his Will whom he loves nor will never seek to please him You shall never have any good of a Maid that is compelled to Marry against her Will She will be but the more perverse the more you endeavour to humour her Have a Care lest thou neglâ—â—â— thy own Good And when thou art well hope not in vain for higher preferment lest thou justle thy self out of all and repent too late A Hen or some other Fowl aiming at the End of Procreation by the impulse of the natural Spirit counts it no toil to sit upon her Eggs a whole Month or more or less and is willing to be confined without the Element of her Pleasure and Recreation Mayest thou be as willing to promote the Glory of God the End of thy Journey and Labour which to promote is the right Heaven of Mans Soul To which place O King of Heaven direct us all Amen CHAP. X. The Souls Transmigration § 1. Christ the Lawful King BEtter is a Poor and Wise Child the innocent off-spring of God than an old and foolish King that tyrannizeth over the pure Seed who will no more be admonished as being Reprobate or past Reproof For out of an infectious Prison or Dungeon of Darkness he cometh to Reign as being no lawful Heir and not of the Right Line He is an Usurper Whereas also every Subject the Faculties of his Mind that is born in his Kingdom becomes Eternal Beggars I considered all the Living which walk under the Sun of Time with the second Child of Regeneration that shall stand up and sit in the Divine Throne Eternally in his stead There is no end of all the People and Subjects of illegal Tyrants even of all that have been before them in â—â—cifers Apostacy whose Seed lives in the Humane Generation They also that succeed or come after either before or after the end of this World shall not rejoyce in Lucifer or an Humane Usurper This also is Vanity and Vexation of God's Holy Spirit The Humane Commonwealth comes to Ruine under a Foolish Prince even as the Feet stumble by the Intoxication of the Head In the Day of Prosperity be joyful and when things fadge well between thee and thy Virgin let thy Heart be merry But in the Day of Adversity when thou art crossed in thy Desire or Love by the Sorceress consider what thou art a doing God also hath set the one over against the other to the end that Man should find nothing after and Superior to the fair Virgin of God worthy to be sought after §. 2. His Right to Reign THe Fire of Hell and the Ocean-Womb of Eternity are good Servants but bad Masters The Virgin it is true should be Queen in the Humane Republick And the Spirit of the Soul Vice-Roy But if Man inverteth the right Order he himself must pay the Forfeiture or suffer the Penalty Yet the Rebel must have his due And as the Proverb saith He that cannot bear to be a Servant let him be his own Servant When thy Work is done and the Crown obtain'd then rest in Security but wo to him that hath an ill Name in his Youth He will be suspected by the Virgin As having put the Crown of blooming Youth upon the Serpents Head But if thou follow Vertue thou mayest become the Head of all thy kindred Therefore O Son of the Virgin if thou seest the oppression of the Poor Spirit of the Soul in the Humane Republick Marvel not at the matter and if thou beholdest a violent perverting of Justice and Judgment in the Soulish Province for a time wonder not For he that is higher than the proudest and highest Mind regardeth And there be higher than they For the Spirit though ost as a Servant walking a Foot in low place is higher than the Rebel Soul O Man mark what I say I the Preacher returned and reflected upon all the Oppressions that are done under the Sun of this vain Light And behold the Tears of such as were oppressed and the sighing of the Spirit of the Soul and they had no Comforter And on the side of the Soul there Oppressour there was Power for there was no Compulsion to draw him to Sin against his Will but he would not open his Ear of Compassion Wherefore I praised the Dead that are already Dead even the Mortal Animals more then the Living that are yet alive for a time but are like to dye the Eternal Death Yea better is he then both they which have not yet been who hath not seen the Evil that is done under ehe Sun of Time and Eternity An Embryo is more happy than the false Birth Yea an Eunuch is happier than he that is joyned to the Witch like Traduction of a false Will which rebelleth against the Will of the Deity All these things have I seen in the Days of my Conversation in the Vanity There is a Just one the Spirit that perishe or rather vanishes in his Righteousness And there is a wicked one the false Mind who prolongeth his Life of Eternity in his wickedness and yet would willingly Dye but shall not find Death §. 3. False Judgment THis also have I seen and applied my Heart to every Work that is done under both Suns there is a Time wherein one Ruleth over another as the Soul oveâ— the Spirit to his own Eternal Hurt And so I saw the wicked buried in the Abyss who had come and gone from the Place of the Holy by his Aposâ—acy And they were forgotten in the Holy City where they had done any good for their good Works did not follow them This is a great Vanity Because Sentence against an evil Work is not executed speedily for the Spirit of the Soul or Conscience hath not Power to pronounce it till the Day of Death therefore the Heart of the Soul Son of the Humane Root is fully set upon mischief by plotting against his own Judge and working wickedness against God's Friend But know this though a Sinner do evil an hundred times and the Days of his Eternity be prolonged in Pain and Horrour Yet surely I know that it shall be well with the Spirit of the Soul that fears to Sin against God's Law and to the Soul that consents to the Spirit and fears before him And so all is well that ends well But it shall not be well with the Wicked neither shall he prolong his Days of Vanity in this inferiour World which are as a Shadow and whose Spirit will vanish as an Image in a Looking-glass because he feareth not God and to offend his Virgin There is a Vanity which is done upon the Earth of Humanity that there be Just men unto whom if they Apostatize it happens according to the Work of the Wicked And if the Father hath eaten sower Grapes the Child of this Apostate as by Transmigration of or into an unlucky off-spring his Teeth shall be set on Edge Again there be wicked ones to whom if they retract it
Spirit I was but now bathing in a River of Wine But what 's the Matter What are these qualms upon my Stomack They seem now to revenge my out-daring of Bacchus's Foes because I was not a fit Souldier for his Service Therefore his Chirurgion hath given me some of his Pills which now I cast up by filthy Vomitings and Spewings Sure he will give me a Foil at Wrestling Thus I shall stumble over the Dead and reel into a Grave of Worms and Serpents who will be drunk with my Blood Therefore O thou naturally found and healthful Spirit of Man The Luxurious is as full of Diseases as an Hospital For as the Night doth call him to the Supper of Surfeit And as the Morning doth rouze him to his Breakfast He languisheth in the hunger of his Lust making but one Meal a Day Until he hath glutted himself with the Dainties of his Delights And thus eating He wipeth his Mouth in a Corner Accompanied with his Drunken Hostess Whose Body is a Pit of Poyson But to touch it is danger of Death Therefore rather than Dine on her Delicates do thou mingle thy Meat with Mourning §. 6. For spoiling the Souls Sport THen comes a Third the sluggish Harlot come my Dear saith she we will go to the Gaming-house or if thou please to the Temple of the Gods where we will send for the blind Lover our Captive to make us some Sport We will have Musick and Dancing We will wheel about our God Now our Bellies are glutted with the butcherly and bloody Sacrifice of Beasts we will rise up to Play We will lye upon Beds of Ivory and stretch our selves upon our Lazy Couches We will chant to the sound of the Viol And invent to our selves Instruments of Musick like David the sweet Psalmist of Israel We will sing his Psalms in Canting and Mocking of God But O Man consider Give not thy Heart to the Musick of false Mirth Tremble to tread in the Tracks of it Use the Cross as thy Crutches to bear thee upright in the Way Nail the Flesh to the Fashion thereof And the Spirit shall save the Soul Give not sleep O Man to thine Eyes nor slumber to thine Eye-lids Vntil thou find an Habitation for thy self with thy Virgin For thou art born to a good Fortune When O Sluggard wilt thou awake from thy sleep The Day is far spent Go to the Antâ— Consider her ways and be wise at last If not this Harlot hath prepared a Net of Mischief to ensnare thee She will hunt thee into her Pit As thou didst drive the Beasts of thy own Image into the Nooze to be slain So she will draw thee as a Beast into the depth of her Dungeon But the Counsel of the Virgiâ— is the safety of Deâ—ence Which delivers thee from the sweep of her Dragg It saves thee from sliding in the slippery Places And stablisheth thy standing on the Rock Avoid Her that enticeth into every treacherous Trap And allureth into the Doors of Destruction She polisheth her Parlour with artificial carved Images and with the works of most curious Limners Her Entry inviteth with the Odors of Perfumes But her Bed is the Infection of Plague Her Breath is the Contagion of Death And her Breasts the Bottles of Bane He that layeth his Head to repose between them shall be smothered in a deep sleep Enter thou not into the Doors of her House Lest her allurements should murder thy simplicity For she will entice thee with all things that are lovely to the Eye But her purpose is to an end of Slaughter Mark the Line of her Path And behold whom she catcheth with her Hook He that studies the steps of her Feet runs swift to the Doom of Destruction But he that seeks deliverance from her Door shall dwell in the Temple of God He shall draw to a Rest from the Travel of Iniquity which shall compass his Soul with Salvation If this will not do then comes another the Crafty Witch Saying come to my School and I will make thee a Necromancer I will teach thee all the Philosophical Learning of the World and the highest Contemplation of things Thou shalt understand how the Worlds Wheel is rolled about And how the Chain of Eternity is entangled by an indissolvable Band So thou shalt be accounted the Wise Magus among the People O! I will not do so saith the right Spirit of the Soul I am afraid of the Deep of Deeps Lest I fall headlong into the Abyss and by searching and seeking the Universal Tincture I may get a wound in my Soul and then I shall be sent to finish my Contemplation in a Circle of Misery Therefore O Man be wise This false Wisdom is a snare of Death which is hid from the Eye of Man He seeth not her mischievous End Because she hath made his Day a Curse She bewitched by enchantments a couple in Paradise and dragged them from Life to Death And bolted their Generations within the Doors of Darkness And locked them from the Light of the Day Beware therefore lest she lead thee by her subtle Art and Serpentine Wisdom To taste of the Tree of Knowledge of Evil and Good Whose Fruit is desirable to make one wise And to open the Eyes of Curiosity §. 7. For hindering the Propagation of the Species BUT anon the Amazonian shews her self whose hand is against every one and every ones hand against her She will accompany thee in a Virile Garb to the Field of Mars and lead thee to Akeldama She will beat Plough-shares into Swords and perfume thy Nostrils with the stink of her murdering Powder She will perswade thee to cut off many of thy fellow-Creatures as a mighty Hunter of Men before the Lord as if the Earth were too narrow to maintain such a numberless number of Men in the same world saying Keep up thy Pomp gallantly and oppress all monyless Wretches and Widows Make many Martyrs by thy Sword of Cruelty and Rigour Search for the pâ—ths which the Lyons Whelps have not trodden and which the Vultures Eye hath not seen For there is a Vein for the Silver and a Place for the hidden Treasures of Gold But the Martial Iron is Lord of both Dig therewith into the Bowels of thy Fellow-Offspring and see if the Golden Mine be there or no. If any oppose thee see here I give thee these snaky Hairs as so many Furies in the Conscience O no I had rather saith the Souls Spirit dwell in the Corner of a poor Cottage in content and quietness than with a brawling Whore such as thou art in a wide Habitation I had rather sleep in a whole Skin than to boast of Wounds and Scars upon my Body Let Cyrus if he like it glut himself in his Bowl of Blood I love not his Mess I am weary with such Sacrifices This Martial Strumpet drags the Valiant by the Nose and the Lofty by the Fore-lock Yea the Mighty do plunge in her Bloody
