shall pass away and be folded up as a Scroul 4. That it was a compaction of the Mass of the Salitter Sulphur and Mercurius of the deep all of which were much darkened corrupted and confused by the Fall of the Angels 5. Yet was this earthy Globe in its first make before the Curse very Beautiful and Good 6. And as in Mans Body so much of it is dead hard Bones foul Guts stomach and gross Flesh so that its first contexture seems worn out yet it was and shall be glorious though sown in dishonour 7. Thus also this Globe consisting now of much raging deep the unhabitable frozen North and South Extreams other parts of parched Wildernesses and Desarts also rocky useless places and barren Heaths sandy and Montainous Territories Yet is a remainder of Fertility and Excellency here seeming to be left so to shew something of what once it was as Vespasian is said to have left two or three Towers undemolisht tho' desolate to shew what Jerusalem had been 8. The Earth before the Curse must have known no sterility the Air no storms nor intemperature the Seasons no unhealthiness the Brute Creatures no hostility nor hurtfulness 9. For tho' the properties were in all yet had the Gracious Creators blessing so ordered and bounded them that they could not be manifest to divide and discord among themselves for the good properties had the Dominion and the other were serviceable in their places to the great ends of the Creation viz. That the Divine and Spiritual World might be expresly Imaged in such exact order as the great variety of the Creatures and Creation were fitted for 10. But Eve and Adam biting the Apple divided the properties so that the evil became prevalent and the good disturbed thereby could not influence as before and Gods withdrawing the Vertue and Influence of the Spiritual World from them the transitory Creatures which were of their own Nature passive became penetrated throughly by the evil Thus those of hot and others of cold quality were made such in an intense degree and consequently destructive Poyson and Venom also in Vegetables thus came the destroyers in the Earth Air and Seas 11. Adam and his Race should if they had stood have been as the Angel which John saw with one Foot on the Land and the other on the Sea so should Adam and his Race have had one Foot on this Principle and the other on Eternity but transgression set us adrift and sunk us and for our sakes the whole Creation Q. 77. How was Adam and Eve cast out of Paradice into this World What was the Cherub with the naked Sword before Paradise A. 1. Job from Opulency and Renown washing his steps with Butter and the Rock poured him out Oyl falling to Nakedness Sores and Contempt had this vast disproportion to Adam's Fall that his Inward Man not only retain'd stability but shone the brighter 2. Nebuchadnezzar's degenerating and transforming into a Brute was also exdeedingly disproportionable because he had little to lose wanting the Indowment especially the Internals wherewith Adam was glorified 3. And Men that taste of the good Word and of the powers of the World to come yet after that fall into final Apostacy and Darkness which from the best a fallen Man as Man can attain to the worst a damned Sinner faâ—ls into hath yet a great disproportion to Adam's Exclusion had not Infinite Grace interposed for as no Sinner mounts higher than feigned Happiness but Adam's was real and sublime so no Damned Wretch sinks more or comparatively but few with him but Adam sunk a World which must add to him a world of Woes Thus far I have digressed to give some glimpse of the greatness of the Fall 4. Now to shew how they were ejected Paradise into this World the review of the 71 answer will be very helpful We must farther know that it was not a precipitance from a more lofty to a more low or other local station but a departure out of one principle into another asleep or dying a Nescience or Oblivion of Divine Tranquillity and peaceable Fruition of Eternity and an awakening to the Turmoils Impotence Discords Pain Care Sorrow Enmity and Anguish of Mortality and Confines of time in the third principle or Out-birth and by an Inviolable connexion fixed to the Everlasting wrath of the first principal or dark Abyss 5. To know now what the Cherub and Sword before Paradise is it must be fore-known that Cherubims signifie Images viz. Gods Image particularly that of his Justice that is Gods Righteousness and severe Justice this hath a Sword cutting off or away whatever cannot stand in the proba all such are as Fuel to that Flaming Sword 6. Will any say these are Novel Allegories not demonstrable but of uncertain sound let such consider 1. What we fell from our Reason saith from a pure state capable of Eternity 2. What we fell into our Sences answer to an impure Bestial Mortal one 3. How may we re enter the reason common to all rational Creatures tells it may not be by the old filthy Garment we thus got for a weight that presseth us down must be put off if we would rise again what thus we foolishly put on we must wisely put away 7. The Sword of Divine Justice cuts off the Monstrosity because the Mortal Earthy cannot enter the Heavenly Having put on Immortality it may but that Robe is Christs Heavenly Flesh and Blood his Holy Heavenly Body or Gods Body in this we pass the Cherub 8. But this Cherub and Sword is in us Thus the Lord saith No man hath ascended into Heaven but he that came down from Heaven the Son of Man he saith not the Son of God which is in Heaven for the Divine principle was not only in him but he in it and he was it 9. Let us know Heaven is in us viz. the Divine principle is in us yet we may be far from being in it until following the Captain of our Salvation we yield in his strength to have our Earthy man Crucified otherwise keeping our Right Eye Right Hand or Foot we with both Eyes Hands and Feet shall be Excluded shutting our selves out for ever This 78th Question begins the Fifth Grand Distribution Q. 78. Why was or did the first Man Born of a Woman become a Murtherer A. Before Eve's Conception of Cain the following things did precede viz. 1. Adam's non-exerting his power to produce a glorious Race of Intellectuals to succeed for ever the room of Lucifer's secluded Angels which defect of Adam's came from his somewhat declining to the third principle and Eclipsed his Magical Vertue and Lustre 2 Next follow'd the dividing of the Tinctures and thence forming Eve 3. The departure of Adam and Eve from the pure Virgin Modesty and going into the wanton Lust of the Out-birth or Beastial principle making a false Tincture 4 A Self-will to Rule for Eve would have been a Goddess hereby making an evil
