Son alone who is in the Fathers Unmeasurable Bosom he declareth to Us the Word and Will of God in our selves so that we hear and understand his Will and good pleasure within us and are willing to follow the same but yet are oft kept back by the outward sinful flesh so that the Working of that same divine Power goeth not always into the Outward Figure and yet it goeth into the Inward Figure in the Inward Spiritual World whereof S t Paul saith Our Conversation is in Heaven 11. Of which also all the Saints and especially S t Paul hath complained viz. that they have the earnest Will and with the Mind of the Inward Ground serve God but with the flesh the Law of Sin so that the Flesh lusteth against the Spirit Which Lust is daily drowned and killed in the Death of Christ through the Inward Ground yet only in those in whom Christ is risen from Death and thus no Condemnation is to them who are in Christ Jesus For the Bestial Body belongeth to the Earth but the Spiritual Body belongeth to God But whosoever hath not it is living dead and neither heareth nor perceiveth any thing of the Spirit of God it is foolishness unto him according to the Scripture 12. Therefore this Point is not sufficiently understood and declared by maintaining only and alone a Grace received from Without and also such a Forgiveness of Sins The Forgiving of Sins and the Childship received into the Grace consisteth in the Justification of the Blood and Death of CHRIST when CHRIST's Heavenly Blood tinctured us and overcame the Wrath of God in our Soul and Inward divine Ground being out of the Substance of Eternity with the highest Love of the Deity in the Name of JESUS and changed it again into the divine Humility Obedience the torn temperature of our humane Property of Obedience and good Will entering again into the Harmony and Unity of the Properties 13. Then was the Fathers Anger which was awaked in our Lives Properties and had made it self a Governor or Ruler in Soul and Body whereby we were dead to the Kingdom of Heaven and became Children of Wrath turned again into that One Only Love and Likeness of God and our Humane Will dyed away in the Death of Christ from its own I-hood and own Willing and the First Humane Will which God out of his Spirit gave into Adam out-greened again through the Victory of the sweetness of God in Christs Heavenly Blood Then was the Devil and Hell which held Men captive confounded for this the dry Rod of Aaron did signifie which greened in one night and bare sweet Almonds 14. Now as the Sin came from one and thronged from one upon all so also the sweet Grace and Victory in Christ thronged from one upon all The Death and the Anger was broken in pieces in Christ in that one Adamical Soul and a possibility to Grace through the Breaking of Death was opened through which broken Gate the Soulish Will may again turn it self into the first Mother out of which it came in the Beginning as into the Childship or New Birth of a New Life and Will There it may attain and reach the sweet Blood of Jesus Christ which in Christ in our Humanity brake in pieces the Gates of Death and changed the Anger of God in our Humanity in himself into Love wherein the poor captive Soul drinketh out of Gods Fountain and refresheth her self in her fire-breath whereout the New Greening out-greeneth the Hunger and Desire of the Soul becoming then Substantial in the Blood of Christ after an heavenly manner 15. Now like as the Breaking of Death must be done in the Person of Christ in our Soul and Humanity so that the Eternity in Christ wherewith he was come from Heaven and also was in Heaven Joh. 3. overcame the Time as the Life and Will of the Time and did change Time with its Will into the Eternal Will of the Deity and all that was to be done in our received Humanity So must also the Desire of our Soul receive into it self that same Eternal Will in Christ where Time and Eternity stand in an Harmony and Concordance and through that Power sink it self into the Childship as into the Grace that the same Inward Paradisical Ground which dyed in Adam might again out-green in the Will of the Obedience of Christ through his Heavenly and from us received humane Blood 16. In our selves must the Expiation be manifested through Christs once made Expiation indeed through that which once was made in Christs Blood and Death But that same which once came to pass in Christ must also do it in me it must now through Christs Bloodshedding come to pass also in me Christ sheddeth also his Heavenly Blood into my Desire in my poor Soul and tinctureth the Wrath of God therein that the First Adamical Image of God may again appear and become seeing hearing feeling tasting and smelling 17. For that Image which dyed in Adam from the Heavenly Worlds Essence as the right Paradisical one dwelleth not in the four Elements its Essence and Life standeth