which he had brought out of Egypt with great Wonders or Miracles among them to destroy them that they should turne to God and depart from covetousnesse and enter into brotherly love therefore he gave them a long time of respite as also to Israel whom he fed from Heaven for an Example that one people should be an Example to the other that there is a God that is Allmightie But they being earthly both of them and onely evill and being they did live in the Fathers fierce anger therefore the anger and severity of God lusted also to devoure them because they continually kindled it 24. Therefore he said to Joshua Passe over Jordan and destroy that people and leave none of them among you that you be not polluted This saying of his proceeded not out of his Love when he did bid him to kill the Heathens as also the Prophets did not all speak from his Love but from his Anger which was awakened by the wickednesse of Man so also he speaketh many times through the Spirit of the Prophets in the Great World in the Prophets and in Moses in the fire or in other terrors in an angry Zeale 25. And should wee therefore say that God is well pleased with anger and strife No the Prophets complained often in the Holy Ghost or Spirit of God that this evill people offended their God when they moved him to anger so that accordingly his severe wrath went forth and devoured them David saith in the fift Psalme Thou art not a God that are pleased with wicked wayes 26. Now if Man awaken sinne then the fierce anger or severity of God is stirred in himselfe viz. in Man which otherwise if Man did stand in humility would rest and be turned into great Joy as was often mentioned before But now when he burneth in wrath then one people devoureth the other and one sinne destroyeth another if Israel had been upright they had not been put to make warre but they should have entred in with Wonders and have converted the People Moses should have lead them into the promised Land with his Miracles or Deeds of Wonder but because they were wicked they could not enter in with the brightnesse of Moses with deeds of wonder in the lustre or glance of the Father to convert the Heathens but Moses with his deeds of wonder must stay in the Wildernesse and the whole People was consumed and devoured in the wrath and Joshua must warre with the Heathens and destroy them for one wrath devoured the other 27. Whereas Joshua was an Image and similitude that Israel because they could not subsist in the Fathers clarity and love should be led by the second Joshua or Jesus out of the wrath into the Love through the breaking of his body and entring into Death Moses must enter through Death into life and bring his clarity through Death into life even as he appeared with Elias on mount Thabor to the second Joshua or Jesus in the claritie of the Father and shewed him the pleasure of the Father viz. that he the second Joshua should bring Israel through his Death and clarity into the Promised Land of Paradise 28. Yet it could not be how vigorously soever it was sought after that Man in his own power could enter into Paradise and therefore poore captive Man must sit in this world in the Devils murthering Denne where now the Devill hath built his Chappell close by the Christian Church and hath quite destroyed the love of Paradise and hath in the stead thereof set up meere covetous proud selfe-willed or selfe-conceited faithlesse sturdy malicious Blasphemers Theeves and Murtherers which lift themselves up against Heaven and Paradise and have built themselves a Kingdome according to the Dominion of the fierce soure Starres or Constellations wherein they domineere with silver and gold and consume the sweat one of another whosoever is but able oppresseth the other to the ground And though he flie before him yet then he onely putteth forth his Dragons tongue and spitteth fire upon him he terrifieth him with his harsh voyce and plagueth him day and night 29. What can he said of thee O Cain doest thou suppose that God doth not see thee Thou Monstrous Beast thou shalt stand naked as the Spirit in the Wonders doth signifie that thy Ornament may be made knowne How art thou become thus O Eve are not all thy children which thou hast brought forth all come out of thy loynes Was it then the purpose of God that the evill should domineere among the Good and one plague another 30. O no But the Devill who is a cause of the wrathfulnesse Adam was made good out of the pure Element but the longing desire or lust of the Devill deceived him so that he went into the Spirit of this world 31. And now it cannot be otherwise the two Kingdomes wrestle one with another in the children of Men the one is the Kingdome of Christ Generated through the New Birth into Paradise that in this world is miserable and contemned there are not many that desire it for it hath meere scorne and contempt from the Devill and his followers it consisteth in righteousnesse and truth and that is not valued in this world and therefore it must lie at the Rich Mans doore with poore Lazarus and at his feete if any doe but let it appeare that they are the childe of God then the Devill will away with them presently or else will put them to such scorne and disgrace that they cannot be knowne that so the Devill may continue to be the Great Prince upon Earth and that the world may not learne to know him 32. The other Kingdome is that of Antichrist with a Golden Splendour or Glance Prancing in state Glistering on every side every one saith it is a happy thing for it adorneth it selfe most sumptuously and setteth its seate over the Hills and Mountaines every one saluteth it or doth it reverence it draweth the Tincture of the Earth to it selfe that it may glister alone it bereaveth the Kingdome of Christ of its temporall food livelihood or bread it devoureth the sweat of the needy and saith to him You are mine I am your God I will set you where I please you are the dogge that lieth at my feete If I had a minde to it I could hunt you out of my house you must doe what I will and the needy Worme must say I am your poore servant doe but spare my life and if he squeeze out the sweat of his browes so that it smarteth which his Master consumeth or spendeth then he groweth impatient with his Master and curseth him and seeketh out wayes of lying and deceit and by what way he might make his heavy burthen lighter 33. And then if he finde his Master so unjust he riseth up against him and taketh away his unrighteous Bread which he thinketh to eate under a soft yoake and worrieth him to
