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because it is eternal; for that which is eternal hath no end, therefore no bottom, so called by the spirit a bottomless pit; and he that had the key of the bottomless pit, was the star aforesaid. The meaning is this, he may be said to open the bottomless pit, in that he had power given him to command the dark reason 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 set up. Now he had power given him of the angel of the bottomless pit, that is, from the fallen angel aforesaid; he being the angel of the bottomless pit, as it is said in verse 11, of this chapter, And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name is Abaddon, &c.

No I would have the reader to understand, that from this king, the angel of the bottomless pit, did Herod, the dragon, receive his power; he being that beast that did ascend out of the bottomless pit, which is spoken of in chapter xi. of the Revelation, which I have opened already. And this dragon gave his power to this star, so that the angel of the bottomless pit did give power to his own seed, or sons successively, so that the angel's sons are called by several names. And this son who had the key of the bottomless 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 magistrates' who are the seed of the fallen angel, they are called stars, because the first original of them was from heaven. But as that seed is become mortal, they may be said to fall unto the earth; and here it is

that

that they work all their wickedness, blasphemy, and idolatry against God. And the bottomless pit is in the earth also, for there is no other bottomless pit but the imagination of man's heart, and out of this bottomless pit cometh all manner of wickedness. And when this bottomless pit is opened either by the law, or command of the good magistrate or the bad, there will arise unrighteousness, fear, wrath and envy out of it. But this star that had power given him, he was a wicked magistrate; for when he opened the bottomless pit by his power and command, there arose a smoke out of the pit as the smoke of a furnace. And the sun and the air were darkened, by reason of the smocke of the pit.

Now this smoke that did arise out of the bottomless pit of his own and his peoples imaginations, and the pride of their hearts, it was his and their breathings forth of blasphemy against the living God, and revenge upon all those that would not submit to worship as they did. And this smoke which was breathed forth from himself and his people, it did darken the sun and the air. That is, it made the faith and worship of the gospel, which did signify the sun, to be darkened, so that the worship of the gospel, could not not be seen to shine for a season.

And the air was darkened also. The air doth signify the light of reason: that is, the very light of reason was so darkned, that they could not worship God according to the light of reason. For the smoke of the pit was so great, that is, ignorant, dark, and idolatrous worship was breathed and threatened forth, that it became like the smoke of a great fur

nace,

nace, so that no sun or air could be seen. That is, the idolatrous dark worship was so great and overspread the earth, and the threatnings against any other worship, it being the smoke of the bottomless pit, it darkned the sun 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 reason, which signifies the air, could be seen by reason of the smoke of the pit; for as the smoke is great that doth arise from a furnace; so that it doth dazzle the light of the fire and candle, that it cannot be seen what is in the furnace; so the smoke of the bottomless pit was so great, that the light of the sun and the air was darkened, that none could see into the bottomless 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 blasphemy and idolatry was so great, that it darkened the sun and the air, as aforesaid.

CHAP. XXVII.

AND in verse 3. And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth, and unto them was given power as the scorpions of the earth have power.

Now these locusts that came out of the smoke of the bottomless pit, I declare they were men, though called by the Revelation of John locusts. For it was the power of the star's command that opened the bottomless pit of his own imagination, and that breathed out threatnings against all that would not

obey

obey his command; so that there arose out of the smoke of his imagination, a multitude of locusts, that is, a multitude of wicked men; and these wicked men should have power given, as the scorpions of the earth have power. That is, this star did give commission to those locusts that came out of the smoke, they had power given them by his commission to spread themselves upon the earth. And as the natural scorpions of the earth have power to hurt, or sting any they shall light upon, so likewise these locusts that came out of the smoke of the pit, they also had power to hurt men whomsoever they did light upon. Only this their power was limited by a secret providence, it was commanded them, verse 4. That they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree, but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads. The green grass, and green things, and trees, did signify the saints that should not be hurt.

For though the smoke of the bottomless pit had darkened the sun and the air, in that they durst not worship according to the law, nor gospel not publick, because of the smoke aforesaid, yet the saints were not to be put to death, nor hurt by these locusts, not for a certain time; for the saints did forbear outward and publick worship of the gospel for a season, so that the locusts did not hurt them, according to the secret command and providence of God, but only those that had not the seal of God in their foreheads.

And in verse 5, it is said, And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented

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tormented five months, and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion when he striketh a man.

Now those men which had not the seal of God in their foreheads, they were not to be killed by the locusts that came out of the smoke of the pit, but they were to be hurt and stung by them, and this stinging should torment them for five months. That is, for such a time as their power did last. Now what the spirit 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 stung with a natural scorpion in his body, so likewise the sting that these locusts did strike those men with who had not the scal of God in their foreheads, it was as the sting of scorpions, and the torment was like unto it. Now this torment or sting hath relation to the mind of man, as well as to the outward man; for the sin of idolatry or false worship, especially against a man's will, it will torment and sting the soul of man, as the sting of a scorpion doth the body, so that no rest can be found; for when men are forced to worship contrary to the light within them, else they must loose their estates; so that these locusts they do either sting men in taking away their estates, and afflicting them with outward trouble; or else they must worship against the light of their conscience, and so sting their souls, and have the torment of his mind, which is as the torment of a scorpion when he striketh a man. So that when men are tormented and stung in this manner both in soul and body, they will chuse rather to die than to live, and shall seek for death, but it shall flee from them. These