now I repent from the bottom of my heart O be favourable to me and shew me some kindness remit that rigour which thou threatnest me with now at my last gasp where with I will pray Heaven to requite thee Keep thy thanks to feed thy hellish Brood saith the pure Mind This is but to gain the time because thou seest the thing I longed for is gone from me Thouhast prepared lying and corrupt Words to speak beforeme till the time be changed therefore there is but one Decree Either procure to me my dear Virgin and wash thy Blackmore's Skin white or thou shalt be utterly destroyed and thy House shall be made a Dunghil §. 10. The Soul 's Hellish Blasphemy BUt saith the Soul O be not so cruel and rigid She is unattainable she is taken into thy Rivals Favour It is impossible to substract a greater number from a lesser that I cannot do Only remit the penalty of this severe Law Nay saith the Noble Mind I must proclaim an Eternal War against thee For as thou hadst not Power over the false Spirit to retain the Spirit of thy Affections so neither hast thou power in the day of Eternal Death neither hath any one the Power to retain the Virgin when she is gone into her place and quite rejected And therefore I say There is no discharge in this War no redeeming of thee from the Fury of the bloody Souldiers and avenging Officers who will now cast thee into Prison Neither shall wickedness deliver them that have been all their time given to it Therefore O humane Soul think not that thou shalt escape and that the Spirit of the humane Soul shall die for the rest of the humane Commonwealth and come under the Lash for the loss of his dear Virgin for tho' thou shouldst give all the Substance of thine House and all that thou art worth to be reconciled to her it cannot be when the day of Grace is sinned out and that this Divine Essence shall suffer for thee No no this Divine Essence shall remain as an Image in a Looking-glass and thou shalt endure the Pain as being condemned by this said Essence who will arise again out of the Grave which thou hast digged for him and condemn thee as being thy Eternal Judge And here is seen what part suffers for where the sore is there will be the Hand And here begins the great and Hellish Blasphemy of a Soul in the real Tophet the Soul will gnaw his Tongue for pain and vexation and Revenge against the Spirit of the Soul as if he were in sault whereas himself was the cause of Bringing this tormenting Wo upon himself And now the dumb guilty Soul may be long at the Gate of the deaf Spirit who will not hear his Cries because he himself was lately as the deaf Adder who would nor hearken to the Charms of the Spirit charming never so wisely And struck his Conscience oft-times as dumb as a Sheep before the Shearer Yea the Soul will rave and rage as if he would tear the Deity it self in pieces And when a poysoned Arrow does light upon his Flesh he knowing not whence it comes he will receive the Blood into his hands flushing out and throw it up to the Abyss crying out O Almighty Power thou hast conquered me and so blaspheming dies the Eternal Death CHAP. IX The Souls Rest §. 1. Where is this Rest IF the Soul do but attain the End of his Journey which was appointed as the true final Cause of his Travail and Labour by the Creator then he becomes happy and not before The Sleep and Rest of the Labouring Soul is sweet whether he sleep little or much but the bundame of the covetous Rich and conceited Soul who conceits he needeth nothing as being not beholden to God will not suffer him to sleep and to take a quiet Nap of sweet Repose But where is this Rest to be found There 's the Question The Elements say It is not in us The Depth saith It is not in me Hell and Death say We have heard the Faâ—e thereof with our Ears There is a Path which the sâ—â—tillest Fowl knows not and which the quick sighted Vultures Eye hath not seen Nay let Man search and grope into every Corner and Cranny of the whole Creation yet he shall never find Rest for his Soul until he come and return to Virgin Vertue Gods fair Daughter his appointed and predestinated Spouse As the Stars and Astral Powers bear sway over Mortals so also the Minds of Men have a reflexive Influence upon the Starry Natures For Evil Minds by Sympathy or Simile attract the Evil Influences which infect the Air and so alight upon the first Authors Even as a Not oft-time generateâ—h within it self that which destroyeth it namely the Worm of an evil Influence In like manner also vertuous and holy Souls attract the good Influences of the Astral Properties by Sympathy Now who knoweth the Spirit of a Man that goeth upwards to his own natural Heaven and attracts the good and sweet Influences thereof For God with a lofty Mind did Man indue And bid him Heavens transcendent Glory view As being his Natural Scope and right Home But if any humane Soul approve not of this Form choosing a prone or downward Look and to be leaded with the guilt of an evil or guilty Conscience he shall sink down into the Abyss §. 2. Not God's Fault if missed THo' God commands the Soul to choose Life and Eternal Joy and let every Bird delight in his own Note which th Creator hath inspired into him to praise the Inspirer yet most Men choose Death and let them thank themselves But now Heaven is the appointed Home of Mans Soul And if the Soul miss to find his home there 's his Hell and there 's the Inverting of the Mind of God or frustrating of the Intent of the Almighty which makes the Wo and the Hell But some may say Hell was also appointed to some Men as Heaven was predestinated to others Answ Yes Hell was conditionally appointed to Adam and all his Posterity upon their slighting of Heaven But Heaven was Mans native Place or Home And thither he must return if the Causes of Man co-work and suit together in their genuine coherence And to say that Hell was the sinal Cause of some Mens Creation is absolute Blasphemy But as the younger Brother said in the Epigram Sum pauper non culpa mea c. It was not my Fault that I am poor but the Fault of my Parents who have not begotten me before my Elder Brother who had the Inheritance This is the case of the Fool that lays the Fault upon the Almighty Father of Mankind As it was affirmed by the old Heathen Polytheists that one Idol-God or Power could not undo what another did So it is true in this sense That whatsoever is made Crooked by the hellish Power can never be made Straight again no not by the Power
enquire wisely concerning this And the Day of Death if the Soul be perfected in its formation is better than the Day of the false Birth Dicique beatus ante Obitum nâ—mâ— supremaque funera debet No Man before Death should be accounted happy This World is a wide Prison and every Day is Execution Day §. 6. The Heavenly Feast stays for us THe Apostate Soul is like the Viper dying at the parturition of her young ones But the Right Soul is perfected at the Death of the Body Being formed a perfect Divine Man whose Form is the Image of the Deity Even then is the Marriage and full fruition of the Virgin of God who is to be cloathed in fine Linnen clean and white the Purity and Righteousness of a holy Soul as being her Delight and Ornament And therefore O Man be sure thou be related by Affinity to the Great Messias whose Bride will shortly make her self ready in the presence of God and the holy Angels Blessed art thou that shalt be called to the Wedding Supper of the Lamb-like Prince of Innocency These Sayings are Faithful and Real Not a Scene of an Imaginary Phantasie God would have all to be saved The Devil none And so neither of them is a Respecter of Persons The Reprobate wrongs himself yet seems to do the wrathful Powers a kindness Yet his kindness is no kindness He is like one that throws Brine into the Sea For Hell is never satisfied Come therefore O Man to Heaven and there thou shalt be welcome If thou art fairer than another he shall not envy but rejoyce at thy Beauty God himself desires thy company for there is a Superfluity of Dainties at his Feast The Profit of the Holy Earth is for all The King himself is served by the Fruits of Eden's Field But if we speak properly we must acknowledge God hath no loss by a Reprobate Soul seeing he is Perfection it self But the loss is thy own Thou hast not cheated the Virgin for she hath another appointed her upon thy Refusal But thou hast fooled deceived and put a Cheat upon thy â—elf and art fallen into the Snare which thou hast prepared for another And it is an ill Bird that defiles her own Nest They use to say of a Dâ—unkard or some such luxurious Fellow He doth no Hurt to any but what he doth to himself I pray who can trust such a 〈…〉 a harmless Man He is the greatest Cheat of 〈◊〉 who cheats himself Seeking to undermine God and his Virgin To be fore such a one if he finds but opportunity will prove false to his Neighbour also and to the whole Creation I love thee as my own Soul said a fat luxurious Man to his Sweetheart Then you love me not as your Body said she or you love me not at all For I see you love not your self because you repent not of your sins §. 7. Mans Self-Enjoyment Gods primary Glory THus many a Soul thinks to advance himself by a vain expectation of the Death of God Christ and the Soul's Spirit whose Officer is like to torment him in a Fiery Lâ—ke There was a rich thriving Man that had a Servant who thrived not at all but was very Unfortunate in outward things The Master indeed pitied him because he proved honest in his place and perhaps there was a vigilant Eye over him that he could not cheat his Master But his Master payed him the Arrears of his Wages and turned him away from his Service saying While you thrive not your self you cannot be profitable to another and therefore you are no servant for me and so God â—less you This is the Case between God the Master of the great humane Family and us his Servants Therefore every Man for his own Soul chiefly and God for us all And so where nothing is to be had God loses his Right as it were Yet he is accidentally glorisied by the Reprobate Heaven is the true End of Man or final Cause of the Soul And if the End be frustrated the whole Work is in vain It is the Glory of a King and the Ornament of a Kingdom that his Subjects are Populous and Valiant And Children are the Riches of a Parent So Man attaining the 〈…〉 his Generation becomes the Glory of God aâ—â— his Coelestial Kingdom But all is Vanity and a Frustration of the Right End whatever excludes and vexeth the pure Spirit of Soul and hinders him from reaching the scope of his Desire and Labour It might be judged that he that adventureth his best Jewel his precious Life in behalf of his Prince is a Magnanimous Man But as the Poet said Vivere pro patriâ dulcius esse puto So it is the case of the Soul And it is very clear For if the final Cause be marred or cut off the whole Action is vain As for instance A Man whose House is on fire and leaps into the Fire to save his Goods spoils the End And so doth a Thief that adventures his Life for the enjoyment of a sum of Money for he disesteems the End and undervalues it in comparison of the Meâ—ns to preserve and promote the said End The End of the Treasure stolen is to preserve Life If therefore he haâ—ards his Life in the attaining of it wheâ— it might he preserved without such hazard he is a Fool and a vain Fellow Just so is the Case of one that hazards his Soul in the attaining of some strange Lust or supposed Means of promoting the well-being of the Soul What is a House good for if the End which is Dwelling in it be frustrated 〈…〉 one that angleth with a Golden Hook and 〈…〉 own Flesh and rather than sleep in a whole 〈◊〉 â—â—igâ—atizeth his Soul §. 8. Spoil not the End for the Means ONe feared to go on a Message to the Grand Vizier saying He is so unconstant he may take my Head off upon no occasion given The Governour that sent him said I would he durst I will have a thousand of his Mens Heads off in lieu of it Yes but I question said the Embassador whether any of them will sit my Shoulders Thus may the Souls Spirit upbraid the Soul when sent by him upon desperate and unlawful hazarding of his Life Take another Example or Comparison A Dissolute Fellow under pretence of honouring his Prince and wishing well to his Patriots and Praying for the Health of his Friends Drinks large Healths as he calls them as in remembrance of his said Friends and to the Commemoration of their Prosperity And what is all this for but chiefly to gratifie his greedy Belly tub which like a sink receive these Health-resisting Bowls under pretence of Praying for the Health of another But let any impartial Man judge whether these impious pretended Salutations do add any thing to the Health or Happiness of him who is pretended to be the Subject of these flatteries Nay it is plain robbing of the King and his Honour and a