was not out of the tincture of the aquastrish Matrix but it was out of the heavenly Matrix In briefe it was altogether heavenly as wee shall appeare and be at the day of the Resurrection For the purpose of God standeth the first image must returne and come againe and continue in Paradise and seeing it could be done in no other forme way or manner nor that which was lost be restored againe therefore God would rather spend his own heart his eternall will is unchangeable that must stand 22. And when God had created Man then he planted a Garden in Eden towards the East and placed him therein and caused to spring up and grow all manner of fruit delightfull to behold and all sorts of Trees good to eate of and the Tree of Life in the midst of the Garden and the Tree of knowledge of Good and Evill and when God had placed Man in the Garden he commanded him and said You shall eate of every Tree in the Garden but of the Tree of knowledge of Good and Evill thou shalt not eate for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt die the Death Here the vaile lieth upon Moses and they must be sharp or piercing Eyes that can behold the face of Moses God hath not without cause let Moses write this so very mystically hiddenly and obscurely 23. For what needed God to care so much for the biting of an Apple as to destroy so faire a creature for it Doth he not forgive many greater sinnes And he so exceedingly loved Man that he spared not his onely Sonne but let him become Man and gave him unto Death and could he not forgive a small sinne seeing he was omniscient or knew all things therefore why did he let the Tree of knowledge of Good and Evill grow 24. Reason judgeth thus that if God would not have had it so Adam should not have eaten of it or else he should not have forbidden that Tree onely sure he made it for a stumbling stock to him Thus the Reason of one sort or party judgeth The Reason of the other party will mend the matter which is indeed somewhat the wiser but not much They say God tempted Adam to try whether he would continue in his obedience or not and when he became disobedient then God threw mighty anger and wrath upon him and cursed him to Death and that his wrath could not be quenched except he be reconciled in such a manner This Reason of this party maketh God to be a meere unmercifulnesse like an evill man of this world who yet will be reconciled when he hath once revenged himselfe sufficiently and this Reason hath no knowledge at all God nor of Paradise 25. O beloved soule it is a very heavy businesse at which the very Heavens might well stand amazed in this Temptation there is a very great matter hidden in Moses which the unenlightened soule understandeth not God did not regard a bit of an Apple or Peare to punish so faire a Creature for it The punishment cometh not from his hand but from the Spiritus major is mundi from the Spirit of the great World from the third Principle God intended most mercifully towards Man and therefore he spared not his own heart but let it become Man that he might deliver Man againe You ought not to have such thoughts God is love and the Good in him is no angry thought and Mans punishment was not but from himselfe as you shall finde or reade in its due place The secret Gate of the Temptation of Man 26. Since many Questions fall to be in this place for the minde of Man seeketh after its native Countrey againe out of which it is wandered and would returne againe home to the Eternall Rest and since it is permitted to mee in my knowledge I will therefore set downe the deep Ground of the Fall wherein Men may looke upon the eyes of Moses If you be borne of God then it may well be apprehended by you but the unenlightened minde cannot hit the mark for if the minde desireth to see what is in a house it must then be within that house for from heare say without seeing it ones selfe there is alwaies doubting whether a thing be as is related But what the eye seeth and the minde knoweth that is beleeved perfectly for the eye and the minde apprehendeth it 27. The minde searcheth wherefore man must be tempted whereas God had created him perfect and seeing God is omniscient and knoweth all things the minde therefore alwaies layeth the blame upon God and so doe the Devils also for the minde saith If the Tree of knowledge of Good and Evill had not sprung up then Adam had not fallen 28. O beloved Reason If you understand no more than so then shut up the eyes of your minde quite and search not continue under patience in hope and let God alone he will doe well enough or else you will fall into the greatest unquietnesse and the Devill will drive you into despaire who continually pretendeth or giveth it forth that God did will evill and that he willeth not that all men should be saved and therefore he created the Tree of Anger 29. Beloved Minde put such thoughts away from thee or else thou wilt make of the kinde and loving God an unmercifull and hostile will but leave off such thoughts of God and consider thy selfe what thou art in thy selfe thou shalt finde the Tree of the Temptation and also the will to have it which made it spring up yea the source lust or quality whence it sprung up standeth in thee and not in God this must be understood that when we will speak of the pure Deity which manifesteth it selfe in the second Principle through the heart of God it is thus and not otherwise 30. But when wee consider or meane the originall of the first Principle then wee finde the nature propertie or species of the Tree and also the will to the Tree wee finde there the abysse of Hell and of anger and wrath and moreover wee finde the will of all the Devils we finde the envious will of all the Creatures of this world wherefore they all are the enemies one of another and doe hate bite worry kill and devour one another My beloved Reason here I will shew you the Tree of the Temptation and you shall look Moses in the face keep but your minde stedfast that you may apprehend it 31. I have often given you to understand in this book already what the Essence of all Essences is but because it is most of all highly necessary in this place to know the Ground thereof therefore I will set you it downe all at large and very fundamentally so that you shall know it in your selfe yea you shall understand it in all Creatures and in all things that are or that you look upon or at any time may possibly think on all these shall be
is weaker for it hath no kindling from the vertue of the Sunne and although the vertue of the Starres and the quality are kindled from the Sunne yet all is too little and so it becometh feeble or as it were dead and when the Tincture is feeble then the vertue in the bloud which is the Tincture is wholly weake and finketh into a sweet rest as it were dead or overcome 23. But now in the Tincture onely is the understanding which governeth the minde and maketh the thoughts or senses therefore all is as it were dead and the Constellation now onely ruleth in the roote of the first Principle where the Deity like a glance lustre or vertue worketh in all things There the starry Spirit in the glance of the Glasse of the divine vertue in the Element of fire looketh into the Matrix of the water and setteth his jawes open after the Tincture but that is voyde of power and therefore he taketh the vertue of the Tincture viz. the minde and mingleth or qualifieth with it and then the minde sealeth the Elements and worketh therein Dreames and visions all according to the vertue of the Starres for it standeth in the working and quality of the Starres and these are the Dreames and visions of the night in the sleepe The gate of the highest depth of the life of the Tincture 24. Though the Doctor it may be knoweth what the Tincture is yet the simple and unlearned doth not who many times if they had the Art have better gifts and understanding than the Doctor therefore I write for those that seeke though indeed I hold that neither the Doctor nor the Alchimist hath the ground of the Tincture unlesse he be borne againe in the Spirit such a one seeth