not in this World but in Heaven which becometh revealed in Christ in us as in the one pure and holy Element whereout the four Elements in the Beginning of Time are sprung and that same New Inward Spiritual Man eateth Christs Flesh and Blood for he liveth and is in Christ Christ is his Stock and he is a branch on the Stock 18. For every Spirit eateth of that of which he hath his Original as the Animalish Mortal Soul eateth of the Spirit of the World of the Stars and Elements of the Kingdom of this World But the true Eternal Soul which is breathed out of the Eternal Word into Man as a Divine Life eateth of its Mother as out of the Holy Substantial Word of God 19. But seeing that this after her separation from God was not possible for her therefore came that same Word of Life as her true Mother again to the out-turned Soul into this Vale of Misery into the Prison of Hell and brought its Heavenly Substance into our Humane as a Body for the Soul and therewith embraced and encompassed our poor captive Soul and did open again her heavenly Mouth afore dead in the Anger of God with the Tincture of Love so that the poor Soul can again eat heavenly Manna Which eating stood in Christs Person with our received Humanity in the Temptation of Christ in the Desart again in the tryal when Adam in Christ ate Manna again from Paradise forty days 20. Therefore I say that if any one be a Christian he is it not through an imputed graceshew from Without his sins are not forgiven him through the once happened Word-speaking from Without as a Lord in this World giveth a Murtherer his Life through an outward imputed Grace No no this availeth nothing before God 21. There is no Grace wherethrough we can come to the Childship
Imagination into the Earthly World which standeth Essentially within the dark World whereby her Almightiness was and is broken and inclosed in the Death so she turn her self again into the Light in the Almightiness in the Spirit of Christ who hath broke that same Death in her viz. in the Soul she must go again into Gods house into her self 119. Therefore it is necessary to become new born to beget out of himself a New Son out of the Old not a New Soul but a New Image out of the Soul in the Power of the Holy Ghost a Twig out-greening out of his own Essence in the Spirit of Christ and standing within the Light of the Deity not being shone upon from without but shining out of it self 120. The New Image is the food of the Fiery Soul and fuel for her burning The Soul eateth the Love-essence of the Image and giveth out of the Consuming as out of the grim Dying the high Light and in the Light through Fire out of the Desire of the Love and out of the Desire of the Fire the high and noble Tincture of the Holy Life with the power of Colours and Vertues 121. In which Power the Center of the Joy-kingdom of the Light-World standeth as the Heart of the Deity out of which the Holy Ghost proceedeth For the Fires-Center of the Soul and the Lights-Center in the Souls Image are it out of which the Spirit of God is begotten 122. The Spirit of God entereth not from Without into the Soul but he openeth himself in himself through the Souls-fire and through the Light-fire of the Image He is the Holy Mans peculiar Propriety 123. When a Man entereth into earnest Repentance and layeth hold on an earnest Will to enter into the Mercy of God within himself and casteth from himself all false Will then is the grain sown whereout the noble Flower in the Holy Trinity groweth Understand that the Souls-Will is turned thereby out of the Dark World into the Light World 124. And then when she Imagineth into the Light World into the Center of the Deity as she before hath Imagined into this World then she shall in her self in her Imagination or Desire grow pregnant of the Saviour and out of this Pregnancy God is begotten always and to all Eternity 125. Thus the true Man becometh the food of God and God the food of Man and so are We in God and God in Us and work with and in God and are his true Children in him 126. And this we had not been able to do being Adam brought his Souls-fire into the Grimness and his noble Image out of the Soul in God if Gods Heart had not entered again into the in Death inclosed Image of the Soul and given himself into the Grimness of the Souls-fire and brought again Divine Substantiality into the Image understand into the Essence of Mary to the Image 127. Understand the Holy Tincture arose together with the divine Substantiality in the Substantiality in Gods Spirit and the Holy Blood which the Tincture in humane Property maketh Blood went into the middle of the Turba of the Soul when the Outward Life broke on the Cross Then the Grimness of Death was broken with the Love and Meekness of God and transmuted into a Life of Joy and here Death was shewed openly For divine Love was again begotten in the