weake to give me what thou hast promised me and freely bestow upon mee in my Saviour Jesus Christ viz. his flesh for food and his bloud for drinke to refresh my poore hungry soule that it may be quickened and strengthened in the Word which became man by which it may long and hunger after thee aright O thou deepest love in the most sweete Name JESUS give thy selfe into the desire of my soule for therefore thou hast moved thy selfe and according to thy great sweetnesse manifested thy selfe in the humane nature and called us to thee us that hunger and thirst after thee and hast promised us that thou wilt refâ—esh us I now open the lips of my soul to thee O thou sweet Truth and though I am not worthy to desire it of thy holines yet I come to thee through thy bitter passion death thou having sprinkled my uncleanesse with thy bloud and sanctified me in thy Humanity and made an open gatefor me through thy death to thy sweete love in thy bloud through thy five holy wounds from which thou did'st shed thy bloud I bring the desire of my soule into thy love O Jesus Christ thou Sonne of God and man I pray thee receive into thy selfe thy purchased inheritance which thy Father hath given thee I crie within me that I may enter thorough thy holy bloud and death into thee Open thy selfe in mee that the Spirit of my soule may reach thee and receive thee into it Lay hold on my thirst in me with thy thirst bring thy thirst after us men which thou haddest upon the Crosse into my thirst and give mee thy bloud to drinke in my thirst that my death in me which holdeth me captive may be drowned in the bloud of thy love and that my extinguished Image which as to the Kingdome of Heaven dis appeared in my father Adam through sinne may b made alive through thy powerfull bloud and cloath my soule with it âgaine as with the new body which dwelleth in heaven in which Image thy holy power and word which became man dwelleth which is the Temple of thy holy Spirit which dwelleth in us as thou hast promised us saying we will come to you and dwell in you O thou great Love of Jesus Christ I can doe no more but sinke my desire into thee thy word which became man is truth since thou hast bidden me come now I come Be it unto me according to thy Word and Will Amen A Warning to the Reader BEloved Reader of love to thee I will not conceale from thee what is here earnestly signified to me If thou lovest the vanity of the flesh still and arâ— not in an earnest purpose on the way to the new birth intending to become a new man then leave the above written words in these Prayers unnamed or else they will turne to a judgement of God in thee Thou must not take the holy names in vaine thou art faithfully warned they belong to the thristy soule if the soule be in earnest it shall finde by experience what words they are A Direction How the soule must meete its beloved when it s beloved knocketh in the Centre in the shut chamber of the soule BEloved soule thou must be earnest without intermission thou shalt certainely obtaine the love of a Kisse from the noble Sophia in the holy Name JESUS for shee standeth however before the doore of the soule knocking warning the sinner of his wicked way Now if he once thus desireth her love she is ready for him and kisseth him with the beames of her sweete love from whence the heart receiveth joy but she doth not presently lay her selfe into the Marriage bed with the soule that is shee doth not presently awaken the extinguished heavenly image in her selfe which disappeared in Adam there is danger to man in it for if Adam and Lucifer fell it may then easily so come to passe with man he being yet so strongly bound in vanity The bond of thy Promise must be faithfull before she will crowne thee thou must be tempted first and tried she taketh the beames of her love from thee againe to see whether thou wilt prove faithfull also she letteth thee stand and answereth thee not so much as with one looke of her love for before she will crowne thee thou must be judged that thou mightest tast the bitter potion which thou hast filled for thy selfe in thine abominations thou must come before the gates of hell first and there shew forth thy victory for her in her love in that strength wherewith she beheld thee in opposition to the devills aspect Christ was tempted in the wildernesse and if thou wilt put on him thou must go through his whole progresse from his Incarnation to his Assention and though thou art not able nor needest to doe that which he hath done yet thou must enter wholly into his processe and therein die continually from the vanity of the soule for the virgin Sophîa espouseth not her selfe to the soule except in this property which springeth up in the soule through the death of Christ as a new plant standing in heaven the earthly body cannot comprehend her in this life for it must first die from vanity but the heavenly Image which disappear'd in Adam viz. the true seede of the woman wherein God became man and into which he brought his living seede the heavenly substantiality is capable of the Pearle after the manner it came to passe in Mary in the limit of the Covenant Therefore take heede what thou dost when thou hast made thy promâ—se keepe it and then shee will crowne thee rather then thou wouldst be crowned but thou must be sure when the Tempter commeth to thee with the pleasure beauty and glory of the world that then thy minde reject it and say I must be a servant and not a master in the Vineyard of Christ I am but a servant of God in and over all that I