through all whether he be learned or unlearned with God the Peasant is as acceptable as the Doctor 25. The Tincture is a thing that seperateth and bringeth the pure and cleere from the impure and that bringeth the life of all sorts of Spirits or all sorts of Essences into its highest pitch degree or exaltation Yea it is the cause of the shining or of the lustre it is a cause that all creatures see and live but its forme is not one and the same in every thing it is not in a Beast as in Man so also it is different in stones and hearbs although it is truly in all things yet in some things strong and in some weake 26. But if we search what it is in essence and propertie and how it is generated then wee finde a very worthy precious noble substance in its birth for it is come forth from the vertue and the fountaine of the Deity which hath imprinted it selfe in all things and therefore it is so secret and hidden and is imparted to the knowledge of none of the ungodly to finde it or to know it and although it be there yet a vaine false or evill minde is not worthy of it and therefore it remaineth hidden to him And God ruleth all in all incomprehensibly and imperceptibly to the Creature the creature passeth away it knoweth not how and the shadow and the figure of the Tincture continueth eternally for it is generated out of the eternall will but the Spirit is given to it by the Fiat according to the kinde of every creature also in the beginning of the Creation it was implanted and incorporated in jewels stones and metalls according to the kinde of every one 27. It was from Eternity in God and therefore it is eternally in God But when God would create a similitude of his Essence and that it should be generated out of the darknesse then it stood in the flash of fire that went forth in the place where the fift forme of the birth of love generateth it selfe in the similitude for it was generated out of the fountaine of the will out of the heart of God and therefore its shadow continueth in the will of God eternally and for the sake thereof also the shadow of all creatures and of every essence substance or thing which was ever generated in the similitude remaineth eternally for it is the similitude of God which is generated out of the eternall will yet its Spirit continueth not eternally in the third Principle of this world that ceaseth or passeth away with the ceasing of the springing or the ceasing of the life 28. For all whatsoever liveth in the third Principle corrupteth or passeth away and goeth into its Ether and end till it come to the figure of the Tincture and that continueth standing eternally as a shadow or will without spirit or mobility But in the second Principle the Tincture continueth eternally standing in the spirit and in the substance or essence all very powerfully viz. in Angels and Men as also in the beginning or first springing of every substance for their Centre to the Birth is eternally fixt or stedfast Of it s the Tinctures Essences and property The deepe Gate of Life 29. It s Essence is the flash in the Circle or Circumference of the springing of the Life which in the water maketh the glance and shining and its roote is the fire and the stock is the soure harshnesse Now the flash separateth the bitternesse and harshnesse from the water so that the water becometh soft fluid and cleere wherein then the sight of all creatures doth consist so that the Spirit in the flash in the Matrix of the water doth see and the flash standeth therein like a glance or lustre and filleth the Spirit of the Essences from which the Essence draweth vehemently to it selfe for it is the soure harshnesse and the flash continually separateth the darknesse from the light and the impure from the pure and there now standeth the divine vertue or power and the divine glance continually imagineth or imprinteth it selfe in the pure from which the soure strong property is separated out from Nature and the divine Glance maketh the pure sweet for it mingleth it selfe or infecteth there 30. But the sweetnesse is like Oyle or fire wherein the flash continually kindleth it selfe so that it shineth But the Oyle being sweet and mingled with the Matrix of the water therefore the shining light is steady constant and fixt and sweet But being it cannot in the nature of the water continue to be an oyle onely because of the infection of the water therefore it becometh thick and the nature or kinde of the fire coloureth it red and this is the Bloud and the Tincture in a Creature wherein the noble life standeth Of the Death and of the Dying The Gate of affliction and of misery 31. Thus the noble life in the Tincture standeth in great danger and hath hourely to expect the corruption or destruction breaking or dissolution for as soone as the bloud wherein the Spirit liveth floweth out or passeth away the Essence breaketh or dissolveth and the Tincture flieth away like a glance or
of the Starres attracteth the vertue of the Sunne to it and manifesteth it selfe in the vertue of the Sunne from whence there ariseth a twinckling flash in this raging from whence the hard soure harsh anxiety is terrified and sinketh downe and there the terrible Tincture goeth into its Ether for the Essence of the soure harshnesse in the Fiat is so mightily terrified at the flash that it becometh faint impotent or feeble and sinketh back expandeth it selfe and groweth thin 58. And the terrour skreeke or flash of fire is done in the bitter prickle and when it reflecteth it selfe back in the dark soure or harsh anxiety in the Mother and findeth her so very soft gentle and overcome then it is much more terrified than the Mother But this terrour happening thus in the soft Mother shee becometh white and cleere in the twinckling of an eye and the flash remaineth in the anguish in the roote of the fire and now therefore it is a skreeke or terrour of great joy and it is as when water is throwne into the fire where the soure harsh quality is then quenched and the sourenesse or harshnesse is then so mightily overjoyed with the light and the light with the Mother the sourenesse or harshnesse wherein it is generated that there is no fimilitude to compare it with for it is the birth and the beginning of the life ☉ Sol All this which followeth is done in the entrance of the fourth Moneth 59. And as soone as the light of life appeareth in the soure harshnesse and soft Mother so that the sourenesse or harshnesse cometh to taste the light of life and findeth that it is so meeke pleasant lovely and full of joy then it exulteth with great delight desire and longing after the light to mix it selfe therewith and apprehend it so that its lust or longing delight and vertue goeth forth from it after the light which lust or longing delight is the vertue of the light and this out-going lust in the love is the noble Tincture which is there new generated to be the childe 's own and the Spirit which is generated out of the anguish in the flash of the fire is the true and reall soule which is generated in Man 60. Now here it is especially to be observed where it dwelleth and whence Heart Lungs and Liver come especially the Bladder and Gutts and the Braine in the Head also the understanding and senses these I will here set down one after another It cannot well or sufficiently