lible Witness of his Father's will, the powerful Creator of all things by whom the Father made all that was made;

III. 15. I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot : I would thou wert cold or hot.

I know thy works, and thy disposition; that thou art of a lukewarm temper, neither opposite to religion nor yet a zealous friend to it: I would thou wert resolved, one way or other: I would rather thou wert any thing than what thou art: open hostility to the Gospel should not so much displease me, as this hollowness and uncertainty.

III. 16. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.

So then, because thou art thus spiritually lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold; I will deal with thee as a man doth by lukewarm water, wherewith the stomach is made apt to egestion, cast thee up out of my mouth, and discharge myself of any further entertainment of that profession thou makest of

me.

III. 17. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:

Because thou art carried away with a spiritual pride, and fondly conceivest thyself to be stored with all holy graces and virtues, and that thou hast no defect in any of them; and art far from knowing aright the truth of thine estate, how sinful thou art, how ignorant, how wretched every way:

III. 18. I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes, &c.

I counsel thee to have recourse unto me, thy God and Saviour; and, by my means, to furnish thyself with all those heavenly graces, whereby thy wants may be supplied; which may be to thee instead of gold to remedy thy poverty, and glorious raiment to remedy thy nakedness, and eye-salve to redress thy blindness.

III. 20. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.

Behold, I have used all means for thy conversion: I have patiently expected it, and earnestly importuned it, and still I continue so doing; and if any man hear the voice of my word, and open the door of his heart to me, yielding to those my vehement solicitations, I will impart myself to the soul of that man, and will have mutual fellowship with him, and he with

me.

III. 21. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, &c.

To him, that overcometh, will I give the honour of a meet participation with me in my glory; in such manner and measure, as every true member partakes of the honour of the Head.

IV. 1. After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.

After this, I looked up, and, behold, the heaven seemed to open itself to me, and a large door appeared to be set wide open therein and, as my eye was taken up with this sight, so my ear was filled with the sound of a voice from thence; which was strong and loud, as of a trumpet, talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter accomplished.

IV. 2. And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.

And immediately I had, in a further continuation of this vision, represented to me a glorious throne, which was set in heaven, and a person of great glory sitting on the throne.

IV. 3. And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald.

And he, that sat upon it, was God the Father; full of resplendence and majesty; having a shining brightness, like to the most sparkling precious stones: and the throne was encompassed about with a glorious rainbow, in the mixture of the colours whereof the green smaragd-like colour was most eminent; to impart that gracious and comfortable reconciliation, which is betwixt God and his people.

IV. 4. And round about the throne were four and twenty seats and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold.

And round about the throne were four and twenty seats of state or judicature: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty ancient and majestical persons sitting, which were the Patriarchs and Prophets of the Old Testament, and the Apostles and Evangelists of the New, and the Saints of both; which were honoured with their participation of glory, and their assistance of the righteous judgment of God: and these Elders, to signify that perfect righteousness and glory wherewith they were invested, were clothed in white raiment, and had crowns of gold upon their heads.

IV. 5. And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.

And God declared his power from that his glorious throne, by thundering, and lightning, and dreadful voices: and, to shew the excellent variety of the graces of his Spirit, which God hath to give and dispose for the good of his Church, before the throne there were seven lamps burning.

IV. 6. And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind.

And, to import how clear and transparent all things are before the face of God, there was before the throne a sea of glass, like unto crystal; and round about and under the throne, as supporters of the frame thereof, were Angels of several ranks and employments; all of them, to signify their great knowledge and perspicacity, were full of eyes before and be

hind.

IV. 7. And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle.

And these Angels had forms answerable to those eminent graces that were in them; as those which were stout and majestical as lions, strong as bulls, wise as men, swift as eagles. IV. 8. And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, &c.

