glass in heaven, as our earthly bodies are upon the firmest earth here below. And those saints that stand upon this chrystal sea of glass, these have the harps of God. Now what is meant by the harps I have shewed before.

And in verse S, these who stood upon the sea of glass, having the harps of God, they sing the song of Moses, and the song of the Lamb, which two songs I have opened before. Now what the words of the song of Moses, and the song of the Lamb are, some of them are set down in the third and fourth verses. And those who stood upon the sea of glass with the harps of God, did sing these two songs in those words aforesaid, their tongues being the harps of God to sound forth his praise and glory for his great mercies towards them.

There is nothing else of any great concernment to know in this chapter, but what I shall have occasion to speak of in the chapters following; therefore I shall say no more, nor interpret any more of this fifteenth chapter.

CHAP. XLVI,

IN Chap. xvi. 1. John heard a great voice out of the temple, saying to the seven angels, Go your ways and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the

earth.

These seven angels are to pour out the seven last plagues upon the earth; they are called seven angels, because of those seven several plagues that are to

be

be poured out upon the earth in the last days, These angels who had the seven last plagues to pour out upon the earth, they were of the holy angels; but whether they were just seven, more or less, is not much material.

But because the plagues are counted but into seven, therefore called seven angels who poured out their vials of the wrath of God; which wrath of God is those seven plagues; when as one or two angels might, at the command of God, pour out all those -seven vials. But this book of the Revelation of John doth speak much of seven; and first of the seven spirits of God before the throne; secondly of the seven angels of the churches of Asia, and of the seven churches themselves. Also he speaks of a lamb with seven horns, and seven eyes, and a beast with seven heads, and now of seven angels, and seven vials, and seven plagues.

So that this book of the Revelation doth speak much upon seven, when sometimes them seven spoken of, were but one, as I have shewed before, Yet they may be called seven, in relation to those seven several operations or works they do.

Likewise I would have the reader mind, that these seven vials of the wrath of God, that are to be poured out by these seven angels, they have relation unto those plagues of Egypt that were poured out by Moses, the angel of the covenant of the law; which nation of the Jews was called the temple of God, for God had established his worship of the law in, and upon them. And the voice of God to Moses the angel of the covenant of the law, commanded

him to pour out the vials of his wrath upon Egypt, which was done accordingly.

Also we read in scriptures, of several of the holy angels that poured out vials of the wrath of God, as well as Moses, the angel of the law; as those two angels who came to Lot, poured out the vial of God's wrath upon Sodom, and burnt it to ashes. Likewise the angel of the Lord destroyed threescore thousand people of the plague, for David's sin in numbering the people. Likewise the angel of the Lord slew fourscore thousand men in one night of the kiug of Assyria's host, according to the words of the prophet Isaiah; with many other examples in scripture, that angels did pour out the vials of God's wrath upon the earth in former times.

But these seven angels, and the seven plagues that are to be poured out upon the earth, I say the meaning of John was, that they should be poured out upon those wicked beasts and false preachers, or false prophets, who set up a false worship, and all false worshipers ever since that day that Christ entered into the ministry, or since the time that the apostles received their commission, as in Acts ii. My meaning is this, that ever since the apostles had those cloven tongues sate upon them, as of fire; for then began people to worship Christ according to the apostles directions, who had their commission from Christ.

Now what worship hath been set up since by kings or head magistrates, who had no commission from God, they are called by the spirit evil beasts, false prophets, false preachers, and false worship.

Dd

And

And those seven angels poured out their seved plagues upon those superstitious and idolatrous people, who have drunk of the wine of the fornication of idolatry, in worshiping false gods or idols, ever since the worship of the gospel was set up by the apostles of Christ.

I declare that these seven last plagues are to be poured out upon the enemies of the gospel of Jesus, he being the angel of the new covenant of faith, and Christ dwelling in their hearts by faith; so that the true believers of the gospel are called by the spirit the temple of God.

And this great voice which John heard out of the temple, was no other but the voice of Christ, who gave charge unto his angels to pour out the seven vials of his wrath, which are seven plagues, upon the earth. That is, upon wicked, idolatrous people, who worship idols, images, and false gods since the apostles commission. Even such like

plagues as Moses the angel of the law, and other angels did pour out upon Egypt, and upon other wicked and ungodly men, as aforesaid.

Let the reader observe, and he may see that these last plagues that are poured out upon the beast, his image, and those that receive the mark, and the number of his name; that is, upon all idolatrous people, they are much like unto those plagues of Egypt, as aforesaid; as you may perceive in the seven vials pouring out those seven plagues.

In verse 2. The first went and poured out his vial upon the earth, and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men, who had the mark of the beast, and upon them that worshiped his image.

This

This plague the first angel poured out, it was upon those people that received the mark of the beast, and those which did worship his image; even the same plague was poured out upon the servants, and inhabitants of Egypt, for their wicked oppression of Israel, they had grievous sores upon them; as you may see, Exodus ix. 10, 11. The sores were so grievous upon the Egyptians, and upon the magicians, that they could not stand before Moses, for the boyls were upon the magicians, both upon man, and beast. So in like manner is the plague poured out upon the enemies of the worship of the the gospel of Jesus.

Verse 3. And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea, and it became as the blood of a dead man; and every living soul died in the sea.

This second angel poured out his vial, and the plague this angel poured out, it was much like to the plague Moses poured out upon Egypt; as you may see Exodus vii. 17, how the rod in Moses's hand smote upon the waters that were in the rivers, and they became blood, or were turned into blood.

And in verse 18. And the fish that are in the river shall die, and the river shall stink, and the Egyptians shall loath to drink of the water of the river.

So in like manner will God pour out this vial of wrath upon the sea; that is, upon all the rivers and fountains of water, which is for the comfort, satisfaction, and quenching the thirst of man and all other creatures. For the vial being poured out upon the sea, the sea doth imply all manner of waters whatsoever. And as this plague was poured Dd 2

out