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A28529 Mysterium magnum, or An exposition of the first book of Moses called Genesis. Concerning the manifestation or revelation of the divine word through the three principles of the divine essence; also of the originall of the world and the creation. Wherein the kingdome of nature, & the kingdome of grace are expounded. For the better understanding of the Old and New Testament, and what Adam and Christ are. Also, how man should consider and may know himselfe in the light of nature, where he is, and where his temporall and eternall life, consist; also, where his eternall blessednesse, and damnation, consist. And is an exposition of the essence of all essences for the further consideration of the lovers, in the divine gift. Comprised in three parts: written anno 1623. By Jacob Behm. To which is added, The life of the author. And his Foure tables of divine revelation.; Mysterium magnum. English. Böhme, Jakob, 1575-1624.; Böhme, Jakob, 1575-1624.; Ellistone, John, d. 1652.; Sparrow, John, 1615-1665?; H. B. (Henry Blunden) 1656 (1656) Wing B3411A; ESTC R212985 753,539 662

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but heere lieth the vaile before the brightnesse of Moses's face by reason of the unworthinesse of the bestiall Man 2. For we finde that the woman was taken and formed in the Fiat out of Adams Essence i i i Or out of his body and Soule both in body and soule But the Rib betokeneth Adams dissolution or breaking viz. that this body should and would be k k k Or destroyed dissolved for in the place of this rib Longinus's Speer must afterward when Christ vvas crucified enter into the same and tincture and heale the breach in the wrath of God with heavenly bloud 3. Now when Adams hunger was set after the earthlinesse it did by its magnetick power impress into his faire Image the vanity of evill and good whereupon the heavenly Image of the Angelicall worlds Essence did disappeare as if a man should insinuate some strange matter into a burning and light-shining candle whereby it should become darke and at last wholly extinguish so it went also with Adam for he brought his will and desire from God into selfehood and vanity and brake himselfe off from God viz. from the Divine Harmony 4. Even then he forthwith sunke dovvn into a l l l faintnesse or impotency svvound into Sleep viz. into an unability which signifieth the death for the Image of God vvhich is immutable doth not sleep whatsoever is eternall hath no time in it but m m m Or with by the sleep the time was manifest in man for he slept in the Angelicall world and awaked to the outvvard world 5. His sleep * * * Signifieth or was the reall type is the Rest of Christ in the Grave where the new regenerate life in Christs Humanity n n n Or was to must enter into Adams sleep and awaken it againe to the Eternall life and bring it out of time into the Eternall beeing 6. But the breaking or dividing of Adams Essence when the woman was taken out of him is the breaking or bruising of Christs body on the Crosse from the sixt houre unto the ninth for so long was the Fiat in Adams Sleep o o o Or a making the Sex of Male and Female in the Separating of the Man and Woman for in such a space of time the woman was compleatly finished or brought forth out of Adam into a female person or Image 7. And when Christ on the Crosse had againe accomplished this Redemption of our Virgin-like Image from the divided p p p Text from the Man and woman Sex of Male and female and tinctured it with his heavenly bloud in the divine Love He said it is finished for before he stood in Adams thirst As Adam did thirst after the vanity so Christ did now fill or satiate this thirst of vanity with the holy divine Love-thirst and turned about the will of the Soul that it might againe introduce its thirst into God and when this was brought to passe he said now it is finished and converted Christ turned back Adam in his sleep from the vanity and from the Man and woman againe into the Angelicall Image Great and wonderfull are these Mysteries which the world cannot apprehend for it is as blinde in them as a man that is borne blinde is to behold this world but he that Regardeth and findeth them hath great joy therein 8. Eve is the right q q q Understand as to the right life which was then manifest but afterward disappeared for in her lay the womans seed which was to breake the monstrous Serpent of the earthly Eve magicall childe for she is the Matrix in which the Love-desire stood in Adam viz. the Magicall r r r Conception Impregnation and birth she was Adams Paradisicall Rose-Garden in peculiar Love wherein he loved himselfe For the Amassing or conceiving of the Magicall Impregnation or Incarnation or divine formation of propagation was or did stand in the conjunction of both Tinctures 9. And God said after the eating of the Apple unto them the womans Seed shall bruise the Serpents Head the Ground and Corner-stone lyeth here in this Matrix for the womans Matrix wherein the divine formation stood was as to the Right life heavenly being out of the heavenly Essentiality vvherein consisted the Right Paradise 10. But Adam with his Imagination brought earthlinesse and vanity thereinto viz. Selfe-will and then the holy part viz. Venus's desire which was the divine Centre in the humanity viz. the manifested Love-word in the Image of God did disappeare in this Matrix therefore Eve s s s Out of or by reason of from this strange will introduced into the Matrix brought forth at first a selfe-willed proud murtherer for Adam vvith his false Imagination had introduced this vanity so also the Devills desire thereinto 11. But the divine Love-will vvould not forsake this disappeared Angelicall matrix and gave himselfe by promise thereinto with the Deare and precious Name of Jesus who should againe awaken it in the Holinesse's property and bruise the head of the Devills insinuated desire and false Rebellious will that is destroy and take away the Might of its life and introduce it againe through divine Love into the First life and even in this holy matrix which the word and power of God did againe awaken in the sweet Name of Jesus in the Seed of Mary in the t t t Ayme mark or limit Bound of the Covenant the Serpents poyson in the Soule and flesh was destroyed 12. And this is the Seed of the woman dear bretheren observe it it is highly known The u u u Text the promised marke of the Covenant Ayme of the Covenant of Promise was pight or set into this Matrix but Eve was not the very childe for the part of the Heavenly Matrix stood disappeared in her but yet it was in the Covenant of God as the dry rod of Aaron which budded forth afresh did tipify unto us 13. Shee was indeed the whole Matrix of Adam but the holy part was shut up in her and the outward part of the outwrrd world with evill and good viz. the matrix of the third Principle which had indeed an halfe soule-like property but captivated in the prison of Gods anger the holy Covenant of Love Rested in the disappeared part in the midst of the awaked anger from which Covenant the Propheticall Spirit in the old Testament spake and prophecied of the future opening or manifestation in the Covenant 14. The greatest mystery is to be understood in the formation of Eve for a man must very entirely and intimately understand and apprehend the birth of nature and the originall of man if he will see the ground for she is the halfe Adam not taken onely and wholly out of Adams flesh but out of his Essence out of the female part she is Adams Matrix 15. The woman received no more from Adams flesh and bones save the rib in
Mystery and a very Secret hiddennesse to the earthly Man even so also the false Cainicall Church of hypocricie and seeming holinesse whose heart and desire is onely of the outward world hath gotten aloft this whole time and hath the outward dominion and Name as if it offered to God but the true reall Christian Church is hidden under it as a very secret Mystery and is not known of the Cainicall Church 3. Cains Church sets forth it selfe very devoutly and glysters on all sides with specious Ceremonies and pompous ostentation giving forth that it is holy righteous and good that it also offers in the Covenant of Christ but its heart is onely a glozing soothing bravely attired Harlot full of Cainicall murther reviling and blasphemy full of censure and selfe-speculation in pride in covetousnesse and high mindednesse but Abels Church is hidden under it in great plainnesse and with no Respect and Reputation and is accounted but foo●ish in reference to the glittering shew of Cain and is continually slain by Cain in its simplicity 4. Now saith Reason what had God any pleasure herein that he suffered Cain to kill Abel and why is it still to this day that the children of God are slaine dispised contemned reproached mocked scorned and cryed down for false by Cain viz. by his posterity one cause hereof is this 5. Prince Lucifer was an Hierarch in the Kingdome or place of this world as Christ even calleth him a Prince of this world viz. in the Kingdome of darkness in the Anger of God and was cast for his pride sake out of the light into the darkness 6. But being God then created another Prince viz. Adam in and for this place with whom he bound himselfe even with his deepest Love before the foundation of the world in the deare and pretious Name JESVS that he would break down and destroy the throne and Kingdome of proud Prince Lucifer in the humane property and overcome and be predominant with Love thence forthwith arose his Envy and wrath against man 7. Secondly the Cause is this In the fall of man the wrath of the Eternall and also of the Temporall and inchoative nature obtained the Superiour Sway and dominion in the humane property for the Kingdome of Heaven did extinguish in Adam and Eve when as they became Earthly and in the roome and stead thereof the Kingdome of the Devill did awake in the Serpents wit and pride in them for the a a a Mans will humane will had broken it selfe off from God and was entered into selfehood and no longer understood any thing of the Mystery of Gods Kingdome 8. But seeing that the Kingdome of God did againe bud and break forth in the ATM of the Covenant in Abel and the children of God the Devills Kingdome and will in the Serpent-Monster could not brooke it Also the Love-Kingdome is a great Enmity against the wrath of the Eternall nature according to the darke property for the humane Essence was become according to the darke worlds property as to the Soule an halfe Devill and as to the outward worlds vanity an halfe Beast in which Beast the false suttle crafty wicked lustfull proud covetous envious and angry Serpents worme did sit infected with the Devills will 9. This wrathfull vile malicious monstrous beast would live in its owne selfe property therefore the Angelicall virgin-childe which should destroy and possesse the Kingdome of this Evill Beast did appeare against him in Abell This was now a Great Enmity for the Anger of God had captivated Man and would worke and rule in him therefore Gods Love brake forth out of the Anger as a light out of the fire and would kill the Anger and change it into Love and help againe poore mans Image and redeeme it from the Eternall Anger and death 10. But being the Anger had got the upper hand and sway in man and yet the virgin-childe of the Angelicall worlds Essence should spring forth and grow out of the Covenant of God out of the disappeared Ens through the Anger as a clear delightfull light shines forth out of the Candle through the wrathfull fire which depriveth the darknesse of its power and prevalency therefore the outward body in Abel and the children of God must suffer it selfe to be slaine and persecuted by the wrath of God for b b b The outward Body it was a strange figure on the virgin childe 11. For Abel in his outward flesh had the Awakened vanity lying in him as well as Cain he was also Sinfull as to the outward man but internally the Angelicall word and Image of Paradise did spring and bud forth againe in the Covenant this was now a great enmity against each other the inward man bruised the Serpent-Monster upon the head of its false desire and the Serpent-Monster stung him on the heel of his Angelicall will and openly mocked the Angelicall Image as it is so still to this day so soon as the virgin-childe is borne in the Spirit of Christ the outward earthly body together with the virgin childe is by the children of Cain persecuted contemned reviled and accounted as a strange childe of the world 12. For the Serpents-Monster is as a foole before God and being the noble and pretious virgin-childe must beare such a Monster on it in the outward flesh to which the Devill hath yet continuall accesse therefore this body is strongly assaulted and struck at by the Devill in the Anger of God and its children they would continually slay it for the virgin-childe worketh through the outward man as a light through the fire and manifesteth it selfe it teacheth and reproveth the wicked Sort and this the Devill cannot endure for it is against his Kingdome as the offring of Abell was against Cains 13. For Cain offered in the proud Serpents desire as an hypocrite and would be an honest demure devout and Godly childe in his Serpents desire but Abel humbled himselfe before God and set his desire into Gods mercy Gods Love-fire tooke his offering and penetrated through the earthly offring and fire and the like also is to be understood in the Body of Abel as the Incorruptible being shall swallow up the corruptible so also the heavenly tooke the earthly captive in it selfe 14. But that Cain slew the outward body of Abel hath this c c c Signification type and figure that the outward body shall be d d d Or mortified slaine in the Anger of God the Anger must devoure and mortifie the outward Image which is grown up in the Anger and out of Death springeth forth the Eternall life 15. Abel was a figure of Christ the children of Gods Anger must execute the Right of Gods Anger upon the outward earthly and also beastiall Image of the children of the holy One even as the Pharisees who before God were onely false Serpent-children as Christ called them must persecute and kill the humanity of Christ so likewise was Cain a type
his Son to whom he had given the whole * * * That is all mankinde humanity for a peculiar possession and say thus being I have given thee the Power in the humane property which is mine to be thy own Swear now unto me by God that is deeply binde thy selfe therewith into an essentiall Oath or One Eternall Covenant that thou wilt not shew any unkindness to my nature in the humane property nor to the children viz. to the Branches which spring forth anew out of their property nor to their Nephewes or grand-children that is to those children who spring out from the wild property where oftentimes a wicked husband or a wicked wife are joyned together the one being ungodly and the other honest but according to the kindness which I have don unto thee even unto thy Image in that I have restored unto thee again this heavenly matrix which in Adam was captivated in my wrath and disappeared from thy Image in my Anger thou shalt do likewise to mee and unto the Land that is unto the outward man wherein Gods children bear the heavenly Image that is unto the Land wherein thou sojournest 13. For Christ is a stranger in our earthly humanity and our earthly humanity doth oftentimes make our children or grand-children strangers to God there the Father of nature in the Souls property said unto Christ he was a Stranger in Our Land as Christ also said that his kingdome was not of this world that is of the earthly man but Christ should shew kindness in this Strange Land understand the strange humanity and not reject the children which should be born therein as the Father had don to his Image of the heavenly humanity which disappeared in Adam this Christ should Swear unto God as he also sweareth in the Prophet Ezekiell * * * Ezek. 33.11 As true as I live I will not or have no delight in the death of the wicked or sinner but rather that he should turn and live for Abraham in Christ viz. in the figure said I will Swear that is I will do it 14. And Abraham reproved Abimilech because of the well of water which the Servants of Abimilech had taken away by force that is Christ reproved the Soul that the Soules servants viz. the essence of nature had taken away the well-spring of the Essence from the heavenly corporality viz. Christs body in Adam whereupon the heavenly Image dyed or disappeared for Christs holy fountain of water sprung up in the Soules fiery Essence but the Soules Essence had taken this fountain of divine Sweetness into its own Selfe-full power and changed the same in it selfe to another property 15. And Abimilech answered that is the Soul I wot not who hath don this that is I did not know that the Devill had deceived me that the false lust was arisen in the very Essence of my nature and who hath don this hurt also thou didst not tell it unto me that is thou didst not declare unto me that thy Image was in me that this holy divine fountain was thine which my Servants viz. my Essences have * * * Turned it to a selfish own-hood taken it to selfehood moreover I heard not of it but to day that is thou hast not revealed to me that this fountain is thy Seat save to day onely that is to day where thou dost again manifest thy selfe in me in Adam with a Covenant of Grace where now I heard thy voice in mee 16. And Abraham took sheep and Oxen and gave them to Abimilech and they both made a Covenant with each other that is then Christ took his sheep that is children and his Oxen are the Gentiles the sheep are the children in whom the Covenant was manifested viz. the Jewes and gave them to the Father and made between Christs Spirit and humanity and between the Jewes and Gentiles an eternall Covenant that it should be one humanity and not two 17. And Abraham set seven lambes apart by themselves These seven lambes are the seven properties of the naturall humanity of Christ which he did manifest in our humanity and in that the Spirit saith by themselves signifieth that Christ in his humanity of the seven properties is a distinct Person so that wee men viz. Jewes and Gentiles who come to his Grace ought not to say we are Christ but we are his house in which he dwells the Power of the holy fountain of water is his we are onely branches on his tree he is with the seven lambes of the divine property * * * Or by himselfe apart in us they belong not to mans selfehood 18. Onely in the Right Resignation Christ and man is wholly One when mans will wills nothing any more without Christ but gives up it selfe wholly in Christ then it is dead to Selfe and Christ onely liveth in it also it doth signifie that his creaturall Person with the seven properties of the humanity shall dwell among us as a distinct Person as eternall high Priest 19. And Abimilech said what mean these Seven Lambes which thou hast set by themselves that is God the Father made an allusion through the Essence of the Soul in this figure with Christs figure in Abraham and said what mean thy seven properties of our divine nature by themselves Wherefore being thou shouldst regenerate mankinde dwell in them wilt thou also sett forth thy seven properties of our divine nature in a distinct humane person and Christ answered in the figure of Abraham Thou shalt take Seven Lambes from my hand that they may be an Eternall Testimony unto mee that I have digged this well that is to say Christ speaketh to his Father in mans Person thou shalt take the figure or the Image of my seven properties of the humane creature for an Everlasting Testimony that I in my Suffering and death have again digged the well-spring of Eternall Life in the humane property that mans new-digged fountain of life is mine 20. And the Spirit in Moses speaketh wholly under a vail therefore or from hence the place was called Beer-sheba this is the very pretious place where God the Father and his Son in the humanity sware both of them together the place was called Beer-sheba viz. a bruising of death by the will of him that liveth and seeth in the disappeared humanity where in Christs humanity which he assumed from us men death was bruised and broken in pieces and the well-spring of Love did flow forth again out of the living God in our bruised humanity of the heavenly part into the Soules creaturall-fountain now the spirit of Moses speakes here very pregnantly that the place was called Beer-sheba where the Testimony of this Oath viz. a fountain of Grace was eastablished 21. And the place of God at Beer-sheba is shewn to us poor men where God the Father hath made an Everlasting Covenant with us in Christ Jesus viz. in the penitent Contrite Soul when the poor
Machpelah for his twofold pitt viz. for the centre of the Fathers nature according to Eternity and for the centre of the Temporall Nature in both which the divine * * * Or Good will and Pleasure lubet hath brought it selfe out of the property of both centres into an Ens and into the creature of the humanity which humane creature hath broken it selfe off from the universall being and put it selfe into a selfishness therefore it must be again rooted into the universall for which end it must be tinctured with the most holy Ens and engrafted in which the Spirit doth here compare to pure Silver and so secretly intimates in the figure 10. When Abraham conversed upon the earth he desired to buy no field for his own possession but now when he was to bury his Sarah he would have the Sepulchre hereditary and peculiar * * * Gen. 23.7 and bowed himselfe before the children of the Land and entreated them for it whereas they would freely have given him the field and bowed themselves before him also but the Spirit of Moses hath its figure here for he hath represented Man to him in a very perfect modell for which cause also he playeth in the Process in the figure shewing that the children which belong unto Christ must bow themselves before God the Father from whom all beings do originally come that he would sell unto them the * * * The Cave of Machpelah the double Valley twofold Pitt viz. the Kingdome of nature and the Kingdome of Grace in Christs bloud for the same with the four centres of humility and the Love-birth the Father takes for Payment 11. And that the children of Heth and Ephron would freely give it to Abraham and yet at last upon the desire of Abraham took money for the same intimates unto us that God the Father hath indeed freely given us the Kingdome of Grace for he gave it freely to Christ his Son in our humanity but Christ would have it for a naturall due right therefore he offereth his humility to his Father that he would be pleased to take his payment for it viz. his humane property of him as here Abraham did in Christs figure although he could have taken the field yet he would not for the cave of Machpelah should not be taken but dearly purchased with the most pretious Substance God took the Earnest or Ransome of Christ for his * * * Twofold Pit cave of Machpelah for Payment therefore Abraham must stand in Christs figure for the body must be buried in the cave of Machpelah in this twofold Pitt viz. in the eternall and temporall nature viz. in the formed Compacted Word if so be it shall arise againe in the motion in the voice of this same word and Subsist in its Image which it first had Gen. 23.2 12. For Moses saith Hebron is scituate in the Land of Canaan which God promised to give unto Abraham and understand by Canaan the holy Christalline world or earth viz. the Citie of God which shall hereafter be manifest wherein Hebron lyeth viz. the head-Citie of the Land whereby externally the outward world with its figure is set forth and internally the holy eternall Land of Canaan 13. And we see very clearly what the spirit of Moses meaneth in its figure for first it representeth by Isaac Christs figure with his offering and death and presently thereupon it sets forth also mans Own death and where man must dye namely in his Citie Hebron the Citie of humane Selfe and whereinto he must be buried and put namely into the twofold Pitt viz. into the Kingdome of God and this world and it is therefore called a twofold Cave because there are two mansions viz. a twofold continent of life in two Principles whence man did originally arise but if he be buried in the will of his selfehood in the Serpents desire then he doth not reach this twofold Cave and though he should be therein yet he liveth onely in the Apostate Essence in the ownhood of the Devill viz. in the introduced Serpents Ens in the dark worlds property which is manifest and predominant in the Serpents Ens. 14. The chiefest piece in this figure is that the Spirit of Moses doth point at the twofold life how this world hath a twofold life and essence which he intimates by the twofold Cave wherein Abraham would have his burying-place to signifie that his twofold humanity viz. One out of the divine Ens out of the eternity and heavenly spirituall essentiality and the other which is out of the time even out of this worlds being and substance should be buried and put into an Eternall Sepulchre where the substance of the twofold body shall lye in its Originall Mother and leave the Own will in this Eternall Grave in death that so the Spirit of God might alone live rule and will in the spirit of the creature viz. in the Soul and the life of man might be onely his Instrument wherewith he might work and will how and what he please 15. For so it must be that the humane will might be brought again into the onely will of the Deity and Eternity for it was in the beginning when God breathed the Soul into the flesh in the Eternall Living Word John 1. Chap. and Gods Spirit did form it into a likeness of the Deity viz. into a creaturall Soul which Soul had turned it selfe away from the onely Eternall Word of God into a Selfehood that so it might be manifest in Evill and Good and Rule in the unlikeness or distemperature 16. This un-likeness or distemperature should be buried or put again into the Likeness or Temperature viz. into the Essence out of which the soul and body did a rise that is each Essence's property should return again into its mother and the mother is a twofold cave viz. the inward spirituall and divine Kingdome and the outward visible sensible palpable Kingdome of the externall world wherein Abraham would have his burying-place 17. For the outward Kingdome remaines for ever for it is produced out of the Eternall as a modell platform or visible Image of the inward spirituall Kingdome but the Dominion in the Stars and four Elements doth not remain for ever in such ownhood or propriety but onely One Element wherein the four are understood but in equall Accord and Harmony in just and equall weight number and measure in One Onely Love will where the ascending domineering stirring Might of the divided figure four Elements doth no longer rule but the soft meek and still humility in a pleasant Lovely delightfull * * * Musicall Aire Aire or still harmonious Sound 18. The Compacted property of the Word in the Soul of the outward world viz. in the Own-hood or selfness of the third Principle doth cease the outward spirit of the world is changed into the inward that the inward might rule and Govern wholly through the outward which at
God in him wherewith God loved us when we knew him not why doth he boast then of Gods Sonship if he be the child of God then he hath the free love of God wherewith he loveth all things if he hath it not he is not then as yet capable of the Adoption now then if any one contemneth and condemneth his brother which hath not as yet his knowledge how can he boast of the Love of God wherewith God loved his Enemies in Christ wherewith Christ prayed for his Enemies 46. O thou false cold Love of the titular Christendome how doth the Eternall truth strike thee in the face of thy Conscience in that thou onely dependest on thy knowing and contendest about the meer knowledge and hast not Love thou judgest thy Selfe onely in thy judging others One Sect and company judgeth and condemneth an other and before God they are no other then the naturall children of Abraham born of Kethura one laying the blame upon another that the father had cast them out from the inheritance and yet they could not see what was the fault namely that it was by reason of the evill corrupt nature which was not a true Heire 47. So likewise your judging and censuring others doth not Entitle you to the goods of Christ nay the same is wholly cast out from the inheritance both of the Jewes Christians and also of the Turkes all your contention is nothing else but the Mocker Ismael who mocketh Christ in his members yee do all abuse the Name of God with your judging and condem the manifold Gifts of the Spirit of God among you and judge onely in Selfe and not according to the Love of Christ. 48. Your judging one another is onely the hurt and wound of the world wherewith yee make the ignorant to Erre and bring them to blaspheam yee teach them the art of censuring and condemning and yee your selves have not the true knowledge in the spirit of God yee do not teach your selves and yet yee will be teaching and judging others and in this way and course yee are all one with another the disinherited children of Kethura yee contend bite and devour one another about Abrahams viz. Christs goods and yet yee have them not if yee had them then yee would have the Love of Christ which is the true goods 49. No knowledge without the love of Christ is at all available to the Sonship it is onely Babel and fable Teaching and yet an effecting and doing nothing save onely honoring the Idoll Maozim in it selfe the knowledge of the High Schooles and the knowledge of the Devill without the spirit of Christ in Love do both of them bring onely contention and desolation 50. If the Devill had not known in Selfe then he had been an Angel and if Adam had not desired the Selfe-knowledge without Gods Love he had continued in Paradise if the high Schooles did not know the sharpe accute disputing they had continued in the simplicity of Christ and had not brought the whole world with their contention and disputings into Opinions and judgings of one another so that now there is nothing but contemning and condeming in Christendome and all Love and truth is extinct and men have sett and putt Salvation in opinions in this or that way and form and bound the Master to the Servant so that Antichrist domineereth over Christ and yet pretends all for Christ but indeed her hereby onely honoreth and mindeth his Lucifer and Belly-God Maozim as it is plainly to be seen Gen. 25.6 7 8 9. 51. Now after that Abraham had sent away all the children of the Concubines from Isaacs goods with Gifts towards the East as Moses saith they came into the East Countrey that is into the Dominion and Government of nature where the Essence beginneth and Abraham dyed in a quiet Age when he was old and full of yeares and was buried by his Sarah in the Cave of Machpelah which is before Mamre The inward figure is this 52. Abrahams naturall children of the Concubines went towards the East here the spirit points at the figure of the whole man when Christ hath manifested himselfe in man and possessed his goods as here Isaac then nature goeth into the * * * Text. beginning East viz. into the Fathers property and worketh according to the soul in the first and third Principle and Christ sitteth in the midst viz. in the second Principle and ruleth over that which nature in the Fathers property doth form and fashion in the divine wisdome 53. Therefore Moses saith here that they went towards the East and pointeth secretly in his figure at the property of man signifying how nature doth possesse the * * * Text. morning East viz. the beginning or rise of the Dominion even as Christ also said that He was as a Vine-dresser who did glean In Gods kingdome nature is Christs Servant but in the kingdome of natures Selfe or propriety Christ hath given himselfe with his humility to be a Servant and an assistant and serveth the Father in his naturall manifestation and continually picketh up or gleaneth what the Father formeth through nature that the wisdome bringeth into its Treasure 54. Therefore saith Saint Paul that ‖ ‖ ‖ 1 Cor. 14.32 the spirit of God is subject to the children of God and goeth along with them in the Searching even into the depths of the Deity and when it comes thus far then man is in a quiet old age and then all things stand in order in him viz nature in the * * * East Morning in the Fathers property and Christ in the * * * West Evening in the humility and then man hath enough of the outward evill sinfull life he longeth continually to enter with his Essence into the Cave of * * * That is the twofold pitt as the Dutch translation hath it Machpelah viz. into the Eternall Mother as it is before ‖ ‖ ‖ In the 49. Chap. mentioned 55. And when he hath brought his life's forms into the divine Order as here Abraham had sett all things into Order then he giveth up himselfe wholly and fully in One Essence into the Eternall Generatress and with his own will he resigneth up himselfe into mortification and death and is wholly tired and weary of the life of Selfe and so resteth in his God CHAP. LII Of the history of Isaac and also of the Birth of Esau and Jacob and what hath been acted concerning them the meaning thereof is hinted to us in this Chapter MOses saith After the death of Abraham God blessed his Son Isaac Gen. XXV vers 11. and he dwelt by the well of the * * * Laha●●●● Living and Seing Reason understands this externally of a place where Isaac dwelt but the spirit looketh upon the figure of the life's form shewing how the humane nature and creature hath dwelt by the well-spring of the divine Ens in the Covenant which Abraham
