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power hath befieged or fet guard upon the waters, and fo the waters becometh as bitter as gall or wormwood to thofe that fhall drink of those rivers or fountains of water which are befieged. 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 loft their lives, in attempting to drink of them. That is, they were flain by the king of Affyria's hoft, who was that ftar, whofe name is called by John's Revelation, wormwood. And the rivers and fountains of waters which he befieged, or any other power, is called bitter wormwood or gall, and who ever was seen to drink of these waters fo befieged, they were flain. Therefore said to die of the waters, because they were bitter, as aforefaid. So much for the founding of the three angles.

Now I would have the reader to understand, that there are other kings that befieged the waters and fountains of Samaria, and Judah, Moab, and Egypt, and divers other kingdoms, fo that their waters became wormwood and bitter. So that many men died of the waters, they being made bitter, in that they were befieged by the enemy. So that what king or power foever did act after the fame nature and manner as the star did, aforefaid, it may all be called but one star, which name of the star is called wormwood, which made the waters bitter, as aforefaid; fo that many men died of the waters, and this was at the founding of the third Angel. So that what things have been acted of that nature by any other kings befides the king of Affyria, between the founding of the third angel and the fourth angel, they are all included under one star.

For at the founding of every angel, there is fome differing judgment did Follow upon it. So that these three angles that founded, they were fulfilled in the time of the law. But at the founding of the fourth angel, the law and the gofpel are joined together. That is, the end of the law and the beginning of the gofpel, were now tyed clofe together as one thing, by the founding of the fourth angel. Only this I would have the reader to understand, that the fame judgments were acted upon the earth in the other angels founding, in the time of the gofpel, as there was in the time of the law, only they differ fomething in every angel's founding. And as the law is involved in the gofpel, fo hath John involved those three angels that founded in the time of the law, into the ministry of the feven churches of Afia; which are called by the Revelation of John, in the vision, seven angels; therefore I fhall proceed to open unto you that can understand, when the fourth angel did found.

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CHA P. XXV.

ERSE 12. And the fourth angel founded, and the third part of the fun was fmitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars, fo as the third part of them was darkned, and the day fhone not for a third part of it, and the night likewife.

The meaning I declare is this, it is fpoken with relation to Christ, and John the Baptift, and the rulers of the Jews. The third part of the fun being fmitten, it was with relation to Chrift's fufferings, he being the fun of righteousness, and

the

and the head of the gofpel; that heavenly light that shined from him, it was as the light of the fun to all thofe that believed him. But he being fmitten with perfecution and fuffering while he lived, it may be faid that the third part of the fun was darkened. So that the fun could not fhine fo bright as it would have done; for never any man fpake like him, neither had ever any man that wisdom and power as he had; therefore it is faid in fcripture, Never any man fpake like this man. Neither did any man speak forth that wisdom as he did; for he is faid to be the wisdom of God. He must needs be the wisdom of God, he being God himself, as I have fhewed before.

Yet for all this he was fmitten with fufferings, fo that his wifdom and righteousness could not fhine forth fo bright and clear, as it would have done, only a third part of it did fhine. That is, truth took place in the hearts of fome few that did believe him; fo that the light of heaven did not fhine into the hearts of the generality of the people of the Jews, because they faw fuch fufferings did attend the believing in him.

Therefore it is faid, many believed on him, but durst not confess him, because of the fufferings they faw would follow.

So that this Jefus which fignifies the fun, was fmitten with perfecution and fufferings in the time of his ministry, that there could but a third part of his heavenly light fhine upon the people of the Jews; and happy were thofe that this light did fhine upon. But the generality of the people did fmite this fun with perfecution, fo that they could fee no heavenly light in him at all, so that the fun did not fhine upon them at all. So that he became as darkness unto them, not yielding them any true fpiritual and heavenly peace in their fouls; so that the light of this fun fhined not at all upon their hearts, but was darkness unto them.

For this was he that did make their hearts fat, fo that they might not fee any faving light in him; for they were to fmite the fun with envy and malice, fo that he might not fhine upon their fouls any of that heavenly light which was in him. Therefore he spake in parables and dark fentences,, that they might not understand; but unto his difciples it was given them to understand the mysteries of the kingdom. So that a third part of the fun of righteousness did shine their fouls; but the reft, or other part of the fun, it did never fhine upon the prefecutors who had fmitten him, nor the generality of the people, but was as darkness upon their minds. their minds. And this is the spiritual meaning of the fun being fmitten at the founding of the fourth angel.

