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pinefs; and it is in the nature of the other to lament eternally for her deftruction, because their condition will be eternally fad with her; fo that the fpirit doth fpeak what things fhall be, though not at the prefent time.

Likewife the Heavens are bid to rejoice over her. The reader is not to underftand that the ftarry heaven or element is to rejoice over her; but the heaven doth imply thofe creatures that are in heaven, as the holy angels, who defired to pry into the mystery of falvation by Chrift. So thefe holy angels are capable to rejoice with the apostles and prophets, over the deftruction of this great city Babylon, &c.

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CHAP. LXX.

ERSE 21. And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great mil-ftone, and caft it into the fea, faying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all.

Here the reader may fee, that the lamentation of the kings and the merchants, and the rejoicing of the heaven, and the holy apoftles and prophets, are fet before the downfal of this city Babylon; fo that which must be firft is last, and that which must be laft firft. This is that which puzzles all the wife men in reafon, but the fpirit of faith can trace the steps of God and find him out where ever he goeth. For the fcriptures, the law, and the prophets, and the gospel have been the paths for God's fpirit to walk in; but there hath been many turnings and windings in thefe two beaten paths. I may fay beaten by the feed of reafon; the feed of reafon, non-commiffionated men, have travelled through these two paths thefe many hundred years, but never could find out those narrow paths where God's fpirits ufe to go.

Neither could they find him; for if they could have found him, they would have known him, and many other heavenly myfteries, which is of abfolute neceffity for man to know, but it is hid from their eyes, aud revealed to mean and inferior men in the fight of the world; fo that all commiffionated prophets, and apoftles, and true witneffes of the fpirit, can trace the narrow paths where God goeth; nay, though God feem to hide himfelf, yet the fpirit of revelation will find him out.

Did not the the prophets find out the meaning of Mofes, and fo came to know the God of Ifrael? Did not the apoftles find out the spirit of God in the prophet's writings? Hath not God given us, the witneffes of the fpirit, to find out the meaning of the prophets, and of the apoftles! and fo we have found the true God in all thofe narrrow paths he hath walked in by his fpirit, in the law, and in the gofpel.

Nay, and in this book of the Revelation of John, God hath as it were hid himself more obfcure than in moft places of the Bible, yet the revelation of faith hath found him out, as will be feen by the eye of faith in this treatise. But the reader may know that the latter part of this chapter, from verse 20. to the end, is only the fpirits rehearfing of the deftruction of this fpiritual Babylon, and of the ranfacking of that great city by the angels, who poured out the vials of God's wrath upon her, even as an army doth ranfack a city when they are

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overcome by their enemies. As in verse 22, 23, 24. And the voice of harpers, muficians, pipers and trumpetersfhall be beard no more at all in her. That is, all pleasant mufick whatsoever, fhall be ranfacked, and taken from her, fo that no pleasure or delight shall be found.

Neither shall there be any craftsman, or milftone to grind any more in thee. That is, no man fhall use any trade, or grind any corn any more in thee. And the light of a candle fhall fhine no more in thee, and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee. That is, all lights whatfoever shall be taken from her, and that joy of marrying and giving in marriage, shall be taken away. These things afore-mentioned, do include all the glory and comfort that can be had, or that men have had in this world.

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The wrath of God hath ranfacked this city of all, and in the ranfacking of this city, there God doth find the blood of prophets, and of faints, and of all that were flain upon the earth, as you may fee in the last verse of this chapter. So that God will ranfack this city Babylon, even as the king of Babylon did Jerufalem, as Jer. xxv. 10. So Jer. vii. 34. Then will I caufe to cease from the cities of Judah, and from the streets of Jerufalem, the voice of mirth, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, for the land fhall be defolate, &c. That deftruction of Jerufalem was much like unto this, only that was but for a time, and that a fhort time too, but this is for eternity. So much for the interpretation of the chief things in the eighteenth chapter.

CHA P. LXXI.

