of a more sublime Origination or as wee vulgarly of an higher Descent Is it not so Why Do not the Golden Rules delivered by antient Philosophers seem to set forth as much How came those famous Lights of Wisdom set up almost all the World over Nai what issue is there of the pretious Dictates of our gracious Saviour and His holi Apostls who spake as never man or mere Soâ—â—â— spake Nai what becometh of the Image of Gâ—â— impressed on Man at the first and wherein settiâ—â— the Angels apart hee excelleth the whol Creationâ— NB. When the holi Iesus the Christ of God vouchsafed and condescended to be conversant among men Hee made it his chief Work what Christiaâ— wil be against the ensuing Truth to improve the mind and spirit of man farr above the hight of the Soul's Reason and wee are so farr from conforming to our Blessed Lord's cours as Reason it self if 〈◊〉 sens almost is yet too sublime for us except soâ—â— few who Apparent rari nantes in Gurgite vasto as the Poet singeth bravely looking up and beariâ—â— up their Heads in this Universal Sinking towarâ— and I prai God it mai go down not wofully further â—â— dolefully deeper than the Profundities of Shâ—â— out of which som are saved Com along with meâ— kind Reader if thou be not quite tired and maâ—â— use of the strongest legs of thi reason nai exercisâ— the Brains of it yea let the Head and Crown of 〈◊〉 asscend to that of AEternitie leaving farr below those effects of curiositie and accidental emergences the Arts and Sciences liberal falsly so called and highest natural Philosophie too upon which the Great Diana of this Mechanic Age h. e. Natural Theologie is reared buoied hoisted built up and let thi Reason I sai soar aloft evn if possibl up to AEternitie beeing environed with Time as it is a part of that Prius and Posterius without which the beginning and end of ani beeing cannot be conceived to be not as it is defined the Measure of Motion which had a Beginning on that Foundation that of an AEtern Beeing of Beeings nothing beeing abl to make it self Reason existeth subsisteth standeth buildeth and finisheth I mean concludeth That AEternitie it self is but what it is the imbecillitie of ani rational Facultie is such as it cannot possibly comprehend i. e. how ani thing shold have beeing without beginning and ending yet such a beeing there must be or no God there must or can be and where now wil Reason be I fancie and you know what hath been written already of Phansie that Reason notwithstanding all the sublimitie and vivacitie Phansie can afford or give to it in all its best conceptions like a sorri-silli Guide doth but lead mee with confidence and leav mee in confusion in a dull dark Labyrinth or Maze in a Maeandrous passage or Place Hence evn the most Metaphysic Subtilissimoes after that thei have fatigated or quite tired and wearied and but worsted themselvs with their Divisions and Subdivisions I must affirm thei have not arrived at so much of immodestie as to make Reason the adaequate measure of Truth but do ultimately resolv it into a Conformitie with the Divine Intellect which a Platâ—nist wold after this manner as one more excellently expresseth and exactly humoreth than that ut supri lateiné by waie of an Exegemátic Character thusâ— That there is an AEternal Mind that comprehendeth thâ— intelligibl natures species and ideas of all things whether actualy existing or possibly only and that comprehendeth it self and all the extent of its own Power â—â—gether with an Exemplar Platform of the whâ—â— World according to which Hèe produced the samâ— What of all this Why dato concesso the Praemisses granted and allowed yet stil the Conclusion wilâ— and must be in spite of all our Reason assisted with the clearest imagination wee are no less in the dark for unless notice be vouchsafed to us by the AEternal Mind of what is conformabl to His infallibl and infinit Intellect there wil be littl or no certentie of Truth obteined by us Such is the peculiar Province of Revelation which is the tru or praetended foundation stil of all knowledg whatsoever Moreover it hath all the benefit of Philosophie and natural Religion's light in its best progress of Reasoning in its highest Zenith exaltation elevation sublimation and Acme to be silent as to a further and unfailing ratification from Divine Testimonie and the Transscendence of the Objects proper quarto modo to an Apocalypsie which giveth it freer admission and maketh a more solid valid and durabl impression upon our intellect Tho' wee acknowledg when all is don how magnificously soever wee bragg and vapor and taper of our Reason or Faith Intellect intelligibl Ideas and aeternal Verities these wil never conduct us to enter into Paradise or our Master 's joie but only as these are conjoined with our affections which commix co-incide and as it were identifi with that grandest and Divinest Mysterie of Love sciz God made Flesh which gave as one superexcellently the Angels new Anthems a new Scaene of Knowledg and consequently a new Heven So much if not too much of the distinction of these Powers and of that refined one of Soul and Spirit in man I sai Man who certenly is more than is conteined in that old definition Animal Rationale if hee were no more than Animans intellectuale tho' were I worthi to define Him it shold be rather by Religiosum than by either or both mentioned Nai seriously thinking considering and ruminating of the Rarities and Merits of his Creation by Iehovah AElohim who breathed into his Nostrils the Breath of Lifes and who as the Father of Spirits formeth that in man I can scarce forbear calling Him Animal Divinum tho' I be not such an Animal without the facultie to think nai and to foresee this definition deemed forthwith by the acute as unphilosophiâ— yea the Terms doomed oâ— however if not so adjudged yet to speak favorably impleaded as carri-ing in their veri Bowels a self-duelling by som chiefly those who have bâ— great Labors procured unto themselvs a deep-readâ— confusion of thought Let mee complete this Paragraph with the three constituent Parts of man according to the Apostl's Philosophie or Iudgment in that Praier of his where mention is made of Bodie Soul and Spirit which Spirit or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what it signiâ—ieth in the New Covenant or Testament the Places at the Bottom and mani mo do tell But to interpret it as most do by the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Graces of the H. Spirit wold make the Apostl's Praier so impertinent improper strange if not ridiculous unless those Graces had at ani been found blame-worthi that I cannot but appear most exceedingly blameabl miself shold I add one Word to contra-argue it However let mee add the following words tending toward the conclusion of this prodigiously prolix
perfect Unity so it is also unalterable and unchangeable becaus that which is perfectly one cannot be subject to any change or alteration which always proceeds from Duality and Contrariety Having thus declared that the Divine Nature is a perfect unchangeable Unity and Simplicity and having elsewhere told you that this Divine Nature from the opening of the Eye is manifested in the form of a clear transparent mist if you should â—urther inquire of me what this Divine Nature is I must tell you that this Divine Nature is nothing else but Love And accordingly the Scripture tells us That God is Love and that he that lives in Love lives in God and God in him And this Love is seated in the Essential Heart of God from thence it stream's forth and thither it returns again and therefore it is called God's flaming Heart becaus the Essential Love doth continually burn and flame in it This Eternal Love which is the unchangeable Nature of God is a most pure Virgin it is Love without lusting or desire it wills and acts nothing but in the Will of God and is guided by the Eye in all it s out goings What pen can express the high purity of this Eternal Love It is the Eternal Liberty being free from all things it is a meer passive nothing The Essential Love of God is said to be meerly passive in relation to its own motion for it acts not but is acted only by and from the Spirit of the Holy Trinity It cannot mingle with any thing of Nature contrary to it self and indeed with nothing but with its own purity neither can any thing touch it for then its Virginity and Purity might be defiled In this consists the High Liberty of Love's Nature it is free from all things and all things free from it it toucheth nothing neither doth any thing touch it No wonder that St. Paul cries out concerning this Essential Love of God O the heighth depth breadth and length of the Love of God which passeth knowledge For its dimensions are equal to the Abyssal Globe this Love being the fulness of God which filleth it throughout I have declar'd to you the Mystery of the Divine Nature that it is nothing else but Eternal Love but if you should further persist to enquire of me what this Eternal Love is I must tell you that it is as a meeâ— nothing to us becaus it is beyond all humane comprehension and knowledge and we can only say of it that it is what it is an Angel's Tongue being not able to express what this Eternal Love is But you will say how can this Love be termed the unchangeable Nature of God when we are told from the Scriptures that God is angry and fierce against sin and evil For answer to this I must only put you in mind of what I said before viz. that when I say that Eternal Love is God's unchangeable Nature I speak of God as he exists in himself in the Globe of Eternity before Eternal Nature but when Anger and Severity are attributed to God then the Divine Nature is considered as cloath'd upon with the properties of Eternal Nature but we speak of God here in his own primary abstracted Being which is nothing else but Eternal unchangeable Love 2. In the next place the opening of the Eye shews that the Image of God is contained and shut up in his Heart for since the Divine Nature doth continually flow from and return again to this Essential Heart of God as its Center and Spring and since the Image of God is nothing else but the expression and manifestation of his Nature therefore this Image must needs be impressed on the Heart of God which is the very Center of his Divine Nature And therefore this Heart of God is called the face of God becaus it is the true and living expression and representation of God the Essential Image and likeness of the total Deity But you will object that the Scriptures of Truth tell us that God hath no Image To which I answer that indeed God hath no organical outward Image resembling that of Angels or Men and thus the Scripture is to be understood when it tells us that God hath no Image But the Scripture doth not contradict God's having an Essential inward form or Image according to which Image we are told in the first of Genesis thâ—t God created Man Let us create Man in our own Image and after our own likeness If we ask what this Image of God is and wherein it doth consist The Apostle Paul will tell us that it consists in knowledge righteousness and true Holyness and to comprehend all this in one word this Essential living Image of God is nothing else but Eternal Love this is God's Nature this is his Image and this is All in All in the Deity considered in his solitary and abstracted being before the introducing of himself into the properties of Eternal Nature Now from this Eternal Love do flow and beam forth all those Eternal excellencies and virtues which together with the Love do compleat this Divine Image such are the Wisdom Righteousness Holyness and Goodness of God Now that the Image of God doth consist in these the Scripture will inform us if we compare Colos. 3. 10. with Ephes. 4.24 so that we see that God's Image doth not consist in his infinity immensity and omnipotence but in his Divine Virtues proceeding from Eternal Love viz. Wisdom Righteousnes and true Holyness 3. The third and last thing which the opening of the Eye discovers to be hid and contained in the Heart of God are the Divine Affections and Passions But you will object and tell me that God hath no Affections nor Passions as being immutable and unchangeable in his unchangeable Nature of Love To which I answer in the first place that it is true God hath no Passions or Affections like to those which are in Men. Secondly There are no evil and unordinate affections in God But in the third place I say God hath Divine and Godlike affections such as become the Deity and are suitable to the perfection of his Nature Fourthly God hath such affections as are always in Harmony and Unity without any contrariety or opposing of each other Fifthly God's affections are at the greatest distance from all weakness and imperfection whatsoever In the sixt and last place God's Affections and Passions do all flow from his essential Heart of Love and are all rooted and centred in the same These Affections contained in the Heart of God are chiefly these three Love Ioy and Delight For God eternally Loves himself rejoyceth in himself and delighteth in himself neither can God any more cease to Love himself or to rejoyce and delight in himself than he can cease to be therefore these are the Essential and inseperable affections of the Divine Being IV. The fourth and last Particular which the opening of the Eye discovers concerning the Heart are God's Divine Qualities
pure virginity doth not only consist in this that she is free from all manner of spot blemish or mixture but especially in this that her bright glance is from all Eternity fixed upon the flaming heart of God's love which is the Center of the Holy Trinity This flaming â—eart of Love is the sole Object to which her regard is fastned continually she receives nothing into her self but this divine Love from the heart of God She espouseth her self to nothing inclineth her self to nothing but only to this essential Love the Word of God fixed in the Heart of the Deity Thus the Holy Trinity have their delight with wisdom and again the whole joy and delight of wisdom is the flaming Love of the blessed Trinity She is exalted above all things because of her beauty and immaculate purity she is the highest purity she is purity and virginity in the abstract She cannot be touched by sin evil or self because she cannot mix with nor incline to any thing but only the essential Love of God She is free from all essences whatsoever being nothing else but the unspotted mirrour of the glory and excellency of God and thus we have declared to you what that pure Virginity is which is one of the essential properties of God's wisdom 3. I now proceed to the third and last head viz. What the office of Wisdom is in the still Eternity I find that Wisdom dischargeth these two offices viz. 1. She is a revealer of the Mysteries and hidden wonders of the Deity 2. She is an enlightner of the still Eternity First As for the first of these Scripture and Revelation assure us That Wisdom is the revealer and manifester of the unsearchable secrets of God she is the golden Key of the Eternal Eye by which all the wonders of the Trinity are unlocked As the office of the Holy Ghost is to effect and create all things so the office of Wisdom is to manifest and reveal all things She never brings forth any thing and upon that account also is called a pure Virgin but only discovers and manifests whatsoever the Holy Trinity by their effecting-creating-power are pleas'd to bring forth This Wisdom is the companion of the Eye of Eternity by her out going glance revealing the wonders contained in it She is as an Handmaid waiting upon the Holy Trinity to declare publish and make known their counsels secrets and wonders Secondly The other office of Wisdom is to give Light to the deep Abyss of the still Eternity It is Wisdom's bright glance which is the day and light of this most holy mansion not a created Light but a pure divine Light in that sence as God is called a Light in whom is no darkness at all and no otherwise But you will object That the Holy Scriptures and Divine Philosophers seem to give a different account concerning Wisdom than I have here given To which I answer That I easily grant that the Scriptures of Truth and holy enlightned Men have spoken concerning Wisdom after another manner than here I have done and the reason of it is plain for they speak of Wisdom after the production of Eternal Nature as Wisdom is introduced into the seven forms of Eternal Nature whereas I speak of Wisdom's existence with the Holy Trinity in the still Eternity before ever Eternal Nature was brought forth The fourth Wonder which my Spirit was made to take notice of in the still Eternity was the Seven Spirits of God which stand before the Throne of the Holy Trinity Saint Iohn doth oft make mention of these in the Revelation but he speaks of them there as they were seen by him on mount Zion in the New Ierusalem after their being introduced into the working properties of pure Nature whereas I treat of them here aâ— they were seen in the still Eternity before the existence of pure Nature out of which the New Ierusalem is created and brought forth by the Holy Trinity And accordingly we are to distinguish between these seven Spirits here mentioned and those seven generating fountain-Spirits out of which pure Nature and her â—lements were generated according to the highly enâ—ightned Behme for those are the working powers of Eterâ—al Nature whereas these are in the still Eternity which â—as before Eternal Nature co-existing with the Holy Triâ—ity and Divine Wisdom in the still Eternity What I have further to declare concerning these seâ—en Spirits I shall refer to these following particuâ—ars First I shall speak of their Number in the second place of their Birth and Originality thirdly of their Nature fourthly of their Office and fifthly and lastly of their place in the still Eternity 1. For the first viz. their Number which is Seven for so they were named to me the Seven Spirits of God They do indeed subsist one in another and through another and appear but as one power yet they are seven in number even seven distinguishable powers flowing from and rooted in the Unity of the Trinity They were not distinguished to me by their several Names but only by their Number though I know that as they are in Eternal Nature they enjoy â—heir several distinct Names but it is not time now to speak of them because here we consider them as existing in the still Eternity out of and before Eternal Nature 2. As to their Birth and Originality they spring and proceed from the Temple-body of the Holy Ghost as well as they have their subsistence in the same for as Wisdom is a beam or glance proceeding from the Father's Eye and subsisting in the same so these seven Spirits or seven lustrous Powers proceed from the Divine Body of the Spirit as from their source and original and subsist in the same as in their true ground 3. The third perticular I am to speak to is the Nature of these seven Spirits which I shall endeavour to declare to you in these following Propositions 1. The â—irst is this The seven Spirits of God are 〈◊〉 many various outgoing Powers immediately proceedâ—ing from the Body of the Holy Ghost they are thâ— true fruits of the Spirit they are as so many deriveâ— streams from the head and fountain-stream the Holâ— Ghost They are a variation of that one all-effecting power of the Holy Spirit For as the supreme Unity varieth it self into a Trinity so the all-effecting power of the Trinity varieth it self into a Septenary or seven Spirits 2. In the second place these seven Spirits are co-essential Powers with the Holy Ghost and consequently with the whole Trinity for they immediately pâ—oceed from the Essence of the Holy Ghost they are essences out of his essence and therefore must needs be co-essential with him 3. Thirdly the seven Spirits of God are co-eternâ—l with the Holy Spirit for they exist together with the Holy Trinity which was never without these Spirits proceeding from them and consequâ—ntly these seven Spirits must needs be co-eternal with the Blessed Trinity But here we must not
the Day so the fierceness bitterness and Anguish of the fire were perfectly dissolv'd in and swallow'd up of the meekness mildness softness and pleasantness of the Water and nothing remained but the pleasant glances of thâ— Fire arising from the mixture of Fire and Water This was the Beauty and excellence of Eternal Nature that all her divided contrary properties were united into one undivided property in the Eternal Earth where all their contrarieties were reduced to the most perfect union agreement and harmony XX. Quest. If you further ask me what Eternal Nature's Essence is in relation to her formal being as she stood in her original Purity and Beauty Answ. I thus define Eternal Nature Eternal Nature is an Eternal Essence subsisting in a six fold working property inseparable one from the other For the Darkness generates the Harshness the Harshness the Bitterness this the Aâ—guish the Anguish the Fire this the Water the Water the Light this the Love-Fire and the Love-Fire the Air thus they generate one another and qualifie one in another and through one another inseparably and undivided but in the seâ—enth they all rest as in one only ground So that Eternal Nature subsists of six working properties in one only ground or substance And all the properties of Eternal Nature considered in relation to this one ground are all equally Eternal none of them can be accounted before other they have all but one beginning one Mother and subsist in one ground and in this their Union they constitute the wrestling wheel of Eternal Nature wherein sometimes one is uppermost sometimes another sometimes Darkness sometimes Light sometimes Anguish sometimes Ioy. Yet notwithstanding though they be all undivided and none before the other for distinction sake we may place the Darkness and Harshness in the first place as being the root of the dark Fire-Essence which Fire-Essence is the Center of Eternal Nature the Prickly Stinging Bitterness in the second place the Brimstony Anguish in the third place the Fire in the fourth place From which Fire the Water is generated together with the Light and Love-Fire which belong to the fifth form of Nature and in the sixth place out of the Light and Love-Fire the Eternal Element of Air from which Air proceeds the seventh and last viz. the Eternal Element of Earth in which the six foregoing properties subsist in perfect Vnity and Harmony Now according to this order we can better understand the beginning and end of Eternal Nature's Essence and how it is distinct from God's Eternal Vnity and pure Deity though indeed in iâ— self it be an Eternal indissoluble band in which property is distinct from or before another but all co-equal and co-eternal in one only ground and substance So that we conclude that the original beauty and excellency of Eternal Nature did consist in this that the six working properties were Harmonized into a perfect Vnity and triumphing joyfulness in the seventh form which Harmony Peace and Unity is the true form or formal Cause of Eternal Nature XXI But me thinks I hear some body object against what hath been said that I seem clearly to contradict Behme who place's Darkness and Light back to back as opposite to one another and makes the Fire a distinct center from the Light speaking of a Cross birth in Eternal Nature which divides the fourth â—orm of the Fire from the fifth of the Light To which I answer that what Behme saith is most true but it must be noted that he speaks this of Eternal Nature in its fallen and degenerate state whereas I speak of it in its original spotless purity Behme speaks of God in Nature but I speak of Eternal Nature's birth in order to God's introducing himself into Nature's Essence So that it appears that I do not in the least contradict Behme's writings XXII Concerning the final Cause of Eternal Nature Though it be true to speak in General that the final cause and end for which all creatures and consequently Eternal Nature was brought forth is the Good pleasure and will of God according as the Holy Scripture in many places teacheth Ephes. 1.9 According to the Good pleasure of his will purposed in himself again vers the 11. Who worketh all things according to the pleasure of his own will Rev. 4.11 And for thy pleasure all things were created Yet where it pleaseth God to reveal the grounds and reasons of his creating will we may then look into them and consider of them XXIII The first end why Eternal Nature was produced was for manifestation that the Triune Deity might manifest themselves and together with themselves the still Eternity this was the reason why the Trinity raised in themselves an Eternal Will for the production of Eternal Nature that they might no longer be hid in their abstracted Nature of pure Spirit and naked Deity A second end why Eternal Nature was created is that all the glorious attributes of God his All-sufficiency Omnipotency Wisdom Goodness and Immensity might be displayed and made known A third end was that all the wonders of the Deity might be manifested and brought into act Fourthly Eternal Nature wâ—â— produced that it might be the Subject matter out of which all Creations and all Worlds should be brought forth Eternal Nature being the store House of the Holy Trinity wherein all sufficiency of instruments and materials required to Creation are treasured up So that if Eternal Nature with its Eternal Elâ—ments forms and working Essences had not been brought forth by the Trinity then no Worlds or Creatures had ever been nor any thing besides the still Eternity which was contrary to the Will which the Holy Trinity had raised in themselves to manifest themselveâ— by Creation for the accomplishing of which will Eternal Nature's Essence was produced Quest. If you ask me what moved the Eternal Will of the Trinity to bring forth Eternal Nature in order to Creation Answ. I answer that it was the Eternal desire of their mind for from the desiring mind the Eternal Will proceeds Quest. If you enquire what moves the Eternal Mind of the Trinity to desire Answ. I answer the Spirit of Eternity it self Quest. But you will say what awakned the first thought in the Spirit of Eternity to create Eternal Naâ—ure Answ. I answer the Divine Magia moved and awakened the Spirit of Eternity to desire from the desiring mind proceeded the will and from the will it came to be brought forth into existence by the creating â—â—at which being placed in the Divine Omnipotence brought forth Eternal Nature's Essence out of the Divine Chaos Quest. If you ask further what moved the Eternal Magia of the Holy Trinity to awaken the first motion in the Eternal Spirit to create Eternal Nature with her Elements and working Properties Answ. I answer that none can tell this but the Spirit of Eternity it self and therefore here we must rest becaus we cannot go beyond the first Hence we may learn that the Spirit