be expressed by a humane tongue especially the order which is observed in the twinckling of an eye in Nature it would require a great Volume to describe it in and as the world accounteth us too weake to be able to describe it so wee account our selves much weaker and more unable and it is with us as Isaiah saith I am found of them that sought me not and knowne of them that were ignorant of mee and so such as inquired not after mee 61. I say this hath not been sought but wee sought the heart of God that wee might hide us therein from the tempest of the Devill but when we came there then the loving virgin out of Paradise met us and offered us her love shee would be kinde and friendly to us and be betrothed to us for a Companion and shew us the way to Paradise where wee shall be safe from the stormy tempest and shee carried a branch in her hand and said We will plant this and a Lilly shall grow and I will come to thee againe from whence wee gat this longing to write of the amiable virgin which did shew us the way into Paradise where we must goe through the kingdome of this world and also through the kingdome of Hell and no hurt done us and according to that direction of her's wee write CHAP. XIV Of the Birth and Propagation of Man The very secret Gate 1. IF wee consider now the springing up of the life and in what place of the body it is where the life is generated then we shall rightly finde the whole ground of Man and there is nothing so secret in Man but that it may be found For wee must needs say that the Heart is the place wherein the noble life is generated and the life againe generateth the heart 2. As it is mentioned above so the life in the anguish with the kindling of the light taketh its beginning from the glance of the Sun-shine from the Spirit of the Starres and Elements in the great anguish where death and life wrestle one with the other for when man departed from Paradise into another Birth viz. into the Spirit of this world into the quality of the Sunne Starres and Elements then the Paradisicall vision or seeing ceased or was extinguished where man seeth from the divine vertue without need of the Sun and Starres where the springing up of the life is in the holy Ghost and the light of God is the glance of the Spirit from whence he seeth which went out for the spirit of the soule went into the Principle of this world 3. You must not so understand it as if it were extinguished in it selfe No but the soule of Adam went out from the Principle of God into the Principle of this world and therein now the Spirit of every soule is thus generated againe by humane propagation as is mentioned before and it cannot be otherwise and therefore if wee would be fit for the kingdome of Heaven wee must be regenerated anew in the Spirit of God or else none can inherite the kingdome of God as Christ taught us faithfully of which I will write hereafter that it may be a fountain for the thirsty and a light to the noble way in the blossome of the Lilly 4. And wee must here know that our life which wee get in our Mothers body or womb standeth meerly and onely in the power of the Sunne Starres and Elements so that they not onely figure or fashion a childe in the Mothers body and give it life but also bring it into this world and nourish it the whole time of its life and bring it up also cause fortune and mis-fortune to it and at last death and corruption and if our Essences out of which our life is generated were not higher in their first degree out of Adam than the Beasts then wee should be wholly like the Beasts 5. But our Essences are generated much higher in the beginning of the life in Adam than the beasts which have their Essences but meerly from the spirit of this world and it must also with the spirit of this world in a corruptible substance goe into its eternall Ether whereas on the contrary the essences of Man are proceeded out of the unchangable eternall mind of God which cannot in eternitie corrupt 6. For wee have a certain ground of this in that our
of cause to allow any other Ground to build upon except that thou wilt let thy heart be imbittered by the Devill in beastiall reason and except thou wilt wilfully contemne the light of Nature which standeth in the presence of God and indeed if thou art in such a beastiall way leave my writings and reade them not they are not written for such swine but for the children of wisedome that are to possesse the kingdome of God but I have written them for my selfe and for those that seeke and not for the wise and prudent of this world 66. Behold what are thy five senses in what vertue doe they consist or how come they in the life of Man whence cometh thy seeing that thou canst see by the light of the Sunne and not otherwise consider thy selfe deeply if thou wilt be a Searcher into Nature and wilt boast of the light of Nature Thou canst not say that thou seest onely by the light of the Sunne for there must be somewhat which can receive the light of the Sunne and which doth mix with the light of the Sunne as the Starre doth which is in thine eyes which is not the Sunne but consisteth of fire and water and its glance which receiveth the light of the Sunne is a flash that ariseth from the fiery soure and bitter Gall and the water maketh it soft or pleasant Here you take the meaning to be onely concerning the outward viz. the third Principle wherein the Sunne Starres and Elements are but the same is also true in every the Creatures in this world 67. Now what is it that maketh the hearing that you can heare that which stirreth and maketh a noise wilt thou say that it is caused by the noise of that outward thing which giveth the sound no! there must also be somewhat that must receive the sound and qualifie or mix with the sound and distinguish the sound of what is played or sung the outward cannot doe that alone the inward must receive and distinguish the noise behold here you finde the beginning of the life and the Tincture wherein the life consisteth for the Tincture of the crack in the springing up of the life in the breaking open of the dark Gate standeth in the sounding and hath its Gate open next the fire-flash neere the eyes and receiveth the noise of whatsoever soundeth 68. For the outward sounding qualifieth with the inward and is severed or distinguished by the Essences and the Tincture receiveth all be it evill or good and thereby testifieth that it selfe with its Essences that generate it are not generated out of the Deity else the Tincture would not let in the evill and that which is false into the Essences of the soule 69. Therefore wee must consider that the noise in the Tincture of Man is of a higher nature than that in the Beasts for Man searcheth and distinguisheth all things which give a sound and knoweth from whence it cometh and how it doth exist which the Beasts cannot doe but stareth at it and knoweth not what it is whereby it may be understood that the Originall of Man is out of the Eternall because he can distinguish all things that in the Out Birth came out of the Eternall and hence it is that the body being all things out of the Eternall nothing are caused to be something which is comprehensible or palpable and yet there that nothing is not a meere nothing but it is a source after the corrupting shall stand in the Eternall