And doth not the by her fpiritual power fit upon many waters? which waters do fignify multitudes of people, nations, and tongues; doth not fhe by her fpiritual power and temporal both, fit almoft upon all Europe? Doth not the fit upon almost all the beafts, that is, the kings of Europe? So that when this whore is made defolate, the world will be at an end. Only this I would have the Fifth-monarchy-men to mind, that they must be wicked reprobate men that. do make her defolate; for all that fight with carnal weapons, that is a fword and gun, they are wicked, though God doth put it into their hearts to do his will, for one wicked man fhall deftroy another with carnal weapons.

For these ten horns which fignify all wicked kings, when they have made the whore defolate, they fhall give their kingdoms unto the beaft, until the words of God fhall be fulfilled. That is, thefe conquerors over the whore, fhall give their kingdoms unto the beaft, who gave them commiffion and power at the first, to perfecute and kill the faints. 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 commiffion and authority that he gave them, to destroy the faints, and by the fame authority they think they do make the whore defolate, not minding God's puting it into their hearts; therefore it is they give their kingdom unto the beaft, until the words of God fhall be fulfilled. That is, they fhall give their kingdoms unto the beast, until the end of the world; when God fhall make a final end; that is, an eternal deftruction 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.

CHA P. LXV.

ERSE 18. and the laft verfe of this chapter. And the woman which thou

Jaweft, is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of than whi

I have spoken of these things in this verse, in divers places before, so that I need not fay any more of it; only this I would have the reader to mind, that all this feventeenth chapter, the things contained in it, it was fhewed unto John by way of vifion. And what judgment fhould befal in the end, to all those that were concerned in thofe matters of fpiritual and temporal power here upon this earth, this was shewed him in a vision from the first verse to the ninth verfe; and from the ninth verfe to the end of the chapter, it is an interpretation to John's understanding of the things he faw in his vifion.

And though John did understand the interpretation thereof, few or none else fince that time that could interpret John's vifion, or understand them either. Nay, none but he that hath a commiffion from God can do it, so that there is great need of the interpretation of thefe myftical fayings in this chapter, and in the whole book of the Revelation of John, unto the feed of faith.

But by the feed of reafon, wife, and learned men, perhaps it will be counted but as dreams, and fancies of my own brain, though they themfelves do not know how to interpret one verse in the whole book truly. But I shall let them pafs, and advise the feed of faith, efpecially thofe that understand the doctrine of the

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the true God, and the right devil, to mind the interpretation of this chapter, and all the reft, and they will fee how one thing depends upon another; fo that great fatisfaction may be found, as to their eternal falvation.

CHA P. LXVI.

HAP. xviii. it doth contain a prophefy of the utter downfal and deftruction of the spiritual Babylon, who hath fhed the blood of prophets, apoftles, and faints, for worshiping the true God, and not worshiping her idols, even as the temporal Babylon was utterly destroyed, for her cruelties to Judah and Jerufalem, as you may fee Isaiah xlvii. 6. and Jer. xxv. 12. So that there was a perpetual deftruction upon the temporal city Babylon, when the seventy years were expired, for their cruelties to the Jews.

So likewife when the time appointed of God is expired, there will be a perpetual downfal and deftruction of this city, fpiritual Babylon, for her cruelties to prophets, apostles, and faints, about worship.

In verfe 1. of this chapter, John faw another angel come down from heaven, having great power, fo that the earth was lighted with his glory. And in verse 2. His meffage was to cry mightily with a strong voice, faying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen. She may well be called Babylon the great, because this Babylon is a fpiritual Babylon, and of a longer standing than the other Babylon; for this fpiritual Babylon hath had a being ever fince Mofes and Joshua were taken out of this world, ever fince falfe worship hath been fet up by man, and learned men have had power given them from the civil magiftrate, to fet up forms of worship. So that it is become the greatest city in the world, and will remain to the end of time before it be utterly deftroyed."

Neither was there found in the deftruction of the temporal Babylon, any blood of prophets, apoftles, or martyrs of Jefus, as there will in this fpiritual Babylon; for though the temporal Babylon was cruel, it was upon a temporal account; neither was their cruelty to laft but a matter of threefcore and ten years; but the cruelties of this fpiritual Babylon, it hath been upon a fpiritual account. And these cruelties have been acted by her these many thousand years; fo that all the blood that hath been fhed upon a fpiritual account, from the creation to the end of time, may be brought upon this great city fpiritual Babylon, because she is become an habitation of devils, and a hold of every foul fpirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.

