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or fons fucceffively, fo that the angel's fons are called by feveral names. And this fon who had the key of the bottomlefs pit, and had power given him to open it, he is called a star that fell from heaven unto the earth. For all wicked kings and magiftrates who are the feed of the fallen angel, they are called ftars, because the first original of them was from heaven. But as that feed is become mortal, they may be faid to fall unto the earth; and here it is that they work all their wickedness, blafphemy, and idolatry against God. And the bottomless pit is in the earth alfo, for there is no other bottomlefs pit but the imagination of man's heart, and out of this bottomlefs pit cometh all manner of wickedness. And when this bottomlefs pit is opened either by the law, or command of the good magiftrate or the bad, there will arife unrighteousness, fear, wrath, and envy out of it. But this ftar that had power given him, he was a wicked magiftrate; for when he opened the bottomlefs pit by his power and command, there arofe a smoke out of the pit as the fmoke of a furnace. And the fun and the air were darkened, by reafon of the fmoke of the pit.

Now this fmoke that did arife out of the bottomlefs pit of his own and his peoples imaginations, and the pride of their hearts, it was his and their breathings forth of blafphemy against the living God, and revenge upon all thofe that would not fubmit to worship as they did. And this fmoke, which was breathed forth from himself and his people, it did darken the fun and the air. That is, it made the faith and worship of the gospel, which did fignify the fun, to be darkened, so that the worship of the gofpel could not be feen to fhine for a season.

And the air was darkned alfo. The air doth fignify the light of reafon : that is,' the very light of reason was fo darkned, that they could not worship God according to the light of reafon. For the smoke of the pit was fo great, that is, ignorant, dark, and idolatrous worship was breathed and threatened forth, that it became like the fmoke of a great furnace, fo that no fun or air could be seen. That is, the idolatrous dark worship was fo great and overspread the earth, and the threatnings against any other worship, it being the smoke of the bottomlefs pit, it darkned the fun and the air, that they could not be seen for smoke. That is, no worship of the gospel, nor worship of the law, which was the light of reafon, which fignifies the air, could be feen by reafon of the smoke of the pit; for as the fmoke is great that doth arise from a furnace; fo that it doth dazzle the light of the fire and candle, that it cannot be seen what is in the furnace; fo the smoke of the bottomlefs pit was fo great, that the light of the fun and the air was darkened, that none could fee into the bottomlefs pit. That is, the light of the gospel, nor the light of law, could not penetrate through the smoke of the pit to see what was in it, the breathings forth of blafphemy and idolatry was fo great, that it darkened the fun and the air, as aforefaid.

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CHA P. XXVII.

ND in verfe 3. And there came out of the fmoke locufts upon the earth, and unto them was given power as the fcorpions of the earth have power. Now these locufts that came out of the fmoke of the bottomlefs pit, I declare

they

they were men, though called by the Revelation of John locufts. For it was the power of the ftar's command that opened the bottomlefs pit of his own imagination, and that breathed out threatnings against all that would not obey his command; fo that there arofe out of the smoke of his imagination, a multitude of locufts, that is, a multitude of wicked men; and these wicked men should have power given, as the fcorpions of the earth have power. That is, this ftar did give commiffion to thofe locufts that came out of the fmoke, they had power given them by his commiffion to spread themselves upon the earth. ́ And as the natural fcorpions of the earth have power to hurt, or fting any they fhall light upon, fo likewise these locufts that came out of the fmoke of the pit, they alfo had power to hurt men whomfoever they did light upon. Only this their power was limited by a fecret providence, it was commanded them, verse 4. That they should not hurt the grafs of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree, but only thofe men which have not the feal of God in their foreheads. The green grafs, and green things, and trees, did fignify the faints that should not be hurt.

For tho' the smoke of the bottomlefs pit had darkened the fun and the air, in that they durft not worship according to the law, nor gospel not publick, because of the smoke aforefaid, yet the faints were not to be put to death, nor hurt by these locufts, not for a certain time; for the faints did forbear cutward and publick worship of the gospel for a season, so that the locufts did not hurt them, according to the fecret command and providence of God, but only thofe that had not the feal of God in their foreheads.

And in verfe 5. it is faid, And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months, and their torment was as the terment of a fcorpion when he ftriketh a man.

