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out upon Egypt at the first, when Moses had his commission from God to gather Israel out of Egypt, so in the end of the world, when Christ shall gather his elect together, that is, the wheat from the tares; this vial of his wrath shall be poured out upon the sea, as really as it was poured out upon Egypt by Moses, as aforesaid; and every creature in the sea, both man and beast, fish and fowl shall die, even as they did in Egypt.

CHAP. XLVII.

AND in verse 4. The third angel poured out his

vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters, and they became blood.

The meaning is this, that as the Egyptians rivers and fountains of waters were turned to blood by Moses, so that the Egyptains could not drink of the waters of the rivers, for they did loath to drink of them. So likewise this vial the third angel poured out, it was the wrath of God upon the fountain and river of water that is in every man. For every man hath motions of peace, and refreshing of mind that do arise in his heart from the seed of reason, the root which doth send forth refreshing thoughts, motions, and actions. Many times the seed of reason doth this, which is as a river of water to refresh the soul of man.

But when evil thoughts, motions, and actions, do arise out of the heart, it causeth fear, wrath, and torment of soul, both of the punishment of the law here in this life, and the punishment of eternal

damnation

damnation hereafter. So that the rivers and fountains of waters that do flow out of the hearts of men and women, they are turned into blood, That is, as I said before, the motions, thoughts, and actions, which did arise out of the heart that yielded peace to the mind, they were as water to refresh the heart of man. even as water doth quench the thirst of nature, both of man and beast.

But when these waters of the soul be turned to blood, there is nothing but thoughts of fear, motions of wrath, and fear of eternal death; so that the soul of man is loath, or doth loathe to drink of those thoughts, motions, and actions which are turned to blood; that is, to wrath, and fear of eternal damnation.

But drink they must of the wine of the wrath of God, for they have made the saints to drink of the wine and wrath of their persecution, for not worshiping the beast nor his image, nor receiving his mark. Though I speak of all men and women in general, because all people have a river of water in their hearts, but all rivers are not turned to blood. But the meaning is, all those people who worship the beast, and his image, who receive the mark of his name, or the number of his names, these things include both the beast, and all false worships, and false worshipers, since Christ gave the commission of the gospel to his apostles.

And as Moses poured out that plague of turning the natural rivers and fountains of water of Egypt to blood, at the first coming into his commission of the law; so likewise will Christ pour out his

vial

vial of wrath upon the spirits of men and women, and turn the waters of their souls to blood, as aforesaid; and this will be executed at the latter end of the world, which end will be as certain as the beginning was by Moses.

Therefore John, by the spirit of Revelation, saw these viuls poured out upon the brast, and his seat, and upon his image, and upon those that had his mark, name, or number of his name, as aforesaid. For it is the nature of true faith to see things afar off, or at a distance, as near at hand, or in present being. So that this vial of God's wrath, which the third angel poured out upon the rivers, and fountains of waters, I declare it is meant upon the souls; that is, upon the peace of the souls of those wicked beasts, or head magistrates who set up images, idols, and forms of false worship, and cause the people so to do. And all those people that do bow down to this worship, they receive the mark of the beast, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name, upon all these their souls is this vial poured out upon. That is, upon the peace of all their souls, which peace is called by the spirit, rivers and fountains of waters; and upon these rivers and fountains of waters, the angel doth pour out his 'vial, and turn the waters, of idolatrous men and women's souls to blood. For this the reader is to mind, that there are motions that do run in the mind of man, as the waters do in a river or spring. And these motions do cool or satisfy the soul of man, as water doth when men are thirsty; as the rich man Christ speaks of, who being in hell desired one drop

of

of cold water to cool his tongue; that is, one motion of peace or hope of deliverance out of this heat; for if there could but one motion of peace arise out of the heart of one being in hell, it would be that drop of cold water to cool the tongue of the soul.

But these waters being turned to blood by the vial of God's wrath being poured upon it, no waters can arise. That is, no peace can spring from the souls of men and women, who have this vial poured out upon them; that is, who have the waters of their souls turned to blood; that is, to wrath, torment, and the fear of eternal damnation.

And because the reader may know, that the motions of peace in a man's mind, may be called a river of water, you may mind the words of Christ, where he saith, He that believeth in me, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. So likewise Christ said to the woman of Samaria, If thou hadst asked me, I would have given thee water of life: it should have been a well springing up unto eternal life.

These waters flow from the seed of faith in the soul of men and women; these are not those waters that are turned to blood. But there are waters that proceed from the seed of reason in the heart of men and women, which are motions of natural peace that do arise from the seed of reason in man; and these are those waters that are turned to blood by the pouring out of the vial of God's wrath upon them, as will appear by scripture.

As first, the waters of Cain's soul were turned to blood for killing his brother Abel. 2. The waters

of

of cursed Cham's soul were turned to blood for uncovering his father's nakedness, in that he procured the curse from his father; and Cain had more torment upon his soul than he could bear. 3. The waters of Esau's soul were turned to blood, for despising his birth-right. 4. The waters of King Saul's soul were turned into blood, for disobeying the commandment of the Lord, in that it caused him to enquire of a witch.

These being all of them the seed of reason, and the waters; that is, the motions of peace that did arise from that seed, as you may read that Saul had many, or much peace, for he was called Saul among the prophets. And further it is said, that the good spirit of the Lord departed from him, and an evil spirit from the Lord was sent unto him. That is, the motions of peace departed from him, and the motions of fear and horror were sent unto him. That is, the waters of his soul were turned to blood, and so will it be not only with these afore-mentioned, but with all the seed of the serpent who rebel against God, and that worship false Gods, as these beasts, and all those that receive his mark.

So that to conclude, this vial of God's wrath of turning the rivers and fountains of waters to blood, it hath relation to all wicked kings and head magistrates, who are called by the spirit beasts; and all those that receive the mark in the forehead, or right hand, or the name, or the number of his name. For the mark, name, and number of his name doth include all false worshipers, or idolaters whatsoever. So that this plague which is poured out by the third

angel

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