grim Essence of the Soul and that is our New Birth in Christ into which the Desire of our Soul must enter if it will behold God and be begotten in Christ out of God 128. Christ is the New Stock and we green forth as Branches in him We must be born in God and must also beget God in us if we will be Branches on the Tree For upon the Branches which we are the Holy fruit groweth which Gods Spirit eateth in us viz. the Praise of God 129. Loving Brothers jest not and esteem it not a fiction it is known in Ternarium Sanctum in the pure River out of Zion Let no man expect or stay for a golden Time in which the Holy Spirit shall out of the outward Mouth cry into the hardened Man who will live only in the lust of the flesh I say into his Bestial Will O no that will not be 130. Whosoever will hear the Holy Ghost teaching out of the Mouth of another he must before bring his Will into the Holy Ghost and then the Holy Ghost preacheth unto him out of the Mouth of another within him 131. The Time is already that Henoch teacheth and Noah denounceth the Deluge there is henceforth no other sign then the sign of Elias Why doth the World stand gazing and suffereth its Ears in Vain to be filled with the Stars it is all in vain 132. Whosoever will enter with Zion and praise God in Jerusalem he hath now the acceptable time the Sound of the Seventh Trumpet is already Sounded The Fountain of Israel is open Let no Man imagine that the Trumpets-Sound will come from this or that place For as the Lightening ariseth and shineth unto the West so from the Beginning to the End is the Coming of the Son of Man 133. Let no man expect the Outward Prophet he shineth Inwardly in the Spirit the Outward Man shall not know him for he standeth in the Crown-number and preacheth in the Mysterium he is already known and found whoso desireth to see him let him seek him in himself and leave Babel he will find him 134. The Right Way into Eternal Life is in Man he hath brought the Will of the Soul into the Outward World it must he again bring into himself into the Inward World Paradise must green in Man 135. But he hath a dangerous and tedious Way to go for the turned Will must enter into it self again and break-through through the Kingdom of the Stars and Elements O how is he there held It must be a great Earnestness not Hypocrisie and an abiding with the Will in the Kingdom of the Stars 136. The Will must forsake the Outward World and yet it cannot wholly do it for it must maintain the Outward Body O how grievous is this in the Beginning when that must be forsaken which is so dear to the Outward Man wherein his joy and glory stands O how doth the Outward Man in the Souls-spirit hold back 137. How exceeding many Conflicts and Assaults must there be holden how busie is the Devil and sets before the poor Soul the glory and beauty of this World as riches and the pleasures of the Flesh 138. It falleth not so presently on a heap from him the Outward Will must be broken in pieces with an hard bickering and yet it dyes not but is shut up in the prison of the Inward Will and must be servant until the breaking or dissolution of the Outward Life 139. Therefore I say upon sure ground that all what is taught of God out of the Spirit of the Outward World and heard in the Outward Spirit is
save only in the Blood and Death of Christ Him alone God hath made and fore-ordained to be unto him a Throne of Grace or Propitiation in his own Love which he hath brought into him in the sweet Name JESUS out of JEHOVAH He is that only Offering which God receiveth that can reconcile Gods Anger 22. Now if that same Offering shall do me good then must it also come to pass in me the Father must beget and give his Son into the Desire of my Faith so that the Hunger of my Faith may lay hold of him and if the Hunger of my Souls Faith comprehendeth him as in his promised Word then I put on him in his whole process of Justification in mine Inward Ground and immediately the killing of the Wrath Devil Death and Hell beginneth and goes on out of Christs Death in me 23. For I can do nothing I am dead to my self but Christ doth it in Me when He ariseth in Me then I am dead in my self in respect of the true Man and he is my Life and what I live I live to Him and not to Minehood For Grace killeth my Will and setteth it self for a Lord in the place of mine I-hood that I may be a Work of God who doth therewith what He Will. 24. And then I live in Two Kingdoms to wit with the Outward Mortal Man in the vanity of Time wherein the Yoke of Sin yet liveth it Christ taketh in the Inward Kingdom of the divine World upon Himself and helpeth my Soul to bear it 25. For the Yoke of this World is Christs Burden which he must bear until he shall again deliver up the Kingdom to his Father which He hath given him for He said All Power in Heaven and Earth is given to Me of my Father So is