Eternall Word which hath manifested it selfe with the true Milk of salvation in our humanity being blind in regard of God and sucketh this Milk of the Mother into his hungry soule whence the new spirituall man ariseth and thereby the fiery dark and dry soule proceeding from the Fathers property doth reach and obtaine the place of Gods love in which place the Father begetteth his beloved Sonne and therein onely the Temple of the holy Ghost which dwelleth in us is found and therein also the spirituall mouth or beleeving desire of the soul which eateth Christs flesh and drinketh his blood is understood or experimentally and essentially enjoyed 5. For he onely is a Christian in whom Christ dwelleth liveth and hath his Being in whom Christ as to the internall ground of his soule is arisen and made alive in the heavenly Essence which did disappeare and depart in Adam even he I say is onely a Christian that hath put on Christs Victory that is to say Christs Incarnation Humanity Sufferings death and Resurrection against the anger of God and also Hell Devill Death and Sinne in his eternall ground where the Seed of the Woman to wit Christ in his conquest doth also conquer in him and daily trampleth upon the Serpents head in the wicked carnall will and killeth the sinfull lusts of the Flesh 6. For in Christ alone we are received to be Children of God and heyres with Christ not by an outward adventâ—â—ouâ— strange shew of a sundry select Appropriating of Grace I say noâ— through a strange merit of grace or application of promises imputed from without or received in an Historicall apprehension of being justified and acquitted by another as Malefactors but through a child-like regenerating innate in-dwelling member-like and essentiall Grace Where Christ the conquerour of death doth arise in Us with his life Essence and power from Our death and hath his mutuall ruling influence and operation in us as a branch on its Vine as the Writings of the Apostles doe throughout witnesse 7. He is farre from a Christian who onely comforteth himselfe with the Passion Death and Satisfaction of Christ and doth apply and impute it to himselfe as a pardon or gift of favour and yet remaineth still an unregenerated wilde worldly and sensuall Beast such a Christian is every ungodly Man For every one would faine be saved through a gift of favour the Devill also would very willingly be an Angell againe by grace received and applyed from without 8. But to turne and become as a child and be borne anew of Gods grace-water of love and the holy Ghost that pleaseth him not Even so it pleaseth not the Titular Christian who will put upon himselfe the mantle of Christs grace and apply his merits unto himselfe by an Historicall laying claime to a promise and yet will not enter into the Adoption and New birth albeit Christ saith that he cannot otherwise see the Kingdome of God 9. For what is borne of the flesh is flesh and cannot inherit the Kingdome of God John 3. To be fleshly minded is enmity against God but to be spiritually minded is life and peace And he onely heareth Gods Word that is borne of God for onely the spirit of grace in Christ heareth Gods Word 10. For no man hath ever seen God the Sonne alone who is in the unmeasurable bosome of the Father declareth unto us the Word and Will of God in our selves so that we heare and understand his will and good pleasure within our selves and are willing to follow the same yet we are often kept back by the outward sinfull flesh so that the operation or effecting of that same Divine power purpose and godly resolution in our mind doth not alwayes come into the outward Figure yet it goeth into the inward Figure in the inward spirituall World concerning which St. Paul saith Our conversation is in Heaven 11. Of which also all the Saints of God and especially St. Paul hath complained that they had an earnest syncere will and did serve God with the minde of the internall Ground but with the flesh the Law of sinne so that the Flesh lusteth against the Spirit which lust and evill concupiscence is daily drowned and mortified in the death of Christ by the inward ground or the centre of light regenerated in the darke abysse of the soule but this is in those onely in whom Christ is arisen from death and thus there is no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus who walke not after the flesh but after the spirit c. For the bestiall body belongeth to the earth but the spirituall body belongeth to God but whosoever hath it not he is dead while he liveth and neither heareth nor perceiveth any thing of the spirit of God It is foolishnesse to him as the Scripture saith 12. Therefore this point is not sufficiently understood and cleared by teaching and maintaining onely and alone an outward receiving and application of grace and forgivenesse of sinnes The pardon of sinne and the receiving of us into filiall adoption and grace consisteth in the justifying blood and death of Christ when Christs heavenly blood tinctured us and with the highest love of the Deity in the name Jesu did overcome the anger of God in our soule and inward divine ground proceeding from the Essence of Eternity and did turne it againe into the Divine humility meeknesse and obedience whereby the rent torne and divided temperature of our humane property and spirit of obedience and good will entered again into the harmony and unity of the properties Viz. into Paradisicall light love and life that Reall Temperature where variety doth concenter and accord in unity 13. And even then the wrath of the Father which was awaked in the properties of our life and had set it selfe to be Lord and Master in soule and body whereby we were dead to the Kingdome of Heaven and become children of wrath was turned againe into the unanimous love likenesse and unity of God and our own humane will dyed in the death of Christ from its selfnesse and selvish willing and the first humane will which God breathed from his spirit into Adam did spring forth afresh through the conquest of Gods sweetnesse and love in Christs heavenly blood and then the Devill and Hell which held men captive were confounded and made a scorn This the dry Rod of Aaron which budded in one night and bare sweet Almonds did typifie 14. Now as Sinne came from One and passed from one upon all so also the sweet grace and victory in Christ passed pressed and pierced from one upon all Now this death and the anger of God was broken in pieces in that one Adamicall soul in Christ and a possibility to grace was opened through the disclosing of death through which disclosed gate the will of the soule may re-enter into its first Mother whence it came in the beginning that is into the filiation adoption or
in the blood of Christ and taken it upon them for a covering and therewith they have onely covered the Antichristian childe of selfe will and so have painted over the Antichristian Bastard with a strange colour 15. For men doe exceedingly flatter it and cover it with Christs suffering merit and death and comfort it that Christ hath payd all for it saying It ought onely to apply or comfort it selfe with the merit of Christ and receive it in faith as a satisfaction and thus they shew us an outward imputed righteousnesse 16. But it hath far another A. B. C. in the true understanding no comforting selfe-willing running or keeping a round availeth any thing the suffering the death of Christ will not be given to the Antichristian Beast in Selfe but to them that depart from and relinquish all the ownehood and propriety of the creatures and wholly resigne up themselves into the suffering and death of Christ Jesus and dye to their owne will in and with Christ and are buried with him and also arise in him to a new will and obedience and hate sinne who put on Christ in his suffering reproach and persecution and take his Crosse upon them and follow him under his Red Banner to them I say it will be given these put on Christ in his processe and become in the inward spirituall Man Christs members and the Temple of God who dwelleth in V S. 17. None hath right to comfort himselfe with Christs merits unlesse he desireth wholly to put on Christ in himselfe and he is also no Christian before he hath put him on by true repentance and conversion to him with an absolute resignation and unfeigned selfe-denyall so that CHRIST espouseth and betrotheth himselfe with him 18. The beginning of which comes to passe in the Covenant of Baptisme where the childe promiseth and sweareth under Christs Red Banner that which afterwards must follow in very deed or reall practice or if one hath turned himselfe away from the practice of what he then promised he must in such a conversion of his will turne himselfe thereinto againe and I say upon sure ground that to many an one the Mantle of Christ will turne to hellish fire in that he covereth Antichrist therewith and yet remaineth but a Beast 19. For a Christian must be borne of Christ and dye to the Adamicall will he must have Christ in him and be a branch or member on his flesh and spirit