partake of her delightful Society and Communication as his dear Sister But Oh said she dost thou know who I am Look upon my Clarity and Excellency and the Majesty of my Glory Go home to thy study and think of something else Aim not too high This Attempt is too difficult for thee Thou art not worthy of me for I am the chaste Spouse of the Son of the Deity I never â—ill defile my self I will never consent to thy â—oolish desire Thereupâ—â— Lucifer being highly afâ—â—ented endeavoured to â—â—ce her to his unlawful â—â—re and would needs commiâ— a Rape upon her But 〈◊〉 as rescued by the Angels and carried into the Wilderness where she had a place prepared of God for Her Then Lucifer cast out the Flood of his Wrath and disgorged the Vomit of his Malice after her to devour her But the Earth helped the Virgin and swallowed up the Flood of his Envy and the escaped late Gods Pallace which God appointed for 〈◊〉 â—â—â—ctuary of Refuge §. 2. Luciser's Fall NOw Lucifer increasing the Infection of his Eyes by gazing upon her Beauty and letting out his Mind after her for a hellish end he importun'd her to look out at the Window of her Pallace and would needs perâ—wade her by all manner of smooth and flattering speeches to take a walk with him in the adjacent Groves of Paradise She still disswaded him from such a foolish Attempt of false Lust saying Be but content and I will cloath thee with my Jewels and the Ornaments of my excelling Beauty But be assured I will never consent to be Desâ—led with false Imagination or to be infected with Lust Then he opened the Door in the Center of his Dominion which was Eternally forbidden And would needs search into the Ground or Abyss of the Deity to know the Root of the false Tree in the Center or midst of the Creation seeking to know whence the Cause of Gods Beauty and his proceeded And then said O fair Virgin if thou consent to cohabit with me I will honour thee with the Joynture of my Black Kingdom I will make thee Queen of the Infernal Regions She still scorned his Rashness and pitied his Folly Art thou said he become so disdainful and haughty I will force thee to my Lâ—st whether thou consentest or no. But she was caught up to Heaven At that Lucifer raved roaâ—ed raged and spat poyson like an horrible Dragon as if he would tear the three Worlds and the Deity it self in pieces if it had been possible And there was a kind of War Michael and his Angels expelled Lucifer and his Dragon Angels out of Heaven And yet it was no real War for Heaven spewed him out of its own accord and he was cast out as Dung into the cursed part of the Earth and his Souldiers his Vassals were â—ast out with him Then for Malice being mad with Fury he endeavoured to blow his poyson and belch forth his malignity into all the Seeds and Idea's of the Creatures of this Creation which we now see Thus also Lucifer for Madness sought to slay his own innate proper Virgin after he had failed in deflowering of her which was contrary to the Law of Eternity And therefore he opened the Matrice of the wrathful Nature and was united with and generated a Dragon-like Essence to his own everlasting Torment so that now he burns in the Hellish Fire of his Consumption never to be consumed And hath great Wrath and Envy against the Son of Man who is to dethrone him because he knows he has but a short time Wo to the Inhabitants of the Earth and of the Sea for the Devil is come down unto you So that to this day we plainly see the cause of Luciser's Envy against the Son of Man even Because He expels Lucifer out of his Throne and is but an Usurper as Lucifer lays to his Charge And so Lucifer spat his Malice upon every thing that was capable of Receiving it as a Serpent out of a hole or prison to which he is consin'd And before the Creation he would envenom the Seeds of the External Essences For every thing had its own Formative Seed in its self before it was created So the Earth was without Form and Void like a Chaos and Darkness was upon the face of the great Deep in Lucifer's Dominion § 3. Lucifer Captivated YEt the Spirit of God would not suffer this once fair middle World to stand in Eternal Ignominy and to become the Devils Murthering Den But he moved the Waters to quench Lucifer's Dark Lightning and Thunder and his Jugling Tricks and said Let there be Light to adorn this fair World as it had done from Eternity and there was Light Then the Creation groaned and travailed in great Labour to be freed from the Vanity of the Curse this Vanity of Vanities that was a Vexation to the Spirit of God For Lucifer if he had his will would suffer neither Grass Flower nor Fruit to grow nor Animals to live for the Use and Recreation of Man for he envied his Happiness And he himself could not enjoy their Society for every thing feared him and shunned him as a Revolted Prince and Tyrant But when on the fifth Day he saw that Life and Sense sprung up through his dark Death he intended as he sat in Council to torture or to kill the Beasts Birds and Fishes for a Mock-Sacrifice to atone the wrath of the incensed Gods For he understood there was no Lord or Arch-Shepherd set over them to protect them Therefore also the Creator consulted to put a stop to his Trayterous Rage and malicious designs of his fellow-Plotters and to generate a Lord to supply his place upon his Throne and to divest him of his Robes and his Crown Here ariseth a great Objection Why did not God annihilate the Devil when he was aware of the danger of his Fall Answ Lucifer being created out of the Essence of God and being made a free Agent had the Power of his own Will and was in a Capacity of giving Glory 〈◊〉 God as well as the other two Hierarchies So that according to the Order and Creation of Angelical Nature the Essence of Lucifer could not be turned into Nothing God as a most skilful Musician melodized with himself on his own Harp in Heavenly Joy before the World was God gave Lucifer once a most fair and bright Angel but now corrupted and spoiled by Imagination and Pride such another Harp But Lucifer broke the Strings and instead thereof because he was not willing to play together with God and the holy Angels in one Symphony puts something invented by his vain Fancy which makes an horrible noise And here is now God against God But you will say Lucifer is Unalmighty So he is but ask the Devil and he will tell you He is the Almighty God and Omnipotent Mountebank in the Dark World and also Prince of the wrathful part of this World and is absolute
a true time therefore the misery of Man 〈…〉 upon him Now here lies the Great Mâ—â—stery because of Ignorance in the Souls Original and Nobility many a Man becomes a wretched Mâ—screant Nay may some say It is by Gods predestinate purpose that Man is to know and seel pain Yes this is the predestinate purpose of God and the Antient Law of Eternity That whoever would be greater than God and oppose his own Lumour and self-will to Gods will must feel Eternal Pain that proceeds from this chiefly He will gnash his Teeth and eat his own Flesh yea from his own Center shall stream Flashes of burning Brimstone because he will think how he hath fooled himself away by his own Folly when he might have been a Royal Prince So that Ignorance is the cause of Mans Wretchedness Man shuts his Eyes and seeth not how God the Root of Man cannot by any Skill or Device be plucked up And so Man comes to be subject to an evil time and ill chance by breaking himself off from his true Eternal Root § 6. The Soul's Circle THe words of the Preacher the Prophetical Sound the Son of God King of Heaven Prince of Order and Ruler of the seven Worlds One Humane or Angelical Spirit passeth away into its own Place and Lot and another brood cometh into this World in his stead But the Mansion of the Spirit abideth unmoved for ever The Humane Sun ariseth and seems to set out of sight and so Immortal Man seems to be Mortal but he hasteth to the place of Eternity where he arose and wheeleth from one Tropick to another by an uncessant Labor and Eternal Motion The Wind of the Soul goeth towards the South and turneth to the opposite side it whirleth about continually as upon seven Wheels whether moved backward with Lucifer and so remaining still Or returning again according to its Circuits as moved forward by the Divine Motion and Breath All Humane Rivers run into the Ocean of Eternity yet Eternity is never fill'd Vnto the place from whence the Rivers of Generation came thither they return again Some flowing hiddenly to the springing Fountain and some abiding in the restless and tossed State in the Abyss The Son of Man before his External Birth was as it were taking his Rest or a sweet Nap of Repose upon the Brests of the Virgin his dear Mother the holy Bride of God who cometh down from God out of Heaven And there the Eternal Soul was at Rest until his Natural Parents waked him and disturbed his Beatifical Visions His Natural Parents sent for him into this outward Region to see the Beauty of this fair World and to receive the Salutation of a Joyful Welcome thereinto Who as a Birth of Time out of the Matrice of Eternity came very mean simple and helpless into this lower Country even as a most vile sprâ—wling Worm not bearing the least malice to the Creator or any other Creature of the Creation And lived a year ten years or more or perhaps a hundred years and then leaves all in great longing after some New Friends or Beloveds which he had chosen to his Solace in this strange Land § 7. Fatal Necessity of the Soul 's Being BY reason hereof he goes back with an ill will towards his Antient home and parts in great anguish and pain and perhaps in that anguish and despair he Eternally abides and that for following some Lusts and pursuing some Pleasures which he would fain solace his Mind with for a few years in this World and never so much as considered that he must endure a thousand millions of painful years in lieu of that little short pleasure till the hour of Death or rather the time of taking his leave of his Friends being too late And tho' truly the Light of the World be sweet and tho' it be a pleasant thing for the Eyes to behold the Sun of Time yet if a Man live many years and rejoyce in them all let him remember the Days of Darkness for they shall be many All that cometh is Vanity Now then where lies the fault here Here ariseth a great Question Is it any promoting of Gods Honour Joy or Profit that Man must know Pain opposed to Pleasure or be sensible of and really feel in the Practick what Anguish and Torment is I say Doth this increase Gods Joy or Beatitude and as it were perfect the Perfection of the perfect God Some may answer No. But it was God's Will that it should be so Well! Then there must be some Cause wherefore God willed this Evil The Objector may reply He doth