have and I must doe with it as his Word teacheth me my heart must sit downe with the simple and lowly in the dust and be humble alwayes What state and condition soever thou art in humility must be in the front or else thou wilt not obtain her marriage the free will of thy soule must stand as a champion for it the devill cannot prevaile against the soule with vanity and if the soule will not bite at the baite then hee commeth with the soules nworthinesse and catalogue of sinnes and then thou must fight hard and here the merits of Christ must be set in the front or else the creature cannot prevaile against the devill for in this it goeth so terribly with many that the outward reason thinketh that person to be distracted and poâ—ened with the devill the devill defendeth himselfe so horribly in many especially if he have had a great Fort of prey in him that he must be stoutly assaulted before
is he that passeth through it be times in his young years before the Devill buildeth his fort of prey strong he may afterwards prove a Labourer in the Vineyard of Christ and sow his seede in the Garden of Christ he shall reape the fruit in due time This judgement continueth a long while upon many for severall yeares if he doe not earnestly put on the Armour of Christ but stay till the judgement of temptations first exhort him to Repentance But he that commeth of himselfe of his owne earnest purpose and endeavoureth to depart from his evill wayes the temptation will not be so hard for him neither will it continue so long yet hee must stand out valiantly till victory be gotten over the devill for he shall be mightily assisted all shall turne to the best for him so that afterwards when the day breaketh in the soule he turneth it to the great praise and glory of God that the driver is overcome Short Prayers When the noble Sophia kisseth the soule with her love and offereth her love to it O Most gracious and deepest love of God in Christ Jesus I beseech thee grant me thy Pearle impresse it into my soule and take my soule into thy Armes O thou sweete love I confesse I am uncleane before thee take away my uncleanenesie through thy death and carry through the hunger and thrist of my soule through thy Death in thy Resurrection in thy Triumph cast my whole selfe downe to the ground in thy death take it captive and carry my hunger through in thy hunger O highest love hast thou not appeared in me stay in me and inclose me in thee keepe me in thee so that I may not be able to depart from thee fill my hunger with thy love seede my soule with thy heavenly substance give it thy bloud to drinke and water it with thy Fountaine O great love awaken my disappeared Image in me which as to the Kingdome of heaven disappeared in my father Adam by that word which awakened it in the seede of the woman in Mary quicken it I beseech thee O thou Life and Power of the Deity which hast promised us saying wee will come to you and dwell in you O sweete love I bring my desire into this word of thy Promise thou hast promised that thy Father will give the holy Spirit to those that aske him for it therefore I now bring the desire of my soule into thy Promise and I receive thy Word into my hunger increase thou in me my hunger after thee strengthen me O sweete love in thy strength quicken me in thee that my spirit may taste thy sweetnesse O doe thou beleeve by thy power in me for without thee I can doe nothing O sweete Love I beseech thee through that Love wherewith thou didst overcome the Anger of God and didst change it into Love and divine Joy I pray thee also change the anger in my soule by the same great love that I may become obedient unthee and that my soule may love thee therein for ever O change my will into thy Will bring thy Obedience into my disobedience that I may become obedient to thee O great Love of Jesus Christ I humbly flie to thee bring the hunger of my soule into thy wounds from whence thou didst shed thy holy bloud and didst quench the Anger with Love I bring my hunger into open side from whence came forth both water and bloud and throw my selfe wholy into it he thou mine and quicken me in thy life and let me not depart from thee O my Noble Vine I beseech thee give sappe to me thy branch that I may budde and grow in thy strength and sappe in thy Essence beget in me true strength by thy strength O Sweete Love art not thou my Light enlighten thou my poore soule in its close prison in flesh and bloud bring it into the right way destroy the will of the Devill and bring my body through the whole course of this world through the chamber of death into thy death and rest that at the last day it may arise in thee from thy death and live in thee for ever O teach me what I must doe in thee I beseech thee be thou my willing knowing doing and let me goe no whether without thee I yeeld my selfe wholy up to thee Amen A Prayer For the obtaining the Divine Protection and Government shewing how he minde should worke with in God in Christ the Tree of Life O Thou living Fountaine in thee I lift up the desire of my soule and crie with my desire to enter through the life of my Saviour Jesus Christ into thee O thou Life and Power of God awaken thy selfe in the hunger of my soule with thy desire of love through the thirst which Jesus Christ had upon the crosse after us men and carry my weake strength through by thy mighty hand in thy Spirit be thou the working and will in me with thine own strength blossome in the strength of Iesus Christ in me that I may bring forth praise unto thee the true fruite