their wicked works, and especially of their idolatry; wherein they have, under a pretence of holy devotion, worshipped the Devil, and fallen down before idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood, which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk.

X. 1 And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud: and a rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire:

Now, that in the midst of these broils and miseries which should befal the world, it might appear that God had special respect to his Church; behold, the great Angel of the Covenant, even Christ the Son of God, appeared, as coming down from heaven, in a very glorious fashion; baving, as it were, a bright rainbow upon his head, shining with variety of excellent colours: and his face was resplendent and beamy, like to the sun; and his feet were as pillars of fire, to shew the certain and powerful revenge that he will take of his enemies :

X. 2, 3 And he had in his hand a little book open: and he set his right foot upon the sea, and his left foot on the earth; And cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roareth: and when he had cried, seven thunders uttered their voices.

And he had in his hand a little book, open: whether to signify that abundance of knowledge of God's word, which should be after the barbarisms of superstition and Turkish ignorance; or whether to signify the clearness of those few prophecies, which yet remained after these fore-mentioned events, to be fulfilled: and he put one of his feet upon the sea, and the other upon the earth; to signify that he had the power and command of both, and that the things which he was to speak concerned all, both continent and islands, and all that lived either on sea or land: And he spake aloud, with a strong and mighty and dreadful voice, as when a lion roareth: and when he had spoken that which he would say, seven thunders, as the echo of that speech of his, were heard to resound with a very fearful noise, expressing what he had delivered.

X. 4 And when the seven thunders had uttered their voices, I was about to write and I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not.

And when the seven thunders had finished their sound, I was about to write that which was delivered by them; but, presently, I heard a voice from heaven, charging me to the contrary, saying, Keep unto thyself those things which the seven thunders have uttered, and do not publish them to the world.

X. 5, 6 And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hands to heaven, And sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that thereis are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer. And this glorious Angel of the Covenant, whom I saw stand upon

the sea with one foot and on the land with the other, did, in the solemn form of an oath, lift up his hand to heaven, as calling God the Father and the Holy Ghost to record of that serious truth which he would speak, And swore, by that eternal and infinite God, who created heaven and all that is therein, and the earth with all the things that are in and upon it, and the sea and all the things therein, that the time and world were now drawing to an end, and, after these things should be fulfilled, should be no more.

X. 7 But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.

But, that, in the days of the sound of the seventh trumpet, by which the seventh Angel should blow forth the plague of God's last wrath, Antichrist should be destroyed, the kingdom of Christ should be erected, and the mystery of God's final judgment, wherein all prophecies shall end, should be accomplished and performed. X. 8 And the voice which I heard from heaven spake unto me again, and said, Go and take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel which standeth upon the sea and upon the earth. Then the voice, which I heard from heaven, spake unto me again; and charged me, that I should go and receive the full and clear instructions of those mysteries, contained in that book, which was open in the hand of Christ.

X. 9 And I went unto the angel, and said unto him, Give me the little book. And he said unto me, Take it, and eat it up; and it shall make thy belly bitter, but it shall be in thy mouth sweet as honey.

And I went unto Christ the Mediator, and humbly besought him, that he would be pleased to give me the clear and perfect understanding of the mysteries therein contained; who, graciously con descending to my request, did not only give me the book, but power to comprehend it; charging me to take in and speedily to digest the contents of it; and, withal, fore-admonished me, that the matter comprised therein, howsoever it should be very sweet and pleasant to me in the knowledge thereof, yet, in regard of the trouble and opposition which will follow upon the publishing thereof and conveying of it forth to the use of others, it should be found very bitter and unpleasing. So also verse 10.

X. 11 And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.

And he said unto me, As I have, under these former visions, shewed thee the state of my Church, and revealed it unto thee for the further manifestation thereof to others; so do I now again renew unto thee the representation of the same truths, under other forms of expression: thou therefore, having taken in and digested the contents of this book, must prophesy again of the same things, before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.

XI. 1 And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the

angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein.

And now, to express the state of the Church under the first opening of those Seven Seals, there was given unto me a reed like unto a rod, wherewith to measure the temple and the altar; signifying in effect, that I was enjoined to take full notice of the condition of the Church of God under the Gospel, and those that did faithfully and truly make profession thereof.

XI. 2 But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months.

But I was commanded to neglect and pass over the measure of the outer court; in token, that I should make no reckoning of those that did falsely and unjustly challenge to themselves the title of a Christian profession; for that they should, in God's just judgment, be given over to heretics and mis-believers in opinion, and men superstitious and profane in practice; who should prevail against the more sincere and sound part of the Church, and hold them under their tyranny, for the space of one thousand, two hundred, and sixty years.