not according to the Animall Beast but according to the spirituall Man 20. For the spirit of God possesseth not the Beast the outward sensuall naturall or rationall Man but indeed the Temple of Christ Viz. Christs spirituall flesh and blood in Vs for Christ sayd Whosoever shall not eate the flesh of the Sonne of Man hee hath no life in himselfe 21. Now there must be a mouth which indeed is proper and fit to eate it for it will not be given to the Beast much lesse to the Ens of the Serpent for every spirit eateth of its Mother whence it is aâ—isen which I give to every understanding man to consider of and here I onely mention what a Christian ought to be if he will account himselfe a Christian 22. For a Beast is no Christian but he that is Baptized with the Holy Ghost in the Death of Christ who hath put on Christ and liveth in Christs heavenly flesh and blood who hath tasted Christs Supper and sitteth with Christ at Table he is a Christian that walketh in Christs footsteps and continually mortyfieth the Antichristian evill Beast in flesh and blood which still adhereth to a Christian binds it and depriveth it of its strength and patiently resigneth himselfe up in temptations which many hundred wayes are offered him for his tryall and purification 23. A Christian must learne the A. B. C. backwards and account the wisedome of his Reason scolishnesse that Christ may gaine a forme in him and he be made capable of the heavenly Wisedome 24. For the wisedome of the outward World is blind in respect of God and seeth him not Albeit all things live and move in God and he himselfe is through all things and yet he possesseth nothing save that which dyeth from its owne will that he must possesse and he possesseth it willingly for it willeth nothing without him and it is in the End of the Creation and also in the Beginning 25. Whereof I could further mention unto you if occasion here did permit the which I have in my Writings largely described and declared out of the centre and Originall of all Essences and here onely I have hinted in briefe what a Christians state being and condition is if it should please you further to consider of it and to give up your selfe into this processe as I likewise hope that you are already in it 26. But for a more brotherly recreation I thought good to visit you with a short Epistle and to solace my selfe a little with you in the hope and faith which worketh and is in Vs untill we be once freed from this Cottage and be afterwards refreshed and quickned perfectly one with another in Divine and brotherly Union and Vision 27. And this I have done upon the desire of the Doctor above mentioned in all syncerity and uprightnesse and so I commend you to the tender Love of Jesus Christ THE ELEVENTH EPISTLE Our Salvation is in the effectuall working Love of Jesus Christ in Us. 1. DEARE Brother in the life of Jesus Christ I wish from my heart the Divine working Love unto you that your noble Lilly-twig sprung forth in Christ may in the power of Christ grow great and bring forth much fruit in the Paradise of God to the heavenly joy of us all and our eternall brotherly fellowship 2. I rejoyce in my soule when I perceive that a goodly vertuous faire Branch is sprung up in our Tree of life Christ and I hope also to be a partaker of its good fruit 3. As one branch on the Tree doth enjoy the sap and power of the other and they all doe mutually grow and beare fruit in one onely Power so likewise we are in the Tree of Christ all onely One which Tree is CHRIST in us ALL. 4. Seeing then that you freely and unfeignedly with all acknowledgement of heart and mouth doe approve your selfe to this Tree of life and on the contrary doe renounce and gainesay the poyson and delusion of Satan therefore I wish nothing more at present then that I might be able in the power of this Tree which is Christ to impart and give the influence of my power received from him unto you that we might grow together as members in one Power 5. And I make no doubt but the most High hath begotten his Lilly-twig in you for without Divine Power we have no longing or hunger after God and also we cannot know him without his spirit in us all that we understand and know of him fundamentally or in
in my returne 18. Mr Doctor become seeing read the treatise of Election with inward deliberation or ponderings it hath more in it in its internall ground then outwardly in reference to the sayings of the Scripture is to be expressed which inward ground I dare not give or unfold to the unwise 19. Be faithfull in the Mysteries and account the wicked World not worthy of them in its coveteousnesse what you cannot understand Parabolically there questions are requisite somewhat more shall be revealed to you yet in order onely to doe that I am prohibited by the Prince of the Heavens in nature and manner of the blossoming earth I dare well doe it 20. Therefore imitate the Bees that gather honey of many flowers often writing might doe you service yet what you please God takes God need takes need each thing receiveth its like THE THREE AND TWENTIETH EPISTLE TO CHRISTIANUS STEENBERGER DOCTOR OF PHYSICK Our Salvation is in the life of Jesus Christ in U S. 1. WORTHY Learned Christian deare Friend all hearty wishes of Divine Love and Grace premised Desiring that the Fountain of Divine love might be opened through the Sun of life unto you whence the Divine water springeth as I doubt not but the Bridegroom hath called his Bride Viz. Your soule to this well-spring seeing I understand that God hath placed you under the Crosse and Tribulation 2. This is the first marke and signe of the Noble Sophia wherewith shee signeth her Children for shee useth to manifest her selfe through the thornes of Gods anger as a faire Rose on the thorny Bush so farre forth as the soule keepeth it vow and fidelity for there must be a faithfull and firme Bond and Covenant between the soule and this fire burning Love of God 3. Man must set upon such a purpose that he will enter into Christs bitter passion and death and dye therein dayly to his sins and evill vanities and pray earnestly unto God for the renewing of his minde and understanding He must be anointed and illuminated of the holy spirit and put on Christ with his suffering death and resurrection that he may be a true branch on the vine of Christ in whom Christ himselfe worketh and ruleth according to the internall ground of his Spirit 4. Which Mystery is comprehended in faith where the deity and humanity are then conjoined according to that same internal ground in manner as the fire doth through heare the Iron and yet the Iron retaines its substance but so long as the fire burneth therein it is changed into a meer fire 5. Not that the creature apprehends it in its owne might but it is apprehended when the will doth wholly resigne it selfe up to God and the spirit of God ruleth in this resigned will and the will is the true Temple of the holy Ghost wherein Christ dwelleth essentially not in an Imaginary thought-like creaturely manner but as the fire in the Iron or as the Sun in an hearb where the influentiall power of the sun doth forme and make it selfe essentiall in and with the tincture of the hearb 6. Thus it is to be understood likewise in the spirit of man when the holy power of God doth sorme and Image it selfe in mans spirit and faith and becomes a spirituall being or essence which onely the soules mouth of faith doth lay hold on and not the earthly man in flesh and bloud which is mortall it is an Immortall Being wherein Christ dwelleth in man it is the Heaven of God enstamped on the little World and it is a Revelation of the place Throne or seat of God where the paradise doth again spring forth and beare fruit 7. Therefore the Dragon must be first slain and albeit he yet hangeth unto the earthly flesh as the rind and barke on the tree yet the spirit liveth in God as Saint Paul saith our conversation is in Heaven and as Christ also said he that eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloud he abideth in me and I in him also without me you can doe nothing 8. Therefore I say if any one be a true Christian he is so in Christ he is begotten and innate in the life and spirit of Christ and puts on the Resurrection of Christ for thus the satisfaction of Christ is imparted to him and thus also Christ doth overcome sin death Devill and Hell in him and thus he is reconciled and united with God in Christ 9. For the new birth is not a grace imputed from without that we need onely comfort our selves with Christs Merits and continue in the Hypocrisie of sin no it is a childlike innaâ—e grace that God hath put Christ with the Justification on the convert that Christ also doth redeem him in himselfe with the power of his Resurrection from Gods anger else he is no Christian let him flatter and make devout shewes in hipocrisie as he pleaseth 10. Concerning the interpretation of some words and also of that which you desire of me which are specifyed in my Book called Aurora which have very hidden Meanings the knowledge whereof