as well as defensive against those assaults It 's true his Replies in conflict with that wicked Spirit may seem at first to have somewhat of gall but we may take notice he both shewes how effectual a weapon this of contempt is above all other for repulsing this enemy besides advizes an abstinence from this bitterness but upon important necessity The Devill sayes he is a proud arrogant Spirit in his visible terrifying apparitions you cannot better get quit of him than by a bold defiance and contempt As oft therfore as by his frightning appearances discouraging suggestions he endeavours to drive thee to distraction or self-murder flinch not an ace at his presence but meet him with a stout courage and upbraid him with the memory of his lost glory and present shame how of a glorious Prince in heaven he is fall'n to be an infamous hangman in Hell This is a bitter pill he is not long able to digest two or three doses of it will say hard to set him a packing but use it only as a necessary evill in cases of grand terror otherwise do not by such bitter mockings bestorm thy own Spirit and add new affliction to the calamity of his fall This inoffensive carriage even to the Devill himself like that of the Archangell Michael not reproaching him with railing accusations and our Saviours not refusal so far of gratifying them in their moderate request as to qualify their grief for the loss of their Nobler habitation by a Permission to enter the foul carcasses of the Swine shews in the man and his doctrine an unparalleld mildness of spirit scarce visible in the writings or practices of any that now pretend most to the Gospel First we think it lawfull nay an act of godly zeal to spit all our venom in the face of the Devill and then every contrariety to our humours opinions interests looking like him and presum'd to have much of the Devill in it though indeed of Christ must be serv'd with the same sauce Lastly if any be offended with the ill savour the Devill leaves behind him when he flies away in fume he may know that Melancthon a grave Author reports the same circumstance of the same Spirit or one of that Regiment being flouted away by Luther and some others that when a Devill comes off with shame in such an assault he becomes a laughing-stock to his fellow-Devills in the air spectators of the combat S. Paul affirming 1 Cor. 4. 9. That we are made a spectacle to Angells as well as to the world and men Now the Passions of mens souls oft reflecting their Images so cleer upon their bodies in colour gesture and some other more gross demonstrations why may not the perturb'd imagination of a wicked Spirit produce the like symptomes upon its aërial Vehicle Much more reason in nature might be given to assert the probability of Such a Phaenomenon but that the Book 's short and the Preface must not be long I commend thee to the grace of God in a sober use of these discoveries of thy self Ch. Hotham CHAP. I. Of the causes of fear or sadness what the astonishment and anguish is about spirituall things ALL sadness and fear where with a man terrifies and amazeth himself is in his inward man from the soul for the outward Spirit which hath his original from the Starrs and Elements is not in this sort troubled because he lives in his Mother which bore him but the poor soul is with Adam entred into a forein harbour viz. Into the Spirit of this world wherewith the beautifull creature is veild and captivated as in a darksome prison Now the Spirit of this world hath four sorts of lodgings wherein the pretious jewell is shut up Of these four there is but one principally manifest to one man as 't is with the four Elements which every man hath in himself and is himself the same being except his soul which is not of that Essence though it lie as a prisoner in it and of these four lodgings or Images one only hath the predominance in his life the names of them are as followeth 1. Cholerick 2. Sanguine 3. Phlegm 4. Melancholy 1. The first viz. the Cholerick is of the feavers property causes a stout courage hasty anger swelling pride self-willedness mindlesness of others This image shines after the outward world in a side-light labours after the power of the Sun and will alwayes be a Lord 2. The second viz. the Sanguine is after the nature of Air subtill friendly cheerfull yet not of a stout courage it is mutable and easily moved from one thing to another receives naturally the Starry properties and knowledge into her essence its pure and chast and brings great mystery of knowledge into her understanding 3. The Phlegmatick is after the waters nature and property fleshly rude and soft of a feminine will of but a reasonable comprehension yet holds fast what it hath once attained knowledge must be infused into it by teaching for she finds it not in her own root She takes all in good part troubles not her self with grief hath a glance of light is neither extremely sad or merry but is altogether of a middle and common temper 4. The Melancholy being of the earths nature and property is as the earth cold frozen dark and full of heaviness hungry after the light alwayes fearfull of the wrath of God For the Earth and Stones are on the outside of the Eternall essentiality i. e. are comprehended or captivated in the kindled desire in the Fiat both according to the property of the anger and love the good and evill are in them mixt one with another the Good stands in a perpetual fear of the Evill which make a perpetual flight and pursuit as 't is to be seen in metalls whose Tincture is good but the body altogether earthly evill and of an angry corrosive nature whereupon the Tincture of the Metalls as soon as the malignant starry influence toucheth it would fly from the earthly and uncenter it self from it hence comes the growth of the Metalls for their Tincture drives their desire out of it self and desire to fly away but receives in the desire such a corporiety as the spirit or desire it self is hence ariseth the Metallick body The Melancholy nature is dark and dry yields little corporiety consumes and corrodes it self inwardly in its own being remains constantly in the house of mourning and even when the Sun shines in her yet is she in her self sorrowfull she receives indeed some refreshment from the Suns glance but in the dark she is alwaies in fear and horror of Gods Judgement Observe here further the nature of the sad minde IF this Complexion hath predominance in a man so that it be his proper complexion then doth the poor soul as the pretious jewell inhabit this house and must during the time of the life if she hath not yet fully attained the light of God in herself help
