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INTERPRETATION

OF ALL THE

CHIEF TEXTS,

AND

MYSTERIOUS SAYINGS AND VISIONS OPENED,

OF THE

WHOLE BOOK

OF THE

REVELATION OF ST. JOHN;

Whereby is unfolded and plainly declared,

THOSE WONDERFUL DEEP MYSTERIES AND VISIONS INTEPRETED, CONCERNING

THE TRUE GOD,

THE ALPHA AND OMEGA,

WITH VARIETY OF

Other heavenly Secrets which have never been opened nor revealed to any Man, since the Creation of the World to this Day, until now.

BY

LODOWICK MUGGLETON,

One of the Two last commissionated Witnesses and Prophets of the only high, immortal, glorious GOD, CHRIST JESUS.

London:

FIRST PRINTED FOR THE AUTHOR IN THE YEAR 1665;

PRINTED BY SUBSCRIPTION IN 1746, AND RE-PRINTED BY SUBSCRIPTION IN 1808.

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MR. LODOWICK MUGGLETON,

UPON HIS INTERPRETATION OF

THE BOOK OF THE REVELATIONS.

Much Honoured,

was my great good happiness to see
Part of this your unveiled mystery,
"Ere to the censures of the world it want,
Or open lay upon the continent:

And in that part, methought I did descry
A heav'nly language, and discerning eye.
I saw those mysterics, which hidden were
Since their foundation, plainly now appear,
Alter'd in dress; for now they are no more
Kept for succeeding ages as a store;
But have for us been stor'd, and now shall we
Enjoy the sweet reveals eternally:
For they to us are truly now made known
To let the world see who calls us his own.
And when, at first, this part came to any view,
Like a perspective glass, it gently drew
The object near, and caus'd me for to see
Th' sereneness of this long hid mystery.
And though the object distant from the glass
May be a mile, yet that's too small, alas !-
To hinder the attraction of the sight,
Or not to draw the object to't aright.
So was the foundation of this piece too sure,
To hinder, or a little doubt procure
Of what proceeds; for the foundation try'd
There is no fear but th' building will abide.
And that which follow'd drew so near my sight,
By what preceded, that I know 'tis right,
And will abide the storms of envy's blast,
Or censures of the world, or slanders cast
Either on it, or those who do believe,
God did to you this heav'nly wisdom give.
Methinks they have been like a tender plant,
Who yields none of its precious fruit, for want
Of the assistance of the gardner's hand,
And heyet waits for an express command,
'Ere he transplant a thing which is so rare,
(On which his lord hath an indulgent care,
And in't takes pleasure) so the gardner will
Not meddle with it to remove it, till
His lord gave or ler;which done, he then bestows
It in a place where pleasantly it grows;
And by the help of his industrious hand,
Proves to be the mirror of all plants i'th' land,
And bears much fruit, and that proves cordial
too,

And cures such griefs, as nothing else could do.
Like such a plant as this, these things have lain,
Will you transplanted them, and made it plain.

You are the gardner, and your work's the plant,
The fruit's the experience of each precious saint,
Which is an antidote for to expel

The pois'nous and temptatious snares of hell;
And hath such peerless virtue, that it can
Inflame some souls, and quench some others then
For as the one tastes in a strong desire,
To blow the coals, and not to quench the fire:
So, on the contrary, the other who
Doth taste but only for to make a show
That he hath try'd such things, and finds indeed,
They are but husks on which we seem to feel.
Then secretly this liquid fruit it will
Put out the warmness, and an ice congeal
In that presumptuous soul who dares to say,
This is not the right path, or heavenly way,
If we for parallels would seek, we may
Look o'er the Bible, and no other way ;
For there's explain'd by the Apostles there
Such things as are not to be found elsewhere,
Till you in your great works did so excel,
That only to themselves they're parallel ;
But if reflection back on them we make,
'Twill not a tittle of the glory take
From this your work, but it will rather add
A lustre, in confirming what you've said.
I've heard there is a fountain, and some say
'Tis in the confines of Armenia,

Which hath such strength in that close element,
That whosoe'er's by angry fortune sent
Into this fountain, or falls within its brink,
It bears them up, and will not let them sink:
Even such is your commission; for whoe'er
Falls upon it, he shall not need to fear
That seeming danger, which at first may show
A threat'ning face, or knit an angry brow:
And this clear fountain, if consider'a well,
Would represent more than my pen can tell
But our all-seeing God is he on whom
You daily wait for revelation.
And your inspired sout is so divine,
That 'tis a theme fit for wits more sublime
Than my weak genius, therefore I'll give way
To those who more refined wits do sway,
And mine shall only be a foil to clear,
Or make another's verse more fair appear;
And so I wish you many succeeding days,
That you may write again to God's great praise,
And the saints beneft.

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