the humane Ens and Substance in the power of the Eternall word 15. In which word the Holy Name Jesus viz. the highest Love of the Deity hath unfolded and manifested it selfe in our humanity which he hath assumed which sole Love of God in the Name Jesus hath overcome the wrath of the Eternall Nature in our soules which is from the Fathers property in the Anger and hath changed it into the Love of the Divine Joy and hath broken the still Death which hath severed us from the life of God and hath manifested the Divine life of the highest holy Tincture in the Eternall speaking Word of the Divine power in Death and hath made Death to be Life and so our Soule in this Divine power is together penetrated and pressed through Death and the Anger of God 16. And it is in no wise to be so taken as some say that the substance wherein the Word is become Man proceeded not from Adam but as some Erroneously say the virgin Mary proceeded not from Mankinde shee hath outwardly onely taken upon her a humane Body from Anna and is not of the seede of Joachim but is an Eternall virgin chosen by God for this purpose before the world was 17. This Text teacheth us otherwise where God sayth Through Thee and thy seede not through a strange Divine seede onely but through thee and thy seede with the entrance of the Divine substance Christ should break Death in Adams Soule and Body and destroy Hell in Adams soule and body which was manifested or revealed in Paradise 18. For heere lay our Sicknesse and Misery which Christ tooke upon him as a yoke Christ sacrificed his Fathers wrath which was kindled in our humanity and awakened his highest Love in our humane and his holy Bloud his holy Tincture entered into our humane Death and Tinctured our in Adam faded heavenly substantiality which faded in Adam when he brought earthlinesse and the false will thereinto and raised up our faded heavenly substance with his heavenly living substance so that Life sprung up through Death and this was signified by the Dry Rod of Aaron 19. Therefore that is not the true meaning as some say Christ hath assumed a soule from the Word in the Eternall virgin Mary so that Christ as one come from God and his soule in the Humanity of Christ hath one and the same beginning 20. They were indeed united in the Incarnation or the becoming Man so that they are inseperable but the true Ens of the soule which the word assumed in the Name Jesus was of us Men from the female Tincture viz. from the true Adamicall soule yet from the property of the Light which was severed from Adam and put into the woman that this property of the Light might transmute or change the fiery Masculine property againe into the Love and Divine Humility and that the Masculine and feminine property might be quite changed into One Image againe as Adam was before his Eve when he was neither Man nor woman but a Masculine Virgin 21. Therefore Christ tooke his soule from a Woman viz. from a virgin and yet was a Man so that he rightly stood in the Adamicall Image and brought the averted severed properties of Life in which our will had broken it selfe off from God againe into the Temperature and union viz. into that ONE 22. For Adam turned his will from the onely will of God and Jesus Christ tooke our soule againe into the onely will of God and turned the will of our soule in our Humanity which he assumed into the onely will of God againe 23. But that the Reader may be throughly and fundamentally informed what our soule and what the Word that became Man is compare one with the other it is thus Our soule before the beginning of the humane * * * Soulish soules creature was an Ens of the Word of God in the Word Joh. 1. and yet it was inspired or inspoken from the speaking word of God into the humane Image in a Naturall and creaturely Life and formed in an Image of the Eternall speaking Word This Creaturely Life of the soule turned it selfe in Adam away from the divine speaking into an owne will and speaking and was in this respect broken off from the most unsearchable Substance and seperated from God 24. Into this Seperated Word viz. into the soule The onely Eternall divine speaking word gave it selfe in againe and turned the will of the soule againe into the Eternall one viz. into Gods Eternall speaking Therefore the soule is indeed from the Eternall word but Christ viz. the highest Love of the Deity did not take a new soule out of the Eternall speaking but our soule viz. the word which was once spoken or formed in Adam viz. our humane Soule into his Love-speaking in the Grace and union of the Deity 25. God spake againe into our poore fallen soule in Paradise immediatly after the Fall the Covenant and Roote of his highest Love and Grace through the Word as a Centre of Grace to Conception and to the New Regeneration 26. And in Abraham he Manifested the Covenant which Abraham layd hold on with his desire and received it after a spirituall manner as an Ens to the Tree but it lay without Substance in Man onely as a spirituall Forme and Modell or Idea of the Powerfull Word 27. Which word in its spirituall Figure in the virgin Mary was at the Limitt viz. at the End of the spirituall forme where that same spirituall forme of the Word of God was comprehended in a Substantiall Ens and therewith also in like manner Our humane substance as to the soule was comprised in the Image of the Word and as to the substance of the Body in a humane * * * Frame or Formation Building forme and was a selfe subsisting God-Man 28. This comprised Spirituall Image which was the Seede of Faith which Abraham laid hold on in the Faith was invested on Isaac and from Isaac on Jacob and to Jacob sayd God * * * Gen 28.14 Through thee and thy seede shall all the People of the Earth be blessed viz. through this seede of Faith which Jacob had received from his father Isaac in this Line of the Covenant which Line of Faith had incorporated it selfe in the Humane Property according to the inward ground of the second Principle viz. in that Image of the Heavenly worlds substance Extinguished in Adam 29. In which incorporated Ground the limitt of Gods Covenant remained in a spirituall forme till Mary and was propagated from Man to Man as from Adam and Eve along to Mary and there the Word of the Divine Power was moved and Essentially assumed our humane Flesh and Bloud together with the soule and quickened the Extinguished heavenly Ens in the seede of Mary as to our Part which manifestation penetrated and pressed also into Maries heavenly substantiality so that shee became living as to that heavenly virginity which disappeared
also that God will not work in the love of our selves in that wee love and honour one another according to fleshly lust worldly honour and Riches where Men flock together associate and love one another according to their Greatnesse State Riches Glory Beauty Bravery and Pleasure of this World 29. But the Spirit of God requireth humble faithfull and sincere love where the soule is resigned up into God and seeketh not its owne pleasure or selfe-love but looketh upon the way of God and joyneth it selfe to the humble children who love God and constantly give him thanks there God manifesteth himselfe and worketh in them that they beare fruit to the Lord. 30. Jacob first served seaven yeares for Rachell which himselfe had chosen in his owne Love yet she was not given to him for the first seaven yeares service but Lea was unknowne to him layd by him Jacob desired Rachel as wages for his service yet seeing the Covenant of the Lord lay in the Line of Christ in him therefore he first received the spirituall wages of the Grace of God 31. For Christ is the wages of Gods children as they must serve their Lord for worldly wages so God first payeth them with his Covenant of Grace and then afterwards they receive also Temporall wages As Jacob must first receive the Gift of God as God appointeth it for him though it went very ill as to Reason afterwards he also received the wages according to his will for which he must serve yet seaven yeares more 32. Which seaven yeares in the inward Ground in this Figure signifie the seaven properties of the Naturall Life which must be given up to the service of God into which God gives himselfe for wages in a co-working power where the seaven formes of Life first help the Lord to beare a spirituall Figure and Image or Type and to manifest the Line of Christ then afterwards that same spirituall forme discovereth also the Naturall forme and beareth a Prince in the Naturall Life in whom God worketh and through whom he ruleth the world as is to be seene by Jacob. 33. He served seaven yeares for Rachell but being he feared God the divine wages viz. the Line of Christ was first given him afterwards God blessed also the humane selfe-Love according to the kingdome of Nature in him so that of Rachel whom he had taken in naturall selfe-Love he begat a Prince and wise Man even Joseph by whom the Spirit of God ruled and made him a Lord and Governour 34. And this figure presents to us that first Christ should be borne in us and so then Christ in us beareth also the Naturall Man with understanding and wisdome and appointeth him to his service in the kingdome of Nature and also in the kingdome of Grace as he did Joseph CHAP. LVIII How Jacob served his * * * Stepfather Father in Law Twenty yeares and begat Twelve Sonnes and One Daughter and how God blessed him that he gat great Riches and how Laban often changed his wages and yet could not hurt him what is to be understood thereby Vpon the 30 Chapter of Genesis 1. WEE see in this History especially Gen. XXX how it goeth with the Children of God in this world how they must live in meere Crosses and adversitie as Jacob did with his wives for * * * Gen. 30.1 when Rachel saw that shee was barren shee envied Lea her sister to signifie that Man 's own Love seeketh not the honour of God but it selfe as now Rachel envied Lea because shee had a Name that God had blessed her and sayd to Jacob * * * Gen. 30.1 Give mee Children also if not I die 2. Where wee see how the wayes of God are quite hidden to Reason although Reason standeth in the figure of the divine wonders as here Rachell which here signifieth the owne Adamicall Nature which desireth of Jacob the lifes power from the blessing of God and if it get not the same it must die which indeed the Spirit of zeale in her desire doth very well signifie according to her inward Ground in the Covenant of God but her Reason understood it not but onely desired Children that shee might be delivered from disgrace but her inward Ground stood hidden and panted through the humane Nature to manifest it selfe in the humane Essence Therefore the inward Ground in the Covenant of Grace signifieth through its own Adamicall Essence that if the inward ground should not be manifested through the humane Essence it must then die Eternally Therefore sayth Reason Give me children or else I die which seemeth outwardly to be an Opposition and discouragement But the Spirit of God hath here its figure under which it hath its signification 3. And then wee see in both these Sisters who yet were Daughters of Gods Covenant in the Promise how the Poyson of the Serpent in the wrath of God in flesh and bloud so vehemently sets against the Line of Christ in the Covenant and alwayes despiseth the same and as a proud Lucifer elevates and puffeth up the Rationall humane ownhood of selfe-will and would have the Dominion 4. As heere Rachel despiseth her sister because shee was outwardly fairer and more beautifull then Lea in that Lea in the sight of the world was simple and bleareyd and Rachell had the Spirit of the world in Reason Elegantly as an Ornament and so the Adamicall Nature in Rachell ruled over the Manifested blessing of the Covenant in Lea to signifie that the Line of Christ in this world would be manifested in a meane simple and despised forme in Men of such like dispositions which Men would by the Reason pomp and beauty of the world be esteemed fooles and bleareyd who in such scorne and disregard would goe away and * * * Psal 125.5 sow in Teares but in their inward Ground in the Line of Christ would beare and at the End reape in Joy to signifie that * * * John 18.36 Christs Kingdome is not of this world that in this world it must be throwne into Gods Anger and disdaine and into death and by this throwing in satiate the Anger of God with Love and Meeknesse and with Love spring forth through the Anger and Death and bring the proud Lucifer in the humane owne will and fleshly Lust to scorne and to nought as an unstable Life which Life cannot overpower the Divine humility 5. Which humility Springeth under all scorne and also breaketh through death and the anger of God and maketh Death to be Life and taketh from Hell the victory and changeth the sting of the false Serpents Essence with sweet Love as we see here by Lea who although shee was envied by her sister as by Reason yet the Line of Christ in the Covenant springeth forth in her under all scorne and maketh her fruitfull and Rachell Barren till shee gave her Mayd to her Husband for a Wife which signifieth the Adamicall viz. the servile Line
Adams impurity that he is become earthly and hath committed whoredome before me and I have not given Selah for a husband to the New Eve that is I have not given the Word of the New Regeneration by and in the Law therefore hath Thamar that is the New Eve under the time of the Law layne and Copulated with Judah and his children for and about the soulish or animale and humane Nature and left Selah viz. the Law standing in the figure and the Grace of the New Eve in the Covenant hath alwayes joyned and mixed it selfe with Gods children as is to be seene in the Saints especially in the Prophets who outwardly lived under the Law and exercised themselves therein and yet alwayes joyned and mixed themselves with the New Eve in the Grace and yet lived not to the Law but to Grace 56. And this is the powerfull figure in this place shewing how the Covenant of Promise in Judah and the awakening of the Covenant in the Womans seede stand alwayes set one opposite to the other and lye and Copulate one with the other in the Love pointing at the future manifestation in the flesh in Christ. 57. For this figure of Judah and Thamar in the inward Ground is nothing else but this that outwardly the adulterous evill Adam with his fleshly Eve is represented in the figure viz. outwardly the Man of sinne with a sinfull figure and inwardly the betrothing of the New Eve in Regeneration 58. And the Spirit speaketh further in Moses and sayth * * * Gen. 38.27 28 29 30. And when Thamar was about to bring forth behold Twinnes were found in her womb and as shee was upon the Birth one of them put forth a hand then the Midwife tooke a Red Thrid and tied about it and sayd This is the first that cometh forth but when he pulled back his hand his brother came forth and shee sayd Wherefore hast thou for thy will made this breach and his name was called † † † Pharez Perez Afterwards his brother came forth who had the Red Thrid about his hand and his Name was called ‖ ‖ ‖ Zarah Serah 59. O thou wonderfull great God who art so high and deep how simply and to the capacity of a childe dost thou modellize thy wisdome to us What is all Art and Witt of humane Greatnesse before thee who dost so very much condescend bow downe and humble thy selfe and presentest thy deepest wisdome and highest profundity in a childish simplicity which may justly shame all humane State and selfe-wit when they see so great Mysteries of God stand in such Childishnesse 60. O World how foolish art thou that thou Elevatest thy selfe in a blinde life and still cleavest to the husk and seest not what thou art and understandest not the Divine Simplicity and then how wilt thou apprehend the Divine Depth O leave off thy witt and cleave to simplicity that thou mayst yet obtein a childes understanding and be not accounted in the sight of God more unwise then the Beasts which remaine in their cloathing and condition as God hath Created them O thou World why sleepest thou in the Devills Armes who succles and dandles thee in himselfe and bringeth thee to his will and life by his might O doe but see it 61. This potent figure in these Twinnes one of which put forth the hand which the Midwife bound a red Thrid about and thought it would be the first but it drew the hand back againe and his brother came forth prefigureth this to us how Christ in this Line of the Covenant assumed the humane Nature and so the humane Nature according to Adams right and selfe-will in this world first puts forth and manifests it selfe about which Adamicall Nature in the humanity of Christ must this red Thrid with the shedding of his Bloud be bound 62. When this is done then must the humane Nature with its right draw back againe that is Adams will that was gone forth must againe returne into the Mothers womb viz. be turned in to the Word and then cometh the inward New Adam forth after which followeth the Adamicall Nature with the Red Thrid then sayth the Mother to the New Adam in Christ why hast thou for thy will made this Breach for thy will sayth the Mother not for thy will sake but for the sake of that which driveth thy will forth and Adams will goes back thus hath the will in the Covenant of Grace powerfully broken through the strong Barre enclosure of the first Principle viz. of the Kingdome of Gods Anger for the Good Will in Adam was shut up in Death and in Hell and in Christ he rent that powerfull Rent and brake through Death and Hell back againe into the Kingdome of the Eternall Nature and turned it selfe forth againe into the Naturall Life so that the Kingdome of God was againe manifested in the Humane Life 63. This the Spirit represents by Thamar in the Line of the Covenant and modelizeth Christs breach through Death and Hell how that should be and by this premodelling was the whorish will of Thamar and Judah healed and their children of whoredome in the Line of Christ were Espoused into the Covenant of Grace 64. In Esaw and Jacob stood the figure how according to Nature Adam had the right of the Kingdome and how he squandered it and is therefore in his Naturall Will thrust out from the Kingdome of God and how Christ came to help him Here now stands the figure shewing how Christ hath gotten the Kingdome and turned Adam back againe and in Adam turned himselfe forth so that now Adam is called Christ and presents himselfe very excellently in the figure of Joseph and this standeth fitly and rightly between in the intervale of Josephs history 65. For Joseph is the figure of a Christian and this of Judah and Thamar is a figure shewing how a Christian springeth out of Adams Nature and how Adams Nature is turned in againe and Christ turned forth and how this Image of a Christian Man in this world is covered outwardly with the Earthly Adam so that men cannot know it also how thus Christ in Adam tooke his Guilt upon him and how Adam must be marked with this Red Thrid which Mark is rightly the Pledge that Judah gave to Thamar And I would have the Reader of this admonished in Love not to reject our Exposition of this Text but to consider it and looke narrowly and perspicuously into it and then he will well perceive who was the Expositour if he be worthy of it CHAP. LXVI The Most Excellent History of Joseph how he was sold to Potiphar what befell Joseph and of Josephs Chastity and feare of God Vpon the 39 Chapter of Genesis JOseph was brought downe into Aegypt and Potiphar an Aegyptian Gen. XXXIX 1 2 3 4 5 6. Pharaohs Officer Captaine of his Guard bought him of the Ismaelites who brought him thither and the Lord was with Joseph and
and Compassion of God manifested it selfe out of the Covenant then must the Law with all Ceremonies together with the Covenant cease and be gone also all Mans ability and power as also all willing going and running must goe forth and depart 6. For that presented it selfe out of the Covenant the Law which fullfilled both the Covenant and the Law and set it selfe in the stead of the Covenant and the Law in the Middle as a Mediatour between and in God and Man as a God-Man and Man-God who alone should bring Adam into Paradise and destroy sinne none should be with him he alone would and should manifest himselfe * * * John 8. for a Light John 8 and for a new Life to the Humanity 7. And it is the figure which sheweth how the Repentant Man must come to God for he must cast away all things from himselfe all his works and doings cannot reach the Top and point of this he must wholly enter into Resignation and dereliction and turne himselfe away from the Comfort and help of every Creature that he may stand naked and alone before the most cleere and meerest Mercy and Compassion of God in Jesus Christ. 8. No hypocrisie or humane Comfort wherewith Men please and tickle the heart will availe in this presence of Joseph but a totall forsaking of Every Creature wherein Every thing is left to the naked soule and that must in it selfe sink downe in the presence of the heavenly Joseph in its will and whole desires and totally leave it selfe to him and will nothing without his will and set no other meanes or Medium aloft in Esteeme for all will availe nothing 9. The whole Creaturely Life must be resigned and forsake its will and desires that the Creaturely will may be received and purified againe by the un-creaturely will that Gods will and Mans will may be one will and then God is all in all in him according to the inward and the Outward World in each world according to its property viz. according to the Eternall Speaking Word in the soule and according to the animale soule in Spiritu Mundi in the Spirit of the world in all as an instrument of God 10. Now when this is done then sayth the heavenly Joseph in his Mercy and Compassion I am JESUS in thee and openeth the inward Eye in the soule that it knoweth him in a Moment and he speaketh friendly into the soule and sayth Doth my father yet live that is is the fathers Nature yet in the soule is there yet a Breath of the divine Life in it 11. Before this Manifestation now the soules owne will is terrified so that it hath in its own power no word more to speak nor can it in selfe speake for in this terrour the selfe of the will goeth to the Ground for with this aspect ariseth the will of God up and slayeth the soules own will as Josephs brethren were so very much terrified before his Face that they could not speake a word more all their ability fayled them as if they had been dumb and thus also will the wicked and ungodly at the last Judgement be dumb before the face of God and terrified to Eternall Death that his life will be a meere anguish and terrour of an evill Conscience which will be an Eternall gnawing 12. * * * Gen 45.4 5. But Joseph sayd to his Brethren Draw neere to mee and they drew neere and hee sayd I am Joseph your Brother whom ye sold into Egypt and now be not carefull nor thinke that I am angry for it that ye have sold me hither for to preserve your life hath God sent mee hither before you The holy Figure standeth thus 13. When Christ with his revelation or Manifestation thus terrifieth the soule that the soules owne will is terrified into the death of its willing and ability then he speaketh in or inspireth his word of Grace into it and giveth it power and vertue and sayth in the Soulish Essence Draw neere to mee and raise up thy countenance from the terrour of Death goe in my power to mee and into my will I am no more angry with thee that I have been sold into thy death God hath sent mee hither before thee that I might nourish thee in thy hunger of Misery viz. in the hunger of Gods anger till thou art fr●ed from thy earthly Body in which lyeth the great hunger and Divine Famine in the Anger of God 14. For to preserve thy Life hath God sent mee into thy humanity and soule † † † Gen. 45.6 for there will yet be five yeares of dearth in thy flesh that is the Divine hunger will yet remaine in thy five senses of the Earthly Reason therefore hath God sent mee before hither ere this world cease to be to thee and into thee that he might deliver thee in thy earthly five senses with a powerfull deliverance that my power and vertue of the famine in the five earthly senses may deliver and feede the poore soule God hath set mee as a Lord and Prince and made mee a father of thy Nature that I should rule as Joseph over the Land of Egypt I am become Lord over all thy house and all that thou hast art that I should nourish thee in thy famine with the Divine foode of my flesh and Bloud be no more afraid I am with thee in the Necessity of the earthly Life I will deliver thee and bring thee to Glory and honour 15. And Joseph sayd further * * * Gen. 45.9 10 11. Make hast now and goe up to my father and to your father and tell him Thus sayth Joseph thy sonne God hath set mee as Lord over all Egypt come away to mee delay not thou shalt dwell in the Land of Goshen and be neere by mee and thy children and thy childrens children thy small and great cattle and all that thou hast I will there provide for thee for there are still five yeares of Dearth and Famine that thou mayst not perish with thy house and all that which thou hast 16. Behold your Eyes see and the Eyes of my Brother Benjamin that I speake to you with my owne Mouth make knowne to my father all my Glory in Egypt Verse 12 13 14 15. and all that ye have seene make hast and come with my father downe hither and he fell about his Brother Benjamins neck and wept and Benjamin also wept upon his neck and he kissed all his Brethren and wept over them and afterwards his Brethren parlyed with him 17. This now is a figure representing that when the soule hath seene the Countenance of the heavenly Joseph that he hath comforted and refreshed it againe then sayth the Divine word in it make hast now and bring also thy Father that is thy Nature and thy whole Life with all thy conversation and doings in thy state and condition to mee and thou shalt dwell neere by mee with
nigh unto any thing he is through All and in all his birth is every where and without and besides him there is nothing else he is time and Eternity Bysse and Abysse and yet nothing comprehends him save the True understanding which is God himselfe CHAP. II. Of the Word or Heart of God THis is now what Saint John saith Chap. 1. In the beginning was the word and the word was with God and God was the word the same was in the beginning with God the word l l l Im signifieth in the. In is the will of the Abysse m m m A●fang beginning beginning is the Conception or apprehension of the will where it conceiveth and bringeth it selfe into an Eternall Beginning the * * * Wort signifieth the word Which words in the High-Dutch he expounds according to the Language of Nature Word is now the Conceived which in the will is a Nothing and with the Conception there is a generation this was in the beginning with the will and in the will but with the Lubet of the will it receiveth its beginning in the Conception of the will therefore it is called a Heart viz. a Centre or Life-Circle wherein the Originall of the Eternall Life is 2. And John saith further By the same were all things made and without it was not any thing made that was made In it was the life and the life was the light of men heere O man take now this light of life which was in the Word and is Eternall and behold the Being of all Beings and especially thy Selfe seeing thou art an Image life and being of the unsearchable God and a Likenesse as to him heere consider time and Eternity Heaven Hell the world light and darknesse paine and Source life and death Something and Nothing Here examine thy self whether thou hast the light and life of the Word in thee so that thou art able to see and understand all things for thy life was in the Word and was made manifest in the Image which God Created it was breathed into it from the Spirit of the word now lift up thy understanding in the light of thy life and behold the Formed Word Consider its inward Generation for all is manifest in the light of life 3. Saist thou I cannot I am corrupt and depraved heare me thou art not as yet borne againe of God otherwise if thou hadst again that same light then thou couldest Goe to then we all indeed come far short of the Glory which we ought to have in God but I will shew thee somewhat have a care and conceive it aright be not a Mocker as the Confused Babel is Lo when we would speake of the Being of all Beings then we say that from God and through God are all things for Saint John saith also that without him was not any thing made that was made 4. Now saith Reason whence or how hath God made Good and Evill Paine and Joy Life and Death is there any such will in God which maketh the evill Heere Reason beginneth to Speculate and will apprehend it but it goeth onely about the outside of the Circle and cannot enter in for it is without and not in the word of the Life-Circle 5. Now then behold thy selfe and consider what thou art view what the outward World is with its Dominion and thou shalt finde that thou with thy outward Spirit and Beeing art the outward would thou art a little world out of the Great world thy outward light is a Chaos of the Sun and Stars else thou couldst not see n n n Or receive light from the Sun by the light of the Sun the Stars give the Essence of distinction in the intellective Sight thy body is fire aire water earth therein also lyeth the Metaline property for of whatsoever the Sun with the Stars is a Spirit of that the Earth with the other Elements is a o o o Essence Substance or body Being a Coagulated Power what the Superiour Being is that is also the inferiour and all the creatures of this world are the same 6. When I take up a stone or clod of earth and look upon it then I see that which is above and that which is below yea the whole world therein onely that in each thing one property hapneth to be the chiefest and manifest according to which it is named all the other properties are joyntly therein onely in distinct degrees and centres and yet all the degrees and centres are but one onely centre There is but one onely root whence ●ll things proceed it onely severizeth it selfe in the Compaction where it is Coagulated Its originall is as a Smoak or vaprous breath from the Great Mystery of the Expressed Word which standeth in all places in the re-expressing that is in the Re-breathing or ecchoing forth a likenesse according to it selfe an Essence according to the Spirit 7. But now we cannot say that the outward World is God or the speaking word which in it self is devoid of such essence or likewise that the outward man is God but it is all onely the expressed Word which hath so coagulated it self in its re-conception to its own expression and doth still continually coagulate it self with the 4 Elements through the Spirit of the desire viz. of the Stars and bringeth it selfe into such a motion and life in the mode and manner as the Eternal Speaking word maketh a Mysterie which is Spirituall in it selfe which Mystery I call the Center of the Eternall Nature where the Eternall Speaking Word bringeth it selfe into a Generation and also maketh such a Spirituall World in it selfe as we have materially in the Expressed Word 8. For I say the inward world is the Heaven wherein God dwelleth and the outward world is expressed out of the inward and hath onely another beginning then the inward but yet out of the inward it is expressed from the inward through the motion of the Eternall Speaking Word and closed into a beginning and End 9. And the inward world standeth in the Eternall Speaking Word the Eternall Word hath spoken it through the wisdome out of its owne Powers Colours and Vertue into an Essence as a Great Mysterie from Eternity which Essence also is onely as a Spiration from the Word in the wisdome which hath its re-conception to Generation in it selfe and with the Conception doth likewise Coagulate it selfe and introduceth it selfe into formes after the manner of the Generation of the Eternall Word as the Powers Colours and Vertue doe generate themselves in the word through the wisdome or as I might say out of the wisdome in the Word 10. Therefore there is nothing nigh unto or a far off from God one world is in the other and all are onely one but one is Spirituall the other Corporeall as soul and body are in each other and also time and Eternity are but one thing yet in distinct beginnings the spirituall world in the internall
manifest VI. Forme Sound Voice Word 19. THe sixt is the Sound of the divine Word proceeding from the divine Powers which is formed in the Love-desire and introduced into a manifest word of all Powers wherein the manifestation of the divine Kingdome of joy in the free Lubet of Gods wisdom consisteth VII Forme Essence Beeing Mansion 20. THe seventh is the formed Essence of the Powers viz. a manifestation of the Powers what the first six are in the Spirit that the Seventh is in a Comprehensible Essence as a mansion and house of all the rest or as a body of the Spirit wherein the Spirit worketh and playeth with it selfe also it is a food of the fire whence the fire draweth Essence for its Sustenance wherein it burneth and the Seventh is the Kingdome of the divine glory and the Seven are thus named or expressed 21. The Out-Birth or Manifestation is this The Seaven Spirits of God or powers of Nature as they shew and manifest themselves in Love and Anger both in the Heavenly and Hellish Kingdom and also in the Kingdom of this world Anger Love 1 Astringent Desire Hellish Heavenly Hardnes Cold Covetosnes World Earthly Kingdom 1 Cold Hardnes Bone Salt 2 Attractiō or Compunctiō of Sence Compunction Envy 2 Poyson Life Growth Senses 3 Anguish or Minde Enmity 3 Sulphur Perceivance Paine 4 Fire or Spirit Pride Anger 4 Spirit Reason Desire Love Fire 5 Light or Love-Desire Meekenesse 5 Venus-Sport Lifes-Light 6 Sound or Vnderstanding Divine Joy 6 Speaking Crying Distinguishing 7 Body or Essence Heaven 7 Body Wood. Stone Earth Mettall Hearb This was received from the Author in such a forme by Abraham von Somerveldt 22. Curteous Reader understand the sense aright and well the meaning is not to be understood so as if the Seven Properties were divided and one were neere by another or sooner manifest then another all Seven are but as one and none is the first second or last for the last is againe the first as the first introduceth it selfe into a Spirituall Essence even so the last into a Corporeall Essence the last is the body of the first we must speake thus apart to write it down and decipher it to the Consideration of the Reader they are altogether onely the Manifestation of God according to Love and Anger Eternity and Time 23. But this we are to marke that each Property is also essentiall and this essence is joyntly as one Essence in the Kingdome of heaven and it s a Mysterium whence heavenly plants spring forth out of each Powers property as the earth is a Mysterium of all trees and hearbes so also of the grasse and wormes and the foure Elements are a Mysterium of all Animalls and the Astrum a Mysterium of all operations in Animalls and Vegetables 24. Each property is to it selfe essentiall and hath also in its Essence the Essence of all the other six formes and maketh the essence of the other six formes also essentiall in its essence as we see in the Earth and stones especially in Metalls where oftentimes in One Compaction all seven metalls are couched together and onely one property is principall which doth Coagulate and captivate all the rest in it selfe and alwayes one is more manifest then the rest according as each property hath its powerfull predominancy in a thing the like is also to be understood in vegetables where ofttimes in an hearb or peece of wood there is an Astringent sowre harsh bitter anxious or Sulphrous property also a fiery sweet or luscious flashy or watry quality CHAP. VII Of the Holy Trinity and divine Essence 1. THe Eternall and Temporall nature is especially understood in the darke and fire world viz. in the foure first formes as 1. in the astringent desire 2. in the bitter Compunction 3. in the Anguish or Sensation 4. In the fire where the Severation proceedeth forth in the Enkindling of the fire in the Flagrat but the powers both in the internall and externall world are all understood in the light or love-fire viz. in the love-desire 2. For their first ground is the Eternall Word viz. the One wherein all things are coucht the Second ground is the free Lubet of the word viz. the wisdome wherein all the Colours of the onely Power are manifest in the will of the Deity the third ground is the Love-desire wherein the free Lubet with its colours and vertues of the powers hath exacuated it selfe through nature and introduced it selfe through the fires inflammation into a Spirituall Dominion which Lubet displayeth it selfe with the powers in the light in an Eternall Kingdome of Joy 3. The fourth ground is the oyly Spirit in that the free Lubet doth amasse it selfe in the fiery Love-desire in the meeknesse as in its own peculiar forme and co-amasseth the Lustre and essence of the fire and light and introduceth it into the first Essence which power of the fire and light in the meekness of the free Lubet in the oyly property is the true and holy Tincture 4. The fift ground is the watry Spirit arising from the mortification in the fire where the first Spirituall Essence in the Astringent harsh darke desire was consumed in the fire now out of the Devoration of the fire there proceedeth forth a Spirituall Essence which is the oyly ground and a watry Essence from the mortification which depriveth the fire-spirit of its wrath so that it is not able to set its wrathfull properties on fire in the oyly ground so that the fire must burne through death and be onely a light else the oyly ground would be enflamed thus the fire in its Devoration must beget the water viz. its death and yet must againe have it for its life else neither the fire nor the light could subsist and thus there is an Eternall Generation devoration receiving and againe Consuming and yet also it s thus an Eternall Giving and hath no beginning nor End 5. Thus we now understand what God and his Essence is we Christians say that God is threefold but onely one in Essence but that we generally say and hold that God is threefold in person the same is very wrongly apprehended and understood by the ignorant yea by a great part of the learned for God is no person save onely in Christ but he is the Eternall Begetting Power and the Kingdome with all Beeings all things receive their Originall from him 6. But that we say of God he is Father Son and holy Spirit that is very rightly said onely we must explaine it else the un-illuminated minde apprehends it not the Father is first the will of the Abysse he is without all Nature or beginnings the will to Something which doth conceive it selfe into a Lubet to its own Manifestation 7. And the Lubet is the Conceived Power of the will or of the Father and it is his Son heart and Seat the first Eternall Beginning in the will and he is therefore called a Son because