is also written God sware by two Immutable things in which it was impossible for God to lye And because he could Swear by no greater he Sware by himself That Blessing he would Bless Abraham And Curse him that Cursed Abraham Here are two Principles clearly express'd and both called Immutable The one Wrath and Fury and a consuming Fire The other Love Meekness and Light ineffable Had Man stood in his Primitive State totally resigned to the Divine Love he had not known the Principle of Wrath but it had remained more hidden than the bitterness of the Root is in the most pleasant Fruit. But when Man was fallen into the state of Evil and Good the Infinite Love of God descends in order to restore him and then sets before him Blessings on the one hand and Cursings on the other These great Truths are at large treated of and explained and by them we are Taught what Use and Improvement to make thereof How can we tell what God's Mercy is till we come to know him that is Merciful And what Christ's Merits are till we know Christ in us and him Crucified For if we content our selves with an Historical Knowledge it is to be feared it will be attended with an Hypocritical Obedience The Law that all true Christians ought to square their Actions by is the New Commandment else they are not known to be Christ's Disciples All those worthy Instruments that have Taught or Writ from the Holy Aointing directed their Hearers or Readers to him that is the true Teacher that they might receive their Knowledge from the same Root with themselves And then unto such they wanted no Epistle of Recommendation they being their Epistle written with the Spirit of the Living God not in Tables of Stone but in the fleshly Tables of the Heart known and read of all Men. To such the Language of the Scriptures comes to be more clear and can discern the Correction Instruction and Comfort held forth in them and how they are able to furnish the Man of God to every good Work Also why there is no Ability in them to furnish any man else but as they Convert and become new Men. The great Affair of Man's Happiness depending upon the Conversion of his Will for as the first Man by turning his Will from God into this World from the Unity and Harmony he at first was placed in and so was truly Honourable into Multiplicity Selfhood Lust and Enmity thereby became an abominate to God's Holiness attracting a Bestial Body and a Mind darkned Ignorant and Estranged from God It is real Resignation that brings a Death upon Self-hood and that must continually be performed that the Enmity being mortified the resigned Will may become an Instrument in God's Hand to be agitated thereby for his Servants we are whom we yield Obedience unto Here ariseth the strife and warfare in Man The Corrupt Will in Self-hood accounts it folly and madness to submit to Death when the Pleasures and Voluptuousness of this VVorld might be lived in and injoyed But the resigned sees that as at first it precipitated Man from that Happy state in which he was placed so the tendency and end thereof is to fill us with Eternal sorrow and misery Thus it is to become Fools that we may be made VVise and Poor that we may be made Rich as having Nothing yet possessing all things This is the State which Reason's splendid Schools Do nominate the Paradise of Fools Whatever specious Pretences to Religion may be made by any though very fair and beautiful to shew where this corrupt Will in Self-hood is unmortified and the Path of Resignation not trod that Religion is vain deceitful and destructive As the Prophet Isaiah declared in the Name of the Lord For as much as this people draw near me with their Mouth and with their Lips do honour me but have removed their Heart far from me and their fear towards me is taught by the Precepts of Men Therefore the Wisdom of their Wisemen shall perish and the Understanding of their Prudent Men shall be hid Our Saviour reciting this place of the Prophet saith But in vain do they Worship me teaching for Doctrines the Commandments of Men. The Wisdom of this World which is Foolishness with God existing in the perverted Will of Man which hath broken it self off from God and stands upon its own bottom by this Wisdom the World neither can know or worship God The Wisdom of God in his Servants stands in an humble Resignation of themselves to the Divine Love in order to a Regeneration of their Wills which is not effected but by slaying this opposite Will in which stands the Enmity in order to know a new Life generated and as long as Truth and Error Light and Darkness are in this World so long must and will this Warfare be continued happy is he that goes off a Conqueror for his Garland or Crown is sure to him And as the World by Wisdom knew not God so hath it fared likewise in respect to the inquiries made concerning Nature From hence it is the Apostle Paul gives a caution To beware lest any Man should spoil them through Philosophy and vain Deceit