the true Ministers of Christ trod in the steps of their LORD they lived in the offering up of their Souls continually in the flames of Love as a whole Burnt-offering to Christ which is the practical part and kept their Bodies under that while they were Preachers to others they might not be cast aways themselves 1 Cor. 9.26 they went on conquering and to conquer and so doth every true Christian they are still conquering and overcoming all their Enemies getting their Sins and Lusts under their Feet and can never rest whilst there is any to overcome till they have brought all in Subjection and this they are able to do through the Power of Christ in them although the false Prophets and Ministers of Antichrist who are Ministers of the Flesh and not of the Spirit that tells them to the contrary for their sinister ends to keep up their Trade of Diana Acts 19.24 But alas who do I give this aforesaid Doctrine to For it must be a Caleb that must do this work a Caleb which signifies a good Heart not a Heart that seeks Liberty to the flesh to make the knowledge of Christ a more easie way to sinning to encourage them in their Luxury and Fleshly Pleasures not an Heart of unbelief that brings an evil report upon the good â—and to make the death of Christ of no effect saying We shall never overcome our Sins and Lusts being so many potent and strong while we are on this side the Grave No no this is not the Heart that shall overcome but a couragious valiant heart that 's fill'd with Faith and Love that stands armed upon its Watch-Tower against every high and wandring thought strong hold and vain Imagination that exalts it self against the Power Kingdom and Soveraignty of Christ that so it may kill Sin in the Conception before it be brought to the Birth and this is the way that Christ and his Apostles ascribed to work out your Salvation with Fear and Trembling that we be equal workers together with him and then Co-heirs for he places our Salvation conditionally if we suffer with him we shall also Reign with him so then this suffering life is the door all must come in at for saith Christ He that comes another way is a Thief and a Robber so here 's no Salvation but by being partakers of his Internal Sufferings which Hermes Trismigestes doth excellently treat of in his first Book For this only Oh Son saith he is the way to the Truth which our Progenitors travelled in and by which making their Journey they at length attained to the good it is a venerable way and plain but hard and difficult for the Soul to go in that is in the Body For first must it war against its own self and after much strife and dissention it must be overcome of one part for the contention is of one against two whilst it flies away and they strive to hold and detain it but the Victory of both is not like for the one hasteth to that which is good but the other is a Neighbour to the things that are Evil and that which is good desireth to be set at Liberty but the things that are evil love Bondage and Slavery And if the two parts be overcome they become quiet and are content to accept of it as their Ruler but if the one be overcome of the two it is by them led and carried to be punish'd by its Being and continuance here This is Oh Son the guide in the way that leads thither for thou must first forsake the Body before thy End and get the Victory in this contention and strifeful Life and when thou hast overcome then return and avoid all conversation with the Multitude or common People for I would not have thee subject to Envy for they do rather sharpen and whet evil Men to their Maliciousness therefore it behoveth to avoid the Multitude and take heed of them as not undestanding the Virtue and Power of the things that are said And in the second Book where he began to Preach unto Men the Beauty and fairness of Piety and Knowledge saying Oh ye People Men born and made of the Earth which have given your selves over to drunkenness and sleep and to the ignorance of GOD. Be sober and cease your surfeit whereto you are allured and invited by brutish and unreasonable sleep Why Oh Men of the off-spring of the Earth why have you delivered your selves over unto death having power to partake of Immortality repent and change your Minds you that have together walked in Error and have been darkned in Ignorance depart from that dark Light be partakers of Immortality and leave or forsake Corruption And some of them that heard me said he Mocking and Scorning went away and delivered themselves up to the way of Death But others casting themselves down before my Feet said he Besought me that they might be taught but I caused them to rise up I became a guide to Mankind teaching them the reasons how and by what means they may be saved and I sowed in them the words of Wisdom and nourished them with Ambrosian water of Immortality I shall speak something of his great Vision which