The moon alfo was fmitten, fo that a third part of her did shine.

upon

Now I would have the feed of faith to understand what is meant by the moon. This moon I declare it doth fignify the law of Mofes, as the gofpel doth the Son of God, which was Jefus. And as the gofpel of Jefus was, or Jefus himself was the fun that was fmitten, as aforefaid; fo likewife John the Baptift did fignify the moon, because he was the last prophet of the law, as I have fhewed in the Interpretation of the eleventh chapter of the Revelation. And he being smitten and put in prifon, and afterwards put to death, the third part of the moon may be faid to be smitten.

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So that a third part of the light of the moon was put out or darkened, that is, the light or righteousness of the law, a third part of it was darkened when John the Baptift was fmitten, he fignifying the moon, as he was the laft prophet of the law. Alfo the rulers of the Jews were the third part of the ftars that were darkened also, for they were fmitten alfo at the founding of the fourth angel; that is, they were fmitten with fear, trouble, and wrath in their minds, that righteoufnefs could not be had by the law; fo that the light, joy, and peace that they received before by the righteousness of the law, it is now fmitten and darkened. For by the preaching of John the Baptift, who tells them of another righteousness than that of the law, even the righteousness of faith in the Son of God. So that he bids them bring forth fruits of repentance, that is, a better fruit than that of the law; that is, a better righteousness than the righteousness of the law. Therefore he tells them that he which did follow after him, meaning Christ, whose shoe latchets he was not worthy to unloofe, that they should look and mind him, he would tell them of a righteousness of faith, which was a better righteousness than that of the law, which would yield them more peace and fatisfaction to their minds, than the righteoufnefs of the law would; for the righteousness of the law, though performed very exactly, it will be but as the light of the moon in mens minds. But the righteousness of faith, which the gospel fignifies, it fhines in the mind of man as the fun at noon day. So that the worshipers in the law were the third part of the stars that were fmitten, at the fourth angel's founding; and this fourth angel founded until the destruction of Jerufalem. For as the fun was fmitten, as aforefaid, fo likewife the moon and stars were smitten also.

The moon was fmitten first in John the Baptift, he being the laft prophet of the law, as aforefaid; he fmote the hearts of the rulers of the Jews with the declaration of a Christ that would bring another righteoufnefs and worship, than that of the law, which would yield them more peace, if they could believe; fo that they became fo fmitten in their minds, that they fell a perfecuting and smote him, and fmote the fun alfo. But in a while after the moon and stars were fmitten themselves. That is, at the destruction of Jerufalem by the Romans, the moon and stars were fmitten. That is, the worship of the law of Mofes which fignifies the moon, it was fmitten. And the rulers of the Jews, which were the ftars, were fmitten by the Romans. So that a third part of the moon hath been darkened ever fince, and a third part of the stars have been darkened ever fince. For the worship of the law, which fignifies the moon, was never fet up fince not in his brightness, neither hath the ftars, that is, the rulers of the Jews, any power to fet up that worship of the law, or to punifh any that do not fubmit unto it. So that the third part of the ftars are fo fmitten, that they are become darkened. So that you that have faith may know, that the gospel which did fignify the fun, was fmitten and darkened when Jefus was fmitten at his first coming, to the day of his death; therefore called by the Revelation of John, the third part of the fun was fmitten and darkened, and shined not for a third part of the day.

Likewife the law, that fignifies the moon, it was fmitten and darkened, first in John the Baptist, and so were the stars alfo. But afterwards at the destruction

of

of Jerufalem, the moon and ftars were both fmitten and darkened, fo that a third part of the moon and ftars did give no light in the night; because the light of the natural moon and ftars, it is their proper place when they fhine, to give light in the night. But I have fpoken more of the moon in the Interpretation of the eleventh of the Revelation, therefore I fhall fpeak no more of it here. Only this, to remind the feed of faith what great judgments did enfue upon the founding of this fourth angel; perfecution of the gofpel, perfecution of the law, and deftruction of the Jews, which were the ftars. These things were at the founding of the fourth angel. You whofe understandings are inlightened, may see what hath followed upon the founding of the trumpet of these four angels, and how this fourth angel it founded half upon the law of Mofes, and half upon the gofpel of Jefus.

So that now there are three angels more to found, and great woes will follow upon it; as it is faid in the last verse of this chapter, Woe, woe, woe to the inhabitants of the earth, by reason of the other voices of the trumpets of the three angels that are yet to found. So that there will follow a great woe upon the founding of these three angels, which I fhall unfold in order as they follow in the next chapter. So I fhall fay no more of this, I having given the interpretation in fhort of all the chief things of concernment in the eighth chapter.