was given me of the most High I give you to understand that at present it is not convenient to write at large and Expressly thereof in Letters seeing the time is dangerous and the Enemy of Christ doth horribly rage and rave till a little time be past yet I will give you a short hint further to consider of it 11. As first there is a twofold meaning of the Northern Crowne The first poynteth at the Crowne of life Viz. The Spirit of Christ which shall be manifest in the mid'st of the great darknesse Viz. In the contrition or distresse of the sensible nature of the Conscience where a peculiar motion is present then commeth the Bridegroome Viz. The power of Christ in the mid'st of such a motion 12. The other signification is a Figure of the outward Kingdome where the great confusions entanglements and contentions shall be when as the Nations shall stand in controversie There also is the figure Viz. the Victory intimated as it stands in the Spirituall figure how it shall goe and what People shall at last Conquer and how in the mean while in such lamentable time of Tribulation Christ shall be made manifest and knowne and that after and in that miserable time the great mysteries shall be revealed that men shall be able to know even in Nature the hidden God in Trinity in which knowledge the strange Nations shall be converted and turn Christians and therein is signifyed how the Sectarian contentions in Religion shall be destroyed in such Manifestation for all gates will be set open and then shall all unprofitable Praters which at present lye as so many Bars before the Truth be done away and all shall acknowledge and know Christ which Manifestation shall be the last then the Sun of life shall shine upon all Nations and even then the Beast of inquity with the Whore end their dayes which is
nature beginneth and then the Hell in man is destroyed and the Serpent is troden under foot whence great unquietnesse persecution and reproach from the Devill and the corrupt World doth arise against the outward sinfull man and even then the outward sinfull man must suffer it selfe to be condemned and judged to damnation by the children of Anger and by Gods severe justice in the anger seeing that another man liveth in him which is not like and conformable to the outward mortall man and so Gods Justice executeth its judgement in the anger upon the house of sinne and also all the Ministers of Gods wrath doe helpe the execution thereof 27. And even then Christ helpeth to beare the yoak and man is Sacrificed in Christs processe contempt and scorne in his suffering and death to the justice of God in the anger and becomes conformable to Christs Image 28. The holy Scripture witnesseth in all places that we are justified from sinnes by Faith in Christ and not by the workes of our merit but by the blood and death of Christ which indeed is so taught by many but rightly understood of few that teach us so 29. We are taught indeed an imputed grace but what faith is and how it is begotten and what it is in its Essence reall Being and Substance and how it layeth hold on the merit of Christ with the grace herein the greatest part are dumbe and blinde and depend on an Historicall Faith James 2. which is onely a bare knowledge or literall conjecture and therewith the man of sinne doth tickle and comfort himselfe and through an imagination and blind perswasion doth flatter and sooth up himselfe and calls himselfe a Christian though he is not yet become either capable or worthy of this so high a title but is onely a titular Nominall Christian externally cloathed with Christs Purpur-Mantle of whom the Prophet speaketh saying They draw neere to mee with their lips but their heart is farre from me And Christ sayd Not all that say Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdome of Heaven but they that doe the will of my Father in Heaven 30. Now Christ alone is the will of the Father in whom the acceptation oâ— grace and adoption confisteth and none can doe the love will of the Father save alone that onely throne of grace Christ himselfe as the holy Scripture declareth no man can call God Lord without the holy spirit in him 31. For we know not what and how to pray before God as wee ought but he even the holy spirit in Christ maketh intercession for us with unutterable sighes before God in our selves as it pleaseth God we cannot attaine any thing by our willing and knowing he is too deeply hidden from us for it lyeth not in any mans knowing willing running and searching but in Gods Mercy 32. Now there is no mercy but onely in Christ and if I shall reach that mercy then I must reach Christ in me are my sinnes to be destroyed in me Then must Christ doe it in me with his blood and death with his victory over Hell Am I to beleeve then must the spirit desire and will of Christ beleeve in my desire and will for I cannot beleeve 33. But he receiveth my will being resigned to him and comprehends it in his owne will and bringeth it through his victory into God and there he intercedeth for the will of my soule in his owne will before God and so I am received as a child of grace in his will of love 34. For the Father hath manifested his love in Christ and Christ manifesteth that same love in my will being resigned to him Christ draweth my will into himselfe and cloatheth it with his blood and death and tinctureth it with the highest tincture of the Divine power and so it is changed into an Angelicall Image and getteth a Divine life 35. And forthwith that same life beginneth to hunger after its body which body is the degenerated fiery soule into which the will in Christ is entered so that the new life in Christ doth now also tincture the soule whereby the soule in the spirit and property of this new will obtaineth a right Divine hunger and is made to long after and desire the Divine grace and begins to behold and consider in the spirit of his Divine will in Christ what shee is and how shee in her propertyes inclinations and dispositions is departed from God and lyeth captivate in the wrath of God and then shee acknowledgeth her abominations and also her deformity in the presence of Gods Angels and findeth that she hath nothing wherewith shee is able to protect her selfe for shee sees that shee standeth in the jawes of death and hell encompassed with evill spirits which continually shoot the strong influence of their evill desires into her to destroy and corrupt her 36. And then she diveth into that same new-borne spirit of the will and wholy immerseth her selfe into very humility it selfe and so the spirit of Christ taketh hold of her and bringeth her into the spirit of this new will so that the soule essentially and experimentally feeleth and findeth him whereupon the Divine glymps and beame of joy ariseth in the soule being a new eye in which the dark fiery soule conceiveth the Ens and Essence of the Divine light in her selfe and thereupon hungreth and thirsteth after the grace of God and entreth into an effectuall repentance and sorrow and bewaileth the evill which it hath committed 37. And in this hunger and thirst it receiveth Christs flesh and blood for the spirit of the New will which in the beginning entered into the grace of Christ and which Christ received into himselfe becommeth now substantiall and essentiall by the magnetick impressure hunger and desire of the soule 38. And this essentiality is called Sophia being the essentiall wisedome or the body of Christ and in this the faith in the holy Ghost doth consist Here Christ and the Soule beleeve in one Ground 39. For true Faith doth not consist in thoughts or in meere assenting to the History Viz. That a man impresseth or imagineth in his minde to himselfe that Christ is dead for his sinnes and by an Historicall apprehension or blind perswasion of a particular Election clingeth to his merits and righteousnesse without the innate righteousnesse of Christ and life of God essentially working in him and begetting him to a new creature for Faith is a receiving of the promised grace in Christ it receiveth Christ into it selfe it doth impresse him into its hunger with his heavenly flesh and blood with the grace which God offereth in Christ 40. Christ feedeth the soule with the Essence of Sophia Viz. with his owne flesh and blood according to his saying whosoever eateth not of the flesh of the Sonne of Man he hath no life in him but whosoever eateth the same he abideth in him 41. And herein the Testaments of Christ and also the right Christian Faith