Now thofe men which had not the feal of God in their foreheads, they were not to be killed by the locufts that came out of the fmoke of the pit, but they were to be hurt and ftung by them, and this ftinging fhould torment them for five months. That is, for fuch a time as their power did laft. Now what the fpirit doth mean by five months as to time, it is uncertain, and not revealed. But as the torment is great unto that man that is ftung with a natural fcorpion in his body, fo likewise the fting that these locufts did strike those men with who had not the feal of God in their foreheads, it was as the fting of fcorpions, and the torment was like unto it. Now this torment or fting hath relation to the mind of man, as well as to the outward man; for the fin of idolatry or falfe worfhip, especially against a man's will, it will torment and fting the foul of man, as the fting of a fcorpion doth the body, fo that no reft can be found; for when men are forced to worship contrary to the light within them, elfe they must loofe their eftates; fo that thefe locufts they do either fting men in taking away their eftates, and afflicting them with outward trouble; or elfe they must worship against the light of their confcience, and fo fting their fouls, and have the torment of his mind, which is as the torment of a scorpion when he fstriketh a man, So that when men are tormented and stung in this manner both in foul and body, they will chufe rather to die than to live, and fhall feek for death, but it shall

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be to the end of the world. Verse 7. And the shapes of the locusts were like unto borfes prepared unto battle; and the latter part of the verfe, The faces of thefe locufts were like men. Verfe 8. They had hair like unto the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of a lion. And in verfe 9. They had breast-plates of iron. And in verfe io. And they had tails like unto Scorpions, and there were ftings in their tails, and their power was to hurt men five months. These locufts that came forth of the smoke of the pit, may be faid to be in fhape like horfes prepared unto battle, in regard of their ftrength and preparednefs of mind they had to hurt and to destroy; for the faces of the locufts were like the faces of men. They muft needs be like men, for they were men, only they were wicked men, therefore called locufts. Their hair is faid to be like the hair of women, in regard they did wear their hair long; and their teet may be faid to be like lions teeth, in refpect of the readiness they had to tear in pieces with their teeth. And they may be faid to have breaft-plates of iron, in that they were exceedingly well armed. Also they may be faid to have tails like fcorpions, because of that poisonous nature that lay in their tails; for there was a fting in it which did hurt men five months; which men are called fcorpions, as that of Ezekiel ii. 6. he speaking to the rebellious house of Ifrael, whom he calls bryers and thorns, as they were fit for nothing else but for the fire. Yet they like fcorpions, did endeavour to fting Ezekiel, but he was incouraged of God not to be afraid of them. So that wicked men are locufts and fcorpions, and do fting men about worship with perfecution, and death itself. And this fting may be said to be in their tails, when they perfecute men meerly for confcience or religion fake. Then is the fting in their tails, and they do hurt men, as the fcorpion of the earth doth hurt, when he ftriketh a man. So that great plagues were upon the earth, at the founding of the fifth angel. Which plagues did proceed from the fmoke of the bottomlefs pit, it being opened by that king, who is the angel of the bottomless pit, whofe name is called Appollion. That is, the angel of reafon, that was firft thrown down from heaven unto this earth, even he that deceived our first parents as aforefaid, which is the destroyer.

And this reason, that is, the fallen angel's nature, is that which rules in all wicked kings and magiftrates, therefore called by the revelation of the spirit, ferpents, dragons, devils, ftars, angels, the devil and his angels; yet all from one angel of reafon fallen. And this angel of reafon fallen from heaven unto this earth, is the angel of the bottomlefs pit of the imagination of man's heart, which doth fend forth that smoke, locufts, and scorpions, which doth sting and hurt their fellow-creatures, which doth bring fuch plagues and woe upon the inhabitants of the earth, which is far more than I can relate, at the founding of the fifth angel; but I fhall leave the reader to confider of it, therefore I fhall fay no more of it here.

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CHA P. XXVIII.

ND in verfe 13. The fixth angel founded, and John heard a voice from the
four horns of the golden altar, which is before
God.
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peak that, for that al ween opened in my other writings, neither fhall I fpeak of the voice which John heard, nor of the horns he fpeaketh of, for the thing is of no great concernment to know. But I fhall proceed to verfe 14. The voice that came from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, faying to the fixth angel that had the trumpet, loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates.

Now I would have the reader to understand, that these four angels that were bound in the great river Euphrates, were not good angels, but evil angels. That is, they were the dragon's angels, that is, they were four kings that were of the fame feed and nature as he was, for they came from the old ferpent, the devil, which beguiled Eve. He may be called the old ferpent, because he was the first angel that was thrown down from heaven unto this earth. And where the fpirit of this ferpent-angel is in king or magiftrate, they being of his feed, they may be called angels alfo; for the devil and his angels are referved in chains of darkness, until the judgment of the great day.

