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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 earthquake, 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 seats, 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;

!

and the season of thy last judgment, wherein all that were formerly dead shall appear before thee, and receive their retribution, according to their works: wherein thy servants the Prophets, and thy Saints, and those that fear thy name, both small and great, shall receive a happy reward of life and glory; and the persecutors of thy Church shall be recompensed with everlasting destruction.

XI. 19 And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail.

Then was an open way set forth (to the world) not only to the true Evangelical Church, figured by the Temple; but also to the very Holy of Holies, and therein to Christ the Saviour, figured by the Ark of the New Testament: and, withal, there was thereupon a terrible execution of judgment upon those wicked enemies of the Church and Gospel of Christ, in all variety of plagues and punish

ments.

XII. 1 And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars:

Hitherto hath the estate of the Church been represented in Two several Visions: now, it pleased God to shew the same unto me, more at large, in a Third Vision; beginning at the primitive times thereof, and continuing till the end of all things. The primitive Church was therefore represented unto me, as a woman resplendent and glorious; though of herself, in respect of her nature and sex, weak and feeble, yet made pure and majestical, by the perfect beams of Christ's righteousness shining upon her: the moon was under her feet, to signify her treading upon all the transitory and changeable things of this life, now in the times of her first simplicity and upon her head was a crown, not of gold, but of heavenly matter, even of stars, to signify, that she is honoured as a queen in heaven; of twelve stars, to signify the heavenly doctrine of the twelve Apostles, the maintenance whereof is the only glory

of her:

XII. 2 And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.

And she, that had been formerly barren, was now fruitful, and great with child; ready to be delivered of her happy burden; longing to bring forth children unto God.

XII. 3 And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns upon his heads,

And there appeared another wonder in heaven; for there was represented to me a fearful image of that opposition, which should be made to the Church; viz. that the Devil, which was resembled by a great red dragon cruel and bloody, whose chief seat and city standeth upon seven hills, being crowned with the command and

government of the world, and having under it many confederated kingdoms wherein the strength thereof consisteth, should stir up the tyrants of the Roman Empire, to set themselves against it in all violent courses.

XII. 4 And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the wo man which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.

And the issue of this tyrannical persecution, raised by Satan, was such, as that, by this means, very many, who were and might have been lights to others, were miscarried from their Christian profession, and drawn back to Pagan Idolatry: and these bloody persecutors, agents for the then Roman Empire, stood ready to watch for any that would or durst profess the Name of Christ; and, so soon as any man did but offer to stand out for the maintenance of the Christian Faith, were ready to seize upon him, and to proceed cru lly against him.

XII. 5 And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.

But, in spite of all the malice and opposition of enemies, the Church brought forth, through the power of the Gospel, a mascu line issue of true and faithful professors; in whom Christ was truly formed anew; even Christ Mystical, that Son of God who should rule over the nations, and in whose right his members partake of the same glory: and this blessed issue of hers was taken into the special protection of God, and in their several times glorified with

him.

XII. 6 And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.

And the Church, viz. the faithful professors of Christ's Name, be ing, after this, persecuted, were glad to retire themselves into deserts and solitary places; where the Providence of God had prepared maintenance and safe protection for them; where they continued during the heat of that persecution.

XII. 7 And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels. fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, And the Devil, the arch-enemy of man's salvation, raised up war against Christ and his Church: and there was a very great and sore conflict, betwixt Christ and his faithful servants on the one part, and Satan and his complices on the other,

XII. 8 And prevailed not: neither was their place found any more in heaven.

But Satan, notwithstanding all his power and malice, prevailed not against the Church; neither was permitted to atchieve any thing against the salvation of God's elect.

XII. 9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old Serpent called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

And the Great Dragon, the Devil, and Satan, even that Old Serpent, which bore a deadly and perpetual enmity to Christ and his holy seed, and who is the great Deceiver and Tempter of the sons of men, was utterly defeated of all power to prevail against God's Church; and was put over, and limited to the exercise of his tyranny, upon those earthly and carnal men, whom he prevails

over.

XII. 10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven. Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.

And I heard a loud voice of Saints and Angels, triumphing in heaven, at this victory of Christ, and defeat of Satan, saying, Now, is salvation without all impeachment prepared for God's chosen; and the strength and the kingdom of our God, and the power of Christ his Son, is enlarged: for Satan, who is the great Tempter and Accuser of God's children, urging their sins against them, and pleading for revenge of their misdeeds, and raising calumnies and slanders against them, before God and men, is foiled and dejected.

XII. 11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

And these elect children of God have overcome him; not by any power of their own, but by the blood of Christ, that Immaculate Lamb, applied to them by a lively Faith; and by the power of that mighty word of truth, which they have given their confession unto; and by their resolute and patient suffering, and yielding up their lives to a most bitter death, for the maintenance of the Gospel.

XII. 12 Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.

Therefore rejoice, O ye Heavens, and ye blessed Angels and Saints that dwell therein, for this your happy victory in Christ your Redeemer. But, woe be to you, earthly and carnal-minded men, whose affections are wholly set upon worldly things! for, since Satan cannot have his will of God's faithful ones, he will be sure to tyrannize over you; and, for that purpose, is he labouring, in his extreme rage against mankind, to execute his wrath upon you; wherein he is so much the more eager and vehement, because he knows his kingdom draweth near to an end.

XII. 13 And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child. And, when this malicious Dragon saw, that he was defeated of his purposes, of hindering the salvation of God's Saints, he turned all his rage against the Church Militant on earth; raising up, by his wicked instruments, all manner of persecutions against her, who had brought forth that masculine issue of faithful professors.

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