Figure and not in the Spirit because it is not out of the Eternall Spirit for otherwise if it were out of the Eternall Spirit then it should also search out the beginning of every thing as well as Man who in his sound receiveth and distinguisheth all things 70. Thus now the habitation of Mans sound wherein the understanding is must be from Eternity although indeed in the fall of Adam Man hath set himselfe in the corruptibility and in great want of understanding as shall follow here In like manner also wee finde concerning the smelling for if the Spirit did not stand in the sound then no smell of any thing would presse or pierce into the Essences for the Spirit would be whole and swelled But it standing thus in the Gate of the broken darknesse in the crack and in the sound therefore every vertue of all things presse in into that Gate and try themselves by one another and what the Essences of the Spirit doe love that it desireth and draweth the same into the Tincture and then hands and mouth fall to it and stuffe it into the stomack into the outward Court of the foure Elements from whence the earthly Essences of the Starres and Elements doe feede 71. And the Tast also is a trying and attracting of the Tincture in the Essences of the Spirit And so the feeling also if the Spirit of Man with its Essences did not stand in the sound there would be no feeling for when the soure Essences draw to them then they awaken the bitter prickle or sting in the fire-flash which stirreth it selfe either by griping thrusting or striking and thereupon in all driving the bitter prickle in the fire-flash is awakened and therein standeth the moving and all in the Tincture CHAP. XVI Of the Noble Minde of the Understanding Senses and Thoughts Of the threefold Spirit and Will and of the Tincture of the Inclination and what is inbred in a childe in the Mothers body or womb Of the Image of God and of the Beastiall Image and of the Image of the Abysse of Hell and similitude of the Devill to be searched for and found out in any one Man The Noble Gate of the Noble Virgin And also the Gate of the Woman of this world highly to be considered 1. IF wee consider our selves in the noble knowledge which is opened to us in the love of God in the noble virgin of the wisdome of God not for our merit honesty vertue or worthinesse but meerly of his own will and originall eternall purpose even in those things which appeare to us in his love then wee must needs acknowledge our selves to be unworthy of such a Revelation and being wee are sinners wee are deficient in the Glory that wee should have before him 2. But being it is his Eternall will and purpose to doe us good and to open his Secrets to us according to his counsell therefore wee ought not to withstand nor to bury the bestowed Talent in the earth for we must give account of it in the appearing of his coming Therefore wee will thus labour in our Vineyard and commend the fruit to him and will set down in writing a Memoriall for our selves and leave it to him For wee can search or conceive no further than onely what wee apprehend in the light of Nature where our Gate standeth open not according to the measure of our purpose when and how wee will but according to his
which had made them pittied them and it did look whether there were any remedy or counsell that might help poor Man and redeeme or deliver him from the Bands of the Eternall fiercenesse or wrath and from the mortall body of this world but there was nothing found neither in Heaven nor in this world that could make them free there was no Principality or Throne-Angel which had the ability to doe it all was lost they were in the Eternall Judgement of the Temporall and Eternall Death For the first Principle had captivated them in the Spirit of the soule and qualified or mingled with the soule the Kingdome of Heaven in the Light was shut up and there was a firme enclosure of a whole Principle between and it could not reach the kingdome of Heaven againe except that it were borne of God againe otherwise there was no counsell nor help nor refuge in any thing at all 96. Then the Devill mocked the Image and Hell opened its jawes wide and had the bridle in their Essences and continually drew them therewith towards the hellish fire of the fierce wrath and then there was trembling and horrour in the minde and they could not reach the love of God Heaven was their Enemy no Angel came neere them but the horrible Devills they shewed themselves and hooped crying Ho ho wee have gotten the Game wee are Princes over Men wee will torment them soundly because they would have possessed our Throne wee should have been their footstoole and now wee are their Judges what care wee for God he dwelleth not in our kingdome wherefore hath he thrust us out wee will be sure to wreake our spleene upon his Image The most pleasant and most lovely Gate or Exposition of the promise of the Treader upon the Serpent highly to be considered 97. Now when no counsell or remedy was found and that Man was sunk downe into Hell to the great Triumph of the Devills then said God to the Serpent the Devill Because thou hast done thus be thou cursed and the seede of the Woman shall tread upon or break thy Head and thou shalt bruise or wound his Heele at which the Abysse of Hell did quake and tremble but the Devill understood not wholly what that should be onely he saw that the word imagined or represented it selfe in Adam and in Eve in the Centre of Life and that it opposed the fiercenesse of the kingdome of Hell of which he stood in feare and his jollity was lessened for he did nor relish that 98. Moses writeth here as if the Serpent had beguiled Eve because God cursed it and said That it should eate Earth and creepe upon its belly but Moses here putteth the vayle before our eyes that he cannot be looked in the Face for all Prophecies stand in dark words that the Devill may not know nor apprehend them and learne the Times and that he may not strow his false seede before the wonders of God appeare as may be seene in all the Prophets who prophesied of the Treader upon the Serpent 99. Wee know that the Devill slipt into the Serpent and spake out of the Serpent for God did not meane by it that the Treader upon the Serpent should tread upon the head of the beastiall Serpent but that he should destroy the Devill and the Abysse of Hell But that was the Punishment of the Beastiall Serpent that it should remaine a poysonous Worme without feete and eate Earth and have communion with the Devill for so all Evill Spirits in Hell appeare in their own forme according to their source or quality as Serpents Dragons horrible Wormes and evill Beasts 100. This now the Devill did not understand because God spake of the Serpent and cursed it to be a horrible Worme and he supposed that it did not concerne him neither doth he yet know his own judgement he knoweth onely what he learneth from Men that doe declare things in the Spirit of God yet the Spirit of God doth not wholly intimate his Judgement to him but all in the Depth afarre off so that he cannot wholly understand it For to the enlightened Men all Prophesies even concerning the wickednesse of Men are thus given and they dare not set them downe clearer that the Devill may not wholly learne the Counsell of God and strow his Sugar