in thy Kingdome O let my heart and desire never depart from thee But i swimme in vanity in this valley of misery in this outward earthly flesh and bloud and my soule and noble Image which is according to thy Similitude is encompassed with enemies on every side viz. with the desire of the Devill against me with the desire of vanity in flesh and bloud also with all the opposition of wicked men who know not thy Name and I swimme with my outward life in the properties of the starres and elements having my enemies lying in waite for me every where inwardly and outwardly together with death the destroyer of this vaine life and therefore I flie to thee O holy strength of God being thou hast manifested thy selfe with thy love in mercy in our humanity through thy holy Name Jesus and hast also given it to be a companion in us therefore I beseech thee let his Angels that minister to him attend upon our soules and encamp themselves about us and defend us from the fiery darts of the desire of that wicked one which shooteth into us dayly by the curse of the Anger of God which is awakened in our earthly flesh keepe backe by thy strength the infectious rayes of the influence of the stars in their opposition into which raves the wicked one mingleth himselfe with his desire to poison us in soule and flesh and to bring us into false desires and also into infirmity and misery Turne away these Rayes of Anger with the holy Name Jesus in our soule and spirit that they may not touch us and let thy good and holy Angel stand by us to turne away these Rayes of Poyson from our bodies O great Love and sweete strength IHSVH thou fountaine of divine sweetnesse flowing out of the great Eternall Name IEHOVAH I crie with the desire of my
imagination and make it my own this it is to beleeve 90. The will must goe forth from the vanity of the flesh and willingly yeeld it selfe up to the suffering and death of Christ and to all the reproach of vanity which scorneth it because it goeth forth from its owne house wherein it was born and minds vanity no more but meerly desires love of God in Christ Jesus 91. In such a hunger and desire the will impresseth into it self the Spirit of Christ with his heavenly corporality that is its great hunger and desire taketh hold of and receiveth the body of Christ viz. the heavenly substantiality into its disappeared Image within which the word of the power of God is the working 92. The hunger of the soule bringeth its desire quite through the bruised property of its humanity in the heavenly part which disappeared in Adam which humanity the sweet fire of love in the death of Christ did bruise when the death of that heavenly humanity was destroyed 93. And so the hunger of the soule received into it into its disappeared corporality through the desire the holy heavenly substance viz. the heavenly corporality Christs heavenly corporality which filleth the Father all over and is high unto all and through all things And through that the disappeared heavenly body riseth in the power of God in the sweet name Jesus And this raised heavenly spirituall body is the member of Christ and the Temple of the holy Ghost a true mansion of the holy Trinity according to Christs promise saying we wil come to you and make our abode in you 95. That essence of that life eateth the flesh of Christ and drinketh his bloud For the Spirit of Christ viz. the Word which made it selfe visible with the humanity of Christ out of and in our disappeared humanity through the outward man of the substance of this world swalloweth its holy substance into its fiery every spirit eateth of its own body 96. Now if the soule eat of this sweet holy and heavenly food then it kindleth it selfe with the great love in the Name JESUS whence its fire of anguish becommeth a great triumph and glory and the true Sunne ariseth to it wherin it is born to another will 97. And here is the wedding of the Lamb which we heartily wish that the Titular and Lip-christians might once find by experience and so passe from the history into the substance 98. But the soule obtaineth not the pearle of the Divine power and vertue for its proper own during the time of this life because it hath the outward bestiall flesh sticking to its outward man 99. The power of which espouseth it selfe in the wedding of the Lamb sinketh it selfe down into the heavenly Image viz. into the substance of the heavenly Man who is the Temple of Christ and not into the fire-breath of the soul which is yet during this whole lifes time fast bond to the outward Kingdome to the bond of vanity with the breath of the aire and is in great danger 100. It darteth its beames of love indeed very often into the soul whereby the soule receiveth light but the Spirit of Christ yeeldeth not it self up to the fire-breath in this lifes time but to the breath of light onely which was extinguished in Adam in which the Temple of Christ is for it is the true and holy heaven 101. Understand aright now what the New-birth or Regeneration is and how it commeth to passe as followeth The outward earthly mortall man is not born anew in this lifes time nor the outward flesh nor the outward part of the soule they continue both of them in the vanity of their wills which awaked in Adam they love their mother in whose body they live viz. the Dominion of this outward world and therein the birth of sin is manifest 102. The outward man in soule flesh we mean the outward part of the soule hath no Divine will neither doth he understand any thing of God as the Scripture saith The naturall man perceiveth nothing of the Spirit of God c. 103. But the Fire-breath of the inward world if it be enlightned once understandeth it It hath a great longing sighing hunger and thirst after the sweet fountain of Christ it refresheth it selfe by hungring and desiring which is the true faith in the sweet Fountain of Christ from his new body from the heavenly substantiality as a hungry Branch in the Vine Christ. 