the Astringent Austere desire that is by a Saturnine Martiall fiery property in the Compaction of Sulphur and Mercury to be one body or congealed bulke but if I wholly destroy this body and severize each into its own property then I clearly finde therein the first Creation I. Saturnus Sal. 18. AS first according to the Property of the darke world according to the Astringent Desire of the Fiat viz. of the first forme to nature I finde a hardnesse and coldnesse and further according to this Astringent Property a deadly banefull stinking water from the Astringent Impression and thirdly in this stinking water a dead Earth and fourthly a sharpnesse like to Salt from the native right and quality of the Astringency this is now the Coagulated Essence of the first forme of nature according to the darke world and it is the Stony substance understand the grosseness of the Stones and of all metalls so likewise of the Earth wherein the mortall part or the close-binding death is understood II. Mercurius 19. SEcondly I finde according to the Second forme and property of the darke nature and worlds Essence in the Compaction of the Metalls and Stones a bitter Compunctive raging Essence viz. a Poyson which maketh a strong harsh noysome taste in the Earth and Stinking water and it is the cause of growth viz. the stirring life its Property is called Mercurius and in the first Forme according to the Astringency it s called Sal. III. Sulphur 20. THirdly I finde the third Property viz. the Anguish which is the Sulphrous Source in which consisteth the various dividing of the Properties viz. of the Essence IV. Sal-niter 21. FOurthly I finde the fire or heat which doth awaken the Salniter in the Sulphrous Source which Severizeth the Compaction and that is the Flagrat this is the Originall Raiser of the Salniter out of the brimstony watry and Earthly Property for it is the awaker of death viz. in the mortall Property and the first Originall of the life in the fire and even to the fire the property of the darke world reacheth and no further V. Oyle 22. FIftly we finde in the Compaction of t●e Metalls and Stones an Oyle which is Sweeter then any Sugar can be so far as it may be separated from the other Properties it is the first heavenly holy Essence which hath taken its Originall from the free Lubet it is pure and transparent but if the fire-Source be severed from it albeit it is impossible wholly to Separate it for the band of the great Triumphant joy consisteth therein then it is whiter then any thing can be in nature but by reason of the fire it continues of a n n n Or Crimson purple-red Rosie-red which the light changeth into yellow according to the mixture of red and white by reason of the earthly property and predominant influence of the Sun 23. But if the Artist can unloose it and free it from the fire of the wrath and other properties then he hath the Pearle of the whole world understand the Tincture for Virgin Venus hath her Cabinet of treasure lying there it is the Virgin with her faire Attire or Crown of Pearle 24. O thou earthly man hadst thou it yet heere Lucifer and Adam have negligently lost it O man didst but thou know what lay heere how wouldst thou seeke after it but it belongeth onely unto those whom God hath chosen thereto O precious Pearle how sweet art thou in the new birth how faire and surpassing excellent is thy Lustre VI. The living Mercury Sound 25. SIxtly we finde in this Oyly Property a Sovereign Power from the Originall of the manifested Powerfull Divine Word which dwelleth in the heavenly property in which Power the Sound or tone of metalls is distinguished and therein their growth consisteth for here it is the holy Mercurius that which in the Second forme of nature in the darknesse is Compunctive harsh rigid and a Poyson that is heere in the free Lubets property when the fire in the Salnitrall Flagrat hath divided Love and Anger a pleasant merry Mercury wherein the joyfullnesse of the Creature consisteth 26. And heere ye Phylosophers lyeth the effectuall vertue and Powerfull operation of your Noble Stone heere it is called Tincture this operation can Tincture the disappeared water in Luna for heere your Jupiter is a Prince and Sol a King and Virgin Venus the Kings sweetest Spouse but Mars must first lay down his Scepter also the Devill must first goe into Hell for Christ must binde him and Tincture Simple Luna which he hath defiled with the Oyle of his heavenly bloud that th● Anger may be changed into joy thus the Artists Art is borne understood heere by the children of the Mystery VII Essence Body 27. SEventhly we finde in the Separation of the Compaction of the Metalls a white cristalline water that is the heavenly water viz. the water above the Firmament of heaven which is severed from the oyle as a body of the Oyly Property it gives a white chrystalline Lustre in the Metalls and Venus with her Property makes it wholly white and that is Silver and Venus in Sol Gold and Mars in Venus Copper and againe Venus in Mars Iron Jupiter in Venus Tin Saturne in Venus lead Mercurius in Venus quick-Silver and without Venus there is no metall neither fined nor Minerall 28. Thus understand by Venus heavenly Essentiality which consisteth in an oyle and Crystalline water which giveth body unto all metalls the spirituall body it s owne peculiar Essence without the influences of the other properties is the great Meeknesse and Sweetnesse its reall Peculiar Essence is a sweet Pure water but the Power of the Manifested Word doth separate the holyest through the fire into an Oyle for in the Oyle the fire giveth a shine and Lustre when the fire tasteth the water in it selfe then out of the Taste it giveth an Oyle thus the Oyle is Spirituall and the water corporeall the Oyle is a o o o Text Corpus body of the Power and the water a body of the Properties which are living in the oyle and doe make or use the water for a Mansion in the water the Elementall life consisteth and in the oyle the p p p Or life of the Spirit Spirituall life and in the Power of oyle the divine life viz. the life of the expressed word as a manifestation of the Deity 29. Now we see heere how in the Compaction of the Verbum Fiat the holy Entred along with the unholy into a Coagulation for in all things there is a deadly and also a living water a mortall poysonfull vertue and a good vitall vertue a grosse and a Subtle Power an evill and a good quality all which is according to the nature of Gods Love and Anger 30. the Grossenesse of the Stones Metalls and Earth proceed from the property of the darke world all which are in a Mortall property understand the Substance and not the Spirit
its Servant thou art pranck and vapour as stately and gloriously in the Suns light as thou wilt hast thou not the Eternall light yet thy fountaine shall be made manifest to thee 47. By the two words Heaven Himmell and und Earth Erden we understand the whole ground of the Creation for the understanding is coucht in the language of Nature in those two words for by the word Heaven Himmell is understood the Spiration of the Verbum Fiat which created that Essence wherein Lucifer was enthroned with the Creative word out of it selfe that is out of the Spirituall holy world into a time or Beginning and by the word Earth Erde is understood the wrath in the Essence that the Essence was amassed in the wrath and reduced out of the Properties of the darke Sulphur Mercury and Salt viz. out of the powers of the Originall of Nature and introduced into a Compaction or Coagulation 48. This Coagulation is the Syllable z Er the other Syllable de or den is the Element for the Earth is not the Element but the Element is the moving viz. the Power whence it was Coagulated this is that Element which is spirituall and taketh its true Originall in the fire where the nature which is a Sencelesse life dyeth in the fire from which dying or mortification then there proceedeth forth a living motion and from that which is mortified in the fire a dead matter viz. Earth and a dead water and also a deadly fire and venomous aire which maketh a dying Source in the Earthly bodies 49. When nature was enkindled the Element did unfold and display it selfe into Foure Properties which yet in it selfe is onely one the reall Element dwelleth in the Essence which is mortified in the fire otherwise the Earth could bring forth no fruit those which now are called the foure Elements are not Elements but onely Properties of the true Element The Element is neither hot nor cold neither dry nor moist it is the motion or life of the inward heaven viz. the true angelicall life as to the Creature it is the first divine manifestation out of the fire through nature when the Properties of the Eternall nature work therein it s called Paradise 50. By the word * * * Himmel Heaven Himmell is understood how the water viz. the Grosnesse in the mortall part was Coagulated and Separated from the holy Crystalline water which is Spirituall where with the materiall time began as an Essence expressed or spirated out of the Spirituall water 51. The Spirituall water is living and the Spirated is livelesse Senselesse void of understanding and is dead in reference to the living water of which Moses saith God hath Separated it from the water above the firmament 52. The Firmament is another Principle viz. another beginning or inchoation of motion the water above the Firmament is the Spirituall water in which the Spirit of God ruleth and worketh for Moses saith also the Spirit of God moveth upon the water for the Spirituall Element moveth in the foure Elements and in the Spirituall Element the Spirit of God moveth on the Spirituall water they are mutually in each other 53. The Heaven wherein God dwelleth is the holy Element and the firmament or Gulfe betweene God and the foure Elements is the death for the inward heaven hath another birth that is another life then the externall Elementary life hath indeed they are in one another but the one doth not apprehend the other as Tin and Silver never mix aright together for each is from another or sundry Principle albeit they resemble each other and have very neere Affinity to each other yet they are as the inward and outward water to one another wherein also they are to be understood for the inward and outward Venus are Step-Sisters they come indeed from one father but they have two mothers the one whereof is a Virgin the other defloured and therefore they are Separated till the judgement of God who will purge away her reproach and shame through the fire 54. Moses writeth that God created the Heaven out of the midst of the waters it is very right the a a a Understand by the word Astrum the whole Starry Heaven with all its powers properties Influences and Constellations internall and externall Astrum is an externall water-Spirit viz. Powers of the outward water and the materiall water is the body wherein the powers worke now the fiery airy and also Earthly Source is in the Astrum the like is also in the materiall water the Superiour Astrum is the life and Dominion of the inferiour it enkindleth the inferiour whereby the inferiour doth act move and worke the inferiour is the body or wife of the Superiour indeed the Superiour is coucht in the inferiour but as weake and impotent 55. And the Superiour were likewise as weake and impotent as the inferiour if it were not enkindled by the light of the Sun the same is the heart of all externall Powers and it is the Open Punctum even to the Tenth Number if we were not so blinde as to contemne all that we see not with our Calves-eyes it were right and requisite to reveale it but seeing God hath hidden the Pearle and also himselfe from the sight of the wicked therefore we 'l let it alone yet hint enough to our School-fellowes we will not give our Pearle unto Beasts 56. Thus we understand what the outward heaven is namely the Powers or Conception of the water the word or Power Fiat which began with the beginning of the world is yet still b b b Or in the creating a Creating it yet continually createth the heaven out of the water and the Spirit of God still moveth upon the water and the holy water is yet continually Separated from the water under the firmament 57. This holy water is that of which Christ told us that he would give us it to drinke that should spring up in Vs to a fountaine of Eternall life the holy heavenly Corporallity doth consist therein it is the body of Christ which he brought from heaven and by the same introduced heavenly Paradisicall Essentiality into our dead or decayed body and quickned ours in his understand in the c c c Mark or limit Ayme of the Covenant in the Essence of Mary as shall be mentioned hereafter 58. In this heavenly Essence the d d d Baptisme and the Supper Testaments of Christ doe consist and this holy Essence of the heavenly holy Virginity with the holy Tincture hath destroyed death and bruised the head of the Serpents Might in the wrath of God for the Divine power is the highest life therein 59. Thus we understand how the holy heaven wherein God dwelleth moveth in the Fiat or the Created heaven and that God is really present in all places and inhabiteth all things but he is comprended of Nothing Hee is manifest in Power in the inward heaven of the holy Essentiality viz. in
XIV Of the Creation of the fift Day 1. NOw when God had Opened the Astrum and foure Elements as a moving life wherein the Superiour Astrum gave the distinction in the moving life and actuated the foure Astrums in the foure Elements then he Educed out of the Essence of all the Astrums and Elements through the motion of his Speaking Word in the Verbum Fiat the Impresse or expresse as the Power of that same life which was free from the paine and amassed it through the Verbum Fiat and spake forth that same life by the holy Eternall Speaking Word through the Fiat into formes and shapes according to the properties of the Astrums in the Spirituall Corpus in which the Fiat or the desire attracted the Elements according to the outward Essence unto it selfe as a body 2. And thence were creatures produced in all the foure Elements in each Astrum according to its Property as birds in the Astrum of the Aire fishes in the Astrum of the water cattle and foure-footed beasts out of the Astrum of the earth and foure Elements so likewise Spirits in the fire Astrum which also is in the other Elements and we see very exactly in the difference of the creatures that the degrees of the Astrum or constellations are so distinct and various for the wormes of the Earth live in the third degree viz. in the fire-flagrat in the Sulphur Mars and Mercury in the life devoid of understanding and whereas they have an understanding or instinct by the enkindling of the Superiour Astrum in which third degree in the property also grass hearbs and trees doe stand and yet they receive assisting influence from the Superiour Astrum in the Enkindling by which they are otherwise qualifyed 3. And we see that each kinde hath a Spirit and body according to the Degree of its Astrum for we understand that out of one Constellation or Astrum many kindes of creatures doe proceed the cause whereof is that each Astrum hath againe its degrees in it for there is in each Astrum whatsoever all the Astra have but yet in sundry distinct degrees in the manifestation and therefore the Properties in each Astrum are manifold so also divers sorts of creatures are proceeded from each Astrum the Spirit of each kinde is from the Astrum but all kindes must use the foure Elements for they arise out of that fountaine whence all the Astra doe originally proceed 4. On the fift day Jupiter hath the dominion the first houre of the day among the Planets and that because he hath his Originall in the Creation of the Astrum out of the fift Degree of nature viz. out of the power of the Sulphureous and Salnitrall oyle and that on the fift day this joviall property was opened and educed out of the fourth dayes property as a pleasant powerfull life out of all the Constellations unto which life God created all Creatures except man each out of the property of his Constellation out of his Degree so that they might all live in the Soule of the outward nature and be under the Government of one Officer which is the outward Constellation wherein the Sun is chiefe Regent 5. Each Constellation hath its Compaction of Sulphur and Mercury the Sulphur giueth Essence and Mercurius give Spirit into the Essence and from both these Sal is generated viz. out of the sharp Fiat according to the property of Sulphur and Mercury and out of these three properties viz. out of Sulphur Mercurius and Sal all creatures entred into a life and creaturall beeing and now such as the Sulphur was on each place in every Punctum in the property as was taken or conceived in the Fiat in the motion of the fift Property in all the Elements even such a creature was opened or brought forth as the Compaction was Coagulated in each Punctum and so each Kinde had its Spirit and Seed in it to generate and bring forth againe 6. The two Sexes viz. the male and its female arise from the Separation of the watry and fiery Tincture in Sulphur for the Separation was in the Verbum Fiat where out of one Sulphur in one onely Punctum two Sexes came forth out of one Essence viz. the fiery property in it selfe to a male and the lights or waters property to a female where then both tinctures severed 7. And as we see that the fire cannot burne without the water and the water were a nothing without the fire and they mutually beget one another and also doe againe vehemently desire each other and their right life consisteth in their conjunction in that they have produced each other and afterwards doe enter into and mutually embrace each other as one where also they are againe changed in the fire into one and yet doe againe proceed forth from the fire in one Essence viz. in an oleous Property in which they stand in the bond of the highest Love-desire for their light shineth in the oyle and as the fire-world desireth the light-world and the light world the fire-world as Father and Son the like also is to be understood of the two Sexes 8. The Female is from the male as the tincture of the light and water is from the fire and they joyntly belong together in nature as one thus the one may not be without the other and they have a very Ardent Longing after each other for the Tincture of the light viz. Venus Tincture desireth the fires tincture and the fire the lights as its * * * Meekning pleasing delight 9. For Venus giveth Essence and the fire taketh the Essence to its life and yeeldeth out of the received Essence the light and in the fiery light the oyle and out of the oyle againe the water and Essence and hence it is that all creatures doe desire copulation each with its owne kinde and so they doe generate a third viz. an Assimulate according to two in one every Ens brings forth a Similitude according to it selfe 10. And we see very clearly that each Kinde is created out of a sundry Ens each out of a different degree and how each kinde liveth in its mother whence it hath taken its Originall and that it cannot live in another Degree as the Beasts upon the earth which are a limus of the earth and aire therein they live and thence they take their food and nourishment for the Fiat extracted them out of the Earths Property and amassed them in the fift manifestation of the Essence as a Sulphur of the fift Ens whereon the foure depend 11. The Birds were created in the Sulphur of the aire therefore they flye in their mother also the fishes in the Sulphur of the water and the wormes in the Sulphur of the Earth thus each thing liveth in its mother whence it was taken in the beginning and the contrary is its death 12. And the Essence and life of this time is nothing else but a Contemplation of the inward Spirituall world what the
figure of Adam in Paradise are the forty yeares in the wildernesse where Israell was tryed in the Law with the Heavenly Manna whether or no they would be obedient to God that the Anger might not so much devoure them The Third figure is the true reall one viz. Adams hard t t t Combate encounter with Christ in the wildernesse where he stood in Adams stead before the Devill and Gods Anger where he did eat forty dayes magically viz. of the u u u Text of the Verbum Domini word of the Lord in which Adam also was tempted whether he would remaine wholly resigned unto Gods will Christ was Tempted in Adams x x x Place or liew stead in Adams Temptation and with all that whatsoever wherein Adam was tempted as shall be mentioned hereafter 23. The fourth Figure are the forty houres of Christ in the Grave where he awaked Adam out of his first sleep The fift Figure are the forty dayes of Christ after his Resurrection in the last Proba where the humanity was last of all tryed whether it vvould now stand and be wholly resigned in God being that death was destroyed and the invvard humane life new-borne in God 24. These five figures belong unto the five degrees of nature from the first forme of nature even to the fift viz. to the holy Centre of the Love-birth if it were not too large we would set it forth very clearly it shall be shewn in its place 25. These forty dayes Adam was y y y Or stood in the Proba tryed in his Innocency whether or no he would or could stand to possesse the Throne of Lucifer as an Hierarch and Prince of God but seeing God knew that this would not be he determined to move himselfe with his deepest Love in this Adamicall Angelicall Image of the inward holy man which did z z z Vanish or withdraw disappeare in Adam and to regenerate him anew viz. in the seed of the woman understand in the Love-desire's Seed wherein Adam should have impregnated generated or brought forth himselfe in a Magicall manner In this seed the Mark or Bound of the promised Covenant a a a Or with in Christ was set who should restore the Angels-Image viz. the divine man as it is effected 26. These forty dayes Adam viz. the Soule of Adam in the flesh vvas tempted betwixt three Principles for each Principle drew the Soule in the flesh and would have the upper-hand or Dominion 27. This was the Right b b b Tryall Probra of what the free will of the Soul would doe whether it would remaine in the divine Harmony or whether it vvould enter into the Selfehood Here it was tryed in Soul and body and drawn by all the three Principles each vvould accomplish or vvorke forth its wonders c c c With or by him in him 28. Not that the three Principles did stand in un-equall measure and weight in Adam they were in equall weight in him but not without him moreover the Devill was very busie in Gods Anger in the first Principle vvith his false Desire and introduced continually his Imagination into the Soule and into the outward flesh viz. into the Limus of the Earth and insinuated it into the first Principle viz. into the fiery property of the Soule even into the Eternall Nature whereupon the first Principle in the soule was moved to speculate it selfe in the Devills Imagination or glasse of phancy viz. to contemplate in the magicall birth how and what Evill and Good were how it would relish and be in the * * * In the dissimilitude or various disparity of the properties which were without it selfe unlikeness of the Essence whence the Lust did arise in the soul 29. Viz. The Earthly lust to eat of the manifold properties did arise in the outward part of the Soule and in the inward fiery part of the soule the lust of Pride did arise to know and prove evill and good desiring to be like God as the Devill also did when he would be an Or crafts-master Artist in the magicall birth after vvhich Adam heere also lusted 30. Albeit Adam did not desire to prove the first Principle as Lucifer hath done for his lust was onely bent to taste and prove evill and good viz. the vanity of the Earth the outward Soule was awakened so that the hunger entred into its mother where from it was drawn and introduced into another Source 31. And when this hunger entered into the Earth to eat of Evill and good then the desire in the Fiat drew forth the Tree of Temptation and set it before Adam then came the Severe command from God and said to Adam thou shalt not eat of the Tree of the Knowledges of good and evill in that day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt dye the death 32. And Adam also did not eat thereof in the mouth onely with the Imagination or desire he did eat thereof whereby the heavenly Tincture disappeared which stood in a fiery Love and the earthly one did awake in the outward Soules property whereby the heavenly Image was obscured 33. Thus the magicall birth was spoiled and it could not then be although Adam f f f Or had stood stood in Paradise yet it had not availed g g g Or them him for in the Imagination or hunger after evill and good the outvvard man did awake in him and obtained the Dominion then Adams faire Image fell into a Svvound and drew neer to the h h h Or Rest. Cessation of its operation for the heavenly Tincture was captivated in the earthly desire for the outward desire impressed into it its essence out of the vanity whereby the man was darkned and lost his cleare pure i i i Constant permanent Stedy Eyes and Sight which was from the divine Essence from whence before he had his sight or Seeing 34. Now Moses saith that the Lord God said it is not good that this man should be alone we will make an help meet for him vvhen God had created all creatures with the vvhole creaturall host Gen. 2. v. 18. Moses saith and God beheld all things which he had made and loe it was very Good and confirmed all to its propagation but heere he saith of man it is not good that he should be alone for he saw his miserable Fall that he could not magically propagate himselfe and said we will make an help for him CHAP. XIX Of the * * * Or framing building of the Woman shewing how Man was ordained to the outward Naturall Life ANd Moses saith God caused a deep steep to fall upon the man and he slept and he tooke one of the ribbes out of his side Gen. 1. v. 21. and built a woman thereof and closed up the place with flesh Moses saith the woman was made of a rib out of Adams side who vvill understand this without divine light
reason of their predomination or potent influence that Astrum which is most predominant in the Constellation that hath its desire in the Seed and if it be sown such a property is hatched forth in the earthly part of man 35. Not that the whole man is such a very brute beast in outward shape but there is such a figure of the desire in the earthly Essence and the man must beare such a Beast in the body which stirs him up and drives him to the beastiall property not that he hath this forme according to the outward person but really in the earthly Essence according to the outward personall shape he remaines in the first formation or platforme 36. Yet this Beast doth somewhat put forth its Signature externally in every one if one doe but heed and well minde the same he may finde it Hence Christ called the Pharisees a generation of Vipers and the Seed of Serpents also others he called wolves ravening wolves foxes doggs and the like for they were such in the earthly Essence and He taught us that we must be borne anew and forsake this beastiall property and become as children or we should not possesse the Kingdome of God 37. For as the Essence is in the body even so the Spirit doth figure and forme it selfe internally and the poore soule stands in this prison bound and married to such a beast unlesse that a man be borne anew for which ground and end God ordained the Circumcision in the old Testament and in the new the Baptisme in the Spirit of Christ. 38. Heere we are highly to consider what horrour lamentation and misery Anguish feare and distress did arise and awake in man and was manifest as a false life and will in man of which we have a type in the Death of Christ when he destroyed the Death in our Humane awakened property upon the Crosse and overcame it with the great Love in his heavenly bloud which he introduced thereinto that even then the earth viz. the limus of the earth whence Adams outward Essence was extracted did tremble and shake at it now when the great Love forced into the humane earth wherein the anger of God was living and effectually working in the Curse I say when it now was to dye and to be changed into another Source it did tremble before this great Love-fire like as the Love-fire in Adam and Eve did tremble in the awakening of the anger in them whereby they were astonished and creap behinde the trees in the Garden and were afraid for the dread and horror of Gods anger was awakened in their Essence and they knew their beastiall properties CHAP. XXI Of the Impression and Originall of the Beastiall man and of the beginning and ground of his sicknesse and mortality WHen Adam and Eve were become monstrous the Holy Spirit proceeding from the part of the heavenly limbus departed for the part of the Heavenly property disappeared in the Soule in which part the divine light shoane and in which the Divine power of the holy Tincture dwelt 2. Understand the power of the light u u u Or withdrew departed from him into the Centre in manner as a shining light which flameth forth from a candle extinguisheth and the fire Source onely of the light remaineth even so likewise the Magicall fire-source onely of the soules property remained viz. the Centre of the Eternall nature viz. the Fire-world and the darknesse 3. And on the outward part of the soul the Air-Spirit with its Astrum remained wherein the light of the outward nature shoane which now the fire-soule must make use of for the Fiat was enraged in the wrath of God viz. in the fiery property of the soul and also of the body and in a fiery hunger in the awakened Flagrat of Gods anger had entred into and taken possession of the Essence in soul and body and with hard Attraction did impresse it selfe in the Essence of the x x x Or matter outward Essence substance in the y y y Or limus limbus of the body whereupon the flesh became grosse hard thick and corruptible 4. For in the Flagrat of the wrath all the properties of each Astrum according to the property of all the creatures did awake in the Essence whence the enmity antipathy and contrariety did arise in the Essence of the body and soul so that one property is against another one taste z z z Or a loathsomnesse to another against anothers for all departed out of the Temperament paine tormenting malady and sickness a a a Or arose in them hapned unto them 5. For if an opposite Essence entreth into another it makes an enmity and an hatefull overmastring and destroying each the other one property annoyes weakens and destroyes another whence the death and dissolution of the body is arisen 6. For whatsoever stands not in the Temperature cannot subsist eternally but whatsoever standeth in the Temperature that hath no destroyer for all properties doe there mutually love one another and in the Love is the growth and preservation of the life 7. And we are heere fundamentally to understand how the grosse properties in the wrath of the Fiat in the Essence of the body have obscured and wholly shut up the heavenly essentiality in the Sulphur so that the heavenly man was no longer known as Lead doth hold the Golds spirit b b b Or blended avalled in it selfe that it is not knowne or discerned 8. For the desire viz. the first forme of nature which is the Fiat hath swallowed c c c Or with in the grosseness the heavenly part both in man and Metalls like as all the soverain power of or from the holy worlds Essence which is in all hearbs and all other fruits lieth shut up in the wrath and Curse of God in the darke worlds property in the Earth and springeth forth by the strength of the Sun and the light of the outward nature in the Essence through the Curse and wrath which budding or pullutation giveth a Soverain power and healing vertue for the malignant Essence in the living bodies whence the Physitian is arisen who seeketh and learneth to know the vertue and temperature thereof that he may resist and remedie the opposite Essence in the body which notwithstanding is onely a luke-warme and faint Sparckle thereof if he be not able and skilfull first to Separate the gross ravv wildness which is from the darke worlds property from his Cure 9. For if the captivated Essence of the heavenly worlds property may be redeemed from the Curse and wrath of nature then it standeth in the Temperature and if it then so commeth into a living body it doth awaken also the shut up or imprisoned life of the heavenly worlds Ens if that likewise be in the body and expelleth the wrath whereby the Sicknesse is destroyed and the Essence entreth into the Temperature 10. That this is certainly thus we may
