Also he that sat upon this black horse had a pair of balances in his hand.

He that sat on this black horse was an ignorant power, king or kings, or magistrates, power that was extream ignorant of any true spiritual knowledge, either of God, or of his worship; but mighty full of superstition and idolatry; but had great power to command the dark-minded people to worship what he pleased. So that he rode, or sat upon their dark ninds, as upon a black horse; for he had such power that he brought them all into uniformity of worship.

So that things were mighty plentiful, as you may read verse 6. A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny. Only to signify the plenty of earthly things; when ignorance being in power, it rides or sits upon the black horse of idolatry. This I think by experience will prove the truth of it as well as scriptures.

Was not that a plentiful time when they baked cakes to the queen of heaven?

Was there not great plenty when the Roman Catholicks did put Christ into worship? When they had brought all people to a uniformity of religion, all things were plenty.

Then men grew exceeding rich, so that particular men had such vast estates, that they could build a church at their own charge, or an hospital, or alms houses, so there was great plenty, there being but one religion, and a uniform government in matter of worship; all peoples minds being dark as to any true spiritual knowledge, so that they became as a

black

a

black horse for those ignorant popish kings to ride or sit upon and he that sate upon the black horse, had a pair of balances in his hand, only to signify that equal dealing in temporal matters, seeing there was uniformity in worship, there should be an equal and just dealing in the temporal; and for that purpose there was a pair of balances in the hand of him that sate upon the black horse; for ignorant reason doth many times deal more justly, than that reason that is more subtle and cunning doth. For in former times, when there was no religion durst appear but the Papist religion and worship, which was, and is still exceeding full of superstition and idolatry, there was a great deal more just dealing between man and man in temporal things, and men were more free to trust one another than they are now; so that, things were exceeding plentiful and cheap; for a general uniformity in idolatry must needs cause love one to another.

For differing in worship maketh the greatest breach of all, even between the nearest relations, as father and son, mother and daughter, they will all part upon the point of worship, sooner than upon any natural offence whatsoever.

This may be proved by Christ's words, that a man must forsake father and mother, house and lands, for his sake, else he is not worthy of him: this also experience will prove it, that some people will willingly suffer more for their worship, tho' it be a lie, than for any natural loss whatsoever.

And as for the oyl and the wine, which he that sate

upon the black horse, must not hurt; the oyl and the wine signifies that little small remnant of the seed of faith, which did not worship God in that idolatry no way as the generality of people did, their appearancebeing so small, that they were not worth the persecuting or compelling to worship as the generality of people did, much like unto those seven thousand that did not bowe their knee to Baal.

Those seven thousand were never miss'd by Israel, nor by the prophet Elijah. For the worshipers of Baal were so numerous, that Elijah thought there were none but himself that did worship the God of Jacob.

But there were seven thousand that had not bowed their knee to Baal. And these were the oyl, and the wine that should not be hurt, by compelling of them to hurt their consciences by worshiping a false God, as the generality of the people did through the darkness of their minds. They being.the black horse, for the ignorant dark power of the head magistrate to ride or sit upon. For as the horse is black, so is the rider, with ignorance and darkness in spiritual worship. Only he that sits upon the black horse, is the dark power of reason.

Therefore the apostles call it the power of darkness, for it is the dark reason of man that doth act deeds of darkness, therefore called the power of darkness; And the deeds of spiritual darkness in point of worship, is called by the Revelation of John, he that sits upon the black horse; because he commandeth all people to worship his imaginary God; and the people through the darkness of their understand

ings, they do obey, and so they become in point of spiritual worship, a black horse, for the dark power of reason to sit, or ride upon, &c.

CHAP. XVIII.

AND in verse 7, it is said, And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the fourth beast say, Come and see. And in verse 8. John looked, and behold a pale horse, and his name that sat on him was death, and hell followed with him; and power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.

I would have the reader to mind the interpretation of this pale horse, because every one of us must be a pale horse, for death to sit upon, except we be swallowed up of life, as Moses and Elijah were; which I, nor no man else at this day doth know, he shall; so that death must ride upon all sinful flesh.

Now to give you the meaning what this pale horse is, it is no other but the sinful soul of man and woman. Therefore as the scriptures saith, When sin entered into the world, then death entered in upon it.

So that as soon as ever the souls of Adam and Eve had let sin enter into their souls, then death entered; for death did ride upon sin, and sin did ride upon the soul of our first parents; according to that saying of God, in the day that thou eatest thereof, meaning the forbidden fruit, thou shalt die the death. So that as soon as sin entered into their souls, death entered also. So that the souls of Adam and Eve

became

became as a pale horse, for death to ride upon. For there was not only the fear of this first death, but the fear of eternal death also, which made the soul of Adam to fear, therefore he went to hide himself. For the fear of death will make the soul to look pale, so that it will become a pale horse for death to ride upon. For by sin entering into the world, death got power over all life; so that death'sits upon all life, both upon man and beasts. For the beasts are made subject to death, by reason of the fall of man ; only I would have the reader to understand this secret, that the creatures, the beasts, were created of God, on purpose to be killed for the nourishment of man.

But if sin had never been committed by man, death would never have entered upon the life of man or beast. That is, no beast would have died naturally, as they do now; but what were killed on purpose for some use, so that no man would have had such losses as some men now have. Some are undone by the dying of horses, others by cows, and others by sheep, and this is death that hath entered into the world upon the beasts.

For the sin of Adam brought death upon all his posterity, and upon the beasts also, as aforesaid. So that the life of man and beasts is become a pale horse for death to sit upon, and the fear of death in Adam, did make his soul to look pale, and so it doth in all mankind; this fear of death it makes the stoutest heart to look pale; especially when the fear of eternal death is not taken away, as very few men in the world have the fear of the second death taken from