also this Burden given to him that He should bear Gods Anger Hell Death and all evil in us as Esaias saith He took on him our Diseases and carried our griefs but we did count him stricken smitten of God and afflicted 26. Whence it is that a Christian must be a Cross-bearer For so soon as Christ is born in him the assaulting of Hell and the Anger of God in the Eternal Nature goeth on then the Hell in Man is destroyed and the Serpent is trampled upon whence great Unquietness Persecution and Reproach from the Devil and the corrupt World ariseth over the outward sinful Man then the outward sinful Man must suffer himself to be condemned and judged to Damnation of Gods severe Justice in the Anger by the Children of the Anger seeing that another Man liveth in him which is not like to the Outward Mortal therefore Gods Justice executeth its Judgment in Anger upon the Sin-house as also all the Ministers of Gods Anger 27. Then Christ helpeth to bear the Yoke and Man is sacrificed in Christs process contempt and scorn in his Suffering and Death unto the Justice of God in the Wrath and he becomes like unto Christs Image 28. The Holy Scripture witnesseth in all places that we are Justified from sins by Faith in Christ not by the Works of our Merit but by the Blood and Death of Christ which indeed is so taught of many but rightly understood of few that teach us 29. Men indeed teach us the Imputed grace but what Faith is how it is begotten what it is in its Essence and Substance and how it layeth hold on the Merit of Christ with the Grace in that the most part are dumb and blind and rest by an Historical Faith Jam. 2. which is but a bare knowledg the Man of Sin tickling and comforting himself therewith and through such Imagination flattering himself and naming himself a Christian though he is not become capable of this so high a Title but is only a Titular Christian covered from Without with Christs Purpur-mantle of whom the Prophet saith They draw neer unto me with their lips but their Heart is far from me And Christ said Not all that say Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven but they that do the Will of my Father in Heaven 30. Now Christ alone is the Will of the Father wherein the Receiving of Grace and the Childship is and no man can do the Fathers Love-Will but only that only Grace-Throne Christ himself as the Scripture saith No man can call God LORD without the Holy Spirit In Him 31. For we know not what we pray before God as we ought but He even the Holy Spirit maketh Intercession for us with inexpressible Sighings before God in our selves as it pleaseth God We cannot attain unto any thing by our Willing and Knowing He is too deeply hidden to us For it lieth not in any Mans Knowing Willing or Running but in Gods Mercy 32. Now there is no Mercy but only in Christ and if I shall reach that Mercy I must reach Christ in Me If my sins shall be blotted in Me Christ must perform it in Me with his Blood and Death and with his Victory If I shall beleeve then must the Spirit the Desire and the Will of Christ beleeve in my Desire and Will for I cannot Beleeve 33. But he receiveth my Will being resigned to Him and encloseth it in his Will bringeth it through his Victory into God there He intercedeth for the Will of my Soul in his Will before God and thus I am received as a Grace-child in his Love-Will 34. For the Father hath manifested his Love in Christ and Christ manifesteth the same Love in my Will being resigned to him Christ draweth my Will into himself and cloateth it with his Blood and Death and tinctureth it with the highest Tincture of the Divine Power Thus it is changed into an Angelical Image and getteth a Divine Life 35. Whereupon that same Life beginneth to hunger after its Body which Body is the corrupt fiery Soul whereout the Will is entered into Christ thus the New Life in Christ doth now also tincture the Soul so that the Soul in this Will-spirit getteth a right divine Hunger and becometh desirous of the Divine Grace and begineth to behold her self in this Divine Will-spirit in Christ what she is how she in her Properties is separated from God and how she lieth captive in Gods Wrath and acknowledgeth her abominations as also her Deformity in the presence of Gods Angels there she hath nothing wherewith she may protect her self for she seeth that she standeth in the Jaws of Death and Hell environed with evil Spirits which bring their Desires always into her to destroy her 36. Then she sinketh down into that same New-born Spirit of the Will and ingulfeth her self into the meerest Humility then the Spirit of Christ taketh hold of her and bringeth her into this New-will-spirit that the Soul essentially feeleth it Whereupon the Divine Joyful Look ariseth in the Soul as a New Eye wherein the fiery Soul conceiveth the Ens and Substance of the Divine Light in her self whereupon she hungereth and thirsteth
