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A66468
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Heaven the end of man or, Final cause of the soul's spirit. By William Williams, teutonico-philosopho-theologus
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Williams, William, Inferior Brother to the venerable and orthodox clergy.
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1696
(1696)
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Wing W2788; ESTC R220009
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89,464
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156
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Daughters of the Holy City Now set me as a seal upon thine Heart As a Divine Stamp upon thine Arm Think upon me and the ways of Vertue as thou walkest in the way and as thou sittest and oestest and as thou risest up For my Love to the is as strong as Death My Jealousie will be cruel as the Grove it will devour the perjured Soul if thou prove false to thy Vow in Eternal Death But O God my Father may that never be For the coals of Jealousie are as coals of Eternal Fire which hath a most cruel Scorching Flame of Torment Many Waters of Sorrows cannot quench my Love to thee Neither can the Floods drown it Neither can the Rivers or Tears of a thousand Suitors and Rivals to thee stop the burning thereof If one should give all Substance of his House for my Love it would be utterly contemned And so if thou abusest me hereafter and runnest gadding in thy Mind after other Lovers though thou shouldst give all that thy Soul and Body are worth and all the Substance of thy House for the enjoyment of me the third time it will be utterly rejected and despised as a vain trifle Take notice of it And be true to me thy Spouse After this Day the Divine Damsels saw me and praised me with this Blessing Be thou Mother of thousands of Millions And the Author of a numberless number to People the Coelestial City by the new Regeneration And let thy Seed effess the Gates of Heaven which Lucifer lost Build thou the House of the Humane Off-spring Thou art our Sister Do thou worthily in Heaven and be thou famous in Paradise And this was the Contract that the Wedding must be solemnized in the preseâ—â—e of the King our Father on the Day of my Tridâ—grooms â—â—tting off his Earthly Tabernacle and Elementary Robe Now Happy is the Man that can arrive to the Haven of so great a Happiness as this so as to find Virgin Vertue God's most Beautiful Daughter called also pure Pleasure or Divine Delight of the Son of Man For her Priâ—e is far â—bove Râ—â—â—es §. 7. Seven-fold Vertue NOW these Coelestial Virgins are of different Degrees for some Vertues are predominant in these which are weak in those And yet all cloathed with the Garments of Unity 1. One is a good House-keeper and diligent as the Bee The Heart of her espoused doth safely trust in her So that he need fear no spoil She seeketh Flax and Wool she worketh willingly with her Hands She is like the Merchants Ships She bringeth her Food from a far She considereth a Field in fair Eden and buys it With the Fruit of her Hands she planteth a Vineyard of Refreshing Bowers She lays her Hands to the Distaff and her Candle goes not out in the Eternal Night She reacheth forth her Hands to the needy And all her houshold are cloathed with Scarlet She makes her self coverings of Tapestry Her Garments are Silk and Purple 2. Another is skilled by Divine Wisdom in playing upon Instruments of Musick She inventeth means for the Recreation of Humane Life She maketh Songs in the Praise of her Creator and Father The Workmanship of her Tabrets were prepared in her in the Day that she was Created whereby she chaseth the evil Spirit that troubleth the Humane Mind 3. A third by her Politick skill in Martial Discipline delivereth a besieged Microcosmical City surrounded by Lucifer and his Souldiers by causing one Man the Offender to dye whose Head shall be thrown over the Wall that the whole City perish not This is the anoynted Virago 4. Another is more beautiful and amiable in her Divine Form as cloathed with the Shape of God and bearing the very Picture of her Virgin-Mother in her Lovely Visage as they indeed all do but this in an especial Manner She is most meek and courteous in Carriage and Communication therefore the froward and grudge-bearing Sycophant shall never partake of her Love 5. Another is wise in true Wisdom and foretelleth of Evils which are like to befal a Humane Soul that is espoused to her if he observe the Divine Motion of her pure Gale in the â—ool of the blessed Day She reveals hidden Mysteries to the Humane Spirit that loveth her Thus though also she be acute and eloquent yet she is intirely Sincere This is the Angelical Philosopher and Prophetess 6. Another is sound and healthy and by that means hath skill in the Plant of Life and the Vertue thereof for the healing of Maladies in Humane Body and Soul This is the Coelestial Physitianess §. 