in order should have gone first How God appeared to him calling him by his Name saying What wouldst thou hear and see or what wouldst thou understand to learn and know Then said Hermes Who art thou I am quoth he Poemanders the Mind of the Great LORD the most Mighty and absolute Emperour I know what thou wouldst have and I am always present with thee Then said I I would learn the things that are and understand the nature of them and know GOD. How said Poemander know God I answered that I would gladly hear Then said he have me again in thy Mind and whatsoever thou wouldest learn I will teach it thee When he had thus said he was changed his Idea or Form and straightway in the twinkling of an Eye all things were opened unto me and I saw an infinite sight all things were become light both sweet and exceedingly pleasant and I was wonderfully delighted in the beholding it But after this there was a darkness fearful and hideous insomuch that Hermes trembled at his Idea or Form which I cannot now insist further upon How GOD revealed himself to him making known the mystery of his outward and inward Creation which is wonderful and excellent and is committed to Posterity though in an obscure or hidden Stile But having not room here for the Vision being much I shall only touch at something as I go along that may be serviceable to my matter in hand Poemander GOD said Let the Man endued with a Mind mark consider and know himself well Hermes Have not all Men a Mind Poemander Take heed what thou sayest I the Mind come unto Men that are holy and good pure and merciful and live piously and religiously and my Presence is a help to them and forthwith
Faâ—her of Power to give you his Heavenly Strength so to make War with â—he Enemy of your Souls as to overcome all his temptations to fight manfully and couragiously with your selves with your own desires affections self-love any corrupted Reason and your own Wills These are the potent Enemies of Christ that keeps him from his Right to Reign in your Souls here you are to help the LORD against the mighâ—y which is Sin Flesh and the Devil which you are to engage War withal old Adam the Dragon and Lucifer which you are to adventure your Lives Liberties and Estates to overcome and they that looses their lives here shall find them and they that holds out to the End here shall be Saved and they that forsakes these shall receive a thousand fold â—oth in this Life and that which is to come These are the sufferings you are to join with Christ in here you must be equal workers together with him mark that not without him for without him we can do nothing poor miserable nothings from the Greatest to the Least but â—f we wait upon him in the contempt of our selves in self-abhorrence â—oor Impotent Creatures waiting at the Pool of Bethesda John 5.45 6 7 8. for the Angels moving the Waters here 's the place where Jeâ—us comes with his Mercy and healing Power and Vertue which makes â—he Lame leap as an Hart the Blind to see the Deaf to hear the Dumb â—o speak the Dead to live and heals all your putrified Sores but have 〈◊〉 care your Eve is not to Man for help you must not seek to the Creaâ—ures for that was Asa King of Juda's Sin who rested on the King of Aram and not on the LORD therefore said the Prophet Hanani to King Asa The Host of Aram is escaped out of thy Hand and when he was afflicted with an extream Disease in his Feet he sought to the Physicians and not to the LORD and so died 2 Chron. 16. and not to the LORD to take away the Sin which was the cause of God's afflicting hand upon him yet a King that did many noble acts to pull down Idolatry and made a Covenant to seek the LORD with his whole Heart and Soul and made a Law that whosoever would not seek the LORD GOD of Israel should be Slain whether small or great Man or Woman yet in this thing he greatly transgressed himself See what a dangerous thing it is to rely upon Man for help either for Soul or Body either in spiritual or temporal Affairs 't is no less than a dis regarding the LORD and believing his Omnipotency to be insufficient and how this can be answered let the wise in Heart judge but the remedy for this raging pestilential Disease is the foregoing Instructions to be emptied of our selves to be made nothing to forsake our own Wills these are Sufferings indeed all other outward Sufferings of what sort soever are but shadows to these though you give up your Bodies to be burnt that doth but reach the Flesh but these reach the Soul those takes away the Life but these the Sin for example How many hundreds or thousands suffers outwardly variety of ways as Poverty Sickness and Death c. and as wicked as ever but the internal Sufferings reaches the Heart and changes it from evil to good Therefore these are the Sufferings that brings Christ to reign in the Soul here whilst it is in the Body in the Life and then hereafter for