104. And the cause why the fiery soule cannot attain to perfection during this lifes time is because it is fast bound with the outward bond of vanity through which the Devill continually casteth his venemous Rayes of influence upon it and so fifteth it that it often biteth at his bait and poysoneth it selfe from whence misery and anguish ariseth so that the Noble Sophia hideth her selfe in the Fountain of Christ in the heavenly humanity for she cannot draw neere to vanity 105. For she knew how it went with her in Adam when she lost her Pearle which is of grace freely bestowed again upon the inward humanity therefore she is called Sophia viz. the Bride of Christ. 106. Here she faithfully calleth to the fiery soule viz. to her Bridegroom and exhorteth him to repentance and to the unburthening of himselfe or going from the abomination of vanity 107. Here warre assaulteth the whole man wherein the outward fleshly man lusteth against the inward spirituall man and the Spirituall against the fleshly and so man is in continuall warfare and strife full of trouble misery anguish and care 108. The inward saith to the fiery soule O my soule O my love turne I beseech thee and goe forth from vanity or else thou losest my love and the noble Pearle 109. Then saith the outward Reason viz. the bestiall soule Thou art foolish wilt thou be a foole and the scorn of the world Thou needest the outward world to maintain this life beauty power and glory is thy chiefest Treasure wherein onely thou canst rejoyce and take delights Why wilt thou cast thy selfe into anguish misery and reproach Take thyâ— pleasure which will doe both thy flesh and thy â—mind good 110 With such filth the true man is often defiled viz. the outward man defileth himselfe as a Sow in the mire and obscureth his Noble Pearle For the more vain the outward man groweth the more dark the inward man cometh to be till at length it disappeareth together 111. And then the faire Paradificall Tree is gone and it will be very hard to recover it again for when the outward light viz. the outward soule is once enlightned so that the outward light of Reason is kindled by the inward light then the outward soule commonly useth to turn hypocrite and esteem it selfe divine and though the Pearle be gone which sticks hard to many a man 112. And so the tree of Pearle in the Garden of Christ is often spoyled concerning which the Scripture maketh a hard knot or conclusion
that I may die from my vanity and sinne in the death of my Redeemer Jesus Christ. O thou breath of the great love of God quicken I beseech thee my weake breath in me that it may begin to hunger and thirst after thee O Lord Jesus thou sweete strength I beseech thee give my soule to drinke of thy fountaine of Grace thy sweete water of eternall life that it may awake from death and thrist after thee O how extreame fainting I am for want of thy strength O mercifull God doe thou turne me I beseech thee I can not turn my selfe O thou vanquisher of death helpe me I pray thee to wrestle How fast doth the Enemy hold me with his three chaines and will not suffer the desire of my soule to come before thee I beseech thee come and take the desire of my soule into thy selfe be thou my drawing to the Father and deliver me from the devills Bonds looke not upon my deformity in standing naked before thee having lost thy garment I pray thee doe but thou cloath my breath which yet liveth in me and desireth thy grace and let me yet once see thy salvation O thou deepe love I pray thee take the desire of my soule into thee bring it forth out of the bonds of Death through thy Death in thy Resurrection in thee O quicken me in thy strength that my desire and will may begin to spring up and flourish anew O thou vanquisher of death and of the wrath of God doe thou overcome in me selfe breake its will and bruise my soule that it may feare before thee and be ashamed of its owne will before thy judgement that it may be obedient to thee as an instrument of thine subdue it in the bonds of death take away its power that it may Will nothing without thee O God the Holy Ghost in Christ my Saviour teach me I pray thee what I shall doe that I may turne to thee O draw me in Christ to the Father and helpe me that now and from hence forward I may goe forth from sinne and vanity and never any more enter into it againe Stirre up in me a true sorrow for the sinnes I have committed O keepe me in thy Bonds and let me not loose from thee lest the Devill sift me in my wicked flesh and bloud bring me again into the death of dea h O enlighten thou my spirit that I may see the divine path and walke in it continually O take that away from me which alwayes turneth me away from thee O give me that which alwayes turneth me to thee take me wholy from my selfe and give me wholy to thy owne selfe O let me beginne nothing let me will thinke and doe nothing without thee O Lord how long Indeed I am not worthy of that which I desire of thee I pray thee let the desire of my soule dwell but in the gates of thy Courts make it but a servant of thy servauts O deliver it out of that horrible pit