delivered by their hands have been cloathed with the power of them And therefore thou seest the whole Tower agreeing with the Rock and made as it were out of one stone 65 So likewise they who have believed God through his Son have put on this spirit behold there shall be one spirit and one body and one colour of their garments But also they shall attain these who shall carry the names of these Virgins 66 And I said why therefore Lord are the stones thrown away which were reprobated seeing also they were translated through the Gate and delivered by the hands of these Virgins into the structure of this Tower Because quoth he thou takest care to inquire all things diligently Here concerning these stones which were cast away 67 All these have got the name of the son of God but also and the power of these Virgins Therefore having got these spirits they were perfected and brought in the number of the servants of God and one body of them began to be and one vesture For the same righteousness did they feel which they did alike excercise 68 But after that they had seen these women whom thou perceivedst first clothed with a black garment with naked shoulders and loosned hair they lusted to solicite them because of their beauty and they were indued with their power but the cloathings of the Virgins they have cast off These therefore are thrown out from the house of God and delivered to these women but these that are not corrupted through their beauty have remained in the house of God Thou hast quoth he the explication of these stones which were abjected 69 And I said if therefore Lord any of the men which are of this sort shall do repentance and shall throw away the desire of these women and being converted shall return to the Virgins and shall put on their power shall they not enter into the house of the Lord They shall enter quoth he if they shall cast off all the works of these women and shall resume the power of these Virgins and in their works shall walk And therefore is there made an intermission of building that if these shall do repentance they may be added into the structure of the Tower but if they shall not do repentance others shall be builded in their place and then they shall be thrown away together 70 For all these things I gave thanks to the Lord that over all in whom his Name was invo'kt being mov'd with clemency he should send the President Messenger of Repentance unto us who have offended him and that he should renew our Spirits now surely decaying nor having hope of Salvation but now he recreateth them unto the renewing of life 71 And I said now Lord demonstrate to me why this Tower is builded not upon on the Earth but upon the Rock and Gate Because quoth he thou art unwise and without understanding therefore thou askest And I said I have need Lord to ask thee all things because I understand nothing at all for all thy answers are great and excellent and which men can scarcely understand 72 Here saith he the Name of the Son of God is great and mighty and by it the WHOLE WORLD IS SUSTEINED if then quoth I every Creature of God is susteined by his Son why doth he not also sustein those who are invited by him and bear his Name and in his Commandments do walk Seest thou not also quoth he that he susteineth those who from their whole hearts carry his NAME Therefore he is their foundation and willingly doth bear them who deny not his Name but willingly sustein him 73 And I said demonstrate to me Lord the names of these Virgins and of these women who were cloathed with a black vesture Hear quoth he the names of the Virgins that are more powerful who obteined the corners of the gate are these The first is called FAITH the second ABSTINENCE the third POWER the fourth PATIENCE but the rest which consist below these are called by these names Simplicity Innocency Chastity Chearfulnesse Truth Wisdom Concord Charity Therefore whosoever bear these names and the Name of the Son of God they shall be able to enter into Gods Kingdom 74 Hear now the names of the women who are cloathed with black cloathing and of these four are more powerful of whom the first is called TREACHERY the second INTEMPERANCE the third UNBELIEF the fourth VOLUPTUOUSNESSE but the followers of these are so called Sadnesse Malice Lust Wrath Lying Folly Puffing up Hatred The Servant of God that beareth these Spirits shall indeed see the Kingdom of God but shall not enter into it 75 But these stones Lord which from the deep were fitted in the structure who are they The TEN quoth he which were placed in the foundations is the first age The following TWENTY FIVE is the second age of just men but these THIRTY are the Prophets of the Lord and Ministers but the FORTY are the Apostles and teachers of the Preaching of the Son of God 76 And I said why therefore Lord did these Virgins also hold forth these stones unto the structure of the Tower translated through the Port And he said for these first have born these spirits and they have not at all departed one from another nor the spirits from the men nor the men from the spirits but these spirits have been joyned to them even untill the day of their rest who except they had had these spirits with them they had not been profitable to the structure of this Tower 77 And I said also now Lord demonstrate to me what seekest thou saith he why quoth I ascended these stones out of the deep and were placed into the building of this Tower Seeing long ago they carri'd the just spirits It must needs be quoth he that by WATER they have to ascend that they may rest for they could not otherwise enter into the Kingdome of God then that they should lay down the mortality of the former life 78 Therefore they being dead were sealed with the SEAL of the Son of God and have entered into the Kingdom of God For before that a man get the name of the Son of God he is designed for death but as soon as he hath got the Seal he is freed from death and delivered to life But that seal is WATER into which men descend being bound unto death but they ascend assigned to life And to them therefore is preached that seal and they have used it that they might enter into the Kingdome of God 79 And I said Therefore why Lord did these forty stones ascend with them from the deep having already that seal And he said because these Apostles and Teachers who have preached the name of the Son of God when having his faith and power they had died They preached to these who had died before them and they gave to them that Seal Therefore they descended into the water with them and again they ascended