herself with the glance of the Sun seeing the Divine Light-eye was in Adam shut up to her in the earthly property into which she entred The Soul hath in Adam suffered the complexion as also the Spirit of the great world the Starrs and Elements to enter into her which during the time of this life dwell intermixedly the one in the other the Soul in the complexion and the complexion in the Soul yet one of them comprehends not the other essentially the Soul is deeper than the outward Spirit though in this life they hang upon each other as the inward and outward world neither of which yet is the other so likewise the outward Spirit is not the Soul Know further that The Soul is in her substance a Magicall fire-fountain or property out of God the Fathers Nature a vehement desire after the light as God the Father from eternity with a most intense longing desires his heart to wit the Center of light and in his desiring will begets him out of the firy property as the light is now usually born out of the fire Now there can be no fire but there must be also there a root for the firy subsistence to wit the Center or image to Nature this the soul hath also in it self and burns out of the Image to Nature or the Naturall complexion to wit out of the dark world which in her fountain of desire drives it self till unto the firy property then desires it the liberty i. e. the light as in the Book of the threefold life is expressed So then the Soul being a hungry Magicall Spirit-fire desires spirituall essentiality and power wherewith she may nourish and preserve her fire-life and still the thirst of her firy fountain Now 't is well known how that she hath with Adam in his disobedience entred into the Spirit of this world and eaten of it Whereupon Christ became a man in our essence that he might bring her again thorough the Center and thorough Gods fire into his light namely into the world of meekness which in the person of Christ was actually but our soul seeing that from the mothers wombe it remains involved in the Spirit of the great world in the Complexions it eats from the very birth yea even in the mothers wombe of the Spirit of this world The Soul eats spiritual meat namely of the Spirit of the image of the complexions not altogether their essence but Magically it is the kindling of their fire The Complexions in the soules fire become soulish or of a soular property They are as wood and fire to each other understand by wood the Complexion by fire the Soul Now the fire must have fewell viz. Either the outward complexion or a divine essentiality of Gods Nature of one of these must she eat or dy but 't is not possible for her to perish seeing she is a desire and where there is a desiring there is also a being the desire makes a being to it self By this we understand whence ariseth such a difference in the wills and actions of men For of what the Soul eats and wheerin her fire-life is kindled thereafter doth the life of the Soul exercise her Regiment Goe's the Soul out of her complexion into Gods Love-fire into the heavenly essentiality which is Christs corporiety according to the Angelicall light-world then eats she of Christs heavenly flesh of his eternal essentiality of the mildness of the Majestick light in which the fire of God the Father in the glance resplendence of the light makes a Tincture in the same essentiality in the waterfountain of everlasting life whereof Christ speaks saying that he would give us such water to drink Of this water doth the souls fire eat as of Divine heavenly essentiality which in the Tincture is converted into heavenly and spiritual blood whence ariseth in the Soul a Godly will wherewith she compells the body to do that which according to its own inclination and spirit of this world it would not do in such souls the Complexion rules not but remaines only in the lower fleshly nature exercises the Regiment as to the outward body onely The man enquires after Gods Word and hath alwayes an uncessant longing after God his desire is ever to discourse of God would always gladly tast more of Gods sweetness but is clouded and hindred by the Complexion in so much that he lives in a continuall combat The Soul fights againsts the Complexion for they are here linked together in one band and the Complexion against the Soul it would ever gladly enter into the Souls fire and kindle it self and obtain a life in it For when the Soul eats of Gods Word the complexion according to the outward life becomes powerless and as it were a captive thâ—ugh it live in it self But the soul is so stedfast and faithful before Gods Love which alone comes to her help in the combat that oft when she eats of Gods Love and essence she induceth a triumph and a Divine taste into the complexion it self that the whole body begins to be roused up into a trembling and height of joy as Paradise were now approaching but his condition proves not durable for the soul is shortly after overshadowed with something of another nature which is insinuated into the Complexion by the outward imagination from the Spirit of the great world whereof she makes a looking-glass and begins to contemplate in it with her outward imagination Thus goes she out from the Spirit of God and is oft bemired in the dirt were it not that the Virgin Wisdom of God should call her again to conversion which is here set down as a Looking glass for souls Further of the Complexions WHen the Soul imagines into the Complexion and eats of it and turns herself from Gods Word and Will she then doth after the property of the Complexion she embraces all whatsoever is injected by the Starrs unto the Complexion all that the Spirit of the great world brings into the complexion by its imagination She empoysons herself thorough the desire in the complexion in the whole outward Nature in all that the world doth in words and works Such matter as this the desire of the complexion brings into the soul-fire or its fewell and the Soul-fire burnes or feeds it self therein Here we see how all evill deeds and works burn in the fire of God the Father in which the Soul consists what is not agreeable to Gods Love that cannot the Love receive Here find we likewise what and how sin is how Gods anger is kindled when in the burning or life of the soul such abomination as a man works is brought in to him which withhold the Soul from Gods Love and make the Soul-fire stark-blind to Gods Wisdom and Light For the Spirit of God enters not into the fire burning or life of the abomination till the Soul again goes out of it and bathes it self again in the water of the eternal Life which comes to
whole soul confidence in one ther 's strength enough in one to withstand him thou maist in it strength wilt thou but wrap up thy soul in it easily put him to shame Neither can he touch thee nor will he long abide thy presence If thou manfully stand thy ground and give not back he becomes a laughing-stock to his other agents employed in his service among men and also the holy Angells therefore he usually takes his wings and flies away before he be forc'd by those tart scoffings to avoid the place Repeat therefore as need requires that one saying thou hast made choise of fix it in thy heart and from thence strengthen thy courage against him the Spirit that lies hid in the holy Oracle will not fail to stand by thee Though the soul tremble before him stand firm though in the wrath his own principle against him yea though thou art in fear of thy life thou shalt suffer no hurt He dare not force thee nor indeed hath he any power to touch the soul during this life for Christ hath unlock◠the door of grace it now stands wide open to the poor finner while he lives upon earth this door of grace stands open in the soul Christ hath in his soul broke ope the Iron gate that was fast shut up in Gods wrath Now all souls have a communion and correspondence with this soul they all come from one and are altogether one tree with many branches his breaking open of that prison is from him gone forth upon all souls from Adam till the last men the door of grace stands open to them all God hath shut it up to none but those that will needs exclude themselves The signe or mark of his ingress into the manhood is manifest to all souls the same will be a witness over all ungodly men in the judgment day which they have despised Though our sins saith Esaias were as red as blood yet stands the door of mercy still open for in the sinners conversion they shall be