of the Holy Trinity is Magical viz. and that it acts magical Thus God brought forth the Eternal World viz. the still Eternity with all its wonders out of Himself by Himself and for Himself to dwell in Magically and after the same manner the Divine Chaos and Eternal Natâ—â—â— were brought forth The Spirit of the Holy Trinity doth will desire and act from nothing else but from its pure Magia for it is not a rational Spirit but a wise intelligent Spirit which wisdom and intelligence is grounded in the Divine Magia There is no use of Reason in the still Eternity for the Divine Magia supplies its room neither is reason made use of in Paradise nor in the Angelical World nor in the New Ierusalem becaus reason belongs only to the Spirit of this outward World and however enlightned Reason may be exalted by some yet my Spirit knows it to be an Eternal infallible Truth that there is no use of Reason but in this Babylonish Principle and the Kingdom of the beast Sixthly Eternal Nature was brought forth that it might be a garment of the Holy Trinity and a vesture wherewith their pure naked Deity might be cloathed upon for as the Soul is hid and wrapt up in the Body and the Body in its cloaths so the Holy Trinity is cover'd and wrapt up in Eternal Nature's Essence and in the Creatures thence proceeding Blessed are they who through all these wiles and disguisements can find him who is the desire of all Nations who in this Rubbish can find the pearl of price which yet if we can search deep enough we cannot fail of for the Holy Trinity in their pure Deity is the most innermost kernel of all things being hid under Eternal Nature's Essence and all her working forms and Elements Seventhly Eternal Nature was to be an Habitation for the Holy Trinity For though the Eternal World be the most glorious Palace of the Deity and the most Holy place yet it was the will of the Holy Trinity to have the outward Court of Eternal Nature added to it in which they might dwell as the Soul in the Body Eighthly Eternal Nature was produced that it might be a Medium between twâ— extreams God and the Creature whereby God â—ight communicate himself to Creatures and Creatures might have fellowship with him Ninethly Eternal Nature was brought forth that the Eternal Vnity of the Deity might be display'd in variety diversity and multiplicity Object But you will say was there not a variety of properties and attributes in the Deity even before the birth of Eternal Nature viz. his Power Wisdom Goodness Mercy Truth c. Sol. I answer that all these perfections are all one in the Deity and make up but one most simple Essence for else God would be divided in himself and could not be the supreme Unity and Simplicity as before hath been proved at large But by the Elements and working forms of Eternal Nature this Unity displays and as it were dissolves and dilates it self into an infinite variety and diversity of Creations according to the purpose of his Will Tenthly A tenth end was that the still Divine Essence by entring into the contrariety of Eternal Nature might bring forth the Glory of the Majesty and triumphing and exulting joy which were not to be found in the still Eternity before the working properties of Eternal Nature were brought forth Eleventhly Eternal Nature was brought forth that it might be the true Primum Mobile or the first source and spring of all motion and action For this end it pleased the Trinity to produce this Eternal turning wheel and indissoluble band of the seven forms of Eternal Nature for in the still Eternity there is nothing but stilness quiet and rest and that such as passeth all the thought and conceptions of Man and that Spirit only knows it who hath been taken up into it Twelfthly Eternal Nature was produced that the one single Essence of the Holy Trinity might be manifested in distinction according to the distinct Essences and properties of Eternal Nature Thus the Father is manifest in Fire the Son in Water the Holy Ghost in Air. Thus you see how the Holy Trinity may be distinguish'd from one another in Eternal Nature's Essence Thirteenthly and Lastly Eternal Nature was produced that all the Ideas forms and patterns in the Divine Mind might become actual and substantial which could not be brought to pass in the still Eternity nor without the working properties of Eternal Nature which do bring all that into act and existence which in the Divine Will and Mind is only in purpose and Idea And thus much concerning the ends for which Eternal Nature was created by God Having hitherto discoursed of what Eternal Nature is I shall next come to shew you according to my method propounded at the beginning of this third part What kind of Principle Eternal Nature is Quest. If it be asked what kind of Essence Eternal Nature is Answ. 1. I answer first that it is a Created Essence as hath been sufficiently declar'd before Answ. 2. Eternal Nature is an Eternal Essence for whatsoever is immediately created by God out of the Divine Chaos is Eternal becaus it proceeds from an Eternal root now since Eternal Nature is immediately brought forth from the Abyssal Chaos it must consequently be Eternal Answ. 3. Eternal Nature is an Original Essence that is it is the first created Essence out of whose fruitful womb all created Essences do proceed it is the first Essence of all Essences and the ground and source of them There is nothing above befoâ—e or beyond it but the Holy Trinity in the still Eternity All Essences proceed from it whether Temporal or Eternal for time it self is rooted in Eternity Object But it will be objected how can Eternal Nature be the first Original Essence since the Eternal World and the Divine Chaos are before it Answ. The answer is obvious for I do not say that Eternal Nature is the first Essence but the first created â—ssâ—â—ce now the Eternal World and Divine Chaos were not created by God but generated out of him therefore it remains unshaken that Eternal Nature is the first Original Created Essence Object But you will object again that God himself is the Essence of all Essences and the original Cause and first matter of all things which I own to be true but with distinction Ans. For first God is the original Essence of all Essences â—â— he is the efficient Cause and Creator of Eternal Nature's Essence out of the Divine Chaos Secondly I say God is the Essence of all Essences remotely but not immediately for all created Essences do immediately proceed from Eternal Nature and not from God becaus both the Divine Chaos and Eternal Nature â—and between them and God Now that created Essences â—id not immediately proceed from God will appear by these following reasons First If all creatures had immediately proceeded from God they must all have been a
these a Great Divine's were but now Thine Thei 're great too Greater than I can divine These to translate in t ' English I 've a mind But the translated left'em so behind So I 'l be just to Him to mee prai you be kind Allow mee to be a smal Critic I dare not aim at beeing an Observator on the Word translated Evn til hee was not So temperate was Hee in all things that I have heard him sai Hee was never sick in all His Life and from this World in soundnes of Mind Memorie and Senses like another Moses Hee went away tho' by the waie discoursing all along Divinely to his very last minute and then this mighti man and as greatly meek did not di shold I sai that shold I not li but fall asleep in Iesus Tibi Domine qui velociter venis Amen Nae veni Domine O com and feed all thi Supplicants with the perpetuous influence of thi purest Divinitie Let thi Heavenli Highness sublime them to the Zenith of thi dearest and nearest Societie and here evn now not only raie beam and warm them with thi Ardors Flames and Powers but likewise ensoul-spirit-Heaven them in Thiself This all thi longing and humbl Petitioners at thi Throne of Grace crave beg prai beseeching that Thou who dwellest in Love and art Love wold condesscend and caus vehement-vehement-divine Love thorowly to penetrate transmute and transfigure them into it sâ—lf yea further convince and convert if it mai consist with the good pleaceur of thi holi Will all the Rational Powers of humane Nature into a Lov of that Lov which fullfilleth all thi Commandments as in heavn evn so on earth In the inter let all Thine wheresoever dispersed or howsoever distressed understand and beleev that it is their Strength not to make haste but to sit still and see the Salvation of God and that it is no more in their power to â—hange Kingdoms and Governments than the cours of the Luminaries which are set in the blu visibl firm Expans the Out-spread or to unhinge the Positure of the whol created World It is Thou and Thou onely who art Lord of Lords and King of Kings the Great and Mighti One who must doo these great and mighti things It is Iehovah AElohim the most high God who reigneth in the Kingdoms of men and who soley is Hee who giveth these to whom soever Hee pleaceth and who wil make all Adam know that all bold rashnes carrieth certen ruine within it self but overcoming Patience it is which perfecteth both God's and Man's Works Amen Now I exspect mi Reader to sai let mee prai to wit that you wold no longer Tantalize mee but giv mee the favor of the Great Person 's Name who was so translated Doubtless I am not worthi him to name But shold be counted worthi of great blame To bring this Person here to mee while I Chius ad Coum venture to stand by This needs must be a grand indignitie But seeing for all this need there is to get ouâ— of this lurking hole and to com abroad with hiâ— name for his Honor which shold be sacred to everi serious Soul as not beeing possibl to be spred abroad so much as his merits mai chalenge moâ—â— righteously Therfore it wold be injustice to withhold Him from you ani longer to conceal hiâ— Name by not answering to your Quaerie and Complieing with your Request It was then the truly Honor and and it wil be as tru and right if I sai rebus sic stantibus caeterisque non paribus which I judg none wil gain-sai the most Reverend Father in God or if that offend ani with God that is most sure â— ani be the most humbl Lord and meek Lord Bishop Sanderson of happi memorie more happi Iudgment and most happi Life and Death latelâ— put sorth by the elegant Penn of an excellent English Writer who modestly acknowledgeth the bold undertaking as beeing very unworthily inferior to the Merits of that Apostl of a Bishop certenly so hee was if ani such have been without ani Adulation I speak the truth before God and I not mi Conscience likewise bearing mee witness in the Holi Spirit Now seeing I have put mi Conscience so to it let mee put too this to Conscience and be so far his Abetter for want of a better therein as to conclude a better Resolver thereof in all cases England never saw never knew Whereupon I further venture and with all safetie to vouch that hee was the Non-such Casuist in all Christendom nemine certè Anglorum contradicente So great a Master of right Reason and sound Iudgment was hee which rendred him without dispute as inimitably judicious so incomparably pretious to all Posteritie nor wil his Works di while Worth shal liv Of which I mean his written Works that I mai speak som few words I humbly beg in regard of our miserably and uncharitably divided and subdivided Principles aud Practices but more particularly of Ceremonial Controversies which are so bandied about like a Ball to and agen and make such a nois and racket in our Nation O the sad circumstances sans ceremonèe that wee are now in How strangely tho' are wee converted into Wolvs which are far wors than Sheep or yet Dogs and that about the veri Worship of God! Monstrum horrendum O the Metamorphosis of our Manners O the Metempschosis of our Souls It is not a mere Acatastasis of our minds that marreth all the Beutie and Glorie of our Religion and Nation Mai wee not lamentably fear an Ichabod Mai I proov I prai God a Pseudoprophet But yee best of Professors tell mee truly what you think is not God going about to take away his Glorie Grace Euangelie Spirit and all with Him What said Herbert long agoe Religion stood on its Tiptoe Hee did mistake mai I do so O yee Professors can I have ani hopes that yee wil hinder his departure from our Land Mai hee not go fast and far away for all you Why Who or what staieth him sai yee save yourselvs I tell you truly his dear hidden littl ones who cri greatly after him daie and night An handfull it is as it were of wrastling Saincts who have been so spiritualy cunning that thei have got within Him and hold him with reverence and humilitie be it spoken upon the In-turn and wil not let him go but there keep him Els were hee got loos wo to you and us all How wold hee lai about and what a deal hand the living Lord hath where hee striketh let Heaven Earth and Hell trembl to think But blessed be God there are som few to whom hee hath said concerning the work of mi hands coâ—mand yee mee and these hold him to his word anâ— that so til Hee is readi to cri out as of old to Israel quondam Iacob Let me go As if hee shold have said I never met
from the Caus but from the Sign or Effect The Assurance of Faith doth wholey rest and reside in the Grace of Christ. Evn in Nature Children do not first com to know their Parents either by their love to their Brethren or â—y their Obedience to their Parents but from their Parents Lov desscending on them So wee read in Holi Writ and so it is that wee loved him becaus Hee first loved us Let men boast of their mighti Reasonings their close Deductions their strong-â—inked Consequences and their elaborate Demonâ—trations made out by the most Metaphysicous Divines in Religion when thei have don all â—o justifi themselvs as a late Writer rarely in a cautious advance toward Heaven thei wil find that The best Divinitie consisteth in the Vnions of Love 〈◊〉 Wonder that there are such Doxologies transsceâ—ding Reason's reach as mai be dignified with thâ— Title of Faith's Triumphs such Eucharistic 〈◊〉 Theologic Enlargements and Exspatiations in thâ— Heart and Spirit springing and arising and exsuâ—ing from the wondrous affection of Love accoâ—panied with that immuculate and ineffabl Ioie as noâ— can signiâ—i or hint none can beleev or conceiâ— but those who have felt and enjoied that beatifiâ— Experience which is only inferior to or only leâ—â— in som Degrees of beeing that which wee calâ— Heaven That the capacitie of Reason is much laâ—ger than that of Sens I cannot but concede 〈◊〉 that the largeness of the Will and Affections whâ— are in it farr surmounteth Reason I cannot liâ—â—wise but confess Wherfore els I prai hath Goâ— required that our desire and love of Him shold 〈◊〉 more complete and perfect than our knowledg 〈◊〉 Him Are wee not obliged by the express Coâ—â—mand of God Hisself to entertein and imbrace 〈◊〉 Perfections with the closest adhaesion of Heart 〈◊〉 Soul Albeit those wee can apprehend only witâ— partial and rather a lax aenigmatic than strict so entiâ—ic knowledg Of the two I shold rather praefer Inâ—gination than Ratiocination in Discourses coâ—â—cerning divine Subjects the former beeing conâ—â—â—sedly the Spring and Engine of the Affectioâ— thro' its nobl suppli-ing Reason by raised and â—â—â—gurativ adumbrations and its admirabl affordiâ—â— all those agreeabl illustrations which serv to kiâ—â— it into vaster conceptions to sweeten the severiâ—â— of it and then beutifi it with all those allurements and adornments which fairly and eâ—fectualy and that not unusualy recommend a cold dead speculation to a warm liveli affection And this is properly and totaly the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 opus Work of the Imagination when it hath warily received and enterteined the veritie and dignitie of its Object from a superior Facultie Nor can it but be so in strictness of proprietie allowed and not only Reason and Iudgment which all permitt conclude and approve but Imagination and Phansie the meanest and most trivial Power of Man's Soul likewise seeing evn the Meteors are called upon as wel as the Firmament as is finely by one noted and observed to prais the Lord. Nai more Phantasie mai be and under a good menage mostly is an admirabl Organ and incomparabl Incentiv of heavenli Prais and divine Adoration in like manner as the Omnipotent Iehovah AElohim deemed it most fit to choos the Rainbow that Circl of Phantastic Colors as one called it for the Symbol shal I not sai â—he Sacrament of his Darling Attribute if Atâ—ributes be not more properly God than in God namely Mercie Nai I heard one sai that the strength and vehemence of Imagination Phantasie or Phan'sie wil somtimes carri forth the Reason and Iudgment to make new Worlds of discoveries excite both to take such Circuits and Travels in the contemplation of AEternal Entities til the veri Soul is readi to be vertiginous to swim and grow giddi and the Speculation turneth almost Apoplexie Yea further actuate the Rational Power beyond its praesent Order without ani illusive Phanaâ—icism c. to a tast and immature Anticipation of unproportioned Knowledg yet stil with this proviso that the Intellectual and Rational Power and Facultie are far from beeing the same Deigâ—â— therfore to take notice that the intellectual knowledg is only learned from the Spirit of the mind 〈◊〉 man standing in the Centre beeing then only anâ— there purely receptiv and divinely scient what 〈◊〉 I sai sentient of the supercoelestial things theâ—â—selvs Whereas the Rational which the confounding Iesuit wold make the pure Religionist beleev to bâ— Mechanism the Diana of this inquisitiv Age and thâ— whole Encyclopoede of Arts and Sciences but 〈◊〉 brisk circulation of the Blood and all thinking anâ— reasoning Power a mere local motion and that toâ— tumultuous Hee notwithstanding wel knowing 〈◊〉 to be most admirably rare in its due place which 〈◊〉 doth as wel too make use of and without whicâ— and the exercise therof a Man is below the Beaâ—â— that perisheth Yet for all this I sai the Ratioâ—â— speaketh writeth and acteth from its rolling suggestions cogitations conceptions motions 〈◊〉 shut out of the Centre Finaly These intern manifestations are maâ—â— out and put forth to public use and perusal for tâ—â— vindicating and asserting Truth and for periodâ—zing or putting an end in fair probabilitie hâ—â—â—ever to the several otherwise endless altercations disputations and dubitations of in and about Mystic Theologie as mai most clearly appear to the diligent judicious and spiritualy illuminated Peruser of the same Hee having set before his Eies one of the first and fairest Objects deserving to be set in Letters of Gold and engraven upon all our Minds and Spirits as with the point of a Diamant For here Hee maketh and giveth a Diaphanous Manifesto and perspicuous Demonstration and you wil not I dare sai nobl and Christian Reasoner and Reader deni or gain-sai that it is à Priori evn from supersensual Sight and intellectual Vision which amounteth to littl less than a Divine Apocalyps or style it what you pleace Revelation Manifestation Inspiration Communication Certification Declaration Notificaâ—ion or if you wil Information that there ever was and now is and wil be an Original and AEternal Globe or World which did exist before AEternal Nature here I had need as I do indeed heartily prai you not to be impatient nor out of good humor by reason of no reason for you wil sai this startling Epithete 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seeing the following Pages wil make it as you wil find fairly co-incident with Nature and all her pure Forms Powers and Properties so in sequel anteceding that is more strange than all the rest you mai repli nai I beleev wil so I must admitt or however permitt you in this most wonderfull point 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I revert and as above averr it i. e. by consequence praeceding all other Worlds Globes Centers and Creations whatsoever Hee furthermore declareth as it is made apparent by this Tract that the Spirit and Soul are two distinct Essences the former beeing