upon it though in this place there are very excellent things that ought not to be revealed to the world for they remaine till the Judgement of God that the Devill may bring no new sects into it and lead men into doubt and therefore they shall be passed over till the time of the Lilly 101. So now when wee consider the great love and mercifulnesse in that he hath turned to Man wee finde cause enough to write and teach these things for it concerneth our eternall Salvation and Redemption out of the Jawes of Hell therefore I will set downe the ground of the promised Messiah that the following writings may be the better understood especially Moses in his Booke of the Law where there is need of it now he that will see nothing God help he must needs be blinde for the time of the visitation of the hardned Jewes Turks and Heathens cometh now Whosoever will see let them see the Lamps for the Bridegroome are shortly to be kindled he cometh whosoever desireth to be a Guest let him prepare him a Wedding-Garment 102. Now saith Reason how could Adam and Eve know what God meant by the Treader upon the Serpent Indeed they did not wholly altogether know onely they saw that the Devill must depart from them and not shew himselfe outwardly any more but the minde in the Centre of the breaking through of the life into the Element into the presence of the chast and modest virgin the wisdome of God that understood it well for he lodged a precious and worthy Guest for the Word which God the Father spake concerning the Treader upon the Serpent went out of the Heart and out of the Mouth of God and that was the sparke of Love proceeding out of the Heart of God which was from Eternity in the Heart of God wherein God the Father had knowne and elected Mankinde before the foundations of the World were laid that they should live therein and that the same spark or promise should stand in the rising up of the life and Adam also in his Creation stood therein 103. And this is it which Saint Paul said That Man is elected in Christ before the foundation of the world and not those dregges of despaire that are now taught about the Election of Grace they are not the right understanding I will shew thee Pauls meaning about his Election of Grace in its due place when I shall write of the beastiall wolvish and doggish mindes of Men that will not give way that the Treader upon the Serpent may enter into them so that the heavenly Father in his Sonne Jesus
seeketh nothing but the Thornes and loveth to strike with them therefore wee will give the Driver no cause to doe so but rather let these Mysteries stand for the children of the Lilly Rose they are wise and have the Noble Tincture in the light the lustre of the Driver will be no more so esteemed for the Guests of this world have that Government in hand 15. Thy proud Horse or Beast thou shamefull Whore shall ride no longer alone over the bended knees in that time it will no more be said The power might or Authority sticketh in my Chist of money that Minerall or Metall becometh a blossome in the light and the Tincture standeth in the blossome of the Lilly stones are of as much worth as that mettall is the clothing of the virgin is brighter than thy pride how finely doth the ornament of this world stand on modesty and the feare of God if the heart be humble How doe thy silken and golden cloaths adorne thee Doest thou not appeare in Gods deeds of Wonder Who will call thee a false Woman if thou beest so very chast Doest thou not stand to the honour of the Great God Art thou not his work of Wonder Is there not a friendly laughter before thee Who can say that thou art a wrathfull Woman Thy modest countenance shineth over mountaines and valleys Art thou not at the end of the world and will not thy Glance or lustre be espied in Paradise Wherefore standeth thy Mother in Babell and is so very malicious O! thou shamefull Whore Get thee out for Babell is on fire or else thou wilt be burnt thy selfe 16. Or doest thou suppose that wee are mad If wee did not see thee wee would be silent thou boastest now by thy flatterers of a Golden Time but they are most of them Wolves of Babell when the Day breaketh then they will be knowne Or should I not tell thee this thou proud Whore Behold when thou with Adam and Eve wentest out of Paradise into the Spirit of this world then thou wert as a God in the Spirit of this world thou mightest seek all Mysteries and use them for thy Ornament If thou haddest alwayes gone cloathed in silk and purple or scarlet yet thou haddest not thereby offended God but thou haddest gone in them to the honour of the Great God in his Deeds of Wonder Wherefore hast thou forsaken the Love and art become a Murtherer Was not covetousnesse thy sinne in that thou affordest not thy Members so much as thy selfe thou desirest to be onely fine thy selfe alone thy way onely should be holy Wherfore was the fratricide between Abel and Cain The selfe-honouring pride brought it about so that Cain envied Abels uprightnesse for the sake of which he was so much beloved of God wherefore was not Cain also humble and pious 17. Wilt thou say the Devill beguiled him Yes indeed and he beguileth thee too so that thou enviest the comelinesse and beauty of others Hath God made thee a degree higher art thou not a childe of Eve Prethee tell mee the truth art thou not the Antichrist which under a cloake of being counted the Minister and servant of God ridest upon the Devils Horse Mee thinkes I see thee Hearken When thou wentest out of Paradise into this world wherefore didst thou not continue in one onely Love Wherefore didst thou not rejoyce in thy Neighbour Wherefore didst thou not love the members of thy body Why doest thou not adorne thy brother with thy ornament Didst thou not see him plainly Was not the Earth thy own thou mightest have made what thou wouldest of it who did hinder thee in it Why didst thou not eate with thy Brother thou mightest have had fully enough there would never have been any want if thy humility towards thy brother had continued then his also had continued towards thee and then what a fine habitation and dwelling had there been upon Earth what need had there been for thee to have coyned silver and gold if unity had continued thou mightest have made thy ornaments of it well enough if thou haddest adorned thy Brother and Sister then they would have adorned thee againe with their ready serviceable Love doest thou think it had been a sinne if thou hadst gone in pure silk and gold for the benefit of thy Brother and to the honour of the Great God 18. O thou blinde Babell I must tell thee how thou becamest thus mad thou hast suffered thy selfe to be possessed by the Region of the Starres and to be lead by the abominable Devill and art become a perjured or forsworne whore to God and neverthelesse thou hast built thy selfe a Kingdome upon Earth as they lead their Region thou leadest thine as they generate by the Elements and consume it againe so doest thou with thy children also thou generatest them and killest them againe thou makest warre and art a murtherer for thy pride and covetousnesse sake so that thou hast no roome at all upon the Earth 19. Doest thou suppose that God taketh pleasure in it Yes Sir the Spirit of the Great World is pleased with it and through that Spirit the fierce