all for his Glory If so He confesseth God torments his own Child for his own Glory § 8. Gods Repentance BUt this is a Belying of the Deity and of his Love to the Children of his own Loyns and making of God an unnatural cruel fierce wrathful Judge or Executioner yea crueler than the Savages of the Desert which love their own Issue nay than the very Devils of Hell For alas It is no Glory nor ' Pleasure at all to God to hear that his own dear Children are imprisoned in an Eternal Wilderness where they can never find the way to their Journey 's End their Creator But he counts it a great Loss and Dishonour and cause of Rpentance if we may use that Metaphor that God repenteth that when he views his Brides Room and finds that his Children each one with his Mate are not returned to the Great and Solemn Wedding of his Son He will say Where are all my Children but these It will be answered They have listed themselves Soldiers under another Power and would not come Here again we must be forced to frame another Metaphor to speak or utter these high Mysteries with a humane Tongue For no Grief can ever enter into God nor the loss whereof may vex him if we speak properly God perceiving that his Children took not his Sons Counsel will as it were mourn for them a few days and when the mourning Days shall be ended He will consider that there is no Redemption out of the Jaws of Eternal Death and and so he will for ever forget them And so I considered in mine Heart even to declare all this that tho' Mankind go forth from one Root or Fountain Ocean yet the greatest part comes not back to the same Door or Gate of Enterance into their Antient Resting Place but enter in at a false Door by a gross mistake And being once entred there there is no Recovery because they would not hearken to the Voice of Divine Wisdom and Skill Therefore in a humane sense it is an Addition to God's Glory to see his dear Children returning to Heaven Oh! what hearty and kind Embracing and Welcoming is here Their Ships laden with Divine Treasures and carved with the Story of the Afflictions which happened to them in a strange Land § 9. The same Event to all by allowance of God's Ballance THe Righteous and
Images upon Tables and made Law to distinguish every Mans Propriety from another But those Laws being not able to Bridle them they at last invented there was a Just Eye in secret that observed every Unjust Action That so they might be afraid to steal or commit Fornication Answ That God made Man upright and that Man found out many Inventions part of which was the Languages now extant we acknowledge But withal we affirm That the first Language was a Natural Mental Speech Let such an Atheist read History For he shall find there is no History that shews the Manners of any People but it shews also or gives a hint of their Religion The Voice of every Animal likewise calling to the Lord of Nature when any sudden fear seizeth upon them proves a Superiour Power There was one told his Friend That when he was young he thought there was no Hell in the Conscience but now being old he began to doubt what if there be one Now seeing the Atheist pleads That as the Flame of an Extinguished Candle dissolves and loseth it self in the Circumambient Air even so the Taper of Life vanisheth into pure AEther and is no more when the Law of Union of Body and Soul is violated and broken Second Spira Answ Here some Atheist may perhaps acknowledge as Reason will force any one that hath common Sense that there is a First Mover Which is demonstrated in all things So many Fountains from one Trunk or Bole which is the Ocean So many Branches from one Root So many Members receiving a Radical Life from one Heart so many Stars receiving Light from one Fountain of Light the Sun But seeing he will not acknowledge that God will be so cruel to be the Cause of an Everlasting Hell to the Soul of Man I acknowledge the same thing Yet there is a Hell and that Eternally For if it were not so Man would have destroyed the whole Creation ere this time in which there is such an an excellent Order and sympathetical Harmony between Superiours and Inferiours between Bodies and their Spirits and rifled the Closet of him that sits Eternally upon the Fire the Root of every Being As God made all Visibies of Nothing or rather out of his own invisible Essence So thou O Chymical Atheist makest of the whole nothing § 8. By Religion and Dreams AGain The Atheist asserteth That Pride and Humility are but one thing only they differ a little in Circumstances For Pride looks upon all its desired Accomplishments to be behind i◠Humility expects its Perfections as being before it not yet attained And so Humility is a kind of Pride saying to it self Thou shalt be advanced to Honour some time or other Answ But let him know that right Honour is an Advancement of Love For in Heaven there is not the least defire of Revenge As may be seen in the Son of God himself than whom none is more Honourable yet He is that which helpeth and saveth Nature which is gone out of its Order and becomes a Servant of Servants stooping to Death for the sake of Mankind The Babe is greatest in Heaven But Honour that rigorously ruleth by Force is no Honour He is not long feared that is not always loved It is true God alone by his Power must keep up the Wall and Fence of the Gulf between the two Natures to keep them in Harmony which Harmony he himself is in the Abstract Or else the Fire of Hell would break in and destroy the being of the first Essence in the Love-World which was without beginning But the Atheist yet imagines that because he dreams of frightful things and the Idea's that he hath of them impress afflicting Resentments upon his Spirits as if they were real but when he awakes he saith all vanishes Second Spira Answ We will suppose a Man in a terrible Melancholick Dream and that the said man should Eternally remain in that Condition wherein the Soul is as really disturbed frighted and put out of Harmony as if he had been awake That is The Fright that he is assaulted with is real to the Imagination of the Soul as may be perceived that it many times trembles and continues in a trembling posture after waking a long time Now you will say all vanishes and passeth into Silence when the Soul recovers it self by the outward Senses Answ But suppose it had no such recourse as to seiz upon the Body and wake it when it is so exceedingly affrighted to rid it self out of the supposed imminent Danger Suppose it were then in the Sleep of Death and the Body will not be waked where shall the Body seek shelter then The temporal Sleep being a true figure of Death even the first Death or sleep of the Body in the Grave And as the Soul is sensible of a real Joy or Sorrow in Dreams and Visions So also in Death why may not it feel the same Seeing the Soul by its creative Imagination frames either an Heaven or Hell to it self and is really sensible thereof without the use of the material Organs while the Body is incapable of Sense in sleep or which is all one dead to the Natural Functions of the External Sensoriums So that it is very clear and plain against all Atheistical Deniers of the Souls Immortality even an Eternal Testimony for Gods being and the Souls everlasting abode either in Life or in feeling Deaths Property called Pain or Hell that there is no material thing that can hurt or afflict the Soul either in Sleep or Death but only its own Imagination or Turba which the Worm of the Soul causeth Thus in Dreams the Passion wherewith the Soul is affected seems a Shadow of a Fancy after waking So the matter of this outward World seems and is indeed nothing more than a Shadow in respect of the two Real Substantial Eternal Worlds For when this World was made or rather New-modelled or formed yet there was no new matter under the Eternal Sun §. 9. By Love's Passion AGain The Atheist objecteth The Irrational Animals dream as well as Man And therefore the Phantacy that fancieth Images in sleep is Temporary Answ In the Creation of the World there was no new thing done but what was done in the Eternal Mystery before in the Nonage of Time And all Created Beings will eternally abide in the Figure and Shadow Yet in the Stilness For when we say Beasts have no immortal Souls it must be meant they enter back again or downwards into the Root of their First Constitution That is Though they are now out of their first Order yet the Breach thereof shall not be imputed to them because it was not their Fault but Mans and they sprung forth each according to his kind or Eternal Property in the Seed of their Souls of Life so they shall be manifest Eternally in the same But the Atheist objecteth still That the Conceit of the Soul is very deceitful and as unconstant as Proteus For
if the Mind strongly conceits a Heaven to it self the Mystery of the same conceit unknown makes an intension of its Heaven We often see that Love after Marriage grows Languid Whereas the same Love before the Enjoyment of its wished Object was so elevated and wrapt up in the said Object that it counted the same a seeming Heaven But many times two Lovers who have attained to the Blossom of the Tincture of Venus insect one another by their burning Lust so that they become Deadly Enemies even these very same Persons who were ready to impart the Heart within them one to the other if it could be done without Deaâ—h And tho' sometimes the Complexion of others are more Noble and still some Love remains yet it is not always so pure and faithful as the first As may be seen by Experience that many in Wedlock hunt after Whoredom and wandring Beds more than they did when in a single state Answ The Original of Love and Propagation proceedeth from the hiddennefs of the Virgin All things grasp after the Virgin and that made the Spirit of this World grasp and reach after Man because he found the Virgin in Man before the Fall And when a young Man loves a Maid he thinks to find the Virgin in the said Maid but when he Unites with her and toucheth the Tincture of Venus but cannot get the Virgin in his Possession then followeth a less Esteem of the Felicity which he thought to find in her §. 10. By the Seven Properties SAy what you will saith the Atheist He that hath Skill to rule his own Spirit may draw his Affections and Fancy to what Object he pleaseth Answ Ask thy own Mind why will not it give over Imagination and lie in Silence Ask a Mad-man why he will not stop the Wheel of his Mind that rolleth about too violently Ask a Man why he will not in sleep dream of Comedies And enquire whether any of these have power over this Spirit of Phantacy to retain the Spirit by his own Power It is true both in the Light and in the Wrath-World which soever of the Seven Properties are predominant in the seven fold Wheel of the Eternal Mind that will by and by be lowermost But in the Love Kingdom one Property desireth not to expel the rest out of the Harmony or to move and turn the Wheels backward This is demonstrated in all things especially in Musick For tho' there be insinite Varieties of Notes and Tunes according to the Altering and Transposings of the seven Sounds yet tho' the Saturnine or Martial String may be predominant while an Instrument is dexterously handled the rest by a secret sympathy will bind them in a Melodious Harmony And this is also observable That the end of a Tune hath some Resemblance to the beginning there-thereof to shew that when the Harmony of the Sphears or Stars of Time shall find its beginning again then will it be swallowed up in an Eternal Consort of the Properties Excepting those Essences who have spoiled their Materials or rather changed the form of their Breasts according to the Pattern of which the Instrument is to be tuned It may also be seen in the Variety of other Sensibles For in taste there are many thousand Varieties yet if the seven Properties be rightly and artificially mixed tho' the Saturnine property be predominant yet the other Properties will bind it in an equal Accord The like is understood of other qualities too tedions to enumerate Thus by what hath been said it is clear that a terrible Dream comes from the multitude of vain Business and a Fool in his Eternal Melancholly Fit of Angnith snores in a deep sleep of Despair and sees horrid Spectiums that imposeth real Punishment upon his Soul according to his Lot and Degree And to answer the aforesaid Objection it is consest that when a Man is in love with a Maid the Object engaged to his Noblest Passion her Idea being as it were stamped upon his Spirit with the Character of Sympathy Tho' you proser him another Maid far more worthy in Beauty and Nobility than the former yet none will content his Fancy or stop the current of his Passion but the Enjoyment of her to whose Service he was made Votary before or Death Even so the Soul being in love and enamoured with his fair Virgin though you proffer him all the External Joys and Pleasures that the World can afford yet the Soul doth slight all and contemn them in comparison of the Virgins Love Answ Tho' this External Love hath some Analogy if it be pure and Faithful to the love between the Soul and Gods pure Virgin yet there is a difference between the Phantacy and Imagination in its pursuit after divers Objects The Object makes the Difference For if the Soul takes a Shadow for a Substance there 's the Deceit and the great Error And so as one said Ow. Epigr. If chaste true Love be accounted the greatest Terrestrial Happiness what may we suppose Calestial Love to be CHAP. III. The Souls Allegiance §. 