8. Seven-fold Reward LAstly The most Noble is she whose Cloathing is Divine Honour and Magnanimity Majesty and an Heroick Greatness of Spirit is in her Countenance She is adorned with a generous Brightness and she shall rejoyce in time to come in Eternity and shine as the Celestial Star in the Holy World as being brighter than the rest as partaking more of the solar property She openeth her Mouth as one speaking with Authority yet in Modesty and Wisdom yea in her Tongue is the Law of Kindness Her Children in the new Birth arise up and call her Blessed Her Husband also he praiseth her Many Daughters have done Vertuously but thou excellest them all Tho' not equal with the Bride of the Anointed Champion the Sister and Friend of the Great Messias Fawning Favour is deceitful and counterfeit Beauty is vain but this Divine Virgin that obeyeth her Father shall be praised Give her of the Fruits of her Hands and let her own Works praise her in the Gates of Heaven Thus in particular Fair Vertue which is pure Pleasure of the Soul gives to the Soul that accepts of her according to the capacity of the Receiver 1. Treasures of Eternal Life 2. A Clue of Thread to direct Man out of the Labyrinth of false Pleasures and Sports 3. An Armour to resist Lucifer 4. Jewels and Ornaments 5. A Book of Prophecy compiled by the Prince of Philosophers and a new Name written therein 6. Food Bread and Wine without end proceeding from the Tree of Eternal Life 7. A Golden Scepter to rule over the adverse party Thus Man by accepting of a good Fortune proffered to him doth become Rich Sound Prosperous Wise Potent Fair and Noble and so preferred to an Heavenly Dignity and Office §. 9. Grace turned into Wantonness O Man therefore be not so self-conceited and obstinate Be not Osor Mulierum one that Disregards God and the Desire of Women Dan. 11.37 An Hater of the fair Virgin Be willing to enter into the holy Estate of Matrimony for to this thou art purposely born Else thy Soul if thou refuse will be left to be tormented by the Demons and thou wilt die the Eternal Death for Love of a Harlot whose Love thou shalt never enjoy If thou art in love with the fair Virgin have a care of abusing her and offering Violence to her by deflowring her Tho' thou indeed shalt never be able to
thou goest §. 9. Phantasie inverted WHY saith my Objector This is a wonderful thing If this be the only Law and Right of Eternity And if God never eâ—acted any Counter-Law but only as a Penalty upon the breaking of this Law which cannot be altered What would the Soul have Or what would Mortal Man have to give himself rest For the End of all Motion is Rest And the End of all Travail is Refreshment the End of Longing is the Enjoyment of a thing Loved Answer Phantafie sorceth the Soul out of its natural Posture to work against the Hair And as the Ancient Proverb saith Love is Blind and that which is deformed seems fair in the Souls Eye And because God hath forbidden the Tree of Contrariety to be touched therefore Man hath a strong Fancy that there is some great Mystery in it And so like a Fool he comes to be governed by Fancy not considering there is no Smoak without Fire which not prevented his House may be burned But to clear the Mystery of this Subject still plainer to the Understanding It is well known where Fancy is strong the Author chooseth a Laborious Life while he enjoyeth a thing loved or fancied and feels not the Pain And prefers it before a Life of Pleasure without the Society of the Object his Love For he cannot enjoy Pleasure in Pleasure while the one thing fancied is withheld and kept back from him And the best thing being out of sight is out of Mind Now saith my Objector â— apprehend the Matter God who is a true Rest to the Soul offers a bitter Cup to the Soul saying Drink this first and thou shalt enjoy Eternal Pleasure And Lucifer presents Dishes pleasant to the Palate though bitter to the Belly God saith Come to me O all ye that labour and are heavy laden with Vanity and I will give you rest for my Yoke is easie and my Burden is Light But here is a Yoak of Burden of Affliction mentioned §. 