyptians rivers and fountains of waters were turned to blood by Moses so that the Egyptians could not drink of the waters of the rivers for they did loath to drink of them So likewise this Vial the third Angel poured out it was the wrath of God upon the fountain and river of water that is in every man For every man hath motions of peace and refreshing of minde that doth arise in his heart from the seed of
reason the root which doth send forth refreshing thoughts motions and actions Many times the seed of reason doth this which is as a river of water to refresh the soul of man But when evil thoughts motions and actions do arise out of the heart it causeth fear wrath and torment of soul both of the punishment of the Law here in this life and the punishment of eternal damnation hereafter So that the rivers and fountains of waters that doth flow out of the hearts of men and women they are turned into blood That is as I said before the motions thoughts and actions which did arise out of the heart that yielded peace to the minde they were as water to refresh the heart of man even as water doth quench the thirst of nature both of man and beast But when these waters of the soul be turned to blood there is nothing but thoughts of fear motions of wrath and fear of eternal death So that the soul of man is loth or doth loath to drink of those thoughts motions and actions which are turned to blood that is to wrath and fear of eternal damnation But drink they must of the wine of the wrath of God for they have made the Saints to drink of the wine and wrath of their persecution for not worshipping the beast nor his image nor receiving his mark Though I speak of all men and women in general because all people have a river of water in their hearts but all rivers are not turned to blood But the meaning is all those people who worship the beast his image who receive the mark of his name or the number of his names these things includes both the beast and all false worships and false worshippers since Christ gave the Commission of the Gospel to his Apostles And as Moses poured out that Plague of turning the natural rivers and fountains of water of Egypt to blood at the first coming into his Commission of the Law So likewise will Christ pour out his vial of wrath upon the spirits of men and women and turn the waters of their souls to blood as aforesaid and this will be executed at the latter end of the world which end will be as certain as the beginning was by Moses Therefore John by the spirit of Revelation saw these vials poured out upon the beast and his seat and upon his image and upon those that had his mark name or number of his name as aforesaid For it is the nature of true faith to see things afar off or at a distance as near at hand or in present being So that this vial of Gods wrath which the third Angel poured out upon the rivers and fountains of waters I declare it is meant upon the souls that is upon the peace of the souls of those wicked beasts or Head-Magistrates who set up images idols and forms of false worship and cause the people so to do And all those people that do bow down to this worship they receive the mark of the beast or the name of the beast or the number of his name upon all these their souls is this vial poured out upon That is upon the peace of all their souls which peace is called by the Spirit rivers and fountains of waters And upon these rivers and fountains of waters the Angel doth pour out his vial and turn the waters of idolatrous men and womens souls to blood For this the Reader is to minde that there is motions that doth run in the minde of man as the waters doth in a river or spring And these motions doth cool or satisfie the soul of man as waters doth when men are athirst As the rich man Christ speaks of who being in hell desired one drop of cold water to cool his tongue that is one motion of peace or hope of deliverance out of this heat For if there could but one motion of peace arise out of the heart of one being in hell it would be that drop of cold water to cool the tongue of the soul But these waters being turned to blood by the vial of Gods wrath being poured upon it no waters can arise That is no peace can spring from the souls of men and women who have this vial poured out upon them that is who have the waters of their souls turned to blood that is to wrath torment and the fear of eternal damnation And because the Reader may know that the motions of peace in a mans minde may be called a river of water you may minde the words of Christ where he saith He that believeth 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 the Water of Life it should have been a Well springing up unto eternal life These waters flow from the Seed of Faith in the soul of men and women these are not those waters that are turned to blood But there are waters that proceed from the seed of Reason in the heart of men and women which are motions of natural peace that doth arise from the seed of Reason in man and these are those waters that are turned to blood by the pouring out of the vial of Gods wrath upon them as will appear by Scripture As first the waters of Cains soul was turned to blood for killing his brother Abel 2. The waters of cursed Cham his soul was turned to blood for uncovering his fathers nakedness in that he procured the curse of his father and Cain had more torment upon his soul than he could bear 3. The waters of Esau's soul was turned to blood for despising his Birth-right 4. The waters of King Saul's soul was turned into blood for disobeying the Commandment of the Lord in that it caused him to enquire of a Witch These being all of them the seed of Reason and the waters that is the motions of peace that did arise from that Seed as you may read that Saul had many or much peace for he was called Saul amongst the Prophets And further it is said that the good Spirit of the Lord departed from him and an evil spirit from the Lord was sent unto him That is the motions of peace departed from him and the motions of fear and horror was sent unto him That is the waters of his soul were turned to blood and so will it be not onely with these afore-mentioned but with all the seed of the serpent who rebel against God and that worship false gods as these beasts and all those that receive his mark So that to conclude this vial of Gods wrath of turning the rivers and fountains of waters to blood it hath relation to all wicked Kings and Head-Magistrates who are called by the Spirit Beasts and all those that receive the mark in the fore-head or right hand or his name or the number of his name For the mark name and number of his name doth include