anger of God is also pleased because they qualifie or mingle one with another and out of one and the same roote 20. Doest thou suppose that all the Prophets have spoken from the pleasant kinde love of God from the Heart of God when they said to the Kings of Israel Enter into Battell thou shalt overcome God shall give you victory Indeed they spake from God but from his fierce wrath against sinnes through the Spirit of the Great World which would devoure againe what it hath made because the Love was extinguished 21. Or doest thou suppose that God sent Moses to slay the Kings of the Heathens in the Promised Land and that he is so well pleased with murtherings No friend look under the vayle of Moses and thou shalt finde it cleane otherwise 22. Why did God keep Israel forty yeares in the Wildernesse and fed them with Heavenly Bread that they should be a people full of love such as love one another and should depend on God in one Love and therefore he gave their Lawes brightnesse or clarity to see if they could live in the Love of the Father and then he would have sent them among the Heathens to turne them with their wonders as was done at the time of the Apostles and in that he fed them from the Heaven and that none of them which gathered much or little had any want thereby they ought to have knowne that the Kingdome the power and all is Gods and that they were in him they ought to have left their covetousnesse and to converse among one another with brotherly Love none ought to look after covetousnesse because he horribly punished it 23. Also when the Heathens should heare that God would send this People
Grave 75. As Adam went out of the cleere Light of God into the dark Kingdome of this world and the soule of Adam stood between two dark Principles as between Death and Hell and grew up in the body so also would Christ in his growing body rise up from the dead at midnight and make the night in his holy body to be a cleere Eternall Day whereinto no night ever came but the Light of God the Father and of the Lamb shone therein 76. Thou shouldst not think that the soule of Christ these fortie houres was in any other place than in the Father and in his body where it sprung up in great meeknesse upon the persecution it had as a Rose or faire flower out of the Earth as also our soules in our Rest in the Body of Jesus Christ at the Last Judgement-day in the destruction of this world shall in the new body breake forth againe out of the Old and in the meane while the soule groweth up in the Holy Element in the body of Christ till our forty houres also come about and not one houre longer than the appointed time is Thus is the body of Christ in the power or vertue of the Father through the soule risen againe and gone forth and hath in it the Light of the Holy Trinity 77. It was not needfull that the Stone should be rowled away from the Grave but to convince the blinde Jewes that they might see it was but folly in them to goe about to detaine or shut up God also because of the Disciples weake Reason that they might see that he was risen for certain for when the Stone was rowled away they could goe into the Grave and see it themselves 78. Also the Angel appeared to them there and comforted them Thus will Christ comfort his afflicted ones who are afflicted for his sake yea he is present with them as he was with Mary Magdalene and with the two Disciples going to Emaus 79. Thou must know that no Stone or Rock can keepe or retaine his body he pierceth and penetrateth through all things and breaketh nothing he comprehendeth all things and the thing comprehendeth not him he comprehendeth this world and the world comprehendeth not him he is hurt by nothing the whole fulnesse of the Deity is in him and is not included in any thing he appeareth a Creature in our Humane forme in the same dimensions that our bodies have and yet his body hath no end or limit he is the whole Princely Throne of the whole Principle 80. When he was here upon Earth in the earthly Man his outward body was circumscribed and limited as our Bodies are but the Inward body is unlimited for wee also in the Resurrection in the Body of Jesus Christ are unlimited yet visible and palpable or comprehensible in the heavenly flesh and bloud as the Prince of life himselfe is wee can in the heavenly figure or shape be great or little and yet nothing be hurt or wanting in us there is no need of compressing the parts of that body 81. O deare Christians leave off your Contentions about the body of Jesus Christ he is every where in all places yet in the Heaven and the Heaven wherein God dwelleth is also every where God dwelleth in the body of Jesus Christ and in all holy soules of Men even when they depart from this outward body and if they be regenerated then they are in the body of Jesus Christ even while they are in this Earthly body A soule here in our body upon Earth hath not the body of Christ in a palpable substance but in the word of power or vertue which comprehendeth all things in Christ indeed body and power is one thing but wee must not understand this of the foure Elementary Creature which is in this world 82. And the Spirit signifieth that if you doe not leave off this Contention you shall have no other signe given you then the signe of Elias in fire in zeale the zeale shall devoure you and your contention must devoure your selves you must consume your selves therefore are you not madd Are yee not all Brethren are yee not all in Christ If you did converse in Love what should you need to strive about your Native Countrey wherein you dwell O leave off your cause is evill in the fight of God and yee are all found to be in Babell be advised the day breaketh how long will yee keepe Company with that adulterous Whore Arise your noble Virgin is adorned in her Orient Garland of Pearle shee weareth a Lilly which is most delightsome be brotherly and shee will adorne you indeed wee have seene her really and in her Name wee write this 83. There is no need of Contention about the Cup of Jesus Christ his body is really received in the Testament by the faithfull as also his Heavenly Bloud and the Baptisme is a Bath or Laver in the water of the Eternall Life hidden in the outward Baptisme with water in the Word of the Body of Christ Therefore all Contention or Disputation is in vaine be in Brotherly Love and forsake the Spirit of Pride and then yee are all in Christ 84. These very deepe and difficult matters are not profitable for you you ought not to looke after them wee must onely set them downe that you may see what the ground is and what the Errour is For wee are not the cause of these Writings but you in your high puffed up Lust have stirred up the Spirit that you might finde out the thoughts of your hearts let the Resurrection of Christ be powerfull and effectuall to you for his Resurrection is your Resurrection and in him wee shall grow and flourish and live Eternally onely stick to him and then you cannot perish in any distresse for if you have him you have the Holy Trinity of God 85. If you will pray to God then call upon God your Heavenly Father in the Name of his Sonne Jesus Christ desiring that he would forgive you your sinnes for the sake of his sufferings and death and give you what is good for you and may further your salvation Give up and yeeld all whatsoever is earthly to his pleasure and will for wee know not what wee should desire and pray for but the Holy Ghost helpeth us in Christ Jesus before his Heavenly Father Therefore there is no need of many words or Long Prayers But a beleeving Soule which with its whole Earnest resolved purpose yeeldeth it selfe up into the Mercy of God to live in his will in the Body of Jesus Christ and continueth constant then he is sure and safe from the Devill 86. That Phantasie about the Intercession of the Saints is unprofitable it is but a vexation whereby you disquiet the Saints in their Rest Doth not God himselfe call you continually and doth not your Virgin waite for you with a Longing Desire doe but come and shee is