after the Tradition of Men after the Rudiments of this World and not after Christ. An empty and vain Philosophy hath been introduced and kept up in the World by Men of corrupt minds estranged from God and therefore ignorant of Nature For it is as impossible truely to know Nature separate and removed from God as it is to know God in the Wisdom of this World or truely to worship him with a Heart removed far from him What hopes was left after the miserable Fall of Man when God cursed the Earth for Mans sake but only the Descent of God or the Incarnation of Jesus Christ that inspoken Word of Life in order to a happy Restoration and Renovation For as all things were made by this Eternal Word so all things are upheld by it This is the Healer of our Wounds and Repairer of our Breaches This Word is declared by Moses and by the Apostle Paul to be near us even in our Hearts and in our Mouths that we need not say Who shall ascend into Heaven or descend into the Deep to fetch it This was the Rock in the Wilderness This is the Stone of Fire in Ezekiel The Stone with seven Eyes upon it in Zechariah The White Stone with the New Name in the Revelation This is the Salt which we ought to have in our selves This is the Water and Spirit whereof we must be Born again King Solomon was indued with great Wisdom and may properly be said to have been an Eminent Philosopher take his Description of Wisdom and where it is to be found She is the Breath of the Power of God and a pure influence flowing from the Glory of the Almighty Therefore can no defiled thing fall into her And being but one
Jews believed it not and too many at this day oppose it because they misunderstand that and other Divine Truths so that may still be the Lamentation My People perish for want of knowledge They that said in the Apostles days the Resurrection is past already were not perhaps aware that they overthrew the Faith of some it being the same as if they had said there was no Resurrection Object Some may say Man having a visible palpable elementary Body and an invisible astral Spirit or Soul Author of the five Senses at least that acts the Organs neither of those parts can share in the Resurrection for the Stars shall fall and the Elements dissolve Let them tell me too our Flesh is Grass Dust we are of the Earth earthy and like the Beast that perisheth If therefore the Syderial Root and four Elements return into their Aether can the Products thence subsist his Body being dependant on a transient Principle whereof 't is compounded With what Body therefore shall he arise A. 1. 8. Christ had a visible palpable Body as ours from the astral World and four Elements though by reason of his being begotten of the Holy Ghost was infinitely Superior and more Noble yet in his Resurrection was his Elementary also raised to Immortality and Glory 9. The Apostle saith If the Dead rise not 1. Then Christ is not raised 2. Your Faith is vain 3. Ye are yet in your Sins 4. Our Preaching is vain 5. We are found false Witnesses 6 Those that sleep in Christ are perished 7. Our hope is vain 8. We of all men are most miserable But therefore that Christ is risen and become the first fruits of them that slept A. 2. If our Body as far degenerate as it is become had no higher Extraction than barely the astral World and four Elements it might have no other Resurrection or Perpetuity but be as the Beast But how then was it to have endured to Eternity had not Sin broken it It had therefore its Root in the Eternal spiritual World whereof the outward World and the Spirit thereof viz. The Spirit of the great World are a figure and Representation A. 3. 11. It is relatively Eternal being United to the Eternal Soul joyned to the Holy Body it obeyeth and beareth suffereth and doth the Holy Will of God as the Souls Instrument and Companion And the wicked Souls direful confederate in all their black Machinations beastly selfish Maxims and fordid Prostitutions and therefore in both must have a Resurrection to receive according to their Works 12. But the Bodies of wicked People are as a ready prepared Engine whose every part is curiously composed by Exquisite symmetry liberally oyl'd to whirl as an Automatae down a steep Mountain whil'st the Bodies of holy Souls are as a Bullock unaccustomed to the Yoak or a lazy Ass to struggle through a narrow deep way with a leaden load up a weary heighth So that look how much of extraordinary Assistance or rather violent Inducement the Evil man's Body is to his Soul so much perplexing Impediment hath the regenerate Child from his Body 13. Infidelity suggests so many Improbabilities as may make one Impossibility of the Resurrection to which is opposed Omnipotence Shall that Infinite Power whose Hand gives Being to every thing and World from the Angelical Tâ—rones to the vile Insect and Minute-parts of every pile of Grass be insufficient to rally Man's dissever'd Limbs number the Hairs and not the Members record all Mens Actions Words Thoughts and forget the whole Bulk and Fabrick 14. As to the last part of the Objection with what Body shall they rise To this the Apostle replies Thou Fool that which thou sowest is not quicken'd except it die and the Body which shall be viz. not the self same Grain but the self-same Kind riseth be it Wheat or any other and the self-same Tincture in the Crop as was in the Seed only our Corruption Dishonour and Weakness is changed into Incorruption Glory and Power 15 The Sons of Wisdom can see the Transmutation of Metals The Naturalist the death dissolution and reforming and vivifying of Craw-fish The curious Observer the Transmigration of the Silk Worm Every one that kindles a fire the triumph of the flame on change of the Accidents of the Fuel The Physitian the consent of Bodies and Parts by sympathy and of Actives