what shall be hereafter. But this tafte it made them blafpheme against him that had power over these plagues. For the mind of man is so desperately wicked, that if he could deftroy that God that hath power over thefe plagues, even as they did thofe his meffengers, and the faints that believed them. But the faints may fee, that there is a fecret spiritual power in every true meffenger of God, to fcorch the fouls of perfecuting, and defpifing men and women, with the heat of hell fire; this I know to be true by experience, as well as by faith. For the doctrine of the true God, and his true worship, it doth torment the fouls of the feed of the ferpent inwardly, as the heat of the fun doth outwardly to a man's body; and men are more fubject to blafpheme for the torment within, than they are for torments without, because the one is but for a time, but the other is for eternity.

So that the fpiritual fcorching with great heat, is that John chiefly intends in this chapter, in relation to the torment of mind that was upon those beafts that perfecuted the faints, and all thofe that received his mark as aforefaid, in the time of the apostles commiffion, and with relation to the end of the world. Thus in fome measure, I have given the literal and spiritual meaning of the fourth angel, pouring out his vial upon the fun, and of verfes. 8. and 9.

CHA P. XLIX.

ERSE 10. And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the feat of the beaft, and his kingdom was full of darkness, and they gnawed their tongues for pain.

This fifth vial it hath a two-fold meaning; that is, a literal and fpiritual meaning. The literal meaning is in relation to the vial, or plague that Mofes poured out upon Egypt, as you may fee Exod. x. 22. And Mofes ftretbed forth his hand towards heaven, and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days. And in verfe, 23. They faw not one another, neither rofe any from his place for three days, &c.

Here the reader may fee, that this vial was poured out in the natural, upon Egypt, and upon the feat of the king of Egypt, Pharoah being king. Therefore called the beaft; and the feat of the beaft fignifies the power and authority that Pharaoh' had over all the land of Egypt. And this vial being poured out upon the feat of the beast, it fignifies upon all thofe that were under his government; that is, that were of his own people, fo that there was thick darkness in the king's palace, and upon his fervants, no place free, as there was upon the inhabitants of Egypt, fo that darkness was all over the land of Egypt, no place free. For if any place had been free from darkness in the land of Egypt, then I say the vial had not been poured out upon the feat of the beaft. So that this vial Mofes poured out of thick darkness, it was upon the feat of the beaft; that is upon king Pharaoh, in whom the power and authority of Egypt did stand.

So that when darknefs was poured out upon the king, in whom the light of all the laws of Egypt did fhine forth upon the people, if the feat in whom the law is placed be darkened, then the people which muft obey, muft needs be darkned alfo.

For

rom God,

For where a king or nead magiitrate nath power given or from man, to make laws for people to obey, that power and authority is called by the fpirit, the feat of the beaft. And when God doth pour out the vial of his wrath upon this authority, then I fay the vial may be faid to be poured out upon the feat of the beaft; fo that the reader may fee what is meant by the feat of the beast.

Now I have opened a little what is the literal or natural meaning of the fifth angel pouring out his vial or plague upon Egypt, and what the plague was, and what the feat of the beaft is, I fhall now alfo give you to understand the fpiritual meaning of these things aforefaid. Obferve, there were many Pharaohs that were kings of Egypt in those four hundred years that Ifrael was in bondage in Egypt; yet all thefe king Pharaohs are included in that one king Pharaoh unto whom Mofes was fent. So that all the kingsof Egypt are counted by the spirit but one king Pharaoh. And all thofe plagues which Mofes poured out upon Egypt, it was upon this king Pharaoh, even until God had utterly confumed him; as he did in the Red-fea: these things were fulfilled in the hiftory, and in the natural, at the begining of Mofes's commiffion. And that beast Pharaoh king of Egypt his actions of oppreffion to the Ifraelites, they were upon the temporal state of Ifrael. And fo the vials and plagues that were poured out upon him, they were temporal plagues alfo. And there was a temporal darkness for three days all over Egypt; which darkness was but a fhadow or type of that fpiritual darkness upon the mind of man now, and the eternal darkness at the end of the world.

Ni

CHA P. L.

OW I would have the reader to obferve, that this beast here spoken of by John, it was that beast that did rife out of the fea, having seven heads, as in chap. xiii. 1. to whom the dragon gave his power, feat, and authority: this was the first beast that perfecuted the faints after the apoftles commiffion came to be published upon the earth; that is, this was the firft beaft that made war with the faints about worship; and fo the fame fpirit, power, and authority that was in this beast, it did run through the loins of all other beafts that fucceeded him all the time of the ten perfecutions. And the fame fpirit hath, and doth run in the line of all wicked, perfecuting idolaters, kings and head magistrates, they are called by the spirit but one beast.