and third Number And if all would keep to these expressions it would take away much contention about words There are others who are so far displeased with the word Person that they would only have the Trinity to be three denominations of one and the same thing but this is too short to express the essential distinction of Father Son and Spirit and is as much in one extream as the word Person is in the other I now proceed to open the Mystery of the Holy Trinity which consists in two particulars viz. Unity in Trinity and Trinity in Unity And first concerning Unity in Trinity The Eternal Unity varies forth it self into an Eternal Trinity were there no Unity there could be no Trinity because from the Unity the Holy Triniâ—â— doth proceed as from its Eternal ground Object But you will say if the Eternal Vnity be â—â—â— ground whence the Holy Trinity doth proceed then there iâ— Quaternity in the God-head Answ. This is a mistake for the Eternal Unity â—â— the Father were there no Father there would be nâ— Son nor Holy Ghost therefore here is no Quaterniâ—â— but a Trinity Thus you see the Father hath vaâ—â—â—â— forth himself into the Son and Holy Spirit The Fâ—â—ther is not the Son nor the Son the Father and tâ—â— Holy Ghost is neither the Father nor the Son but theâ—â— are distinct in themselves This distinction of the Hâ—â—ly Trinity the Scripture teacheth us in the place foâ—â— cited 1 Ioh. 5.7 where they are distinguished First By their Names Father Word and Spirit Secondly By their Order the Father first the Sâ—â— second and then the Spirit Thirdly In their Numbâ—â— as one two anâ— three Fourthly By their relative properties which are iâ—cluded in their Names of Father Son and Spirit Werâ— there no Father there could be no Son and if no Soâ—â— neither could there be a Father and if neither Fatheâ— nor Son were there could be no Spirit proceeding froâ— them both The Trinity being thus distinguished let us speâ—â— briefly of each of them a sunder Quest. What is God the Father Answ. God the Father is the first original beginning of the Trinity were there no beginning there could be no end were there no first number there could be no second or third in the Trinity God the Father therefore is the Eternal beginning of the Holy Trinity God the Father must be either from himself that is from his own Divine Essence or else from the Eternal World or Eternal Nature's Essence but neither of them were yet existent wherefore we must conclude that except the Father had taken his Beginning from his own Eternal Unity he could not have been the first beginning of the Trinity In the second place I say that God the Father is the Eternal Generator of the Son or word who is the second person in the Holy Trinity Quest. What is God the Son Answ. God the Son is the Second number of the Trinity were there no Son there would be no Father He is the Center and Heart of the Trinity He is generated of the Father before the Eternal World or Eternal Nature were in being He is the only begotten Son of the Father and is co-eternal co-essential and co-equal with him He is the essential Word of the Father He is the delight of the Father and his well beloved Son in whom he is well pleased Quest. What is the Holy Ghost Answ. He is thâ— third and compleating number of the Trinity He is an out-flowing breath life or power which proceeds from the Father through the Son and doth execute the will of the Father This out-flowing life and acting power proceeds from the Divine Essence of the Father and the Son and therefore is co-eternal co-essential and co-equal with the Father and Son Quest. Why is not the Holy Ghost said to be begotten of but to proceed from the Father Answ. If the Holy Ghost were begotten of the Father then the Son could not have been the only begotten of the Father and so the Father would have had more Sons then one neither would there have been a distinction between the Son and the Holy Ghost Therefore the Holy Ghost is not said to be generated of the Father but to proceed from the Father and Son as an out-flowing breath of Life and Power The Holy Ghost doth compleat the Trinity and make up the number three so as nothing can be added thereto or diminished the Father cannot be without the Son nor the Son without the Father nor the Holy Ghost without both Father and Son Quest. How is the Vnity in Trinity distinguished in the Eternal World Answ. I have told you before that the Trinity is distinguishable by their Names Number Order and by their relative properties but not by their Natures becaus they have but one Nature and Essence in which oneness of their Nature their Eternal Vnity doth consist Therefore they that would distinguish the Holy Trinity in the Eternal World otherwise than before expressed do run into great confusion The Father is an Eternal Vnity and so is the Son and Spirit the Son is pure Deity and so is the Father and Spirit the Holy Ghost is an Eternal Liberty and so is the Father and Son Therefore these are no distinguishing properties of the Holy Trinity in the Eternal World Some do thus distinguish the Trinity they say the Father is Light the Son Life and the Holy Ghost Love but these cannot be the distinguishing characters of the Trinity because the Father is Light Life and Love and so likewise the Son and Holy Ghost Others would have the Father to be Light the Son Love and the Holy Ghost Power but all these belong to every one of the Trinity and therefore cannot be the distinguishing characters of them Others again would have the Father Fire the Son Light and the Holy Ghost Air but these are elements which are rooted in Eternal Nature's Principle and are not to be found in the Globe of Eternity Others distinguish the Father by the severity of Divine Iustice the Son by Love and Mercifulness whereas in the Eternal World there is no severity of vindictive Iustice known nor any thing of anger or wrath becaus the Holy Trinity stands wholly in the Unity of Love The only distinction of the Holy Trinity in the Eternal World is this That the Father manifesteth himself as a wonderful all-seeing Eye the Son manifests himself as the Center of the Eye and Heart of the Father and the Holy Ghost as an out-flowing Power proceeding from the Father's Eye and the Son's Heart effecting whatsoever the will of the Father in the Eye through the Love-essence seated in the Heart of the Son would have done And thus the Holy Trinity do manifest themselves distinctly in the Eternal World though they all stand in the Eternal Vnity and are not only three Denominations as will be clearly manifested in the third Chapter of this following discourse to which I refer you Now
I come to speak of the other particular in the Mystery of the Holy Trinity viz. Trinity in Vnity This Mystery I will endeavor to open as I have seen it with the Eye of my enlightned mind and shew how the Holy Trinity do subsist as one in one only ground or Divine Essence Object You will say if three do subsist in one only essence that seems to make a Quaternity and not a Trinity Answ. This is an ill drawn consequence and a meer mistake which may easily be rectified thus The one only ground or essence in which the Holy Trinity do subsist is the Eternal Unity and this Eternal Unity in the Father and the Son and Holy Ghost subsists in the Father's Unity so that the Holy Trinity is one with the Eternal Unity from whence they flow forth and as they have their beginning from the Unity so they end in the same The Holy Scripture teacheth us this fundamental truth that the Holy Trinity are one and yet three in that oneness 1 Ioh. 5. 7. There are three that bear record in Heaven the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost and these three are one They are all one in the Eternal Unity the Father is in the Son and the Son in the Father and the Holy Ghost in the Father and Son so that one cannot be without the other and are but one ever blessed God though distinguished in their goings forth and the manifestations of themselves Now if it be asked what the Nature of the Holy Trinity is I answer it is pure Unity and pure Unity is pure Deity and this is the Nature of the Father Son and Spirit they are all Unity and pure Deity And as they have but one undivided Nature so they have but one Eye one Understanding one Will. But if any one inquire further what this Eternal Unity and Deity is which is the Nature of the Holy Trinity I answer that none knows this but the unsearchable Trinity Neither is it any further knowable by Angels or Men but that it is what it is But notwithstanding that we say that the Vnity is unknowable in it self to Angels and Men yet it may be known forasmuch as it relates to the Trinity and as it is the one ground in which they subsist and in this respect we say that the Eternal Unity is a most simple Essence free from all duality and contrariety It is most true that variety may consist with Vnity but contrariety destroys its nature which admits of no mixture whatsoever Now if the Nature of the Trinity be Eternal Vnity and simplicity free from all contrariety and mixture it follows that Light and Darkness Love and Anger cannot be in the Holy Trinity as they exist in the Globe of Eternity because these contrarieties would necessarily destroy the Nature of Vnity But you will say that God is styled in Scripture a God that is angry and a consuming fire and in other places he is said to be Light and Love which implies that there is a mixture of contrarieties in the Essence of the Holy Trinity I answer that these Scriptures speak of God as he hath introduced himself into apostatized and impure Nature's essence after the fall whereas I in this place speak of God as he exists in the Eternal World before Eternal Nature was divided by the fall and in this state the Holy Trinity is nothing but Eternal Unity free from any contrariety or mixture whatsoever And thus the Nature of the Trinity if well understood manifests clearly hâ—w Father Son and Spirit are distinct and yet are but one Eternal Unity And thus much concerning the Trinity in Unity Now I will further treat of the Nature of the Holy Trinity The Triune God considered in himself in the Globe of Eternity is pure Deity which pure Deiâ—y is the highest purity clarity and brightness of glory beyond all imagination This high purity of the Trinity is free from all impurity and imperfection whatsoever and in this high purity consists the righteousness and holiness of God This bright purity is the Nature of tâ—e Trinity in the Globe of Eternity which they equally partake of for as the Father is all purity so is the Son and Spirit anâ— from this purity of their Nature are called the Holy Trinity But to proceed to a further opening of the Nature of the Trinity God is said to be Good and the one only Good the chiefest Good wherein Eternal Bliss and happiness doth consist in which ground of Eternal Goodness the Father Son and Spirit are all one The Father is all Goodness and so likewise is the Son and Spirit and consequently Good and Evil cannot be in God for so there would be a mixture of contrary natures in the Divine Essence which as hath been said is all Eternal Goodness Evil of sin cannot be in God because sin is an imperfection now no imperfection can be found in the Divine Essence which is perfection it self Neither is the evil of punishment to be found in the Trinity for if the Nature of God be all Goodness Mercy Pity and Compassion where shall severity fierceness or bitterness be found Or any vindicative Iustice From whence proceeds the evil of punishment I say none of these are to be found in the Nature of the Holy Trinity as they subsist in the Globe of Eternity If you ask me further what the Nature of the Holy Trinity is I answer That the Holy Trinity are iâ— themselves a free Eternal libâ—rty The Father is an Eternal Liberty and so is the Son and Spirit But whâ—â— is this Eternal â—iberty which is the Nature of the Holy Trinity I answer It is their subsisting in their owâ— Eternal Vnity simplicity and pure Deity free from aâ—â— other Essences neither touching them nor being touched bâ— them For as they exist in the Eternal World beforâ— and without Eternal Nature they are free from all Esâ—sences whatsoever and exist in their own eternal Liâ—berty If you further inquire what the Nature of the Hâ—â—â— Triniâ—y is I answer That their Nature is all happiâ—â—â— and blessedness no misery torment or anguish is tâ— be found in them or proceeds from them wherefoâ—â— Hell death and the Curs never proceeded from the Hâ—â—â— Trinity becaus their Nature being all happiness â—â— such thing can be found in them or proceed fâ—â—â— them because such a mixture would necessarily deâ—stroy the happy and blessed Nature of the Holy Trâ—â—nity I say further That the Nature of the Holy Trinity 〈◊〉 all perfection in the abstract and therâ—â—ore at an infiniâ—â— distance from all imperfection whatsoever Which pâ—â—â—fection of the Holy Trinity results from the Vnity and Siâ—plicity of their Nature which admits not of any mixture 〈◊〉 contrariety By means of this perfection the Holy Trâ—â—nity are compleat in themselves so as nothing can bâ— added to it or taken from it forasmuch as it is tâ—â— Nature of absolute perfection to be compleat and entire in iâ— self lacking
nothing The Father is the Beginning thâ— Son the Center and the Holy Ghost the End and consummation of the Holy Trinity Thus they are complâ—â— and entire in themselves rejoycing from Eternity to Eternity in their own Eternal fulness compleatness and absolute Perfection They wanted not the Eternal World nor the Essences of Eternal Nature nor the Angelical Creation for they were compleat in their own enjoyments without them Wherefore the Eternal World and Eternal Nature were not created out of necessity as if the Holy Trinity had stood in need of them for they were compleatly perfect and happy before they were and would continue so if they were no more To finish this particular concerning the Nature of the Holy Trinity I shall add these few lines for a farther explanation of what the Nature of the Holy Trinity is I have formerly told you that the Essence of the Trinity is Eternal Unity which Eternal Unity is pure Deity and now come to tell you That this Vnity of the Divine Nature is nothing else but Love in which Love the Holy Trinity stand united and are nothing else but Divine Love And therefore in the Eternal World in pure Eternal Nature and in the Angelical World there is no other manifestation but that of Love because the Holy Trinity who manifest themselves in these Worlds Principles are themselves nothing but Love Thus we see that the Holy Trinity have exalted the Love to be the Alpha and Omega the beginning and the ending Essence of all Essences We cannot ascend higher than this Love because there is no Essence above before or beyond it For as in Number we cannot pass beyond an Unity which is first of Numbers so neither can we when we speak of Essences go beyond the Love-Essence which is all in all in the Eternal World which is the first and the beginning of all Worlds Oh wonderful unsearchable and incomprehensible Love Who can find out thy originality Who can declare thy Generation Thou wast before all and wilt be the last of all and blessed yea thrice blessed are they who have found thee and enjoy thee We conclude then that the Nature of the Holy Trinity consists in the Divine Vnity of the Love-Essence I shall conclude this Chapter with this Proposition That the Trinity in Vnion with the Eternal World is the first Principle of all Principles for there is none before it or beyond it This Eternal World or Globe of Eternity is enclosed in its own circumference and is therefore called a Principle according to the Definition of a Principle given hereafter in its proper place more fully CHAP. II. Concerning the Eternal World wherein the Holy Trinity do manifest themselves as in a clear Chrystalline Glass or mirrour THIS Eternal World was called the Globe of Eternity at the time when I was taken up to have a view of it In which Globe of Eternity I then distinguished three distinct places which yet make up but one undivided Globe or Sphear The first of these places was called the Outward Court the second the Inward Court or the Holy Place and the third and last was called the inmost Court or the Holiest of all My Guide first led me into the Outward Court concerning which accordingly I do intend to speak in the first place In this Outward Court I took notice of two things the first was the Globe or circumfâ—rence it self called the outward Court the second was the Eye placed in the Center of the said Globe or circumference As concerning the Globe it self we are to take notice that it is the first and highest of all not created by God but generated out of himself as also that it is substantial though of a very refined and Spiritual substance for it is the Essence of Essences and Substance of Substances Concerning the second thing which is the Eye placed in the Center of this Globe we must know that it represents the Spirit of Eternity which is God himself who is not only the efficient but also the material formal and final cause of the Globe in the Center of which he manifests himself as an Eye which essential Eye of God looking into it self and finding nothing besides it self by dilating it self gives a beginning and end to it self which beginning and end entring into and joyning with one another do constitute and form the Globe of Eternity So that the Globe of Eternity is nothing else but the dilatation of the Eye of Eternity from the Center to the Circumference But if any ask why this first emanation of the Spirit of Eternity was formed into a round figure rather than into any other I answer because a round is the most simple perfect and comprehensive of all Figures and therefore most proper for him who is Simplicity and Perfection it self and the wonderful all-comprehending All. I have already told you that the final Cause of this Globe is God himself but to speak more particularly concerning the ends God proposed to himself in the Generation of this Globe 1. I say that the first end why God generated the Globe of Eternity was that he might dwell therein as in an house or mansion 2. A second end why God generated this Globe out of himself was for the manifestation of himself to himself for the Eye turning it self inward into it self comes to know it self and to see feel and taste it self and if it look outward it sees nothing but it self neither becaus as the Eye is God so is the Globe nothing but the dilatation of the Eye I now come to give you some properties or qualifications of this Globe from which it may appear whaâ— kind of Principle this Globe of Eternity is 1. The first property is that it is the first of aâ—â— Globes in order of existence nothing being before 〈◊〉 but the Eye by the dilatation of which it was sâ—â—â—med 2. The second is that this Globe is the Cause anâ— original ground from whence all other principles 〈◊〉 proceed 3. The third is that this Globe was immediatelâ— formed by the Spirit of Eternity out of himself 4. The fourth is that this Globe is an all-compreâ—sive Globe because it conteins all other Globes anâ— Principles whatsoever but is it self uncomprehendâ—â— of none And it must needs be so for this Globe beâ—ing nothing else but the Spirit of Eternities dilatiâ—â— it self it will follow that if there were any thing 〈◊〉 of the bounds of this Globe it must also be out 〈◊〉 the reach and comprehension of the Spirit of Eternity which cannot be because this Spirit of Eternity is God himself who is All in All and contains all Worldsâ— Centers and Creations whatsoever And therefore it is that God calls himself the first and the last the beginning and end of all things to signifie that theâ— is nothing besides him nor beyond him but that hâ—â— wonderful immense Being doth contain and comprehend all other beings whatsoever This Globe of
But you 'l say to which of the Trinity doth this Heart belong I answer It is the Heart of the total Godhead for as the Trinity hath but one Eye so likewise they have but one Heart between them Yet notwithstanding when we speak of the Trinity with distinction the Heart is attributed to the second Number of the Trinity as being the manifestation of the Son of God We come now to speak more particularly concerning the manifestation made by this fifth opening of the Abyssal Eye and we say that it discovers these particulars to the Spirit of the Mind 1. That the Holy Trinity hath a Heart 2. It discovers the Nature and Office of this Heart 3. It shews what is comprehended in this Heart And in the fourth and last place it discovers whaâ— flows forth and proceeds from it I. Part. In the fist place this fifth opening of the Eye doth discover the Trinity to have a Heart even an Essential Heart wherein is seated the Life of the Deity as the Understanding Will and Senses are seated â—â— the Eye yea this Heart is the very Life it self of thâ— Deity for God hath no Soul neither can he have any and that for these reasons First Becaus all Souls do proceed from the Womb of Eternal Nature but the Spirit of Eternity oâ— whom we here speak is before Eternal Nature had 〈◊〉 being Secondly God hath no Soul becaus he hath nâ— need of one his Heart supplying the place of 〈◊〉 Soul Thirdly and lastly God hath no Soul that hereby he might be distinguished from all Angels and Men none of which are without Souls And though the word Soul be in some few places oâ— Scripture attributed to God yet this is only done by way of Analogy and after the manner of Men and not with relation to his Primary abstracted being in the Globe of Eternity II. The second Particular discovered is What this Eternal Heart of God is and its Nature and Office in the Holy Trinity The opening of the Eye manifests this Heart to be the Essential Heart of God generated by himself out of himself and for himself and therefore is himself as being co-essential and co-equal with him all pure Deity all Holy all Pure all Perfect But more especially the opening of the Eye doth discover this Heart of God to be of a flowing Nature like to the Sea without bottom or bounds it is like a spring in a Fountain and bubbling Well which can never be drawn dry it is in a perpetual motion and in this motion there is a perpetual communication of it self from it self through it self to it self and this out-flowing of the Heart is nothing else but the original Divine Purity Righteousness and Holiness This Heart of God is the overflowing Sea of the Deity which flows from himself that is from his own original Purity Righteousness and Holyness and flows into and fills the whole Eternal Abyss with its fulness it is so immense in its flowings forth that the deep Abyss of the Eternal Globe would not be able to contain it but that the Spirit of the Eye by his Omnipotency sets bounds and limits to the out-flowings of his own Divine Nature The out-goings of the Deity are deeper than the Abyss and broader than the Abyss but the Spirit of Eternity saith to the out-flowing of his own Ocean Deity thus far go and no further be ye bounded within the Circumference of the Abyss And this out-flowing Ocean of the Deity is by the opening of the Eye manifested to be a clear transparent mist or vapor filling the whole Deep of the Abyssal Globe This sight from the opening of the Abyssal Eye is a lively spriteful rejoycing triumphing and amazing sight and cannot be expressed in dead words or letters neither can any Idea form or likeness fully represent it as it discovers it self by the opening of the Eye O ye seekers of the Divine Mysteries when your Spirits are let in to a sight of this Divine Mist then you will understand what this pen hath written Having spoke something concerning the Nature of this Heart of the Deity come we now to speak of the function oâ— office of this Heart in the Holy Trinity 1. The first office of the Heart is this To be the fixed center and fountain of the out-going overflowing Ocean of the Deity Hence this Heart is called an ever rising bubling spring of living waters which fails not becaus the fulness of the Deity is continually flowing and streaming forth from this Heart and returning to the same again This Heart is a golden pipe of conveiance by which the fulness of the Deity is conveyed from it self through it self to it self and there is fixed as a center or middle point in the midst of the Holy Trinity 2. The second office of this Heart of the Holy Trinity is to be the Center Fountain and Treasury of Life in the Deity for as the Heart is the Fountain of Life in Man and all other living Creatures even so is this Heart of the Holy Trinity the Spring and Center of the Essential Life of the Godhead 3. The third and last office of this Essential Heart of God is to bear the express Image and likeness of the whole Deity for as this Heart is the Center and Spring from whence the Divine Nature continually streameth forth and to which it returneth again and as it is the seat and Center of Life to the Holy Trinity so it must needs be the express Image and representative of the whole Godhead for God's Life flows from this his Essential Heart and his Divine Nature flows from his Life through his Heart and his Image being nothing else but an outward expression of his Life and Nature therefore the Image of the Total Deity must needs be impressed upon the Essential Heart of God III. The third Particular discovered concerning the Heart of God by the opening of the Eye of the Abyss is the manifestation of all that which is shut upâ— contained and comprehended in it and they are there viz. the Nature of God his Image and likeness and his Essential affections 1. In the first place therefore the opening of the Eye shews that the Divine Nature is contained in this Essential Heart of God which Divine Nature is a perfect Unity and Simplicity without the least mixture of contrariety for though the Scriptures and other Divine writers speak of Love and Anger in God yet we must not think that they speak of God as he exists in the Globe of Eternity for there he is nothing but a perfect Unity without any duality or contrariety whatsoever but they attribute these opposite affections to God as he hath introduced himself into the divided properties of fallen Natureâ— for in them he is angry and fierce against sin and evâ—â—â— thing that is opposite to his own Holy Pure Divine Nature which is the most perfect Unity and Simplicity The Nature of Gâ—d as it is a most