and Passives Who sees not the Loadstone single out one filing of Steel from a heap of Sand. The Plowman and Gardener see out of the dark Earth arise Corn Fruits Flowers of other colour odour taste c. than the Earth yet acknowledge they the Earth hath all the Vertues Properties and Powers of them obscurely in it 16. Why then should it seem impossible that He that raised up Jesus Christ from the Dead should be able to quicken our Mortal Bodies though literally mortified when Death shall be swallow'd up of Victory as saith the Prophet Thy dead Men shall live together with my dead Body shall they arise Awake and sing you that dwell in the dust for thy dew shall be as the dew of Herbs c. Q. 135. What manner of Door hath Christ through Death opened in our Humanity in the Anger and Righteousness of God where by we may enter into God How is that done A. 1. As it is not the Wind abroad but that in the Earth that causeth Earthquakes so neither could Man's mortal inward Wound be cured by outward Applications for because Man was become inwardly a Hell to himself and outwardly lock'd up in the Curse of the Out-birth wherein he had secluded and shut up himself from the Divine Light as in the 69th Answer is discoursed 2. It was therefore past all Remedy unless Heaven would mercifully introduce it self into the Soul in the light of his Life Then did the gracious Principle of Love by bringing the Eternal Virgin back into the lockâ— up Humanity become a Saviour Like as the Fiat or speaking Word did in the Beginning by the Light compose Order amongst the Confusions of the Properties of the Chaos So the Lord of the Light-Holy-World came into the averâ—ed Will of the Humanity and there implanted it self as a Tincture being Himself the Omnipotence of the Kingdom of Divine Love into the Anger and severe Righteousness of God in Man 3. Thus came it into Man's enraged first Principle like sweet Oyl or Incense into a dark hungry fire which raiseth it into a Radiant sweet flame and Iustre As when the Humane Intellect returned into Nebuchadnezzar his bestial Image was exalted So when the Divine dear Love embraceth and is enkindled in Man's angry fierceness it potently attracts by assimilation some Divine Breathings and makes impressions of it self As in Esau at his meeting Jacob. 4. The Door by which the Soul goeth into God is opened as Jacob by yielding up himself passed through a Death appeasing Esau for by this the Soul 's bolted and barred-up Door is unshut and set
Atheists and Sadduces who would make themselves believe that the whole inward Man is Mortal and annihilable such who not only judge themselves unworthy of Eternal Life but uncapable of Eternal Existence while they grant it to this Mass of Crumbling Earth and Mortal Water and are so extreamly degenerated from the Diviine Image Man was ennobled with that as their outward Life extends not to that length activity and occult Excellencies of many Brutes as Beasts little Animals and some Birds so the infatuated Atheists would that their Souls and Spirits might also run the same Fate and be as tranfient as the vilest of Insects Here is also Diametrical opposition to others who say the whole inward Man is fellow Prisoner with the bestial Flesh till the general Resurrection but the Answers of the two immediately preceding Questions shew what of the Blessed sleepeth and what of the Wicked is Arrested by the King of Terrors And for farther Answer hereunto see the Answer to the 22th of the 40 Questions of J. Behmen of the Soul 5. The Doings of Souls till the last Judgment may stand here in the very words of the Book of Extracts viz. They all meaning the Holy Souls abound with great inward Joy and wait to put on their bright fair new Body out of the old their Joy and Hope is different as Labourers Expectations are who at the End of the Week receive every one according to their degrees of Labour and Diligence Those who have put on Christ's Body here are as one who having overcome his Enemies in Fight represents the Victory before his King who receives him with great Joy and Honour The Expectation of the wicked Soul is as an imprison'd condemn'd Malefactor still listening when any thing stirs and the Executioner comes all their passed Wickedness stands before them in such different Aggravations as they had here Q. 171. What is the last Judgment how is it Effected A. 1. That there shall be such a great general final Day of Judgment grates on the Ears of Atheists but against them the very Devils will rise in Judgment but others there are who would be accounted more religious than many who shut up themselves from the acknowledgment of that Judgment Day and though they are not practically Atheists who put the Evil Day from them yet do these raze it out of their Intellect restraining the Judgment Day of God to his declaring for or against us and our actions here only during this our Pilgrimage all in their Judgment is the Judgment before Death or Resurrection To whom may be said that as they who said the Resurrection is past already did thereby overthrow the Faith of some so they that say the Great Day of Judgment is past already undermine the Faith of many overthrow the Faith of some and direct their force against Truth it self whereon is founded all true Faith which is well founded 2. It is true that Christ in the Light of our Life is from from Age to Age and for ever till Ages cease a Judge in the faln Humanity speaking by his living Word in the Consciences and written Testimony in the Intellect and Memory being the words of his Prophets and Holy ones and evidence of our rightly informed Brethren and Fellow-Members in our Ears by his being a swift Witness by severe Visitations before our Eyes also by Eminent gracious Providences and in the Creation the Earth Elements and