Book of the Threefold Life very largely how Man standeth in a Threefold Life Viz. 1. According to the Soul in the Eternal Fathers Nature and in the Root of the Dark World in the Center of the Eternal Original as in the Spirit of the Eternal Father 27. 2 dly How the right true Image and Similitude of God greeneth out of the Soul as out of the Death in the Souls Magical Spirits Fire in another Principium or in another World and becometh free as God himself from Nature as also from Death Qualm and Pain and that the true Image of God liveth not in the Regiment of the outward World nor useth for it self the outward food and drink but eateth of the Divine Substantiality as of the Bread of God Christs Flesh and Blood so that Christ liveth in it and it in Christ and that same Eating consisteth in a Spiritual Desire and also cometh to pass truly and substantially and that the Soul is therewith nourished in her hungers-fire and that a great Gulf happeneth between the Soul and the true Image in the Death of the Fire 28. As we see this in Fire and Light and have therein a true form pattern and similitude where a man by a comparison understandeth the Soul by the fire-glow for it is in it self what concerneth it alone without the noble Image a fire-eye consisting in God the Fathers Eternal Nature brought from the Spirit of God out of the Fathers Property into the outward Created Image which was Created both out of the Outward and Inward heavenly Divine Substantiality and we understand the Noble Image in or by the Light and in the Vertue of the meek Light that out-shineth from the Dying as from the Consuming Qualm of the Fire Where then we see how the Light dwelleth in the Fire without any feeling of the firequalm and how the Fire is a painly Essence to Nature and the Light is free from the Fires Nature and yet without the Fire it is a Nothing 29. Secondly I have shewed you in the fore-mentioned Books how the Fire is a Magick-desire of Meekness to cool it self and to fill its dry Hunger whereout it receiveth Life and Light and again how that the Light is also a great Desire of the Fire to awake its Life Vertue and Power through the Fire 30. Thirdly How that the Light in its Desire maketh a Substantiality and Being viz. Meekness which taketh its Original in the Dying in the Fire which Meekness is called the Water of Eternal Life for it is a sinking through the Death and it giveth Sensibility and and Substantiality and how the Fire doth again draw that same Substantiality into it self and satiate it self therewith and out of that same Indrawing it doth again beget a Spirit out of it self which continually goeth again into the Substantiality and at length bringeth the shining from the Fire and Light into the Substantiality Which Shining or Splendor in the Substantiality of the Meekness is called Tincture which bringeth the Substantiality into the highest Ornament and Colours and thus Reneweth the Essence viz. the forms of the Dark World to the Fire-life and high-graduates it and changeth it into another thing so that out of the unpleasant painly Qualm of the First Principle through Fire the highest Joyfulness ariseth in the precious Tincture And thus the worst is the cause of the best In which Type or Figure we understand in the Inward Birth the Birth and the Substance of the Holy Trinity 31. And then fourthly I have declared to you in the fore-mentioned Books how that the Whole Substance of all Substances is a Continual Desire to manifest it self in its Desire and that this Desire to Manifestation is the Fiat and the Power in the Light is the Word and how that the Word hath moored the Fiat in all the Forms of the Eternal Nature according to the Light and also according to to the Dark World through which the Desire according to both the Worlds Properties hath made Substance in it self whereout in the Substantiality Good and Evil is sprung according to the Property of each World out of which Substance this visible World is created with the Stars and Elements as an own and peculiar Life yet not separated from the Eternal And moreover it is declared how that the Inward Spiritual Substance hath in its Desire manifested it self with this outward visible World as with an Image 32. Now when God created Man as an Image after his Substance a Similitude after God he created him out of the Mother of all Substances and out of all the Three Worlds 33. For God would behold himself through Man in One Image he should be a Similitude after God His Body he created both out of the Outward and Inward Substantiality as out of the Earthly and Heavenly and breathed into it through his Spirit a living Breath that is himself according to the Divine World and also according to the Outward World 34. For the Spirit of God is the Spirit of every Life but distinguished into Three Principles