Ens and have taken possession of the will and made it substantiall this Serpents craft doth then hold and entertaine the fame in the Devills murthering Fort as a fine adorned pleasant q q q Text Kittling brat as the Serpent lying on the Tree spake very pleasingly and takingly with Eve untill it could by its friendly intercouse catch her in the desire even so likewise the false crafty conceived Serpents word which proceedeth from the false heart doth hold forth it selfe as a very lovely Eloquent perswasive Syrene and calls it selfe holy till it can discover mans desire set open for it there it layes open its very heart and entreth in to the desire of him and maketh it selfe a place to worke and re-procreate its like 18. Hence now doe come the false close backbiters tale-bearers perverters and wrong interpreters of other mens sayings secret lyars who are very faire before and behinde are a Serpent Revilers and foule mouthed slanderers who take away a mans good Name from him and in this false smooth and well-coloured and adorned Serpents property the Devill hath his Counsell Chamber his schoole where he learneth the children of Eve his Art viz. jugling delusions foppery pride Covetousness Envy Anger and all vices and abominations proceeding from the Abysse of the darke worlds property 19. Thus the Devill ruleth man in Body and Soule by the crafty Essence of the Serpent and worketh abomination with abomination iniquity with iniquity Sin with Sin and this is even the first Originall of Actuall Sin that Eve and Adam did introduce the Serpents crafty Essence which the Devill had infected into their will and desire and so made themselves forthwith Monstrous in the Serpent where upon the darke worlds Essence did awake in them that so soon as this was brought to passe the will did imagine into this monstrous property and formed it selfe into a Substantiall word 20. Even thus the word was now also manifest in man in the property of Gods Anger viz. in the darke worlds Ens and thus man doth now speake lies and truth for there is a twofold Ens in him viz. one from the darke world awakened and stirred up by the desire of the Serpent and Devill and one from the Heavenly limus which is now stirring in man wherein the free will taketh the word that is whence it doth generate a fruit out of the divine Expressed and formed word which is againe received of the likenesse either in heaven or hell that is in the darkness or light 21. For the two worlds are in each other as one the wicked formeth and maketh for God a good word in his wrath unto Death viz. unto the sting of Death and Hell and the holy man formeth and maketh to God out of his good Ens a good word unto the holy life and Operation as the Scripture speaketh very clearely the holy is to God a sweet savour unto life and the wicked a sweet savour unto death viz. to the darke world 22. Now every man is a creatour or framer of his words powers and Doings that which he maketh and frameth out of his free will the same is received as a worke of the manifested word into each properties likeness 23. For Gods word is also manifest in the darke world but onely according to its property as the Scripture saith such as the people is such a God they also have Gods word is manifest in all things in each thing according to its Ens whence the free will proceedeth the free will is the creatour or maker whereby the creature maketh formeth and worketh in the r r r Or revealed manifested Word 24. There is no hearb or thing whatsoever that can be named wherein there lieth not an Ens from the manifested Word of God an Ens both according to Gods Love and Anger according to the dark and light world for this visible world was breathed forth out of this same Word now each Ens of the forth-breathed Word hath a free will againe to breath forth out of its Ens a s s s It s owne likenesse likenesse according to it selfe 25. But this is now the Greatest Evill that the Ens in its Centre is departed out of the likenesse and harmony of the property into an Elevation viz. out of one onely Ens into many entities into many properties of which the Devill being an Hierarch of the place of this world and also the Curse of God upon the Earth is a cause which Curse man stirred up and awakened 26. For now an evill Ens which is from the Awakened property doth t t t Text or is borne carried in c. infuse it selfe into a good vessell and corrupteth the vessell whence the free will should u u u Or create draw from a good property but the evill doth mix it selfe into the good and both come forth againe in the formed Word into a Substance as an evill man doth oftentimes stir up an evill word and worke in a good man which he never before conceived or purposed in his will 27. For the Anger is become stirring or quick in the humane Ens and adhereth to the good Ens and the will of the fire-soule is free it x x x Formeth createth or draweth forth conceiveth as soone in the Ens of anger as in the Ens of Love nay in many a one the Love-Ens is wholly impotent and as 't were dead or extinct He worketh onely from the craftinesse of the Serpent fruit unto Gods Anger and though his mouth doth flatter in the Serpents craft and make a devout shew of the holy Word and sets forth it selfe as an Angell yet it is onely the Ens and forme of the crafty Serpent in the light of the earthly nature and the man deceiveth himselfe 28. Therefore Christ saith unlesse that ye be converted and become as children ye cannot see the Kingdome of God the free will must wholly goe out from the Ens of the Serpent and enter againe in the Spirit of Christ into its heavenly Ens which did disappeare in Adam and againe awaken and stir up this Ens in the hunger of its desire that it also may be againe awakened and borne unto a living Ens in the new Regenerated Word in the humanity of Christ and which did araise and powerfully quicken it selfe in the great Love-property in the mans property in the person of Christ where also the free will becomes a new innocent childe and neither willeth nor letteth in the Serpents Craft otherwise the free will cannot forme and manifest Gods holy Word in it selfe the free will must draw onely out of the good Ens if it will worke and live in the holy Word 29. Now understand aright our writing concerning the Serpents Craft and it s Adorned Art and false vertue I say understand our very profound and high meaning opened out of the Counsell of God thus The Serpents Ens and Originall was a virgin of
the spirit ariseth which formeth it a creature out of the Ens and the spirit signeth it selfe in the Body what it is and so stands its figure CHAP. XXV How God drove Adam out of Paradise and laid the Cherub before the Garden WHen God had cursed the Serpent and the Earth then the Beast-Man was no longer profitable in Paradise for he could not any more enjoy the fruits of Paradise therefore he laid upon him the labour and toil of the world and drove him out of the Garden of Eden and placed the Cherub with the fire sword of judgement before it that if the new born virgin-child of the seed of the woman would again returne and enter into Paradise this Angel with the fire-sword should cut away the Serpents-beast from it and not any more suffer l l l Understand the beast it to come into Paradise 2. The Angel with the fire-sword is the right destroying Angel who carrieth death and life in his Sword he hath therein Gods Love and Anger and when man Dyeth in this world then he cometh before the Gates of Paradise before this Angel and even there the poor Soul must passe through this Garden judgement 3. Now if it be captivated in the Anger of God then it cannot passe through this judgement but if it be a virgin child born of the Seed of the woman then it may passe quite through this Sword and then the Angel cutteth off the Beast begotten of the Serpents Ens and even then the Soul is an Angell of God and serveth him in his Temple in Paradise and expecteth the Day of judgement viz. the Resurrection of the outward body when this Angell with the fiery Sword shall Sever the Earth from the Curse then the right humane body returnes again for it must also passe through this Sword and the Sword will cut off its Beast that he may be onely a Man and no more a Beast 4. The Speech of Moses concerning this Mystery is wholly hidden to the Earthly Man for Moses speaketh of an Angel and Sword and albeit the Outward figure was even just so for so was Adam driven out yet it hath far another A. B. C. internally the naturall man without Gods light understands nothing thereof 5. This Sword is in man when man converteth and entreth into sorrow for his committed Sins and casteth away the vanity and steppeth into the Infants Shirt then the morning Star ariseth in the spirit of Christ in the virgin-like m m m Or shut up Ens. occluse Ens in the true womans seed 6. And in this Anxious Sorrowfull Gate of true Repentance the Angel standeth with the fire-flaming sword and the virgin-Bud forceth quite through this fire-sword into Paradise viz. into the light into the life of Christ and groweth forth through this sword 7. And now the virgin-child standeth with its faire Rose in the New Plant in Paradise and the poore Soul which begetteth this child standeth the whole time of this life under the reach and Swinge of this fire-sword and is fast bound with a band to the grosse beast in the outward world where the virgin-child is sufficiently thrust at and wounded with this fire-sword for the fire-soul which in the fire-Sword of Gods Anger is bound to the Serpents Monster doth daily amuse it selfe upon the Serpent-Monster and Sinneth and even then this fire-sword doth cut away the Sins and devoures them into Gods Anger where they are examined and judged 8. Therefore the poore virgin-child which is borne out of the Soul must stand under Christs crosse in Christs death and the pierceing Sword of Tribulation and grief passeth quite through it it must suffer it selfe to be drawn quite through this flaming Sword and the fire burneth away the Abomination which the soul continually brings into it selfe from the Serpents n n n Or false Image Monster and even then it is in a Sore strait when that is cut off from the fire-soul which it faine would have from its Monster 9. Then must the virgin-child Supplicate the fire-soule and tender it the Love that it should onely forsake the Monster of the Serpent heere then ariseth strife and opposition for the part of the fire-soul hath introduced the Serpents Monster into it and desireth also to have its joy therein and loveth the Evill Beast 10. Then Sophia viz. the Second Principle viz. the Part of the light world doth speak against it and hence cometh up the Strife betwixt the Seed of the woman and the Seed of the Serpent and then man goeth up and down in Sorrow and Sadnesse trouble and perplexty sometimes the virgin-child prevailes and sometimes the Serpent-childe 11. And then the Devill stirs up and incenseth all Monsters against the virgin-child to strike it to mock it scorne it revile and laugh it to shame and make it ridiculous that it may by no meanes be known least the Devills Kingdome should become manifest 12. Thus the virgin-childe must be exercised by this in the Spirit of Christ and suffer it selfe to be whipped persecuted and injuriously reproved and often called one possessed by the Devill be cursed and continually accounted an off-scouring of the world untill the outward Beast hath finished its Course in its Constellation and then the Cherub cutteth off the grosse beast and lets it fall even unto the judgment of God and then the part of the fire-soule must forthwith force through the judgement of this Sword 13. Now if the fire-soul hath o o o Impressed taken in much vanity into it self viz. much of the Serpents craft and lust then the part of the fire-soule must stand p p p Or in under this Sword untill the fire of Gods Anger consumes this introduced vanity which to many a one is q q q Refining fire Purgatory enough which this present too too wise world will not beleeve and will be onely an Adopted child from without and so have an externall washing away of Sins in Grace but it hath another A. B. C. here God will not let the Serpens Ens neither in body nor Soule come into Paradise 14. The fire-soule must subsist in the fire of God and be so pure as the clear refined Gold for it is the husband of the Noble virgin Sophia which is from the womans Seed it is the fires Tincture and Sophia the lights Tincture if the Tincture of the fire be wholly and throughly pure then it s Sophia will be given to it and so Adam receiveth again into his armes his most pretious and endeared Bride which was taken from him in his sleep and is not any r r r Or from thence forward longer man or woman but a branch on Christs Pearl-tree which standeth in the Paradise of God 15. To the description whereof we need an Angels Tongue and yet we are understood well enough by our School-fellowes we have not written this for Swine for none but those onely who have been by and
but when the branch or sprout is to be borne and receive its beginning in the Ens of the root the Ens doth then forme it selfe to such a twig as the root at that time is apprehended in its power and free will both by the Superiour and inferior constellation 32. The like is also to be understood in man as the will is in the Seed that is as the desire of the father and mother together with other Influences from the Stars and Elements yea oftentimes from the Devills assaults and insinuations are at that time Even such a Spirit is formed in the Ens of the Seed sometimes an Angel if the Parents be in Holy Desire or in the true faith of the engrafted Word Sometimes also a beast a Serpent and Image of the Devill both according to the Ens of the Soul and the outward flesh 33. The power of the manifested Word doth give in it selfe into all things into every thing according to its will according to the desire in the Ens for the desire in the Ens is that which formeth the word viz. the Sound of life as it is written such as the people is such a God they also have with the holy thou art holy and with the perverse thou art perverse this is wholly to be understood concerning the Expressed Word in the Fiat viz. in the desire of nature and therefore God hath espoused and betrothed another word out of the Centre of his Love to the Image of man that although he be arisen out of an evill property yet the free-will * * * Note hath power and information to disclaime its Selfehood and dy to its Selfe in this holy incorporated Word and then the Fiat begetteth and formeth another new creature in the Free-will out of the Ens. 34. The Possibility lyeth in all men but the making or forming of the child of God belongeth now to the holy Fiat in the new introduced Word for it lyeth not on any mans selfe willing contriving running and toyling but on Gods mercy He hath mercy upon whom he please Note viz. upon those onely who with their Free-will dye to their Selfehood in his grace and resigne up their selves to him and he hardneth whom he please viz. those onely who run with selvish Cain and would themselves take the Kingdome of God in their own evill will and will not dye to their own selfe-full-will 35. Now saith the Scripture hath not a Potter power to make of one lump of clay what he please Note a vessell to honour and a vessell to dishonour that is will the selfefull will be Angry if it be Evill that the Fiat in the Word makes it to be a vessell of the Anger or will it therefore be angry if the holy Fiat in the holy Word maketh that will which diveth it selfe into the Love and Mercy of God and dyeth to its Selfehood to be a vessell of honour hath not this Potter power to doe with his clay viz. with the Ens or Seed what he please whereunto every Seed is good and profitable thereunto he maketh him a vessell either to the use of his Anger or the use of his Love 36. The Holy is unto God a Sweet Savour to life and the wicked a sweet Savour to the death in his anger all must enter into his Glory and praise him one in the property of his Anger who must call the Evil good the other in the property of his Love who must call the Good good for so it must be that the difference of the Good and Evill of the light and darknesse of the life and death may be known for if there were no death then the life were not manifest to it selfe and if there were no darknesse the light were not manifest to it self 37. And therefore the Eternall free-will hath introduced it selfe into darknesse Paine and Source and so also through the darkness into the fire and light even into a Kingdome of joy that so the nothing might be known in the Something and that it might have a Sport in its Contra-will that the free-will of the f f f 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Abysse might be manifest to it selfe in the g g g 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bysse for without Evill and Good there could not be any Bysse ground or foundation 38. For the Evill maketh pain and motion and the Good causeth Essence and power and yet both Essences are onely One Essence as fire and light are onely one Essence also darknesse and light are onely one being but it Severs it selfe into two mighty distinctions and yet there is no Sundry Separation for one dwelleth in the other and yet doth not comprehend the other the one doth deny the other for the one is not the other 39. God dwelleth through all and that all is not God also it doth not reach him but whatsoever quitteth it selfe free of its free-will that falleth into his possession that he must have for it is will-lesse and falleth into the Nothing and he is in the Nothing thus the Resigned will may dwell in the Nothing and there is Gods Mercy for he will have Something out of the Nothing that he may be manifest in the Something and therefore he hath mercy upon the Something which is fallen into his Nothing and maketh it in himselfe to be his Something which he himselfe ruleth driveth and acteth with his Mercifull Spirit 40. And herein lieth the pretious Pearle deare bretheren who are driven too and fro with Contention if ye did but know it you would leave off from strife and call Reason a foole no Searchings of Selfe obtaineth it but the will freely Resigned into Gods Mercy which entreth in by the way of Earnest Repentance and mortification of its own evill will that falleth into Gods Mercy and doth apprehend and obtaine the right understanding and without this there is meere selfe-running walking and willing and yet nothing can be obtained save onely in the will freely resigned into Gods Mercy 41. We have a very excellent and notable example and type of this in the first birth which opened the wombe that it was to be sanctified and offered up to the Lord and yet the true living offring proceedeth from the Second new birth as we may see in Abell Isaac and Jacob. Cain Ismael and Esau were the first-borne the inheritance belonged to them but the lot and Mercy fell upon Abell Isaac and Jacob for the first Ens of man was infected and made crasie by the Devill therefore it must be given to the fire for an Offring and food and out of the offring viz. out of the fire of Gods Anger the Love of God was made manifest in Mercy and the first Adam was the h h h Inmate or of his family Servant Sojourner of the Second in Christ for the Second redeemed the first 42. The Devills desire and the beastiall Ens of the Serpent had got the upper hand
in the matrix of Eve and apprehended the first Seed in the desire now the Kingdome of God did yet belong to the first man but being he did lose it by his negligence the first Adam must be offered to the Earth and also its first Seed to the Anger 43. And after this first Seed Abel came forth in the holy Covenant and offered his sweet bloud for the sinfull Seed to the Anger that the anger might let its flame fall and suffer the first birth to press i i i Viz. through death and the anger into life through in the bloud of the Second 44. The first birth was a murtherer which signifieth the Devill in man the Second was the offering of or for the first that the Anger-Devill in the first Adam might be appeased in the offering of the Second 45. Not that we would exalt or take in the wicked into the offering of Christ so long as he is wicked the Devill devoureth most of the wicked crew onely the wicked Sinner hath an open Gate made for him in the offering of the Second Adam if he did convert and turne himselfe from his wickedness 46. But that some write there was a twofold Seed which did Sever it self in Eve viz. one wholly devillish from the Ens of the Serpent and the other from the Ens of Christ or the promised Seed of the woman in the Covenant is nothing so these have not at all learned the A. B. C. in this schoole they have onely a dreaming shadow and fiction of the Mystery and not the true Sight thus they build the Election of grace upon this but they are much mistaken Note they speak onely the Serpents words which desired to have it so observe it thus 47. Adam had onely one limbus to his Seed and Eve onely one Matrix for her Seed but they both stood in three Principles the Principles were in Contest as still they are at this day the Second Principle viz. the Kingdome of God or Angelicall world did disappear in the Souls Seed and God espoused his onely most holy word again therein unto the new-birth 48. And this espousall or betrothment stood aswell in Cains Ens as in Abels Ens but Cains Ens was apprehended in the Contest of the three Principles in the Anger and covered with the Serpents Monster not so to an impossibility as if he were borne to condemnation but even to a possibility of the Free-Will whether he would lay down the selfefull assumed and selfe appropriated Right in Adam and live in Gods will or whether he would live unto himselfe upon this was the Election set 49. Now God knoweth whereinto the free-will is entred if it be entred into iniquity and selfe-hood then Gods Anger establisheth or confirmes it in its choise to condemnation but if it be entred into the word of the Covenant then God confirmes it to be a childe of Heaven and here that saying hath its proper signification and application I have mercy on whom I will and whom I will I harden God knoweth his children even in the Ens in the mothers wombe to what end should he give his Pearle to him whom he yet knoweth would turne himself away from him the Pearl's ground lieth indeed in him but hidden and shut up if he brought his will into the Pearl it would open it self in him 50. All men proceed from one onely Seed but in one the holy fire glimmereth and in another it lyeth as 't were shut up and cannot by reason of the Mire of the Serpent 51. Thou sayst then is the Serpents Ens more mighty then Gods Love I have already answered thee that Love and Anger are in Contest whereinto the Ens doth espouse it selfe of that it is apprehended and confirmed yet so that the will is free to goe from the Evill into the Good and from the Good into the Evill and that while it liveth upon the Earth both doores stand open unto it for the free will is not bound but if it were bound then no judgement could with righteousness passe upon it it hath Lawes and instructions which are given it not unto death but unto life but if it transgresseth these and continueth in the transgression now the judgement passeth upon it for every judgement or sentence of Condemnation ariseth from the transgression of the Command 52. Thou sayst he cannot keep them he is drawn to transgression yea very right doth not the Truth rebuke him even to the face that he is a faithlesse wretch that suffers himselfe to be drawn to Evill the Law to doe Right is in his vitall light as a continuall Looking-glasse he seeth and knoweth it very well that he is a lyar and walketh upon the way of the Devill it sheweth him the way of truth but the free-will rejecteth it at present he is predestinated to condemnation yet so that the will is free so long as he is in this Cottage but the heavy band of Gods anger in the drawing of the Devills desire drawes many an one to the damnation of death 53. Reason saith if a man hath free-will then God is not omnipotent over him to doe what he please with him The free-will is not from any beginning also not amassed or taken out of any ground into any thing or formed by any thing it is its own peculiar Originall out of the word of the divine Power out of Gods Love and Anger it formeth it selfe in its own will a Centre to its Seat it begetteth it selfe in the first Principle to the fire and light its right and genuine Originall is in the Nothing where the Nothing viz. the or as a man might unfold it A. O. V. doth introduce it selfe into a Lubet to contemplation and the Lubet brings it selfe into a will A. O. V. and the will into a desire and the desire into a Substance 54. Now the Eternall Originall viz. God is a Judge over the Substance if the Lubet which is departed from him hath introduced it selfe into an Evill being then he judgeth that being or substance in its Principle in what Source and property soever or in what Ens soever the Lubet proceeding from the departed hath introduced it selfe into a Principle therein the universall Eternall free-will which is the Abysse and Cause of all Bysse doth confirme and settle it 55. The Abyssall judgeth That which doth intoduce it selfe into Bysse and severs the good which hath introduced it selfe into a good Ens into the good viz. into the divine Love and the Evill which hath brought it selfe into an Evill Ens and set and formed it selfe into a Centre to an evill Spirit and will into his wrath and Anger 56. For how can he judge a thing whose own it is not how would God judge the will of the creature if it were not sprung or arisen from him or rather how can a Judgement passe upon a thing which is bound and not free in its willing and
of these Serpentine wolvish Pharisees and also of the verball Titular Christendome 16. As the false Serpents-child is a monster and fool before the Angelicall world so likewise the children of darknesse doe account and esteeme the children of the light for fooles for there must be a contrary that the one might be manifest in the other if the Anger had not taken hold of the humanity and devoured it into it selfe then the deepest Love of God would not have been manifest in Man 17. But thus the Love taketh Cause by the Anger to overpower and prevaile over the same with its motion and manifestation as the same may be known in Christ the true Son of God gave himselfe into our Image which was awaked in the Anger that so he might be made manifest with his Love in the Anger and change the same into joy 18. Christ gave our humane Image to the Anger of his father to be devoured in death and brought his life into death and yet manifested his Love in the life which death had devoured and brought forth the life in Love through the death as a Grain of corn which is sown into the earth the same must dye in the earth but out of that mortifyed grain growes a fair new body even so the corrupt body of Adam shall and must be offered to death and the Anger and out of the Death and Anger the body of the divine Love shall be manifest 19. It was exactly Typified and prefigured in Cain and Abel how it would be in the Succeeding and future generations being Abel outwardly did beare the Earthly Image and yet in the Spirit he was an Image of heaven his outward body in the Corruption was onely a e e e Text Larva or strange disgu●sed person visard before the outward world for there was another Spirit hidden therein which was not of the outward worlds Essence and property therefore because he was not wholly a right childe of the earthly world it would not suffer him being as a strange childe in it for the Devill was Prince in the wrathfull Essence in this world who would not that a childe of the light should spring forth through the wrathfull Essence and be in his Garden 20. Thus the Image or person of Cain and Abel is a true figure of the false and then also of the holy and true children of God of the outward Sinfull corrupt and mortall Man and of the inward now regenerate holy man when Christ with his Love-Kingdome ariseth from death out of the disappeared Ens then Adams earthly Image must dye in Christs death and if it now be that the outward body must yet live it is onely a scorne and foole before the Heavens Image and so also before the naturall f f f All naturall men life of this world 21. For so soon as Christ is borne the Sinfull life is condemned to death and standeth in scorne and open shame before all the false children in the Anger of God as an whore in g g g At the house of correction or whipt through the streets Bridewell whom other whores likewise help to deride and scoffe at and yet they doe but onely judge and condemn themselves thereby for if Christ be born then the judgement passeth upon the false beastiall life and that man must stand in the judgement of God as a malefactour and be termed a foole a Heretick and be jeered scoffed and reviled yea even utterly defyed and slaine that the Monster may be judged before Gods Anger but those that doe it are the children of the lusty pampered and well-fatned Anger of God whom the wrath of God useth for its Instrument for God is a Spirit therefore he accomplisheth his judgement by a materiall h h h By some outward substantiall meanes or Persons Image 22. For so soon as Abell did in his Offring put on or attract the Love of God in the Covenant anew into his humane desire and comprehended or amassed the same into his Essence then forthwith the judgement passed upon the externall mortall Man and Gods Sword of Anger tooke him which Cain executed and slew the outward body of Abel and at this time also the judgement passed upon the false Image of the Anger in Cain for he stood there and cryed My Sins are greater then can be forgiven me 23. This doth now hint and point at the figure of Christ how the Anger of the Father must i i i Or swallow up devoure the life of Christ in death and when as the Anger had devoured the life in death then the holy life of the deepest Love of God moved it selfe in the death and the Anger and devoured the death and anger into it selfe whereat the Earth trembled and the Rocks clove asunder and the Graves of the Saints opened 24. And so likewise the Love-fire k k k Good and evill now mixed and in contest one with the other and the Anger-fire in the place of this world which wrathfull fire was enkindled in the Creation when the Apostate Lucifer fell shall at the Last Day be again changed into the Divine joyfulnesse and be Avalled or swallowed up in the Love understand it shall be thus in the third Principle where Love and anger doe strive this Time one with anorher but l l l Lucifer HE remaineth in the darknesse in the first Principle 25. The true Cause wherefore Cain murthered Abel was by reason of their Offrings and worship of God viz. Religion as this Contention continueth still to this day the Cainicall Church is not yet one with the Abelicall 26. Now saith reason I see it well enough that all contention and strife ariseth from Religion but what is the ground and most undoubted cause and reason thereof behold this is the Cause set before thee the false Serpents childe which is Evill and good and then set before thee the virgins-childe borne of Christ and then thou hast the fundamentall Cause exactly drawn to the life before thine eyes 27. The Cainicall Church drives a suttle Trade with externall Ceremonies and will appease God with some externall thing or other it will be outwardly an accepted and adopted child it must down right be called honest godly holy and heavenly it adorneth and trimmeth up it selfe very finely and standeth mightly upon its Calling which it hath it selfe Ordained and Instituted it makes a very specious and Renowned shew in the white sheepes cloathing and therein lodgeth the High Priest of selfehood without Christs Spirit and rules and masters the worke of the outward letters and whosoever learneth to transpose and compose the same boldly and bravely according to their forme of forged opinions he is an high Priest in their Office and Order he putteth Christs garment of innocency on him for his Cloake and Covert 28. The other party of the confused cainicall Church cryeth out and holdeth forth the Goodly glistering childe to m m m
that none could slay it 54. For Cain did not cry out onely for feare of the outward life but he feared that his right Eternall life might be slaine that his life should be wholly blotted out from the Face of God for he cryed also and said Lo thou drivest me out this day from off the Earth and I must hide my selfe from thy face and I must be a fugitive and a vagabond in the Earth and it will now come to passe that whosoever findeth me will slay me He cryed out for feare of being killed and was sore afraid and yet there vvas no man besides him upon the Earth save onely his Father Adam and without doubt his sister vvhom he tooke to wife 55. Cain feared the Spirits vvho had moved him to slay his brother that they would also kill him for he saith I must be hid from thy face now this was not in any externall manner but in an internall for God dwelleth not in the view of the outward eyes but in the inward Spirituall vision therefore God said whosoever killeth Cains internall life vengeance shall be taken on him seven-fold and he set the marke of the Covenant on his life so that no spirit in the wrath could murther it for he was a twigg out of the Tree of life 56. Although the Seven properties of nature in him were departed from their mutuall accord in each other yet he was not the sole cause of it for he had so received his life from Father and Mother in the divided property and therefore the Grace passed as vvell upon him as upon Abel except onely that Abel proceeded out of the other line but the Centre of the Soule was alike to them both but the motion in the Seed was unlike for they were the two types of the world viz. Cain the type of the Selfehood in the wrath and Abel the type of the resignation of life where from the Resignation another world springeth forth through Death out of the Centre 57. Not that Cain was borne to destruction but that evill awakened property in the dissimility viz. the Soule of the outward world brake forth forcibly in the Seed and tooke the Centre of life into its Power and therein God set a marke viz. his Covenant that the murtherers should not slay the Souls life 58. But if it should so come to passe that the owne peculiar will would give it selfe to the murtherers then the life of Cain should be avenged Seven-fold that is through all the Seven properties and the free-will which did slay the life of God which was in the Word John 1. should be rebuked and punished seven-fold through all the Seven formes of nature both temporally and eternally and this is the meaning whosoever killeth the life that is what free-will soever murthereth its life vengeance shall be taken on it Eternally in the Seaven properties of the dark vvorld 59. And in this place we are further to consider aright of the great mysteries for the Seaven properties of the humane Tree producing and manifesting the life of the Wonders of God had now Spread forth themselves even unto Lamech the Dominion of the world was novv wholly brought forth with Lamech in nature for Lamech was the Seventh man in the Root of the Wonders arising from the first Stock that is Adam was the first Abel belongeth not unto the Line of the Wonders but unto the Regeneration Cain was the Second in the Line of the Wonders Hanoch the third Irad the fourth Mahujael the fift Methusael the Sixt and Lamech the Seventh 60. Now Lamech did spring forth from Cains Root out of this Line of the Wonders of God and he was an honest upright man but was a a a Taken or beset environed with the Spirit of the Wonders and he Looked back upon the Wound and also upon the b b b Or Seale Signe of Grace in the Covenant and knew for certaine that even now the Spirit of the Wonders should be fully brought forth and manifested in the humane life whereby all Arts of the vvorld should be found out 61. And he saw also forwards how it would fall out in these Wonders of the world hovv his children would introduce his life which they should receive from him by propagation into a Babylon of folly and Corrupt the same and hereby also he looked especially upon the word whence the humane life was Sprung and how the life in the Spirit of the Wonders of the world would introduce it selfe into a seaven and seventy-fold word of Languages and Nations as came to passe at Babel and how the free-will of Nature would goe astray from the Onely God and be corrupt and that it should be avenged seven-and-seventy-fold that is every tongue and speech should be Avenged in the Anger of God and therefore because they would Corrupt Lamechs life which they received of him by propagation and this the Wrath of God would Avenge in the free-will of his children divided into severall Speeches 62 For the Spirit saw forwards hovv the free-will vvould give up and addict it selfe to Selfehood and Apostatize from the Onely God and ●ovv the Anger of God would Seize upon and confound the Naturall Spirit of the Wonders in man viz. the Soule of the outward world from whence the Great Babylon of Contention about Gods being and vvill vvould arise and this the Spirit said should be avenged seven-and-seventy-fold in Lamech 63. For this was a Seven and Seventy-fold Racha or Avengement upon the Word of the understanding in the humane life that out of one onely tongue out of one onely Speaking Word and vitall Spirit a Seventy and seven-fold tongue viz. a Confusion of the understanding should be made before the understanding lay in one Sound voice or Harmony but now the Racha came into it and Confounded and shattered it into Seventy and seven parts 64. For the humane vvheele of the Sound or understanding was turned round and the Ten formes of fire wherein time and Eternity doth consist did open themselves in every forme of nature which was seven times ten vvhich makes Seventy whereto also belongeth the Centre with its Seven unchangeable formes of the Eternall nature which is together seventy and seven 65. And herein Deare brethren lyeth the * * * Mysterium Magnum Grand Mystery if ye were not cloathed with the Garment of the Contentious Languages then we vvould be bold to declare something more in this place unto you but ye are yet all captivated in Babel and are contenders about the k k k Or Meaning Spirit of the Letter and yet have no understanding of the same yee will also be Doctors and learned Masters forsooth but yet ye understand not your own Mother-Tongue yee bite and devoure one another about the husk of the word wherein the Living word doth forme and amasse it selfe and ye neither desire nor understand the living word yee speake onely out of Seven and out of seventy