Creatures to our other Senses wherein may be read frowns and smiles variously dispensed which are perpetuated in their Seasons as long as Sin is perpetrated unto all reclaimable Transgressors this God doth by his Stars who have a Voice which every Nation hears for with them the Psalmist saith he Preacheth by them and by them both judgeth and fighteth 3. Again the Lord teacheth us to judge our selves which is every ones part but not to judge others for Man's Judgment must be restrained to things not extended to Persons from which we are warn'd and caution'd yet are Men very propense aptand sharp to the latter but very averse partial and slack to the former Men judge Men which is to be noted both after the dark and light Worlds Impressions after the dark thus the four Anguishes composing the first Principle judge each other thence is it that from the Astringency the Covetous judgeth and is judged by the Prodigal again the Covetous as he is a Self-lover and so is timorous judgeth and is reproached by the rash fiery furious one again the Covetous as he is drawn shameless to base fawning ways for profit sake judgeth and is judged by the haughty Proud one Again the insatiable Thirst of heaping up taking from the covetous mind his rest renders him the trouble of his own Life House and Cohabiters yet prompts him to judge the contrary inclination for sloth and dronishness while that other judgeth him so wretchedly slavish that he distrusteth almost his own hands to hoard up his Idols And so of the rest of the Properties resembling the Builders of Babel 4. But God hath given all Judgment to his Son some glimmerings of His Infinite Glory are found in them whose four Forms generate the fifth for in the meek Resignation arising to the Divine Love-fire and Pure Breathings directed by Heavenly Light Judgment proceedeth toward Victâ—ry And it is represented by the fifth Letter in the Hebrew Alphabet which is only as an aspiration or breathing from within outwardly conforming exactly in that respect to the Language of Nature standing united to That of the New Nature for the fifth Form producing the second Birth and being produced by it leads the Creature to the giving up its all in a flame of Love in Jesus Christ to the Father which flame he feels blown up by the Holy Ghost 5. Thus we have seen what God's judging in This mixt World is also what Man 's judging here is according to the Dark World's accusing dividing Properties and also what Man 's judging is according to the little part of the Light World we share of here by which it is evident that all this is to That day of days as a blinking Candle is to the Sun it self Such was the report Paul gave of That day as made Felix tremble tho' an Infidel for as it hath been elsewhere noted tho' some have laught at the Doctrine of the Resurrection none have been so fool-hardy and mad as to slight the report of the General Judgment Enoch the seventh from Adam figuring the end of the six working days or Properties and by his Translation and Son Methusalah the entring on Eternity prophesied of This day all the Prophets Apostles and Holy ones confirm it Christ the Judge himself preacht it with the order manner and particularities of it The Devils knew it and therefore argued Art thou come to torment us before our time 6. He that would say what That great Judgment is can never do it but by parsels and then also cannot
Wisdom hath swallow'd them all up and that Love is soveraign for ever over them And though this be most conspicuous in the mortified and daily dying Child of God who hath made good Progress in the Regeneration yet is it in some degree and measure in the Child of a Day old or a Span long for these have pure though much interrupted Breathings their Love may be very Ardent as the Love of Espousals though often and variously perverted these are begun to enter into the new World by the new Way in the new Nature and have thence by Intervals a fair Prospect into what cometh after this World all such are in a measure my Witnesses for what is above spoken in Answer to the Question 10. Now more particularly come we to the latter part of the Question viz. When God shall be all in all when the Dominions shall cease What therefore may most undeniably be said on this shall be drawn from the Words of the Holy Ghost by our Apostle wherein are taught us 1. That Christ having raised himself as the first Fruits raiseth also them that are his at his coming 2. That he shall put down all Rule Authority and Power 3. That then is or cometh the End 4. That then the Kingdom shall be deliver'd up to the Father and God shall be all in all To every of which a few words in their order 1. That our risen Christ shall raise all his and after all others at his second coming For 11. We ought assuredly to acknowledge that the great Work shall once be Universally accomplish'd by Jehovah's Almightiness in Raising Judging and Determining the state of all Adam's offspring and the actual delivering up the Kingdom to the Father and God shall be all in all and that all this is openly literally really and universally a Foundation Truth to be confessed before all men and next shall be spoken according to the same Method as Demonstrations thereof the work particularly done and doing viz. in the Divine meek Spirits and regenerated Souls of all God's new born Children from the first Holy Man to the last that shall be 12. Now that Christ having raised himself as the first Fruits shall also raise them that are his at his coming is such an immoveable Foundation Truth as neither Atheists or Apostate Christians those fallen Stars nor any fallen Angels nor all of them United can ever reâ—st but it is an Eternal Truth to the Glory of God the joy of all his in their Pilgrimage and matter of Divine Contemplation and Adoration for ever Read and Meditate among many others 1 Tâ—â—ss 4. 