made as white as the snowy wool further sayes the Prophet Esaias Can a mother forget her child that she take not pity of the son of her wombe She may possibly forget it but I will no forget you for I have markt you in mine hand viz. In his hand pierc'd thorough with the sharp nailes and in his spear-wounded side did he engrave the everlasting memorial of the soul of all souls Will now any man not come and rest himself therein but contemn the mark of Christ or suffer the Devill to cover it he is himself in the fault and though he cover it yet remains it still deep engraven in the greatest sinner that lives on earth For Esaias sayes in the Spirit of Christ Though a mother forget her children which she cannot do but with great grief yet shall his love and grace never be forgotten he forgets not the souls though never so deep dyed in the sinfull Tincture for he hath engraven their character in his own Blood and Death not of some only but of the whole tree intire with its root branches and as sin came from one upon all so saith the Apostle came righteousness through Christ upon all As the sin from one pierc'd through all unto death so had the righteousness out of Christ its impenetration from one into the whole stock with all its branches to animate them to a new life But that all men partake not of this life the fault is in their own will their will is free Gods will is that all men should be holpen and Psal. 5. Thou art not a God that willest the evill And Ezek. As true as I live saith the Lord I will not the death of a sinner but rathat he be converted and live Therefore let no soul think the measure of mine iniquities is full God hath forgotten me I cannot be sav'd No it cannot be so he hath engraven her in his nail-pierced hands She is a sprig of the great tree of all souls and hath an invisible commerce and communion with all as the branch with the tree While she lives in this world so long as she is clothed with flesh and blood she remains yet in the tree Of the temptation arising from the complexion and insluence of the Starrs ALL temptation comes not from the Devill especially with melancholy men but the most part of that afflicting sadness which falls so heavy upon them comes from the imagination of the soul which being necessitated to dwell in dark melancholy habitations no wonder if it be easily surprised with heaviness so as to think God hath forgotten her and will have none of her For the melancholy complexion is dark and hath no light of its own as the other complexions have yet is not this darkness essentiall to the soul but is only her lonesome tabernacle during her pilgrimage here on earth nor doth the souls holiness and righteousnes consist at all in the complexion but is deep rooted viz. in the inward heavenly principle where God dwells For as S. Paul says Philip 3. Our conversation is in heaven Now this Heaven wherein God dwels is not manifested in the outward complexion but only in it self viz. in the second principle It oft happens that the holiest souls are in this manner overwhelmed with sadness and this not without Gods speciall permission to the end they may be proved and strive the more earnestly after that heavenly crown of victory which is given them in this life as a pledge of their everlasting felicity For when the soul takes heaven as 't were by storm and winns her crown the gift of the Holy Ghost after a constant persevering stedfastness in the fiery conflict her Crown of triumph is much more noble and pretious than that which is not obtain'd till after the bodily death for the Revelation of Jesus Christ saith To him that over comes will I give to sit with me upon my Throne as I have overcome and am seated on my Fathers Throne Item To him that overcomes will I give to eat of the hidden Manna and will give him a good testimony and with the Testimony a new name written which no man knows but he that receives it But to return to the natural cause of sadness in the melancholy complexion There oft happens a malignant conjunction of the Starrs or Eclypse of the Sun or Moon which if it chance to be in an earthly signe and ♂ poyson the ☌ with his hellish influence then does the influence of this ☌ mightily terrify this soul enwrapt in the melancholy complexion she always imagines 't is the fierce wrath of God is risen up against her or that t is the Devill is now come to hale her away into Hell For her complexion being strongly imbiterd with ♂ his venemous beames and finding herself enclos'd in a desolate and dark dwelling she presently imagins God hath cast her from him and will have none of her and this
especially when she casts her imagination into the complexion by an anxious search and so feeds upon ♂ his poysonous breath blowes up her fire-life therewith then is she fill'd with a most bitter anguish and horible fear of the Devill and Gods wrath in her Then begins she to speculate and think that God hath not ordain'd her to eternall life in Jesus Christ whereupon she becomes so discontented that she cannot willingly lift up her eyes and countenance to God thinketh herself such a heinous sinner that the door of grace is wholly shut up against her But all this is nothing really but a fancy arising from the complexion disturbed by the starry influence wherewith the soul plagues herself For when the Macrocosmick Spirit hath in the Constellations vehicle insinuated it self into her it acts in her like a Hocus-Pocus fills her brain with strange fancies in so much that both the deluded soul is therewith much afflicted and the outward spirit enflames it self in the earthy origination whence the centrall wheel of Nature whirles fast about that the Spirit cannot fixedly lay hold upon and stay the thoughts which is properly madness with which we oft hear how melancholy men are infested Which when the Devill sees he injects likewise his imagination torments the soul yet worse but he hath no power to hurt her but by herself only the same principle which is the fountain of anguish in the soul is also the fountain of his life as Devil and therefore he is most delighted in such a lodging Except in this he hath a perfect abhorrency from the whole nature of mankind Therefore let no man thus tormented with anguish imagin within himself in the assaults of the complexion that it comes from Gods wrath and want of mercy in him which is a meer fancy of his own complexion in the starrs For we well see that the vilest fatted swine of the Devills herd that wallow and bath themselves day and night in the filth of sin are not so full of sadness not so assaulted with this kinde of temptation the reason is because they have an outward light in the complexion wherein they dance before the Devill in an Angells likeness So as long as there is but one little sparke of light glimmering in a mans heart which desires Gods grace and would gladly partake of salvation the door of Gods grace stands yet open For he who is given over by God whose sin is come to the full measure he is not at all sollicitous after God Man or Devill but is stone-blind runs on carelesly in a course of lightness without fear rests himself upon a customary practise of some outward service of God goes a beast into the sanctuary and comes again a beast out there is in him no true divine knowledge but all his religion is a meer outward custome and Chimaera of mans brain which he sets up to himself as an Idol and embraces it as his holiness Hereby may the Melancholy minde perceive that God doth not so thoroughly manifest his wrath in this life For however the ungodly be punish'd by God in this life he looks at the punishment not as coming from a divine hand but as a thing casually befallen him But that this troubled conscâ—ence is rather a subject of his pity than wrath that of the Prophet Esay doth sufficiently evidence A bruised read will he not break and smoking flâ—x will he not quench Item Matth. 