within us else we cannot see with the eyes of eternity into the angelicall World 20. All Imaginations inventions and wayes all reading studying and teachings is to no purpose without this way of the new birth no art or reason can attain it we must enter onely through the gate which God hath opened to us in Christ and spring forth in Gods Kingdome and dye unto the earthly will so that it neither hindereth nor sticketh on us and cloggeth us the seed of the Woman must continually bruise the Serpents head in us 21. Selfe-reason cannot make a child of God for it lyeth not in our willing running and keeping a doe as saint Paul saith but on Gods mercy and Compassion 22. My selfehood cannot attain it my selfehood must dye in Christs death and fall or resigne unto the nothing and then my selfehood falleth into Gods Mercy and is in the limit of the first man and standeth againe in the word Fiat where Gods mercy in Christs entrance into our humanity doth make or recreate the new man out of grace 23. And therefore the corrupt earthly will must dye in a reall true upright repentance and enter into the Resignation that is into the nothing and wholly surrender the will of reason unto death and neither will or know himselfe any more but enter into the mercy and compassion of God 24. And then this saying hath its place and meaning as God speaketh in the Prophet My heart breaketh in me that I must take pitty on him can a Mother forget her Childe that shee should not have compassion on the Sonne of her wombe And albeit shee should forget yet I will not forget thee Behold I have noted thee in my hands 25. In this namely in Gods mercy the new man doth arise and springeth up in the Kingdome of Heaven and Paradise though the earthly body be in this World 26. For Saint Paul saith Our Conversation is in Heaven Thus the new man walketh in Heaven and the old man in this World for the Heaven in which God dwelleth is in the new man 27. Thus beloved Sir and Brother and in no other way and manner have I found the Mystery I have not studyed or learned the same but if you or any other doth thirst after it I am engaged as a Brother in my affection and love to shew him the way how I met with it as I have set downe at large in my Writings chiefly in the Booke of the Threefold life of Man and in the Booke of the three Principles of the Divine Being 28. Indeed I did it for my selfe as a spirituall exercise in Gods knowledge in the Mystery of the great Wonders of God which notwithstanding by Gods providence and guidance is come so farre as to be published and read and I would gladly that every one that earnestly desires to understand the same might have it and I wish from my heart that it may be really manifest and made knowne to the Reader of this Epistle and to every one in himselfe and then there would be no need of any further searching and seeking 29. But seeing God hath promised by the Prophets especially in Joel that he will powre forth his spirit in the last dayes upon all flesh therefore the time is to be considered and taken notice of 30. I say as I have knowne it that whosoever at present will dye to himselfe him shall the spirit of the Lord according to Joels Prophesie apprehend and manifest his Wonders by him therefore if any be in earnest he shall finde it by experience 31. Yet let every one be faithfully warned that if Gods light doth arise in him that he continue stedfast in great humility in resignation namely in the death of Christ 32. For the Heaven shall now at last powre forth its long contrived Egestum of the Constellations which it hath wrought in the humane property least he also be taken hold of by the starry Heaven and goe beyond the limit out of resignation 33. As it may be seen by the Metists who came even unto the gates of the Deep and were againe captivated by the starry Heaven and entred into themselves and exalted themselves and surceased the strife against the Serpent and entred into a selfehood or a singular Luciferian conceit of their owne holinesse supposing that they were changed into a Deity and so they have confounded the externall World with the internall 34. Which is unfound and voyd of ground and of which we must take great heed and see that we continue stedfast in deepest humility that the seed that is sowne may grow unto a Tree and may come to the blossoming and the spirit of God get a forme in us 35. For out of the Blossome ariseth the morning Starre that Man may learne to know himselfe what he is and what God and Time is 36. I give you Sir out of good affection to understand that this present time is seriously to be taken into consideration for the Seventh Angel in the Revelation hath prepared his Trumpet the powers of Heaven be in peculiar motion moreover both Gates stand open and light and darknesse are in great desire as every thing is taken so it shall goe in 37. At what the one shall exceedingly rejoyce the other shall mock at it whereupon followeth the sore and severe judgement upon Babel 38. And so I commit you and yours unto the pleasant and amiable Love of Jesus Christ Dated Gerlits 27. October 1621. THE TENTH EPISTLE OF The Killing of Antichrist in our Selves AND ALSO How wee may attaine unto Divine Contemplation Our Salvation is in Christ Jesus 1. WORTHY and much respected Sir I wish unto you the grace knowledge and blessing of God in Christ Jesus after I was informed of D. K. that you as a Christian Brother and fellow-member in the Lord doe stand in an hearty Desire in the drawing of the Father to Christ Jesus and doe also labour in your minde how you may come to Divine Contemplation and Vision in your selfe therefore upon the request of the Doctor I would not omit to visit and salute you with a short Epistle and briefly to declare unto you out of my Gifts out of Christian love the way to Divine Vision and Feeling and hereby to present unto you in brotherly love the Sap of my little Corall in the spirit and life of Jesus Christ as one branch or twigg on the Tree is bound to doe to the other and I desire that I might be well understood if peradventure I might give further occasion to your zeale 2. Seeing that you very well perceive in your selfe that Antichrist in Babel beareth the sway and government in Christendome and acteth selfehood and the lust of the flesh and that our deare Immanuel hath faithfully warned us thereof and sayd That flesh and blood shall not inherit the Kingdome of Heaven John 6. And yet the Antichrist seeketh and desireth nothing else but onely temporall
dictate it and did not give place to Reason or to the wisedome of the naturall and Astrall spirit I also doe not acknowledge it for a worke of my Reason which was too weake but it is the worke of the spirit who hath shewne what he meaneth to doe and what shall come to passe and also what is already done for he proceedeth forth out of the Abysse into the Bysse and searcheth through all things he tryeth the heart and reyns and proveth the thoughts of men moreover he doth hereby intimate and declare the last Judgement that he will try and examine every Being through the fire and I could not neither might I write at all even in the fiery instigation except I did set it downe as the spirit did represent it therefore I have made it for a Memoriall to my selfe I have no further intention therewith 16. But because you are desirous to read the same I will send it and I pray you to returne it back againe for I will keep it for a Memoriall and I am assured that so farre as your Noble minde shall give God the praise and read it diligently and take this way to heart with a desire to understand the same that the Lord will open to you the doore of his love in the Mystery and crowne you with the Diadem of his wisedome which is more precious then the created Heaven and this World for the precious Philosophers Stone the ground of all Mysteries and Secrets doth lye therein and this same Diadem or Garland of wisedome is beset with this Stone which Diadem and Crowne of light in the holy Ghost the soule puts on as a Garment being a new body in and for the Kingdome of God wherein it is the Child of God and wherewith it is able to staud in the fire of Gods anger without any hurt or griefe and can therein overcome the Devill Death and this World and therein also can rule over the Stars the poysonfull influences of the Constellation and this outward life which otherwise is a thing impossible for Reason for it giveth that knowledge of things which no Art or litterall acrument from externall Reason is able to search out or dive into it seeth through Heaven and Earth and it reapeth where it hath not sowne it asketh not the question Is it true or no It hath the signe of truth and righteousnesse in it selfe it hath all vertues lying in hope there is no feare of Gods anger in it it affordeth a very joyfull hope and ratifieth and assureth the same and it confirmeth the soule to be the Child of God 17. This garland is a Virgin and a chast purity and divine Beauty a joy of the life it comforteth and rejoyceth the minde in affliction it goeth along with man into death but it hath no death or dying in it it liveth from Eternity and 't is a guide into Heaven and 't is the joy of the Angels its taste is more precious and pleasant then all the joyes of this World and he that once obtaines it esteemes it higher then all the goods and â—iches of this World it cannot be parrallel'd but onely with the Deity but it lyeth hid in a darke Valley the World knowteh it not the Devill blowes against it as a storme of winde and doth often so cover and disguise it that Reason doth not know it but it