of Three Worlds As 1. According to the Dark World after the First Principle according to which God calleth himself an angry zealous God and a Consuming Fire which is the Eternal Nature And 2 dly According to the Light-World as according to Gods Love and Meekness in regard of which he is called the Holy Spirit And 3 dly According to the Outward World the Ayr-Spirit with the Qualm of the Stars and Elements Thus Man hath received a Threefold Life the Spirit of all the Three Worlds 35. Now it is palpable and plain enough to understand that the Holy Ghost had not his Regiment in the outward earthly Flesh but in the Inward Heavenly For with his entering into the Humanity he also brought in with him the Heavenly Divine Substantiality 36. For Gods Spirit dwelleth from Eternity to Eternity only in Heaven that is only in his own Substance in the Power of the Majesty Now when he breathed himself into the Image of Man then the Heaven was in Man for God would manifest himself in Man as in an Image after himself and open the great Wonders of his Eternal Wisdom through Man 37. Therefore we must rightly consider Man what he is and not make an Earthly Beast of him neither an Angel of his earthly part but he is created into the Wonders in respect of the Earthly Kingdom viz. according to the Third Principle that he should manifest the Wonders in Figures For to that end he hath the Inward Spirit out of the first Principle but he should not domineer therewith neither with the Outward but yeeld himself over to the Holy Ghost in the Second Principle and in the outward Life be as a Child in the Mothers bosom 38. For the Spirit of God had in him the outward Kingdom as it were swallowed up like as the Light swalloweth up the dark Night that a Man seeth it not But through his Imagination into
outward flesh and blood that it is Christs flesh and moreover perfectly holy and without fault Only I can with Truth say of the Inward Man born of God that he is conceived in Gods Essence as in the Word of Life which was again promised Adam in Paradise which opened it self in the Bound in the most blessed Virginlike Mirror as in the Divine Virginity in our Substantiality that was shut up in the Death 54. For in this Conception is the Kingdom of Heaven or the Heart of God the Man to the seed which is sown and the seed of the Woman understand the seed of the Soul and of the noble Image inclosed in the Death is the Matrix which receiveth into it the seed of God after an Essential manner so that God and Man becometh One Person according to the form or manner of the three Worlds as they stand one in another and yet the one is not the other for they possess not one the other but every one dwelleth in it self so that although God in Christ be born in Us yet we can by no means say when we speak of the whole Man I am Christ for the Outward is not Christ But thus we can and may say upon good ground I am in Christ and Christ is become Man in me 55. But his humane Kingdom is not of this World and I with my new Man in Christ am not of this World For S t Paul saith also that our Conversation is in Heaven whence We understand the Outward Mysterium wait for our Saviour Jesus Christ For the Outward Mysterium on Man shall put on Jesus Christ first in the Last Day when the Turba shall afore be taken from the Mysterium in which the Sin-mirror standeth which belongeth to the Anger of God therefore a Judgments-day is ordained when all shall be restored which we have lost in Adam 56. But if we with this outward visible and palpable Flesh were wholly perfect then must the Outward Man have put on Paradise again and then the Outward Man were Immortal and Unperishable and could go through Earth and Stones the four Elements also were as it were swallowed up in One as we shall be in the Last Day then must and should the Outward Man also eat no more of the forbidden Tree the Magical Impregnating would also begin and we not be born after a bestial or animal manner 57. But if the Author hath as he saith put on Paradise then he is taken up I as yet can say no such thing of my self I have also sought the Pearl with Earnestness and have also thereby obtained a Jewel It is also given me to know the First Man in Paradise how he was before the Fall and after the Fall and have also seen the Property of Paradise but not in the outward Man 58. I say also that the Inward Man hath put on the Kingdom of God and liveth in Heaven in God But there is yet a great Difference between the Outward and the Inward Man as also between Us and the World of Paradise Paradise greeneth no more through the Earth the Lord hath Cursed the Earth and the Outward Man dwelleth on the Cursed Earth and eateth the Cursed fruit he swalloweth down the Curse into himself and therefore here in this World there is no whole or absolute Perfection 59. But so far indeed it comes with Man