selves can read to their eternal joy and glory, though others cannot, who have it not.

4. He that overcometh and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations, and he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a Potter shall they be broken to shivers, even as I received of my father; and I will give him the morning

star.

Here those that are strong in faith, who holdeth out to the end in keeping Christ's works, that is, whoever holdeth out to the end of his life, in suffering for the faith of Jesus.

He will give him that doth so, power over the nations, and he shall rule them with a rod of iron.

That is, he by his faith and sufferings shall have power over the nations, because his sufferings for truth shall lye so heavy upon the consciences of those nations that persecute upon that account, that shall be ruled as it were with a rod of iron; for there are rods of iron upon the spirits of men, as there are upon the bodies of men.

For this rod of iron which breaketh mens spirits to pieces, even like a potter's vessel, by wounding their consciences with the guilt of innocent blood; so that the iron rod of God's wrath will make them afraid of hell, and torment will seize upon them, and the fear of God's eternal vengeance upon them, for this sin of innocent blood.

So that all their peace, joy and comfort they had in this world. is broken in pieces by this iron rod of suffering

B 2

suffering for truth. For was not that nation of the Jews, who put the Lord of Life to death, broken to pieces in the comfort of their souls, by that iron rod of Christ's suffering death?

And not only so, but the temporal iron rod did break that nation to pieces also in a few years after. Did not many of those nations that persecuted the apostles and saints in the primitive times, had not they a rod of iron upon their hearts?

And not only so, but a temporal rod of iron which broke them to pieces, as to the peace of their minds, and to their temporal peace also, as histories doth mention; so that suffering for truth it is as strong an iron rod to break persecuting spirits to pieces, even as a rod of iron doth break a potter's vessel.

For this is to be minded, that he that had the greatest faith, never made use of any sword or steel, nor any temporal rod of iron, but as the sword of the spirit doth cut mens souls both ways.

So this rod of iron it is used in a spiritual sence ; for as words of truth doth cut men to the heart, as the Jews were at Peter's words, so suffering for truth, it doth bang the hearts of persecuting men, even as a rod of iron, and breaketh all their peace and hope to pieces, even as a potter's vessel.

So that he that hath power to suffer for his faith, he shall break his enemies to shivers, both spiritual and temporal, even as Christ did by his sufferings.

And as Christ did conquer by his sufferings over death, sin, and hell; and not only so, but over those

persecuting

persecuting spirits which caused him to be put to death.

I say he brake all his spiritual and temporal enemies to pieces, even as a potter's vessel is broken to pieces with an iron rod.

Even so it will be with every true believer whose faith doth hold out to the end, he shall conquer both sin, death and hell in himself; and not only so, but he shall rule his enemies without him, as with a rod of iron, by keeping them under the fear of eternal death, who persecute for truth's sake.

So that the peace and hopes of their minds, by the patient sufferings of the saints, will be broken in shivers, even as a potter's vessel.

And Christ will give him the morning star. This morning star is that day star that doth arise in the heart, as the apostle speaks.

This morning, or day-star is that light of truth, or light of the true God, that that doth arise in the heart of every true believer, and doth guide him in the right way; so that the soul is guilded by the light of this star in the way of truth here, even to the assurance of eternal life.

And so the light of this morning star doth lead every true believer into that eternal glory which God hath promised to all those that do overcome those spiritual enemies within, and all persecuting spirits without, by his faith and patience, &c.

CHAP.

CHAP. III.

5. He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment, and I will not blot out his name out of the Book of Life, &c.

AS for this white raiment, I shall shew what is

meant by it in several places of this treatise, and as for Christ's not blotting his name out of the book of life.

And as for the book of life, and how mens names are written therein, the reader shall find in the following discourse.

And as for his name not blotted out of the book of life, the meaning is this, That he that overcometh, as aforesaid, shall not lose the sensibleness of his name being written in the book of life, but shall have a certain assurance of it in himself.

For when a man doth not know by faith that his name is written in the book of life, that is, he having no assurance that he is of that seed that shall be saved, he cannot truly say any otherwise but that his name is blotted out of the book of life.

For though a man's name, as he is an elect vessel, is written in the book of life, yet he not knowing, it is to him as if it were blotted out of the book of life.

So on the contrary, if any man shall vainly imagine that his name is written in the book of life, as most people in the world do, and he being of the contrary

seed,

seed, his name is not written in the book of life; neither is he certain that it is not so.

So that neither of these two, they being both uncertain of the thing in themselves, their names may be said to be blotted out of the book of life.

For the seed of faith, his name is written in the book of life, but he knows it not: and the seed of reason, his name is not written in the book of life, yet he thinks it is, but doth not certainly know that it is not.

So that to the apprehension of them both, their names are blotted out of the book of life.

For this I say, that except a man hath some witness in himself by voice from God, or some secret revelation, or by a stedfast faith in those messengers whom God doth send, he cannot know that his name is written in the book of life, but rather fear that his name is blotted out of it.

So that the assurance that a man's name is not blotted out of the book of life, is when a man hath the witness in himself, that he knoweth the true God, and doth suffer perseeution for the truth, and not for a lye, as all the world doth.

And so he that overcometh by faith and patient sufferings for truth, he cometh to have the witness in himself that his name is written in the book of life, and that his name shall not be blotted out, no not by God himself.

6. Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I

will