monster and an Evill Beast in his free-will which doth not resemble the first Image of the formed Life in the word of God now against this Beast the words of Christ are directed when he saith Vnlesse ye be converted and become as children that is unlesse you do depart from and utterly disclaim the will of the Selfe-Generated Beast and enter again into the form of the first Life yee cannot else see the Kingdom of God also yee must be borne againe of the water of the Heavenly worlds essence and of the same holy Spirit proceeding from the Covenant otherwise ye cannot see and behold God 9. This Evill Beast of the Godless form Note is predestinated to condemnation but the Covenant is in the Life if the free will Resigneth it selfe up to the Covenant then Christ ariseth in his humanity out of the Covenant in the Life and even then the strange Beast dyeth in Christs death and the will formeth it selfe again into the first Image according as God created it and this is not annexed onely unto Seth but unto Adams life viz. unto the Onely life of man which was in the Word of God and passeth from one upon all as all branches in one tree do receive sapp from the Onely root of the stock 10. But the properties of nature viz. of the naturall life have brought themselves out of Adams stock into sundry boughes and branches whence the multiplicity of Nations Tongues and Speeches is arisen but the Life is onely One and the Covenant in the life sprang forth from the root of life viz. from the Word of God out of which the Life came upon all even as the Sin viz. the fall and apostacy passed upon all none excepted for the Children of Seth were concluded under Sin as well as Cains but the Covenant * * * Or the open and outward manifestation of the Covenant with its manifestation passed upon SETH for his name signifieth in the Language of nature a forth-breathing Spring out of the Life through the first Centre of the Soule wherein the word of God would open it selfe through the Life 11. And Moses saith Seth begat Enos Gen. 4.26 and then began men to preach of the Name of the Lord for the Name ENOS signifieth in the Language of Nature a Divine Lubet through the life wherein the Formed Word would behold it selfe in the Sound and Voice of the Life therefore the Spirit of God began to Teach out of the Covenant through the Life of man concerning God and his Being and Will this was the beginning of the Divine Contemplation through the formed Wisdom in the word where the word did behold it selfe through the wisdome of the formed Humane Voice 12. And as the Life did form it selfe by Cains line through the wonders of the formed wisdome in Nature with all manner of Arts and works and also Dominions Governments and Orders and introduced them all for the Setting forth of Gods wondrous Deeds and Acts viz. to a Contemplation of Evill and good light and darknesse so likewise the Spirit of God did bring forth out of the Line of the Covenant in the manifested Word the wonders of Divine Holinesse Truth Righteousnesse Love and Patience and by the Preaching of the formed word did declare what the holy and Spirituall Kingdome of God is 13. In Cain the Kingdome of nature was represented and in Abel and Seth the Supernaturall Divine Kingdome both these arose together and went all along one in another to the Remonstrance or Contemplation of the Divine Lubet in the formed wisdome and Each put it selfe forth in an especiall manner into its visible Ken as a wonder 14. For from Adam even unto Lamech in the line of the wonders there are Seven Generations and in the other line viz. in the line of the Covenant from Adam unto Enoch are also Seven Generations Enoch is the Eighth viz. a beginning of the propheticall Spirit for in the first Seven Generations the form of the Spirituall Kingdome proceeding from the Life's Tree was set forth 15. Adam was the stock for his life taketh its originall out of the word but being the Life of nature in him did predominate over the life in the formed Word and would have the Supream dominion and obscured the life proceeding from the word the word it selfe freely gave it selfe with a Covenant to be a Life therein and set forth its figure in Abel how the naturall life should and must be broken and the word of the Divine power should again spring forth afresh out of the first Life 16. Thus Abel was the Figure of the Second Adam Christ and therefore he must be slain for the Covenants sake for Christ should kill the exalted haughty naturall will and being forth a new one and therefore Abel also should not beget any naturall child else it had been strange to nature for they should all proceed forth out of one stock and the word would spring forth anew through the Onely Tree in the Covenant that so the Children of Grace might be brought forth out of the Tree of nature as the dew out of the * * * Or Morning day-break 17. For thus also the figure of the new birth was represented out of the Stem namely the line went forth out of Adam he was the first Abel the second Seth the third Enos the fourth where men began to teach of the Spirituall Kingdome * * * Or Cainan KENAN the fift which signifieth in the language of nature a forth-going * * * Re-apprehend re-conceived Lubet or desire of the divine Contemplation in which the word Taught did form it selfe viz. in Prayer and in the wills desire and also in their Offrings 18. MAHALALEEL was the sixt and signifieth in the language of nature an Angelicall form of an Angelicall Kingdome where the spirit did typifie and pourtray the Kingdome of Christ in this Name 19. JARED was the Seventh by this Name is understood in the language of nature a Priest or Prince of the Spirituall Kingdome for as Irad should be the Regent or Ruler in the Kingdome of nature so Jared should be the Regent in the Spirituall Kingdome for out of Jared came the office of Moses and out of Irad proceeded the Kingdome of worldly principalities and framed Governments and Dominions 20. But the language of nature sheweth very clearly that Jared is onely a type of a spirituall Kingdome for the Name carrieth forth the Cherub along with it through the word for the spirituall Kingdome upon the earth was all along captivated in the wrath of God untill Christ who destroyed the Anger 21. The Office of this Jared is twofold viz. externally it is the figure of the Spirituall Kingdome bound with the wrath of God and internally it is the true holy Kingdome which the Penitent man receiveth or taketh possession of Outwardly it is Moses and inwardly Christ. 22. From this outward Kingdome the great
line their Age which the Spirit setteth down denoteth the * * * Note Times how long each Dominion and government both the worldly and Spirituall or Ecclesiasticall Kingdome should stand in its forme and Structure that is to say how long each * * * Beginning growing arising prevailing Monarchy of the Secular and wordly power and domination should continue and so likewise of the Spirituall Monarchy 33. And these * * * Or Monarchs Monarchies of the wonders are forthwith represented out of the first Twiggs springing from the beginning of the humane tree that is they are set forth in each line in Seven numbers from Adam through Cain even unto Lamech and in the other line from Adam unto Jared by which Numbers and Names the Spirit pointeth in each line especially at Seven of the forth-proceeding properties of the Tree and powers of the wonders intimating how the powers of the wonders should afterwards bring themselves into Goverments and how one figure should arise out of the other and how one should destroy and break down the other and set forth out of the destruction another forme as it hath been brought to passe in the * * * Ecclesiasticall and Temporall Spirituall and worldly Goverments for alwayes the worldly Government is to be understood with the Spirituall for the outward formed Word in the dominion and Regiment of nature doth evermore set forth its forme by with and in the Spirituall or Ecclesiasticall forme or manner of Discipline therefore observe and marke here with precise Exactnesse 34. There are Seaven Times appointed to proceed from the Tree of life in the word of power the first proceedeth from the pure life of Adam for before the creature the life was in the word whence it was brought pure into the Image this continued untill the fall from this pure life there springs forth a twigg in the inward Kingdome this same was Abel but being the fall hung on him externally this same pure life was carried through Death into the holy world this signifieth and pointeth at the Kingdome of Christ who should bring us through Death into the pure Life 35. The Second time begins with Seth for Moses saith that Adam was an hundred and thirty yeares old and begat a Son in his own likenesse and called him Seth understand he was such an Image as Adam w●s after the fall and was set in the Spirituall Line of the Wonders and Cain also with him in a worldly naturall line of the wonders for both * * * Secular and Ecclesiasticall Kingdomes goe together Seths time continueth till the Deluge and beareth the Supremacy even to the Deluge or Noahs floud 36. The Third time begins with Enos under Seths time and carrieth forth it selfe all along as a Spirituall Ministry or Knowledge of God under Seths time as an hidden Kingdome and continued till Abraham to whom the Covenant of Christ was established in the flesh 37. The Fourth time begins with Cainan which is the Spirituall forme in prayers and Spirituall offrings wherein the word formed it selfe in the wisdome and carried it selfe forth all along under Seths and Enos his time and manifested it selfe with Moses like as Enos his time was first truely manifested with Abraham with the promise in the Covenant this time of Cainan continued in its manifestation and dominion under Moses till Christ in the flesh 38. The fift time begins with Mahalaleel and t is the Reception or formation of the Angelicall forme viz. of the new Regeneration out of the Covenant and goeth Secretly all along under the Ministry of Enos under Seth and Cainan in the word of the promise through all the Three times and did manifest it selfe with the fulfilling of the Covenant in the humanity of Christ where the true Mahalaleel and Angelicall Image which did disappeare in Adam was again manifest in the humanity of Christ. 39. The Sixt time begins with Jared which is the spirituall Priesthood under the externall where outwardly Seth Enos Cainan Mahalaleel were in their Times in their Orders or outward formes as the ministry and preaching of Enos concerning God and his beeing and will so likewise the preaching of Abraham concerning the Covenant and Circumcision Also Moses with the Book of the Law under all these the inward Priest Jared went along hiddenly Inwardly this Spirituall Priesthood is Christ in the new man and outwardly in the selfe-elected Priests it is Babel 40. This Sixt time began in the Kingdome of Christ after the Death of the Apostles when as men chose themselves Teachers out of favour and outward respects that is it did even then first open it selfe out of the * * * Or vaile hiddennesse of the shaddow and put it selfe forth in the Churches of Stone where the Church stood in stead of the holy Temple of Christ then indeed the holy Jared viz. Christs voice ruled in Christs children internally but externally the Cherub with the Sword did onely bear rule for the outward authority which these selfe-elected Priests doe manage is the Sword of the Cherub which is signified in the Name Jared * * * That is in the word JARED the Language of Nature doth emphatically expresse that the Sword of the Cherub should Domineere the whole Time of the Sixt Seale among the Priests who should have taught the Love of Jesus but by this Sword they fall AMEN which powerfully forceth it selfe forth all along in the word in the language of Nature 41. This sixt time is hidden and manifest it is known and also not known for Christ said my Kingdome is not of this world So that this time hath been faine to passe away as it were in a Mystery under Antichrist where inwardly in the children of God Christs Kingdome hath been manifest but in the Rest who have also lived under this time and have been called Christians Babel and the Antichrist hath onely been manifest both in the Priests and their Hearers for they which have been borne of God have heard the true Jared viz. Christs voice in them but the other have heard onely the Outward voice in Babel viz. disputation and Contention about Christs Kingdome 42. For all warre which the Christians manage is onely the Sword of the Cherub proceeding from Babel true Christians wage no war for they have broken the Sword of the Cherub in the death of Christ and are dead with Christ and risen againe in him and they live no longer to the externall Might and Dominion for their Kingdome is manifest in Christ and is not of this world 43. This Sixt * * * Or sixt Seal Kingdome beginneth after the death of the Apostles and continueth with its outward Government even to Mount Zion till translated Enoch doth again appear in Spirit and power for Enoch is the propheticall Root and holdeth in his * * * Or Regiment Dominion Noah Moses and the Sword of Elias at the End of this
wives according as they listed and would not suffer the Spirit of God to reprove and admonish them 13. The meaning of it is this the children of God in whom the Spirit of God did manifest it selfe looked in the lust of the flesh after fleshly Women although they were of the Generation and linage of Ham without Gods Spirit yet if they were but faire and beautifull for their lust of the flesh they introduced the Seed of the holy Ens into such beastiall vessells and afterward brought forth such * * * Giants Tyrants and fleshly minded men who woud not suffer the Spirit of God to rebuke them for they were onely flesh without divine Spirit and will 14. They should not have mixed themselves with the beastiall Daughters but looke after those in whom the Spirit of God was even those who feared and loved God but they looked onely at the lust of their eyes and flesh and corrupted the holy Ens in the Covenant in which God had * * * Incorporated espoused and betrothed himselfe against these the Spirit heere complaineth that they would not be instructed and reformed but follow the lust of the flesh 15. We see this very emphatically set forth unto us in Sem Ham and Japhet that it is so that the Spirit would not that the children of God should mix themselves with the very carnall or beastiall People for after the Deluge the Spirit divideth the three brethren into three Families and would that each family should remaine apart by it selfe 16. For therefore came the Deluge upon the Earth and destroyed these mixed people and afterwards made a Separation amongst them according to the Nature of the Three Principles that each property might possesse its Quire and line in the Nature of the Wonders but yet it would not doe so that at last the Spirit divides them with the Confusion of the Languages at Babel that so they might come into a Severall division for the properties of the Tree did there divide and spread forth themselves into Seventy and seven viz. into the Wonder of the Nature of the formed Word Vers. 5 6. 17. Now saith Moses And the Lord saw that the wickednesse of man was great upon the Earth and that all their Thoughts and Imaginations in their Hearts were onely Evill continually then it repented God that he had made man on the Earth and it grieved him at his very heart and said I will destroy man which I have created from off the face of the Earth both man and Beast and creeping thing and all the fowles of the aire for i● repenteth mee that I have made them these are marvellous and wonderfull sayings that the Spirit saith it repented God that he had made man and the creatures who would understand this without divine knowledge that any thing should grieve the unchangeable God Reason would be ready to say hath he not knowne aforehand what would be how can his will which is himselfe grieve and repent 18. Here we must goe into the Centre In God there is no grieving or Repentance Nothing can grieve or trouble him but there is a grieving in his expressed formed Word for it repenteth the formed word in the Devills that the Ens of Light is turned into an Ens of Darknesse it grieveth the Devill that he did not continue an Angel also it repenteth the wicked man eternally that he stood not in the divine Ens in the formed word and hath turned the power of the word into malice and iniquity also there is a grieving in the formed word in Nature over all kindes of creatures that the property of the wrath in the Curse of the Anger doth rule and domineere in the formed expressed Word it grieveth the Love-Ens of the word that the Devill and wrath domineereth in it and corrupteth and destroyeth many 19. Now when God saith it repenteth him It is to be understood according to the creation of the formed word not according to the Eternall Speaking word which is unchangeable but according to the Good property in the creation that it must be laden with Evill against its will for the Spirit saith in Moses and it grieved him in his heart yea it did truly grieve or trouble him in his HEART the good Ens of the Earth which went also along with it into a compaction which is from the spirituall worlds property from the holy word the same was in the Sin or fall of man captivated in Death and shut up in the Curse in the Earth now the formed word grieved at it and troubled or affected the Eternall Speaking word viz. Gods Heart 20. For our Soul cryeth unto Gods heart viz. unto the Eternall Speaking Word and moveth troubleth or affecteth the same that it should move it selfe in us according to its Love Now the humane word worketh in the divine and stirreth the divine so that the divine word entreth into our Sorrow for Sin and helpeth us to repent of our Sins for the Spirit in Moses said when Lamech had begotten Noah this same shall comfort us in our Labour 21. This was now the Spirit of the beginning and End of all things it repented through nature of the iniquity of man and grieved at the captivity of the vanity of the creatures and wrought Repentance into the holy Eternall Speaking word the Spirit in the formed word of the whole creation of this world said It grieveth mee that I have brought me into such an Evill property in the creatures And wrought Repentance into the living Eternall Speaking word from whence the out-breathed formed vvord was flown forth and proceeded 22. For That this is so Note let us take an example on our repentance we cannot work any Repentance unlesse our inward humane Soule doth repent that it hath made formed or brought forth the Beast of vanity in it selfe but if it will repent then its formed Word must enter or make its earnest approach into the Heart of God and presse the same with an uncessant importunity and move in it and now when this comes to passe then presently the deluge cometh upon the evill man of the vaine will which must forthwith be drowned in its Sorrow in the word of Death Here then God repenteth in man that the Evill beast full of Sinfull desire is born and in this same divine Sorrow it must be drowned in Gods Love and die unto the wrathfull evill life and will 23. Now understand Gods Sorrow or repentance in the Creature of the Creatures aright The Spirit in the whole creation even in every life which moveth in the fire and aire said it grieveth mee that I have figured this Image of vanity on me and this Sorrow of the formed Spirit in the expressed Word grieved that is moved the Eternall Speaking word in it then said the Eternall word I will yet give them an hundred and twenty yeares respit for even so long the time in the Dominion or Government of Seths
compacted spirits of the Letters whereby men contend about the Spirits of the Letters 42. We have lost the Five vowells in the Alphabet which doe introduce all the spirits of the Letters into one pure harmony and the five vowells are as t' were sencelesse or dumb in reference to the other letters and yet they are the life of the rest for there cannot any word be formed but there must be a vowell 43. Now there is no better way or remedy to bring us into union that so we may become ONE again with one another One people One Tree One man in Soul and body then to destroy and kill all the Images or formes of the Letters in us and suffer none of them at all to have its owne selfe-life not desiring to know or will any more of God save onely and alone what God willeth to know in us and through us and also that we doe immerse or resigne the Soules hunger and desire meerely onely and nakedly without any other knowing or willing into the five vowells and therein the great holy Name of JEOVA or JESVS viz. the living word is manifest which giveth life unto all things and not according to the property of nature desire and will the different variety of many things but give up our selves into the one onely Love-Sun therein He is manifest 44. As the outward Sun giveth life and power to the whole world so likewise this onely Name in its Power giveth life and understanding to all the Letters and understand us aright what we meane by the whoredome of the Letter 45. The letters viz. the properties of the Sensuall tongue have introduced themselves into an externall forme or selfe-full will and understanding and brought themselves with the vowells into a compaction selfe-comprehension or particular formation and when this was done then JESVS viz. the holy Name JEOVA died or disappeared in the Sensuall tongue in the Letters with the five vowells of the one onely holy mentall tongue that is the spirituall Man which was resigned in and to God dyed to the divine understanding and will 46. Now there is a selfe-willed Beast of Selfishnesse and own-hood brought forth out of the spirit of the other letters which doth onely kill Christ in Paul 2 Cor. 3.6 and bring forth dead fruit for Christ saith the letter killeth but the spirit maketh alive understand this thus 47. The divided Sensuall tongue killeth us sets us at ods and variance leads us into Babel but the spirit of the vowells viz. the holy Name of God doth againe revive and quicken us in him therefore the holy word of the five vowells did again when as the spirits of the letters were divided and brought into the Selfehood of the wonders of God espouse and incorporate it selfe forthwith in Paradise with the precious covenant into the Letter viz. into the Naturall man for to manifest it selfe again with a motion in the Compacted Tongue and to introduce the holy Sence again into the Sensuall tongue 48. Thus understand us aright the literall forme in the Sensuall tongue is now the Evill Beast which will domineere in its own power now into this evill Beast the spirit of the five vowells viz. the Name JEHOVAH which with the H hath breathed the JESVS thereinto hath given in it selfe and killed the evill Beast viz. the Selfe-will and hath againe Tinctured the spirits of the Letter viz. the right naturall man with the Tincture of the holy Name of the vowells or JEHSVS and with the Love hath slaine the death or deaths in the letters and destroyed their Selfe-will so that the spirits of the letters cannot any more introduce themselves into a selfefull Compaction of the Sensuall tongue for they are dead in their owne will and the Spirit JEHOVAH in JESVS is become their life Rom. 6.2 so that they live no longer to their Selfehood viz. to the nature of the wrath but in that they live they live to God 49. Thus now the Beast of the whore is in us outwardly viz. in the mortall man and inwardly is Christ in the immortall man who is passed through the death of the letters and hath turned the death into life Joh. 5.24 50. Now it behooveth man and his main happinesse depends thereon that he also dye unto the Images of the letters in him and disclaime or depart from all Reasons schollarship or knowledge of nature and all babylonicall Master-builders however they be called and enter into the one onely life JEHSVS and not at all dispute about the way where it is but onely d d d Or consider think that it is in him that he must forsake all whatever he hath either Art wit or skill c. and become one barely and nakedly in himselfe bring himselfe into the ONE viz. into Gods will and be freely willing with whatsoever it will worke or doe with him he must give up himselfe will-lesse and leave himselfe wholly in Gods Mercy and bring all his learnings into this one onely Thing that he in his teachings and learnings will not doe or speak any thing but what God willeth through him and thus all Images opinions and conceits doe dye in him and the Soules life falleth into the onely living word which hath manifested it selfe again in the humanity 51. For this is the great Beast of the Babilonicall whore in us that we bring our selves into the Images and formes of the Letters and make Opinions to our selves that Opinion is a Beast 52. Also we must not desire to know and will our selves but dye continually with our own selfe-will and in all things give God the honour and give him againe that which he giveth us viz. whatsoever understanding wisdome and skill we have and acknowledge that it is not our owne but that the divine Sun shineth out of and through us and worketh in us as it pleaseth 53. Thus likewise we must diffuse and give out againe our power and vertue which the divine Sun worketh in us universally to all without any gaine advantage or hire from any whosoever shall help to maintaine and nourish our life unto him we must be thankfull and not flatter any for his authority's sake or receive his false glance shew or lustre into this Sun-light but all must be in Generall or Common as the Sun-shine doth give it selfe universally and gives no strong Great or Potent thing any more but its purity and brightnesse it Tinctureth the Earth and its children with one onely power and vertue and giveth life and strength to all things 54. Herein now we shall know whether one be a Teacher sent of God or whether he hath his rise and originall onely out of the spirit of the Letter if he be born universally out of the Love then he hath the light of divine knowledge viz. the Sensuall divine understanding a Tongue Tinctured from the divine Ens of the five vowells and speaketh from the Spirit of God rebuketh and teacheth
from the inheritance of Abrahams peculiar goods for the figure of Christs kingdome to come was here represented 41. And we may yet see this clearly sufficiently and fully set forth in that Abraham lay with an Aegyptian strange maid and begat a Son of her out of his seed viz. out of the essence of his body and soul and yet afterwards rejected this Son from the inheritance so that we plainly see here the figure of the right childrens inheritance that none can come to the Adoption or true childship of God unless he be born out of this Covenant out of Christs flesh and Spirit Note Predestinate to Condemnation 42. The old Adamicall man as to its own selfe-will out of the Serpents Ens is wholly rejected and cast away he is nothing profitable or wholly unfit for the kingdome of God he is onely an Instrument whereby God proveth and exerciseth his children as a Besom wherewith the house is swept 43. The soul must forsake its own will unto all eternity and must have a new body born or generated in it out of the heavenly Ens which heavenly Ens did disappear in Adam as to God and was introduced again thereinto out of Christs Spirit 44. The gross introduced beastiall property is also * * * Alike rejected or Reprobate alike rejected from the kingdome of God in all men who are born of Adams sinfull Seed as well in Isaac and Abraham as in Ismael but the Ens in the Covenant shall live for ever and at the Last Day it shall again put on the true man created in Adam out of the limus of the earth which is of the kingdome of this worlds essence yet not the grossnesse of the earth but the * * * Note The Resurrection of the Body Ens of the formed word which hath given forth it selfe into a creation 45. The inward Ens of Christ which the soul putteth on it for an heavenly body out of Christs spirit and out of his flesh and bloud is spirituall It is a spirituall body which dyeth not at the death of the outward man yea it is not buried neither doth it arise again but it is dead and buried and risen again in Christ for all and in all and liveth eternally for he is passed from death to life 46. And therefore Ismael came not to the inheritance of his fathers goods for he had not yet put on Christ in the flesh and spirit but Isaac had put him on in the Covenant viz. in the incorporated word and had Christ now in the Covenant from Gods Gift as a naturall Right in himselfe not from his own power and ability but from the power of the Giver even from the power of the Covenant 47. But now Is●ael must put on the Covenant from Christ and not from the inherited adoption or childship as Christ who had it from God in a childlike or filial Right and now Ismael must do this for the obtaining of it viz. he must behold himselfe in the fountain of the seing and living as his mother Hagar did and return again with the lost Son to the Father and fall down before Abrahams feet that is his heir Isaac in Christ and pray that he would receive him into his house which is Christs humanity viz. the spirituall world as a servant and Day-Labourer for he hath had no more any Right to his inheritance he hath been begotten and born onely as a Step-Brother or Son in Law of a strange Mother viz. of the Kingdome of Nature 48. And for their sake Christ came that he might have Mercy on them for he himselfe also said when he was in the flesh * * * Or justified one Matth. 9.12 He came not to seek the Righteous but the poor Sinner his brother in Ismael and Adam not his line in Isaac for the * * * Or justified one Matth. 9.12 whole hath no need of the Physitian but the sick wounded poor Sinner 49. And we will not herein conclude so blindly concerning * * * Note Predestination Predestination and Election of Grace as Babel doth which teacheth that God hath ordained a certain number and company to Damnation and the rest to Salvation 50. If this were so then Nature must needs be limitted confined and determined when it should beget and bring forth a child of God and nothing would be in the free condition or liberty yea God must then confine and shut up his unchangeable one infinite will into a beginning and limit and nothing at all could be free in the humane property but whatsoever any one did that must unavoydably so come to passe let him rob steal murther or blasphem God and live as he pleased it must be so if this were true then the Ten Commandements and all Doctrines Teachings and Lawes were to no purpose and none need Repent unless God compelled him threunto 51. I say whosoever teacheth so he useth and * * * Exod. 20.7 taketh the Name of God in vain and horribly prophaneth the holy Name of God which is free from eternity and offereth it selfe to all poor Sinners and * * * Exod. 20.7 bids them all come unto him Matth. 11.28 52. The Covenant was indeed * * * Set forth established in Isaac viz. the divine might and dominion but it was given to no man in the line of the Covenant but onely and alone to the Man Christ so that none came out of a peculiar Right to God but all in the Grace of the one and God did declare his mercy and compassion in Christ unto all and without him there was no Door of grace to the Jewes viz. Abrahams Seed and also to the Gentiles all are onely children received out of Grace and new-born in him and none either of the Jewes or Gentiles without the life of Christ are received to mercy all men who have pressed or earnestly come in to God viz. to his Grace those he hath all received in the Grace which he offereth in Christ. 53. Therefore Christ also prayed for his Enemies which knew him not but crucified him that God would forgive them in him and receive them to favour in which Access all Nations who knew not Christ in the flesh have an open Gate and are taken into Gods Mercy 54. For * * * Without besides Christ no man cometh to the childlike inheritance to him alone the goods do belong viz. the Hierarchie of men as he himselfe also said * * * Joh. 17.6 Father the men were thine but thou hast given them me and I give unto them the life eternall and therefore it belongs unto him because he is Gods Son born of his Essence from eternity 55. Adam was also Gods naturall Son which he created out of his Essence but he lost the childship and the inheritance and was cast out and with him all his children as Ismael was cast out from the childlike or filial inheritance 56.