And look what beast, or beasts, are alive at the end of the world, they shall be all counted but one beaft, and fhall all be overthrown with one overthrow, even as Pharaoh king of Egypt was; for though there were many Pharaohs kings of Egypt, as aforefaid, yet in the deftruction of that one king Pharaoh, all wicked Pharaohs are deftroyed in him.

I

So likewife Herod that did feek to kill Chrift when he was born, in that he flew all the male children in Bethlehem, who were two years old or under. declare this Herod was that dragon John speaks of in divers places in the book of the Revelation, who gave his power, feat, and authority unto this beast. And fo fucceffively the spirit of the dragon, it runs through the line of all wicked beasts

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many Herods, fince Cain's brith; yet this Herod that perfecuted Chrift, as soon as he was born, is called by the fpirit in John, that great red dragon. And his fpirit of perfecution it was given to all thofe wicked beafts that did fucceed immediately after him, and that fhall fucceed to the end of the world.

For this is to be minded by the reader, that the Herod that would have killed. Chrift, he died before this beaft had any power; but Herod the dragon's fpirit remained in other Herods, as that Herod that beheaded John Baptift, who was caten up with lice. So that there were more Herods than one, yet the fame fpirit of Cain the devil, was in them all. So that they may be called by the pirit, but one Herod, dragon, or devil, they being all guided by one evil spirit, even the spirit of murdering Cain the firft man-devil, or the devil become efh. So that this fpirit of Cain who ruled in all thofe Pharaohs and Herods before God was manifeft in the flesh, is that dragon-devil who gave his power, feat, and authority unto the beaft. That is, the fpirit of the dragon did prefecute, opprefs, and kill before Chrift came upon a natural account, for fear of lofing his kingdom, as Pharaoh king of Egypt did. And Herod the dragon he flew the young children, for fear Chrift fhould take his kingdom out of his hands. So that most of their cruel murders they acted, were upon a temporal account. But the cruelties that were. acted by thofe beafts, were upon a fpiritual account, I call it a fpiritual account, becaufe the perfecuting and puting to death of the faints, it was for worshiping of Chrift, according to the doctrine of the apoftles, who set up a worship contrary to that which was fet up by thofe beafts; for there was a liberty granted of God unto the worship of the law of Mofes, for the Jews to fight with the fword of fteel, and to deftroy those kings or beafts that did moleft them. But the worship of the gofpel did not teach men fo to do, but altogether to the contrary.

So that the fufferings of the faints under the gofpel, and ever fince, it is upon a fpiritual account; for whoever doth fuffer meerly for his faith, or his religion, or his worship, he may be faid to fuffer upon a fpiritual account. And thofe beafts that do perfecute upon that account, they perfecute upon a fpiritual account; even as this beaft did, fpoken of by John, for this beaft did perfecute the faints in the time of the gofpel, for worshiping of Chrift, and not worshiping his image, as Pharaoh did to the people of Ifrael in the temporal. And look what plagues were poured out upon Pharaoh, and all the land of Egypt in the temporal; fo likewife will fpiritual plagues be poured out upon the beafts, and upon all that worship him, or his image.

And as there was a natural darkness in all the land of Egypt, upon the king, as upon the people, fo likewife this fpiritual darkness is poured out upon the feat of the beaft. That is, there is a darkness poured out upon the minds of all evil kings and head magiftrates, who undertake to fet up forms of worship, as idols and images, for the people to worship. And there being a darkness poured out upon the mind of the beaft, fo that he doth worship falfe gods: and not only fo, but this vial of darkness is poured out upon the minds of all thofe people who worship falfe gods. That is, there is a fpiritual darkness upon the mind and

fpirit of the beaft, and all that worthip a falle god. I fay a fpiritual darkness is poured out upon them all, even whilft they are here in this world; even as that natural darkness was poured out upon Pharaoh, and all the land of the Egyptians.

I fay there is as grofs a thick darkness poured out upon the fpirits of the greatest part of men and women at this day, concerning the true knowledge of God and the true worship that God requireth, as there was upon Egypt. And this fpiritual darkness of the mind, it is but a preparation or fore-runner of that eternal darkness, which will as certainly be when time fhall be no more, as the darkness of the mind is at prefent in all the feed of the ferpent who worship falfe gods.