Virtues and Excellencies which do all proceed fâ—om the Heart of God as from their Source and Center and they are these following viz. his Love Purity Truth Faithfulness Unchangeableness Goodness Perfection Righteousness and Holyness These are the Essential inseparable Virtues and Perfections of the Divine Nature for they proceed from himself subsist in himself and are himself and from the opening of the Eye are manifested to be such Neither doth this variety of perfections in God in the least destroy or take away his most absolute Unity and Simplicity becaus they all proceed from one root and stand all united in the same as one which root is Love in which all the Excellencies and Perfections of the Divine Nature stand Harmoniz'd in Unity and are but as one Virtue and Perfection Having thus treated of the several Particulars contained in the Heart of God I shall next proceed to a view of some particulars which are not contained in God's original Essence and that from a hint of the Spirit which said expresly to me search diligently what is not to be found in the original Essence of God I did accordingly and I found that no pardoning Mercy nor vindictive Iustice nor Wrath nor Death nor Curse neither any Anguish Sorrow Darkness Evil or Elements were to be found in the solitary abstracted Essence of the Deity I say first no paâ—doning Grace or Mercy becaus there was nothing besides himself and consequently no Object which stood in need of Pardon or Forgiveness No vindictive Iustice becaus no object capable of punishment No Anger nor Wrath for God could not be Angry with himself for so contrariety and enmity would be found in the bosom and Center of Eternal Unity and Simplicity No Death for the Deity is a living God yea life it self and the Author of it wheresoever it is No Anguish nor Sorrow becaus God is the Highest and Chiefest Good and consequently must needs be All-triumphing joy All-delight All-pleasure No Darkness becaus God is all Light Light it self and the Source and Center of it No Elements becaus the Deity is the most perfect and absolute Unity and Simplicity without any mixture or composition whatsoever But you will object that I seem to reject Gods vindictive Iustice and to deny his Anger against Sin and Sinners I answer not at all for I do not simply deny God's vindictive Iustice and Wrath but only say that none of these are to be found in the solitary and primary Being of the Deity and are only attributed to him forasmuch as he hath introduced himself into the properties of Eternal Nature And thus much shall suffice to have spoken concerning the Discovery and manifestation which the opening of the Eye gives of the essential Heart of God But in the next place as the opening of the Eye discovers it self and the Heart so it likewise manifests the Deity of the Holy Ghost to be the exit or outgoing emanatâ—on of both Eye and Heart even a sweet pleasant out-flowing life or power like to a breath or gust of Air proceeding from the Abyssal Eye of the Father as â—rom its Eternal Root and beginning and conveighed through the Heart of the Son as the Golden-Oyl transmitted through the Golden Pipe of the Son 's Essential Love It is the active Life and Power of the Holy Trinity which finisheth the work of true Regeneration in Apostatized Creatures Thus we see â—hat the opening of the Eye doth reveal the total Deity Father Son and Spirit by a true and vitall Representation In the sixth place when the Eye of Eternity opens it manifests God's Corporeity or the Divine Body Object But you 'l object that God hath no body as â—â—ing a pure Spirit Answ. To which I answer first by way of Concession that God hath no organicall body like men neiâ—her like those of the glorified Saints and Angels But in the next place I say that God hath a body such as becomes his high spiritual and refined Nature â—or indeed the opening of the Eye doth clearly discover to the Spirit of the mind that the immense deep â—f the Abyssal Globe of Eternity is God's Vniversal incomâ—rehensible omnipresent body This is the Eternal Corâ—â—â—eity of the Holy Trinity which comprehends all things being comprehended of none but it self it is univerâ—â—lly in all Beings and diffuss'd through all Beings noâ—hing can keep it out neither can any thing shut it up It is a free Liberty in it self it stands free from all â—ssences only so farr as it pleaseth to unite it self with â—ny essence With relation to this Vniversal Body it is bâ—t God styles himself the Alpha and Omega the beginning and end of all Beings all things proceed from it â—nd therefore it is the first and all things subsist in it â—nd therefore it is the last Thus we see that the Holy Trinity have the Globe of Eternity for their body in which â—hey act and move This Body is Wisdome's Crystalline â—lasse wherein all things are truly and intellectually â—epresented to the eye of the mind it is in this deep Aâ—ysse of the Globe of Eternity that all those divine mysteries â—â—e discovered and manifested which in the foregoing treaâ—ise have been made out to you for in this Miroir of Wisedome all the Depths of the Deity stand openly represenâ—ed to the Eye of the Spirit when a glance from the Eye illustrates its hidden deep We see then that the Globe of Eternity is the body of the Spirit of Eternity yet not an organical Body for what Organs are there in a Globe or Sphear It is such a Body as the Spirit of Eternity can by contraction draw into it self or by dilatation diffuse its into infinity This Body comprehends all worlds and globes within it self and is therefore called the Universal all conteining Body of the Deity By means of this Body the Spirit of Eternity hath brought forth himself into Heighths Depths and Breadths which are formed and distinguished by the Eye for the Eye looking upwards gives an immense heigth to the Globe of Eternity When it look's downwards it forme's the Depths and when on either side the Breadth becaus without the Eye none of these would be determinable in a Globe concerning which we cannot say that it hath heighth or depth So that though the Spirit of Eternity in it self be without any bounds or limits yet he hath been pleased to bound himself in the Globe of Eâ—eâ—nity and that for the manifestation of himself without which we could have no other but a Negative knowledge of Him We may here also take notice of the figure of this Body which is round or Sphaerical being the most perfect of all figures and therefore most proper â—or the Body of the Deity Who in this also differs from all Creatures who have their distinct organical bodies with great variety of figure whereas the blessed Deity hath the most simple and perfect of all figures to be the outwâ—â—â— form of his Corporeity
Names consists in this Now we cannot imagine but that those Names by which the Holy Spirit doth call any thing have all the excellence and truth which a Name is capable of and consequently must very properly and significantly express the Nature of the thing named the name of this third Place you have heard is the still Eternity and consequently have reason to conclude that the Essentiall difference of this Place is the Majestick silence and awful stillness with which it is continually filled This is such a stillness as surpasseth not only all expressions but likewise all thoughts and imaginations and because of this Majestick silence and unexpressibly awful stillness this most Holy Place is also called the Presence-Chamber of the Deity this supernatural silence and stillness being the ornament state and pompe of it to which all the Glory and magnificence of Monarchs here is but as a shadow or nothing 3. The third particular is the Wonders which are to be seen in this place in respect of which as was mentioned before it was called the Rock of wonders and these wonders are five in number viz. 1st The Spirit of Eternity or the Eternal Unity 2dly The Holy Trinity 3dly The Virgin Wisdome of God 4thly The Seren Spirits before the Throne 5thly and Lastly the Inhabitants of the Still Eâ—â—rnity 1. The first wonder which manifests its self in this Rock of wonders is the Spirit of Eternity or the Eternal Unity which doth fill the total deep Abysse with it self that is with all Power Here the Spirit of Eternity discovers its self to be the first and original Power the Power of all Powers yea All-power it self And this manifestation of the Spirit of Eternitie's being All-power is more full magnificent and glorious in the stil Eternity than in the inward or outward Court where the Deity doth also discover himself to be All-sufficient and Omnipotent but not in that Sovereignty and Majesty with which he appears to the Eye of the Mind in this his presence-Chamber Here the Glory of the All-power of the Deity is seen Nakedly openly and without a veile eye to eye and face to face the sight of which doth cause ravishing Extasies unexpressible Ioys and transporting admiration to fill the heart of the beholder it being a sight so glorious as no words can express nor no thoughts represent to the mind as being beyond all comprehension The second wonder in this Rock of wonders the still Eternity is the Holy and ever blessed Trinity Father Son and Holy Spirit The Father is the Original power of all powers subsisting in by and from himself which Original power of the Father is most clearly and openly discovered in the still Eternity in the highest magnificence Majesty and Glory This supreme power of the Father is the beginning of all power and the fulness of all power filling the Heighths Depths and Bredth oâ— the still Eternity this Power of the Father is an Eternal Unity and simplicity that is it is free from all manner of contrariety divisibility composition or mixture as being an Uniform Universal diffusive power which is nothing else but pure Deity and further we cannot search into this Power of the Father to know what it is for none knows what pure Deity is but God himself It is this Paternal power which fills the still Eternity throughout in the appearance of the clearest transparency and brightness I have now given you an account how the Father manifests himself in the still Eternity to be All-power yet before I leave this particular for fuâ—ther explanation I shall shew you negatively what this Power of the Father is not First then say I that this Power of the Father is no personal power for nothing of personality is manifested in the still Eternity only a Uniform Universal diffusive Power in the appearance of the greatest brightness fills it throughout 2. Neither is this Power of the Fathers any Organical Image resembling that of Angels or men having distinction of parts and members for nothing of this kind can be found in the Eternal Unity of the Father's All-power And thus much shall suffice to have spoken concerning the Father who is the First in the Trinity We now proceed to the second viz. the Son of the Father The Son is an Essential power immediately generated by the Father out of his own divine Essence and therefore he is co-essential and co-equal with the Father For the Son's power dilateth and co-extendeth it self in with and through the Father's power to the utmost bounds and limits of the still Eternity and filleth the deep Abysse with his own Power 's in the Father's Power as being co-essentiall and co-equall with the Father Again this Power of the Son is also the co-eternal with the Father for though the Father may be said to be before the Son in order of Nature forasmuch as he is the generator of the Son yet we cannot say that the Father is before the Son as to priority of time for the Son exists from all Eternity at once and together with the Father and therefore is the Eternal Son of the Father If you would further know what this generated Power of the Son is I say it is an Eternal Vnity and pure Deity even as the Father's Power is But for the further opening of what the Son of God is you may take notice of these following particulars 1. In the first place the Son of God is the first begotten of the Father He is the first born of all Beings as being that Essentiall word Co-eternal with the Father by whom the Father made all things and without whom nothing was made By him were all things created whether they be in Heaven or on Earth whether visible or invisible whether Thrones or Dominions Principalities or Powers all things were created by him and for him and therefore he must needs be before them all and consequently be the first begotten of the Father Secondly this Son of God is the only begotten Son of the Father all other Sons whether Angels or men receive their filiation or sonship from this only begotten Son of the Father and are called Sons forasmuch as they partâ—ke of and are centred in this only begotten Son they are Sons in and because of this only begotten Son and beloved in the only beloved of the Father Thirdly this Son is the Co-essentiall Son of the Father of the same essence and nature with the Father now the Nature of the Father is Purity Holiness Righteousness Meekness Love Goodness and Perfection and such is the Son's nature also and therefore the Son is called the Brightness of his Father's Glory and the expresse Image of his subsistence But the Image of the Father is no organicall Image but consists in Light Life and Love The Father is all Light and in him is no darkness at all he is all Life and in him is no Death he is all Love and in him is no Wrath and the
Son being the co-essential Son of the Father must also be all Light all Life and all Love Thus the Father is in the Son and the Son in the Father Neither is the Nature of the Father and Son distinguishable in the still Eternity the Nature of the Father is not severe and wrathfull and that of the Son sweet milde and gentle for this is no way consistent with the one simple nature of the Deity The Father is all Light Life and Love in the Son's Nature and the Son is all Light Life and Love in the Father's Nature the Nature of the Father flows from himself ar the Fountain-head and spring into the Son and from the Son again into the Father and therefore the Son is called the Heart of the Father because he is the fixed Seat of the Father's Light Life and Love Thus we see that neither Angels nor Saints are in this degree codeisied and consubstantiated with the Father for he filleth the still Eternity with the Light Life and Love of his Essentiall Deity in co-equality with the Father Fourthly this Son is the well beloved Son of the Father the Son of his Loves in whom he is fully well pleased satisfied and delighted And indeed how can it be otherwise since he is one being and one nature with the Father the very Heart of the Father and his expresse Image when he is the Beauty Brightness and Excellence of his Father's Glory and exalted to an equality of honour and dominion with the Father as sitting in the same Throne with the Father and possessing the kingdome with him This is the Son whom the Father will have honoured and worshiped as himself and to whom the Father hath committed all Iudgment neither can the one be worshiped without the other they subsisting in each other This is the Son who is exalted by the Father to be Heir of all things In the fifth place this Son is the Essential Christ of God I would not have you stumble at this Expression I might indeed haue omitted it but for the matters sake for you must take notice that I speak here of the Holy Trinity as they exist without Nature and in this state the Son of God cannot properly be called the Christ that is the Anointed because thus considered he is not Anointed to any office for it is after his entring into the properties of Nature that he is Anointed to be the Mediator yet bear with me for using this word improperly because I do it only for this end to give you a more clear and distinct knowledge of what the Son of God is as he exists before Nature as well as what he is in the properties of Eternal Nature But you 'l ask of me why I speak of the Holy Trinity out of and before Nature and particularly why I speak of the Essential Christ of God as existing before Nature I answer that my speaking of the Holy Trinity and particularly of the second person who is the Christ of God as he exists before Nature is only in order to give you a more distinct knowledge of the Son and Christ of God in Nature and to enable you to distinguish between his being out of Nature and his exstence in the properties of Nature This Essentiall Christ is one with the Father it is who is the same yesterday to day and forever even before all time and before Eternal Nature and he is the Co-creation with the Father He is the Word Wisdome Power the Light Life Love the Heart Reighteousness Purity Brigtness Excellency and Glory of the Father in the Father for we must not conceive of him as a distinct Person from the Father because that would destroy the High Unity and Simplicity of Divine Nature which admits of no composition or division nor on the other side must we conceive the Son of God to be only a distinct denomination for we see that in the still Eternity there is a distinct repersentation of the Son from that of the Father and the Holy Ghost For the Son is represented in the Image of an Heart the Father of an Eye and the Holy Spirit in the stream or emanation which issueth from both But you will say is then this Christ the Son of God the Redeemer Saviour Iustifier and Reconciler of Mankind I answer that to speak properly the Son of God as he exists out of and before Eternal Nature is not a Redeemer Saviour c. and that because in this state he hath no relation to any Creature whatsoever and therefore as long as there was nothing for to be redeemed or saved he could not properly be called a Redeemer or Saviour But you 'l say this essentiall Christ the Eternal Son of the Father is not the Christian 's Christ in whom they trust for Redemption Salvation and Glorification 1. I grant that properly he is not first because the object of the â—aith of Christians is a God-man a Christ clothed with Humanity in whom two natures pure Deity and pure Humanity are hypostatically united so that according to his Deity he is true God and according to his Humanity pure man whereasâ— the Essentiall Christ is not made up of two Natures but is whole Deity Unity and Simplicity being co-essentiall and co-equall with the Father which he could not be if the Humane Nature was joyned with him for then he could not be one Eternall Unity and Simplicity with the Father 2. The Christ of the Christians is born in time even in the fulness of time of the blessed Virgin Mary but the Essential Christ is Co-eternall with the Father and exists from all Eternity with the Father before all time 3. The Christ of the Christians is a personal Christ found and brought forth in flesh in the figure of man being made like unto us in all things sin only excepted but the Essentiall Christ of the Father hath no human figure or organical personality and conseqneutly â—t was impossible for him as such to shed his blood â—pon the Cross for the Redemption of sinners which was the great work of the Christian Christ. 4. The Christ of the Christians arose from the Dead the third day and ascending on high is sat down on the â—ight hand of the Father being made the Head and King over all Angels on mount Sion and over all his Saints and members within the walls of the New Ierusalem but the Essential Christ of God reigns and rules on the same Throne with the Father in the Globe of Eternity over all World â—nd over the Person of Christ in his glorified Corporeity 6. The Christ of the Christian was before promised to be the seed of the Woman and the treader down of the Serpent and it was with reference to this Christ that the Covenant was made with Abraham that all Nations should be blessed in his seed Isack being a type of him and his Birth Life Death Resurrection Ascention and Glorification were shadowed out by the dark types and
said these three Father Son and Spirit proceed from one Eternal Unity and yet they are three distinguishable powers so as one is not the other from Eternity to Eternity and can never be confounded together For first they are distinguished by their names Father Son and Spirit and this distniction of Names doth necessarily imply some distinction of Nature Secondly they are distinguished according to order the Father first the Son next the Holy Spirit last of all Thirdly by number as one two three and are therefore well called the Holy number three In the fourth place the Apostle distinguisheth them by their relative properties of Father Son and the outgoing Spirit of power Now after he hath spoke of their distinction he tells us that notwithstanding all this these three are one that is that they are all centred and rooted in one undivided Unity and Simplicity which is the pure Essâ—â—â—ial Nature of the Deity And indeed if the Holy Trinity were not thus centred in the most perfect Unity they would be three distinct Deities which is contrary to the Christian faith and divine Revelation No the Holy Trinity have but one Divine Nature one Eye one Heart one Body of power between them for to dwell in And thus much shall suffice to have spoken concerning the second wonder which is to be seen in the still Eternity viz. the Unity in Trinity and the Trinity in Unity though no words are able to express the Majesty and transparent Clarity of this Sight as it presents it self in the still Eternity where the Trinity appâ—ars in the triumphant glorious Body of the Power of the Holy Ghost I now pass to the third wonder The Third Wonder which was presented to my intellectual sight was God's Wisdom concerning whom I shall speak under these three heads First I shall speak of the Birth and Nativity of the Wisdom of God Secondly of its Nature Thirdly and lastly of its office 1. First then as to the Birth and Nativity of Wisdome we are are to know that it spring's and flows from God's Eternal Eye as from its Eternal root and original and here it is fixed as in its proper seat and center for it is by this Wisdom that all all the desire and motions of the Deity are most wisely Ordered conducted and governed for it proceeds from and is seated in the same Eye with his desiring mind and willing will these three are in one another and penetrate through one another and make up but one inseparable indivisible power I say they all three exist iâ— the Eye as one power yet distinguishable and without the least disorder or confusion the first is the wisdom then the mind and next the will for as the wisdom proceeds from the Eye so the mind proceeds from the wisdom and the will from the mind And thus much for the birth and Nativity of Wisdome 2. I come now in the next place to speak of the second head viz. what the Nature of the Wisdom is I say then that the Divine Wisdom is a flowing moving power a moving motion immediately proceeding from God's Eternal Eye God's Wisdom is a bright ray or glance issuing from the Eye of Eternity therefore she is termed the brightness or Clarity of the Godhead and a pure breath or efflux from the Majesty of the Almighty We can say nothing of her but that She is the brightness and glance of the Eye of Eternity who as she proceeds from the Eye so she is moved by and only by the same for she is a meer passive bright shining virtue that swiftly passeth through and pierceth all things by reason of her high purity and subtilty which can be compared to nothing better than to a lustrous shining glance being perfectly passive and moving only according to the motion of the Eye of the Father which makes her more swift and piercing than any thing whatsoever But for a further illustration of the Nature of God's Wisdom I shall a little enlarge my self upon these following Particulars which are so many Essentiall properties of the said Wisdom I. In the first place this Wisdom is Co-essential with the Holy Trinity Because as hath been said it proceeds from the Trinity as an outgoing ray glance or brightness now nothing doth immediately proceed from God but what is of the same nature and Essence with him and consequently what can this bright shining glance from the Eye of the Majesty be else but pure Deity as proceeding from and fixed in the Eye of Eternity II. The second Essential property of this Divine Wisdom is this that she is Co-eternal with the ever-blessed Trinity God was never without his wisdom nor the Eye of Eternity without this glance and bright ray which proceedeth from it for else God could not have been an All-wise and All-knowing God Therefore according to order of time the Divine wisdom is Co-eternal with the Holy Trinity though in order of Nature and dignity the Holy Trinity are before Wisdom which is nothing else but a passive effiux from the ever-blessed Trinity Wherefore you are not to imagine that the wisdom of God as she is Co-essential and Co-eternal is also Co-equal with the holy Trinity because as was said before she is perfectly passive and moves not her self but as the Eye is moved whereas the Blessed Trinity is all Act all acting power she is indeed said to be a Co-operator with the Trinity but yet so as that she moves not except she be moved nor acts except she be acted thus far indeed she may be said in some sense to be Co-equal with the Trinity forasmuch as she fills with her glance and brightness the whole still Eternity but this cannot amount to a proper co-equality because she is wholly passive and depending of the Trinity Besides she is clearly distinguishable from the Eye and the Spirit of the Eye as being only a brightness Glance or ray proceeding from it and is consequently inferior and subordinate to the Blessed Trinity III. The third and last Essentiall property of the Divine Wisdom is her Virgin Purity which consists in this that she is free from all desire will and motion of heâ— own She desire's and wills nothing but as the Eternal mind and will desires and wills in her she moves not but as she is moved and acts not but as she is acted by the Spirit of Eternity for she is nothing but a bright passive glance from the Eye of Eternity She is an Eternal stillness in her self She is not the Majesty it self nor the Eye but she is only the beauty glory brightness lustre and glance of the Majesty in the Eye and that such a transparent clarity and brightness as is without all spot or blemish And in a word She is nothing but perfect absolute purity she is a thousand times brighter and purer than the Sun and fairer than the Moon and indeed nothing can be compared to the Excellence of that her Virgin-purity But her