XI. 3 And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and three score days, clothed in sackcloth.

Yet, in the mean time, I will raise up some few faithful witnesses against them, and for my oppressed truth; and they shall, in their several successions, continue to speak against the errors and corruptions of the times, for that whole space of a thousand, two hundred, and threescore years; howsoever with much opposition on the part of their enemies, and trouble and sorrow on their part. XI. 4 These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth.

These are they, whom I will raise up, as the noble and profitable instruments and means of much grace, illumination, holiness to my Church; in a continued succession of times.

XI. 5 And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed.

And, if any heretic or profane person shall rise up against them and oppose their holy doctrine, the power and evidence of that Spirit, which is in these messengers of God, shall convince them and shall bring judgments upon them.

XI. 6 These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will.

These holy men shall prevail so far with God, as that, upon their prayers, so as it was in the case of Elijah, the heavens shall be shut up, that no rain shall fall upon the earth during the time of their interdiction; and, according to the power given unto Moses, they

shall be able to turn the waters into blood, and to bring much variety of plagues upon the earth; and God shall shew, that he bears great respect unto them.

XI. 7 And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascended out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them.

And when they have finished their testimony, which is after a thousand, two hundred, and sixty years, the Antichristian power shall be more vehemently bent against them; and shall strongly labour to suppress them, by putting some of them to death.

XI. 8 And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.

And that great and wicked city; which is spiritually resembled by Sodom for uncleanness, and by Egypt for cruelty, oppression, and superstition; even that, under whose power and jurisdiction the Lord was crucified, shall be notoriously known for her guiltiness of their innocent blood shed.

XI. 9 And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and a half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves.

And those, that are favourers of error and superstition, in all the kingdoms and the countries of the world, shall gladly hear and see the cruelty, which shall be offered to these faithful messengers of God; and shall partake in persecuting them, both alive and dead; denying them the rights of Christian burial, and suffering their carcases to lie openly in their streets, so long as till there might be, danger of their own annoyance.

XI. 10 And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them, that dwelt on the earth.

And all carnal men, which are superstitiously affected, and who were troubled with their bold and conscionable reproofs, shall rejoice and be glad at the death of these holy men; and, in a congratulation of their riddance, shall send presents to each other: for these are they, who, by preaching down their wicked courses and erroneous doctrines, did much vex and disquiet those favourers of idolatry and error.

XI. 11 And after three days and a half the Spirit of Life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them.

But, after they have been for a short time thus suppressed, persecuted, and slain, the Spirit of God, who is the Author of Life, shall raise up like minded successors unto them; who, as if they had been animated with the same soul, shall maintain the same holy quarrel; and their insulting enemies shall be much dismayed and affrighted therewith.

XI. 12 And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them.

But, as for them, who have been thus persecuted and martyred, they shall be received triumphantly into heaven; and shall hear the gracious invitation of God, calling them up to their crown and glory; and their very enemies shall be witnesses of their blessed exaltation.

XI. 13 And the same hour was there a great carthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand: and the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven.

And, at the same time, when these revived abettors of God's truth shall bestir themselves, there shall be very great commotions and stirs in the Church; and a great part of the Roman adherency shall fall off from her; and many thousands of them, who have, against the light of their own consciences, upheld the errors and abuses of the times, shall be swept away, with the just judgments of God: and the remnant shall be afraid of the like measure, and shall give glory to the God of Heaven, and embrace his holy truth.

XI. 14 The second woe is past; and, behold, the third woe cometh quickly.

The Fifth and Sixth Trumpet have their several sounds of fearful plagues that shall befal to the Christian world: the Second of those Woes, denounced by the sixth angel, is now so past, as that the main force of it is abated; and now the Third Woe, which the Seventh Trumpet shall proclaim, is near at hand.

XI. 15 And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ, and he shall reign for ever and ever.

And the Seventh Angel, who sounds an utter and final destruction to all the enemies of God and his Church, blew the trumpet; and immediately there were heard joyful acclamations in heaven, of the Saints and Angels, which said, Now the enemies of God are quite vanquished, and the kingdom of God and his Son Christ is advanced, and submitted unto by all the nations of the world, and established for ever.

XI. 16 And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seals, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God.

Then those four and twenty Elders, which represented the Patriarchs and Prophets of the Ancient Church of God, sitting before the throne of God in glorious seats, fell down upon their faces, and worshipped God: Saying, &c. verse 17.

XI. 18 And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth.

And those profane enemies of thine, which were exasperated against thy Church, and offered all manner of affronts and violences unto it, shall now find, that the time of thy wrath is come;