11. Come to me all yee that are sadned in spirit and I will refresh you Now his yoke is this that what in the course of Nature or by speciall providence befalls the soul be it temptation persecution weakness of body or spirit a man bear it with patience and cast himself with a resigned will into Gods free love and mercy The affliction then cannot hurt the soul at all but rather much profits it For while she sits contentedly in the house of mourning she is not in the house of sin viz. the worlds pride and voluptuousness for God holds her hereby fast chain'd from ranging abroad to immerse herself in the delights of sin She must be content to remain in sorrow for a little while but alas what is it how soon will she be at liberty from her sorrowfull prison and have the victorious Crown of everlasting joy set upon her head O Eternity thy duration is of a vast extent what is it for a soul to be a small moment of time in sadness and after that to rejoyce everlastingly for God will wipe all teares from their eyes As long as there is in the soul but one single sparke that breaths after God Gods spirit is it self present in that spark For that a man is desirous of God and earnestly labours after him with a longing thirst comes in no wise from the now corrupted nature of man but 't is the impulse of the Father in his Son Jesus Christ drawing the soul towards him The Holy Ghost is it self the divine desire No man can desire God without Gods Spirit which is alwayes in such desire and holds fast the will of the desire in God whereby the poor soul is preserv'd from falling away for S. Paul saith We know not what we should speak before God when we pray but the spirit of God intercedes for us with gronings which cannot be uttered according to the good pleasure of God Why should we then any longer rest in pusillanimous doubting of his grace and good will towards us he is far more willing at all time to receive us to mercy than we are to come to him See how he dealt with the lost Son which had wasted his Fathers inheritance among the Devills fatted swine and was now become a naked and filthy swineherd how as soon as he saw him returning to him he fell upon his neck and kissed him saying This is my dear Son whom I had once lost but is now come home again he was dead but is now again restor'd to life how he stirr'd up himself with his whole house neighbourhood to rejoyce over his once prodigall Son return'd again into his bosom according to what Christ in another place testifies more explicitely that there is joy in Heaven among the Angells of God over one sinner that repenteth more than over 99 just persons that need no repentance This lost Son is no other than the wretched sinfull man when he begins to be sensible how great a sinner he hath been and thinks of betaking himself to Gods mercy then doth our most gracious Father in Christ Jesus go out to meet him embraces him with the deepest joy and both the Angells and holy Souls in Heaven rejoyce exceedingly that a beloved Soul a dear brother is come up to them from out of the house of sin and death The sorrowfull soul troubles and torments herself because she cannot presently in the point of her desire exsuscitate dig up in herself the fountain of the greatest joy she sighs and bewailes
of God when it reveales it selfe in the soule comes like that still voyce of God to Elias clad with the greatest humility and meek calmeness of spirit O what a blessed serenity and divine triumph doth calm the fire complexion in the soul at its appearance there but it here rather remaines in its own inward center and hath very rarely its outflowings into outward skirts of this self-admiring masterfull complexion Therefore take warning strive diligently after meekness in words and works so shall not thy complexion be able to kindle the fire of hell in thee for God loves a humble and contrite spirit Thou art not by thy complexion at all debarr'd from communion with God provided thou abuse not the good of it and beware of the evill be sure thou dost all with a sincere desire to the sole honour of God and crucify thine own will and then thy complexion shall do thee no harm Of the Sanguine THou maist live orderly according to this noble complexion but let not hypocrisy take place in it By the largness of thy comprehension thou art capable of great inventions Take heed thou bring not stubble and straw into thy sanguin habitation and mistake and give it forth for the Holy Ghost For thou hast in the complexion a shining light t is but humane however defile it not nor embase it by the letting in of earthy vanity A sober temperate life is good for thee keep thy self carefully from drunkenness els thou castest thy self wilfully into thine enemies armes Thou art much inclin'd to Love place it upon the right object love not unchastity and pride And though thou beest naturally of a pliant gentle and humble disposition yet mayest thou be easily surpris'd with pride For thou bearest about thee as the air and upper waters a receptacle of all the influences of the Starrs and Planets If thou wilt enter into the fear of God and behave thy self a right therein thou mayest easily find the Great Mystery yet not of thy self but through Gods gracious revelation only thou hast above other complexions a lightsome chamber and an open door thereunto Therfore beware with what kind of food thou nourish thy soul For there is nothing so good by nature but it may be converted and abus'd to evill by the letting in that which is evill to contaminate and commix with it If men despise thee pass it over with neglect and trust in God for this will oft happen unto thee from the wise of this world by reason of the candid simplicity of thy disposition Keep well what thou hast content thy self with the pure simplicity of the Divine wisdom and have not much commerce with the subtill inventions of the alienated humanity lest otherwise to thy hurt thou admit of a stranger into thy noble palace T is better to suffer here a little shame than everlasting misery hereafter If thou shouldst addict thy self to drunkenness the Devill would then bring into thy tender house great misfortune and much evill For thy complexion is most hatefull to him being a property wherein he can have no possession till he hath first induc'd to infect it by false imagination or some sinfull mis-use of the creature A private quiet life is best for thee but thou art full of wandring thoughts and like the air thou art resembl'd to easily tak'st in all impressions and as easily lett'st them vanish again Take heed to thy goings out and comings in mark well what thou lettest out of thy soul and what thou tak'st in that it be not the product of a Starry influence but a genuine issue of the Deity in thee els if thou be not very watchfull thou mayst be easily misled to the deceiving both of thy self and others Of the Phlegmatick THe truth and righteousness were an excellent medicine in thee for otherwise thou art full of lies and little regardest what thou givest forth or takest in Poor soul thou hast a very dangerous way and a vast Ocean of sorrow to pass thorough in this complexion thou art naturally inclin'd to a perpetual defilement of thy