14 15 c. 1 Cor. 15. 23. Rev. 20 4 5 6. 1 Cor. 15. 3 4. and Review the 134 and 172 Answers 13. This great general second Resurrection is also done and demonstrated by the first Resurrection when God awakens the Sinner by unlocking the inspoken Grace and makes the Word a Refiner's Fire and as a Tincture transmuteth the Mass and leaveneth the Lumâ— then the Soul dies to the old and lives to the renewed Image by the Visits of the Virgin becomes a Virgin by looking on Christ comes to look like him the Bottle is made new into which the new Wine may now be intrusted and the King of Glory comes into his Temple his new made Vineyard and Garden and imparts himself his Heart his Whispers and Counsels when the Ear is opened For the sake of the Virgin Image thus Begotten shall the whole Man be crystalliz'd and tinctured with solar Power at the Resurrection mean time no Tongue or Pen can more than smatter at the recital of the loveinspired Words formed at every of the Masters sweet Visits when he comes to feed this Infant-birth and Sup with it 14. The Reason why we cannot tell it when we come out from the Holy Place is because our Astral Man knows not of what Dignity the Guest is that comes to the inward Man for he enters farther and our Astral Man or outward Reason is as a Porter whose office being at the Door hears not the Holy Treaty held within in the Closet and were it he could he understands not the Language but if a loud word be spoken which he hears then only when the sensual Man sleepeth then doth he either tremble as if he feared to be dismist his office for our Reason is like Gallio no Judge of these Matters or else he frames Images of what he as it were over-hears And if a Letter to the Virgin be intrusted with the Astral Man the Porter he only reads the Superscription but sees not what the inside is he thinks it all as the outside with ordinary Ink but within 't is all golden Letters mixt with Blood and legible in the dark Night for the Characters all shine and flame and none can read them but those who share in the first Resurrection for the old Eyes are dim these are convinced and somewhat more or less see how the second Resurrection will be having a sensible lively feeling of the first and passed the Danger and Power of the second Death See the 8th and 10th Verses of the 173 Answer 15. That our Lord shall put down all Rule Authority and Power this is meant to be after the Resurrection when he as the Sun in his strength obscures not only Gloworms but the Candle and Torch light Men shall then no longer abuse lawful Power nor acquire lawless Authority nor violently or subtilly Usurp undue Rule the Hunter and his Dogs shall no longer chase Lambs as if they were Foxes but the tyrannous Monarchs and the wronged Captives stand on the same level each in his own Principle and the Principles are as different as a dark Sulphurous Fire is from a sweet Radiant Lustre then also shall the Evil Angels whether they shall be Seducers of Men or other spiritual Wickednesses in High Places or Rulers of the Darkness as God of this World be all thrust out for he is come whose right it is both by Original and Purchas'd Propriety 16. This great general Manifestation of Jehovah Christ's Natural Soveraignty is also done and demonstrated in the whole Creation by his sitting among the Gods turning the Heart of the Mighty as Water stopping all Mouths bowing all Knees being above the Proud rescuing the Prey from the Teeth of the fiercest feeding the Hungry and Helpless the young Lions and young Ravens showering on the parched Wilderness stilling the raging Deep opening his Bottles in their Season treasuring his Snow and Wind and marshalling his Host of Stars But above all it is demonstrable in his Family who not only have ceased Hostility against him but taken up Arms for and under him out of weakness are strengthened to do suffer live die for him and in him their Health is to be Love-sick their Life to die daily he is their Fear Love Hope Repose Strength Wisdom Song their Springs and Treasures are in him for Time and
this Principle Lucifer's Throne had Jurisdiction substituted by the Son of God himself till on Lucifer's Heresie he became uncapable to derive Power from the Holy World but introduced Anarchy in the Principle over which he was to Rule according to Divine Order thence all faces of his Legions and This very Deep gathered Blackness and the Deep tumbled into a Chaos Here then God as He is Purity Holiness and Goodness was not all in all but they were now captiv'd in him as he is the Ocean of all Might and Power the Abyss of the first Principle according to which He is called a Jealous God and Consuming Fire and thus is He in That Profane Dark World But God is all in all in the Holy World and Creatures as far as they are Holy in his gracious majestick Light and Goodness the thing in this Question intended 29. And now that the whole Deep being God's inoffensive Creature was impos'd on suffering the sad Effects of the Rebellion of the Apostate Angels it pleas'd the God of Grace whose Angel pitied Balaam's Ass and who made merciful mention of the very Cattle in Niniveh to ransom this great space that as it had been the Tragical Stage of the Impure Spirits it might by introduction of Light be the Theatre of Mercy and Goodness Then was the New which Men call'd the Old World founded or a New Principle revealed such a one that as the Evil ones having profanely left their Habitation viz the Holy second Principle so were they in a great measure excluded This New one the Light of the Outward Sun being no advantage but rather opposing them and the Moon tho' but a Looking-glass reflecting the Sun's Light not serving but rather thwarting them for no Light