It may well be faid fhe is a habitation of devils, for none but devils will execute her commands, and fuch people that are of the worst fort of devils, even unclean fpirits, or like hateful birds. So that her power and authority, it is as a cage to shelter these devils, and unclean spirits, and hateful birds; for this is to be minded by the reader, that these devils are men, the unclean fpirits are men, and the hateful birds are men, and those wicked men who are imployed in the whore's fervice, to punish all those that will not worship her idols, or falfe worfhip. So that fhe is become a cage for all wicked fpirited people to shroud themfelves under, as may be feen in verfe 3. For all nations have drank of the wine

of

of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have commited fornication with her. That is, by her spiritual power fhe hath sent forth these devils, unclean fpirits, and hateful birds, with commiffion from her to all nations to drink the wine of the wrath of her fornication; that is, if the nations would not commit fornication with idols willingly; that is, worship according to her command; for her idolatrous worship, the pleasure the receives in it, is called the wine of her fornication. But if people will not obey to worship, as is required by thefe unclean fpirits, and hateful birds, then they muft drink of the wrath of her fornication, perhaps excommunication, or death itself.

For though the hath a golden cup in her hand full of wine, yet if people will not drink with her freely and willingly, fhe will put poifon, that is, her wrath into the wine, and make them drink whether they will or no. So that they must either drink her wine without wrath, or the wine of her fornication, and her wrath together.

Oh how many millions of people have drank her wine alone, and many thousands have drank her wine and wrath together? And that which is more than this, the kings of the earth have commited fornication with her. That is, the kings of the earth have commited fornication with her, in that they have worshiped falfe gods, by the inftigation of the whore, fhe making them believe that that is the way to fave their fouls. So that she hath deceived the kings of the earth, and all nations, either by their commiting fpiritual fornication with her, or elfe by drinking the wine of the wrath of her fornication. So that the kings of the earth are in a worse condition than the other, because they commited fornication with her; that is, they were acceffary to the feting up of all falfe worship, and in the council with her. So that the nations that did drink the wine of the wrath of her fornication, they did but obey her command, and fo commited fornication with idols from a law, and a command. But it was otherways with the kings of the earth; but however, fhe, and all thofe that have commited fornication with her, either by confulting with her, or by obeying her commands, when she is deftroyed with an eternal deftruction, fo will all thefe that have commited fornication with her, be where she is to eternity.

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CHA P. LXVII.

HEREFORE in verfe 4. John heard another voice from heaven, faying, Come out of her my people, that you be not partakers of her fins, and that you receive not of her plagues.

How should God's people come out of her? The fpirit doth not mean, that they should come out of the world, for fhe doth deceive all nations, and her power is every where, where God's people do dwell. So that there is no going out from her power, except they go among the Heathen. But the meaning of the spirit is this, that God's people fhould come from their idolatrous worship and practice. So that you may not commit fornication with idols, that you may not be partakers with them of their fins, and fo you fhall receive none of her plagues. For in verfe 5. Her fins have reached up to heaven, and God hath remembered ber

iniquities

iniquities. So that now the must be rewarded as the rewarded the faints, as in verfe 6. reward her even as fhe rewarded you, and double unto her double, according to her works, in the cup which he hath filled, fill to her double. That is, as fhe hath drank the blood of prophets, the blood of apoftles, the blood of faints and martyrs of Jefus, now the must have her own blood to drink. And not only fo, but her cup must be filled up double; that is, fhe fhall drink the torments of her own foul eternally; as foon as one torment is fuffered, the cup of her foul shall be filled up again with another torment; fo that her cup fhall be always full of torment for her to drink eternally. And thus will her cup be filled double and double again; for though God hath fuffered his fervants, the prophets, and apostles, and faints, to have their blood poured out and drank by this whore and the beast, the time will come that he will avenge their blood upon these two, and all their adherents, and give them their own blood double to drink. So that their cup fhall be fo full of the wine of God's wrath, that they fhall be drinking of it to eternity.

