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receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.

And so to the end of the chapter, giving praise unto the Lamb, for their redemption.

And this is that new song which the beasts, and elders, and saints, shall sing to eternity.

It is called a new song, because it is the song of the Lamb; for there are but two songs in all, to wit, the song of Moses, and the song of the Lamb; and blessed and happy are all those that can truly sing the song of the Lamb, to know they are redeemed and washed in his blood.

CHAP. XV.

NOW I nave given the interpretation of the things that are of most concernment in chap. v. I shall proceed to open the chief things contained in chap. vi.

In verse 1. of this chapter, John saw in his vision the Lamb opening the seals, and at the Lamb's opening of the first seal, John heard as it were the noise of thunder.

And in the vision one of the four beasts said unto John, Come and see.

As for the four beasts you may remember I have shewed what they are before, and now these four beasts doth present to John's understanding, in the 'vision, four other beasts, as in a figure to be four horses; namely, a white horse, a red horse, a black horse, and a pale horse.

I would

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I would have the reader to mind the interpretation of these four horses, and their riders; for there is one called, he that sate on every one of these four horses. Also there was some great and wonderful work done by every one of these that sate on these horses. Therefore called the opening of the seals.

And at the opening of the first seal, John heard as it were, in the vision, the noise of thunder, and after that there was presented unto his view, in the vision, 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.

Now this white horse which John saw in the vision, it is the righteousness of the saints. And the righteousness of saints is the righteousness of faith; for it is faith that makes the soul pure and white in the blood of the Lamb.

According to that saying, Revel. vii. 13. One of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these who are arayed in white robes? and in verse 14. And he said to me, these are they who came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them. white in the blood of the Lamb.

So in chap. vi. 11. where it is said, and white robes were given to every one of them, meaning those who were slain under the altar, that is, they were slain for the testimony of Jesus. Therefore said to be under the altar, because Christ is the altar itself.

Many more places of scriptures might be named for this purpose, to prove that the righteousness of faith is those white robes which the saints souls are cloathed with; their hearts being purified by faith in the blood of the Lamb.

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For faith doth dip its soul in his blood, so that all original and actual sin is washed away, as clean as if there had never been any sin at all. So that the saints, or seed of faith, are cloathed with the white robes of righteousness of faith, it being the righteousness of Christ, he being the author of it, by washing their souls in his own blood, so that they become as white as snow; and this righteousness of the saints, is that white horse, and the first horse that John saw in the vision.

For I would have the reader to understand, that the righteousness of faith is a real spiritual substance, as the righteousness of the law is; yet none of them both can be seen by the visible eye of sense, not as they be in their essence or seed, but by the effects or fruits they are known; for effects or fruits doth proceed form an invisible spiritul root or substance, which roots and substances are faith and reason. And there is a righteousness that doth arise from each of these, which hath their several effects, or several fruits; so that the tree may be known by the fruit; that is, the righteousness of the law may be known and distinguished from the righteousness of faith.

Yet the life and spirit of these two trees, are so secret and invisible, that they cannot be seen by the eye of sense, as 1 said before.

Yet they be two real spiritual substances that do bring forth a righteousness according to their natures. That is, the righteousness of the law, and the righteousness of faith.

But it is those souls that are cloathed with the white robe of Christ's righteousness of faith, that have been

washed

washed in his blood, and this is that white horse John speaketh of. For this I would have the seed of faith to mind, that the spirit of Revelation in John, doth compare the righteousness of the saints to a white horse.

Also this I would have you to mind, though the saints that are cloathed in white, be thousands, and millions, and innumerable, yet they are called by the revelation of the spirit, but one white horse.

Now whether John did see in the vision the form of a white horse, it is not much material; for if the spirit will call the righteousness of saints a white horse, who shall gainsay it?

But however the white robes of the saints who are washed in the blood of the Lamb, are as a white horse, for God their king to ride upon. So that if you understand the interpretation of this white horse, you may the more easily know the meaning of the other three horses.

Also it is necessary to know who doth ride or sit upon this white horse; I declare by revelation from the holy spirit, that he which John saw sit on the white horse, it was no other but Christ himself. It was he that had a bow, and a crown was given unto him: it may be said the crown was given unto him, as he was the Redeemer. For this crown of glory that was given unto him, it was as he was the Redeemer, and not as he was the Creator. And as he was the Redeemer, he sate or rode upon the white horse.

And he went forth conquering, and to conquer. That is, he being the author of the righteousness of faith, as he was the Redeemer, that he made the

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saints

saints so pure and white, that they became a white horse for him to sit upon. So that they were able by their faith, in the blood of the Lamb, to suffer tribulation, and death itself.

So that they became more than conquerers; for he that suffereth persecution for the name of Jesus, he doth conquer more than he that doth persecute and put to death.

So likewise Christ that sate upon this white horse, as he was the Redeemer, he went forth conquering and to conquer. That is, he went forth in the power of faith, by which he created all things; he went forth to redeem the seed of Adam that was fallen under death, and the fear of eternal damnation.

So that death and hell got power over Adam and his seed, so that Christ riding upon the white horse of innocency, or the righteousness of faith, he went forth conquering and to conquer. That is, he went forth to die, to shed his most precious blood, and by his giving himself up unto death, he conquered over sin, death, and hell.

Therefore it is said in scripture, Oh death, I will be thy death, oh grave I will be thy victory! That is, he will get victory over the grave, as he did over death; for he destroyed death; in that death could not keep him under it for ever, in that he passed through it He got victory over the grave, in that the grave could not keep him inclosed in the earth.

So that he went forth conquering and to conquer, never leaving off until he had conquered all his enemies. That is to say, sin, death, devil, hell, the grave; these all were his enemies, and he hath con

quered

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