10. Soul and Body must Sympathize ANswer I deny the Objection God commands the Soul to enjoy the Pleasure of Temporal as well as Eternal Life For the temperate Man hath a thousand times more Pleasure in Eating and Drinking then the Spewing Sick intoxicated Drunkard And as for the Yoak and Burden mentioned before the upright Soul counteth it no yoak of uneasiness For indeed it is not uneafie to any part but only the corrupted Fancy and the crooked Nature which judgeth the delightful way of Vertue to be irksome because unaccustomed thereunto For the Spirit of the Soul desires only his Right Object which if he obtains he lâ—ts the Soul enjoy Temporal Pleasure as he will out of what hath been said it is clear that it is not God fault that Man attains not the Fruition of his longing Desire and the Rest of his labouring Mind For like a Leech he chooseth to glut himself with the Blood of false Pleasure and then to spue up all again rather than to enjoy the true rest of his Mind in Contentment So Mans Ruine is of himself And the Soul sacrificing the Spirit as being the true Child in the Regeneration there are Drums and loud Musicks sounding to stop his Cries that the Voice of this Divine Complainer cannot be audible As thou knomest not the way of the Spirit or how the Bones do grow in the Womb of the Holy Pregnatress So thou knowest not the Work of God that makes all except thou be born of this Holy Seed And here also ariseth another Question how shall the Soul attain to satisfie his Longing and vehement Desire This is the Lesson which the whole World of Mankind are yet seeking to learn and for the most part learned as well as unlearned are stupid and dull in the comprehending of it because they would learn it the wrong way And God hath set the World in Mans Heart so that Man cannot find out the Work that God maketh from the beginning to the end of his Life without the Assistance and Revelation of the Spirit of the same God For first Man must by the Assistance of this spiritual Physitian cure the Distemper of his Soul and then he will love the thing enjoyned For what is the most pleasant Dainties in the World to an ill-prepared Stomack And also here also ariseth another great Question Is it possible for every Man born of a Woman to reach and attain to this Food or Fewel which he earnestly longs after Answer Though it hath been concluded by some pretended famous Divines that it is not possible for some who have been excluded by Gods predestinate Purpose who according to the Poet Inscripsere Deos sceleri numenque supernum Coede laboriferi credunt gaudere juvenci And though this Doctrine be horrid Blasphemy or Reproaching of God Yet I must be forced now to remit the Answer to another place CHAP. V. The Virgins Suit §. 1. Mans meet Help I The Preacher was Prince over the three Worlds in Eden I Preached the ancient Law in the Throne of Paradice And I gave my 〈◊〉 to seek and to search out by Wisdom concerning all things that are done under the Holy Heaven This sore Travel hath God given to the Sons of Men to be exercised therewith This sealed Book hath he given to Mankind to unclasp and to Read I have seen all the Labour and Travel and Work that are done under the lower Firmament And behold all is Vanity and Vexation of the pure Spirit of the Soul I communed with my own Heart saying Lo I am come to great Estate and have gotten more Wisdom then all the ancient Revolted Princes and â—ord Lucifer whâ— hath been Prince in Eden before me Yea my Heart had great Experience of Wisdom and Knowledge and I gave my Heart to know Wisdom and to know Madness and Folly by Reason whereof Lucifer lost his Throne I perceived also that this is a Vexation of the Holy Spirit For in mach Serpentine Wisdom and Subtilty is much grief And he that increaseth the Knowledge of good and evil in Opposition increaseth Sorrow as not practising what he knows And so all is Vanity whatever is a Vexation to the fair Virgins Spirit And promoteth not the mutual Joy of the Spirit of the Soul and the Divine Virgin or Humane Goddess And here lieth the great mistake of Mankind Folly is the grand Cause or rather a foolish Fancy of setting the Affection upon an Object Loved which cannot easily be withdrawn How is that Man will not love the fair Virgin whom God hath appointed for his Eternal Solace and Pleasure in the pure Paradise of undesiled Love and immaculate Chastity the tâ—ue Cause of Eternal Joy Now what is Joy but the Enjoyment of a thing loved and longed for But here lieth the great Error and here is Mans Misery he chooseth to eat and wipe his Mouth in a corner and to sit sotting over a Cup of Hellish Liquor in Private like a Fool or Self-conceited