fits them better than that of the Lightening from the astonishment that comes with it 30. And whereas the Out-World was like a Boat built of the pieces of a wracked Ship and that it was formed of the Properties which Lucifer had divided therefore were the fierceness of Mars the strong Bands of Saturn the sly quality of Mercury figured distinctly and not harmoniously in the cruel and other Creatures of this World at enmity with the noble Jupiter amiable Venus and royal Sol. Seeing now also here was an empty Throne whereof Lucifer was as uncapable as of That Estate which he had not kept then did God create a Prince who might Image the Trinity His Soul having the Properties of the first Principle His Divine Spirit the Holy second His Royal Transparent Body capable of Eternity figuring the third in This Noble Person while he so stood was Power and Suitableness to sit in the Throne of the third Principle for in him was God whom he compleatly Imaged all in all 31. But when This Prince divorc't the Pure Virgin of Divine Love and degenerated into Bestial Lust God his Creator was no longer all in all in him but he was a Mock-God to himself a Captive to his own Lust and Tyrannous Self-will So that his dear Virgin could no longer trust her self with him but he died as to her and she withdrew her pure Modesty into her own Heaven leaving his Soul among the Murtherers whereof Cain was afraid like to the state of the Out-cast Legions and his Body like the dark confused Deep before the Almighty call'd for Light where was now the Holy Image wherein God is all in all Q. 32. But is not God all in all in His Converted Children here of whom it is said He that is born of God sinneth not And as many as be perfect viz. meaning them be thus minded Again He hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified and is not God all in all in Such A. Well were it for us if it were so but our too high thoughts keeps us dwarfy and greatly aggravates our wretchedness proceeding very much from our ignorance of that State we fell from of which Treats the 45th Answer 8 and 9 verses and the 52 Answer throughout and how miserable Man 's Fall made him is traced in the 72 Answer in all the 8 verses of it The dividing of the Tinctures into distinct Male and Female is an Evil men are willingly ignorant of where began the dismal breach whence David as a Prophet lamenteth his Extraction viz. I was shapen in iniquity and in sin did my Mother conceive me that also is signified by our Apostle viz. There is neither Male nor Female but Christ is all in all 33. The present State of God's Holy Ones subjects them in a great degree to the prevailing hot fury and wrath of the first Principle and the fleeting wavering ambiguous unsteadiness of the third against both of which is the Apostle's caution viz. I will therefore that men pray every where lifting up holy hands without wrath and doubting that is without the predominancy of either first or third but in the Resignation Love Meekness and Faith of the pure second Principle Thus as this World is a part of us the God of this World hath a party in us which entails on Adam's Posterity vast loads of sorrow misery vexation and woe for so far are we wandered from the Holy Powers and Magically formed and degenerated into so corrupt a Bestial Body that the awakened Soul finds her self not only unequally but sinfully and shamefully yoked to a strange deformed filthy Companion instead of the pure Paradisical Virgin Image capable of Eternity bearing only the figure but that we lost was to have been the Ruler over and Epitome of the Out-world and was invested with Dominion of the Works of God and all this to that degree of wretchedness That to be present in this vile Body is to be absent from the Lord. And that through much tribulation we must enter into the Kingdom of God 34. Hence is it that the Wise man tells us Wisdom and Sorrow joyntly grow up for he that encreaseth Wisdom encreaseth Sorrow So that Heman who was wise to a Proverb that it was said of Solomon He was wiser than Heman This Heman the Pen-man of the 88 Psalm shews his frame to be composed of mournful parts and that Psalm as the Glass Door or Issue of him is as the Epitome of unexpressible grief as a night mantled over from any the least glimpse of day It is ignorance stupidity or madness that transports men in the Vale of Tears into wanton fleshly merriments for this is the time of budding and extendeth but to green fruit wherein the bitter sour undigested Properties prevent by their crudity the Solar Influence And lest we deceive our selves we ought to know this is the watry Seed-time the place of the Childrens being in the birth of working with fear and trembling fighting wrestling watching of receiving many a wound and discouragement of suffering reproach many reluctances upon the rallying and re-enforcing of our domestick Enemies who impudently almost continually return upon us our old Habits The Evil One is also