The meaning is this, the devil was that old ferpent-angel that deceived Eve, as aforefaid; and he being an angel of light before he was caft down from heaven, but now he being upon this earth and diffolving into feed, he is become an angel of darkness; Why because he hath loft the knowledge of himself, what he was himself, and what the other angels were that were of the fame nature of reafon as he himself is. I fay, he hath loft the knowledge both of the form of angels, and their natures, and what he was himself, so that he is now,in chains of darkness, wondering in his imagination what the devil fhould be; not thinking himself to be the devil; and this is spiritual chains of darkness, not to know what the devil is in his form and nature.

And thofe great men that came of his feed, that is to fay, the feed of the ferpent, as Cain the first-born of the devil, curfed Cham, fcoffing Ishmael, prophane Efau, that dragon Herod, with thousands of other kings, and great men that are of his feed, therefore called angels.

So that these angels are referved in chains of darkness, until the judgment of the great day, as well as the devil their father; for they are as ignorant what the devil is, and that they are angels, as the ferpent is, what he was before he was thrown down from heaven; fo that I would have the feed of faith to know that there is no fuch thing, as the feed of reafon doth vainly imagine, as to think that there is any fuch thing as a devil, and his angels in chains of darknefs, out of the body of man, diftinct from man; for there is no devil but man, and what is in the body of man.

And this fpirit of reafon in man is the devil, and when the spirit of reason hath got power in man, fo as to be the chief and head of many people, he may be faid to be an angel, though an angel of darkness, because he is in chains of darkness; for the spirit of reason is in chains of darkness almost in all men ; fo that all men that are ignorant of the devil, and of themselves, may be said to be in chains of darkness.

And in this fense all men that are ignorant of the true God, and of the right devil, may be faid to be the devil's angels, and fo the devil and his angels may be

faid to be referved in chains of darknels, unto the judgment of the great day. This is only to give the feed of faith a little to know the difference of angels. But these four angels that were bound at the great river Euphrates, were of the heathen kings that did fucceed after Herod the dragon, fpoken of Rev. xii. And as for the great river Euphrates, where these four angels were bound; the meaning is this, these four angels did border or inhabit near, and about this great river Euphrates. For this river was in the land of Canaan, where Canaanites, and other nations did dwell, which Mofes and Joshua did give to the Children of Ifrael to inhabit; but through their rebellion and idolatry, they were difinherited, and the Gentiles had it again. And these four angels did inhabit about that great river, for there was abundance of land that did belong to that great river Euphrates, whereby these four angels could raise many thousand horfes and horsemen, as doth afterwards appear.

But why is it faid that these four angels were bound? The meaning is this, they were bound by the fecret providence of God, from going forth to battle to kill and flay men; for they had prepared themselves with fuch a mighty army, thinking to destroy and may the third part of men, that should come against them, in an hour; if not in an hour, then in a day; if not in a day, then in a month; if not in a month, then in a year. So that these four angels were prepared to accomplish all this their defign in a year's time; but these four angels were bound fome certain time before they could do this. The time they were bound, it was fo long as from the founding of the fifth angel, to the founding of the fixth angel. For there were great plagues at the founding of every angel, as I have fhewed before. And now at the founding of the fixth angel, these four angels that were bound are loofed. And when And when they were loofed, you may fee what effect they wrought.

The meaning is this, when the fixth angel founded, there was leave given to thofe four angles that were bound before, the time being not come to go forth. Now they were loofed to flay the third part of men, as they would willingly have done before; and for that purpose they mufter up their army, as in verse 16. John Saw the number of the army of the horsemen, and they were two hundred thousand thousand. And in verse 17. John saw the borfes in the vifion, and them that fate on them, having breast plates of fire and brimstone, and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions, and out of their mouths iffued fire, and fmoak, and brimstone; by his great army was the third part of men killed, as in verfe 18.

That is, by the fire, and the fmoke, and the brimftone, that iffued out of their mouths. And as for their horfes heads, being like the heads of lions, it was only to fignify the strength and dreadfulness of them; because men are more afraid of lions, than they are of horses; and as for the fire, fmoke, and brimftone, that iffued out of the riders mouths, it fignifies a three-fold deftruction of men. As thus, when a man is burnt with fire alone. Secondly, a man may be fmothered with fmoke, fo that he die. And if a man be burnt with brimftone, that is a more terrible death than the other two.

Now by one of these three were the third part of men killed, only to fignify that fome died a more cruel death than other fome. That is, there iffued out of

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