springeth forth in its time as a faire Lilly with manifold fruits it is sowne in teares it groweth in tribulation and affliction but it is reaped with great joy it is contemned and despised by reason but he that obtaines it holds it for his best Treasure 18. Such a Garland is set upon him that seeketh after it with earnestnesse and wholly resigneth up himselfe unto it but not his selfeâ—Reason in flesh and blood doth obtaine it as my Writings doe fully testifie for what is therein written the Author hath knowne by experience there is no strange hand or spirit foysted in I write not this for my owne vaine glory my boasting is onely in God but for a rule and direction to the Children of God and that they may know what reward God giveth to those who put their trust and confidence in him and regard not the dispraise and contempt of the World 19. I doe likewise wonder how you and many more in Silesia have gotten my Writings for I have no acquaintance with any of them and I am so close in respect of publishing of them that the Citizens here about me know nothing of them save onely of the first part which was Per-force taken from me which by meanes of a Person in the Mysterie of Babel who persecuted it out of envy was proclaimed among them for Heresie which notwithstanding they never read neither was it examined ever as it was meet 20. Indeed I never asked any mans advise about it or ever committed it to the censure and judgement of man to this very houre but commended it to God yet hereby I know and acknowledge the way of God and likewise I understand that it is not knowne only in Silesia but also in other Countries without my fore-knowledge and I must even say that he that hath so persecuted it he hath thereby published it for my intent was to keep it by me as long as I lived and I wrote it for my selfe onely 21. But what God purposed in his Counsell is now manifest and it shall yet appeare more clearely when the two last Bookes shall be read at the which I my selfe in the externall man doe exceedingly wonder and marvell what God intendeth and will do for I acknowledg my self to be altogether unworthy and ignorant and yet the greatest and deepest Mysteries are revealed to the internall man which I give you and other lovers of God in humility to consider of for in truth I cannot at all say that it is the worke of my understanding or Reason But I acknowledge it to be a Wonder wherein God will reveale great things whereinto my reason doth speculate and continually marvelleth at it 22. For I never in all my life studied these Mysteries and likewise knew nothing of them for I am a Lay-man and yet I must bring such things forth to light which all the high Schooles or Universities have not been able to doe to whom notwithstanding in comparison I am but a Child and have none of their Arts or wisedome and I must write wholly from another Schoole and which is yet greater then all this the Language of Nature is made knowne to me so that I can understand the greatest Mysteries in my owne Mothers Tongue 23. Though I cannot say that I have learned or comprehended it but as long as the hand of God stayeth upon me I understand it but if it hides it selfe then I know not my owne Labour and am made a stranger to the Worke of my owne hands whereby I may see how altogether impossible a thing it
and Pastours of Jesus Christ they runne and yet are not sent much lesse doth God owne them and what they doe they doe for their honour and Belleys sake and they would not runne neither if they did not obtaine it in their Course of spirituall whoredome and hypocrisie 18. They have turned the right and exceeding precious Mystery of God to a Mystery of their Whoredome and pleasure and therefore the spirit calleth it Babel a Confusion where men doe practice an hypocriticall Service and worship of God acknowledging him with the tongue but denying him in the power where men doe dissemble and flatter God with the lipps but in the heart they embrace and love the Dragon in the Revelation 19. Such as these we must not be if we would obtaine the Divine Mystery and be capable of the light but wholly approve our way to God and resigne our selves up to him that Gods light may shine in us that he may be our intelligence knowing willing and also doing we must become his Children if we will speake of his Being and walke or labour in the same for he commits not his work unto a Stranger who hath not learnt his Worke or the Mystery of his Wonders in Nature and Grace 20. I have read over your Bookes and therein have found your great diligence with very much labour in that you have gathered together the Texts of the holy Scripture in great abundance I understand likewise that you are in good earnest about it and that you would faine clearely prove and set forth thereby the darke termes and places of the Scripture concerning the last Times also concerning the first Resurrection of the dead and also concerning the thousand yeares Sabbath likewise you would manifest and set forth the ruine of Babel and the new building in Zyon of which the Scripture speaketh in many places 21 First what concerneth Babel how it hath growne up and how it shall againe be destroyed is sufficiently manifest the Destroyer is already on foot and is now about the worke he hath long since made a beginning however the World will not see or take any notice of it 22. Men cry Mordio murder confusion and destruction to there adversaries and yet there is no strange Enemy but it is the Turba onely which hath growne up in the middest of Babel in her wickednesses and unrighteousnesses that hath found the limit and destroyeth onely that which for a long time hath been naught uselesse and selvish the which should at all times have beene rejected for where God should have been honoured and loved and our neighbour also as a man loveth himselfe there men have set up in Gods stead the abominable and bestiall coveteousnesse deceit falsehood and wicked craft under an hypocriticall shew and pretence of holinesse and have minded and loved falshood in the place of God and so have made of the Mystery an abominable vicious Babel full of reproachings revilings and contentions where they have with sweet speeches and enticing words of mans wisedome with feigned glosses and expositions of Scripture blindfolding our eyes and binding our consciences have led us captive in a very deceitfull way to the glory and Magnificence of the great Whore so that she hath fatted her adulterous Brat and domineered over our body and soule goods and estate 23. This Bastard is now at odds with himselfe about the great prey and spoyle and doth it selfe discover its owne wickednesse and great shame so that we may see what good ever was in her for the great wickednesse which shee hath committed doth plague her and no strange thing whereby it may be seene that her whoredome hath been manifold and that the Devill had beset and caught us in manifold Nets and that one whoredome or Mystery of hipocricy and iniquity runnes in opposition to another and are malicious biting devouring destroying and slaying each other in an hostile manner 24. For the great Paine is come upon her and shee shall now bring forth the great iniquity wherewith shee in become fully pregnant and therefore shee cryeth out because of her travell and woe which is fallen upon her and shee speaketh of the child which shee shall bring forth Viz. of Murther Covetousnesse and Tyranny she uncovereth her faire feature and sheweth what shee is in the heart now he that will not know her there is no remedy for him 25. The Revelation saith Goe out from her my people that you may not be partakers of her Plagues for shee hath filled her Cup full with the abominations of her Whoredome in the anger of God the same Shee shall drinke off and bee forced to burst Her selfe thereby 26. And this is that which I say of Babel that shee is a Whore and shall suddenly breake in pieces and be destroyed and no stranger shall doe it the spirit of her owne mouth doth strangle her her owne Turba destroyeth her Shee cryeth for vengeance and murder upon Heresie and yet shee doth it not for Gods sake but for her Adulterous Bratt and Belley-God For otherwise if it were for God shee would enter into his Command and will of Love where Christ saith Love one another for thereby men shall know that you are my Disciples 27. The Kingdome of God doth not consist in Warre and revilings or in an externall shew in delicious dayes herein the Children of God are not to be found but in Love in patience in hope in faith under the Crosse of Jesus Christ thereby groweth the Church of God unto the Sacred Ternary to an heavenly Paradiâ—icall Essence and the new Angelicall man hidden in the old springeth forth in God and this is my certaine knowledge briefly comprized concerning this Article in my Writings you may see further of it 28. Secondly concerning Zyon I speake and declare according to my knowledge even as the spirit sheweth it to me that there shall surely come an ending and removall of the Deceit or Mystery of iniquity wherewith men are blinded and Zyon shall be found onely of the Children of Faith not in generall as if there should be no wicked man 29. For the Oppressour shall be a cause that Zyon is borne when men shall see how Babel is an Whore then many Children shall be found in Zyon and seeke the Lord but the Oppressour shall dog them and cry them downe for Hereticks also persecute and put to death and where one is killed there shall ten yea an hundred rise up in his roome 30. But the Generall Zyon appeareth first in greatest Misery when Babel commeth to ruine then it shall stand desolate and miserable and the Children of Zyon shall then say How hath the Lord forsaken us Come we beseech you let us seek his face let us cease from strife and Warre Have we not alas made our Country desolate Is not all store and Provision wasted and spent Are we not Brethren Wherefore doe wee fight We will now enter into Love and