self in sin both in words and deeds water hath indeed a bright transplendence and repercussion of light but t is for all that a faint deceitfull mirrour and such is that of the poor soul in this complexion For the water receives all things indifferently into it self be they good or ill which it keeps and darkens it self therewith In like manner goes it with this complexion she receives all the poysonous influences of the Starrs into her imagination and presents them as a Looking-glass to the poor captive soul to contemplate in which false shadow she mistaking for a substance modells for herself in words and works answerable thereunto O what a treasury of smooth glozing words hath this complexion in store to sell like the fresh-springing waters to every one at an easie or no cost yet not unmixt with a conseal'd bitterness from the Starrs-infection It makes no scruple of deceiving with lying pretences which are the fair tapestry its hypocrisie lies shrouded under There 's no deceit seems too much to this complexion Lies are her mantle of hypocrisy with a superficial appearance to be good Christians and servants of God though living in Babel Thou dost not easily of thy self discover the unrighteousness of thine own wayes but if a man come before thee with a spark of the true light thou mayst receive it into thy mirrour The best counsell for thee is that thou know thy self a man more than ordinarily addicted to sin yet mayst well enter into effectuall repentance if thou wilt pray to God for the goverment of thy floting water by his holy Spirit wherewith the deprav'd affection and desire of thy constellation may be restrain'd that it possess not the soul and drive it on headlong into all folly A temperate sobriety will also conduce much to thy health both of body and mind and to stand always upon thy watch and to be frequent in prayer and constant in the fear of God will secure thee against all the evill of thy nature and constellation For he that is wholly acted by his constellation lives no otherwise than a beast But when a man sets up the fear of God as a ruler in his heart the Soul then becomes Lord of her outward inclinations and compells them all into an obedience to the divine light otherwise the cōplexion becomes the souls master and instructer which though she cannot govern in her own power yet she presents before the soul in her mirrour the several effects of the configurations of the Starrs and elements wherewith the foul comes to be bewitched and led into captivity Conclusio totius Therefore let a man behave himself as becomes a man giving the dominion of his life to the manly reason and light of God shining therein and not suffer himself to be hurried on by the brutish instincts of his complexion as a beast to the slaughter so may he win the possession of the highest and eternall good let his complexion be what it will For there is no complexion so noble and pure in nature but is capable of infection from the malignant impresses of the Starres and of the Devill and so the man in danger of being there by led captive into sin and death if forsaking his true pilot he will suffer his ship to be carried on by every wind blowing from that principle Therefore is that of S. Peter to all complexions a most necessary and seasonable aviso 1 Pet. 5. 8 9. Be sober and Watch for your adversary the Devill goes about as a roaring Lion seeking whom he may devour Withstand him in the faith and fear of God and be never securely careless of his temptations FINIS
pass thorough a serious repentance then is the Soul renewed again in the fire of Gods mildness as a new born child and begins again to drink of the same water and lives in God CHAP. II. Of the foure Complexions in particular with their properties what the Soul and the whole man doth kindles her fire-life meerly from the complexion and influence of the Starrs Of the Cholerick IS the Souls-life clothed encompassed with the Cholerick Complexion then is she Firy Furious Haughty and Fretting makes also to it self a body of a temper correspondent Lâ—â—â—e Malignant subject to fury and wrath and if the Soul imagine therein then doth she yet more vehemently kindle and enflame the complexion the Soul it self being of a firy Nature Then become these following dispositions operative in such a man viz. Anger Pride an ambitious desire with power and high-mindedness to bring all men in subjection under him he is an insulter over despiser of those that are in misery and a Tyrant over those that are in subjection to him he cares not though he die in anger except it come to pass that the Starrs hinder which oft joyning themselves with the complexion lay a bair in the way and hinder many things There is great danger in this complexion if the soul live according to the outward imagination and the bond is the harder stronger there being one firy essence linked to another The fierce Devill hath a powerfull a proach to this complexion for the fire's property is his servant the Devill is also proud and envious so is this complexion O how hardly is the soul freed if she be once thorough kindled and enflamed in this property the Devill needs not assault her with temptation she danceth willingly after his pipe She is not easily sad because she hath a firy light in her complexion and thinks alwayes that 't is the Divine light and her wayes are holy and good but as long as the soul goes no higher than the complexion t is a proud envious wrathfull violent oppressing will or Spirit She desires in her pomp to make a glorious show out of her firy complexion and in the height of her pride and arrogance will be reputed holy O thou Devill in an Angells shape how dark art thou when the firy glance of thy complexion comes to be put out by death CHAP. III. Of the Sanguine Complexion THe Sanguine Complexion is milde lucid and cheerfull after the Airs property easy gentle and lovely and resembles much the inward life whence these properties slew into the outward man If the soul be clothed with this complexion and will fix her imagination and life in it then doth she demean herself friendly is also subtill desirous to try many things It likewise comes to pass whatsoever the constellation modells forth she experiments it in her complexion She is naturally cheerfull yet soon amased at the terrors of the fires power but in herself she is great in her own conceit without advice The complexion gives her a sharp understanding according to the outward spirit She doth not ordinarily transgresse thorough anger She is seen lifted up into a height of spirit and as soon again cast down as the Air easily moveable She must look well to herself the Devill is much enraged against her being not able to get much advantage against her but he endevours to perplex her with variety of imaginations that she may not fix her thoughts upon Gods Kingdom He represents strange things to her fancy for her to spend her time in and she herself delights in various studies The starrs inject their imagination into the Air and from hence her fancy is filled with many strange wide-wandring thoughts The man converses humbly friendly candidly and peaceably with all men yet doth the Devill set on his enemies against him whence he must suffer much but glides easily like the soft Air thorough all and seldom is he troubled with much sadness For he having no firy complexion burning within his heart the firy terrors cannot much corrode his vitalls only let him be carefull to preserve himself from unchastity and Idolatry for els by their means the Devill