Omega, the first and the last, that was dead, and is alive, and behold he liveth for evermore; with many other heavenly mysteries which were in my heart, which I understood, but I had not words in myself to set it forth, and to declare it' to others, that they might understand these mysteries also; yet nevertheless I thought it was better to express these heavenly secrets as well as I could, rather than to bury them with myself alone. So that whoever doth read this treatise of the Interpretation of this book of the Revelation of St. John, I say they must take it as it is, and let them remember that God seldom chose learned men to declare the mysteries of his kingdom; but let that pass. When I had weighed and pondered in my mind this great mystery of God, that God became flesh, I was moved in my mind to express myself thus unto God:

Oh Lord God of truth, thou that wert from eternity, and hadst thy being of thyself, a spiritual body in form like a man; thou who knowest no beginning of thyself, neither dost thou know any ending of thyself, yet thou by thy own wisdom and power, became very man, cloathing thy spiritual body with pure human flesh, only the life of that body was no other but the God-head life, so that thou madest thyself a little lower than the angels; also thou madest thyself capable to suffer the pains of death by thy own creatures, and so thy vesture was made red, it being dipt in thine own blood for the redemption of thine own seed, the seed of Adam. It is thee, O Lord, that wert the first revealer of heavenly secrets unto mankind, some thou hast revealed thy mind unto by voice of words; some

by

by secret inspiration of thy spirit; and others thou hast revealed the mysteries concerning thyself, and thy kingdom, by the spirit of faith, that doth arise out of its seed; so that the original of all true revelation, and understanding the mysteries of thy kingdom, it doth come from thee, O Lord God of truth, so that I can truly say with Moses, the prophets, apostles, and saints, blessed be the Lord God of truth, who hath revealed unto me the mystery of God, and the mystery of the right devil, with the interpretation of many other heavenly secrets spoken of by John in this book, never revealed before unto prophet or apostle; therefore unto thee, O Lord God of truth, thou art King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, who art that Alpha and Omega, whose garment of flesh was made red, and whose vesture of flesh was dipt in his own blood, for the redemption of mankind, thou who art the first, and the last, even he that was dead, but is alive, and behold he liveth for evermore; to thee only be ascribed all Allelujah of praises by me thy servant, whom thou hast chosen, when I thought not of it; also let Allelujah, blessing glory, and honour be given unto him, by all those that do truly understand, and believe these things interpreted in this treatise; I say again, let us give all praises, honour, and glory unto our God, our King, and our Redeemer, even the Lord Jesus Christ, both now, and for evermore. Amen, Amen.

CHAP. LXXX.

A S for this twentieth chapter, it is only a relation of things done before; and as for the chief things in this chapter. concerning Satan's being

bound

bound for a thousand years, and after the thousand years were expired, Satan was let loose, with many other things depending thereupon, they are opened already in the Interpretation of the eleventh of the Revelation. Only I shall give a word or two, to shew what is meant by Gog and Magog: This Gog and Magog is the Turk, Pagon, and all Heathen men, who never professed the worship of Moses, nor the worship of the gospel: that is, the same spirit that was in the Heathen in former time, who were called by the spirit Gog and Magog, as you may see Ezekiel xxxix. 1, Thus saith the Lord God, behold, I am against thee, O Gog. And in verse 6. God will send a fire on Magog.

So chap. xxxviii. 2. Son of Man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog; and in verse 3, and say, thus saith the Lord, behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief princes of Meshech.

Now this Gog and Magog spoken of in Ezekiel, it was no other but Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon; he, I say, is called by the spirit, Gog, as in 2 Chron. xxxvi. 6. and all his princes who have great armies who helped him to fight against Jerusalem, and they are called by the spirit, Magog, as you may sec 2 Kings, xxiv. 1, 2. Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, came up; that is, he came up to fight against Jerusalem, and there came against Jerusalem bands of the Caldees, and bands of the Syrians, and bands of the Moabites, and bands of the children of Ammon; these all came against Judah to destroy it, and so they did, according to the word of the Lord. And these bands of men aforesaid,

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aforesaid, are called by the spirit, Magog; so that it may be clear to the reader, that this Gog and Magog spoken of by John, it is meant all the Heathen power upon the face of the earth, in that the Heathen hath three parts of the world in his hands; for this is to be minded by the reader, that this Gog and Magog spoken of by the prophets, they were Heathen powers, and people who never did profess, nor confess the scriptures of truth: And this Gog and Magog John speaketh of, are Heathen men also; for the same spirit that was in that Gog and Magog, it doth run in the line of that seed, even to the end of the world. So that the Heathen that shall be destroyed at the end of time, may be called Gog and Magog, as the other Gog and Magog was destroyed after the seventy years were expired, they were destroyed with a temporal destruction; but this Gog and Magog John speaketh of, they will be destroyed with an eternal destruction at the end of time.

For this spirit of reason, the devil, or satan, that was bound for a thousand years, and when the thousand years were expired, he was let loose; which things I have opened in the Interpretation of the eleventh of the Revelation. This spirit of reason, the devil, as aforesaid, it being loosed out of prison, which prison I have shewed what it is in that book aforesaid; so that this Satan being loosed, he goeth forth to deceive the nations, which are in the four quarters of the earth, as in verse 8, of this chapter, Gog and Magog to gather them together to battle, the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.

So

So that the reader may see, that Satan shall go out to deceive the nations that are in the four quarters of the earth, which four quarters do signify all the world, for the world is divided but into four parts, and all these four parts of the earth they are divided by this spirit of Satan, which spirit of Satan I have shewed what it is in my other writings; but this is to be minded, that the saints, the seed of faith, are excepted by the spirit; for though they live in the four parts of the earth, yet they are not deceived by the spirit of Satan, not as to their eternal perdition, as the other is; so that this is to be understood, that this Satan, the devil, shall deceive the nations in all the four quarters of the earth, to their eternal perdition. Also it is to be minded, that there is a principle of persecution for religion and worship, even in Gog and Magog; that is to say, in all the Heathen, as there is in those that profess and confess the scriptures; for if Gog and Magog do but hear of any man, or people, that do worship any other God besides his god, he will persecute him to death, especially if he be a native under his dominions; and so it is with all professors of religion, who know not the true God, nor his true worship. So that Satan, the devil, he hath gone forth unto all the four quarters of the earth, and hath deceived the nations therein with false worships, and imagining of false gods, these many hundred years have they been deceived; and not only so, but there is a spirit of persecution, that doth run through the nations in all the four quarters of the earth, even amongst professors of the scriptures,

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