if he entereth into the New Birth that he can tame the Outward Man so that he must do what he would not Willingly for the Inward depriveth him of the Power and throughthrongeth him as the Gold doth in a gross Stone But as the grossness in the Stone becometh not Gold so also the outward Man becometh not God otherwise it should follow that also the Outward World should be changed into the pure Deity 60. The Outward Man is the Outward World of the Stars and Elements and the Inward Man in Christ is the Inward Divine World and the Soul is the Fire-world for she hath the Eternal Center to Nature in her self that Center is the Dark World Therefore when she loseth Gods Light she standeth in her self in the Pit in the Dark World viz. in Gods Anger 61. That also the Author saith He is through Christ so transmuted in the Death that he cannot sin any more and thereupon leaveth the outward name of the outward Worlds Substance that needeth another far plainer Declaration and will hardly be taken or granted unless it cometh to a clearer Understanding For the most holy men have acknowledged themselves sinners not that they desire it or would do it but they complain of it before God that the outward Man is become Living in the Anger of God and that the Anger ruleth in them as that high Apostle Paul saith Now if I sin I do it not but the sin that dwelleth in my Flesh Rom. 7. 62. Now where sin dwelleth in the Flesh there is yet no Perfection therefore lie saith further Wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the Body of this Death And saith I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord So then with my Mind I my self serve the Law of God but with the Flesh the Law of Sin The Scripture saith Before thee is none living Righteous Item The Heavens are also not pure before God Why should then also an Angels name be given to the outward fleshly Man that lieth inclosed in the Anger of God He is but evil and striveth continually against Gods Law and belongeth to the Earth and his Mysterium to the Judgment of God He shall purge the floor 63. But that it is said We are dead to sin in the Death of Christ is very true that is once done for us all but we must yet always die unto Sin in the Death of Christ we must always kill the Man of Sin that the New may live But we cannot wholly kill him but take him captive and always pour Water on him out of Gods Meekness into his Fire-burning 64. For the Soul is a Fire-eye and is the greatest Life it will have Substance in which its Fire may burn But since it is in Adams fall turned and bent into this World therefore the Kingdom of the Stars and Elements is entered into it to lodg there which often bring-in a strange Turba Now if the Heavens be not clean before God how will then that be clean that is governed by the Outward Heaven namely the Outward Life that is only driven by the Outward Heavens Regiment 65. The Incorruptible as the new Man cannot put on the Corruptible as the outward Flesh for Turba is therein this shall first come to pass in the Judgment of God when the Turba shall be taken away from the Outward Mysterium 66. But that the Author saith It is not possible that a Regenerate man can sin by that we know he understandeth not sufficiently the Mysterium of the Soul We see it was possible in Adam when his outward Man was pure
not the Word of God but Babel a meer Confusion Misery Howling and Crying and no man heareth it but only the Spirit of the Outward World it is only an Antichristian Hypocrisie and a glittering Flattery 140. A Knave goeth into the Outward Church and a Knave sits therein and a Knave returneth thence and is an hypocrite who giveth good words before God and comforteth and tickleth himself from without with Christs Satisfaction yet still remaineth the old Man in himself 141. He supposeth God forgiveth sins as Life is of grace and favour given to a Murtherer although the Conscience doth continually accuse the Murtherer that he is guilty of the deed and of punishment O no it is not so Christ said Unless ye turn and become as Children ye shall not see the Kingdom of Heaven No Verbal Forgiving availeth before God but it is as Christ said to those that turned to him Thy Faith hath helped thee 142. For Christs Spirit went into the Faith of the Patient and the Faith of the sick went into Christs Spirit then the Cure was there otherwise there had been no healing 143. This a Man may see on the Day of Pentecost when those Men were attentive to S t Peter whose Will was bent into themselves and desired the Kingdom of God in them the Spirit of Christ sounded out of Peters Mouth But as for those whose Will was bent into this World the Spirit past by them who said These men are drunk because they speak thus 144. So it goeth also Now when the Spirit of Christ speaketh then saith the Outward Reason These men are mad and hereticks