But as there was light in all the places of the children of Ifrael's dwellings, as you may fee Exod. x. 23. which dwellings of theirs it was in the land of Gofhen where the children of Ifrael were, as in Exod. ix. 26. Now this land of Gofhen it fignifies the light of grace, or fpiritual and heavenly light in the minds of the. feed of faith; and the children of Ifrael fignify the true faints, or true worshipers of God in fpirit and truth. So that every true believer in the true God, he may be faid to dwell in the land of Gofhen in his own mind; in which land there is the light of faith whereby they may fee the way to that eternal light of glory, 'where no fad or melancholly thought fhall arife 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 mind.

So that all those who know not the true God, nor his true worship, they are in that spiritual darkness in their minds, as the Egyptians were who gnawed their tongues for pain. Even fo will it be with all those wicked beafts who have, and do fet up images, and idols of gold, wood, and stone, or any falfe worship whatsoever, contrary to Mofes, the apoftles, and the two witneffes of the fpirit. I fay, all those that worship contrary to these three commiffions, they are in that fpiritual Egyptian darkness in their minds, whilst they are here in this world; and this darkness in their fpirits, it will lead them to that eternal dark night, when as no light fhall appear for ever. That is, no motion of peace, or hope of deliverance fhall arife in their minds for ever and ever.

And then fhall this beaft, 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 feat of the beaft; then of neceffity 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 interpretaion of the fifth vial, and of the tenth verfe.

CH A P. LÍ.

Shall pass by the eleventh, and come to the twelfth verfe, And the fixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates, and the waters thereof were dried up, that the way of the kings of the Eaft might be prepared.

This great river Euphrates was in the land of Canaan, where thofe four angels were bound, as I fhewed before. And as thofe four angels were loofed at the

founding

founding of the trumpet of the fixth angel, fo at the pouring out of the fixth vial this great river Euphrates must be dryed up.

Now this great river Euphrates, it fignifies all the rivers and fountains of waters in the whole world, in the natural. That is to fay, at the end of the world God will pour out his vial of wrath upon all rivers and fountains of waters, fo that they fhall be dryed up, fo that the thirft of man and beaft, fhall not be quenched, this will God do in the natural.

Alfo God will pour out his vial of wrath upon the fpiritual eftate of man, even upon the great fpiritual river Euphrates; that is, upon all the fouls and confciences of wicked, idolatrous, pefecuting men and women all the world over. That is, the waters of their fouls fhall be dryed up, fo that no motion of peace fhall arife, or fpring from their fouls, to quench the thirst of fin then, no more than 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 foul that did run with motions of peace in his natural life, it was now dryed up, fo 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 warth of God, being poured out upon the river of his foul.

So that the fouls or fpirits of all wicked, perfecuting, idolatrous people all the world over, may be called in the fpiritual the great river Euphrates, and the vial of God's wrath being poured out upon the fpirits of thofe people aforefaid, it doth dry up all the waters of their fouls; that is, all their peace, so that no hope of eternal happiness can arise in them; for all hope is dryed up, fo that there is no motion of peace can arife in their fouls, to quench the fire of hell in them, for all the waters are dryed up in their fouls, and this is that great spiritual river Euphrates, fpoken of by John, whofe waters thereof are dryed up; for the peace of the mind of man, is called in fcriptures, water, as Chrift faith, He that believes in me, out of his belly fhall flow rivers of living water; fo likewise Christ faid 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 are fpiritual waters that do fpring out of the foul of man, as there are natural waters that do fpring out of the earth, or out of the rocks. And these spiritual waters do fatisfy the fpirit of man in its kind, as the natural waters do in its kind. And as there is a fpiritual water that doth proceed from the feed of faith, fo likewife there is a fpiritual water that doth proceed from the feed of reafon in man. And this water that doth proceed, or arife from the feed of reafon, it doth give great fatisfaction to the mind of man.

Now these spiritual waters that do arife from the feed of reason, are called by the fpirit, the great river Euphrates; and this is that river Euphrates that the fixth angel poured out his vial upon, and dryed up all the waters, as aforefaid; not but that the natural river Euphrates, which fignifies all the rivers in the world, will be dryed up alfo; only this book of the Revelation of John, it hath generally a two fold meaning; that is to fay, a fpiritual meaning, and a temporal meaning. So that both the great river Euphrates in the temporal, and the great river Euphrates in the fpiritual, the waters of them both will be dryed up at the

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