will find an ingress into his complexion CHAP. IV. Of the Phlegmatick or watry Complexion WHen the soul is clothed with this complexion and swells up the principle of her life with it she is of a dull heavy swinish and rude temper of life and conversation most perverse and careless of a grosse corporature slight understanding yet capable through teaching of any ordinary skill If she be not inspirited by the Lunar influence she prove an arrant blockhead yet by the same influence becomes mostwhat inclinable to wickedness and injustice A man may make any thing out of this complexion the watry spirit takes any Tincture to it self be it good or bad this complexion makes likewise a hypocriticall pretense to holiness arrogates to it self the repute of an honest righteous life but t is not without mixture in this it resembles the glittering property of the water the soul in this complexion is not prone to take much notice of Gods wrath and the dark world that lies hid in her center but rather bites greedily on the worldly abomination and hides herself under the water-glance supposing it to be the resplendence of the divine light The Devill can introduce all the vilany he exercises in Hell it self into this complexion and if the starrs hinder not the soul will give way to it he gets as much advantage here as he doth in the fire of the Cholerick complexion For sin here is little regarded as the water-stream that passes away He hath power likewise to assault this soul with sadness whensoever she goes about to oppose him For he darkens the water-glance with the sinns foulness which she had brought in and shuts in the soul in this dark prison that she cannot behold God but when the soul with a strong resolution storms the prison-gates she delivers herself the Devill can subsist here no longer the complexion is too weak a hold the fire is his stronger fortress CHAP. V. Of the Melancholy complexion THE Melancholy complexion resembles the sad earth which stands in a perpetual fear before the wrath of God which came into her in the Creation It gives a moderate understanding yet of deep cogitations The complexion-chamber stands open and is capable of much knowledge if the way be not blocked up by too much sadness Is the soul clothed with this complexion and takes she her nourishment from it then doth her fire burn extreme dark then is she likewise exceeding sad esteems not much of any worldly pomp and is by reason of the complexion alwayes in heaviness the Devill mightily assaults her being desirous to throw her headlong into the full possession of his Kingdom of darkness For he enters there gladly where darkness hath the predominance he makes strange representations to the soul and frights her with the
her sad condition thinks God will have none of her when she cannot palpably feel his presence She sees other men that walk along with her in the way of Gods fear that yet are cheerfull enough and supposing this cheerfulness of theirs proceeds only from a divine fountain of love and light in their souls is conceited that she is not accepted with God but rather rejected by him because she does not presently upon her conversion which she expected feel in her heart the like comfortable effects of the refreshing presence of God Before the time of my enlightning it went even thus with me I stood out a hard conflict before I obtain'd my precious Crown of victory and then did I first learn out this experimental knowledge that God dwells not in the outward fleshy heart but in the souls center in himself then was I also first aware of it that 't was God which had laid hold on me and drawn me to him in my first desire which before I was ignorant of thinking the good desire had been my own property and that God was indeed far from me But afterwards I saw him and rejoyc'd at the unspeakable grace and love of God and now write the same for a caveat that they by no meanes faint or despair when the comforter delayes his comming but rather think of that of David Heaviness may endure for a night but joy commeth in the morning Thus hath it far'd with many of the chiefest saints of God they were forc'd to strive a long time for their Crown of Victory nor indeed is any man crown'd therewith till he hath passed as a Conqueror through the combat T is indeed deposited neer the soul but in the second principle the soul stands fixt upon the first principle and therefore if she will have the Crown set upon her head in the time of this life she must earnestly fight and contend for it And then if she go not so far as to obtain it in this world yet she obtains it after this life in the laying down of this earthly tabernacle For Christ saith Be of a good comfort I have overcome the world and in the world you have sorrow but in me peace The precious pearl lies in many an assaulted and troubled spirit much neerer than in them that think they have already comprehended it but it hides it self for where it lies richest and most noble there will it not easily discover it self but rather wraps it self close up as if it would never be communicated therefore let no soul be hereby terrified or amazed She therefore hides herself that the desire of the soul being the more earnestly enflamed after her may in the comprehension drink deep to assuage her thirst and meanwhile knock unweariedly at her gates till it be opened unto him For sayes Christ Seek and ye shall find knock and it shall be opened unto you And My Father will give the Holy Spirit to them that pray to him for it Have a certain assured confidence upon Gods promise and however thy misgiving heart say no yet let not this affright thee For to believe is not to be fill'd with joy in the fleshly heart and outward complexion that the fleshly mind and Spirit be so jocund that the very heart and reines leap for joy this is not faith but these are only some love emanations from the Holy Ghost within a divine lightning which hath no stability but after a short resplendence disappeares For God dwells not in the outward heart or complexion but in himself in the second center in the Jewell of the noble Image of Gods likeness which is hidden in this outward world But the true Faith is that the Spirit of the Soul with its will and desire goes into and thirsts after that it neither sees nor feeles here understand that of the soul in it self precisely considered stands not in this time yet she sends in the subtill spirit of the will which hath its original from her fire-life and in this spirit of the will is the pretious pearle received so that the souls-fire now remaines in the desire For so as the pearl remaines in the spirit of the will so long does the desire remain in the soul For this pearl is a spark of the Divine love t is the engin with which the Father drawes the soul unto him in his love the soul must therefore stand fast in her desire even when the outward reason out of the dark Complexion speaks a flat contradiction and denies Gods presence there Were not God present there could be no desire or will after him in the estranged soul For where God is not in the Spirit of the will the soul is as wholly blind and dead as to God desires not God at all nor hath any want or breathing after him but lives and disports himself in the heaven of his own natural light and self-pleasing imaginations only is a more subtil piercing understanding than the other beast of the field his souls natural essence being of a higher gradation than theirs Therefore by no means let any troubled soul suffer the complexion to fasten such an imagination