Tower Then these Virgins took beesoms and made it all clean and took away the rubbish and sprinkled water which being fulfilled the place was made delectable and the Tower comely 49 After that he saith to me all are made clean If the Lord shall come to consummate this Tower he shall find nothing which he may complain of us for These words when he had said he would be gone but I took hold of his bag and began to entreat him by the Lord that he would unfold all things which he had shewn me 50 He saith to me I have a little business but I will unfold all things unto thee But expect thou me here while I come I say to him Lord what shall I do here alone He answered thou art not alone for all the Virgins are with thee And I said deliver me then Lord to them So he called them and said to them I commend unto you this man untill I come 51 Therefore I remained with these Virgins but they were chearfull and affable to me but chiefly four who excelled the rest in dignity After that these Virgins say unto me that Sheepherd is not to come here to day And I said what then shall I do And they say to me expect him untill the evening if perhaps he will come and will speak with thee but if not thou shalt stay with us till he come 52 I said to them I will wait for him untill the evening but if he shall not come I will go home and return in the morning they answered me to us thou art assigned thou canst not depart from us and I said where shall I stay They say unto me thou shalt sleep with us as a Brother not as a husband for thou art our Brother and hencefore we are prepared to dwell with thee for very dear do we hold thee 53 But I was ashamed to stay with them But she who seemed to be the chief of them imbraced me and began to kiss me and the rest when they had seen me to be imbraced by her also they began to kiss me as a Brother and to lead me about the Tower and to play with me But some of them sung hymns some led dances but I walked with them about that Tower IN SILENCE joyful and did seem to my self to be made more young 54 But after it began to be night suddainly I would go home but they retained me and suffered me not to go away I stayed therefore that night with them besides that same Tower But they spread their linnen coats upon the ground and placed me in the middle nor did they do any thing else but that they prayed But also I with them prayed without intermission and no less then they who when they had seen me so praying they took great delight 55 And there I was with them untill the next day and when we had prayed to the Lord then came that Sheepherd and said unto them have ye done no injury to him And they said to him ask himself I say to him Lord great joy hath taken me that I have stayed with them And he said to me what hast thou supped on And I said I have supped Lord all the night on the WORDS of the Lord have they entertained thee well saith he And I said well Lord. 56 Wilt thou now hear And I said I will Lord and first as I shall ask thee I beseech that so thou demonstrate to me even as thou wilt saith he so I will explain the thing unto thee nor will I conceal any thing from thee 57 First of all Lord quoth I demonstrate this to me This ROCK and GATE what are they Hear saith he T is Rock and Gate is the SON of God Wherefore said I Lord is the Rock old and the Port new Hear saith he thou unwise and understand indeed the Son of God is more antient then every creature so that in Counsel he was present with his Father to frame the Creature But the Gate is therefore new because in the consummation in the last days he appeared that they who are about to attain salvation may through him enter into the Kingdome of God 58 Sawest thou quoth he these stones which through the port were translated placed in the structure of the Tower But these who were not translated through the Gate cast way into their own place And I said I saw them Lord so quoth he none shall enter into the Kingdome of God except he who shall get the Name of the Son of God for if thou wouldest enter into any City and that City be compast with a Wall and have only one Gate what Canst thou otherwise enter that City then by the Gate which it hath 59 And by what way said I Lord can it otherwise be done Therefore quoth he as into that City he cannot be entered but through its gate So neither into the Kingdome of God can otherwise any be entered then by the Name of his Son who is to him most dear 60 And he said to me Sawest thou the troup of them that builded that Tower I saw them quoth I Lord and he said all these are Messengers honourable in dignity Therefore with these as with a Wall is the Lord encompassed but the port is the son of God which alone is the accesse unto God for otherwise shall no man enter into God except through his Son 61 Sawst thou quoth he these six men and in the midest that great and tall man who walked about the Tower and reprobated the stones from the structure I saw them Lord said I that tall one quoth he is the Son of God And these six messengers are eminent in dignity on the right and left hand standing about him Of these excellent messengers saith he none without him shall enter in to God And he said whosoever therefore shall not get his Name he shall not enter into the Kingdom of God 62 And I said What then is this TOWER This saith he is the CHURCH and these VIRGINS who are they Lord and he said to me these quoth he are the HOLY SPIRITS For no otherwise can a man enter into the Kingdome of God unless these shall cloath him with their vesture for why it shall profit thee nothing to get the Name of the Son of God except also thou shalt get their garment from them for these Virgins are the POWERS of the Son of God so in vain shall any one bear his Name except also he shall bear his Powers 63 And he said to me sawest thou these stones which were thrown away for they indeed have born the name but have not put on their garment And I said what is their garmenr Lord Their very names quoth he is their Garment Whosoever therefore quoth he doth bear the Name of the Son of God ought also to carry the names of them for also the Son bears their names 64 Whatsoever stones quoth he thou sawest to have remained in the structure