1. There is a Divine Law NOw the Question is Whether the Soul be left loose or dissolute to do that which is right in the sight of his own Eyes not subject to a Law not enjoyned to obey his King by an Oath of Allegiance and so left open to hostile Powers who may allure him and draw him to the Traps of headlong Ruine and Destruction And by this means Religion may degenerate into Sceptism Answ It must be confessed There is a Perfect Law of Liberty but it is in subjection to Gods Spirit in Love not by a slavish Fear For instance A little Child before he can go must be under Guardians and not permitted to creep where he will But when he is so educated that he knows how to comply to the beck of his Guardian or Tutor he is let loose to go where he will and yet he will not do what his Tutoâ— hath forbidden him if he be of a pliable Disposition efpecially having had experience of the Crosness of another Tutor or Master Tho' our Ancestor went beyond his Bounds in a like Case Again Here ariseth agreat Question Where lieth the great Mistake that many a Soul must wander at a Fugitive and never find a Lodge of quiet Repose Is there a Counter-Law in Eternity that forbids him to find Ease O no The Antient Law of Eternity doth strictly command the Soul to give the Souls Spirit the thing that he longs after the Object that he earnestly desireth There never was any other Law in Eternity nor ever will any be repugnant to this Feed on the Tree of Eternal Joy and pure pleasant Life Thou mayest eat of all the fair and pleasant Trees in the Garden of Eternal Delight Yea thou must eat of them But touch not the Tree of Pain opposed to Pleasure upon penalty of feeling Pain without end or of entering into the Property of Death that is Thou
they drink and forget the Ancient Unalterable Law and pervert the Judgment of the Afflicted who bears the Form of a Servant in the humane Gate Give this intoxicating Drink to him that is ready to perish in Eternal Misery And the Wine of Spewing and Ebriety to them that have heavy Hearts in the hellish Chambers Let them drink and forget their Poverty and want of the means of Refreshment and let them try whether by Guzling and Tipling they may remember their Misery no more But swim thou O Man this is the Injunction in Rivers of Pleasures and Christaline streams of Nectar Yet thou art forbidden upon pain of Eternal Deâ—th or an Imprisonment in Deaths Bonds during the Life of thy Eternity to drink of the sowr harsh property of Pain opposed to Pleasure or of the Poyson of the Creation which will cause a Commotion in thy griping Bowels and a Rebellion of one Property against another in thy disturbed Conscience that thou shalt never feel Ease and Refreshment Rejoyce O Man therefore and continue young Eternally And let thy Heart chear thee in the Endless days of thy renovated Youth and walk in the ways of thy heart and in the sight of thine Eyes affording to thy Soul his Will and Desire all that which he longs after But know thou that for all these things God will bring thee to Judgment to clear or condemn thee yea and if thou neglectest this to banish thee for ever to thy own desired Country where Pain is known § 6. It is no indifferent thing THerefore remove sorrow from thy Heart and put away evil and pain from thy flesh for the Childhood of Folly and fading Youth are Vanity and the source of Death Be not Righteous over-much and wise in thy own Conceit thinking thou canst find a place of Superity above this Heavenly Joy Why shouldst thou destroy and cast thy self into an Abyss of never attaining thy aim Be rot over-much wicked having treacherous thoughts in thee that thou mayest Dethrone God Neither be t cu foo ish in not apprehending the way and means of satisfying the Soul Why shouldst thou dye before the appointed time For thou wast never appointed to die except thou drawest Death upon thee and swallow up thy self by thy babling and foolish self-accusation in thy accusing Conscience It is good thou shouldst take hold of this Counsel Yea also from this Obedience withdraw not thy Hand For he that feareth and loveth God's Law shall come forth out of all the foresaid dangers Now observe It is no indifferent thing this Law must be fully obeyed that is thou must afford all the delight and Pleasure to thy Soul that he is capable of There is nothing better for thee than that thou shouldst eat of the Tree of Life and drink the Wine of Pleasure and play in the Coelestial Dance and fill thy Soul and make him enjoy good in thy Labour This is the Ancient Unalterable Law which will continue to all Eternity This also I saw that it was from the Hand of God to do thus For who can eat and drink and sport in this Angelical Scene And who else can hasten hereunto more than I who am nearest to God For God giveth a Man that is good in his sight Wisdom and Knowledge and Joy But to the Sinner against this old Law he giveth Travel to gather and heap up that he may provide for and give to him that is good before God but he shall never reap the Fruit of his Labour because he had not the Fear of God before his Eyes when he plotted to undermine him § 7. Mans Portion from God BElieve it O Man I know there is no good in all thy Labour except thou doest rejoyce and do good in thy Life and enjoy the Fruits of thy Travail This is the Gift of God And this is thy Portion which God hath appointed thee and every man If thou dost not so who will deliver thee out of the Jaws of Death to see what Pleasures shall be after thee in the next World This is a sore Evil which I have seen under the Sun of Time and Vanity namely Treasures and Riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt But those Riches perish by evil Travel And he begetteth a Son or Fool like himself in his own Metamorphosed Form whereinto his Soul by Transmigration doth enter And he carrieth nothing in his Hand to the Infernal Shades As he came forth out of his Infernal Mothers Womb or the Original Matrix and cause of every Property Naked shall he return or go as he came and shall take nothing of his foolish Labour and hunting after Vanity which he may carry away in his Hand And this also is a sore Evil that it must be thus God cannot be blamed That in all Points as he came having nothing of his own but what God gave him so shall he go again with his empty Vessel And what Profit hath he that hath laboured for the Wind And will Eternally Labour and yet find nought but a Shadow of Vanity All his Days also be eateth in Darkness and he shall have much Sorrow and Wrath with never-ceasing Pain and Sickness Behold that which I have seen It is good and comely for one to Eat and Drink in true Pleasure and to enjoy the Delights of Humane Life and the good of his Labour that he taketh under the Sun of his Lot all the days of his Eternity which God gives him for his Right and Propriety For it is his Portion For he shall not lay to Heart the Days of his Affliction Because God answereth him in the Joy of his Heart There is an Evil which I have seen below the Sun of Purity and is common among Men A Man to whom God hath given Riches and Honour so that he wanteth nothing for his Soul of all that he desireth Yet because of his evil Mind God gives him not Power to eat thereof and enjoy the Fruit of his Labour but a Stranger eateth of it This is a sore Vanity and an evil Disease § 8. The Fool neglecteth IF a Man beget an hundred Images of his evil Mind and live many Years so that the days of his Years be many and yet his Soul be not filled with good and also that he have no Burial but that he be left as a Carkass for the Daemons of the Power of the Air I say that an untimely Birth is better than he as being cut off in the Bud. For this Embryo cometh in with Vanity and departeth in Darkness and his Name shall be covered with Darkness and never known in the light of Life Moreover He hath not seen the Sun of Vanity nor known any Opposition of the Properties This hath more rest than the other Yea though this other live a thousand Years twice told Yet hath he seen no Good So as to find Satisfaction Do not all such as these go to the same Place at last All the Labour of
and laies up or provides in the Summer against Winter And he is a Fool that will fare above his Purse to day and want to morrow and eats and drinks beyond the Power of Nature and thereby gets a Surfeit or Disease yet there is no need for Man to gather up more then needs seeing there be many things that increase Vanity and Emptiness and meer husks not proper Food for the Soul §. 2. Trust not in Vncertainties SOme may say Wisdom is good with an Inheritance and by it there is profit to them that shall see the Sun after him his Successors For Wisdom is a Desence And Money or Treasures being Price of necessary things is a defence against the Winter and Forreign-Invaders from Lucifers Dominion Answer The Covetous Man nourisheth an old grudge against God belike For he cannot trust God for Maintenance Though the right Frugal Man be a wise Man yet it is a folly for such a Man when he hath gathered sufficiency for himself to live in the right and natural order of Health and true Pleasure to torment himself too much in heaping up and gathering into a Bag with Holes for his supposed Successors Except he knew that his Successor who should enjoy the Fruit of his Labour would be a Wise Man That is One that will know how to manage those Treasures that are provided for him and fulfil the Proverb One Soweth and another Reapeth that both he that Soweth and he that Reapeth may rejoyce together in an holy Sport of Eternal Love in the Lord. But how can he tell that whether his Successor be a Wise Man or a Fool to whom he shall leave all his Labour What tho' Money or Treasures be a Defence yet the Excellency of Knowledge is that true Wisdom which knows how to use them giveth Eternal Life to them that have it that they may Eternally enjoy the Fruit of their Labour §. 