ground of all the three Births 56. The noble Tincture is the dwelling house of the Spirit and hath three formes one is eternall and uncorruptible the other is mutable or transitory and yet with the holy or Saints continueth eternally but with the wicked it is mutable or transitorie and flieth into the Ether the third is corruptible in Death 57. The first Tincture of the first Principle is properly the habitation in the fire-flash which is the source life or active property in the Gall which maketh the Brimstone Spirit viz. the indissoluble Worme of the soule which ruleth powerfully in the sharp Essences and moveth and carrieth the body whither soever the minde in the second Centre will to be its dwelling house its Tincture is like the fierce austere or grim and sharp might of God it kindleth the whole body so that it is warme and that it grow not stiffe or congealeth with cold and upholdeth the wheele in the crack in the Essences out of which the hearing ariseth it is sharp and proveth the smell of every thing in the Essences it maketh the hearing though it selfe is neither the hearing nor smelling but it is the Gate that letteth in good and evill as the tongue and also the eare doth all which cometh from hence because that its Tincture hath its ground in the first Principle and the kindling of the life hapneth in the sharpnesse in the breaking through the Gate of the eternall Darknesse 58. Therefore are the Essences of the Spirit of the soule so very sharp and fiery and therefore the Essences goe forth out of such a sharp fiery Tincture wherein now stand the five senses viz. seeing hearing smelling tasting and feeling for the fierce sharpnesse of the Tincture of the first Principle proveth in its own Essences in or of the soule or in the Essences of the Worme of the soule in this place rightly so called proveth I say the Starres and Elements viz. the out-birth out of the first Principle and whatsoever uniteth or yeeldeth it selfe to it it taketh that into the Essences of the Worme of the soule viz. all whatsoever is harsh or soure bitter sterne or fierce and fiery all whatsoever generateth it selfe in the fiercenesse and all whatsoever is of the same property with the Essences all that which riseth up along there in the fiery source and elevateth it selfe in the breaking of the Gate of the Darknesse and boyleth springeth or floweth up above the meeknesse and all whatsoever is like the sharp austere Eternity and qualifieth or mixeth with the sharpnesse of the fierce anger of the God of the Eternity wherein he holdeth the Kingdome of the Devils Captive O Man consider thy selfe here it is the sure Ground knowne by the Author in the light of Nature in the will of God 59. And in this Tincture of the first Principle the Devill tempteth Man for it is his source well-spring or property wherein he also liveth Herein he reacheth into the heart of Man into his soules Essences and leadeth him away from God into the desire to live in the sharpe viz. in the fiery Essences that it might be elevated above the humility and the meeknesse of the heart of God and above the love and meeknesse of the Creatures of purpose to seeme to be the onely faire and glistering Worme in the fire flash and to domineere over the second Principle and thus he maketh the soule of Man so extreame proud as not to vouchsafe himselfe to be in the least like any meeknesse but to be like all whatsoever liveth in a quality or property contrary to it 60. And in the bitter Essences he maketh the Worme of the soule prickly spitefull envious and malicious grudging every thing to any as the bitternesse indeed is friends with nothing but it stingeth and grindeth raveth and rageth like the Abysse of Hell and it is the true house of Death as to the pleasant life 61. And in the soure or harsh Essence of the Tincture of the Worme of the soule he infecteth the soure harsh Essence whereb it becometh sharply attractive and getteth a will to draw all to it selfe and yet is not able to doe it for the conceived will is not easily filled but is a dry hellish thirsty hunger to have all and if it did get all yet the hunger would not be the lesse but it is the eternall hunger and thirst of the Abysse the will of Hell-fire and of all Devils who continually hunger and thirst and yet eate nothing but it is their satiating that they suck or draw into themselves the strong source of the Essences of the harsh bitter might of the fire wherein consisteth their life and satiating and the Abysse of the wrath and of Hell is also such a thing 62. And this is the source of the first Principle which without the light of God cannot be otherwise neither can it change or alter it selfe for it hath been so from Eternity and out of this source the Essences of the Worme of the soule in the time of its creating were extracted by the Fiat of God and created in Paradise and set before the light of God which enlightened the fire-flash and put it into very high meeknesse and humility 63. For because Man was to be Eternall therefore he must also come to be out of the Eternall for nothing is created out of the fountaine of the Heart of God for that is the end of Nature and hath no such Essences no comprehensible or palpable thing entereth therein otherwise it would be a filling and darknesse and that cannot be also from Eternity there hath been nothing else but onely the source or working property where the Deity continually riseth up as is mentioned before 64. And this source of the Spirit of the soule is Eternall and its Tincture is also Eternall and as the source is in it at all times of this world while it sticketh in the Elementary house of flesh so is the Tincture also and the dwelling house of the soule and in which source the minde inclineth it selfe whether it be in the divine or hellish in that source the Worme liveth and of that Principle it eatteth and is either an Angel or a Devill although its judgement is not in this lifes time for it standeth in both the Gates so long as it liveth in the flesh except it dive or plunge it selfe wholly into the Abysse whereof when I write of the sinne of Man I shall treate deeply and exactly reade of it concerning Cain 65. The minde which knoweth or understandeth nothing in the light of Nature will marvell at such writings and will suppose that it is not true that God hath extracted and created Man out of such an Originall Behold thou beloved Reason and precious Minde bring thy five senses hither and I will shew thee whether it be true or not I will shew thee plainly that thou hast not the least spark