sweetnsse of honey And now it hath not acceptance with its Lord because all the honey is made bitter and hath lost its use but if wormwood be not put into honey it shall be sweet and in use to its Lord. 4 See therefore how much sweeter equall mindednesses is then honey and he shall be profitable to the Lord that stayeth in it for WRATH is unprofitable If therefore anger shall be mixt with AEQUANIMITY the mind is afflicted and its prayer is not profitable to God 5 And I said to him I would know Lord the wickednesse of anger that I may keep me from it And he said to me Thou shalt know it and if thou shalt not keep thy self from it thou shalt loose thy hope with thy whole house But depart from it for I am with thee the MESSENGER OF EQUITY And all that depart from it whosoever shall do repentance with all their hearts they shall LIVE TO GOD but also I will be with them and will preserve them all 6 For they are all justified who shall do repentance through the most holy ANGELL Hear now quoth he the noughtiness of anger how wicked and how noxious it is and by what manner it overthrows the servants of God for they who are full in the faith it cannot hurt them because the power of God is with them for it over-turns the DOUBTFULL and EMPTY ones 7 But as oft as it shall see such men it injecteth it self into their hearts and of NOTHING either a Husband or a Wife taketh bitternesse because of the things which are in use or for a check or for any superfluous word if any thing by chance should happen or for any friend or debt or for such like superfluous things for these are foolish and superfluous and vain to the servants of God 8 But AEQUANIMITY is valiant and strong and hath great power and fitteth in great Majesty chearful rejoycing in peace and honouring the Lord in every time meekly for this equanimity dwelleth with the firm believers 9 For ANGER is foolish and light and witlesse but of foolishnesse is born bitternesse and of bitternesse wrath but of wrath madnesse This madnesse created of so many evils worketh great sin and uncurable for when all these are in ONE VESSEL VVHERE also THE HOLY SPIRIT REMAINS The Vessel endures not this but floweth over because the tender Spirit cannot with the evil Spirit inhabit it departeth and dwelleth with the MEEK After that when it shall have departed from the man IN VVHOM IT DVVELT the man becomes empty from the holy Spirit and afterward is filled with malignant Spirits and is blinded by evil cogitation 10 Depart thou therefore from wrath and put on AEQUANIMITY and resist wrath and thou shalt be found with modesty and chastity with God See therefore least perhaps thou neglect this Command for if to this Commandment thou shalt perform obedience Also the rest of my commands which I am about to injoyn thee shalt thou be able to keep Therefore now confirm thy self in these commands that thou mayest live to God and whosoever shall keep these Commandments shall LIVE TO GOD. COMMAND VI. 1 I Had injoyned thee quoth he in the first command that thou shouldest keep FAITH and FEAR and PENITENCY Yea quoth I Lord But now I will shew unto thee the vertues of these commandments that thou mayst know their effects how they are placed to the just likewise and to the unjust Thou therefore believe the just but believe the unjust in nothing for righteousnesse hath the right way but unrighteousness the evil but keep thou the right way but the wicked way forsake thou But the evil way hath not a good end but hath many offences 2 It is rough and thorny and leads to destruction and it is noxious to the men that walk in it but whoso seek the right way they walk equally without offence because it is not rough neither thorny Thou seest therefore that better it is to go by this way for thou shalt go saith he whosoever from their whole heart have believed in the Lord they shall go through it 3 Hear now saith he first of FAITH there are two SPIRITS with man one of equity and one of iniquity And I said to him how Lord shall I know that there are two SPIRITS with a man Hear saith he and understand The spirit of righteousnesse is tender gentle and bashfull affable and quiet when therefore it shall ascend into thine heart immediately it speaketh with thee of righteousnesse of modesty of chastity of bountifulnesse of pardon of charity of piety All these when they shall ascend into thine heart know that the spirit of equity is with thee to this GENIUS therefore and to its works give thou credit 4 Take now also the works of the Spirit of iniquity first it is bitter wrathful and foolish and its works are pernitious and overthrow the servants of God when therefore these things shall ascend into thine heart thou shalt understand from its works this to be the spirit of INIQUITY 5 How Lord shall I understand Hear quoth he and understand when wrath shall happen to thee or bitternesse understand that to be IN THEE After that the desire of many works and of the daintiest meats and of drunkennesses and the desirings of many strange things and pride and much speaking and ambition and whatsoever things are like these Thou therefore when thou shalt know its works depart from them all believe it in nothing because its works are evil and do not agree to the servants of God 6 Thou hast therefore the works of both the Spirits understand now and believe the Genius of Righteousnesse because its TEACHING is good For though a man be most happy and the cogitation of the other GENIUS ascend into his heart that man or woman must needs sin But also if a man shall be most wicked or a woman and the works of the GENIUS of righteousnesse ascend up into his heart it must needs be that he or she do somthing of good Thou seest therefore that it is good to follow the Spirit of equity if therefore thou shalt follow it and shalt believe its works thou shalt LIVE TO GOD And they who shall believe its works shall live to God COMMAND VII 1 FEar the Lord quoth he and keep his Commandments for keeping the precepts of God thou shalt be potent in every act and every businesse of thine shall be incomparable for fearing the Lord thou shalt work all good things This is the FEAR wherewith thou must fear that thou mayest be able to be saved but the Devil fear thou not for fearing the Lord thou shalt have dominion over him Because there is no power in him 2 But he in whom power is not he is not so much as to be feared but in whom there is glorious power he also is to be feared for every one having power is also to be feared for he that hath not power is