to it selfe out of the Incarnation of Christ the Divine disclosed Essence and so it feedeth on Gods Being and taketh it into it selfe and from this spirituall and essentiall eating consuming or digesting it giveth forth a body of light which is both like unto and capable of the Deity thus the poore soule becomes cloathed with a body of light as the fire in the Candle and in this body of light it findeth rest but in the darknesse of this World in its earthly carkasse and cloathing of clay wherein the Curse of God and all evill inclinations and false desires do stick it hath anguish and trouble 26 But now seeing it is so that it hath with Adam put upon it selfe the earthly Image it must therefore beare the same as the fire of the Candle must take its burning light from the darke lumpe of fat if it had with Adam abode in Gods being and had not put on the earthly Image it needed not to have borne the same but now it is bound to beare it 27. For Saint Paul saith To whom you give your selves as Servants in obedience his servants you are be it to sinne unto death or to the obedience of God unto righteousnesse Now seeing the soule hath put on the earthly Image which worketh nothing but fruit to death and hath yeelded and devoted it selfe a servant to Sin it is therefore now become the sinfull servant of death 28. Wherefore is it fallen in love with a strange Master that domineereth over it Had it but remained a childe and had not lusted after the Tree of knowledge of good and evill it needed not then to have beene in subjection to both Governments but being it would be as God in love and anger according to both the Principles of Eternity thereupon it must now beare the Image and undergoe the force and sway of both and so endure the fire-burning the curse and anger of God enkindled in the divided properties of Nature till the day of Separation 29. Therefore it s called a bearing of the Crosse for when the Magicall fire ariseth it maketh a Crosse-like-birth and the one forme of nature doth presse and quite pierce through the other that is the one is contrary to the other as sweet against soure sharp against bitter and the fire against them all 30. And if the soule had let the body of light be onely Lord and Master and had not imagined on the externall Kingdome of this World that is on the spirit of the great World in the Starres and Elements nor lusted after the earthly fruit then the wrath or the working power of darknesse in the Curse of God which is the departure of his love from a Being had been as it were swallowed up in it and would not have beene manifest or apparent there would not have been any sense perceivance or feeling of the same but seeing it is departed from the meeknesse of the light and gone out of the love of God therefore it seeleth now the wrath or burning anger of the eternall Nature 31. And therefore it must worke labour and endeavour to obtaine the light againe whence it is that the life of man standeth in such anguish in painefull seeking in continuall abstinence and repentance it earnestly desireth the Divine Rest and yet is held back by the wrath of Nature 32. The more the life desireth to fly from the wrath or fiercenesse of Nature the more strong and vehement the strife groweth in the life besides that which the Devill by his poysonfull Incantations Magicall imaginations representations and insinuations doth stirre up and bring into his Nest being the Centre of the soule he continually representeth before the soule the Magicall Image of the poysonfull Serpent that the soule might still imagine upon it and kindle or inflame it selfe in the poyson of the same which daily commeth to passe and thus the fire of the soule becommeth an evill poysonfull burning brimstony-fire 33. Yet if the soule departeth from the Serpent-like Image of the Devill and rejecteth the evill earthly Tree whereon the Serpent hath cunningly twin'd himselfe which Tree is Pride Coveteousnesse Envy Anger and Falshood and longeth not after it but maketh it selfe as it were dead in this Figure as if it knew nothing of it and casteth away the very concupiscence and imagination it selfe and desireth onely the love of God submitting it selfe wholly to Gods will and working that he may be onely its willing working and doing then the Divine light beginneth to shine in it and it obtaineth an eye of the right seeing so that it is able to behold its owne naturall forme and feature whereby it steppeth into plaine downright and meek humility 34. It willeth nothing it also desireth nothing but resigneth and casteth it selfe into the bosome of its Mother like a Childe that desireth nothing but its Mother inclining it selfe to her and longing onely after her it doth not much esteeme any Art subtill Reason or much knowledge and though it knoweth much yet it is not puft up or elevated in its owne conceit by its knowledge but leaveth and resigneth the knowing willing and working wholly to its Mothers spirit that it might be both the will and worke in it 35. I speak according to my knowledg that the Devill in the power of Gods anger doth continually shoot against and oppose this pretious sprout of the soule or noble twig of Divine light and love springing forth from the Tree of life Christ within us and doth cast vaine infinuations false desires and earthly imaginations after the root of nature that is after the formes of the fire-life in the first principle to enkindle them in their owne naturall working properties which are selfe-pride covetousnesse envy anger falshood hypocrisie lust c. and would continually by all meanes quite destroy the pretious sprout or noble twig of grace He continually shooteth his evill poysonfull rayes into the soules Magicall fire with evill lusts concupiscence and thoughts and ministreth strange matter or fuell to the soules fire to burne or feed upon so that it might by no meanes attain to a shining light he quencheth suppresseth and hindreth it that his Kingdome might not be knowne 36. But on the other side the noble twig defendeth it selfe and will none of the fierce darke and wrathfull source it ariseth and springeth forth like a plant out of the wild earth yet the Devill stâ—iveth contnually against it 37. Therefore my dearly beloved freind there is such strife and contention in man and hence he seeth the Divine light as in a mirror and sometimes he getteth a perfect glimps thereof for as long as the twig of the soule can defend it selfe against the poyson of the Devill so long it hath the shining light 38. For when the Magicall fire of the soule receiveth the Divine essence that is the divine body Christs flesh then the holy spirit doth apparently arise and glance forth in the
working for without this none is a Christian 11. Christ must wholly receive and take possession of the internall ground of the soule that the severe justice of God which holdeth us captive in the Anger might be satisfied with Christs fulnesse and effectuall merit that Christ may fulfill the anger of God in us with love and mortifie the will of the Devill and also the nature in the wrath of God and wholly annihilate it's will that so he may dye in the love of Christ and bring forth a new will in the Lâ—ve-spirit of Christ through the nature of the soule which liveth and walketh in God as St. Paul saith Our conversation is in the Lord. 12 Lip-labour and the Pratings of the mouth avail nothing the same make no Christian a Christian must alwaies be borne or regenerated of Christ else he is no Christian no outward imputed righteousnesse or grace helpeth at all 13. All the comforting flattering soothing and dissembling is but in vaine where the purple-mantle of Christ is put upon the man of iniquity and malice or the Cain-like hypocrite who from without will be an adopted Child of grace 14. For no Whore or one that is impregnated can be a Virgin albeit she puts on a maides Garland yea no Prince or Potentate can grace her with any Virginitie 15. Thus the flattering hypocrisie and comforting with Christs Merits and promises is to be understood unlesse we be converted and become like Children which hang on the breasts