of the outward life these must go with Isaac that is with Christ in the old Abraham that is Adam to the offering of God and Abraham that is the man Adam in his children must himselfe cleave the wood upon which the offering must be burnt that is when he confesseth Christ then he cleaves the hearts of the wicked who run with him to the death and the Offering of God for Adam in his humanity clave Gods Love and Anger and now also Abraham must cleave the wood for the offering for Christ should also cleave death and life asunder and offer up himselfe upon the cloven wood of death and life unto Gods Anger 10. And on the third day Abraham lift up his eyes Gen. 22.4 and saw the place a far off Heere the Spirit pointeth at the sleep of Adam wherein he slept to the Angelicall world and on the third day after his falling asleep when as now the woman was made out of him and the fall effected he saw Christ viz. the place of God in the Covenant a far off also herein is included the Resurrection of Christ on the third day where he saw his place where he would and should offer and give up man to God his Father viz. the last Judgement and the finall offering a far off also it signifieth that Abraham in the Spirit saw the offering of Christ a far off viz. above 2000 yeares then to come And that the Spirit saith Abraham lifted up his eyes on the third day and saw the place is nothing else but that Christ did again lift up on the third day our humane eyes out of the Grave from the dead unto God and also that it was yet a far off in the dayes of Abraham thus the Spirit doth allude with the outward figure at that which was and is to come Gen. 22.5 11. And Abraham said unto the two young men which he took with him Abide you here with the Asse and I and the Lad will go yonder and worship and come again to you The figure of it internally stands thus The two young men must tarry there with the Ass and not go at this time unto the offering onely Abraham and Isaac must perform that that is we poor children of Eve must abide with the first and third Principle of our life this our time with the Ass viz. with the outward Body here in this world but Christ in Isaac and Abraham in Adam must go forth to the offering that is Christ stood in Abrahams viz. Adams Person and also in his heavenly humanity who should onely go and offer up the offering of his Body to the Anger-fire of his Father and worship for us unto God his Father therefore he said he would go yonder that is when he should offer up his life he would go yonder that is to God and worship for us unto God 12. This points at his Ascention according to the humanity when he had finished the Sacrifice he went * * * Yonder or to that place thither and worshipped in our assumed humanity unto God his Father that is our assumed Soul in divine power and property doth pray and intercede for our weaknesses and ignorances unto and before God Therefore saith Abraham we will go yonder and worship that is we God and Man and when we have worshipped we will come again to you that is we poor children of Eve must in the mean while tarry with the As● untill the time of its offring and Prayer be out and then he comes again unto us when we have finished the course of the outward Asinine life 13. Also it intimates very pregnantly that he when the Time of the Offering in Prayer is out will certainly come again unto us from the place whither he is gon and dwell visibly with the creaturall humanity among us as the two Angels said unto the men of Israel * * * Note Jesuses comming again Act. 1.11 Yee shal see this Jesus come again in like manner as he is ascended which time is now neer and his voice to prepare the bride hath already sounded and therefore hold not this for an uncertain fiction the Morning Star and Messenger of the Annunciation is Appeared Gen. 22.6 14. And Abraham took the wood of the burnt-offering and laid it upon Isaac his Son and he took the fire in his hand and the knife and they went both of them together The inward figure stands thus Adam had divided and rent asunder Gods Love and Anger in himselfe and brought himselfe with the creaturall life into the Anger which had amassed the earthly vanity to it selfe now the Spirit of Moses doth here point at this figure how Christ should take our introduced Sin upon himselfe and carry it to the burnt-offering 15. And Abraham took the knife and fire Abraham denoteth Adam who took the fire of Gods Anger into himselfe and the knife signifieth Death that Christ should be killed and offered up in Abrahams that is in Adams Anger-fire to the Father and it clearly denotes that Abraham that is Adam should do it to Christ for Christ should be offered up of man being the man Adam had taken on himselfe the fuell viz. the Sin for the offering therefore also man viz. the Jewes must offer it up to the Anger of God that so man might be Atoned by man understand by the humanity of Christ. 16. And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father and said My Father Gen. 22.7 8. and Abraham answered here am I my Son and he said lo here is the fire and the wood but where is the Lamb for the burnt-offring And Abraham said my Son God will provide himselfe a Lamb for the burnt-offring and so they went both of them together The pretious figure is thus The Spirit here playeth in Christs person who was come in great humility into Adams humanity and presents himselfe to his father in Adams essence with his heavenly humanity and saith behold my father here I have taken on me the Sin and death in the humanity here is now the fire of thy Anger viz. the divided life's formes of mans property Selfehood and own will in this now I have the fuell wherein thy fire of Anger burneth here now I have the wood viz. the Sins of all men and also thy fire to the offering where is now the * * * Sheep Lamb viz. the Patient Lamb which shall be offered up in this fire and Abraham answered from his strong faiths Ens God will provide himselfe a Lamb for the burnt-offering and they went both of them together 17. Here Christ doth in Isaac's figure present himselfe in our assumed humanity to his Father and saith where is now the Lamb for the true Peace offering but the faith of Abraham had apprehended the patient Lamb which lay in Isaac viz. the heavenly humanity which God would open in the Ens of faith in our disappeared and also heavenly humanity and said
and mysterious intimations and prophecies concerning the hidden spirituall world shewing what shall be after this time 41. Reason must know that the Spirit of God hath not laboured in the work onely to set forth the histories of the Ancient which for the most part seem but simple and childlike no they are set forth for a Type and information 42. The Spirit of God hath represented the greatest wonders therein which he would accomplish in man and that in a plain simple and childlike manner that so the pride of the Devill and the suttlety or wisdome of Reason might be confounded and made foolish thereby 43. For we must know that the greatest power and vertue together with the wonders doth lye in the humility and lowliness and how God is so near unto all things and yet nothing apprehends him unlesse it stand still unto him and give up the Own will and then he worketh through all as the Sun through the whole world CHAP. XLIX Of the death of Sarah and the hereditary Sepulchre of Abraham What is understood and signified thereby THe Spirit in Moses hath set before him the whole figure of man by Abraham shewing what his condition should be in this world Gen. XXIII and what hereafter should become of him for after he had first spoken of the beginning viz. of the Stock of the humane tree shewing whence it did spring he afterwards declares its boughes and branches together with its power and vertue and mentioneth how this tree is corrupted in its power and essence and that God hath bestowed the highest Tincture upon it to tincture it again and renew it and how the Poyson in the essence of the tree * * * Or hath been with-stood is to be resisted 2. Here he doth now very wonderfully signifie how this tree hath stood in the corrupt property in a strange field and rooted it selfe with the root into a strange or alienate own hood wherein the root was not native and how the root of the humane tree must forsake the strange field together with the strange introduced essence and wholly give it selfe freely out of its life's will and desire 3. Also hereby is signified how the place whence the humane root did spring is between the holy spirituall world and this earthly corrupt world and that mans propriety from whence he is sprung doth stand in a double * * * Our Text hath it The Cave of Machpelah which here in the Germane version is rendred a double Cave or a twofold Pitt cave viz. in two Principles and how he must be buried in this twofold pit as a kernell which is Sown into the ground and how also this cave of Machpelah this twofold pit is mans propriety of which essence or substance he himselfe is essentially 4. The figure of this wee see here in Abraham that when he conversed in this outward world he possessed upon the earth no Land of his Own but went from one place unto another and was every where a Stranger but when his Sarah dyed then he would have a burying place for a certain possession for his wife himselfe also and his children and moreover he would not have it for nothing but buy it all which is a very wonderfull typification and not onely a bare history as the Jewes have held it to be before whose eyes the vail of Moses is hung but we will here also set forth the inward figure with the outward and see what the Spirit in Moses doth here signifie Gen. 23.2 5. Moses saith Sarah dyed at Hebron in the * * * Our Text Kiriach-arba head Citie in the Land of Canaan this may very well thus be but the Spirit hath his figure under it for he lookes upon the Centre where the death of the Saints is and where the true man must dye as namely in the Head-Citie Hebron that is in the formed Word where he hath introduced the own hood and selvish lust into the formed word of his life's property and set himselfe up into a selfefull Dominion and Regiment as into an Head Cittie where the selfe-will hath framed and contrived to it selfe a Citie or propriety in the formed word and built it up for its own peculiar Land of possession where he indeed supposeth he is a God or Something of his Own that he may do with and how he please now this selfe-will must dye in the Head-Citie viz. in the formed Ens of the Word in its Centre viz. in the Citie of its own-hood 6. And this Citie Hebron lyeth right over against Mamre viz. between the eternall and temporall nature where the cave of Machpelah the twofold Pit is viz. the Kingdome of God and of nature for in this twofold Pit Abraham would bury his Sarah and have the Pit for his Own 7. That is to say when the children of the Saints in Hebron viz. in the Citie of humane own-hood do dye unto the selfefull outward naturall life or Selfehood then the true resigned life will no longer stand in a strange field or strange essence but in its own from whence it is Originally arisen but being it hath lost this same life's field in Adam and rooted it selfe into a strange field viz. into the Serpents field of falsehood the life cannot take unto it selfe again of due Right the first true field but it must buy it this is even the figure that Christ hath bought it for his Bloud of the heavenly essentiality for the holy Tincture understand he hath thus purchased it of the eternall nature wherein Gods Anger viz. the wrath of God in the Centre of nature was manifest and had devoured this field in the humane property into its selfe as its own for out of the Centre of nature the Word of the humane property was brought into a formation This the children of Selfe had taken into possession therefore saith the Spirit the children of Heth had this field for their own possession 8. This signifieth that Gods children must wholly forsake the nature-Right in this field of the formed life or word for they have lost the naturall Right in it but in Christ they must buy it again of the Father of nature they must take Christ for their Ransome and give the Father four hundred shekells of Silver for the same and these are the four Centres in the spirituall bodie 's property which are born in the holy Tincture viz. in Christs property 9. The first shekell is the true magicall fire the Second is the Light or Love-desire the third is the holy Sound of the mentall tongue the fourth is the formed or conceived Ens out of the other properties where the holy life is formed and stands in an Essence this is the pure Silver without any spott or foulness under which the Spirit of Moses points that Abraham in Christ hath given to the children of Heth viz. to Ephron understand to the Father or the Fathers property for his cave of
layd hold of in faith viz. the Soul of Isaac dwelt by the wellspring of the holy Trinity in which the Soul received its light and saw and knew the will of God out of which wellspring the highest love of the Deity did manifest it selfe to the Soul and out of which fountain afterwards in the fullness of time the holy Name Jesus out of Jehova did manifest it selfe and espoused it selfe for a Bride unto the Soul 2. The soul of Isaac dwelt by this fountain of the living and Seing untill the same fountain afterwards did powre forth and open it selfe in the humanity of Christ in the Soul and then afterwards the Soul dwelt in the fountain when it was exalted in Christs person to the right hand of God and then the fountain of God did spring forth through the soul where then it received the divine might as a Prince of God or as an Image or express likeness of God or as a formed word of the voice of God through which voice God was made known and manifest 3. So likewise our Soul when it forsaketh the earthly will of its assumed Selfe and apprehendeth the Ens of Christ in the Covenant and turnes it selfe to God then it dwelleth also by the fountain of the living and Seing that is by Gods Eye which he hath again with Christ manifested and opened in the humanity indeed our soul doth not in this time of the earthly cottage dwell in the wellspring of God as if it did apprehend the well-spring in Selfe but like as the Sun through-shineth the Glass and yet the Glasse is not turned to be Sun but it dwelleth by the Lustre and vertue of the Sun and suffereth the Sun to worke and shine through it even so is the soul in this time 4. And further yet As the Sun doth give its Tincture into the Metalline Ens and the Metalline Ens giveth its desire into the Suns Tincture so that out of them both the fair and pretious Gold is generated so likewise it is to be understood concerning the Soul and the fountain of God the Deity * * * Or dwelleth through the soul. inhabiteth the Soul but the soul comprehends not the same as to its creaturall power but the Eye or light of God with the holy Love-tincture from the lights lustre giveth it selfe into the desire of the Soul Note what the Fiat is 5. For the desire of the Soul is the Fiat which takes the power of the holy Love-tincture into it selfe and makes it essentiall so that the divine tincture proceeding from the desire of the true Love-spring viz. from the fountain of the living and Seing and the soules beleeving desire do become one Essence 6. Understand a spirituall Essence and this same spirituall Essence is the inward new man viz. a new house or habitation of the Soul in which it dwelleth according to the inward heavenly world the name of which Essence is Sophia viz. the Bride of Christ Christs humanity in which the glorious Jacobs-Star of the dear and pretious Name Jesus is a shining light whereby the Soul seeth and knoweth God 7. The Soul is not changed into the Deity viz. into Lahai-roi the fountain of the living and Seeing for it is the Eternall and Temporall natures but the Deity is not natures but the will to nature and manifesteth it selfe through the Soules nature as the fire manifesteth it selfe through the Iron where then the Iron seems as if it were meer fire and yet it keepeth its own nature and the fire also its own and the one doth onely dwell in the other and one is the manifestation of the other The Iron hath no power over the fire onely the fire giveth it selfe to the Iron and the Iron giveth its Ens to the fire and so both are changed in to one and yet remain two Essences so likewise it is to be understood with the Soul and the Deity 8. And as the fiery property is different from the gross Iron and hath another Source so likewise the new spirituall humanity in the Ens of Christ in the divine Love-fire is far another essence then the earthly body albeit the Soul is understood in the fire and in the lights lustre the body of Sophia for the power or vertue of the light is the tincture or the beginning to the new spirituall body which power the Soules beleeving desire taketh and formeth or bringeth it into an Essence that is it makes it essentiall it becomes an essence or spirituall body from the desire which spirituall essence is the Temple of God of which the Scripture speaketh 9. But our Babylon will understand nothing hereof but will be wholly blind therein for shee will not know how Christ is born in the faith in us and how faith comes to essence but she will downright make the halfe-Serpent man to be an assumed and adopted child of Grace and set it in Gods Temple but it avails not shall the Devill sit at the right hand of God in the fountain of the living and Seing he hath been once cast away from thence he shall not any more possesse the same a Beast is not Sophia the Scripture saith * * * Matth. 18.3 Ye must be converted and be born anew as children else yee shall not see God 10. The Soul cannot see God save onely in its new-born Image onely through and in virgin Sophia in Jacobs-Star viz. in the Name of Jesus it Seeth in Jehova in the wellspring of the life of God it is not its selfe this very fountain it giveth onely the fire to the manifestation of this fountain but the fountain is understood in the light viz. in the meekness of the light 11. Now the soules magick fire-source could not so be enkindled that a shining lustre of a light might arise in the Soules fire if the divine Love-desire viz. the Love-Ens had not given it selfe into the Soules fire the Ens of Christ out of the divine Love giveth it selfe into the Soules fire-Source which the soules fire eateth into its fiery Essence and thereupon the life of the wrathfullness dyeth and the fair pretious light is thence generated for here Christ ariseth out of the consuming fire of the Fathers property according to his anger from death out of the fire of another life here the magicall Soules fire becomes the pretious Sophia's Bridegroom and here are man and wife viz. both Tinctures of the fire and of the light become one person viz. an Angel of God 12. Here Lucifer looseth his throne and the Serpent his viprous Seed and Christ sitteth at the right hand of God in man and man then dwelleth truly by the fountain of the living and seing and this is that which the spirit of Moses setts forth by this figure concerning Isaacs habitation if we would but once become Seing and forsake the meer husk and know our selves aright not according to the earthly Beast but according to the inward spirituall heavenly
and bless thee for unto thee and unto thy seed I will give all these Countries and I will perform the Oath which I sware unto Abraham thy father that is 12. Remain but stedfast in my will and then I will give thee after this life-time the kingdome of nature according to its inward good ground for possession and propriety and I will perform and ratifie my Oath viz. Jesus Christ whom I promised thee in thy fall and whom I introduced into Abrahams faith unto thee for ever and I will in the kingdome of nature wherein thou must in this Time stand work labour toil and be in need and distress even * * * Gen. 26.4 multiply thy seed as the Stars in heaven and give thy seed all the wrought powers and workes to an eternall propriety and through thy seed all the Nations of the earth shall be blessed that is 13. Through thy Ens of faith which in Christ viz. in the Aym and limitt of the Covenant shall be manifested in the kingdome of thy nature and creaturall property and become man in thee all nations viz. the whole Adamicall tree shall be blessed and therefore * * * Gen. 26.5 because Abraham obeyed my voice and kept my charge commandments wayes and lawes that is Abraham hath received my working word into his Soules desire and obeyed my voice in its operation which divine operation is the Command law and form out of which operation also God shewed Abraham by the Circumcision the figure of the kingdome of Christ that the same should cut off the Sin and vanity which figure God called his charge law in the Covenant and his Statute 14. The spirit of Moses doth now proceed further in the relation of this figure and signifyeth under the outward history of King Abimilech how that Abimilechs servants Gen· 26.18 19 20 21. and Isaacs servants contended about the wells of water and that Abrahams and Isaacs servants digged the wells of water which wells were continually stopped up by the envy and enmity of the Philistims by which figure the spirit secretly signifieth how the children of the Saints viz. the Patriarchs Abraham and Isaac have alwayes digged in their Ens of faith for the wellspring of life in the Covenant and have also obtained the knowledge of the Messiah 15. But these wells were continually covered and obscured by the Devill in Gods Anger and by their earthly Reason untill they apprehended and laid h●ld of the promise of the Messiah in faith and then th●y said we have digged a well Gen. 26.32 33. and have found of the water of life the same Isaac called * * * Or Saba Sheba and therein hinteth at the Sabbath Christ as he also forthwith saith that thereupon the place was called Beer-sheba viz. a contrition and breaking of the Anger and envy of the Devill in Mans property to signifie that the SABBATH Christ viz. the spirituall well-spring is truly called BEER-SHEBA viz. a contrition of death where the Sabbath introduceth it selfe into death and brings forth the fountain of life through death 16. At which fountain the children of Gods Covenant did pitch their tent and waited upon the promise untill the same fountain was opened in the humanity and flowed forth out of Christs bloud and death of which the poor Soul drank and thereby was brought into the Eternall Sabbath where it was redeemed and freed from the strife of the Philistims viz. from the contention of the Anger of God and of the Devill as the History in this Text doth clearly signifie thus much in the High Tongue which the spirit of Moses hath thus represented in the figure and doth play with the description of this figure 17. As indeed the whole Old Testament is a figure of the New and the New a figure of the future Eternall world wherein the figure shall stand in divine Power and the Spirit of God shall in Eternity play with his deeds of wonder to which end also he hath created Man and * * * Or inspoken inspired the power of his voyce viz. the living word into him that so he might be an Image of the Eternall word with which Image the Eternall Spirit will play and work wonders that so there may be a joy and knowledge in the Eternall wisdome 18. Now when as the spirit of Moses had pointed out the figure of Adam and Christ under an history he proceeds and further Relates how it must go with the children of God in this time shewing in what desire the poor soul in flesh and bloud lieth captive and is continually vexed and tormented as here Isaac and Rebecca for the Text saith * * * Gen. 26.34 35. When Esau was forty yeares old he took to wife Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite and Bashemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite which were a grief of minde to Isaac and to Rebecca and in this place he speakes no further of these wives or their children to signifie that it is a figure whereby he alludes at something else which Reason looks upon as very strange and wonders that God should yet permit two evill women to be with holy Isaac through his Son Esau with whom he and his fair blessed Rebecca must live in trouble vexation and opposition so very secretly doth the spirit of Moses set forth his figure that Reason must even be blind in it The spirituall figure is thus 19. The * * * 40 yeares of Esau. forty years of the Age of Esau or of Isaac after he begatt Esau signifieth that Adam with his Eve when as he was man and woman and yet neither of them did stand in Paradise ‖ ‖ ‖ Adam 40 Dayes in Temptation forty dayes in the Temptation or Proba and had joy with his fair Eve viz. with his * * * Or feminine female property in himselfe 20. But Abimilech viz. the King of this world had introduced his lust into this fair * * * Or feminine female Rose-Garden viz. into the Tincture of Venus understand into the holy life of Love in Adam and stirred the Centre of the Souls nature whereupon Adam became lusting and longing to take to him in his property yet two wives viz. the beastiall wife according to the beast-like property out of the four Elements and the Astrall Sydereall or Starrie wife from the Constellation or Astrum of this world which wicked woman did awaken in Adams female property which he took up to wife for his lust as Esau did the wives of scorn and mockery with whom he caused meer grief of minde and lamentable perplexity to himselfe and his Right female property and we indeed do still suffer and endure the same and must consume our time with them in misery and lamentation 21. Further this figure denoteth the * * * Israel 40 yeares in the Wildernesse Forty years of Israel in the wilderness when they did eate Manna and
then Christ divided his Deity and his humanity viz. the heavenly worlds substance which he brought from God in Our humanity and the kingdome of the Naturall humanity from Adam into two severall Principles for the Deity as to the Omnipotency stood yet still therefore sayth the Humanity on the Crosse * * * Mat. 27.46 Mark 15.34 Psal. 22.1 My God why hast thou forsaken mee 5. The two wives of Jacob with their children signifie heere in Christs state and condition the twofold soule viz. that from Time and that from Eternity and the two handmaydes with their children signifi● heere in this state and condition of his the Heavenly and the Earthly corporeity viz. Lea in her bleereydness signifieth the * * * The spirit of the world in the Dust of the Earth· Spiritus Mundi in Limo terrae wherein the Corruption in Adam was effected wherein God promised the destroyer of the Serpent and wherein Christ should be manifested and therefore in Lea the Line of Christ viz. the destroyer of the Serpent in the type and prefiguration was borne viz. Judah and Rachel signifieth the Extinguished Ens of the heavenly worlds Substance wherein the true soule dwelleth which faded in Adams Fall and became unfruitfull as Rachel till God in the Spirit of Christ made her fruitfull as was done to Rachel 6. And as Jacob set the handmayds with their children formost so was the Earthly Image in the humane Nature set formost in the suffering of Christ which should passe through the sharpnes of Death next after would Lea that is the Body out of the Limus of the Earth wherein the Destroyer of the Serpent lay in the suffering of Christ follow and after that Rachel viz. the heavenly Limus with the Prince Joseph that is with the true Adamicall Image of the Divine worlds Substance and the Name JESUS passed into the suffering of Christ before as Jacob before his wives and childrens 7. And as the Name and power JESU viz. Gods Sweetnesse and Love saw and felt the wrath of God in the humane flesh and soule then the Name JESUS bowed it selfe through all the Seaven Formes of Natures Life wherein the Anger of God was become manifest that is he then pressed Essentially through the Centre of Nature through all the Seaven Formes of Nature quite through the wrathfull fire-source 8. As Jacob bowed himselfe seaven times to the Earth before the Anger of Esaw and appeased Esaw in this humility so also heere the Love in the Name JESU appeaseth the anger of the Fathers property in the fire in soule and body for the Naturall Life from the Spirit of the world viz. the soule from time which was breathed into Adams Nostrills must yeeld up its naturall Right and dye as Jacob yeelded up his riches and also his outward Life to his brother to do what he would with him thus also Christ yeelded up our Life to the anger of God and left it willingly but the Name JESUS went before and brought our Naturall Life quite through death and tooke it to himselfe againe and triumphed with our Naturall Life over and through Death 9. And as Esau his brother in this humility and submission ran to meete him and fell about his neck and kissed him and in great compassion wept upon his neck So also in like manner when the essence of the anger of God kissed and tasted the sweet love in the Name JESU in the bloud of Christ then it was transmuted and converted into such great compassion towards mankinde as Jeremiah in the Spirit declareth where he speaketh in this figure * * * Jer. 31.20 Ephraim my deare childe my heart is troubled I must have compassion on him Where he speaks concerning this compassion 10. And when Esaw wept upon Jacobs neck † † † Gen. 33.5 6 7. He lift up his eyes and behold the women with the children and said Whose are these with thee Jacob answered They are the children which God hath bestowed upon thy servant And the handmayds drew neare with their children and bowed themselves before him Lea also drew near with her children and bowed themselves before him afterwards Joseph and Rachel drew neare and bowed themselves before him The inward Figure stands thus When the anger of God held man captive in the darknesse then was he not in the anger known to God's holy Image but when the love in the suffering of Christ in the humanity brake through the anger so that the anger was changed then the onely God looked on it againe in his Image and spake to the Name JESU saying Who are these that are with thee And JESUS answered God and sayd They are the children which God hath vouchsafed and bestowed upon his servant 11. For heere Christ presents himselfe as a Servant of God with his children that are borne in him in the Faith viz with us poore children of Eve and there passed through the death of Christ and were presented before the countenance of God first the handmaids with their children that is man that had been sinfull he sets him first in Gods countenance which Jacobs handmaids doe signifie 12. Afterwards there pressed forward the line of the Covenant with the spiritual Lea viz the first created Image out of the Limus of the earth wherein the * * * The 5 wounds of Christ. five Prints of the Nailes the wounds of Christ stood they should be shewne to the onely God that therein he should receive the handmaids children who all bowed themselves before God 13. Then afterwards came Joseph with his Mother viz. the Image of the heavenly world's substance and bowed before the onely God which had been angry with him 14. Men should not understand this in divided figures types or Images but as the properties of the humanity are manifested before God through the suffering of Christ in one onely Image viz. in Christ's humanity in the kingdome of the Restauration or Redemption viz. in the kingdome of heaven The reader should understand our sence properly for we write heere in the vision of all the Three Principles how it went and still to this day goeth with the new birth Our exposition will not beare any dividing of the figure or Creature wee understand it in one creature 15. Our earnest and hearty consideration is this that we may see and understand how we poore children of Eve were brought through Christ's suffring and death and set before Gods countenance and how first the soule with the body of sin must passe through death and in the Resurrection come againe with the body before God where the body from the Limus of the earth is esteemed strange in the presence of God Therefore it is prefigured in the type in the condition of a handmaid and then presently in that body the Prints of the Nailes the suffering of Christ is sett before God Out of which death of Christ the faire Image created in Adam appeareth