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
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
days was the ten persecutions which did last a matter of three hundred years as aforesaid I say now he saw these seven Angels stand before God and to them were given seven Trumpets that is each of them had trumpets given unto them So that every one of them might sound forth some Plague and Judgement or other upon the earth where wicked men doth dwell who persecuted the innocent to the death And in the 3 verse it is said Another Angel came and stood at the Altar having a golden censer and there was given unto him much incense that he should offer it with the prayers of all Saints upon the Golden altar which was before the Throne This Angel I declare was Moses who was to officiate the Office of offering up the prayers of all the Saints with the incense upon the golden altar which was before the Throne in the vision as he did in his Commission of the Law when he was here upon earth So that he is called by Johns revelation Another Angel that came and stood at the altar c. And in the 4 verse The smoak of the incense which came with the prayers of the Saints ascended up before God out of the Angels hand And in the 5 verse And the Angel took the censer and filled it with fire of the altar and cast it into the earth and there were voices and thunderings and lightnings and an Earthquake This is spoken with relation to those offerings which Moses the Angel of the Covenant of works did practice in the time of the Law And as he was the Angel that gave forth the Law and so appointed and ordained Censers Altars and Offerings to be offered up unto the Lord in that Tabernacle which was but a pattern of the true So Moses is that Angel that is said by John in his vision to offer up the prayers of all Saints upon the golden Altar which was before the Throne It is called a Golden Altar because it is spiritual and heavenly and the sacrifice which is the prayers of Saints is spiritual also In opposition to that altar and sacrifices Moses had in the time of the Law So that when the Angel had offered up the prayers of all the Saints and the smoak of the incense and the Saints Prayers together they ascended up before God out of the Angels hand And when this was accomplished the Angel took the Censer and filled it with fire and cast it into the earth Onely to signifie some extraordinary Plagues and Judgements that should follow upon the sounding of every one of the seven Angels Trumpets Now I would have you the Seed of Faith to consider that as there was a real visible and temporal altar sacrifice incense censer used in the visible worship in the time of the Law the very same things are expressed by John in a spiritual sense both by way of vision and revelation So that what Moses did as he was the Angel of the Covenant of works and visible worship John doth express it in a spiritual and heavenly sense So that there is a true reality in the spiritual sense though invisible which cannot be seen but by the eye of Faith as the temporal was seen and known by the eye of reason So that those Judgements aâ—d Plagues that were acted in Moses Commission they are rehearsed by John over again in a spiritual sense So that the things that three of these seven Angels did the Plagues that doth appear upon the earth at the sounding of their trumpets they were fulfilled in the Commission of Moses which was of the Law Therefore it is worth the minding to know what Plagues did follow upon the sounding of every one of these seven Angels which had seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound For observe that when the Angel aforesaid had took the Censer and filled it with fire of the altar and cast it into the earth it produced immediately there were voices and thunderings and lightnings and an Earthquake So likewise upon the sounding of the seven Trumpets which the seven Angels had which prepared themselves to sound The first Angel sounded and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood and they were cast upon the earth and the third part of trees was burnt up and all green grass was burnt up The Plague that followed upon the first Angels sounding was upon Pharaoh and his people when Moses was sent of God to him to let the children of Israel go into the wilderness to worship I need not to relate the particular Plagues because they may be read in the Scriptures But at the first Angels sounding Pharaoh and his people had that Hail and Fire mingled with blood amongst them so that other great Plagues were upon man and beast in Egypt as you may read concerning those seven Plagues which Moses brought upon it because Pharaoh would not let the people of Israel go and this was the fruits of the first Angel sounding his trumpet And in the eighth verse And the second Angel sounded and as it were a great Mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea and the third part of the sea became blood And in the ninth verse The third part of creatures which were in the sea and had life died and the third part of ships were destroyed This great Mountain burning with fire which was cast into the sea when the second Angel did sound was Pharaoh and all his host for Pharaoh was a great Mountain that is a King of great power And he burned with the fire of envy and madness that the people of Israel should be carried out of his kingdom and enrich themselves with the Egyptians Jewels and other things which they had borrowed It was enough to make this great Mountain to burn with the fire of madness and revenge So that he and all his host would follow to the Sea side that his wrath might burn as a fire of revenge upon the people of Israel and bring them back again But in the conclusion this great Mountain that burned with the fire of revenge was cast into the sea That is King Pharaoh the great Mountain and all his host who burned with revenge like fire were cast into the sea So that the third part of the sea may be said to become blood because the destruction was exceeding great so that the their part of the creatures which were in the sea and had life died and the third part of the ships were destroyed that is the third part of Pharaohs kingdom were cast into the sea So that though the poor creatures had life when they were in the midst of the sea following of Moses The sea swallowed them up so that the third part of the kingdom of Egypt died in the sea And the third part of ships were destroyed That is the third part of Pharaohs Charriots and Waggons which the kingdome would afford were destroyed in the sea John calls them ships because they carried him