eye of reason, may see that all the other churches hath such a deal of corruption, superstition, unjustness, idolatry, and many other wickednesses, which reason itself doth judge cannot be the way of God. And that is the very cause that when people have been unsatisfied in the way of worship in the other churches, they have declined from them, and have turned Quakers, they being more pure in life; for pureness of life giveth more peace to the mind of man than wickedness doth.

For every action hath a reward in itself, whether it be good or bad; for he that doth suffer persecution for his conscience, is more to be justified than he which persecuted for conscience sake.

Yet nevertheless the reward of eternal life, it be longeth only unto the act of faith in the true God, which the Quakers ministry doth not teach, not withstanding their purity of life, &c

CHAP. VIII.

NOW I have opened something what is meant by

the seven churches, and the angels sounding; in the next place I shall come to open or interpret some chief sayings in the fourth chapter of John's Revelation.

In the first verse of this chapter, John looked, and behold a door was opened in heaven, and the first voice which he heard,was as it were of a trumpet talking with him, which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee' the things which must be hereafter.

I would have the seed of faith to mind the inter

pretation

pretation of this chapter, and they will better understand the meaning of the fifth and sixth chapters.

First it is to be understood that John saw these great and glorious things by way of vision.

Now I would have the reader to understand, that visions are hard to be interpreted by one that never saw them.

Yet as far as the revelation of faith can open them, I shall do it; which I know is more than any man in the world can do at this day, or shall hereafter, to the world's end.

Therefore if the reader doth but understand the spiritual substance, and meaning of John's visions, though not every particular circumstance, I say, it will give full satisfaction to the mind of man as to the scriptures, and to their eternal salvation.

The first thing that John saw in his vision, it was a door opened in heaven: Now I would have the seed of faith to understand that there is a door belonging to heaven, and a door belonging to hell.

Therefore called in scripture the gates of heaven and of hell, as Christ said unto Peter, I have given thee the keys of heaven and of hell.

So likewise when the five foolish virgins came to the door where the bridegroom was, but the door was shut upon them, so that they could not come into that eternal marriage.

So that there is a door belongs to heaven, also there must be somebody to open this door.

It is much like unto a king's palace, where no inferior person can see into it, except the door-keeper do open the door

F 2

There

There is no earthly king's palace but hath a door to it, neither can any man see into it, except the door be opened.

Now as there is a door of earthly substance which may be seen and felt, belonging to every earthly king's palace, the palace being earthly also, though decked and set forth very gloriously to the eye of sense and reason, because it belongeth to reason's kingdom;

So likewise there is as real an heavenly palace above, and beyond the stars, where Christ the king of heaven doth sit upon his throne.

Also there is a door belonging to it of a spiritual and heavenly substance, which may be seen, felt, and understood by the eye of faith, as the other is by the eye of reason.

Therefore it is said in scripture by the apostles, we speak the things which we have seen, which we have heard, which we have tasted, which we have handled, of the word of life.

So that there is as real a spiritual substance to be seen, tasted, and handled by the seed of faith in the mind, as there are temporal things by the seed of

reason.

Likewise Christ is called a door himself, and he hath the key of David, who openeth and no man shutteth.

And this is he that opened the door of John's understanding, and let him see in a vision the glory of heaven, and him that sate on the throne, as you may see in verse 2. For as soon as ever John had heard the voice, that is, as soon as ever the door of his understanding

tinderstanding was opened, the door of heaven was opened also.

And the door of heaven being opened, there was presented, in a vision, to his sight, few things that must be hereafter.

Now what those things which must be hereafter are, they are signified in the vision in the chapters following;

For the voice which talked with John in the vision, bid him come up hither, and I will shew the things which must be hereafter.

And immediately John was in the spirit, that is, he was so ravished and wrapt up in his spirit, with the sight of heaven, and the glory thereof in the vision, the door of heaven being opened, that he was as Paul was, whether in the body, or out of the body, he could not tell.

For John did see things unutterable, for indeed the things of God's becoming flesh, and suffering death, and the glorious effects thereof, they are unutterable; that is, the tongue of man cannot explain it, not as it is in itself.

But men that have written the Scriptures, and have had visions and revelations of these heavenly things, they have expressed them to the capacity of man, as they could by words.

So that men might believe the things of God, which are spiritual and eternal, by words of mortal men like themselves,

As men do understand one another in the things of this world.

And the gift of interpretation of scriptures, which

was

was written by revelation and vision, I say it is more profitable to man than the scriptures themselves.

For what profit is it to a man to read another man's revelation or vision, and know nothing of it himself? Therefore interpretation of scriptures is the best, and most profitable gift unto the seed of faith now a-days, to lead them unto their eternal rest.

Therefore to unfold something more of John's vision in verse 2. And immediately he was in the spirit, and behold a throne was set in heaven, and one sate on the throne.

And in verse 3, he tells what he was like that sate on the throne; and in verse 4, he saith, And round about the throne were four and twenty seats, and upon the seats John saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment, and they had on their heads crowns of gold.

And in verse 5. There were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven spirits of God.

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

And in verse 7.

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

Verse 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, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.