Page:A Compendium of the Chief Doctrines of the True Christian Religion.djvu/225

Rh, resembling that at Jerusalem; and on looking into it, I saw the stone in the floor, under which the void lay concealed, beset with precious stones, from, which there issued forth bright rays, as of lightning, that shone upon the walls, and caused beautiful variegations of colours on certain cherubic forms that were painted thereon. As I was wondering at these prodigies, the angels said, Thou shalt yet see something more surprizing; then they were permitted to open the third heaven, which is the abode of the celestial angels, who excel in love, and suddenly, by virtue of the influx of flaming light from thence, the whole temple disappeared, and instead thereof was seen the Lord alone, standing on the stone below, which was the word, in the same form and figure, that he appeared in before John, Rev. Chap. i. But whereas a divine sanctity instantly filled the interiors of the angels minds, whereby they felt a strong propensity to fall prostrate on their faces, suddenly the passage of light from the third heaven was closed by the Lord, and that from the second heaven opened again, in consequence whereof the former appearance of the temple returned, and also of the tabernacle, but this was in the midst of the temple. Hereby was illustrated the meaning of these words in the Revelation, Chap, xxi. Behold the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, ver. 5. and also of these, I saw no temple in the new Jerusalem, for the Lord God Almighty, and the Lamb are the temple of it, ver. 22. . Inasmuch as the Lord hath favoured me with a sight of the wonderful things that are in the heavens, and under the heavens, it is therefore my duty, in obedience to his command, to relate what I have seen. There was shewn me a magnificent palace, with a temple in its inner courts, and in the midst of the temple was a