ten horns also. The meaning is this, the dragon's seven heads did signify seven kings besides himself, that should exercise the same idolatry and persecution of the saints as he did. For he gave his power unto this beast, who had the seven heads and ten horns. But this beast that did arise out of the sea, is said to have seven heads and ten horns, in regard that he was one of the seven heads himself, and the first of the seven heads that the dragon had. So that the dragon is the eighth, and is gone into perdition, as I shall open more when I come to it.

Only this that the seed of faith may see some difference between the dragon's seven heads and ten horns, and the beast's seven heads and ten horns: the one having seven heads besides himself, and the other having seven heads with himself. And as for the ten horns they were all one; for they were both blasphemers and idolaters, and did worship idols and images, and persecuted the seed of the woman, and made war with the saints.

And all the victory the saints did obtain against the dragon, the beast, and their image, it was by faith and patience in the blood of the Lamb; enabling them to suffer with patience those ten persecutions which those ten horns did push the saints with those cruel deaths, which the Revelation of John calls ten days tribulation. But I shall have occasion to speak more of that hereafter.

BU UT in verse 2. of this chapter it is said, And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, & his feet

were

were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion, and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and his authority.

Now I would have the seed of faith to know, that these ten persecutions, which were the ten horns, they were acted upon the saints, in the primitive time, so called. That is, so long as the commission of the apostles did successively last, or as long as the true faith of Christ was upon the earth, which did last a matter of three hundred years, from the birth of Christ; for after his birth there was true faith on the earth.

For when the the Son of Man, as he calls himself, did come in the flesh upon earth, was there any faith upon earth? Surely no. If there had been faith upon the earth, they would never have sought to have destroyed him when he was born, as Herod that red dragon did; and afterwards, his own people the Jews. So that this is to be minded, that always when God doth come with his commissions, there is little or no faith upon the earth.

Was there any faith upon the earth, when God did send Moses to Pharaoh, and to Israel? Moses being the first man which God chose, and gave a commission to write scripture. I say, was there any faith upon the earth at the first appearing of God? Surely no.

But after Moses had appeared, then there was faith upon the earth, but at his first appearing there was no faith on the earth. So likewise at the second appearing of God, that is to say, when Christ was born, was there any faith upon the earth at that U

time

time, but only in old Simeon and his wife, and Joseph the supposed father of Christ?

The earth was very barren of true faith at the appearing of God, in this way. But after his appearing, there was much true faith upon the earth, as may be read concerning Christ himself, that many believed on him, and a greater number of people believed on his apostles, more than did on himself. So that there was great faith upon the earth, in the time of God's appearing in his commission of the blood; but before, or at the first appearing, there was very little or no faith upon the earth.

So likewise at God's third appearing in his commission of the spirit, was there any true faith upon the carth? Surely no. This I know by experience, that there was no true faith on the earth: but since God hath appeared in the commission of the spirit, there is true faith upon the earth, more than hath been these thirteen hundred and fifty years. So that at the appearing of God in his three commis+ sions, there was very little or no true faith upon the earth, I mean at their first appearing. But after their appearing, there is true faith upon the earth, and that more abundant than at any other time.

For that faith which is between commissions, it is but a traditional faith, and not a saving and justifying faith. I only give the seed of faith this hint, that they may distinguish and know the better how, and when the scriptures were fulfilled. So I shall pass on to open the chief things of most concernment in this chapter.

CHAP.

TH

CHAP. XXXIV.

HE first thing that I would have the seed of faith to mind is this, that these ten horns of persecution of the saints, it did first begin at the birth of Christ in that dragon Herod; and afterwards the spirit and power of the dragon, it was invested or seated upon this beast, he being the first head which the dragon did give all his power and authority, and his seat unto. That is, the same spirit of reason that was in Herod the dragon, it was in the seed of this beast. So that this beast having the same spirit of reason in him, as the dragon aforesaid had, he did exercise the idolatry, blasphemy, and persecution of the saints, as the dragon did.

So that he being of the same spirit and practice as the dragon was, it may be said that he received the dragon's seat, power, and authority; he being the first head that succeeded the dragon. For this I would have the seed of faith to know, that this spirit of the dragon, it went through the seed of all those seven heads. And all that persecution that was acted in that three hundred years in the time of the commission of the apostles, it is reckoned all but into seven heads, or seven beasts, though more wicked kings than these seven might persecute the saints in those ten persecutions, in that three hundred years; yet they are all included in those seven, because the same spirit of reason that was in the dragon, the same was in the seven. And so in the seed of all wicked kings, so that they all acted as the dragon U 2

did

did, in blaspheming the living God, and persecuting

his saints.

For as all good kings are included but into four good beasts as I said before, so likewise all wicked persecuting kings are included in those seven heads or seven wicked beasts, they being of the same seed and nature as the dragon is, and walk in the same steps of idolatry, blasphemy, and persecution, as he did. They may be said all of them to receive the seat, power, and authority of the dragon, which is no other but the spirit of reason, whose original is from the fallen angel, though called a dragon, a serpent, a devil; the seed of reason is all this and more.

But little doth man think that the spirit of reason in every man, poor and rich, bound or free, high or low, king or people, is the devil, serpent, and dragon. For many poor men have the spirit of the dragon in them, only they have not power to execute it upon the saints, nor their fellow creatures.

Therefore when the spirit doth call a man a dragon, or a beast, it is with relation to that power that is invested upon, or in a king, or head magistrate. So that he being the head or chief above all others, he hath power and authority to do good or hurt. And according as his authority and power doth act itself forth on this earth in righteousness, justice, and worshiping the true God, he is called by the revelation of the spirit, a good beast, good king or good angel.

So on the contrary, if the power and authority of the head magistrate doth act itself forth in unrighteousness, and injustice, and idolatry, and persecu