as this upon his heart that God is not present with her will have none of her other wise the soul feeding upon such imagination becomes exceeding heavy It s a very great sin for the mind to shape out such a fancy in the heart for by this means the soul which is a noble creature out of Gods Nature falls into great anxiety and the Phantasy kindles the souls fire with this fewell and causes it to burn in the painfull principle Dear soul think no other when the anxious property of thy complexion thus kindled by the starrs begins to move but that thou then standest as a labourer in Gods vineyard thou must not stand idle but be working thou dost God herein a great and very considerable piece of service And thy labour is this that thou overcome the temptation by an unmoveable faith however no comfort in the outward heart appear to support it Be not deceived T is not faith to give assent to what I see and feel but this is faith to trust the hidden Spirit and believe the truth of its words maugre all the contradiction of blind nature and this so firmly that I chuse sooner to lose my natural life than distrust his promise this is a faith which wrastles rightly with God as old Jacob did the whole night which though it neither sees nor feels the least atome of the thing hop'd for yet rests firm upon the word of promise this faith does indeed overcome God as 't was said to Jacob thou hast wrastled with God and Man and half got the upper hand If thou ask what word of promise I mean I answer 't is this My Father will give the holy Spirit to them that humbly and fervently beg it of him And this is that which the mouth of Christ it self hath further delivered When he
cometh he will lead you into all truth for he will take of mine and will make it known to you Now that thou mayest undoubtedly know that this temptation and terrour comes from the complexion I will lay before thee an example of that which happens especially to the Cholerick or firy and melancholy complexions When thou wakest by night in a dark room thou art seiz'd on with a strange kind of amazement and terror of mind and art subject to imagine that there is somewhat in the dark that affrights thee Whence now proceeds this fear Is the flesh affraid of any danger to it self no sure it would not without the force of blows be made to enter as an Oxe to the slaughter-house into that place of terror But t is the poor soul a prisoner in the flesh that is afraid in this darkness is ever sollicitous and fearfull lest the Devill should lay hold on her for she knowes that his dwelling is in the darkness and therfore fears he will be catching at her whence t is easy to be seen the fear proceeds from the imagination of the soul Thus goes it with a poor soul perpetually mur'd up in the dark chamber of the complexion she is so extremely out of heart that her thoughts cannot clear up but must grope in the dark ever fearing because of the Devill and the wrath of God Therefore should not a soul that is lockt up in the dark chamber of a melancholy complexion dwell long or scarce at all in speculations about the wrath of God nor give it self much to solitude but rather spend its time in godly conferences For so the matter of those friendly and profitable yeelding sufficient entertainment to the working phancy t is by this means handsomely diverted from her torturing cogitations For no deep speculation is in this state profitable for her which seeing she cannot turn it to her souls health and comfort its better she let it alone Such a man must also take heed of reading such books as teach the doctrines of a partial and personal election and Predestination of men to salvation or damnation They all teach with misunderstanding and do not explain the doctrin aright according to the sense and declaration of the mysticall language of the Holy Ghost of which I have given a further and better explanation in my other writings Neither is it good for him to perplex his thoughts with the reading of many books but rather to adhere solely to the Scriptures in which he shall find durable and steddy comfort But if God hath given him naturally a deep-searching understanding in which the soul cannot cease her perpetual diving to the bottom of the deep mystery let him in Gods fear be take himself in continual prayer to God for the opening to him the center of Nature in the finding whereof the soul will be at rest For there she sees the corner-stone on which the grand fabrick of human souls is bottom'd and so all fear and sadness quickly vanishes away of which I am able to say by experience with soul chearing and establisht light is attaind by him that hath found this center But no self-seeking or self-opinionated understanding is able by his deepest searching to find it out Yet does not God willingly shut it up from any man but it must be sought and found out in the fear of God by a constant importunity in prayer for t is the greatest treasure in this world he that finds it hath an easy egress out of Babel The Melancholy Complexion should also with great care avoid drunkenness that the soul be not overladen and press'd down by the power of the earth For when the body thus loads it self with drink the earthy fumes of the strong liquor presently take possession of the complexion chamber then does the soul entring therein with the imagination to her great hurt feed upon the earthly property kindles her fire therewith and for a short time rejoyces in it but the earthy floating fumes of the drink which danc't those merry Anticks in his brain must ere long vanish into air and he like a man warm'd by a wisp of straw returns a prisoner to his old frozen Melancholy which hath contracted it self in a heavy and darker consistency by the antiperistasis a of false light of this momentany refection Then stands the poor soul as most desolate and more than ever forsaken of God for she loses in the overflowing of the earthly property the divine imagination and desire for the Spirit of God will not have his dwelling in the earthly imagination Then ariseth in the Soul a sad dispairing repentance as if she were accursed of God The wrath of God does then set it self against her as if it would root her up from her very center and throw her into the bottomless pit of darkness then falls the man into great heaviness and it may be for an easement of his grief again associates himself with his pot-companions to refresh himself with them in their sottish joviality Thus do these foolish drunkards whose company he is now linkt in add one day of sin to another and plunge his and their own souls almost irrecoverably into the earthly darkness and the wrath of God I speak it as a most certain truth which I have a well-grounded knowledge of in the Center of Nature and deepest principle of life Let the Melancholy soul beware also of inflaming it self with anger For wrath is her greatest poyson and drives her to madness which is cleerly seen in the Center For the complexion-Chamber is rude and unpolisht like the wild and uncultivated earth to which t is best resembled t is also as the earth was in the beginning of the Creation of it self without form and void and hath but a very slender hold on the great wheel of nature Whence it falls out that upon a too vehement excitation of the fire of anger the wheel of nature whirles about with such a tumultuous noise that it makes the body of the angry man even visibly to tremble Now then the complexion-chamber being so empty and void of substance the broken wheel cannot so easily cement again nor the thoughts be reduc'd to an orderly consistency or composedness but all runs about in a hurly burly fierce firy driving of wrath and fury so that the mind cannot fix the thoughts in any steddy posture of cogitation as in mad men is most apparently seen Nor is he knowing of what he does but as the disorder'd wheel of the inward Nature moves so are the tumultuous motions of the outward members of the body the Devill also slily delights to fish in these troubled waters insinuates his imagination therewith aggravates the madness yet more and makes it his instrument to work much mischief This wheel well becometh the outward Spirit but then the poor soul also layes hold on it and causeth it to make impressions of great horrour upon her Spirit Yet let no man pronounce any soul