with the eternal one and becometh one substance therewith for it goeth into its nothing Must not the false will or desire for a worldly Law 's sake for feare of punishment forbeare or stand still from unrighteous works Wherefore then not also for the sake of the commandement of God Can it be obedient to a worldly Lord and Master and for that end stand still for which he would have him wherefore not also to God especially when the ability is as soone given as a Man doth but incline his will to stand still 59. But the cause why the total false wicked will doth not stand still and incline it self to Grace is this that it is clearely a Thistle borne wherein Grace lyeth too deeply hidden and the wrath of God is too strong in nature Grace draweth it and sheweth to it it s own falshood and wickednesse but it contemneth Grace and worketh as a Thistle doth in the power of the Sun Such a one is to God † † † 2 Cor. 2.15 16. a good savour of death to the damnation in hell that Grace may be severed from the false and wicked will 60. But the conclusions of reason which pronounceth that God in himself so farr as he is called God hath determined that one part of men and indeed the greatest number shall and must be damn'd and that of his own purposed will he hardeneth them is false and hath no ground either in the Scripture or in the light of nature If a man but rightly consider the Scripture and doth not blindly looke upon it 61. For in God so farr as he is called God there is no purpose nor beginning to will he is himself the will of the profundity viz. one alone and himself willeth nothing but good and therefore is himself also that same good will or willing of good For the good that he willeth is the birth of his power viz. his Sonne 62. God willeth in himself nothing but to manifest his owne good that himself is and that could not be done if the only good power did not introduce it self with the exhalation into the desire to nature and in a severation viz. into the science for if the good did remaine alone there would be no knowledge or skill 63. But now the good viz. God in himself maketh not evil or separation but the science viz. the Fiat or the desire to severation bringeth it self into nature and creature and from the science springeth evill and good and not from God or in God in his Trinity 64. For there is no decree but there is a consultation therein and then there must also be a cause of that consultation therein and then againe there must be a cause of that also and so there must be somthing before God or after God wherefore he so consults and determines 65. But he is himself the profundity and the one and is one only will that is himself and that is only go●d for one only thing cannot be opposite to it self for it is but one and hath no quarrel with any thing 66. Therefore it is the folly of Reason that they speake of compulsion and inevitable necessity and understand not the * * * The Great Mystery Mysterium Magnum Or that they say God of his purpose willeth the evil desire or will which he hath hardned that it should not attaine the Grace 67. I shew to this blind Reason a Thistle to consider of which the Sun for a whole day toucheth and giveth it light and power yet it remaines a Thistle so also the wicked will The Divine Sun shineth to it the day of its whole life but its ground is an Ens of a Thistle 68. Otherwise it God did of purpose harden it the righteousness could have no judgement therein for that which doeth what it must doe liveth according to the will of its Lord but if † † † Psal. 5.4 God willeth not that which is wicked as in Psal 5. then the evil cometh out of the roote And in the roote of knowledge out of natures ground to the creature and by accident And for that cause hath God manifested his will and given his Law and Gospel that is hath manifested his threatenings and his grace that a day of separation might be kept with righteousness and that no creature might have Excuse 69. And the History saith further * * * Gen. 33.12 13 14. After Esaw had received the Present of Jacob he spake unto his brother Jacob saying Let us take our journey and goe forward I will goe with thee but Jacob said to him My Lord thou knowest that I have with mee tender children and moreover cattel that are great with yong and sucking Ca●ves if they be over-driven for one day the whole flock would dye Let my Lord pass over before his servant and I will follow on softly as the cattel and the children are able to goe until I come to my Lord into Seir. This Text appeareth to be only an outward History but the Spirit hath also its inward figure under it for Jacob stands in that figure of Christ. And the figure is thus 70. When Christ through his suffering and death appeased his Fathers anger in the kingdome of nature thus said the appeased anger Now will we arise and take our journey together understand in the life of man but the Love said man is too tender feeble and impotent and can scarce goe in Gods wayes * * * Mat. 28.20 I will remain with them even to the end of the world Mat. 28. And lead them † † † Gently and moderately slowly as they are able to goe least they fall into temptation and error and be blinde as to Grace Goe thou before my Lord I will lead them on softly under my yoke of the Crosse that they die not for if they should now presently be led in the Fathers severe righteousness they would not be able to goe though they are indeed redeemed yet they live still in flesh and bloud I will come after with them to thee into Seir that is into Gods righteousness 71. † † † Gen. 33.15 And Esaw said Let me now leave with thee some of the folke that are with mee He answered what needeth it let mee but finde Grace in the sight of my Lord that is God the Father said let me leave some of my severe righteousness commandements and Lawes with thee but Christ said What needeth it Let me with these redeemed children onely finde Grace with thee for they cannot fulfill the Law 72. * * * Gen. 33.16 Thus Esaw went his way again that day towards Seir that is thus God's righteousness pressed into it's own principle † † † 17. And Jacob went to Succoth and built him an house from whence the place is called Succoth This in the figure is as much as to say Christ led his Christendome viz. his children not to Seir that is into
he was a prosperous Man and was in his Masters the Aegyptians house and his Master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord made all that he did to prosper in his hand so that he found Grace and favour in the sight of his Master and was his Servant which he set over his house and all that he had he put under his hand and from the time that he set him over his house and over all his Goods the Lord blessed the Aegyptians house for Josephs sake and the blessing of the Lord was every way upon all that he had in the house and in the field therefore he left all that he had under the hands of Joseph and he medled with nothing while he had him but what he did eate and drinke and Joseph was a goodly person and faire of feature 2. The History prefigureth to us a true Christian Man what he is and how he is in this world and what his Office is that is when Christ is manifested in him he is no more his owne to doe what he will also in this world he hath nothing for his owne of which he can in truth say this is mine or I I am he that hath it I possesse it it is mine own I may doe therewith what my flesh and my owne will listeth I may use it for my honour and pleasure that I may thereby be * * * Or high aloft in the world No a true Christian hath none of that in his power 3. He indeed ruleth of right over that which he hath and possesseth with truth and righteousnesse but yet as a servant of his Lord Christ. For a Christian is a Christian in Christ and is bought to a Christian Life and to the obedience of Faith by the bloud of Christ with Christs † † † Thirty pieces of silver thirty pieces of silver whereof his Lord Christ hath committed to him Josephs * * * Twenty pieces of silver twenty pieces of silver and set him as a Steward over it that he may trade therewith and employ it till he make it come to thirty pieces of silver which he should weare in him and about him as a Mark or Badg of his Lord Christ as a Treasure of his Christianity 4. But seing his Lord Christ was sold and betrayed to Death for thirty pieces of silver and Joseph was sold by his Brethren to be a † † † Over whom the Master hath power of Life and all he hath Bondslave for twenty pieces of silver in both these numbers standeth the figure of a Christian viz. Christ when he is manifested in a Man sheweth him the thirty pieces of silver for which he was sold to Suffering and Death and this his suffering and Death he putteth upon him in which is founded the figure of the thirty pieces of silver viz. that he was sold and betrayed and therein man becomes such a Christian as is founded implanted † † † Eingeatzed Etching of plates with Aqua fortis ingraven upon and into Christs sufferings and Death and therein a Man becometh a Christian in Christs sufferings and Death and standeth in the figure of Christ and looseth the right of his naturall selfe-will as also the kingdome of this world 5. For in Christs Death as to his inward spirituall Man he dieth from this world and according to that inward Man is no more in this world but in Christ in God viz. in the Kingdome of God as it is written * * * Luk. 17.21 The Kingdome of God is inwardly within you Also † † † Gal. 4.19 Examine your selves whether Christ have gotten a forme in you Also ‖ ‖ ‖ 1 Cor. 3.16 Ye are the Temple of the Holy Ghost who dwelleth in you Also * * * Col. 4.12 Ye are the servants of Christ and † † † Joh. 6 53. should eate the flesh of the Son of Man and so * * * Joh. 15.7 he abideth in you and you in him and † † † Joh. 6.53 without him ye have no Life as an hearb or grasse and all earthly things without the power and vertue of the Sunne have no life growth or vegetation and operation in them so Man without the Divine Sunne which through Christ hath manifested it selfe in his Christians hath no life or happinesse or salvation without Christ in him 6. And as Christ was sold for thirty pieces of silver to suffering and death which thirty pieces of silver signifie the † † † Luk 3.23 thirty yeares of Christ before his Baptisme ere he entred into his Office and divine Government according to the humanity when he gave up his humane Will to God and the Creaturely selfe-will ceased in him so also must a Christian when he is in truth in his owne naturall will sold for twenty pieces of the thirty pieces of silver to be a servant of God in Christ to be a Minister or Officer and Obedient to his Lord who liveth in him then his by past yeares of the Adamicall Naturall time of this world are sold in and with Christ for twenty pieces of silver and so the Adamicall time of his naturall will in this being sold ceaseth in Christs suffering Death and he is by his Lord who is arisen from Death in him and ruleth and raigneth over Death set to be an Officer over Christs Goods to dispose of them through the Spirit of Christ viz. in the power and vertue of his Lord who is in him in this world * * * As to the Dominiō of Christ. according to the Kingdome of Christ. 7. As Joseph was taken away from his Fathers house and was first cast into the Pit wherein he should have perished and was afterwards sold by his brethren for twenty pieces of silver to serve as a Bondslave so also a Christian is first taken away from his Fathers house viz. from the Adamicall Nature and is cast into the Pit viz. into Christs suffering and Death and then looseth the Adamicall inheritance of the Kingdome of this world and is with his Will and Minde brought away from it then he must yeeld up his Fathers house viz. all his selfehood together with his naturall Life to his brethren in his fathers house that is to the power of God in the Government of this world and suffer himselfe to be cast into the Pit of the Death of his Naturall will and therein give up himselfe to the Death of Christ and willingly die to the will of this world viz. to his owne Adamicall house and willingly suffer all whatsoever his brethren of this world doe to him 8. And then if he thus lye in the Pit or Grave of Christ and hath given himselfe up to the Death of Christ that he willingly would forsake all for Christs sake and dye the death of his owne will then Christ his Lord putteth on him his resurrection from the Dead and maketh
it selfe towards him and now if the soule be Converted then he knoweth it but first he terrifieth the Conscience and setteth himselfe roughly and seemeth strange towards the soule as he did towards * * * Mat. 15.26 the Cananitish woman and hideth his Grace from the soule till it shed forth its Repentance and boweth its face in the presence of Christ and acknowledge its transgressions and totally bow downe it selfe to the Pit of Judgement and yeeld it s●lfe into Gods Anger and punishment and to the Dying of it selfe 9. And then Christ looketh into it and layeth fast hold upon it with the strict hand of Gods Anger but his Love and Grace hideth it selfe therein and that is it which stirreth up the sinnes of the poore soule and disturbeth them so that it is terrified and afraid in the presence of God when the soule standeth and cryeth to God then sayth Christ in the Conscience who art thou behold thy selfe now whether thou art worthy of me as Joseph did heere when he sayd who are yee and set himselfe roughly and strangely towards them 10. * * * Gen. 42.9 And Joseph thought on the Dreame which he had dreamed concerning them and sayd to them ye are spyes and are come to see where the Land is open that is Christ thinketh on his Mercy and on his bitter Passion and Death and sayth to the soule thou art a spie and comest to mee onely to see where the Gate of my Grace is open but that shall not helpe thee thou must doe otherwise thou must first Enter into the Gate of my Suffering and Death or else thou art but a spie and wilt see the Gate of my Grace stand open that thou mayst cover thy selfe with it as with a Mantle thou must be in Earnest or else thou wilt be but treacherous to mee and take my Grace into thy Mouth 11. * * * Gen. 42.10.11 And Josephs Brethren answered him and sayd No my Lord thy servants are come to buy foode wee are all one Mans sonnes wee are honest and true Men wee thy servants were never spies That is thus much in the Figure before the properties of the soule in their vanity rightly know themselves when the Anger of God is presented before their Eyes viz. passeth into their Essence then the soule thinketh it is wrong that is done to it for it thinketh if it comfort it selfe with the Merits of Jesus Christ and beleiveth on Christ that he is the Son of God and hath satisfied for the soule then it ought not to be blamed for a Divine spie and unrighteous Hypocrite it is righteous through the Justification of Christ seeing it beleeveth the same that it is applyed to it for its benefit 12. But as † † † Gen. 42.12 Joseph sayd to his Brethren No but yee are come to see where the Land is Open thus also the Spirit of Christ blameth the Essences of the soule for it proveth them that they are not yet broken and have still selfe-desires in them and will instantly lay hold on Grace viz. the Open Gate which availeth not the soule it must first enter into Christs suffering and Death and put them on first through earnest repentance and conversion of its will and then it may enter through the Open Gate through Christs wounds and Death into his Resurrection 13. Further * * * Gen. 42.13 14 15 16 17. Josephs Brethren say wee thy servants are † † † 12 Brethren Twelve brethren sonnes of one Man in the Land of Canaan and the youngest is still with our Father but one is not in Being Joseph sayd to them that is it which I told you yee are Spies in this will I prove you by the Life of Pharaoh Yee shall not goe from hence except your youngest brother come hither send one of you hence that may fetch your brother but yee shall be prisoners so will I prove your saying whether your wayes be in truth or not for if not then are ye spies by the Life of Pharaoh and they put them together in Ward for the space of Three Dayes The inward precious Figure standeth thus 14. When the soule doth thus draw neere to Christ and will instantly put on his Resurrection then sayth the Spirit of Christ in the Soules Essence this is that which I told thee thy Essences are spies by the Life of God in this will I prove them whether they come to mee in a faithfull and right Path and whether they bring with them to mee their youngest brother viz. the true Josephs brother that is the Incorporated line of the Covenant of Grace in their in Adam faded heavenly Substantiality viz. the Incorporated ground of Grace which was effected in Paradise so that the Soules Essences with their most inward Ground turne in to mee and in mee else they come but as Hypocrites and spies of the Gate of Grace 15. This is rightly called fetching the youngest brother for that same Incorporated Grace in the Promise Effected in Paradise is the soules youngest brother which it hides and covereth with sinne and in the beginning of its Repentance it leaves him at home † † † Or with by the Life of God 16. Therefore sayth the Text of Moses very secretly Hee will prove them by the Life of Pharaoh which is as much as to say in the figure by the Life of God with whom this youngest son stayed behinde him must the repenting Man bring along with him to the Port of Grace or else he must lye * * * 3 Dayes Three Dayes shut up in Prison till he bring him as Josephs brethren did that is else must the † † † 3 Principles Three Principles in Man lye so long in Prison in the Anger of God and cannot buy divine food unlesse they have this their youngest brother with them that is the Gate wherein Christ in Man in that same Image of the heavenly worlds substance which faded in Adam ariseth from Death wherein he may have his dwelling place 17. Thus a Man is proved by the Life of God when he turneth to God to try whether he turne wholly and altogether to him and bring this incorporated ground of Grace with him wherein Christ will and shall manifest himselfe If not then sayth Joseph that is Christ to the soules Essences yee are but spies to the Life of God and search onely for the Justification of Man from the sufferings and Merits of Christ that is yee learne onely the Historie and take the precious Covenant of God in your Mouths and flatter your selves with Christs satisfaction and remaine still onely as spies of Grace but that shall nothing avayle you or helpe you though likely you may spie out the Kingdome of Christ my Anger and Righteousnesse in my Zeale and Jealousie shall yet hold you in Prison with all the Three Principles as long as you bring not the most inward ground of your Substance along
with you this is called setting all the Twelve sonnes of Jacob before Joseph that is before Jesus and fall at his feete with body and soule inwardly and outwardly with all your faculties and powers and yeeld them up into his Grace 18. For it is not sayd that they can take the Grace but that they should sink downe into Grace that Grace may give it selfe to them for Mans ability to take it is lost selfe-will it rent off from God it must wholly sinck downe into God and leave off willing that God may receive it againe into his Grace 19. O Babell how home doth this hitt thee Thou art by or before the Life of God with thy hypocrisie but a spie of the Grace of God thou dost but seeke for the Gate of Grace and how thou mightest with thy owne will without thy inward Benjamin enter into the Kingdome of Christ yes thou wilt be outwardly an adopted childe of Grace whose sinnes are forgiven through the Merits of Christ and yet continuest to be Babell and a Fable and wilt not be a Christian in Christ thou wilt needes passe into Heaven but that will not avayle thee Joseph that is Christ holdeth thee imprisoned in the Anger of God both in Body and Soule unlesse thou givest him Benjamin viz. thy inward Ground and then Heaven goeth into thee and Christ standeth up in thee out of the Grave so that thy selfe art risen from Death and then thy spying and prying hath an End 20. O yee high Schooles and Universities and all yee that will be accounted the Ministers of God and to teach the way of God and contend and dispute about it what are yee look upon your selves in this Figure you appeare to be no other then Spies you alwayes search and yet you lye still in Prison God will have it so no more for hee himselfe tryeth the Thoughts of Man and is himselfe present in all things his is the understanding his is the knowledge of the Kingdome of God without him yee know nothing 21. Your spying and knowing helps you not into the Kingdome of God you cannot enter therein except that goe forth in your Life that is except it be manifested in your Life that yee are Gods children in Christ in his Sufferings Death and Resurrection in himselfe not through an acquired Historicall seeming Faith but Essentially as a Branch on the Vine yee must be a Twig on the Tree you must have Christs Life flesh Bloud operatively and substantially in the Inward Ground in you and you must become Christ else yee are all one and other but spies searchers and historicall Christians and no better then Jewes Turks and Heathens 22. O ye simple Men let it be made knowne to you goe but forth from the Towre of the Confounded Languages then may you soone come to the right seeke * * * Mat. 26.64 Act. 7·55 56. Col. 3.1 Christ at the right hand of God within you he sitteth there unlock your wills that is give them up to him and he will unlock them well enough your repentance must be earnest or else ye are all one and other but Spies 23. Gaze about no more it is high Time † † † Rev. 1.3.22 ●0 the time is truly borne or at hand ‖ ‖ ‖ Luk. 21.28 your Redemption draweth neere * * * Rev. 21. ● The Bridegroom calleth his Bride you must indeed into the Prison of Joseph in this Famine if you will not bring your inward ground of your hearts into Repentance with you Amen be it so Gen. 42.18 19 20. 24. And Moses sayth further But on the Third Day he sayd to them if you will live then doe thus for I feare God if you be honest and true Men let one of your brethren lie captive in your Prison but as for you goe your wayes and carry home what ye have bought for your hunger and bring your youngest brother to mee and so I shall beleeve your words that ye may not die and they did so The Figure standeth thus 25. When the soule draweth neere to God and will work repentance and that its inward Ground is yet wholly shut up in vanity so that the Minde is still hanging to selfe yet if it will not give over Repentance and for all that cannot be free from the Earthly desires but continueth in Prayer then indeed God the Father letteth the Soules Essences out of the Prison of his Anger that the Minde is well eased againe like one that is released out of Prison then sayth the Minde thus I am very well eased in my Prayer in this Repentance 26. For Gods Anger hath released Nature out of its Prison that it should with greater labour and industry presse in to God for in its Prison it cannot doe so for it is in anguish and beholdeth only its committed sinnes which continually drive it back that it is affraid † † † Abashed ashamed daunted in the presence of God but when the Anger lets it loose then it gets power and vertue of Prayer and the work of Repentance 27. But the Anger of God holdeth it continually with one Band as Joseph held one Brother in Prison till they brought the last brother also and thus must the poore soule remaine tied with one band of the Prison of Death till it shed forth the last brother viz. the inward ground and come before God and say Lord I will forsake all for Christs and my salvations sake and give up my will wholly to thee cast mee into Death or into Life into derision or scorne into poverty or misery as thou wilt I will cleave to thee I will not play the hypocrite before thee and give thee but halfe my will any more as I have done 28. And then if the Earnestnes proceed to practice that God perceiveth that it is in Earnest then will also the last brother be let loose that is then will also the last Band of the Anger of God be loosed but in the meane time ere it thus come to passe the soule must lye captive in one Band. 29. But neverthelesse God sayth to the other released * * * Or faculties formes of Life Now goe your way with that which you have at present in this Repentance bought or gotten of mee and carry it home that is defile it not againe live of it and partake of this present Grace bestowed and carry it in to the Honour of God that it may come before God with the Operation of it 30. Moses sayth further But they sayd one among another Gen 42 21 22 23 24. wee trespassed against our Brother that wee saw the anguish of his Soule when he wept to us and wee would not heare him therefore now this Trouble cometh upon us Reuben answered them and sayd did I not tell you as much when I sayd Sinne not against the Lad and yee would not heare and now is his bloud required but they knew