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N chap. xviii. John's revelation and vision did treat only upon the utter downfal and deftruction of the fpiritual Babylon, and this nineteenth chapter doth fet forth the joy, and glory, and triumph the faints and angels have in the destruction of this great city; for now doth begin their eternal glory, and not before; neither is the one, nor the other not as yet. But as John faw in the vifion the downfal of the whore, fo in his vifion he faw the rejoicing of the faints and angels in heaven after her deftruction, which things will be as certain, as if at prefent; therefore it is that John doth fay he faw these things as if they were performed and done already; for it is a ufual courfe of the spirit to speak of things to come, as if they were in present being, because the feed of faith can patiently stay God's time for the accomplishment of his promife, and are contented only with the affurance of faith in themselves, that they fhall rejoice in heaven, that God hath avenged their blood upon this wicked city Babylon, who killed the prophets, apoftles, faints, and martyrs of Jefus.

Chap. xix. And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, faying, Allelujah, falvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God. The meaning is this, after John had feen the utter overthrow of this great idolatrous city Babylon, immediately after he heard a great voice of much people in heaven; that is, he heard the voice of the twenty four elders, the four beasts, the prophets, and apostles, and the multitudes of faints which cannot be numbered

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and the holy angels, faying, or giving praise unto God in fuch like words as thefe, Allelujah, falvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God.

All these founding forth their praife unto God together, muft needs be a great voice indeed; only this is to be minded, that none but the revelation of the spirit could hear it in heaven, and yet be here upon earth. So that this great voice John heard in heaven, it was by thofe aforefaid, in praife unto God that he had avenged the blood of his fervants at her hand, as you may fee in verfes 2, 3.

Again they faid, Allelujah, and her fmoak rofe up for ever and ever. So that all this joy and glory John heard in heaven, it was even for this one thing, that God had judged thus, to give that whore who corrupted the earth with her fpiritual fornication, a perpetual torment, that the smoke of it might afcend for ever and ever.

And verfe 4. The four and twenty elders, and the four beafts fell down and worshiped God, that fate on the throne, faying, Amen, Allelujab; fo that you may fee that all are concern'd in this matter, to give praife unto God for this judgment upon her. These four beafts the reader may remember I have fhewed what they are in this treatise, but for the four and twenty elders, I have faid little of them here, but I have spoken more largely of them in the Interpretation of the eleventh of the Revelation.

And in verfe 5. A voice came out of the throne, faying, praise our God all ye bis fervants, and ye that ferve him both Small and great. His fervants fignify his prophets, and meffengers whom God did fend. Small and great doth fignify all true believers, or faints, let them be ever fo great in faith and knowledge, or ever fo fmall, or weak in faith and knowledge; yet fo it be true faith though but finall, they are all required by that voice from the throne to praise God; and what must they praise God for? even for his judgment upon the whore. And not only fo, but that God will reign now himself over you in eternal joy and glory, and reign over the wicked perfecutors in eternal pain and fhame, as you may fee in verse 6.

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CHAP. LXXII.

ND I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a mighty thundering, faying, Allelujah, for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.

This voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of many thunderings, they are the fame as I faid before, to wit, the four and twenty elders, the four beafts, the prophets, and apoftles, and the multitude of faints more than can be numbered, and the holy angels; these in their praises unto God, was the voice of many waters, and the voice of thunderings. I fay, these are they that do fing Allelujah to the Lord God omnipotent, who reigneth for ever and ever, in joy and glory with his faints, and for ever and ever over the reprobates in eternal torments, as aforefaid.

For these voices fay in the seventh verfe, Let us be glad and rejoice, and give bonour to him; that is, to God, for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his

wife hath made herself ready. This marriage is an eternal marriage with God, and the elect feed, for all the elect feed are faints from the begining of the world to the end of it, are called by the fpirit, but one virgin; and this Lamb the virgin's husband, is no other but God himself, as I have fhewed before. So that at the end of time, all the elet feed fhall be married unto God, their King and Redeemer, not only in true righteousness and holiness, as they were in the state of grace here in this world; but they shall be married unto the Lamb, which is the only wife God bleffed for evermore, to that eternal felicity, joy, and glory with him; fo that his wife fhall have a propriety in those eternal joys, even as a virtuous woman hath here in her husband's eftate.

For in verse 8. And to her, was granted, that fhe fhould be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white. For the fine linen is the righteousness of faints; that is, the righteousness of faith; for faith purifies the heart, and faints being cloathed with this righteousness of faith, they become virgins. They are called virgins, in that they are not defiled in their fouls with idols and false worship, which is called by the fpirit, fornication, or whoredom.