And those Angels, to shew their agility and readiness to execute the will and pleasure of God, had each of them six wings; and, to express their exquisite knowledge, they were full of eyes within: and they never cease lauding and praising the Lord, with the joyful acclamations of Holy, &c.

IV. 10. And cast their crowns before the throne.

And, as ascribing all thanks and praise to God for his mercy in glorifying them, and in an humble acknowledgment of all power and majesty to be derived from him, they did cast their crowns before the throne.

V. 1. And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals.

And I saw, as it were a roll or book of the great mysteries of the decrees and counsels of God, in the hand of God the Father, who sat upon the throne; and it was written on both sides, both within and without, to shew that universal providence of God, which is in and over all events and actions: and, to signify the secresy and firmness of his said decrees, it was sealed on the backside with seven seals.

V. 2. And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof?

And, as the angels of God are desirous to look into those great mysteries of God's will which concern the good of his Church, I saw a mighty and glorious angel, proclaiming with a loud voice, an implication of the difficulty and merit of that wonderful action, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof?

V. 3. And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon.

And there was no finite creature, either in heaven or earth, that was able to unfold those great and wonderful mysteries, which were contained in that roll of God's eternal decree.

V. 5. And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the root of David hath prevailed the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.

to open

And one of those glorious persons, which represented the Patriarchs and Prophets, &c. before the throne, said unto me, Be not discomforted, for that thou hearest not of any angel or man, that is able to unfold and disclose these mysteries; for, behold, He, that is God and Man, Christ Jesus, who is the King and powerful Ruler of his Church, of the tribe of Juda, of the seed of David according to the flesh, hath prevailed to reveal and manifest these great secrets, which have been hitherto close sealed up, in the counsel of God.

V. 6. And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.

And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne of God, and amidst his Angels and Saints, stood the Son of God, Christ Jesus: who, as he is a Lion, for his courage and power; so is he also a Lamb, for his meekness and innocence, as also in respect of that his sacrifice for man's redemption, being for that cause represented in the blood which was shed by him: and this holy and glorious Lamb, in signification of all power and might put upon him by his Father, had seven horns, importing his forcible means to be revenged of his enemies; and, to imply his most perfect and absolute knowledge, had seven eyes, which are the infinite graces of that Spirit, which was given him, not by measure, and by him communicated to his Church upon earth.

V. 7. And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne.

And he, as Mediator betwixt God and man, came and received the full notice of the great and secret counsels of God concerning his Church.

V. 8. And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every

one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.

And when he had taken that roll or book, wherein those counsels were set down and sealed up, the holy Angels and Saints, which were before the throne, fell down before the Son of God, in way of adoration of him; having every one of them melodious instruments for the celebration of the praise, and golden vials full of sweet incense; representing, both their acceptable thanksgivings, and their general apprecations of peace and welfare to the Church of God upon the earth.

V. 10. And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.

See 1 Peter ii. 9. And we shall reign and triumph over our enemies, which are on the earth.

V. 11. And the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands.

And there was an innumerable number of Angels and Saints, which joined together, in magnifying the praise of Christ their Saviour.

VI. 1. And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see.

And I saw when Christ, the Son of God, opened the First of those seven Seals; and I heard a mighty voice, as if it had been of thunder, from one of those four glorious Angels, which were next to the throne, saying, Come and see.

VI. 2. And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.

And I saw, and, behold, a notable representation of the happy success and victory of the Gospel; set forth by the appearance of a white horse, whose rider had a bow in his hand, to signify the wound that he had given to his enemies: and a crown was given to him, in sign of triumph and honour; and he went forth to all the ends of the earth, conquering and bringing in subjection, every power that exalted itself against him.

VI. 4. And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword.

And, upon the opening of the Second Seal, I saw a representation of that bloody tyranny and persecution, which should follow upon the preaching of the Gospel, set forth by the appearance of a red horse: and power was given to Satan, which was the mover and stirrer up of these cruel persecutors, the Tyrants of Rome, to take peace from the earth, and to