3. The Law-givers Example I Was in Paradise chief Regent over the Essences and Animals in Eden when I dressed the fair Flower-producing Garden in the pure springing Odours and delightfulness of the Spiritual Sences When I made me pleasant Gardens I said in my heart Come on I 'll prove thee with Mirth Therefore enjoy Pleasure And behold if not managed with true Wisdom it is also Vanity I said of temporary laughter It is mad And of mutable mirth What doth it but presage a following fit of Sorrow I sought in mine heart to give my self unto the mirth of Coelestial Wine yet acquainting mine Heart with Wisdom and to lay hold on Folly if Folly were therein that I might see what was that Good for the Sons of Men my Brethren which they should do under their own Heaven all the Days of their Immortal Life I made me great Works in Eden I builded me Houses and many pleasant Maâ—sions in the Forest of Paradise I erected fair Bowers and recreative Walks and Galleries I planted me Vineyards where pure Grapes might be produced I made me fair Gardens and Orchards and I planted Trees in them of all kinds of Fruit pleasant to behold and good for the Everlasting Food of Man I made me Pools of Water to water therewith as with Coelestial Dew the Wood that bringeth forth Trees for my fair Building and for Food I gat me Servants Angel-Guardians and Maiden-Virgins And had Maidens born in my Coelestial House Also I had great possessions of all sorts of Animals which were brought to me to receive their Natural Names according to their genuine Nature and to be in Subjection to my Authority above all the Monarchs yea Lucifer himself that were in Eden before me I gathered me also Silver and Gold the Coelestial precious Metals and the peculiar Treasures of Kings and of Angelical Provinces and Hiâ—rarchies I got me Singers Virgin-Siâ—gers with their ravishing Voices â—he Delights of 〈◊〉 Sâ—ns of Men as Musical Instruments and that of all soâ—tâ— For the workmanship of my Tabrets of my Pipes inâ— Hâ—rps and Viols were prepared in me in the Day that I first appeared in Eden All precious Stones were my Covering and Ornament wherewith I walked up and down in Puriâ—y in the midst of the Siones of Fire §. 4. His Wisdom I Was the Anointed Cherub and God had set me so And so I was great and my Grandeur encreased more than all the Princes that were in Pardise in the Throne of the third World before me Also my true Wisdom remained with me And whatsoever my Eyes desired I kept not from them I with held not my Heart from any Joy For my Heart rejoyced in all my Labour And this was my Portion of all my Labour and Sport Then I looked on all the Works that my Hands had wrought and on the Labour that I had laboured to do And behold all seemed Vanity and Vexation of my Spirit and a wracking of the Spirit of my Successor Adam And there was like to be no profit to him under the Sun of his Third Principle And so I turned my self to behold Wisdom and Madness being a deprivation of the Heavenly Senses and Folly For what can the Man do that cometh after the Royal King of Eden Even that which hath already been That which was done by the holy Angels if he continue in my Wisdom Then I saw that Wisdom excelleth Folly as much as the Light of Heaven excelleth the dark and painful Fire of Hell The Wise Mans Eyes are in his Head and walketh by my Light but the Fool walketh in Darkness and will not bring his Deeds to my Light And yet I my self perceived also that one Event happeneth to them all §. 5. Travail appointed to Man THen said I in my Heart As it happeneth to the Fool so it happeneth even to me Then why was I more wise Then said I in my Heart That this is also Vanity Yea it is a miserable Lot that both the Fool and the Wise should become so subject to Vanity that they must both dye the Corporal Death And while they groan to be delivered from the Bondage of Corruption they must either beget a Child that will when this Corporal Death as pangs of a travailing Femaâ—e seizes upon them either comfort them concerning their Work Labour and Travail and the Toil of their Hands which God hath given to all the Sons of Men to be exercised therewith and concerning the Ground which the Lord hath Cursâ—d Or else they will Eternally remain in this Labour and Pangs and dye the Eternal Death with the imperfect Embryo in their Bellies and shall never be disburthened or cast out their Sorrows In the External World there is no remembrance of the Wise more than the Fool for ever Seeing that which is now in respect in the Days to come shall all be forgotten in the other World And all things are mutabâ—e And how dieth the wise Man As the Fool Therefore I hâ—ted the outward Life and the Life of the salse Birth Because the Work that
for thee now the Flowers of thy Virgin Beauty appear on my humane Earth The Time of Melody of Birds is come And the ravishing Voice of my Musical Virgin is heard in my Land Heark The Queristers of the Grace-inspiring Air do change their Notes The Black-bird and Thrush are my Companions in the Greening Groves They refresh my inspired Somâ— with a Divine Song of Praise to their Creator While I endeavour to bear the burden with my slender Shepherds-pipe And then pretty Philomel closes up the Day of Alacrity with sweet Epithalamiums And the Lark admiring the Beauty of my late-risâ—n Light mounts the fair Welkin to partake of its splendour And the rest of the Aerial Trâ—op manage the Consort tilâ— the Cool of the Blessed Evening Here he Plower flyeth with the â—assel And the Phesant keep slight with the Fâ—lcon Neither doth the P rtridge know Engine or Noosy Thread nor dreads the switter slight oâ— the Hawk Nor is the Lark dared with the Hobby §. 8. The Contentment of Vertue THE Figtâ—â—e putteth forth her Green Figs And the Vines of chearfulness with the tender Grape of Delight in the Patâ—s of pure Veâ—tue new budding in the hâ—dge of Distinction of the two Natures giâ—e a â—ragiant Sâ—â—â—sâ— Let every one enjoy himself in true Rest and Tranquâ—lity under his Vâ—ne and under his Fig-tree Where none shall make him afraid For now the golden Ages are again returning Jam redit Virgo redeunt Satâ—rnia regna Arise my Love my Fair one and come away Come with me from the sair Fâ—rrest my Sister Go with me from the greening Grove my Spouse Look from the Mountains of my late moanings from the Top of the Rocks of despair From the Lions Den From the Laborious Hills of the Leopards No wild Beast hath Power to hurt us while thou art our Princess For the Kâ—ds with the Flock Sport with the Wolf and run about the Bear for Diversion The Lion lies down with the Lamb and eats Grass as an Ox Nor is any thing of Emulation known in this sacred Creation For the Tyger sports with the Herd and the Dove Queen of the Fowls takes Wing with the Eagle and Vulâ—ure her Subjects And the little Child may lead the Lion upon the Mountain of the Leopards And the Suckling may play at the hole of the Asp and Cockatrice and receive no hurt As being the Regenerate Babe of the Blessed Birth None shall hurt or destroy in all this holy Mountain Come my Dear Shepherd Let us go into the fair Fields of Eden Let us lodge in the Aâ—gelical Villages who live in the next Nature of our Neighbourhood Let us get up early to the Vineyards of Life Let us see if the Heart-chearing Vine of spiritual Joy doth sloarish Whether the Grape of the Regeneration appears and the Pomâ—granates of Eternal Refreshments bud forth There will I give thee my Loves in the Garden of Dâ—lights Where no Cankers or Caterpillars breâ—d out of Putresaction Nor are Northern Blasts injurious to us Our Fields are full fraught with Flowers and Odorates For no Serpent hath Admission to taint the Fruit of Life And our Earth in abundance brings forth Pleasures whose Womb is the Store-house of Heavenly Treasures The Humane Plant is Odoriferous and at â—ur Gates are all manner of pleasant Fruits of Eternal Life which I have laid up for thee O my Beloved §. 9. The acceptable Sacrifice BVT tell me O Shepherd tell me O thou whom my Soul lâ—veth where thou feedest thy Sheep and where thou makest thy â—locks to rest at No n and I will meet thee in thy Rural Pastures O let me not be as one turned aside from the Frocks of thy Companions O thou Princess wilt thou condescend to my Rural Recreations Wilt thou of a Princess become a Shepherâ—ess If thou wilt debase thy self so low then go thy way forth by the Tracks of the Flock of Innocency and thou shalt see how I feed the Kids and Lambs beside the Shepherds Tents and preserve them in their Innocent State For here the Golden Rule must be kept among all the Creatures where each one doth justice by kind and not that the dread of Punishment should compel them For the Râ—y of Justice is so generally distributed that it naturally shines in every one â—he Creatures of tâ—is New Creation which is â—lso the beginningless live pâ—rely by instinct not making their Bodies the Sepulchre of dead Carkasses Here the Innocent Lamb because not knowing the Terrors of Death would readily if occasion were proffer his Throat to the shrines of the Altar And the Calf is so far from fear that he dreads not the formidable stroke of Separation because he knows by natural instinct there is no Butcherly or Bloody Dog in this Land There is no living here for the Rapacious §. 10 The Authority of Vertue BEhold thâ—u art fair in my Eye O dear Shepherdess Also this Green place of Repose is pleasâ—â—t The Beams of our Arbors are Cedar and the Rafâ—erâ— of ou Pastoral House are of Fir. See how the lofty Cedars lifâ— up their Majestick Heads And the Martial Oak stand by them The trembling Aspâ—hakes his Palsiâ— Crown Behold iâ— is calm in this cook â—avâ— behind this Bâ—ech of Tranquility where the Vine full-loaded with Grapes of Purity is a Shadow of Pleasure embracing the Olive under the Holy Mount And the Eglantine entangles it self with the Rose The Honey-Suckle ties knots about the Arbortes Oh! some body take away the Foxes and chase the Young Wolves that spoil the Vines For our Vines have tender Grapes being but newly budding in the Gardâ—n of my Heart My Beloved is mine and I am his He feedeâ—h his Lambs in a Meadow of Lillies Hunters of tame Beasts and Men of Violence will starve here For Death being an exile cannot seed their devouring Appetites The Ditties of the Melodious Birds will fright Fowlers into their own â—ot and Place Nor can the Fishes be deceived by the Angler who is forced to keep within his bounds For here is no Treachery nor Treason in this Holy Land Swoâ—dâ— are beaten into Plough-shares wherewith we dig the Gardens not for Necessity but Recreation Spears are turned into Pruning-Hooks to dress the bowers of Contentment And murdering Guns are made Instruments of Musick and sweet Melody Here the Creatures make Sport and Pastime with Danger as if Death and Destruction were Sanctuaries aries unto them When fair Aurora began to appear and the Shadows of Eternal Death fled away I saw my Beloved skipping like a Young Hart without Gall upon the Mountains of Manna Even where fear is altogether unexperienced and the Grave such a Stranger that its greedy devouring Jaws are satisfied not gaping for Carkasses to fill the Womb of Putrefa ion For nothing can languish or be sensible of Smart Because Pain is uncreated And Death altogether unknown CHAP. VI. The Whores Suit §. 1. Backsliding BUT after all these amorous Enjoyments of each