of them equal in Funâ—â—ion Charge and Dignity all being obedient Chilâ—â—en and Servants of the Deity they are all alike in â—â—eir external form and figure appearing all like bright â—â—ints Sparks or Eyes In the fifth and last place The Figure shews us that â—â—ey all resemble and are like the central Eye of the Deiâ—â— from which they do not differ but as a less from a â—â—â—ater for as the Spirit of Eternity represents himâ—â—lf by the sight or black of an Eye so these simplified â—â—irits the Inhabitants of the still Eternity appear â—â—ke so many bright Points Sparks or Eyes all multiâ—â—ied and derived from the Eye of Eternity So that these â—pirits are true resemblances of the Spirit of Eternity â—eing of the same nature only with the abovesaid difâ—rence of greater and lesser and of original and copy 〈◊〉 they are Lights from Light and nothing else but the 〈◊〉 of Eternity multiplying it self through the unmeasuâ—â—ble extent of the still Eternity Having thus opened the figure I proceed now to â—ive you a definition of simplified pure Spirits and it 〈◊〉 this Simplified Spirits are Spirits generated â—y God immediately out of himself 〈◊〉 the likeness and similitude of himself â—nd for himself This definition is made up of a genus and diffeâ—ence the genus or general comprehensive notion is Spirits which is common to these simplified Spirits with all others the difference or that whereby these â—ure Spirits are distinguished from all others is laid â—own in the causes viz. the efficient material formal â—nd final causes of simplified Spirits We shall begin with the first of these viz. the â—â—â—ficient Cause which is expressed in these words 〈◊〉 the Definition generated by God which intimates tâ— us that God is the efficient Cause and sole generatâ—â— of those pure Spirits which are the Inhabitants of thâ— still Eternity I have told you before that these Sâ—â—â—rits are simple pure Powers and no wonder since herâ— you see that they are the off-spring of the Deity who 〈◊〉 all pure Power they partake of his Nature and Eâ—â—sence as Children partake of the Nature and Essence 〈◊〉 their Parents and therefore it is that God is called the Fâ—â—ther of Spirits in reference to these pure simplified Spiâ—â—â—â— who resemble him in the Vnity Simplicity and Purity 〈◊〉 his Divine Nature But you will say How and afâ—â—â— what manner were these pure Spirits generated by Godâ— This I confess is a great Mystery yet for the satisfaction of the inquiring mind we shall speak somethinâ— of it We are to know that these simplified Spiritsâ— did from all Eternity exist ideally in the Eye of Eternity and the said Iâ—eas were actually and essentiallâ— manifested by production before all Worlds The mâ—ner of their generation we may thus conceive of their Idâ—â—â— being conceived in tâ—â— Divine mind rais'd a desire foâ— their manifestation and this desire awakned the omnipotent will of God to their actual production for in the will of God stands the Omnipotence which effecteth all things This all-effecting power is the power of the Holy Ghost who is the producer and actual manifester of whatsoever lie's hid in the Eye of the Father Ideally Neither could the Spirit of Powâ—â— ever have brought forth these pure Spirits had not theiâ— Ideas pre-existed in the Eye of the Father as their first ground and original pattern according to which they were brought forth actually by the Holy Ghost I next proceed to speak of the material Cause of thesâ— simple Spirits the Inhabitants of the still Eternityâ— which is expressed in these words of the definition immediately generated out of himself Though these pure Spirits be immaterial that is free from all gross materiality and corporeity yet are they not without a material cause from whence they derive their substance and Essence so that materiality in this sâ—nce is taken for essentiality Now this material cause is expressed to be God himself for there was nothing in the still Eternity but the blessed Trinity and the seven Spirits immediately proceeding from them therefore they must needs be generated out of God himself for there was no other subject matter no Eternal Nature out of which they might bâ— taken The Word immediately is added in the Definition to distinguish these pure simplified Spirits from the Angels who were brought forth out of Eternal Nature as their material cause and not immediately out of the Divine Essence as these are Now this Divine Nature out of which these Spirits are generated is no other than the Heart of God which as I told you is the Central Heart of the Deity and this Heart of God is the Eternal flaming Heart of God's Love it is Love it self and the fulness and perfection of Love and accordingly St. Iohn gives us this account of God that He is Love and that he that dwells in Love dwells in God and God in him Though this Scripture has relation to man litterally yet we may here apply it for illustration that God is Love which Love is the Generator of these simplified Spirits And it is out of this Love 's Eternal Substantiality that the numberless number of the Inhabitants of the still Eternity were actually manifested for the Glory of the supreme Majesty Now because I have told you that Love 's Eternal Essentiality is that out of which all pure simplified Spirits were brought forth I think it not amiss to open to you the nature and properties of this Divine Love to the end you may have a clearer understanding concerning the Nature and qualiâ—icâ—tions of thosâ— pure Spirits which did proceed from it for by opening unto you the Nature of this Divine Love which is the Cause I must needs at the same time lead you to the knowledge of these Spirits which are the effect or product of it 1. In the fiâ—st place then I find the Nature of Divine Love to be a perfect Unity and Simplicity There is nothing more one undivided simple pure unmixed and uncompounded than Love You will say how do I prove this Very well for this Love is God himself now it is well known that there is nothing more essential to God than Unity and Simplicity nothing more contrary to the Divine Nature than duality division or composition Besides it is this Love which gives Unity and Harmony to all things There is no Unity in Heaven nor on Earth but what deriveâ— from Love and must acknowledge him the Authorâ— and do you think Love can want that Unity which it gives to all others No certainly rather conclude that that which makes all things one which harmonizeth and agrees the most different and discordant Natures must needs be Unity it self 2. In the second place I find Love to be a most perfect and absolute Liberty Nothing can move Love but Love nothing touch Love but Love nor nothing constrain Love but Love It is free from all things it self only gives Laws to it self and those Laws are
the Laws of liberty for nothing acts more freely than Love because it always acts from it self and is moved by it self by which prerogatives Love shews himself allyed to the Divine Nature yea to be God himself 3. Thirdly Love is all strength and power Make a diligent search through Heaven and Earth and you 'l find nothing so powerful as Love What is strongeâ— than Hell and Death Yet Love is the triumphanâ— Conqueror of both What more formidable than the 〈◊〉 of God Yet Love overcomes it and dissolves â—nd changeth it into it self In a word nothing can â—ithstand the prevailing strength or Love it is the â—ery munition of Rocks and the strength of Mount â—ioâ— which can never be moved 4. In the fourth place Love is of a transmuting and â—ransforming Nature The great effect of Love is to â—urn all things into its own Nature which is all goodâ—ess sweetness and perfection This is that Divine Power which turns Water into Wine Sorrow and â—ellish Anguish into exulting and triumphing Ioy Curse into Blessings where it meets with a barren â—eathy Desart it transmutes it into a Paradise of deâ—â—ghts yea it changeth evil to good and all imperâ—â—ction into perfection It restores that which is fallen â—â—d degenerated to its primary beauty excellence â—â—d perfection It is the Divine Stone the White â—â—one with a Name written on it which none knows 〈◊〉 he that hath it In a word it is the Divine Naâ—â—re it is God himself whose essential property it is â—o assimilate all things with himself or if you will â—â—ve it in the Scripture phrase to reconcile all things 〈◊〉 â—imself whether they be in Heaven or in Earth and â—ll by means of this Divine Elixir whose transformâ—ng power and efficacy nothing can withstand 5. In the fifth and last place Love is of a fruitful â—rolifick multiplying diffusive and communicating Nature It is Love makes all other things to be fruitâ—ul and multiply and to be diffusive and communicaâ—ive of themselves therefore Love which gives to â—thers this property must needs possess it by way of â—minency it self Upon this account it is that Love â—aith Shall I cause others to bring forth and shall I not â—â—ing forth my self I shall speak no more of this proâ—erty of Love now becaus I shall have occasion to â—â—ntion it again in the next paragraph It was out of this fruitful womb of Eternal Love thâ—â— the acting power of the Holy Ghost in Vnion with Wisâ—dom brought forth these simplified Spirits as out of theiâ— first matter and consequently all these Spirits musâ— needs be co-essential as being all brought forth out oâ— the Essence of Love which is the common matter to thâ—â— all neither are they only co-essential with one another â— but also in some sort co-essential with the Deity being immediately produced out of the Divine Love-essenceâ— yet with this difference that the Divine Love-essence is tâ—â— Cause and the Spirit are Effects and so are subordinatâ— and inferior to him who is the Father of Spirits Thiâ— Love-essence as you have heard before is the Centeâ— and Heart of the Holy Trinity and is consequently thâ— first of all Essences as being before Eternal Natureâ— and all things else and will be the last and reign anâ— triumph over all to Eternity But here it may be objected That it doth not sâ—â—â— consistent with the Vnity and Simplicity of â—ternal Lâ—â—â—-essence to be the producer of so many distinct Spirits â—ecause Vnity and Multiplicity are opposite to one â—â—ther To which I answer That if these Spirits be conceived to be taken out of the Love-essence as so manâ— divided parts or parcels torn or separated from the whole this cannot consist with the Unity of Loveâ— but it is not so for it is the fruitful womb of the Love-essence which hath brought forth all these innumerable Spirits without the least division or separation of its oâ—â— simplified Essence But as we see here in this Worldâ— that one seed by reason of the blessing of the Love-essence hid in it brings fortâ— and varies it self iâ— many not by dividing it self into so many parts buâ— by a Magical Multiplication even so must we conceivâ— that this Eternal Love-essence did Magically Multiply iâ— self into this innumerable number of Spirits withoâ—â— making the least rent or division in its own moâ—â— united and simple Essence These Spirits are first in the Eye of the Father as so many Ideas which Ideas afterwards are fruitful seeds in the womb of Love and are brought to actual manifestation by the all-effecting power of the Holy Ghost with the assistance of wisdom So that hence we see that these Spirits which were only Ideas in the Eye of the Father receive their essentiality and become fruitful seeds in the Love-essence which is the womb that cherisheth them Wherefore it does not appear impossible or unintelligible that the Unity of Love'â— Essence should multiply and vary it self into an innumerable off-spring becaus we see both the Light and Fire of this outward Creation to multiply themselves without any division or loss of parts How many sparks do proceed from one fire And how many candles may be lighted by one But how much more than must we suppose that the Heart of God the Eternal Love-essence is able to multiply it self since all the multiplying virtue which is found in things here below are only the effects of the all-fruitfulness of Love which is communicated unto and diffused through all Creatures causing them to multiply and bring forth according to their several kinds So that it appears That this Love-essence is the Mother of all Essences but more immediately and peculiarly of these simplified Spirits which are the Inhabitants of the still Eternity as being her own immediate off-spring without the intervention of Eternal Nature wherefore they also partake of the Nature and Essence of Love being all meek and pleasant Essences beautified with all the graces powers and perfections of Love and exempt from all contrariety whatsoever I come now to speak of the formal Cause of the Inhabitants of the still Eternity which in the definition is laid down in these words in the Image and likeness of himself intimating to us that which makes these simplified Spirits to be what they are is the Image and likeness of the Holy Trinity which is their internal essential Form I now â—roceed to a more particular explication of the forma◠〈◊〉 of these pure Spirits and to this end shall give you an account of what was declared to the Spirit of my mind concerning them in the still Eternity First I was expresly charged to observe diligently whaâ— difference I could find between the Holy Trinity and tâ—ese Spirits and upon observation I could find no otâ—er difference but that of greater and lesser whereupon it was further expresly told me that these Spirits were Spirits generated out of and to the Image and likeness of the Spirit of Eternity And again Thâ—t they
were lesser Wonders proceeding from thâ— great Wonder as we may say lesser Deities generated by the Universal Deity of Love and what can more significantly express the formality of these Spirits than these words which were revealed to my Spirit in the most Hâ—ly Place Insomuch as it seems superfluous to add any thing further but yet if any should desire further to be instructed what this Image of God is which is the Essential form of pure Spirits I say This Image coâ—tains the whole Nature Essence and all the perfections of the Deity yet with the distinction of greater and lesser original and derivative independent and dependent For example Do you find God to be a perfect Unity So are these Spirits an Unity in themselve Is God Love So are these Is God Wise Good Powerful So are these And the same may be said of all the excellencies and perfections of the Divine Nature in the perfect Image and likeness of which they were brought forth by the acting power of the Holy Ghost I come now in the last place to speak of the final Cause express'd in these words For himself that is to say these simplified Spirits were brought forth for the Manifestation of the Deity for had the Divine Nature always continued shut up in it self in the still Eternity without bringing forth it self without it self it would never have been known to any but it selfâ— wherefore for the manifestation of the Triune Deity were these simplified Spirits brought forth to be the Inhabitants of the still Eternity 1. But more especially these simplified Spirits were brought forth for the manifestation of the attributes virâ—â—es and excellencies of the Divine Essence in the still Eâ—ernity viz. His Eternity Infinity All-sufficiency Immensity as also his Unity Simplicity Liberty Goodness Perfection and Happiness For though all these were well known to themselves yet they were not manifested to others till these simplified Spirits were brought forth 2. Again thâ—y were brought forth for the manifestation â—f the Divine Soveraignty Majesty and Dominion in the still Eternity which could not be known or manifested till there were Spirits which might be the Subjects of this Dominion and Soveraignty 3. In the next place one of the ends of the productiâ—â— of these Spirits was that the mystery of the Divine Beiâ—g and subsistence might be known to others besides it self iâ— the still Eternity Therefore were these Spirits produced which are all Eye and every way capacitated eternally to dwell upon the blisful contemplation of the Triune Deity 4. Another end why these Spirits were brought forth was to manifest the generating and multiplying fruitfulness of the Deity in his abstracted Nature in the still Eternity â—iâ—hout Eternal Nature's principle There being nothing more essential to the Divine Nature than to multiply diffuse and communicate it self which essential property had 〈◊〉 been known in the still Eternity without this production of simplified Spirits 5. Again a main end why these pure Spirits were brought forth was for the manifestation of God's Glory which consists in the triumphing exulting Nature of Love O in the still Eternity Now that this pleasant and all glorious Love-essence might be revealed in the still Eternity to others besides the Trinity therefore were these pure Spirits brought forth that they tasting seeing and enjoying this glorious pleasant and blisful Love-essence might celebrate the praise and glory of the Triune Deity to all Eternity 6. Lastly These pure Spirits were brought forth for the manifestation of the hidden will and good pleasure of the Trinity The Divine Will from Eternity was to bring forth Spirits in the still Eternity to be the Inhabitants of it which might know him and enjoy him and in so doing be Eternally happy Which Will of God could not be manifest till such Spirits were actually produced who were capable of knowing and enjoying him and such were these simplified pure Spirits and therefore were they brought forth by the Holy and ever blessed Trinity The Divine Wisdom very well knew that nothing less than Spirits of the highest degree of purity and simplicity could be capable of receiving the manifestations of the Trinity in the still Eternity that is in their pure simple abstracted and solitary being Therefoâ—e were these Spirits brought forth in the perfect Image of thâ— Deity as he subsists all pure Spirit and Vnity without and before Eternal Nature that they might be vessels capable of receiving the Divine fulness for which they were brought forth Having now finished the manifestation of the Nature of these simplified Spirits from their Causes I shall next come to give you a brief account of some of their â—ssential qualifications properties and adjuncts the explication of which may afford a fuller and clearer understanding of their Nature 1. In the first place then I say That these Inhabitants of the still Eternity are most highly simplified Spirits which simplicity of theirs consists in this that they did immediately proceed from the most simple and abstracted Essence of the Deity and were not brought forth out of Eternal Nature's Principle as all other Creatures were which therefore want much of the simplicity and unity of these pure Spirits And again these Spirits are justly said to be simplified Spirits in that they have no Souls or any personal organical corporeity but are meer pure Spirits that is nothing but Spirit all Spirit Yet I do not deny but these Spirits hâ—ve a Body which is common to them all which Body is the Temple Body of the Holy Ghost which fills that whole circumference of that most Holy Place in which Body they do all dwell yet reserving their numerical distinction 2. These Inhabitants are Intellectual Spirits that is they were endued with understanding and will for otherwise they could not have resembled the Father of Spirits neither could they have been capable of knowing loving and obeying him and consequently would have been unmeet for the company of the Holy Trinity in the still Eternity 3. These Spirits are endued with the Spiritual senses of seeing hearing smelling tasting and feeling whereby they are inabled to discern the object of the still Eternity They behold the Trinity face to face they hearken to his still and awful voice they are refreshed by perceiving the ravishing odors which continually perfume the most Holy Place they taste and feed upon the outflowing sweetness of the Deity and they feel nothing but the Eternal goodness of him who with his fulness fills the still Eternity 4. In the fourth place These Spirits are endued with a Spiritual kind of materiality from the Love-Essence in the Heart of God But because I have fully spoken of this in the material Cause I thither refer you 5. In the fifth place These Spirits are all of them Co-eternal I mean in relation to themselves not to the Holy Trinity who were before them in order of Nature as the Cause is before the effect and the Generator before that which is