damned during the time of this life for the heavenly sign of the Cross remains yet upon which the door of grace standeth wide open The soul shut up in the Melancholy-chamber must likewise carefully preserve herself cleer from covetousness yea with the greatest diligence for it is a thing no less banefull to her than anger For Covetousness is an earthly desire the complexion is also earthly and this chamber being as was said empty and void its desire does naturally attract the earthly substance into its empty mansion and fills it with such dark matter wherein the meer wrath of God with all unrighteousness and falshood lies enclosed with much other evil of the nature of the terrene property which make the complexion being it self an earthly desire yet stronglier and faster tied to the earth than before Upon which earthly matter the soul-feeding with her imagination feeles afterwards upon the awakening of conscience the fierce judgement of God burning in her firy Vehicle who is inflam'd and made hot by that evill fewell of falshood and unrighteousness which covetousness had pil'd up in store Now the poor soul finding herself thus burning in Gods wrath and encompassed only with that vast congeries of that evill earthly matter of falshood and unrighteousness when this fire is still more and more kindled cannot but fall into an excess of doubting and despair of the grace of God Know therefore of a truth That for the Melancholy spirit there is nothing better than to lead a simple retir'd life in a mean condition where there is no temptation to pride and where he live soberly and temperately not having his mind charged with multiplicity of worldly cares which if he be necessitated to sometimes he must begin and end all in the fear of God and constant exercise of prayer which will carry him on with profit thorough all his emploiments For the Melancholy chamber thus prepar'd is an excellent Councellhouse it hath a door open Heaven-ward while it keeps it self in a watchfull posture of sobriety It pierces every whit as deep as the Sanguine but without Gods fear it obtains nothing beyond the shallow comprehension of the natural reason if she stand open and have her nativity in a signe of which ♄ is Lord she layes a foundation of the great mischief which hath plagued mankind almost from the beginning of the world for she builds Babel and all deception to himself and others of that nature to which with her native austerity she gains power and reverence among the sons of men Therefore let a man that is thus complexiond however knowing as he thinks of that he hath in hand attempt nothing without prayer Let him alwayes in the first place commend his heart thoughts mind will and actions into the holy hands of the highest God to be directed by his wisedom to the performance of his good pleasure and pray earnestly that he will be the sole regent in all his desires and undertakings so may the complexion freed from its delusions by the in-dwelling wisedom of God be in his hand a serviceable instrument of much good Without this none thus complexiond can in the publick office perform ought that 's good and well-pleasing to God Of the other three Complexions A generall Looking-glass wherein their severall natures and properties are represented to the discerning eye very briefly describ'd as it was out of the light of Gods grace set before the eyes of my understanding in the Spirit 1. Of the Cholerick THe man that hath his best treasure the noble Soul in habiting in the Cholerick Complexion must above all things exercise himself in humility els he stands in very great danger he must powre this water of humility and meekness into his fire that his noble Image be not therewith inflam'd above measure for she is full of pride severity and sudden anger and is therefore of all men fear'd and highly extoll'd but truly loved by few except the Divine water from heaven viz. The noble humility descend down and incorporate with her fire then doth her fire break forth into a glorious mild and harmless flame which gives light and warmth and attracts to it the affections of all men For this chamber hath a native lustre of its own in it self in the outward nature but is commonly void of mildness and humility except she have Jupiter or Venus Lord of the ascendent of her Nativity Yet hath she invelop'd under Venus his soft mantle her Devill which tortures her day and night with strong temptations to unchastity and I tell it now for a warning that there is great danger in this complexion yea much greater than in the melancholy For here comes the Devill in his Angells visard of light which as the natural proceed of the fire of the complexion tickles the souls with the pleasing sense of her native light whence she growes highminded he represents all things to her imaginations as slightly to be regarded and so she swallows down glibly and without any remorse of conscience all his poysoned baites of sin as swearing cursing light and lascivious talking so that to despite and unhallow the holy Name of God in the soul is a thing usually practis'd in this chamber the wrathful firy essence bears up the minde that it can very hardly especially in a right repentant abstinence sink it self down into a divine temper of true spiritual love and meekness It rather adheres rigidly to its wrathfull principle will subdue all by terror and make all stand in awe of him If withall its nativity happn'd to be in an earthy signe there is then small good that may tend to Gods honour to be naturally hop'd for from this complexion He therfore that hath his pretiousest treasure lockt up in this storehouse had need be very circumspect both over his inward life and outward actions For the poor deluded soul fixes her imagination thereupon and thence rejoycing in the slight comfort of that natural light takes no notice that she hath still her residence in Gods wrath in the hellish fire till either it awaken it self in her or till she come to be bereft of her outward firelustre by the death of this body Then appeares she in her native colours a proud angry Devill and must have her abode in the eternal darkness Therefore is it good for such a soul not to labour to purchase to it self any high degree of worldly power and honour but if in the way of divine providence they fall to her lot then not to please her imagination with reflecting upon the thoughts of her greatness For she hath naturally a proud fire-eye easy to be inflam'd An earnest and humble casting down of herself in prayer before God is her best security This kind of soul is easily by her firy complexion into the false complexion of a triumphant natural joy which she oft mistakes for the lively emanations of Gods Spirit but t is a gross error the approaches of the Spirit