therefore the Time shall come that thou shalt call to me but I shall be married to another Who was thy Rival in the time when I would have consummated the Wedding with thee Be not entangled with one that will bring thy Soul to ruine and who is far inferiour to the Souls Nobility For there are an indefinite number of these gone out into the World to trapan Mankind Whereof there are variety of kinds but especially seven As sprung forth from the Mystical Mother of Harlots They Lust after the best richest greenest fairest strongest tallest wittiest soundest noblest and most durable Essences And they find too many humane Souls fit for their turn They perceive that the Souls of Men are Eternal and Excellent Fair Lovely and Lively Essences As being made after the Image and Similitude of the Divine Being Now every Created Being lusteth after something that is of a higher Nature than it self that in the Fruition thereof it self may be perfected §. 4. The Blind falling Headlong FOR every Creature groaneth and travelleth for its own Perfection But cannot attain it without the Assistance of some one above him Hence it is that this sevenfold Whorish Spirit is become an earnest Attractor and Enticer of the immortal Souls of Adam's off-spring And for to solemnize the Wedding-seast she furnishes her Table and presents Man with the delicate Dishes of Pleasure and false Joy viz. Counters for Gold But when she hath once got the Poor Soul within her Net and cropt off the Flower of the noble Affections of the Heart which the right Virgin should have had and so spoiled the Spirit of the Mind with a false Vizzard or Mark of Infection when Mans Body fall as a Leaf to the Grave and the Souls wedding-Wedding-day draws on and he is to be settled in one of the two Eternal States Then this false Whore crâ—eth Aha! Thou humane Soul thou art Eternal I am but Temporal and Mortal and thou dost partake of my Mortality Eternally to seek Death and yet never Die I had my Pleasure with thâ—e Go now into Eternity I indeed was only the cause of alluring of thee to Sin But how thou must answer for it thy self I am but for a time In the end I return to the Original Abyss of Nihility Now here ariseth a great Question seeing Mans fate is so dismâ—â— Whether hath his unlacky Soul sinned or his Parents that he is thus born Blind Answ No Soul is born stark Blind But if some one should be so born yet there is Veâ—tuâ— bestowed through the Merit of the perfect Sacrifice upon every Soul to open his blind Eyes if he do not wilfully neglect the means of washing them in the Pool to which he is sent But if he will not go where his Virgins great Champion and Physician doth seâ—d him then let him groap in his Blindness For there is no Man that hath Power over his Spirit and passionate Mind that loves a Harlot without the Assistance of the foresaid great Counsellour Prince of Peace in Mental Calmness Now these foresaid Whorish Jezebels have painted their Faces and adorned themselves with an Image of seeming Beauty like the Fruits of Sodom which when touched will fall into Ashes but no real Beauty They lay waâ— at the Head of every Humane Street Some are like Hartors that receive hire And some scorn hire like Marrons that commit Adultery and take Strangers to defile their Husbands Beds And are contrary to common Harlots in that they give Gifts to all Lovers that they may come to defile them §. 5. For Destruction of the Individuum FIrst the Thief or surveying Harlot that surveys the whole World comes and saith All this will I give thee if thou Marry me and be joyned to my Nature in the Bed of my Friendship under Ground There I will nourish thee and thou shalt have the Entrails of the Earth for thy Chest and Coffer But I do not promise thee to see Day-light for many a Year if ever But there like a Slave in the American Mines thou shalt see Gold and Silver enough and thou shalt sleep among the heaped Treasures But the Spirit of the Soul cryeth O this is not Happiness O who will release me out of this under-ground Prison If this were Felicity then my Purse would be better than my self A Horse is not esteemed by his Trappings nor a Man by his Rich Concubine The Womb of this Whore is a snare of Temptation Which catcheth in the Pit of Perdition She gapes like a Gulf for the Mind of Man And spreads like a Sea for his Soul She is beautified by the Hand of her Whorish Mother Who writes on her Face sweet Solace But O Son of Man Child of God legal Heir of the Kingdom of Heaven If thou hast Oxen do thou offer Oblations And if thou hast Sheep thou shalt Sacrifice to God And if thou hast Children thou shalt candidly Consecrate them With the Wife of thy Wedlock to the Lord That his Heavenly Blessings may be upon thee Which the World doth hold for a Curse And yet knows not the Curse on the earthly Blessings Nor how they are a Curse unto them Who strive for Content in much But when they have much are hungry Yea they thirst as the gaping Grave whose Womb consumes them that gape after her But if thou hast the Virgin be thou content For she will make thee to flourish as a fruitful Field Thy Gardens shall be garnished with Greens With the fashions and fragrancies of Flowers Having Hope thy Seed shall spring up And in Faith shalt thou fill thy Vessels If this Harlot cannot prevail then comes the Riotous Luxurious or Swinish Jezebel I see saith she thou art a quiet harmless Man Wilt thou therefore live in Joy Get thee Wine and strong Drink Drink until the Poyson thereof be enraged Quaff this noble Liquor in Bowls Strive to conquer thy Companions in the Valour of Bacchus's Souldiers Eat the Lambs out of the Flock and Calves out of the Stall And make thy Body as mine is a Sepulchre of Dead Carkasses Put far away the Evil Day Let not thy Conscience trouble thee nor Reproofs awaken thee So thou shalt be an easie-hearted Sot or Voluptuous Flog-like Epicure of whom much shall be made in the Swine-house until thou be fully fattened for the House of Slaughter Come therefore along with me to the Banquetting house And we will cast away Care and remove that Melancholick Fit with a cherupping Glass We will treat thee with variety of Dishes dressâ—d after a new Fashion with poinant Sawces We will rant it and make merry over the Witness of God in the Conscience For this Solace is better than Gold or Silver Spend it away prodigally upon thy Lusts and gratifie thy Luxurious Palate And we will anticipate Prayer in the Morning with the Incense of our burning Lusts as preferring Sacrifice before Devotion Oh but in the midst of my Mirth my Heart is sad saith the Souls
of the Spirit of the World destroyeth his own Soul A wound and dishonourable stigmatized Mark shall he get which shall never be wiped away in this World or in that to come For Jealousie is the rage of a Rival Therefore he will not spare in the Day of Vengeance he will not regard any Ransom neither will he rest Content though thou givest all that thou art worth Neither will the Spirit of the Soul be reconciled though thou shouldst give him all the Substance of thine House for a Bribe §. 10. Misery the End of Vice NOW the Covenant is a Lamp and the Law of Loving the Virgin is Eternal Life And the reproof of her Instruction is the high Way to Heaven When thou goest she shall lead thee When thou sleepest she shall keep thee When thou art awake she shall talk with thee in Divine Contemplation By her thy Days shall be multiplied upon the Eternal Earth and the Years of thy immortal Life shall be endless Therefore keep thy Heart true to the Virgin with all Diligence for out of it are the issues of Life and Death Believe not the Whore in her flattering Speech for she is a Lyar when she cries Stoln Waters are sweet and a secret Banquet in a Corner of Darkness is pleasant Be sure that her Cave leads to the Shadow of Death and her Guests go to the Depths of Hell And a desperate wo is pronounced against them that delight to lurk in the holes of Guilt and despise the light of Purity lest their Deeds should be reproved Come to my Tavern saith she It is indeed a House of Sin but not of Darkness For our Candles and hellish Squibs never go out It is like a Country near the Frozen Zone as clear at Midnight as at Noon Beware therefore O humane Souldier For armed Mars doth not so much wound thee as this naked Venus The Sorceresses Mouth drops as the Honey-comb and her Lips are smoother then Oil but her end is as Wormwood it will cost the Soul that loves her many a bitter Tear Her Instruments are sharp as a two edg'd Sword It will cut the Conscience to the Heart Her Feet go down to the Abyss And her steps lead to the Hell of Eternal horror Lest thou ponder the Paths of Life Her ways are moveable that thou canst not know them Remove thy way therefore far from her And come not nigh the Doors of her House CHAP. VII The Virgins Espousal §. 1. Reconcilement IF the Soul recant and change his Mind Fair Virgin-Vertue bearing no grudge in her pure Mind welcometh and entertains him again most joyfully unless he be stigmatized with the Disease of the Stews and so renews their mutual Acquaintance And the Virgin wandring in her Shepherds Rural Fields The long absence of her late Beloved had grieved her Spirit She had enquired of Passengers did they see a Shepherd passing along that way They answered No It was but a little that I passed from them saith she even from the pretended Guides into Paradise but I found him whom my Soul loveth I held him and would not let him go until I had perswaded him to come into my Virgin-Mothers Habitation in Heaven and into the Chamber of her that conceived me of the Divine Seed Who is this said the neighbouring Angels who were Proxime to the Deity as Princes before a Monarch Virgin that cometh out of the Wilderness of Wo and Despair leaning upon the Breasts of her Beloved I raised thee up said he under the Tree of Life there thy Virgin Mother brought thee forth in the upper Paradise There she conceived thee as an Holy Birth of Newness of Life in the Womb of her Virgin-Purity I charge you O ye Daughters of the Holy City said she by the Roes of Paradise and by the Hinds of Edens fair Fields that ye stir not up nor awake my Beloved until he please for he is very weary after his Journey and long Travel upon the Mountains of Vanity And requires a due time of Rest from his Labours and vain Wandrings And now the wearied Bees return home with laden Thighs The tired wandring Sheep that had forgotten their resting place have found their Fold of rest where they may lye down with the Leopards in a safe and quiet repose And now when I perceived how he admired my transcendant Beauty and the form of God in my aspect My Cheeks being comely with rows of precious Jewels and how I was adorned with Topazes and Rubies with Amethysts and Saphires with Diamonds and Gold I gave him a present of borders of Gold with knobs of Silver and the richest Gems For our Mountains are big with Mines and the Veins of our hidden Treasures are Infinite When my Royal Shepherd sits at my Table my Spikenard sends forth the Odours thereof Abundle of Myrrh is my welbeloved unto me My Pastoral Friend is unto me as a Cluster of Camphire in the Vineyards of Eden Because of the Savour of this pure Ointment wherewith I besprinkled thee thy new Name of Vertue is as heavenly Oil poured forth out of Golden Vials full of sacred Odours §. 2. Consecration of the Soul I Am the Holy Rose and the Lilly of the low Vallies As the Lilly among Thorns so is my Love said he among the Daughters of Vanity As the Apple-tree of Eternal Life among the Trees of the divided Properties in the Wood. So is my Beloved among the Sons of worldly Wisdom I sate down under his Shadow with great Delight and the Fruits of his rural Trees were sweet to my Taste He brought me to his Banqueting Arbor and his Banner over me was the Canopy of Love I am come said he into my Gardens my Sister I have led thee through a Wilderness my Spouse I have conducted thee into the Meadows of May Blessed be the Hour that first I saw thy Face I have brought thee to the Rivers of Milk and Honey which flow in this Land of Rest and Rural Refreshment Thou hast accompanied me my lovely Mate to the Mountains of Myrrh and the Holy Hills of Frankincense I have gathered my Flowers said I in the Meadows with my Aroma's in the Vallies Here in this perfect State of Holiness the Earth is not unburdened with Tillage neither is it wounded with Culture Come now said he O fair Virgin of Purity sit down with me under this Vine and under this Fig-tree where none can make us afraid And we will take a walk in the calm Evening in the cool of the Eternal Day and the Divine Springs and aquaeducts shall refresh our Spirits after our Journey Thy Breath is as the Odors of Myrrh as the pure gale of Refreshment upon my late-languishing Spirits Awake O. Eternallybreathing Spirit Come thou Divine Wind and blow upon the Garden of my longing Heart that the Spices thereof may flow out to the rejoycing of our Minds Come my fair one into my rural Garden and eat these pleasant Fruits I have gathered