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HAP. ix. At the founding of the fifth angel, in verfe 1. John faw a star

Cfall from heaven unto the earth, and to bim was given the key of the botten.

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Now this ftar that fell from heaven unto the earth, it was that beast or king that did arife out of the fea, which is fpoken of Revelation xiii. 1. This beaft was one of Herod's, the dragon's fons, and the next beast that did arise after him; and this beast he was like a leopard, and he had feven heads and ten horns, and the dragon gave him his power and authority, and this beaft had crowns upon his ten horns; and upon his heads the name of blafphemy. So that he was furnished with the dragon's power and authority, and his blafphemy, to despise the living God, and to perfecute the faints, as his father the dragon did when he perfecuted Christ at his birth, and made war with the remnant of his feed. So that this beaft which arose out of the fea, he may be faid to be a star that fell from heaven unto the earth, because he was one of the dragon's fons; for John faith, be faw a wonder in heaven, a great red dragon that perfecuted the woman; which red dargon was no other but Herod. And this ftar which fell from heaven unto the earth, it was Herod's first born fon, therefore called a ftar that fell from heaven unto the earth. It is faid to fall from heaven, because this ftar was of the fame feed or nature as the dragon was of. For it is faid by John, that he faw a wonder in heaven, a great red dragon; this red dragon is faid to be in heaven, because he had the spirit or feed of the fallen angel in him in a great and extraordinary measure, which angel was firft in heaven, he being created an angel of light, but was thrown down unto this earth when he deceived Eve. Neither did H 2

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that angel that deceived her, ever afcend up into heaven again to this day, nor never fhall, But Herod and his fons, and all wicked kings and rulers, they being of the fallen angel's feed, they may be faid to fall from heaven; and they being of his feed, they may be called a dragon, and fatan, a ferpent, a devil, and stars; though they act several ways, yet all from one root; that is, from one feed, even from the spirit or feed of the fallen angel, as aforefaid..

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Therefore if any head magiftrate or man doth act after the manner of a dragon, he may be faid to be a dragon, as Herod. And if any man act after the manner of a fubtle ferpent, as thofe Jews did that tempted Chrift, they may be called ferpents. And if man act the part of a devil, as Judas did, he may be called a devil. And if any king doth act as a ftar that burneth like a lamp, or more worse, this ftar did, that fell at the founding of the fifth angel, they may be called ftars that fall from heaven unto the earth. Becaufe, as I faid before, the original or father of all wickednefs even the fallen angel, he was thrown down from heaven unto this earth. And the dragon, ferpent, devil, and stars, they being of his feed, they may be faid by the Revelation of John, to fall from heaven unto this earth; for when the angel was thrown down from heaven unto this earth, his feed was all thrown down unto this earth with him. And this earth hath, and is the devil's kingdom ever fince, and will be to the end of the world. And in this sense it may be faid that this star fell from heaven unto the earth, and to him, that is unto this ftar, was given the key of the bottomless pit.

And in verfe 2. it is faid, And he opened the bottomlefs pit, and there arose a fmoke out of the pit as the fmoke of a great furnace, and the fun, and the air were darkened by reafon of the fmoke of the pit.

This bottomlefs pit here fpoken of, it is the imagination of reafon in man; for the imagination of man's heart is continually evil, or bottomless, or topless. That is, the imagination of reafon cannot find out what God is, nor where he is; nor what the devil is, nor where he is, notwithstanding he is the devil himself. That is, the spirit of reason, which is the foul of man, is the devil; and the imaginations that proceed from it, is that bottomless pit the fcriptures speaketh of. It is bottomlefs, because it is eternal; for that which is eternal hath no end, therefore no bottom, fo called by the fpirit a bottomlefs pit; and he that had the key of the bottomlefs pit, was the ftar aforefaid. The meaning is this, he may be faid to open the bottomless pit, in that he had power given him to command the dark reafon and imaginations of the idolatrous peoples hearts, to come forth to fight for his crown and dignity, and for the image and worship which he did fet up.

Now he had power given him of the angel of the bottomlefs pit, that is, from the fallen angel aforefaid; he being the angel of the bottomlefs pit, as it is faid in verse 11. of this chapter, And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomlefs pit, whofe name is Abaddon, &c.

No I would have the reader to understand, that from this king, the angel of the bottomlefs pit, did Herod, the dragon, receive his power; he being that beast that did afcend out of the bottomlefs pit, which is spoken of in chapter xi. of the Revelation, which I have opened already. And this dragon gave his power to this ftar, fo that the angel of the bottomlefs pit did give power to his own feed,

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