ordering and governing of it And also the Holy Trinity's introducing of themselves into Eternal Nature The wide space within the Circle type's forth the Chaos or the Abyssal nothing the ground of all Essences and yet no Essence to be seen in it Now because I have in the foregoing discourse oft made mention of the word Principle without having any where declar'd what I meant by it I think it proper in this place to give you the signification of it according to the sense in which I take it And in the first place I shall tell you negatively in what sense it is not in this place taken by me By the word Principle I do not understand the first constitutive beginnings of things whereof they consist and from whence they take their Being in the same sense in which the four Elements by some and Salt Sulphur and Mercury by others are called the Principles of all things But by a Principle I mean an Original Source and Fountain-Essence formed by an Agent into a Sphaerical Circumference by which it is distinguished from all others 1. To explain this definition a little I say in the first place that a Principle is an Original and Fountain-Essence for it is not every Essence doth make a Principle but such an one only as is thâ— fruitful Mother of all the Essences conteined within its own Circumference and Kingdom and affords them being and sustenance from its own Bowels 2. In the second place it is said to be formed by an Agent becaus a Principle of it self is Passive considered without the Active Spirit in the Center which is the Mover of it 3. In the third place you have the form and figure of a Principle a Sphaerical Circumference which is the common form of all Principles 4. In the last place you have the end why a Principle is formed into a Sphaerical enclosure viz. that thereby it might be distinguished from all other Principles Worlds and Centers for all these are the same with me in this place and therefore many times one of these is put for the other Having thus given you the Definition of a Principle in general I shall now subjoyn the particular definition of Eternal Nature in these words Eternal Nature is a Principle created by God out of the Abyssal Chaos containing the seven operative powers for the production of all things The Genus or general Notion of this definition is the word Principle which but just now we have explained to you The difference of this definition contains the four Causes of Eternal Nature viz. the efficient material formal and final The efficient Cause which is God is expressed in these words of the definition created by God The material which is the Abyssal Chaos is expressed in these words out of the Abyssal Chaos The formal Cause are the seven operative Powers which the definition tells you that Eternal Nature doth contain The final Cause of Eternal Nature is that it might be the fruitful Mother of all things which the definition expresseth in these words for the production of all things What Eternal Nature is The Third Head Which makes the third Part of this Discourse What Eternal Nature is I. THE subject of this Part is concerning Eternal Nature's Essence it is a most noble Subject to look into I acknowledge that none could lay a deeper ground as to this Subject than divine Behme hath done yet I find withal that he hath brought it forth something obscurely so that he is understood by few and misunderstood by most This hath moved me to search into the Nature of this Subject for my own private satisfaction according to the innate light of my own intellect and the inward discoveries of the Triune Deity to the Spirit of my Soul In this Third Part I shall confine my discourse to these two general Heads The First What Eternal Nature is in its first original purity The Second What kind of Essence or Principle pure Eternal Nature is I begin with the first of these II. Quest. What is Eternal Nature's Essence in its first original birth and being as it came out of Wisdom's hand Answ. Eternal Nature was a pure Essence and then called pure Nature being free from sin and evil and all mixture of imperfection she was then all fair clear spotless faultless and sinless Now for the manifestation of this great mystery of Eternal Nature what it is I will open it in the original Causes of it viz. the efficient material formal and final III. Concerning the efficient Cause of Eternal Nature Who can be the Author and Creator of Eternal Nature but the Triune Deity The Father Son and Spirit must be the Creator of Eternal Nature not the Father without the Son and Spirit nor the Son without the Father and Spirit nor the Spirit without the Father and Son but the Triune Deity in joynt Co-operation Therefore the Triune Deity in the Globe of Eternity subsisting in their own pure Deity must be before Eternal Nature by way of efficiency as the Cause is before the Effect and are distinct as the Cause and Effect God therefore is not Eternal Nature nor Eternal Nature God because Eternal Nature is formed by God as the efficient And thus we see that God can subsist without nature but Eternal Nature's Essence cannot subsist without the Triune Deity God comprehends Eternal Nature but Eternal Nature cannot comprehend him who as being the efficient cause of Eternal Nature is higher essenced in his own Eternal Vnity and Simplicity Now that God is the Creator of Eternal Nature Scripture teacheth us when it tells us That by the Word all things were created and that without him nothing was made that was made Now if the Triune Deity was the Creator of Eternal Nature he must needs in order of Natâ—re be before it and distinct from it and subsist in a far higher graduated Essence than Eternal Natuâ—â—'s Essence is For if any should ask me what is above before and beyond Eternal Nature's Essence I can only reply the Triune Deity in the Globe of Eternity who is the efficient Cause of Eternal Nature and here we must stâ—p for we cannot go beyond the first Cause of all things IV. We proceed to spâ—â—k of the efficient Cause of Eternal Nature which is God and will briefly declare how God doth not only create Eternal Nature by way of efficiency but also that he creates it out of and from himself by way of Essentiality Thus the Divine Philosophy instructs us Rom. 8. 36. Of him and from him and to him are all things That is all things proceed essentially from him and if all then Eternal Nature must proceed materially and essentially out of God's Essence 1 Cor. 8. 6. To us there is but one God by whom are all things efficiently and of whom are all things essentially Neither can it be otherwise for when God was to create Eternal Nature there was nothing besides Himself out of or from
which he might create it wherefore it follows that Eternal Nature must proceed essentially and substantially from God And indeed God could not be the first original Essence of all Essences if there were any Essence which was not created out of God's Essence Wherefore we must conclude that Eternal Nature's Essence did proceed from God's Essence by way of essentiality as well as by that of efficiency V. But the Great mystery lye's here to know how Eternal Nature doth proceed from God's Essence and what God's Essence is from whence Eternal Nature doth proceed Now to this I say that Eternal Nature proceeds from God's Abyssal Essence generated out of himself for as was said before there was no other Essence to generate it from You will say what is this Abyssal Essence which is the original ground of all Essences I answer It is an immensâ— deep empty space a bottomless and boundless Abyss Yet I do not say it is without beginning for God generated this Abyssal Essence out of his own Eternal Essence as was manifested to my fight by God's Spirit else I could not write of it as I do had I not seen the pattern in the Mouâ—t of Eternityâ— When I say God was the original of this Abyssal Essence I mean the Triune Deity in their Eternal Vnity for they are the joynt co-operators in every created Essence they work inseparably one doth not work without the other But the Mystery is yet in the manner how God doth generate this Abyssal Essence out of himself to clear this you must know that in God there is an Eternal Will and this Eternal desiring Will looketh into himself and finding nothing but himself doth make a beginning and end to himself and so the beginning entring into the end and the end into the beginning of himself there is formed out of himself this round Abyssal Globe Thus you see that the Will of God is the beginning and end of this Abyssal Essence The materiality also of this Abyss is generated out of himself becaus there was nothing besides himself to generate himself from therefore the Eternal desiring Will must generate this Abyssal Essence out of it self Last of all you see the form or figure that God's Eternal Will formed this Abyss into even into a Circle or Globe and the manner how viz. that the desiring Will looking into it self and finding nothing but himself doth put an end to himself and so the beginning closing with the end there is formed ae Round or Globe Thus you seâ— the highest ground that we can have of this Abyssal Essence viz. the desiring Will of God which Will is the first and last cause of all things from which free efficacious Will God doth style himself the First and the Last the Beginning and the End of all things the Scripture teaching us that from this Will by this Will and for this Will all things were created And thus much shall suffice concerning the beginning of God's Abyssal Essence VI. Now we will proceed to consider the Nature of this Abyssal Essence which as was hinted before is a deep immense boundless empty space and is therefore called the Abyssal Essence or ground without ground When I say this Abyssal Essence is without bounds I do not mean in relation to God by whose Will it is bounded and comprehended but in relation to our Spirits In this empty immense space there is nothing to be seen no darkness no fire no light no creature but is indeed an unsearchable deep without any Essence though indeed it be the ground of all Essence and that from whence Eternal Nature's Essence doth proceed And though the Spirit of the Creature sees no Essence in it yet God's Eye sees all things in it becaus it is the original ground of all Essences yet is no visible Essence to be seen in it This Abyssal Essence generated out of God to be the ground of all Essences is called by Mystical Writers the Divine Chaos and the original Essence of all Essences from whence all created Essences Principles and Centers do proceed Thus I have brought you to the first original of all Essences under the Triune Deity which is this Abyssal ground or Essence with respect to which Abyss God calls himself the First and the Last of all Essences Concerning this Subject Behme speaks thus in his deep writings If the Spirit of the Soul could come into the Eternal Nothing then he would come into that Original ground whence Eternal Nature and all Creatures did proceed He also term's this Eternal Nothing the Eternal Stilness becaus as no Essence is to be seen in it though it be the ground of all Essences so there is no life no motion no working source to be found in it but an Eternal Stilness though indeed it be the ground whence all life motion and working power doth proceed This Divine Behme well understood therefore he saith If the Spirit of the Soul could sink down into this Eternal Nâ—thing and Abyssal still Essence then he would come into that ground where God was when he brought forth Eternal Nature and Creatures and from which he brought forth Eternal Nature And thus I have led you to the original ground of Eternal Nature even the Abyssal still Essence of Eternity VII To recollect briefly what hath been said I have told you that this Abyssal Essence is an immense empty space where no Essence is to be seen by us Secondly I have told you that it is the original ground of all Essences Thirdly That it is an Eternal stilness Fourthly That it had its birth from the will of God Fifthly I have declared also the manner of its formation into a Globe by the desiring of the Triune Deity Sixthly I have too manifested to you that it is the original ground whence Eternal Nature's Essence doth proceed Seventhly That this Abyssal Essence is God's Divine Chaos wherein God's Eternal Eye doth see all things lye hid yet without Essence All Eternal Essences Centers Principles Worlds Elements Colours and whole Eternal Nature with her seven working Powers are hid therein and from hence are brought forth by the Wisdom of God VIII If your searching mind do not rest satisfied with this but be still enquiring what the Nature of this Abyssal Essence is I say further that this Abyssal Essence is an Eternal Essence generated out of God's Essence that is out of himself by himself and for the good pleasure of himself and is himself But if you will ask further what this Essence is which is thus generated out of himself I can give no other answer but that it is what it is and further than this none but the Triune Deity can tell But I can tell you the end why God brought it out of himself even that it might be the original ground of all Essences this was the end why the Holy Trinity introduced themselves into this Eternal Beginning God indeed is without any beginning but the
Will of the Trinity hath been pleased to generate it self into a Beginning which is the Abyssal Essence the bâ—ginning of all Essences whatsoever and particularly of Eternal Nature as well as of the high and lofty Globe of Eternity We are to observe here that his Eternal World where the Majestick Soveraigâ—ty of the Deity is manifested called the still Eternity is far different from the Eternal nothing and Abyssal Essence of which we have been speaking Quest. If you now ask me what is above and before this Abyssal Essence Answ. I answer the All-seeing Eye the Eternal Free-will of the Deity in the still Eternity in the original Globe of the High and Lofty Eternity where the Triune Deity manifests the bright flaming glances of his Majesty and the Glory of his Sovereignty with his Perfections called Attributes viz. his Infinity All-sufficiency Omnipotency which are not manifested in this Abyssal still Essence Wherefore it appears that the Original Globe of Eternity is above it and distinct from it this Divine Chaos being set by the Eternal Will of the Deity as a middle Gulf between the Eternal World where stands the still Eternity in all its Essential Goodness viz. in its Eternal Unity Simplicity and Pure Deity and between Eternal Nature's Essence and her working Powers You are likewise to distinguish the Globe of Eternity from the Light World or Light Eternity in which Paradise the Angelical World the Glassy Sea Mount Zion and the New Ierusalem are placed and though these be called by us the Heavenly World as in truth they are yet they differ from the still Eternity in the Globe of the High and Lofty Eternity All those World 's forementioned Paradise the Angelical World c. spring out of the Light Eternity and the Light Eternity is born out of Eternal Nature's Essence and therefore they are distinct for the still Eterniâ—y in the Eternal World stands before above and without Eternal Nature's Essence These things being premised we come to speak of Eternal Nature's Essence which is generated out of the Abyssâ—l Essâ—nce IX Quest. If you ask me what is Eternal Nature's Essence Answ. I answer it is an Eternal Essence generaâ—ed out of the Divine Chaos or Abyssal Essence and â—educed into matter and form for the good pleasure of â—is Will. Here you see the efficient Cause of Eternal Nature God's Eternal Free-will willing and desiring it Secondly You see out of what or from whence Eternal Nature is produced viz. out of God's Divine Chaos not out of the still Eternity nor out of the Eternal Unity of the Triune Deity Thirdly It is brought forth by God's Will out of this Eternal ground into matter and form which I am now to speak of Fourthly The final Cause is also signified in these words for the good pleasure of his Will Now the Will â—f God was to bring forth Eternal Nature with all her working Essences to be the original Essence and ground of all created Essences whatsoever nothing being created without it but from it essentially and originally Quest. But you will say what is the difference between the Abyssal Essence which is the original Essence of all Essences and Eternal Nature which is the ground of all Essences Answ. There is a very great difference the Triune Deity doth see that all things lye hid in his Divine Chaos but without Essence but in Eternal Nature's Ground he sees all things essentially and that he hath actually all sufficiency of materials and instruments to bring forth all things from Eternal Nature's Ground So that Eternal Nature is God's work-house wherein he hath whatsoever materially are required to Creation In the Eternal Nothing is no actual Essence but in Eternal Nature all Essences for creation are actually brought forth by God's Wisdom and Power Again In the Divine Chaos there is nothing but an Eternal stilness no life no motion no moving power â— but in Eternal Nature God sees an actual working Source Power Life and motion to create from and with in the Abyssal Essence he sees indeed that all these lye hid all life all power but only potentially not actually X. Now I proceed to the third Particular to shew the manner how God by his Eternal Will brought forth Eternal Nature out of the Abyssal Essence into matter and form Here I must open two Particulars First What is the Matter Eternal Nature is created of And secondly The manner how performed by God and then pass to the formal Cause First Particular Concerning the Material Cause of Eternal Nature If you ask me What the Original matter of Eternal Nature is I answer It is made up of Fire and Light with their essential properties belonging unto them and the four Eternal Elemeâ—â—s of Fire Water Air and Earth are the materials of Eternal Nature's Essence for if these were taken away Eternal Nature would cease to be Concerning the Eternal Element of Fire XI This Element is the first matter and ground of Eternal Nature's Essence and therefore we will speak of it in the first place If we would understand the nature of this Element we must know the birth of it and how it was brought forth by God When it pleased the Eternal Will of God to move on the face of the deep Abyssa-Essence he from thence brought forth the four Eterâ—al Elements to be the first Principles of Eternal Naâ—â—re and the Element of Fire in the first place together with its intrinsecal and essential properties to be the â—riginal beginning of Eternal Nature's Essence Here you see the Creator of it is the Eternal Will of the Triune Deity Father Son and Spirit for they have but one will among them XII In the second place you see the ground whence the Will of God brought forth â—â—is Element of Fire viz. â—â—t of the Divine Chaos or Abyssal nothing I do not say it came immediately from the Deity in its Eternal Unity and Simplicity for in the pure Deity there are no Eternal Elements no duality no contrariety becaus the pure Deity is an Eternal Unity in it self XIII In the third place it is necessary to speak a word how the Eternal Will brought forth this Element 〈◊〉 Fire out of the Divine Chaos The Eternal Eleâ—â—nt of Fire was brought forth from the Abyssal Esâ—â—nce by the Wisdom and Omnipotence of God neither need we to enquire further into the manner of its production becaus a multitude of words will but darken the manner of its birth The highly illuminated Behme hath set it forth from its deep ground how this Eternal Element was brought into existency by through and from the Eternal will of God but there are but few that can understand him and those that do comprehend a great Mystery for reason with all its Academical knowledge cannot comprehend it it being only to be discerned by an intellectual sight And though in the glass of Divine Wisdom I have seen how this Eleâ—ent out of Eternal nothing was brought into an
Eternal something viz. to be essential Fire not only by and from God's Will but also through his Will yet I do not find it necessary â—o explain it any further at this time XIV In the next place let us consider what is the Nature of Eternal Fire This Eternal Element is created by God to be a fierce mighty penetrating consuming Essence as appears from its essential and inseparable properties it is created with all which do manifest the nature of this created Fire-essence The first of these properties is Darkness which consists in astringent harshness from which dark harshness doth arise Bitterness with its prickliness and out of this bitter prickliness doth arise the Eternal woe and tormenting Anguish called the sting of the bitter Anguish and from this bitter sting is born the fierce Fire-essence Thus Behme sets it forth to whom I subscribe thus he makes the Fire-Essence the fourth form of Eternal Nature The Dark astringent harshness is the first form to the bringing forth of the fire the Bitter sting the second the Anguish the third and the fire-flash out of the Anguish the fourth form which compleats this Eternal fire-essence But to make the Nature of this Fire-essence more plain I will add to the former these following properties To the Fire-essence do belong Fierceness Fieriness Wrathfulness Sternness Sulphureousness Salnitrousness Consuming Devouring Flying up and Elevating it self these are the essential properties of the Eternal Anguishing Fire-spirit becaus it cannot subsist without them nor be separated from them Now it is easie by these properties to give a Description of the Nature of this Fire-essence viz. that it is a Dark Harsh Bitter Anguishing Fierce Fieâ—y Wrathful Stern Brimstony Salnitrous Consuming Elevating Fire-Spirit and the strength and force of this Essence consists in the forementioned properties and more particularly in its Fierceness Consumingness and self-elevation for â—ithout these it would be weak and feeble Quest. If you ask me wherein the Goodness of this â—ire-essence doth consist Answ. I answer in all its essential properties for â—hey are all good and serviceable to the end for which â—â—ey were created and the Eternal Fire-essence by â—eans of them becomes a fit instrument for God to â—ork with Therefore there is no evil property to be â—und in this Fire-essence for if there were God must be the Author of it he being the Sole Creator of the â—â—re But indeed God created it to be a good Servant â—o serve his Eternal Will not that it might Lord it â—nd reign over the Deity for this would not have sâ—ited with his Eternal Wisdom by which all things were brought forth since therefore it was created by God it must needs be good for no evil can proceed from God by way of efficiency XV. We will now proceed to the Element of Eternal Water This Element is the next matter of Eternal Nature's Essence and consequently to be handled next to the Fire It s efficient Cause is the same with that of the Fire-essence viz. the Eternal Will of God the Center from whence it is produced is the same viz. the Eternal Nothing or Abyssal Essence and the manner how is also the same viz. by the Divine Power and Wisdom wherefore we refer you to what hath been said before concerning the Eternal Element of Fire But our present work is to consider What the Nature of this Eternal Element of Water is The Eternal Element of Water is a Meek Mild Soft Gentle Essence for as the Fire-essence is the ground of Fierceness so the Water is the ground of Meekness and this will appear if we consider the essential Properties of it The first of which is Meekness the next Sweetness then Softness Mildness Gentleness Coldness Refreshingness Sincking down Heaviness so that we see from these properties that the Water must needs be a Meek and Mild Essence and this Meek Essence is the Ground of Eternal Light it is the Womb of the Meek Light from whence springs Pleasantness Delightfulness Ioyfulness and Gladness All which properties are in one another inseparably and make up but one Meek Essence as the several properties of the Fire make up one fierce Essence which Meek Essence we may call the Meek Water-Essence the Meek Light-Essence or the Meek Love-fire-Essence This Essence Divine Behme makes to be the fifth form of Eternal Nature and so it is But I would have you further to consider the end of its production which is to mitigate and allay the fierceness of the Fire-Essence and to be its Antagonist So to the fierce fiery harsh darkness the Water opposeth its meek soft gentle and pleasant Light to the bitterness and prickliness of the Fire it opposeth its sweetness and pleasantness to the anguish wrathfulness and devouring property of the Fire it opposeth the joyfulness of its Love-fire-Essence and to the Mounting elevation of the Fire it opposeth its ponderosity and sinking down Here you see that the Beauty Excellence and Strength of the Water consists in its Meekness Mildnâ—ss Softness Gentleness Sweetness Its riches are the Meek Light and the triumâ—hing joy of the Love-fire's-Essence which stop 's the fury of the devouring anguishing Fire It s goodness consists in this that it is a serviceable instrument in the Hand of its Creator to stop the pride and flying up of the Fire by its ponderosity And thus it appears that both these Essences are good in their kind as proceeding both from God's Will and froâ— one ground viz. the Divine Chaos or Abyssal Essence And thus much concerning the Eleâ—ent of Water XVI We now proceed to the third Element of which Eternal Nature doth consist viz. the Element of Air. It s efficient Cause its ground from whence and manner of production are the same with those of the two former Elements But if you would know the Nature of this Eternal Air I say it is a Brisk Cooling Refreshing Reviving Quickening Pleasant Essence Breath or Wind. It is very useful and serviceable in Eternal Nature's Essence to blow up the Fire lest it should be suffocated and therefore it is appointed by God to blow up the Fire to give motion to the Water and to drive away the dark clouds from the Light-Essence when need requires It is a necessary Instrument to blow up the Love-Fire-Essence that so it may penetrate through all Properties when it is too weak and passive it maketh it blossom and break forth it is the food of all the Properties it is also the Chariot of the Spirit of God who rides upon the wings of this wind and is a good separator in his hand to separate between the precious and the vile between the wheat and the chaff It s essential properties are Clarity Transparency Volatility Levity Celerity and Penetrability Behme refers this Air-Essence to the sixth Property to which we assent XVII We now proceed to the last Element viz. Eternal Earth To know what this Element is we may consider the efficient of