of their Mother and receive and conceive in us the Ens or essentiall Power of Christ which destroyeth the Harlot that a new spirit may be borne in us out of Christ which hath in it Christs sufferings and death that we be borne out of his Resurrection and resigne up our selves into the whole processe of Christ which is the imputed grace in Christ 16. A Christian must be begotten and regenerated of the same grace that he be a christian in and of Christ namely a true branch in the tree which is Christ that the Engrafted word of life may spring forth and become essentiall living and working in the soule and then the merit of Christ and the imputed grace doth avail when he is growing on the tree as to the internall ground 17. Beloved friend Mr. Frederick your questions require a large declaration in the Treatise or Commentary upon Genesis they be all determined at large and if you obtain the eyes and fight of Christ then there need not any such questions at all in such smal things which indeed are too high for Reason but in Christ they are nothing but a Childlike play but however I will answer you breifly thus The First Poynt Of the Serpent which after the Curse must eate Earth and Creep upon the Belly 18. First concerning the Article of the Serpent which after the curse must feed upon Earth and creep upon the Belly I answer that her Shape and Forme was such but her Body and Spirit was not so evill in the fiery Science of the ground of nature as after the Curse 19. For both Tinctures of good and evill of the originall of the first and second principle were manifest in her and therefore she was so exceeding Cunning that the nature was able to see in her Centre in the Tinctures the ground of the whole creation 20. She was in her ground before the Creaturall originall whence she in the Grand Mystery was put into the Severation to a creature a faire and excellent Ens of great power and vertue 21. But the Devills Imaginations when he sate like an Enthroned Prince in the ground of nature in very high power and dominion poysoned this Ens which in the Severation formed it selfe into a Serpent and therefore he made use of her for his Instrument by the same cunning and by the same poyson in which lay the mightiest power to make Eve monstrous 22. Yee Physitians It behoveth you doubtlesse well to know and understand the Mystery of the Serpent and whaâ— lyeth hid under her poyson if you take out the same and proceed aright in the processe thereof then you may get a Tincture against poyson the like whereof is not to be had 23. Shee was in the Ens of the Grand Mystery before shee was a Creature a Virgin but after the Curse shee became an Whore Magically or Parabolically to be understood 24. She saw in her the ground of the inward and outward World and therefore one must come out of the inward World and kill her monster which she hath putt upon Eve and an whole Booke might be written of what the desire of the Devill hath wrought by and through her 25. But when she did helpe to deceive the Image of God then God accursed the same that she became blind as to the internall ground and was also altogether Manifest in the four Elements and so she fell into the Earth whence the body was taken and moreover she fell onely to the wrath or bad part of the Earth she can no more obtain or reach the good part or quality of the Earth as other Beasts doe and therefore shee must eate Earth namely the property of the curse in the Earth 26. Shee was a flying Worme else nature would have provided her legges as other Wormes have on Earth but her nimblenesse wily subtlety and cunning made Eve to long after the forbidden fruit The Second Point Of Paradise and the Garden Eden 27. Paradise was the temperature in Man when hee knew not what good and evill was where the Divine light did shine through Nature and Tinctured and tempered all things for Paradise is revealed in us againe in Christ as to the internall ground 28. But when God saw and knew that he would fall then Paradise sprung not forth with fruit any more through the Earth in the whole World albeit it was every where manifest but onely in the Garden of Eden where Adam was tempted for that is the place but Paradise is the quality to wit the life of God in the similitude or Harmony of the universall Being The Third Point Whether the Beasts being they were in Paradise and more-over wholly earthly did also feed upon Paradisicall fruit 29. Beloved Friend Mr. Frederick every Spirit eateth of its Mother out of what the Eeasts were of that likewise they did eate namely of the fifth Essence of the Earth in the Cosmick spirit for the deepest ground of the Beasts is not by many degrees like unto Man thus did they feed upon their Mother namely the spirit of them feeds upon the Cosmick spirit and the body upon the foure Elements 30. God knew very well that man would not stand but fall what use or profit then should the Paradificall food be to the Beasts in the Quintessence there lyeth indeed a Paradificall property upon that they feed even to this day for in every Beast there is a power which is incorruptible which the Cosmick spirit draweth
as strangers and Outcasts or as Devill Men one towards another as the Article of Election as it hath of some beene hitherto handled doth give forth and import little lesse 3. And albeit we are apprehended and captivated in the heavy fall of Adam in the Anger that his Anger hath indeed chosen us to be Children of Damnation yet God hath bestowed his beloved heart Viz. The Centre of the Deity thereupon and hath manifested it in the humanity that he might againe regenerate us in him and manifest the life againe in us 4. And as the heavy fall came from one upon all and passed or pressed upon all so likewise the grace came from one and passed upon all and the Apostle saith that Jesus Christ came into the World to seeke and save that which is lost that is the poore lost damned sinner apprehended in the wrath of God and chosen to damnation and not the righteous and who with Abel Seth Henoch Noah Sem Abraham Isaac and Iacob are comprehended in the Love but the poor sinfull man captivated of Gods anger as Cain Ismael Esau and the like he came to seek and call these to returne and be converted as God said to Cain rule over the sin let it not have its power if Cain could not have done this God would not have commanded it him also if it had not been possible for Adam to have stood then he had never forbid him the tree 5. But being man cannot thus absolutely conclude demonstrate and give satisfaction to the minde for it searcheth further after Gods Omnipotence thereupon there is another Study requisite that a man learne really to know the centre of all essences to love and anger what the eternall love of God and what the eternall anger of God is which doth harden and devour man and maketh him to be a child of eternall death and how man may and is able in the time of this life to be freed out of his prison and captivity of Gods anger 6. But Seeing that I have so declared and set it forth at large in my Bookes that I thought the minde should be satisfied especially in the Booke of the Threefold life and in the Three Bookes of the Incarnation of Jesus Christ and yet further and deeper in the Book of the Six points concerning the Grand Mystery the eternall birth of the deity and of the three principles of the three Worlds hoâ— they stand mutually in each other as one and how there is an eternall peace and agreement towards each other and how one doth beget the other and desire each other also that one without the other were a Nothing I supposed that the minde would therein finde satisfaction seeing the same can be demonstrated in every Being and thing 7. But seeing Master N. hath part of these Writings in his hands though not all be pleased to enquire after them if they have a minde to them they shall not onely finde the ground of this Article concerning Election but of all Articles and even of all whatsoever the minde of man turneth it selfe unto if the ground be followed and attained which is there opened 8. My Noble heart I pray take not in jest what God manifesteth unto us out of his Love looke not upon the simplicity of the men by whom he doth this it is his good pleasure to manifest his might in the weake and silly as the World accounts them it is done for instruction to the World seeing all live in contention and strife and will not suffer his spirit to draw them that they might know and acknowledge Gods Kingdome to be in VS therefore the Centre of his Being and of all Beings is manifested unto them this is done all out of his love towards us that we might yet depart from the miserable strife contentions and wranglings and step into a brotherly and child-like Love 9. Sir seeing I have found a longing minde in you I would not conceale from you that it will be a time of serious earnestnesse and I say blessed and happy are those that are comprehended under the Sound of the Trumpet that hath already sounded for there commeth hereafter such an earnest severity that Babel