So that this bride, the Lamb's wife, being cloathed with the righteousness of faith, it is called by the spirit fine linen, clean and white, and this is the righteousness of faints, who is the bride to God, her husband; who puteth upon this white cloathing a garment of eternal glory, which will fhine more bright than the fun. More might be faid in this thing, but I fuppofe there is enough faid to fatisfy the feed of faith. And as for verfes 9, 10. I fhall pass them by, because I have spoken of them, and given the meaning of them in the Interpretation of the eleventh of the Revelation.

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CHA P. LXXIII.

ERSE 11. And I faw heaven opened, and behold a white horse, and he that fate upon him was called Faithful, and true, and in righteousness he doth judge, and make war.

This white horfe is the fame white horse as I fpake of before in chap. vi. of John's Revelation, and he that fate upon this white horse, is the fame that fate upon that white horfe, to wit, the righteoufnefs of faints. And he that fate upon this white horse, was no other but Chrift Jefus, the only wife God, as I have fhewed before.

For this is to be minded by the reader, that though Chrift hath a righteousness of his own, which may be a white horse for himself to fit upon, he being called faithful and true, and in righteousness he doth judge.

Yet nevertheless the righteousness of faints is included all into one righetousness, fo make up but one white horfe for the only wife God to fit upon, and to make war; that is, he made war with death, hell, and the devil, as I faid before, and overcame them, and fo had many crowns upon his head, as you may fee verse 12. Thefe many crowns upon his head, they fignify but two crowns; all other crowns of glory which he hath, they are all included in thefe two; that is, he hath a crown of glory upon his head, as he is the creator of all things; that is, all creaS 2

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tures according to the inftinct of nature, do fhew forth honour and glory unto a divine being, who hath created all things for his own glory. So that there is an exceeding great crown of glory upon the head of Chrift Jefus, as he is the Creator; and the other crown of glory upon his head, it is as he is the Redeemer. For redemption in all those that are concerned in it, is of more worth, and of higher esteem, than the work of creation is. So that this work of redemption it hath procured to himself a crown of glory of more weight, than the work of creation. So that all crowns of glory he hath upon his head, they are all included in these two, and the white horse he doth fit upon, it is the righteousness of faith. For by this righteousness of faith he conquered death, hell, and devil; and by this faith he hath made war with thefe fpiritual enemies, and by the fame power of faith he will overcome, and destroy all temporal enemies with an eternal deftruction, as John doth speak of, as if it were already done, as aforesaid.

Verfe 12. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns, and he had a name written that no man knew but he himself. As for his eyes being as it were a flame of fire, that is only to fignify the exceeding glory, and brightnefs of his eyes. They are fo piercing, that he can fee through angels and men, fo that no mortal man can look upon him, no more than the eyes of a man are able to look upon the fun in its brightnefs; and as for the many crowns upon his head, I have spoken of that in the verse before. But it is faid, And he had a name written that no man knew but he himself. The meaning is this, there was no man knew his name that was written upon him but he himself, until he did reveal it to fome man. For who knew him by the name of Jehovah, God Almighty, until he revealed it to Mofes ? Alfo who knew his name was the word of God, as in verfe 13. had he not revealed it unto John?

As it is faid in the gofpel of John, In the begining was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God. So that his name must needs be the word of God; and how fhould any man know this but he himself, until he did reveal it unto fome man; fo that when the name of God was known to no man but to he himself, the thing was then a fecret thing, but now it is revealed unto man, it doth belong unto us, and to our children; for fecret things belong unto God, and revealed things to us, and our children. So that when God hath revealed any fecret, or heavenly mystery unto man, it may not then be called any more fecret, but man may know it in a meafure even as God doth himself. So that the name of God is known by his fervants, the prophets, apostles, and witneffes of the fpirit, and by his faints, to their exceeding great joy and glory, fo that his name is known to others now befides himself.

CHA P. LXXIV.

VERSE 13. And be was cloathed with a westure dipt in blood, and his name

is called the word of God. The reader may remember, that when I came to the thirteenth verfe of the first chapter of John's Revelation, I found fuch a like faying as this; that is, John fare in the midst of the feven golden candlefticks one like unto the Son of Man, cloathed with a garment down to the foot.

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