perfect Unity without all duality diversity or contrariety becaus God's Essence from which they immediately proceeded was such But we find that all created Essences are â—ot a perfect unity but that diversity and duality is found in them which is not in the Divine Essence therefore we must necessarily conclude that they did not immediately proceed from God's Essence Secondly If all creaâ—â—d Essences do immediately proceed from God it â—â—ll follow that God's Diâ—ine Essence is not unintelligible and incomprehensible but may be easily known from the nature of those Essences which immediately proceed from him for such as their Essence is such must God's be if we allow this immediate procession becaus whatsoever doth immediately proceed from any Essence is of the same Essence with that from whence it proceeds We concludâ— therefore that Light Fire Darkness c. are not iâ— God nor do they immediately proceed from him foâ— if they did we might then know what God's Naâ—ture and Essence is viz. that it is Light Fire Darkâ—ness c. Answ. 4. Eternal Nature is a distinct Essence from thâ— Divine Chaos out of which it was created by God which appears First Becaus that which is brought forth differs anâ— is distinct from that which is brought forth as the fruiâ— is distinct from the tree the Son from his Father wherefore Eternal Nature being created out of the Diâ—vine Chaos must needs be distinct from it Secondly Eternal Nature is distinct from the Divinâ— Chaos becaus in Eternal Nature the Elements anâ— the working powers of Nature are essentially anâ— actually whereas in the Divine Chaos they are only potentially and remotely Thirdly In Eternal Nature there is order and distinction there we find the four Eternal Elementsâ— and seven working forms of Nature whereas in the Divine Chaos all things lye hid without any order oâ— distinction and therefore this Principle is called 〈◊〉 Chaos or confused mixture Gen. 1. 2. becaus in this Principle there is no Essences to be found but all things are in it in a hidden dark confused manner Answ. 5. Eternal Nature is a middle Essence becaus it is placed by God between the Eternal World and the Angelical and this visâ—ble Creation and is the original ground â—rom whâ—nce all middle Worlds and Creations do proceed Were not Eternal Nature a middle Essence there would be no middle Worlds no middle States nothing but the still Eternity But the Scripture tells us of Worlds in the plural number Heb. 1.2 which must be these middle Worlds of which here â— have spoken Answ. 6. Eternal Nature is in it self an invisible Essence for it is the ground from whence all invisible Worlds and Creations do proceed and we are taught that even this outward visible World was made of an inâ—isible matter viz. Eternal Nature's Essence Heb. 11. 3. The things which are seen were not made of the things â—hat do appear Answ. 7. Eternal Nature's Essence is a mixed and compounded Essence it is mixed and compounded of the four Eternal â—lements and their essential forms and thus it is an Essence compounded of multiplicity vaâ—iety and contrariety and therefore must needs be distinct from the Divine Essence which is an Eternal Vnity and Simplicity which cannot admit of any mixture or composition whatsoever Now we must further know that this mixture and composition of the Eternal Elements in Eternal Nature is wrought by the Art of Divine Wisdom in such a manner that all their contrarieties are reduced to the greatest harmony and agreement insomuch that they qualifie in and through another with the greatest concord and amity as brethren and members of the same body This harmonious mixture and composition of the Elements in Eternal Nature is the beauty and perfection of Eternal Nature and that whereby it is fitted to become the fruitful Mother of all things If we consider Eternal Nature only as made up of fighting contrarieties we shall find nothing but deformity and disorder in her but if we regard her as she is mixed and compounded by the hand of Eternal Wisdom to a perfect temperature harmony and concord so she appears and is inaâ—â—â—d all beautiful and lovely Answ. 8. Eternal Nature is a Good Essence there is no evil in it notwithstanding it is made up of Contrarieties for God who is Eternal Goodness could not make that evil which he designed to be the original matter of all created Essences for so he would have entailed evil upon all his Creatures which were to proceed out of its womb Neither was it partly good and partly evil for this is a mixture that God declares against and therefore would never be a cause of it himself Neither can we say that evil is in Eternal Nature's Essence but that it is swallowed up of the good becaus nothing can proceed from God but what is wholly good The Darkness in Eternal Nature is as good as the Light and the Fire as the Water All the â—orms of Eternal Nature must needs be alike good for these following reasons First Becaus they have one efficient cause one Creator even God Secondly Becaus they all have but one Mother viz. the Abyssal Chaos out of whose womb they proceed Thirdly Becaus God hath implanted in them all an hunger and desire to answer the end of their Creation Now whatsoever answers the end for which it is made that we may truly say is good Fourthly All the forms of Eternal Nature are equally good becaus they all obey the Will of their Creator Fifthly Becaus they are all serviceable and helpful to one another as appears by their qualifying together and union in the sixth form where the Darkness is serviceable to the Light and the Light to the Darkness the Fire to the Water and the Water to the Fire But here is to be observed That when I say that all the forms of Eternal Nature are good I do not mean that they are the chiefest â—â—od for that is only to be found in the Divine Essence but that they are endowed by God with a Natural Goodness suitable to their kind and such as they are capable of and free from Evil. Object You 'l say evil is not in God therefore it must be in Eternal Nature Sol. Yet the inconsequence of this argument doth appear in that it may be so easily retorted for say I becaus evil is not in God therefore neither can it be in Eternal Nature which was created by him for such as the cause is such must the effect be no evil is in the Cause of Eternal Nature therefore neither can there be any evil in Eternal Nature which is the effect Quest. But you 'l question further if evil be not in God nor in Eternal Nature where then will you place it What will you make the ground and source of evil Answ. I answer that the mutability of the Creature is the Cause of evil For though all things be created good by God yet they are not immutably so
Eternal Nature its properties are Fierceness Elevation Coâ—suming and Devouring all things that cannot endure its trial it contains Sulphur Sal-Nitre and Mercurie it was no sooner added to that Darkness but it communicated to it as it were Life Sense and Motion so that they embraced each other most willingly The Fire said to the Darkness I cannot subsist without thee for if I were not preserv'd in thy Essence as in a furnace I should perish and vanish away The Darkness reply'd Dear Fire-spirit live for ever in my Center for without thee I am as Dead thou art my Life and givest me sensibility and mobility let us live together as members of Eternal Nature in Love and Unity for ever We will now take into consideration the Nature of this Fire and whence it burns and flames continually without ever being extinguished God the most wise Artist and great Chymist took great care that the Fire might never go out for then he knew that Eternal Darkness would become a Dead Essence and therefore he placed in the bowels of this fire its Eternal food of Sulphur Mercurie and Sal-Nitre which is the Fewel that maintains its everlasting burnings Quest. If you ask me from whence this Eternal Fire doth proceed Answ. I answer not immediately from the Divine Essence for in it no Fire to be found but out of the Abyssal Chaos by the Eternal speaking word of power The Essence and Nature of this Fire-spirit is nothing else but an Eternal hunger and a dry painful thirst in it self and from this hunger â—t attracts eagerly and earnestly and yet finds nothing in its self to attract but it s own burning Sulphur poisonful Mercurie and infected Sal-Nitre and the more it attracts the more it hunger's and the more it hunger's the more it prey 's on its own Fewel But God doth not stop here becaus perfection is not found in the Fire for the great Artist knew very well that if this eager attraction of the Fire-spirit were not allayed and pacified it would bring it self into anguish and pain as having nothing to feed upon and refresh it self with but it s own burning Sulphur poisonful Mercurie and â—nfected Sal-Nitre Wherefore that the Fire-spirit might have no reason to complain of its being so fierce wrathful and anguishing the great Artist resolve's to palliate cover and allay the harshness and bitterness of the Fire-spirit so that it might never know them nor perceive its own burning Sulphur Mercurie and Sal-Nitre God knew that the Fire in the elevation of its might and power would devour all thatâ— come in its way if once it should be inflamed with his own Sulphur Mercurie and Sal-Nitre and so spoil the work which he intended to bring forth In the third place God brings forth the Water-essence being the root of the fifth form viz. the Light-essence This Water is the food of the Fire whereby its eager hunger is allayed and its painful attraction stilled and the effects of its Sulphureous Mercurial and Salnitrous properties palliated and concealed This Water-spirit is placed at the bottom of the Fire-root where the Fire finds its own Eternal refreshment in it self and needs not to seek it elsewhere yet the Fire-sperit cannot reach it by flying upwards but by sinking down deep into his own root Thus God brings down the pride of the Fire by placing its food and refreshment in the deeps below it No sooner had the Fire-spirit by sinking down into its own root allay'd its fierce hunger and quenched its dry and unsatiable thirst in the Water-essence but it became as transported with joy and said O Blessed Element How camest thou to be so near me even in my very root and center and I not aware of thee Behold I have drunk deep of thy fountain and am satisfied I have tasted thy sweetness and am refreshed O come and mingle thy softness and meekness with my strength and fierceness that my anguishing hunger and painful thirst may no more be felt by me but be swallowed up in satisfaction and delight Thus you see how the fire by sinking down into its own root mingles with the Water and the Water raising it self penetrates the Fire by which means the hunger and thirst of the Fire are mitigated and asswaged not that they are quite taken away but the attraction being more moderate the thirst and hunger which before were painful and anguishing now become pleasing and delightful It is worth our observing here how all this is brought about viz. by the Descent of the proud and self-elevating Fire-spirit and the Ascent of the meek and humble Water-spirit thus the Great Creator is pleased to abase the proud and to exalt the humble and the meek Quest. If you ask me whence this Water-essence derives its Original Answ. I answer not immediately from the Divine Essence but from the Abyssal Chaos as hath been said before concerning the Darkness and Fire But in the fourth place how excellent soever this Water-spirit is yet it is not the full perfection of Eternal Nature wherefore the Great Artist doth not stop here but to the Water-essence superadds the Light-essence which is the fifth form for God knowing that the Wrath-fire desired the Light as a further step to its compleat joy and satisfaction he said Let there be Light and there was Light which immediately darted its lustre and brightness through all the preceding forms of Eternal Nature it made the Water clear and transparent the Fire bright and luminous and hid the Darkness in its own glory Thus we see how vseful and pleasing the Light is to all the forms of Nature causing them to move and penetrate in and through one another with great joy and delight Here the Wrath-â—ire thus salute's the Eternal Light Oh dear and pretious Light how welcom art thou unto me Thy pleasantness meekness and soft sweetness have fully satisfied all my longing desires Again the Light embraceth the Fire and in the Fire the Darkness and saith Ye are both most dear unto me thou Fire art my strength and might thy fierceness is my Life as my softness and pleasantness is thy food wherefore let us delight to dwell in one another for ever Do you desire to be further informed concerning the nature and properties of this Eternal Light You must know that words are not able to express the gladding sweetness and meek-softness of its nature the Fire-spirit only can feel it and is throughly sensible of it for it transmutes its sullen darkness into smiling brightness and its anguishing stinging property into a reviving and quickening warmth such as the Sun gave forth in Paradise before the strife of contraries was known Such is the blessed state of the Fire when the Light comes to rule over it when it sinks down and resigns it self to the Light that its â—ierceness may be qualified with the soft meekness of the Light Oh the wonderful pleasant birth of Light Which by penetrating the Essences of Eternal
Nature makes them wholly meek sweet soft and delightful so that nothing but a pleasing sight sweet smell delightful taste ravishing sound and soft pleasant feeling is to be found amongst them Here the Darkness becomes lustrous the Fire loseth its burning and scorching property and becomes mild luminous and quickning and the Water clear and refreshing This Light if we further enquire into its originality doth not immediately proceed from the Divine Essence which is an increated Light but this is â—reated by that and brought forth out of the Abyssal Chaos as the Darkness Fire and Water were before It is placed by God in the root of the Water-essence and from thence it shineth forth and with its meek bright virtue penetrates and tincture 's all the forms of Nature In the fifth place God brings forth the Air which blows up the Love-fire-essence and together with it constitutes the sixth form of Eternal Nature The Creator of all things knew that the Fire-essence was placed between two dangerous Enemies the Darkness on the one hand and the water on the other either the thick smoak of the Darkness might stifle and smother it or the Water might overwhelm and drown it wherefore that the Fire of his Eternal furnace might never be in danger of being extinguish'd he brought forth the Air-essence to blow up the Fire that it might not go out It is this Air-spirit that keeps the Wrath-fire in its due bounds that it may neither be too strong nor too weak for when it is too strong it is in danger of drying up the Water and when too weak its attractive hunger will not be great enough to maintain its own being for the Hunger of the fire is the cause and source of the Fire-life in the Fire-essence If the moderate thirst and hunger of the Wrath-fire were not preserved the cause of Life Sensibility and Mobility would be taken away and there would remain nothing but an unactive dead Darkness the Fire being extinguished This Air-spirit doth not only mâ—dâ—rate the Wâ—â—th-fire but it also blows up the Love-fire-essence wâ—th which being united â— constitutes the sixth form of Eternal Nature This Love-fire hath its root in the Meek-water from whence it springeth as the Fierâ—â—-fire from the harsh astringent Darkness It riseth 〈◊〉 through the Meek-light as the Wrath-fire through the Darkness and is blown up and preserved by the Air. This Love-fire doth not immediately proceed from the Divine Essence which is an increated Fire-life but this is created and brought forth out of the Abyssal Chaos But the Love-fire which proceeds immediately from the Divine-Essence is the Loveliest pleasantest and sweetest birth of all as Iacob Behme saith for it makes all the forms of Nature Ioyful Pleasant and Lovely As soon as this Child of Love is born the whole birth of Eternal Nature stands in great Triumph of Divine Ioy all its Powers and Essences become substantial and they so see hear smell taste and feel one another in the most ravishing joyfulness beyond words and this pen's expression For the Love-fire giveth forth it self for food to all the properties of Nature it becomes unto them Eternal Bread and Wine wherewith they are fed and refreâ—hed for ever which makes them all cry out O Love thou hast satisfied our Hunger and quenched our Thirst nay thou hast filled us with the highest exulting Ioys behold we desire no longer to have any will of our own but that all our wills may be thine and so thy will may be our will thou shalt have the dominion over us only feed us with thy Heavenly food and give us thy Wine to drink Eternally When this Love-essence mingles with the Spirit it begets in him a Divine and Spiritual understanding and opens his spiritual senses of Seeing Hearing Tasting Smelling and Feeling thus the blind properties of Nature come to see Spiritually and Intellectually the Deaf to Hear the Dumb to Sing and the Barren to become Fruitful This is the feeling Life of Nature and proceeds from the Love-fire's-dominion in and over all its properties When this Love-fire-tincture enters into the Dark-fire-forms and comes to penetrate the burning Sulphur poisonous Mercurie and Salt-Nitre of the Fire-spirit and to change them into its own Nâ—ture there ariseth such triumphing Ioy charming Pleasure raviâ—hing Extasie and Exultation as none can imagine but those that have felt them and tincture 's them with such variety of beautiful sparkling colours as surpasseth all the pretious Stones and Gems of this visible Creation This Love-fire-Tincture as Iacob Behme declares proceeds from the Union of the Fire and Light and it is the joy and end of Eternal Nature neither is there any birth to be looked for or enjoyed beyond this birth of Love in which the Eternal beginning hath found the end of its own hand-work and is indeed the perfection and accomplishment of the five preceding forms of Eternal Nature And now in the last place for a conclusion of all the Creator brings forth the seventh form in which the â—ix forementioned working forms and properties do act and qualifie as the Soul in the Body It is the House and dwelling place and is the Eternal Earth which gives â—he Eternal Substantiality and Corporiety to them all Here â—hey dwell in triumphant Ioy here they are all fed with the Eternal food which the Love-essence gives â—orth unto them and circle in and through one anoâ—her in the greatest Unity and Harmony in the triumphant joy of the Love essence which pierceth through â—hem all Thus you see the birth of Eternal Nature â—ull compleat and perfect you see her in comly garments wherewith she was arrayed when she came out of the â—ands of her great Creator you see all her Variety and Diversity Centred in Love's Harmony all contrariety and â—â—rife banish'd from her Court But before we leave this prospect of Eternal Naâ—â—re's excellence and perfection Let us consider First That amongst all her distinct forms there is â—o disorder or confusion Secondly That the variety and diversity of forms â—hich are in her do not produce the least strife or â—ontrariety but are all reduced to a perfect agreement â—n Love's Harmony All the seven have but one will one â—â—sire and one joy and pleasure And indeed how could it be otherwise Since the God of Love Peace and Unity could not be the Author of contrariety in Eternal Nature's Essence out of which he was to bring forth his whole Host of Creatures And thus much concerning the perfection of Eternal Nature's Essence 10. Ans. In the tenth place Eternal Nature's Essence is a Blessed and Happy Essence I do not mean that she is the Summum Bonum the most High and Soveraign happiness for that is only to be found in the Divine Essence but that she is so far happy and blessed as a created Essence is capable of being This happiness of Eternal Nature consists in this that she is free from all contrariety strife misery and anguish