and contention together with all Pride Ambition Falshood and unrighteousnesse shall drinke an earnest draught and even that which shee hath filled I entreat you for Eternall Salvation sake further to consider of it it is knowne 10. I am ready so farre as the minde might not finde ground enough in my Writings for its rest and satisfaction if the same were noted downe and sent me so to explaine and enlarge it out of the Centre of all Beings that I hope the minde should be satisfied although it lyeth not in Searching for no searching obtaineth or reacheth the Pearle without Gods light a penitent humble minde is required thereunto that wholly resigneth it selfe into the grace of God and that doth not search or will any thing save Gods Love and Mercy in that ariseth at last the bright morning Star that the minde findeth such a Pearle wherein soule and body rejoyâ—eth and when this is found then there need no further searching or teaching for it is written They shall be taught of God Such a Pearle as this the sound of the seventh Trumpet doth open in the hearts of many who with earnestnesse shall seek it in a humble and unto God resigned will 11. Therefore my Noble heart I would not conceale this from you much disputing and grubling in Selfe-Reason findeth not the Pearle but an earnest fixed penitent will findeth the same which is more precious and costly then the World and hee that findeâ— it he would not give it for the riches of the whole World for it affordeth him Temporall and Eternall joy that he is able to rejoyce and be merry in the midst of the Dungeon of darknesse and he accounteth the goods of this World as dirt and dung in comparison of it Christ sayd Seeke and you shall finde knock and it shall be opened unto you Also My Father will give the holy Spirit to them that aske him for it HEREIN LYETH THE GROVND 12. Let no man say My heart is shut up I cannot pray and if my heart say flatly no yet I will cast my selfe into the suffering and death of Christ let him cast me into Heaven or Hell yet I will be in his death he is made an Eternall life to me and then it is sayd None can pluck my Sheep out of my hands 13. The way to seeke and know the precious Pearle is very sufficiently opened in the Booke of the Threefold life else I would have mentioned something thereof And I commend me into your favour and us all into the meek love of Jesus Christ Dated 2. July 1621. THE NINETEENTH EPISTLE 1 NOBLE Worthy and honoured Sir All sincere wishes through the Love of Christ wherewith he loveth us in himselfe by his Incarnation in us of an happy and
and also naturall knowledge it may assure it selfe that it is then drawn and inclined to it by God and then it may well search and finde the deepe ground that is mentioned in my Writings 7. For the spirit of God searcheth by that soule and bringeth it at length into the depths of the deity as Saint Paul saith the Spirit searcheth all things yea the deep thinge of God 8. Loving Sir it is a simple childlike way that leadeth to the highest wisedome the World knowes it not you need not seek for wisedome in remote places or Travaile into strange Countries for it she standeth at the doore of your soule and knocketh and if shee shall but finde an empty resigned free place in the soule shee will there reveal her selfe indeed and rejoyce therein more then the Sun in the Elements if the soule yeeld it selfe up to wisedome for a full possession then shee penetrates it with her flaming fire of love and unlocketh all Mysteries to the soule 9. Sir you may perhaps wonder how a plain lay man could come to understand such high Mysteries having never read them nor heard them from any man but loving Sir I tell you that which you have seen in my Writings is but a glimps of the Mysteries for a man cannot write them if God should account you worthy to have the light enkindled in your soul you would see tast smel feel and heare unspeakable words of God concerning this knowledge and there is the true Theosophicall School of Pentecost where the soule is taught of God 10. After this there is no more any need of searching and painful toiling about it for all gates stand open a very simple mean man may attaine it if he hinders not himselfe by his owne willing Imaginations and running for it lyeth in man before hand and needeth onely to be awakened stirred up or quickned by the spirit of God 11. In my Talent or Writings as in my simplicity I was able to describe it you shall easily finde the way to it especially in this annexed Booke which also is of my Talent and but few Weekes agoe was published in print which Sir I present to you in love as to my Christian fellow-member and exhort you to read it over often for its vertue is the more the better liked or the longer the better beloved in this Booke you will see a true short ground acd it is a sure ground for the Author in this practice hath found it so by experience 12. But for the ground of the high Naturall Mysteries which you and M. Walter M. Leonhart Elvern desire a further clearer explanation of be pleased to enquire of M. Walter for it for I have sent to you and him an explanation and other new Writings if you shall like them you may cause them to be copyed out you will finde very great knowledge in them I would that all of you â—ight truely understand it I would faine have made it more plain but in respect of the great depth and also in regard of the unworthy it may not be done Christ saith Math 7. 7. Seek and you shall finde knock and it shall he opened unto you none can give it unto another Every one must get it himselfe of God one may well give a manuduction or direction to another but he cannot give him the understanding of it 13. Yet know that A Lilly blossometh unto you the Northern Countries if you destroy it not with the sectarian contention of the learned then it will become a great Tree among you but if you shall rather choose to contend then to know the true God then the ray or beam of light passeth by and hitteth onely some and then afterward you shall be forced to draw water for the thirst of your soules among strange Nations 14. If you will take it rightly into consideration then my Writings shall give you great furtherance and direction thereto and the Signate-star above your pole shall help you for its time is come about or borne 15. I will freely give you what the Lord hath given me onely have a care and employ it aright it will be a witnesse for you against the mocker let no man looke upon my person it is a meer gift of God bestowed not onely for my sake but also for your sake and all those that shall get to read them 16. Let no man gaze any longer after the Time it is already borne begun or come about whom it lighteth upon him it hitteth whosoever waketh he seeth it and he that sleepeth seeth it not the time is appeared and will soone appeare he that watcheth seeth it many have already felt it but there must first a great tribulation passe over before it be wholy manifest the cause is the contention of the Learned who tread the Cup of Christ under foot and contend about a Child that never was worse since men were this shall be manifest therefore let no honest man defile himselfe with such contention there is a fire from the Lord in it who will consume it and himselfe reveal the truth 17. You shall receive of Mr Walter what he hath besides especially a table with an Exposition of it therein the whole ground of all Mysteries is plainely layd downe and so I commend you Sir to the love of Jesus Christ Dated the 20. c. THE THREE AND THIRTIETH EPISTLE Of the Persecution against JACOB BEEM BY GREGORY RICKTER Primate or Superintendent of GERLITZ Our Salvation and Peace in the life of Jesus Christ Mr. Marcus Mausern 1. MUCH respected and beloved Sir all cordiall wishes of the stedfast working Love of our Lord Jesus Christ in Soule Spirit aad Body premised I have received both your Letters and have observed your Christian heart syncerely inclined in a fellow-memberlike Love towards mee and the pure truth and I desire that God would ratifie strengthen and preserve you in such a purpose that you may grow in the Tree of life Jesus Christ and bring forth abundance of good fruit 2. Your owne reason will give you to know that the hand of the Lord according to his will hath guided me hitherto and brought me to such knowledge wherewith I have again willingly and readily served many seeing I have not learned my knowledge in the Schools or Bookes but from the great Booke of all Beings which the hand of the Lord hath opened in me 3. Seeing then that there is in that Booke a Crosse of the true understanding therefore God signeth his Children to whom he giveth this Booke to read with that same Crosse on which Crosse the humane death is slain and eternall life restored 4. I give you as a brother to know that the same mark is enstamped on my forehead with a Tryumphing Trophy on which the Resurrection of Jesus Christ is imprinted 5. Which mark is dearer unto me then all the honour and goods of the World that God hath so highly esteemed