As for verfe 7. there is little matter of concernment, fo I fhall pass it by, and speak a little of verse 8. where it is faid, Therefore fall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine, and fhe fhall be utterly burnt with fire, for Strong is the Lord God, who judgeth her. This eighth verfe doth determine a total and final destruction of the fpiritual whore, or city Babylon, and that her plagues fhall come in one day death and mourning. That is the firft death, which is a natural death, it fhall enter into a fecond death, and cause much mourning, because it is a living death, and a dying life; elfe there would be no mourning in death; and as for the famine the fhall fuffer, the meaning is this; that there fhall be fuch a famine, or want of peace in her foul in the fecond death, that no motion, or thought of peace, or deliverance fhall arife in her foul to give any hope, fo that there will be a famine of peace indeed, for fhe will be utterly burnt with fire; it will be a fire indeed, for the fire of God's wrath will burn eternally, and never be quenched, befides the deftruction of the glory of this world.

So that the reader may fee, what will be the end of this fpiritual mystery Babylon, with the beaft and all falfe worshipers; which thing hath been prophefied of ever fince Mofes, he being the firft commiffionated prophet, and I being one of the laft, God hath giving me undeftanding to interpret the Revelation of John the Evangelift, even till I have found out a period of the deftruction of that great city Babylon; which deftruction and utter downfal is conclued by John's Revelation in chap. xviii. 8. fo that I fhall patiently wait the time when God will make it vifibly appear; yet by faith I do know it will certainly be fo, even às all prophets and apoftles have done before me.

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CHAP. LXVIII.

ROM verfe 8. to verfe 20. it is only a relation of the astonishment in the minds of men, who were merchants, and had trading at fea, who were made rich by trading with idolatrous people. For the kings of the earth, who have commited fornication with her, and lived deliciously with her, they fhall

bewail and lament her, when they see the smoke of her burning. They may well lament for her, for they have commited fornication with her, fo that they fhall fuffer with her; for there will be but little time for them to fee the smoke of her burning, before they are in it themselves. But the spirit doth speak what the heart of man would fpeak, in cafe there were time given men to fee fuch a deftruction, and he not in it himself.

So likewise it is faid, They standing afar off, for fear of her torment. That ftanding afar off, is only to fet forth what the mind of man doth ufe to do in the cafe of a temporal deftruction, or if a temporal city were to be burnt up, men that are afraid will ftand afar off for fear; there are the fame thoughts in man, as to the end of the world, men would stand afar off, when that comes, if they could. So that the kings who commited fornication with her, and the merchants that were made rich by her, they did ftand afar off in their minds, for fear of her torment; but they were quickly in it as well as fhe, and all that lamentation that was made rich by her, in refpect of that riches and temporal coftliness that they had by her, it was all in the mind of man, and would have done fo indeed had they had time. For if this great city was destroyed in one hour, there was little time to stand afar off to fee her torment; but the fpirit fpeaks forth what is in the nature and mind of man, and what he doth use to do in temporal things, and would do at that day, if they could. Therefore I fhall pass by all their lamentation, Alas, alas this great city? and come to verse 20.

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CHA P. LXIX.

ERSE 20. Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God bath avenged you on her.

Here the reader may fee, that the holy apostles and prophets are encouraged to rejoice at the deftruction of Babylon, before fhe is deftroyed; for fhe is not destroyed yet, neither are the prophets and apostles as yet capable to rejoice over her destruction, for most of them are asleep in the duft of the earth. But it is a ufual thing for the fpirit to fpeak of things at a distance, as at present being, because God, that is truth, or the God of truth, cannot lie; but will give unto his fervants, the prophets and apoftles, the things he promised them.

And they by faith believed him, and did fuffer perfecution and the loss of their lives by this city Babylon, giving themselves up to their wicked wills, depending upon God to avenge their blood on her. So that they by faith did obtain the affurance in themselves that God would avenge their blood on her.

Again, the Revelation of John may bid them rejoice, because it is the nature of faith to rejoice, and not only fo, but the holy apostles and prophets fhall and will certainly rejoice that God hath avenged them on her. This is in like manner as the kings and merchants aforefaid, did stand afar off, and lament the downfal and deftruction of this great city Babylon. The one is required to rejoice at her destruction, and the other is faid to ftand afar off, and doth lament her destruction; yet neither of them both do fee it visible; but it is in the nature of one to rejoice eternally over her deftruction, they being in eternal happiness