if she be a Door of Invitation we will enclose her with boards of Coelestial Caedar to receive her saithful Shepherd in her Holy Habitation and Tent of Contentment under the Trees of Eternal Life §. 7. The Soul's Anguish THus as it happened to the Fool that is in Labour and Travail to obtain his false Delilah So it happened to this fair Virgin But they shall not have the same Catastrophe in the end of the Act or Play For they shall dye in a different manner which when they shall have sacrificed their Souls devoted to the service of their Lovers The one shall dye to his Condemnation The other to the Resurrection of Everlasting Life and Joy Now the Soul that slighted this fair Virgin being deceived by a blind Fancy of false Passion forsakes her for ever and falls in love with an unworthy Harlot far inferiour to himself and his nobility whereby he degenerates into a bestial State by a Soul-Transmigration Verifying the Proverb Pares cum paribus facillimè Congregantur And this Delilah only plays the Fool with him to sport her self and make a Mock play of him with her Companions and her fellow-Harlots And will not Love him again as he Loves her It is hard to rob a Thieves House And so he becomes a Vagabond and Fugitive upon the Earth and Eternally seeks after her but can never obtain her Love And though perhaps he may so far prevail with her as to have the favour of defiling her in the Bed of obscene wantonness yet that is only to give him a Taint of her Infection which will Eternally burn in and wast his griping Bowels And this is a Description of Mans Hell almost without a Metephor viz. A Separation of the Soul from God his desired Object in his dying Hour and last Minutes when he finds himself by Reason of a wilful and continued course in deadly Sins excluded the Enjoyment of Heaven nor can he lay any claim to the Benefit of the Sacrifice having shut himself out by false Lust falling in Love and being inamoured with a blind Passion A false Delilah having had the Flower of his youthful Love he is no more for her turn And so to speak in a similitude Mans Soul shall be confined to an Eternal Wilderness So that it is very clearly understood how the labour of the foolish Souls will weary every one of them because they know not the way to go to the City of mutual Love and Solace All which ways leads him to endless Sorrow and Miseries being the effects of Sin which confine him to an un-openable Prison in which he shall feel within him a Fire of Eternal Pain and aking of his Mind whereby his Heart shall burst in pieces and yet remain whole by renewing it to endure a fresh wracking Torment in the Grim Life §. 8. The Soul's Despair ANd all this because he would not allow the right Spirit of the Soul the thing that he earnestly begged and cryed after Yea he shall as through a Goal-Grate at times behold this Harlor who was the occasion of his Misery mocking him and saying O Fool now pay Eternally for thy Folly in believing me Now eat thy sower Sawce after thy sweet Meat Also he shall see Heaven above him by looking at times beyond the great Gulf and he shall to his Repentance ever to be repented and to his Grief never to be expiated at times espy his once fair Virgin whom he might have Eternally enjoyed to his unspeakable Solace and mutual Refreshment for she was if he had not undone the knot of true Love his own proper Right by the Law of Eternity And because he refused her there must be a Transmigration of Souls and out of his Ashes must spring another who will gladly step into his Throne and Love his Virgin who never was defiled And this his Rival-Successor he shall look at with an envious Eye embracing his Virgin who is now become his Rivals own by the unalterable Law of the Deity Thus this spiritual Adulterer shall see his Late Virgin in the dear Arms of another but he shall never in Eternity receive so much as one smile nor so much as one of her looks to refresh him wherewith his Heart used lately to be ravished Instead of this he shall Conceit she frowns upon him tho' indeed her Nature is ignorant of the manner of frowning And so shall feel intolerable Pain and Griping in his Conscience which is a difference or Combustion between the Soul and Spirit of the Soul because he hath foolishly squandred away his fair Virgious Gifts and scorned or refused a good or blessed Fortune which the Creator had appointed him And upon the Monument set over his Hâ—llish Grave shall be this Epitaph engraved Here lies the cursed Ashes the Object of Scorn once the Seat of the Fire of pure Love who deceived his own Soul like a Fool and now suffers the Punishment of his own procuring and burns in the Fire of his own kindling Therefore O Man have a Care defraud not the pure Mind of the true Pleasure it earnestly cryeth longeth and panteth after or of the Virgin it laboureth and travails for think not that it will be put off with Foperies and shammed with Toys of Vanity or lusled asleep by a Song of Vanity If it be cast by some Soporiferous Poyson into Sleep yet it will again awake to thy Condemnation And will never cease craving for the right Food that is proper for his Eternaâ— Health and Life and will by his Officer Scourge and Torment thee till he obtain his Desire §. 9. Late Repentance THerefore spend not thy Money for that which is not Right Bread nor thy Labour for that which profiteth not the Spirit of the Soul For I say again he will not be cheated For when the Body comes to drop as a Leaf from the Tree of the Soul to the Grave Death will by no means in the World by no fair Speeches be bribed to put off the time when the forcible Wind is sent to blow it down When the guilty Sinner sees that Death will not be put off then he endeavours to bribe the Souls Spirit and to speak him fair saying O be reconciled to me in my extremity The Soul's Spirit saith Fly hence thy House doth Crack it falls Get under Ground for safer Walls The Soul answers Oh but give me a token of thy savour before the thread of my Life be cut off by the Sword of the Cherub I have done brave Exploits for thee in former days O saith the Spirit so Lucifer's Cities were once famous where Satyrs now dance and doleful Birds howl No I will never be reconciled in Eternity to thee The time is past Where was this desire of Reconcilement before when I was willing to keep peace with thee on condition I should have my will and the end of my longing which once was easily attainable But now thou art wise too late O but saith the Soul
of the Almighty Creator himself For it cannot be expected that God should or would help Man any more having created him like himself and also created him a new when there was possibility lest of Recovery But if Man becomes his own Creator and a Necromancer in the Hellish Operation a third Relief can never be And why Because God himself cannot work against the Truth or the right Order of Eternity He himself being the Prince of Order And he cannot deny himself and belye his own Nature Neither will he call back a Day that is past §. 3. God alloweth Time NOw now now is the time It may be possible to day to do a thing which cannot be done to morrow Yea the true Hour must be waited upon to do it Go not about a Business against the Hair Because to every thing and business there is Time and Judgment which Man oâ—t times neglecteth therefore his Misery is great upon him Lose not the Tyde of the Eternal Ocean which should carry the Soul to Paradise for it stays for none Now is the time to work with all thy might and to lay up for Heaven the end of thy Labour and Work For in the Grave whither thou goest it cannot be attained Tâ—o ' God promises Forgiveness to Repentants yet he doth not promise to morrow to repent in For many shall strive to enter in at the Gate of Heaven but when the day of Grace is past they shall not be able Whoever he be that sinneth out his Day or despiseth the last Day of his Visitation by Obstinacy slighteth the Holy Ghosts last Reproof rejâ—cts him out of his Company and becomes Reprobate A Man in a Christian Warfare may quarrel with his Reprover oft-times and be reconciled again considering that those Reproofs were for his Good But the Reprobate is past Reproof and hates to be Reformed He shall not be forgiven in this World nor in that which is to come No tho'he Esau-like doth seek to repent for his Repentance is too late And tho' he work at the Hour of Death with all his might what soever his hand sindeth to do towards his New Creation yet the Mystery of the false Nature prevails And it is folly to seek the Living among the Dead It is true God and his benign Powers or Influences wait for an Advantage against the Devils Temptations at all times And therefore the good Genius will not leave the very worst Sinner till the last gasp For according to the Right of the Deity the holy Angels claim the first sifting and searching of the Soul when Man is a dying As a Physitian when he seeth his Patient mortally sick yet he gives him some Cordials to ease him So God may lessen the Punishment and Damnation of one that hath sinned out his Day of Grace offered once to him and now repents heartily that he hath passed by the Gate of Mercy at such and such times which is now fresh in his Memory and is forry by late repentance But he can never enter in at Heavens Gate For the Door will be shut in its right time and â—arries for no Mans lingering And the Tyde of the Eternal Ocean will wait no Mans leasure §. 4. And Tallents SEranimis Vita est Câ—asina vive Hodie To Morrow's Life is too late Live to Day Feed on thy true daily Bread to Day or to Morrow thou wilt dye Eternally Post Mortem Aeternam nulla Voluptas Expect not therefore after thou hast eaten thy Morsel in wantonness to have it too when there is need of it to refresh thee in thy Journey Thus Men complain now-a-days of the hardness of the Times not considering how they spend in a Day many times in a Drunken Feast what might naturally supply them with sufficiency as to the maintenance of their Bodies in Health for a Month. This is abusing or rather a Fascination of Gods Blessings Therefore as One said In this World is the Place of Mercy in the Other of Justice and Judgment And The Eeginnings of Things are in our own Power but the End in God's And He that considers what is past may foresee what is to come One scoffingly said to one that lost his Watch or Horary Engine Time will away all the World cannot help it So may it be said to the Fool that lost his spiritual Instrument of discerning Time and Eternity O Man Provide Oyl and Treasures for Heaven before-hand Trimmed Lamps without Oyl are of no real Use Tho' one of thy Feet may be already in the Grave of Hell as being one that came when the Door of Mercy was shut and tho' thou may'st be an old and reprebate Sinner and yet wouldst now repent at the Twelfth Hour after thou hast been working for thy Master the Devil as being one of those that stood idle in the Market-place expecting Work from the Lord of the Vineyard tho' it be too late now Make thy self a Friend in time for old Friends and old Wine are best Thou wilt perhaps hope God will make thee his new Friend at the last Hour but that is too late For saith Christ It is not mine to give you to sit on my Right or Left Hand but to whom it is prepared of my Father according to the condition of the Covenant But whosoever comes to God in time God can in no wise cast out For such a one takes Heaven violently by Force and as one said overcomes God and claims Heaven as his Right as tho' Heaven were his true native Home and God his real Father as indeed he is Tho' it must be confest Mans Fall made Heaven to become a Free Gift §. 5. The Seed sown at Death SOme may object If Man be a small Incarnation wherein God was pleased to multiply himself Or if Man be God's Off-spring and Essence how can God pass Sentence upon his own Essence Answ Here lies the great Mystery The Work of Eternity is the World not yet made and yet ever made by Eternity viz. This World was made in six Days but the World for which this was made will scarce be finished in less than Six thousand Mystical Days or Years The Soul as to the stamp mold or eternal shape thereof will not be finished till the death of the Body Even then the Signature of the Soul's Spirit or else of its Worm will be charactered for Eternity Every wicked Soul is but an Embryo And the Divine Child or Pious Soul is now a forming in the Womb of the outward Body and not perfected in an holy Man till the fall of the Body Therefore whatsoever God doth it shall be for ever established by his Graver the Spirit on the Souls Beast-Plate Consider his Work For who can make straight that which he hath made crooked by the Law which altereth not And say not thou What is the cause that the former Days in the outward Life were better than these dark and gloomy Days nigh Deaths Door For thou dost not