But as for those whose Will is turned into themselves in a desire after Gods Kingdom they hear the Spirit of Christ speak 145. Therefore all those into whose heart this throngeth are admonished to abide Constant and to meet the golden River that floweth out of Zion and they shall find the Pearl for it is born Let no man gaze on Time and Person it is the Spirit of Christ that speaketh 146. And the Author writeth out of the Bride of Christ very well and truly of the Spirit of Christ out of the New Man But he must learn to distinguish this Old Mortal being from the Spirit of this corrupted and cursed World from the New and not esteem the mortal corruptible flesh and bones for Christ his Flesh 147. Nor to seek Christs Flesh in the four Elements and in the Spirit of the Outward World but in the Root of it as in the Holy Element one Principle deeper then this World is yet not absent from the Outward Body 148. Nor must he think the Old is Transmuted into the New but as Gold groweth in the gross Stone out of the Stone the Sun being the Cause of the Tincture and the gross Stone the Cause of the Body and yet it must not be understood as if the New Body had any place or room in the Old in its Principle for it standeth a Birth deeper in it self 149. As we may know by this that God is in this World and yet the World neither knoweth nor seeth him He dwelleth a Birth deeper in the Center then this Outward World is He filleth all in this World and yet there is nothing that comprehendeth or seeth him for he dwelleth not in the World but in himself So also the New Man and yet there is no separation from one another 150. Like as there is a difference between Fire and Light the Fire not being able to comprehend the Light although the Light is born out of the Fire so also the New Man out of the Old through the Entering of the Spirit of Christ like as the Sun maketh a Tincture of Gold in the Stone 151. But when the Author writeth that the Old Man falleth wholly away in the Repentance and dyeth altogether in the Death of Christ he erreth For Christ is not come for the Old Mans sake nor is he become Man in the old defiled sinful flesh but in the Essence of the Image that a New Man may be born out of the Old and dwell in the Old yet not in the Third Principle in this outward World but in the Second in Heaven in God and God in him 152. Therefore he ought not to write I Christ the living Word in this my visible flesh and bones This none that is born out of Christ will grant him The Outward Man is conceived and born in Sin He is not Christ but the Inward Man is in Christ a Member of Christs Body in the Essence of Christ 153. And that he supposeth that Nature falls wholly and altogether away from Man when the New Birth ariseth that is not so and in that he understands as yet nothing of the Eternal Nature There falls no Nature away from him for the Life stands in the Nature viz. the Life of the Soul in the Eternal Nature and the outward Spirit in the Stars and Elements 154. The Eternal Nature holds in it self the seven Spirits or Forms of the Deity from whence the Holy Divine World is sprung and also this Outward World it parteth not to all Eternity from Man otherwise Man were a Nothing For out of Nature the Mystery of Eternity is revealed and also the Divine Being as is declared in my Book of the Six Points Nature came not into Man for Sins sake wherefore should it then for the Regenerations sake fall away 155. By Death the outward Nature falleth away from the Nature of the Soul but it goeth only into the outward Mysterium until the Day of Judgment then shall all its here-made Wonders and Works appear therein when the Spirit of God shall moor the Mysterium of this World then shall all be manifest and the Turba shall be separated from the good and given to the Dark World and the Mysterium unto the New Man yet only Holy and without spot 156. And this is the Resurrection of the Flesh it is not the Husk as the Bestial flesh which ariseth but the Life in the Outward Mysterium with the Wonders it shall be included in the Holy Element and united with the Body of Christ the New Man and in Eternity stand with its Wonders in it 157. But not in earthly Essence but as a shadow or figure For by reason of the Divine Life this same Life of ours is esteemed as dead for so was Adam also before his Heva before the Imagination but in the Imagination the Outward Life was made manifest and the Heavenly dyed 158. This I could not Loving Sirs and Brothers hide from you nor from the Author in an Answer of your Book sent to me for my Conscience requires it in the LORD not in any intention to reject or put down the Authors Book or high Spirit but in Love towards him I would communicate my gifts and understanding to him into his gifts as one member to the other that we might edifie and acknowledg one another in Christ as Members in