ever wherefore here we are to imitate Christ our Pattern in his Suffering Life Phil. 2.6 7 8. Let this Mind be in you said the Apostle which was in Christ Jesus who being in the form of GOD thought it no Robbery to be equal with GOD yet made himself of no Reputation and took upon him the form of a Servant and was made in the likeness of Men and being found in fashion as a Man he humbled himself and became obedient unto Death even the death of the Cross Here 's our Pattern he that was LORD of all became least of all although he was GOD equal with the Father yet he emptied himself of all his Glory and humbled himself to an Ignominious Death which signifies a death to all your Honours and Glories you must empty your selves not only of all Sin and Iniquity as Pride Arrogancy Deceit Malice Hatred Covetousness and the like but of all your best Endowments excellencies of Graces Parts and Wisdom your good Works that are really good in themselves works of Mercy to your Neighbours and fellow-Creatures or whatsoever Excellency doth atttend a Heavenly Life that thou thinkest thou oughtest to think well of it or thy self for doing it away with those Thoughts hate and abhor such Thoughts thou oughtest to run away from them Thoughts as Christ did from the Jews when they would have made Him King For what hast thou done that was not commanded thee therefore the good that thou dost is none of thine thou hast nothing thou art nothing nothing is thine but Sin thou never didst a good action nor never thought a good thought shall I therefore ascribe to my self the glory of doing any good to rob GOD of his Honour GOD forbid all good is GOD's but Sin Evil and Wickedness is thine therefore down proud Worm down Dust and Ashes down with your Crowns before the Lamb and Him that sits upon the Throne and confess and ascribe in the deepest humility and profoundest adoration from the bottom of your Souls all Praise Power Might and Dominion Honour and Glory to the LORD GOD Omnipotent from Everlasting to Everlasting Amen Wherefore if you will find GOD it must be by lesning your selves making self of no Reputation by emptying your selves of all your Glories and Excellencies whether external or internal and take nothing to your selves but shame and confusion of Face Dan. 9. and that in a broken and contrite Heart judging and condemning your selves to be unworthy of the least of all his Goodness and this is the Breast-plate of Judgment that must be upon Aaron's Heart continually before the LORD then you learn of Christ who emptied and humbled himself in all things to be tempted as we are yet without Sin and thus Man comes to be restored to GOD out of the Fall for as in Adam all died so in Christ all are made alive to Righteousness and true Holiness If we put him on as t is written Put ye on the LORD Jesus and make no provision for the Flesh to fulfil the Lust thereof This is that that recovers Mankind out of the Fall to put on His Righteousness His Humility to put on His Obedience to the Father His Self-denial His Justice His Mercy and to be cloathed with all His Heavenly Vertues This is better than an adherent or an imputed Righteousness which without this we are never the better for but here we eat His Flesh and drink His Blood that nourishes and gives life to our Souls and causes us to
up your rest in your sights tho they should reach to the Third-heaven without this life of Christ I have been a treating of and this I can assure you it will be more for your profit when you come together to sit in Dumb-silence than to spend your precious time in Discourses of your Attainments for what are all your Attainments but airy Notions if you come not to the life of Christ for how many have seen the good Land that never entred it and this know That Visions and Revelations may cease for how many have I heard of and knew some that have had all these and yet lives evil Lives witness Balam who from his sight desired to die the Death of the rightous and that his last End might be as his yet through Coveteousness which is Idolatry by his Counsel caused Israel to commit Sin against the Lord tho' to his and their own Destruction Therefore this is a sandy Foundation to build on but if you build on CHRIST the Corner-stone the tried precious and Elected-stone chosen for that use whom the Master Babel-builders have rejected which is the cause of all their Confusion these have conceived a Faith in the air and therefore bring forth nothing but Storms and pestious Winds striving without Foundations and so are driven to and frow but brings nothing to perfection and therefore must be all thrown down and not one stone left upon another before the Holy City the New Jerusalem which cometh down from God can be but therefore as was said Sights Visions and Revelation are little worth but to condemn those that have them if they do not answer the End for which they