only to figure but of the real substance of the dark World So much as thou hast of Covetousness Envy Anger and Pride so much art thou not a representation but a part and limb of the dark Abyss an essential portion in thy proportion of the black raging blaspheming burning Hell of the Damned radically virtually and potentially What is the Long-suffering of God who bears affronts and despights from vile wretched Man while the whole Hosts of Stars punctually observe his Ordinance and are at his beck 3. In their as to Man Infinity they figure the Angelical Hosts And as every Angel is as one whole Kingdom so is every Star as one whole World how little a proud Worm then is the dirty piece of Clay call'd Man How dare any the greatest of them admit a thought of being his own Lord and Law-giver to enter his foolish Head and deceitful Heart And how much less darest thou my Soul who art of the least lowest and most unworthy of Men why delayest thou to give thy whole will thy love thy life thy self to him from whose word thou sprungeâ—t by whose word thou subsisteth on whose word anchoreth thine only hope for Time and for Eternity Deceive not thy self by giving up the guidance of small and indifferent things whilst thouswayest the weighty imports of thy Life and resenteâ—t a disappointment there as a dismembring but faithfully stedfastly willingly submissively bow with equal resignation to every of his Providential Determinations those of the nearest and most sensible concern as of the least so shalt thou dwell in a peaceable Habitation 4. In their steâ—dy duration their Morning commenced with what is call'd time and their Evening compleats it and then resolving Eternity resumes all but I am of yesterday or last hour and do post away with the next yet so feeble as cannot watch with our Lord one Hour A weight of Glory is at the God yet I would have it before I run more than Heart can conceive is prepared for perseverance but I would have all before I well begin O my dear holy God and must I stay enquiring after thee Must my short time seem long to me Must my hope be deferr'd till I faint Must my sick Soul be Imprison'd too and none to visit her Have I but one in my Heart on Earth and in Heaven and must I be so throng'd with Strangers as not to touch the Hem of his seamless Garment While I pine away for thee I do yet tremble and blush to approach thee how can so foul unclean a Creature come into so pure a Palace or Stand before thy Holiness Shame covers me yet Passionate Love makes me bold and impatient I will not I dare not plead modesty in excuse of disobedience iâ— I withhold my self I die for I cannot live in thy absence What kind of Life is this that keeps me from my Life when shall thy Banished be recall'd Oh let not time with-hold Eternity let not many days lengthen my Night Is my presence in this Body absence from my Lord for how can the dry Breasts within the reach of this vile Body satiate my thirsty Soul What kin is the perishing lump of this Body to me it is dead why should my living Spirit be tyed to the dead Yet will my Lord continue me under the load of mine own making bury me under so sad a Vail leave me in Anguish nail me to the Earth deny me the view of my one only most sweet dear precious and desirable Object It is the Lord he doth all things well who having himself but one only Begotten gave that his only Beloved for me and shall not this silence me cause me to acquiesce and swallow me up for ever 5. In their order not justling starting losing over-running nor fainting but regularly steddily jointly ever proceed on their Creators great designs Their Motions Aspects Courses Positions and Variations so exactly precise to the praise of the God of Order that all or much of that they are about is easily fore-known But among Men what Kingdom tho' in Peace or Army when their Life depends on 't may be found without strange disorders what Town what Family without it what Man but for a very few steps treads order for we having by transgression lost it are both ignorant of it and obstinate against it so that to introduce the right order is requir'd in forming of the Intellect alluring of the Affections and subjecting of the Will and there is also requisite clenching of a Nail and driving in of a Goad or else order ether starts or dies But who is that Man dwelling in a House of Clay who upon an unerring Intellect is united to the Divine Order so as to conform an unwavering will thereunto How many faintings recoils runnings back and Apostacies hast thou my Soul sadly Experimented what hour hast thou continued only the Lords without mixing Linnen with the Woollen And must the Holy Spirit be grieved with so vile a wretch must thy Bones be set and dislocated by a continued Succession Oh thou Fountain of Goodness when shall thy will be done here as it is in Heaven when in the outward Man as in the outward Heavens when in the inward as in the holy Heavens Let thy sweet Order bury my confusions that in thee may be my Resurrection 6. In their energy strength and active vigour so are they the immediate Parent of the four Elements being the same in the outward Principle as the strength of their Root and Originals is in the Inward Worlds the four anguishing Constellations also afford matter and in the Moons property exhibit it into palpable substance this the solar power exalteth according to the kind the Separator disposeth every thing unto in Minerals Vegetatives and Sensitives generating animating maturing invigorating ennobling irradiating and again exhaling their volatile parts and dissolving the Fabrick All strong couragious Creatures owe their compaction and fortitude instrumentally to them But what am I who cannot by all Humane Art or Policy or by any Fortress or Arms be defended against a Fly who if Commission'd to Hostility can enter such Organ as may suffocate my Breath How inevitable my Misery that I at once nourish my Life and the Seeds of my Mortality brought forth of the Womb with and in me and after have with pain hazard care and sorrow struggled a few years my Constellations having wrought their course it must be said to me return to thy dust as all other the Sons of vain Mankind 7. In their Vertue which is so conspicuous that from them every Creature of this whole Principle derive their Excellency The Elements their simplicity the outward Heavens their purity and serene Beauty they enrich the Fields with Fruits clothe them with Flowers replenish the Sea with Inhabitants and precious Things the Air with foul penetrate the Bowels of the Earth so as to produce and generate precious Metals Stones and Sanatives give