when it seeth the Divine Gifts in it selfe whereby it looseth the right of its selfehood I am bereaved of my might and strength Joseph viz. the inward ground of the Kingdome of Heaven which I had in Paradise that is no more and so will also these Gifts of my Power and authority viz. my children that is the properties of my Nature be taken away it all goeth against mee I must suffer my selfe to be bereaved 43. * * * Gen. 42.37 But Reuben sayd to his Father If I bring not Benjamin to thee againe then slay my † † † 2 Sonnes Two Sonnes give him into my hand I will bring him to thee againe that is God Comforteth Nature and sayth Give mee thy formes Qualitie and Condition viz. thy Children into my hand I will but bring them to Joseph that is to Jesus and will give them to thee againe thou shalt loose nothing if I doe not then slay my two sonnes with thee that is slay the first and second Principle 44. Which is even done if Nature be bereaved of its formes and Condition then must cease in the Nature of Man the Kingdome of God in Love and also the Kingdome of God in the might of the fire so very secretly doth the Spirit of God delight to play in the figure of Regeneration which Exposition will seeme strange to Reason but wee know what wee write heere which is anderstood by those of our Society 45. * * * Gen. 42.38 And Jacob sayd my sonne Benjamin shall not goe downe with you for his Brother is dead and he is left alone if any mishap befall him in the way that you travaile yee will bring my Grey hayres with sorrow of heart into the Grave That is Nature is faint when it must enter into the Death of Christ and is affraid of Dying and will by no meanes come to it it excuseth it selfe concerning its heavenly Joseph which it had viz. the heavenly Image which while it cannot comprehend it it sayth it is Dead now when these my formes and qualities of Life in this way shall get mishap againe then must I perish with sorrow of heart and my Life hath an End CHAP. LXX How Jacobs Sonnes went into Aegypt againe because of the Famine to Joseph to buy Corne and take Benjamin with them How Joseph caused them to be brought into his House and to Eate at his Table What is thereby to be understood Vpon the 43 of Genesis NOw this whole Chapter prefigureth to us the most excellent Image Gen. XLIII representing how first the outward Nature in this processe when it shall give up its will thereinto that its Lifes Essences shall goe into Aegypt that is into the Death of Christ is very fearefull timorous abashed and daunted and yet in the End is willing and ready that all its formes and Conditions of Life might enter into the dying of Selfe viz. into the true Aegypt upon divine confidence that it bringeth the will of God with it thereinto 2. And then secondly how the formes and * * * Powers or Faculties Conditions of Life are afrayd before Joseph that is before the Face of God seeing they feele in them an Evill Conscience as Jac●bs sonnes were affraid before Joseph for they thought continually God would punish them for Josephs sake at which they trembled 3. And thirdly how God with the formes of the soulish Nature carrieth himselfe first so friendly and first giveth them heavenly bread of his owne substance and yet but in a strange forme as Joseph invited his brethren for Guests and fed them at his Table that they eate and drank plentifully and were merry and afterwards let them goe in Peace but presently after came with a terrible Triall in that he caused his Cup to be layd into Benjamins sack and pursued after them and fetched them back againe all which standeth powerfully in the figure of a repenting sinner shewing how it goeth with him till God in his Love giveth him to know him 4. Moses words follow thus * * * Gen. 43.1 2 3 4 5. This Famine was sore in the Land and when the Corne was spent which they had brought out of Aegypt their father sayd to them goe againe and buy us a little food then Judah answered and sayd The Man obliged and charged us strictly and sayd Yee shall not see my face except your Brother be with you Now if thou wilt send our brother with us then wee will goe downe and buy for thee to Eate but if thou sendest him not wee will not goe downe for the Man hath sayd to us yee shall not see my Face unlesse your brother be with you This figure standeth thus 5. The Soule of Man standeth in Three Principles viz. in the Eternall fires Nature and in the Eternall Lights Nature viz. in the Love-fire which extinguished in Adam for which cause at present the Strife is and thirdly it standeth in Spiritu Mundi in the Spirit of the World in the Kingdome of this world viz. in Mortality and Restoration 6. Therefore now understand us aright thus when the Inward Soulish Ground viz. the Eternall Soule from the Fathers Property of the Word of God turneth back againe and lookes about after its Little Pearle viz. after the Second Principle of the Angelicall worlds property then it will perceive that it was lost in Adam from whence ariseth its Misery and Returne againe and as soone as it returneth againe God giveth his Grace into it againe but unknowne and not understood by it and * * * God he desireth that the Inward fire-soule viz. the Centre of the Eternall Nature should with the voyce of Grace in spoken or inspired in Paradise which was wholly incorporated turne to God againe 7 In which Divine desire this great unquietnesse ariseth in the soule that it thus goeth into Repentance when it seeth that it hath lost its ability neither may nor shall nor can it in any other way againe attaine its first Pearle which is had and come to divine salvation unless it turne with its fires-might wholly againe into the Ground of the incorporated Grace and give it selfe up thereto 8. And now when the outward Mortall Soule viz. the Nature of the third Principle of the Kingdome of this world seeth this then it is afraid as Jacob was of his children and alwayes thinketh they will loose body and Life Goods and Honour and their formes or faculties of Life will be bereaved of their outward Might and Authority which they have in this world 9. And then also the inward fiery soule cannot stirre up its inward Ground viz. the true Benjamin and bring it along with it into Aegypt into the presence of Joseph into Earnest Repentance into the presence of Jesus unlesse the Outward Soule from the Spirit of the world be brought downe and quite tamed and overwhelmed that it also may in the End willingly submit to it that the fiery inward great
generate the other Men out of himselfe in that likenes but when that was not done God cursed the power that was given to Man so that the will of the Creatures is opposite to him seeing he would have them to misuse them and would no more be a Lord of the Creatures but mingleth his Love also with them whereupon the foure Elements captivated him and made him also a Beast as to the Body and thus now he runneth on in the will of the Curse 32. For he is Gods Image but he * * * Imageth modelleth o● figureth fashioneth his will into a beastiall Image and disturbeth the Order of God from what it was in the word of Creation he suppresseth the right true will of God and setteth his own will in the place he is with his will an Enemy to all Creatures and all Creatures are his Enemies 33. And therefore must the divine will in Man be now borne againe in such anguish in the Opposite will and the right divine will of the New Birth must suffer it selfe to have the Enmity of all Creatures and therefore because Man beareth in his Body a Beastiall will wherein the beastiall Opposite will together with the Curse is manifested and so now the Life in the Curse is at Enmity with the Life in the Peace and will not suffer it in it selfe 34. But if the Beastiall will in the flesh could be wholly broken and killed then the Curse would cease and so no Creature could be at Enmitie more 35. But seeing this cannot be therefore must Man stand in Strife and endure much evill to will in him from without and to will much evill out from himselfe in and towards that which is without him and so standeth in strife between evill and good and in evill and good and liveth in the Strife of the Elements and also in the strife of his own willing that God gave him 36. For he complaineth alwayes that wrong is done him and yet himselfe is a wrong will and the right will which he obtaineth in the Regeneration is not his owne naturall willing but it is the willing of the Grace of God which is manifested in his willing which willing dayly killeth his naturall willing and blameth Man by Gods instrument with the children of the Anger openly 37. Moses speaketh further and sayth * * * Gen. 44.7 8 9 10. They answered him and sayd Wherefore speaketh my Lord such words It is far from thy servants to doe such a thing Behold the Money which we found aloft in the Sack wee have brought to thee againe out of the Land of Canaan how should wee then have stolen out of thy Lords house either Silver or Gold Hee with whom it is found among us thy servants let him be put to Death and moreover wee will be the servants of my Lord Hee sayd let it be as ye have spoken He with whom it is found shall be my servant but ye shall be quitt 38. This Figure now sheweth how the Conscience desireth to Justifie it selfe when it is apprehended by the wrath of Gods Anger that either when God with his plagues in Nature also many times in the hiding of his Graces or through the evill World blameth it and representeth it unrighteous then it will alwayes Justifie it selfe that wrong is done it 39. For if it have once turned toward Grace and broken it selfe off from ungodly Courses then it thinketh no Evill at all shall happen God is bound to protect it and the world doth it wrong when it reproacheth it as wicked it ought no more to be subject to plagues and punishments and it accounteth that honesty and Righteousnes whereby it stealeth Grace from God and reckoneth it for its owne as if it were no more Guiltie of Sinnes 40. Also it excuseth it selfe towards the world when the world will impute Sinnes and Blasphemies to it as if it were guilty then it will needs dye or be put to death or the like as Josephs brethren did who knew nothing of the Theft and did not understand neither that all their unrighteousnes and their stealing of Joseph when they stole him from their Father and sold him stood in the Sacks of Josephs gifts viz. were manifest before the Eyes of Joseph so that Joseph knew and understood their Theft and therefore caused them to be held for Theeves and caused them to be pursued as Theeves and fetched them back againe and set them before the Judgement 41. But in stead of their Theevery of their committed Sinnes whereby they had forfeited their Lives Joseph caused his Silver Cup to be layd to the Gift in their Sack and caused them to be blamed for the Cup which they would not confesse The Figure standeth thus 42. When a Man as is above-mentioned becometh a true Christian so that God giveth him his Grace then he layeth his Grace hiddenly in the Sack of his Body in the Essences of Life and moreover layeth therein the Cup of the Crosse and blameth it no more in Conscience in respect of its manifold committed sinnes for he hath utterly destroyed them with the Grace of forgivenesse and filled the Sack of his sinnes with Grace for the hunger of the poore soule but it layeth now the Cup of Christ to its Charge that it is Guilty of that viz. of Christs being scorned also of his Suffering and Death that he hath brought Christ to the Crosse with his sinnes that it is verily Guilty of the Cup of Christs Crosse and not wholly righteous 43. For when God by his Grace forgiveth him the * * * Mortall deadly or killing sinnes sinnes unto Death then he causeth this Cup of Christ to be layd aloft in the Sack seeing Christ himselfe hath the Guilt of these sinnes layd upon him and hath taken them upon him therefore now this Man is guilty of the Cup of Christs Crosse in which Christ must tast and drink out the Anger of God in Man and Gods righteousnesse requires of him to enter into the suffering scorne Death of Christ that he should dye with Christ and give himselfe up to his scorne and suffer with Christ. 44. But seeing he cannot doe that and is too weake to enter into such sufferings in the Anger of God therefore hath Grace put this Cup also into him that he might drink of Christs victory and Prophesie or Divine of Christs suffering and Death and make them knowne 45. But Gods righteousnesse which now requireth Man to be in the processe of Christ viz. in Christs Sufferings and Death and yet findeth him not alwayes in his Conversation and Will therein accuseth him for a Theefe who carrieth the Cup of Christs Crosse but as a Theefe in the Sack of his Lifes Essences and chargeth him of Theft if he walke otherwise then in the Processe and Imitation of Christ. 46. For Christ hath received Man into his Sufferings and Death and turned away the righteousnesse of Gods Anger and introduced him
with his Guilt of Eternall Death into his innocent Death and is dead from the sinnes and wickednesse in himselfe and in this dying of Christ Gods righteousnesse in the Anger requireth a Christian Man to be 47. But if he walke out of this path and not in it then sayth righteousnesse thou art a Theefe and hast wrongfully got this Cup of Christ in thy Sack I will sett thee before my Judgement and Sentence as Joseph did to his brethren when he caused them to be fetched back to the sentence of his Judgement 48. Therefore hath a Christian who walketh under the Banner of Christs Crosse no Excuse when God by his Steward viz. by the Children of this world causeth him to be layd hold on in the righteousnesse of his Anger and chargeth him for a Theefe and an unrighteous person also for a Stranger Innovator * * * Novice Novellist Enthusiast Foole and the like when Men loade him with all his faults and the infirmities of naturall sinfull flesh and without ceasing blame him as wicked and unrighteous and condemne him to the damnation of the temporall and Eternall Death and though he is not in the sight of the world nor as to the world Guilty yet he is lyable to beare the scorne suffering and death of Christ after him as a Christian is lyable to take upon him the whole processe in the footsteps of Christ and to follow Christ therein and to suffer all in Christ and wholly to put on Christ in his derision contempt suffering and death and to beare his Crosse and scorne after him that he may enter into Christs Kingdome as a Member of the body of Christ that hath suffered with him and hath dayly dyed to the Anger of God in the Death of Christ from his actuall sinnes 49. For All Sinnes Blasphemies and untruths which are imputed to him wrongfully from the world which he is not outwardly Guilty of in the fact that he suffereth in the processe of Christ as a Christian and therein drinketh out of the Cup of Christs Crosse who hath innocently suffered for his sinnes 50. For if he be not guilty of them in his Life yet he is guilty of them in the inherited sinne and hath inherited them also in the seede out of which he is proceeded they lye in his * * * Ground of his Nature and Heart Ground he cannot excuse himselfe before God in the processe of Christ he is guilty of all Adamicall sinnes 51. But this is his Comfort that God manifesteth them by the children of his Anger in this world and so as a Curse by the Children of Anger fastneth them to the Crosse of Christ and in this Manifestation drowneth them in him in the Bloud and Death of Christ in that he still cleaveth to God as Christ to his Father and suffered himselfe to be accused of sinnes which he had not committed but had onely inherited them and so they were taken from him and given to the Anger of God in his Judgement that he might condemne them 52. For thus also Joseph in this figure appeased his just Anger towards his Brethren they were all Guilty towards him but he charged them not with their Guilt but charged them onely with his Cup for he had cleerly forgiven them all their Trespasses but onely concerning the Cup he would not hold them Guiltlesse and yet of right they were not Guilty of it but he had layd it in as his bounty and made them guilty of it 53. Thus also hath God given us his Grace of meere Love after that wee were cleerly guilty of Eternall Judgement and hath layd Christ and Grace in the Sack of our Life with his Suffering Death with his Cup of the Crosse concerning which he doth not hold us Guiltlesse wee are all Guilty thereof and have not this by a Naturall right but it is layd into us without our knowledge therefore wee cannot release our selves of it except wee cast Christ wholly from us and give our selves againe to the Anger of God and then Death Hell and the Anger of God make us Guilty and hold us captive in them but at present Man may lay hold on which he will 54. But that Joseph caused the Cup to be thrust into his Brother Benjamins Sack it hath this figure that Christ dwelleth in the inward Man viz. in his Paradisicall brother and hath this Cup of the Crosse in his Hand out of which the guilty soule and the Body must drink he thrusteth it into his brothers sack for that inward ground is his Brother but the other brethren must drink of it this brother of Christ holdeth it in him for he is Christs Member and habitation 55. Therefore sayth Josephs Steward by whomsoever the Cup is found he shall be my servant but ye shall be quitt viz. the inward ground the true Josephs viz. Christs brother hee is Christs servant who serveth his Lord and brother and must hold the Cup in his Sack the other * * * Conditions or qualities formes of Life of Nature are free and cannot hold the Cup for Christ. 56. For they are not the right Sack to put it in but the Ground of the Heavenly Worlds Substance is the Sack to which the Holy Cup of Christ doth belong which powreth the Ground of Nature out of it therefore must Josephs Brother be made guilty of the Cup because he stood in the figure of the inward Man wherein Christ would manifest himselfe with his Cup of the Crosse and so the other brethren viz. the poore soule together with the body be quitt and released from the Guilt 57. Therefore sayth Josephs Steward he is my servant who hath the Cup he shall serve mee but ye shall be quitt that is Christ is in this inward Benjamin Josephs Brother and serveth God with overcoming of Death and the Anger of God in Man and so all the other brethren viz. the Naturall Life shall be quitt from Guilt and Paine and it standeth excellently in the Figure 58. Moses sayth further * * * Gen. 44.11 12 13. And they hastened and layd every one his sack off on to the Earth and every one tooke his Sack off and searched and began at the Eldest and so to the youngest and there they found the Cup in Benjamins Sack and then they rent their Cloaths and loaded every one his Asse and went againe into the Citie 59. When Adam was fallen into sinne then the Law and Command fetched him back againe charged him with the sinne and Theft that he had eaten of the wrong fruit with a wicked mouth therefore must he returne againe into the Citie viz. into the Earth out of which the body was proceeded and there lay downe his Sack into the Earth and there Gods righteousnes searcheth into all the naturall Properties viz. Truth and righteousnes which availeth before God viz. the Image of Heaven and began from the first forme of Nature and so on
bloud for the buyer entered with his Money of Grace into this faded Image and tooke it to himselfe and set the soule therein for a High-Priest and Teacher 32. And this Image now was the Priests fields which he bought not for it was Gods before-hand God only set his High Priest Christ therein that he should therein feede and teach the poore soule that it should not eate of the vanity and fully darken and bring to nothing this Image againe 33. And this is also the same in the figure of Joseph in that he bought not the Priests fields and so is the figure concerning Moses and the Levites that they kept their fields and Ground and yet possessed them as Tenants all which denoteth the inward Man of the heavenly worlds substance which is Gods Ground wherein God soweth his word of Grace viz. Christs Spirit which Ground or Substance belongeth onely to the High Priest Christ for a possession and not to the Creaturely Life but the Creaturely Life receiveth power and vertue from it it hath it indeed in it selfe but it is not one and the same thing with Nature as the Light and the painfull source of the fire is not one and the same thing 34. This figure of Joseph in that he bought the Egyptians to be Pharaohs proper owne and made them his owne servants signifieth nothing else but that Christ should buy us from the Anger of God in the famine of our destruction through his Grace to be his obliged servants through his bloud and death and would give us his word for seede that wee might sow his purchased * * * Or possessions Goods viz. our Naturall Life therewith 35. And for this Cause now should wee give him againe the fift part of this fruit viz. the Birth of Love the fift propertie of Life for in the fift propertie standeth Faith and that his children should give to him againe and this he gathereth into his fathers Barnes for an Eternall prayse and to the divine Manifestation of his wonders 36. But that Earthly Men have made such † † † Or Bondslavery Bondage and keepe one another for Bondslaves and vex torment and misuse one another therein and squeeze out their sweat for their pomp pride this is an Image of the Anger of God which ‖ ‖ ‖ Imageth or modelleth it selfe representeth it selfe also according to the heavenly Figure 37. For every thing must ‖ ‖ ‖ Imageth or modelleth it selfe fashion it selfe according to the Ordinance or appointment of the Word of God whether a thing ‖ ‖ ‖ Imageth or modelleth it selfe fashion it selfe in Evill viz. in Gods anger according to the property of Hell or in Good in Heaven in the Kingdome of Christ for with the Holy Psa. 18.25 26. the Word is Holy and with the perverse and froward it is manifest in Gods wrath as the People is such is their God also sayth the Scripture 38. Earthly Men represent the Image in the anger of God in that they vex torment squeeze and plague them with * * * Bondslavery Bondage and hold it for just and right and it is right in the wrath of Nature in Gods anger and it is a figure of Hell and it is also a figure of the Kingdome of Christ in the heavenly * * * Bondslavery Bondage For all whatsoever the Earthly Man doth with paine and torment that doth Christ in his Kingdome with his children in Joy Love humility and power 39. The Earthly Man taketh away his brothers Labour also his will and desires his sweate and Trade profession and sustenance Christ also taketh away his childrens evill will desires also their labour working in God when with great paine and anguish they presse thereinto these labours Christ taketh all from them and gathereth them into his Chists of Treasure and searcheth through and through his childrens body and soule to see whether there be yet a little Sparkle that can and will administer to him and work for him that he driveth and necessitateth into the Divine Ministration of Gods Court viz. into the vineyard of Christ. 40. He often also withdraweth the foode of Grace and letteth them afterward hunger and lament for it and letteth them sit in misery and afflicteth them so that they must work in great anguish in lamentation feare and trembling before him in Divine Labour for the old Adams Asse is unwilling and untoward to labour in that which is divine 41. And therefore it is often compelled so that the punishment and threatning is alwayes behinde it where Christs Spirit in the Conscience threatneth it with Hell and the Anger of God as also the Earthly Lords upon Earth doe with their Subjects which stand indeed in the figure of Christ but the Office is altogether unlike 42. Christ gathereth in for his father by the works of his children much heavenly fruit which Man will obtaine againe and enjoy the same for Ever but a worldly Lord gathereth in by the labour and sweat of the poore only Money and Goods into his Chists to his owne honour which labour the poore Man can no more enjoy in this world but Christ is his wages in that he must serve the figure of Gods anger heere in Misery 43. But in the End when the Earthly Offices shall be also gathered into their Barnes into the Treasure Chists of their hearts for whom they have served and ministred then there will be unlike and different reservatories many will have very much gathered into the Kingdome of Gods anger and from that will his foode be given to him againe in Eternity viz. the Curse of the oppressed also the affliction feare paine and molestation of the poore which they have heere with their agitation wrought by the inferiours that will be given them for foode also after this time to Eternity for * * * Gal. 6.7 what any soweth heere that they will finde in Barnes in the Eternall Life 44. All Offices of this world are Gods and all Officers from the Emperour to the least and meanest are Gods Officers but they serve him much unlike and differently one serveth him in Love as a Minister of Christ and the other serveth him in his anger as a Minister of Hell 45. All that seeke their owne in these Offices and not regard God and his Ordinance and so serve Man therein they serve the anger of God and gather up into Hell 46. For all the Treasure of Princes and Potentates should be gathered in for the Common profit of brethren and for the supporting of Good Orders and Offices also of the miserable and impotent even as an * * * Or housholder Inn-keeper laboureth worketh with those that are under him and draweth the profit to himselfe and yet therewith he provideth for feedeth and nourisheth all his servants Ministers and assistants and the over-plus he useth for common necessaries of himselfe his wife and children and
Divine Rest. 60. This is signified by the figure of Jacob where the Text sayth Israell dwelt a long time in Egypt and multiplyed there And when Jacob was to dye he had a desire to be carried after his death againe into the Land of Canaan to his fathers this I say signifieth that a Christian or childe of God must goe into this Egypt viz. into Repentance and into the exit from the Earthly Will and continue therein the whole time of his temporall life and bring forth much good fruit in that Land and then Christ viz. the heavenly Joseph shall bring him into the right Country of his father to Rest againe viz. into the right promised * * * Exod. 3.8 Land wherein the Milk and Honey of divine power floweth 61. And the whole Historie of all the † † † 5 Bookes of Moses five Bookes of Moses is even this in the figure the Exit out of Canaan and the going into Canaan againe is onely this representing how the right Adamicall Man should with great Hoasts and Armies and much purchased Goods effected in the divine operation enter againe into the Eternall Promised Land and how in this life time he must be a Bond-servant of Gods anger in this Egypt which would through its Ministers and servants afflict persecute and torment him in his Office of anger and continually keepe him for a Bondslave till the right Joseph shall bring him through the Temporall Death againe into Paradise into Rest. CHAP. LXXV How Jacob before his End blessed the two sonnes of Joseph and preferred the Youngest before the Eldest And what is thereby to be understood Vpon the 48 Chapter of Genesis 1. MOses sayth Afterward it was told Joseph behold thy father is sick Gen. XLVIII 1 2 3 4 5 6. and he tooke with him both his sonnes Manasseh and Ephraim and then it was told Jacob behold thy sonne Joseph cometh to thee and Israell strengthened himselfe and sat up in the Bed and sayd to Joseph The Almighty God appeared to mee at Luz in the Land of Canaan and blessed mee and sayd to mee behold I will cause thee to encrease and multiply and will make thee a multitude of people and will give this Land for a possession to thy Seed after thee for Ever and now thy two Sonnes Ephraim and Manasseh which were borne unto thee in the Land of Egypt before I came in hither to thee shall be Mine as Reuben and Simeon but those which thou shalt beget after them shall be thine and shall be named according to their Brethren in their Inheritance 2. In this figure now the Patriarch Jacob standeth againe in the limit of the Covenant whereto God had ordained him in the Mothers womb when he had finished his course in the World with the figure of the Kingdome of Christ and his Christendome then his Spirit * * * Frameth Modelleth or Imageth figureth it selfe againe in the limit of the Covenant and through the limit of the Covenant blesseth his children and his childrens children and pointeth at the future Time how it would goe with them that is he speaketh from the Roote and intimateth concerning the branches and twiggs of this Tree which God in Paradise planted againe after the defection and fall and had made it manifest in Abraham and so Jacob stood in the same stock and intimateth from the Spirit of this Tree concerning his Branches and Twiggs but Especially in both Josephs Sonnes both which he grafted backe againe into his roote that they should be his sonnes as Reuben and Simeon This Figure standeth thus 3. And Jacob sayd to Joseph the Almighty God appeared to mee at Luz in the Land of Canaan and blessed mee and sayd to mee behold I will cause thee to increase and multiply and will make thee a Great People and will give this Land for a possession to thy seede for Ever In this figure the Spirit speaketh not onely of the Inheritance of the outward Land of Canaan but also of the Inheritance of the Kingdome of Christ understood and signified under this Canaan for he sayth God hath given him and his children this Land for an Eternall possession which for a long time after that they had no Inheritance in therefore then in this the Kingdome of Christ is understood which shall endure for Ever 4. Thus Jacob tooke the two sonnes of Joseph and set them in his Roote in the Inheritance of this Kingdome and moreover in his first power and vertue as Reuben and Simeon his first sonnes which signifieth how Josephs that is Christs children in the Faith and Spirit whose nature yet is come from the Seede of corrupted Adam shall be through Faith planted againe in the first Roote of Gods Covenant for Adam hath set his Twiggs and children with himselfe in the Kingdome of Gods anger But the Covenant and Grace taketh these Adamicall twiggs and puts them back againe into the Image of God whose figure Jacob heere represents with Josephs Sonnes 5. * * * Gen 48.8 9. And Israell saw the Sonnes of Joseph and sayd who are these Joseph answered his father and sayd they are my Sonnes which God hath given mee that is the Covenant of Grace was strange to the corrupt nature and sayd Who are these children of Nature in selfe have they not broken themselves off from God But Joseph in the figure of Christs humanity sayd they are my children which God hath given mee in the Kingdome of this world and the Covenant of Grace in Jacob sayd ‖ ‖ ‖ Vers 9. Bring them to mee that I may blesse them that is that I may anoint them with Grace that is Christ shall bring them to God that he may blesse them againe 6. And Moses sayth * * * Vers. 10. For the Eyes of Israell were dimme with age that is Nature in the fathers property in the Soulish Creature was growne dimme and old and that because the soules Ens had † † † Imaged or framed modelled it selfe in the ‖ ‖ ‖ Temporarynes Time for all that liveth in the ‖ ‖ ‖ Temporarynes Time groweth old and dimme But the Covenant in Jacob groweth not old The Covenant was that which should blesse the Sonnes of Joseph with the future revelation or Manifestation of the Power in the Name JESUS and Joseph who stood in the Image or Type of the Humanity of Christ should bring them to this Blessing For the humanity of Christ bringeth Adams children to the blessing of God as heere Joseph bringeth his Sonnes to the Covenant of God in Jacob. 7. Moses sayth further * * * Vers· 10 11 12. But he kissed them and incouraged them and sayd to Joseph behold I have seene thy Face which I had not thought to have done and behold God hath let mee see thy Seede and Joseph tooke them from † † † Jacobs his Boosom and bowed himselfe towards the Earth before his