were given them to wit a holy pure and undefiled life which is the End of all gifts And farther I know a Soul could write a Volume of Sights Visions and Revelations which she hath had above these thirty Years and some that were given highly to justifie her Ways and Works when she was little in her own Eyes and nothing in her own sight it may be Judging and condemning her self for that which he in his Exalted Power hath justified her and for confirmation hath taken her upin to the bosom of his love where she injoyed close and amorous Embraces His sealing to her the precious promises of His Glorious Life and Eternal Love And now among the many Sights Visions and Revelations she may instant one in three Years abstainency somtimes fasting two Days and two Nights together sometimes three Days and three Nights and at the time of this sight three Days and three or four Nights together she being at this time in great Travail of Soul and suffering in Body with conflicts of Spirit she poured out her Complaint before the LORD and said Oh! my LORD If I have found favour in thy sight and what I have done be pleasing unto thee shew a Token of Good to thy Hand-maid that may be as an Anchor to my poor troubled Soul And that very Night she had a Vision of an invisible Glory which is too long to insert here but how it was with her is as followeth Her Sences were all shut up in GOD she was in closs Communion with the LORD she was as she thought wholly desolved out of the Earthly into the heavenly she thought she was as an innocent Child new born and though she had fasted so long together yet she was filled as with new Wine and the heavenly Manna by the strength of which she declared the great things of GOD's holy Law of his Royal Acts and of his heavenly Power and she was filled with his Praise and then no Tongue can tell nor Pen write how it was with her for she was as if she had had a new Body given her in Innocency Joy and Content as it were quite translated out of the Old into the New all over in ravishing Joy filled with unutterable harmonious Praises so lying for many hours in this heavenly Transportation a heavenly Silence came over all and in this Silence these Words were spoken aloud to her This is the Rest wherein I will cause the Weary to rest this is the Life of the Innocent Swain And this was the Token of Good she required which the LORD in his endless Love Answered This and above a hundred times more which she never took up her Rest in though her Sights were attended with his ravishing Life for these heavenly Mansions are given as a Loadstone to draw the Soul of the down-ward Earth up-ward to fix it self in GOD the Fountain of all these ravishing Streams and Beams that comes from his glorious Son of Rightousness lifting up himself in the Soul to draw it after him as Himself said When the Sâ—n of Man is lifted up He will draw all Men after Him But the time is not yet come that He will draw all Men after him therefore we must wait for the Day of his Power we must wait at Jerusalem for the Promise of the Father which is that He will pour out His Spirit upon all Flesh Jâ—â—â— for hetherto the highest Attainment that hath attended the Life of CHRIST hath been but a glimps of that Glory that is ready to break forth were we but ready for it But is this the way for the Bride to make her self ready to meer the Bridegroom for her to pride her self with the Bridegroom's gifts and that her rich Attier should be the cause to take her Love and Affections off her Bridegroom who should be clean humble and chast to meet her Lord Thus the Harlot having oâ— this Attire is taking for the chast Spouse and virtuous Bride but the Day of her Discovery is at hand wherein she shall be stript naked and bare and then her shame will appear to all But to the aforesaid Attainments the greatest of which hath been but as the Voice of one crying in the Wilderness prepare the Way of the LORD and make straight ways in the Desert for all that hath been hetherto must lay their Mouths in the Dust and say as Iohn Baptis I am not be nor worthy to unlcose his Shooe-latchet because I must Decrease but He must Increase Therefore this is the Work of our Day to know the increase of his Grace of which there shall be no End to know in our Souls and Bodies the fellowship of his Sufferings and to be Baptized into his Death and then we shall know the Resurrection of his Glorious Life the Lamb of GOD that taketh away the Sins of the World who shall change our vile Bodies and make them like his glorious Body to praise Him Evermore World without End Once more I have discharged my service to GOD and Duty to you not of my one Mind or Will for had it stood with my Will I had never been concern'd more with this Generation after I had delivered the three first books to the King and Queen but having delivered the last of the three Titled to Queen Mary going in