as hath been but even now declared at large Neither indeed could it be otherwise except we will make God to be the Author of contrariety Misery Pain and Death which is directly contrary to his Nature and to what the Holy Scriptures testifie concerning him No Eternal Nature as she came out of the Hand of her great Creator was all Beautiful all Spotless all Happy no Strife Misery or Death to be found in any borders of her Dominion Neither do I in this Assertion contradict Iacob Behme becaus he speaks of Eternal Nature in her divided properties as she was after the fall of Angels but I speak of her as she came out of God's Hand all Good Harmonious Perfect and Blessed Now since it hath been declared before that the Perfection Happiness and triumphant joyfulness of Eternal Nature is chiefly placed in her sixth and last active form the seventh being only as the body or houâ—e wherein they operate viz. in the Love-essence the Question may be put Quest. Why God placed the happiness of Eternal Nature neither in the beginning nor middle but in the end of it Ans. To which I answer That the Holy Trinity created Eternal Nature to be a Palace for them to dwell in now as in a Royal Palace we must pass through many rooms and apartments before we come to the Presence-chamber of the Prince so in Eternal Nature the forms of darkness must be pass'd through and after these the Fire and Water before we can come to the Love-fire which the Holy Trinity hath chosen for his Presence-chamber out of all the forms of Eternal Nature God will not have his Creatures to rush in of a suddain into his all-glorious presence and therefore hath so ordered it that many doors must be passed by them and many locks opened before they can come to His Presence whom to see and know is Eternal bliss and happiness Wherefore thrice happy is the man who by walking this path of pure Nature hath pass'd the Gates of Darkness Bitterness and Anguish and after them the Gate of the Fierce-fire and at length through Water Light and Air hath made his way to the Love-fire-essence where he meets with Eternal Rest Liberty and triumphant Ioy as being come to that point where the end hath found the beginning and where the beginning and the end are joyned together never to be parted again for ever Ans. 11. The Principle of Eternal Nature is a Passive Principle the Active power of it being derived from the Holy Trinity who have introduced themselves to act and work in the same and to bring forth Creatures out of it She is indeed the Mother of all beings but as a Woman cannot bring forth without a Man so Eternal Nature would have continued barren for ever without the Active power of the Deity had impregnated her to the end she might be the fruitful Mother of all things Ans. 12. The Principle of Eternal Nature is a subjected and subordinated Principle as appears becaus she is created by God and therefore cannot be co-equal with the Deity no more than the Creature can be with the Creator she is placed below the Globe of Eternity is influenced from the same and doth depend upon it therefore must needs be a subjected and subordinated Principle We may hence gather the absurdity of that Athiehical Principle which makes All-mighty Matter to be the Cause of all things for we see here clearly that Eternal â—ature the matter of all things is wholly Passive and subordinate to the will and power of her Great Creator in whose Hand she is as clay in the Hand of the Potter Ans. 13. In the last place if it be asked what kind of Principle Eternal Nature is I answer that it is an useful and serviceable Principle and that becaus it fully answer's to all those ends for which it was created by God but more especially the usefulness thereof appears in these following particulars First Becaus the Principle of Eternal Nature is as it were the body of the Holy Trinity wherein they live act and move as the Soul doth in our Bodies and is therefore called the Eternal Humanity and Eternal pure substantiality for without this Principle of pure Nature the Holy Trinity is all pure Deity without any covering whatsoever whereas in this Principle the Deity is cloathed upon with Eternal Humanity which conjunction of the Deity with Humanity is the greatest mystery nâ—xt to that of the Holy Trinity by means of which the Holy Trinity convey their pure Deity which is all Life Power and Virtue through the Principle of Eternal Nature Secondly The usefulness of Eâ—ernal Nature's Principle appears in that it is become the Palace and Habitation of the Holy Trinity God's first and most glorious Palace is the still Eternity or the Eternal World which he generated out of himself that it might be the first and most proper habitation for himself but his second Palace or dwelling place is the Principle of Eternal Nature Thirdly In the third place the usefulness of Eternal Nature's Principle appears in that it is God's work-house wherein the great and wonderful Potter hath laid up not only a sufficiency of Materials but also of Tools and Instruments for all Creations Here is the great and Vniversal treasury of that Clay of which all things are made and here is the Eternal turning wheel with which they are framed and fashioned Fourthly Eternal Nature's Principle is the Wardrobe of the Deity where all the variety of vestures and cloathing wherewith the Holy Trinity are pleased at any time to cover themselves are laid up All the forms of Eternal Nature Darkness Fire Light Water c. are but so many vehicles or rather vestures of the Deity wherewith he vaileth his pure-naked essential Glory Wherefore he is also termed a God that hideth himself even his pure Deity with and under the forms of Eternal Nature Fifthly In the fifth place the usefulness of Eternal Nature's Principle appears in that it is the Conduit-pipe through which the golden oil and water of Life together with the Divine Virtue of the Heavenly Tincture is conveied to the Creature Pure Nature's Principle is the silver-pipe through which the Golden oil of the Holy Tincture which flows from the Union of Fire and Light is conveied and is the mean by which the Holy Trinity with the wonders of Eternity come to be manifested felt tasted and enjoyed and therefore must needs be a very useful and necessary Principle Sixthly In the sixth and last place Eternal Nature's Principle is the field wherâ—in is hid the inestimable Pearl of the Holy Trinity it is the Cabinet wherein is contained the Iewel of wonder viz. the Deity in pure Humanity whosoever it is that finds this Pearl doth together with it find all the wonders of the Holy Trinity The â—earl indeed is one thing and the field or rich Cabinet another yet is both field and Cabinet very useful to keep and conceal the
precious stone of Eternal Wisdom which is fast locked up in this Cabinet and lye's deep buried in this field and whosoever will find it must dig deep for it But you will say where shall I find this field I answer the field is thy self if thou canst find in thy self the Union of Fire and Light and these two qualifying together in one Essence then thou hast met with the place where this noble stone is hid and thou needest seek no further And thus much shall suffice to have spoken concerning the Principle of Eternal Nature I shall now proceed to the fourth general head or the last part of this discourse concerning God's introducing of himself into Eternal Nature The end of the Third Part. Soli sapienti Deo Gloria The Fourth Part. Concerning God in Eternal Nature THE Mystical Divines do make mention of two great Mysteries in the Divine Nature the first is the Trinity in Unity and Unity in Trinity which respect's the Deity in their single solitary and abstracted Essence the second Mystery is the Deity in Humanity and Humanity in the Deity which concern's God as being introduced and subsisting in Eternal Nature I have in the former part of this discourse treated of the first of these and do now intend in this Chapter to speak of the later and that by opening this proposition that God hath introduced himself into the principle of Eternal Nature Which Proposition you will find explained in these following particulars 1. In the first place when I say that God hath introduced himself into Eternal Nature I understand that the Blessed Trinity Father Son and Holy Ghost have introduced themselves into Eternal Nature The Father with his intellectual all seeing Eye the Son with his all flaming Heart of Love and the Holy Ghost with his out-flowing acting Power 2. Secondly when I say that God introduced himself c. I do include the Eternal Wisdom which God introduced together with himself into the principle of Eternal Nature 3. In the third place God introduced himself into Eternal Nature together with his essential Love which is the holy Nature of the Trinity according to that of the Apostle Iohn God is Love Object But some may object That the Divine Nature doth not only consist in Love but also in Light and Life which are attributed to the Holy Trinity as well as Love Sol. To which I answer That Love in the sense I take it doth include both Light and Life for this essential Love is all Light and all Life so that neither death nor darkness can come near it Now we must know that this essential Love is the unchangeable Nature of the Trinity and therefore we must not think that the Divine Nature is changed by being brought into and clothed upon with Eternal Nature and from Love turned to Wrath or from Meekness to Severity No by no means for as God is all Love in himself so he is the same in Eternal Nature Quest. But you will say how can this be reconciled with Scripture which attributes Wrath Anger Severity and Iustice to God Ans. I answer that when the Scripture speaks of God's Anger Wrath and Severity it hath regard to God's manifesting of himself in and through Eternal Natâ—re as it is infected and defiled by sin Whereas when I say that the manifestation of God in Nature is all Love I speak of Nature in its purity before it was infected by the fall of Lucifer and when all its forms and properties were harmonized to the most penfect concord and Vnity for in this state nothing but Love which is the unchangeable Nature of God was to be found in Eternal Nature's principle 4. In the last place I say God introduced the seven Spirits before the Throne together with himself into Eternal Nature else these seven Spirits could never have been seen or manifested in Eternal Nature's principle but the Scripture oft makes mention of them as introduced into Eternal Nature so they were represented to Iohn in the first Chap. of the Revelation as existing in Mount-Zion or the New Ierusalem-principle which was brought forth out of Eternal Nature And thus much shall suffice to have spoken of the first part or subject of this proposition which is God we now proceed to the praedicate which is Eternal Nature 2. Now by Eternal Nature into which it is said that God hath introduced himself we are to understand Eternal Nature in its puriey not as defiled with sin for the Holy Trinity would never of their own free-will have introduced themselves into any thing that was defiled or impure Again we are to understand that when Gnd introduced himself into Eternal Nature that she stood yet in her original Unity Simplicity and Harmony without any duality or contrariety for the Holy Trinity would never have entered with their Divine Nature of Love into that where division disagreement and contrariety had taken place No Eternal Nature was without strife or contest without any mixture of Good and Evil or Light and Darkness but was all perfectly harmonized or else the blessed Trinity could not have made it the habitation of their Divine Love-Essence And thus we see in what sence we are to take Eternal Nature when we speak of God's introducing himself into it 3. I come now to the third and last particular in the foregoing proposition which may need some explication which is the word introduced how it is to be understood and in what sense we are to take it in this place When we say that the Holy Trinity have introduced themselves into Eternal Nature we mean nothing else but the Vnion of the Blessed Trinity with Eternal Nature and Eternal Nature's Union with the Blessed Trinity which is the full meaning of God's introduction of himself into Eternal Nature's principle Here the Deity subsist's in its Eternal Humanity and Eternal Humanity subsist's in Union with the Deity God in Nature and Nature in God and thus God and Nature are in one another becaus God hath introduced his Divine Nature of Love into Eternal Nature's pure principle The Nature of which Vnion I shall explain and open to you in these following particulars 1. First then I say that this Vnion of God with Eternal Nature is a true real essential and most intimate Vnion In every Union these three things are to be found and meet together viz. the Uniter the thing United and the Union it self which joyns the Uniter and United together In this Union of God with Eternal Nature the Vniter is the blessed Trinity the thing Vnited is the principle of Eternal Nature and the Vnion of them both is the Divine Nature of Love now this Love which is the link and tye of both the Uniter and United is the essential Love of the Deity wherefore this Vnion must needs be an essential and most intimate Union It is a kind of incorporation the Vniter and Vnited penetrating and mixing with one another and therefore
this Vnion of God and Eternal Nature in Love's Essence is compared to a Nuptial Vnion becaus God hath as it were espoused himselâ—â—ith Eternal Nature as a pure spotless and undefiled Virgin in an indissoluble band which is the band of Essential Love 2. In the second place this Vnion of God with Eternal Nature is an Eternal Vnion for no sooner was the principle of Eternal Nature brought forth but the Holy Trinity introduced themselves into it and this was before the foundation of the Angelical World was laid and consequently from Eternity Quo ad nos so it must be understood by us 3. In the third and last place this Vnion is an unchangeable and inseparable Vnion and that becaus the band and tie of this Union is the Eternal unchangeable Love of God Quest. But you will say that God's Love may be changed into anger whicâ— is the bond of this Vnion and consequently the Vnion it self may be changed Ans. To which I answer by denying that God's Love can be changed into anger in Eternal Nature as she stands in purity and perfection before the coming in of sin becaus in that state neither Eternal Nature nor any thing in it could be the subject of God's Anger Hatred Severity or Iustice. Wherefore tho in fallen Nature we perceive the effects of God's Love and Hatred Mercy and Iustice Sweetness and Severity yet in pure Nature into which God hath introduced himself and concerning which we speak here nothing can ever be found but the effects of an unchangeable Love which unchangeable Love is that bond which makes the inseparable Union between God and pure Nature between the Deity and Humanity This Love is that which after a vital manner doth pass through and penetrate all and every part of Eternal Nature and Eternal Nature presseth into the Love which makes the Vnion of them both most intimate vital and inseparable so that we may say who shall or who can separate God and pure Nature Or who can disannul the Eternal Covenant betwen them But yet notwithstanding all that hath been said concerning this Union between God and pure Nature's principle we are to understand that this Vnion is without confusion so as God is not pure Nature nor pure Nature God for tho one be in the other yet God comprehends Nature but Nature cannot comprehend the Deity Quest. But here it may be enquired what were the ends and motives why the Blessed Trinity introduced themselves and entred into so intimate a Union with pure Nature's Principle Ans. To which enquiry I shall answer with these following particulars 1. Reas. Why the Trinity brought forth themselves into pure Nature's Principle was for the manifestation of themselves in it and by it For tho they were manifested to themselves and simplified Spirits in the still Eternity yet they desired a further manifestation of themselves to Creatures which lay hid in the womb of Eternal Nature and for this reason did they enter into Vnion with it 2. Reas. A second motive or reason was that the Holy Trinity might glorifie and exalt their own Divine Naâ—ure of Eternal Love in those Worlds and Creatures which were to be brought forth from the womb of Eternal Nature In the still Eternity there were indeed an infinite number of simplified Spirits who dwelling in the Cenâ—er of Love did glorifie and exalt the Divine Nature of Love which was all in all to them But the design of God was to have his Eternal Love glorified and exalted in an infinite variety of Creatures and beings who might all in their several ranks and according to their several capacities exalt and glorifie Love and so make up the Divine Consort and Harmony which cannot be without variety 3. Reas. Why the Holy Trinity have introduced themselves into Eternal Nature was for the manifestation of their Sovereignty and Supremacy For how could their Sovereignty be manifested without variety of Dominions and Subjects Now both these were brought forth out of the womb of Eternal Nature by the Holy Trinity The Dominions were those several Worlds which were created out of Nature's principle and the Subjects were the numberless number of Creatures which were the Inhabitants of each of those Worlds and Principles and by both of these the Sovereignty of the Holy Trinity was fully declared and manifested which was one reason why they introduced themselves into Eternal Nature 4. Reas. Was for the manifestation of their Eternal Power Wisdom and Goodness in the creating of so many Worlds visible and invisible together with such an infinite variety of creatures to store and replenish them As also in the ordering governing and disposing of them for the obtaining those glorious ends for which they were created Nothing can more expresly declare and manifest the divine Power Wisdom and Goodness than the Creating and Governing of so many Worlds and Creatures as were brought forth from the womb of Eternal Nature for this very end 5. Reas. Why the Holy Trinity introduced themselves into Eternal Nature was for the executing their Eternal Goodwill decrees and purposes and bringing them into act For the Eternal Goodwill and purpose of the Holy Trinity was to manifest their own Glory in the Creation of Worlds and an infinite variety of Creatures which were to be the inhabitants of the same out of Eternal Nature's Principle wherefore for the effecting and bringing about of these designs they introduced themselves into Eternal Nature that so it being impregnated by the Divine Love-essence might give a being to those Worlds and Creatures which had been from all Eternity in the purpose and decree of the Holy Trinity 6. Reas The sixth reason why God introduced himself into Eternal Nature was for the glorification of Nature by means of its union with the Divinâ— Essence of Love â— I told you before that one main reason why the Trinity introduced themselves into Nature was for the manifesting of the Glory of their Divine Nature and now I come to tell you that it was for the Glorification of Nature that Nature might be exalted to the highest degree of Glory it was capable of by its union with the Deity Eternal Nature indeed in its own Essence was pure and spotless but its Glory is from the union it hath with the Deity â— who penetrates it through and through and communicates of his own glory unto it glorifying it in with and through himself Now to the end that Nature might thus be made partaker of the Divine Glory it pleased the Holy Trinity to enter into and unite Eternal Nature to themselves 7. Reas. The last reason why the Holy Trinity united themselves to Eternal Nature was that they might â—e the supreme acting governing and moving power in and throughout the pure principle of Nature and thereby become the sole author and the all in all of the motions of Nature But I do not say that the Trinity is the sole mover in the principle of defiled and fallen Nature for
there the Dragon and the Beast have established their Dominions and are very active and stirring in it And tho we cannot deny but God is in fallen Nature yet not to the same eâ—d for which he was pleased to introduce himself into pure Nature for he introduced himself into pure Nature that he might be the sole mover and actor in it and thereby to keep and preserve it in its original purity whereas the end why God entred into fallen Nature was that he might redeem it and restore it to its original purity from whence it is fallen Quest. But you will say How can the high purity of the Divine Nature be preserved in the unclean vessel of defiled and corrupted Nature Answ. To which I answer That if we consider what hath been said of the Divine Nature we shall find this objection fully satisfied for I told you that the Divine Nature is the highest unity and simplicity and consequently cannot admit of any mixture or composition with any thing and again I told you that the Divine Nature was an Eternal Liberty being free from all tho being in and penetrating through all like the beams of the Sun which tho they pierce the Air and Water penetrating them throughout yet are they not mixed or jumbled with them but abide in their perfect liberty and untouched from either of them And now for a Conclusion we may draw this corollary from what hath been said that the Divine Nature and glory of the Deity is hid iâ— Nature as a Iewel in a Cabinet or as a treasure hid in a field Indeed in pure Nature this Iewel is easily found for there it lie'â— open and shed's its lustre whereby it discovers it self but in impure Nature it lie's deep hid and buried and cannot be discovered but with great pains and difficulty Yet some holy souls have found this Pearl in their â—wn fallen nature through great earnestness and continual labour and thereby have attained to the possession of the Blessed Trinity in themselves and through their Baptism into the Nature of the Father Son and Spirit are arrived to perfection by the redemption purification and transmutation of their impure natures and so restored again to their Original purity These were called in â—hose daies wise men and Lovers of wisdom and holy souls from their high Union to and with the Divine Nature of Love Thus for a Conclusion you see how God the Father hath introduced himsâ—lf into the principle of pure Nature as an Eternal Eye to see through all Nature's Globe and together with himself his Eternal flaming Heart of Love as an Eternal spring flowing continually through all the principle of Eternal Nature for its delight and refreshment and his Spirit of Life to be the supreme moving motion throughout the whole Essence of pure Nature Thus much may suffice to have been spoken of what God is in Pure Nature Having hitherto given you an account concerning the Principle of Eternal Nature we are next to speak of the Generations of it that is the numerous off-spring of Worlds and Creatures which were manifested from her fruitful womb which I intend shall be and now have made it to be the Subject of my second Tract Treatise or Book namely of the Angels and herewith shall put an end to the first wherein I have endeavoured to declare these three Propositions What the Nature of the Holy Trinity is out of Eternal Nature What Eternal Nature is What God is in pure Eternal Nature Cujus nullus FINIS 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ALL the Errata to your outward look Correct within your self that inward Book Be wholey God-taught wholey if you can Be not a Skreen to Antichrist but Fan. No other Book you then need read of man But while in weak and childish state we dwell We must have Letters line on line to spell And so let Faults â—e mended and all 's well So sai'th and prai'th your humbl DRAWDE REKOOH THE Printer likewise praieth that yoâ— would pleas to mend the matter somâ— what a little Marr'd he confesseth for wanâ— of these words whiâ—â—â—e requesteth may be read in the room of the other Thus For impli pag. 3. line 17. imprieth for Seren in p. 55. l. 7. put in Seaven p. 59. l. 23. He twixt is and who and l. 30. brightness l. ult â— Repraesentation p. 89. l. 18. Sovereign p. 91. l. 31. up with p. 94. l. 30. praedestinations p. 95. l. 21. creatures p. 129. l. 28. Magicaly p. 139. l. penult six p. 142. l. 27. Spirit p. 145. â— 33. Nature p. 151. l. 13. Tresaurie p. 154. * Sed antequam de re paucula de te itidem de me quippe intra nos est quod contra nos est * Sed antequam de re paucula de te itidem de me quippe intra nos est quod contra nos est (a) Iam. I. ver last (b) Ephesâ— V. ver 27. †Religion is no mormo Momâ—s nor frowning Furie (c) 1 Cor. IV. ver 1 3. (d) As much as carnalitie tho' had I been in the ARC a Type supposed of the visibl Church with cursed Cham I shold hardly for all mi hatred I beleev have leaped out except I had been out of mi wits as out of the waters * Whilst Hypecrisie lieth under the cloudi Brow of a Pharisee a â—heerfull countenance is the Emblem of Innocence which exclâ—dâ—th as wel Moreseness as Madness (e) Isaiah XXII 12. (f) Chap. I. ver 2. 1 Kings XIII 2. (g) Matth. IV. 4. (h) Iam. III. v. 6. (i) Ioh. I. vâ— 1 3. (k) Eph. V. v. 4. * We all mai â—igh to sai what wee sadly see oâ—r Rents like to prove our Ruine our Distractions our Destruction (l) O what a Rout There is about Roam's Outward Man of sin Look into self What art an Elf Rout Anti-Christ within Bona verba quaeso E. H. (m) 2 Tim. I. v. 13. [n] Tit. Iâ—I 2. [o] I Pâ—t 2. 17. †A Priestlâ— Brat by them engendred on Ignorance Fear and Supâ—rsâ—itâ—on These three completly maks the triple Crown And stil support old Rome's Imperial Throne How stily do the Priests by help of these Make men beleev and then do what theâ— pleas * Papism that 's a secular Devise Meer Trick of State in Reverend Disguise Th' ambitious Spawn of later Centuries †The Church is wounded and rent most desperatly by the evâ—â— Spirit of Division Remember wee all the Apolog of Bessarionâ— So humbly râ—qâ—esteth E. H. †After all that can be writ or said this same motto muâ—â— be subscribed Peccatur pluâ— quà m exaratur inâ—â— vereor quà m â—â— intelligatur E. H. (p) Lewis King oâ— France severely punished Blasphemies searing their Lips with an hot Iron And becaus by his comin â—nd it was executed on a great rich Citizen of Paris â—m said 〈◊〉 wâ—s a â—viant Hee hearing it said before mani I wolâ—â—â—â—oâ—â— by searing mi own Lips I could banish out of mi Realm all abuse