wherein there is no comfort nor refreshment O God in Christ Jesus I am blinde in my selfe and know not my selfe for vanity thou art hidden from me in my blindenesse and yet thou art neere unto me but thy wrath which my desire hath awakened in me hath made me darke O take but the desire of my soule to thee prove it O Lord and bruise it that my soule may attaine a Ray of thy sweete Grace I lie before thee as a dying man whose life is passing from his lipps as a smale sparke going out kindle it O Lord and raise up the breath of my soule before thee Lord I waite for thy Promise which thou hast made saying As I live I will not the death of a sinner but that he should turne and live I sincke downe my selfe into the Death of my Redeemer Jesus Christ and waite for thee thy Word is Truth and Life Amen In this or the like manner every one may confesse his sinnes as he himselfe findeth in his conscience what finnes he hath brought his soule into Yet if his purpose be truely earnest to use a forme is needlesse for the Spirit of God which at that instant is in the will of the minde will it selfe make the prayer for him in his conscience for it is it the Spirit of God which in a true earnest desire worketh repentance and intercedeth for the soule before God through the death of Christ. But I will not hide from the beloved Reader who hath a Christian purpose but shew how it commonly useth to goe with those who are in such a firme purpose and resolution though it goeth otherwise with one then with another according as his purpose is more or lesse earnest and great for the Spirit of God is not bound but useth diverse wayes as he knoweth fittest for every one Yet he that hath beene in the warres can tell how to fight and informe another that may happen to be in the like case Now if it so come to passe that such a heart with a strong resolution and purpose doth thus come before God and enter into repentance it hapneth to it as with the Canaanitish woman as if God would not heare the heart remaineth without comfort its sins and unworthynesse do also present themselves as if it were unworthy of comfort the mind is as it were speechlesse the soule groaneth in the deepe the heart receiveth nothing nor can it so much as poure forth its confession before God as if the heart and soule were shut up the Soule would faine but the flesh keepeth it captive the Devill shutteth it up strongly and representeth to it the way of vanity againe and tickleth it with the lust of the flesh and saith in the minde stay a while doe this or that first gather money or goods aforehand that thou maist not stand in neede of the world and then afterwards enter into an honest life into repentance it will be time enough then O how many hundreds doe perish in such a beginning if they goe backe againe into vanity and are as a young graft broken off with the winde or weithered by the heate Beloved soule marke if thou wilt be a champion in thy Saviour Christ against death and hell and would'st have thy yong graft grow become a tree in the Kingdome of Christ thou must go on and stand fast in thy first earnest purpose it costeth thy first paternall inheritance and thy body and soule too to become either an Angell in God or a Devill in Hell If thou wilt be crowned thou must fight thou must overcome in Christ and not yeeld to the Devill thy purpose must stand firme thou must not preferre temporall honour and goods before it when the spirit of the flesh saith stay a while it is not convenient yet then the soule must say now is my time for me to goe backe againe into my fathers my native Countrey out of which my father
Adam hath brought me no creature shall keepe me backe and though thou earthly body shouldest thereby decay and perish yet I will now enter with my will and whole desire into the Garden of Roses of my Redeemer Iesus Christ through his suffering and death into him and in the death of Christ subdue thee thou earthly body which hath swallowed up my Pearle from me which God gave to my Father Adam in Paradise and I will breake the will of thy voluptuousnesse which is in vanity and binde thee as a mad-dogge with the chaine of my earnest purpose and though thereby thou should'st become a foole in the account of all men yet thou must and shalt obey the earnest purpose of my soule none shall unloose thee from this chaine but the temporall death Whereto God and his strength helpe me Amen A short Direction How the poore soule must come before God againe and how it must fight for the noble garland what kinde of weapons it must use if it will goe to warres against Gods Anger against the Devill the World and Sinne against flesh and bloud also against the influence of the stars and elements and all his other enemies BEloved Soule there is earnestnesse required to doe this it must not be a meere commemoration or repeating of words the earnest resolved will must drive this worke else nothing will be attained For if the soule will obtaine the triumphant Garland of Christ from the Noble Sophia it must wooe her for it in great desire of love to get it at her hands it must intreate her in her most holy Name for it and come before her in most modest humility and not like a lustfull Bull or a wanton Venus for so long as any are such they must not desire these things for they shall not obtaine them and though something should be obtained by such in that condition it would be but as a glimpse but a chast and modest minde may well obtaine so much as to have the soule in its noble Image which died in Acam quickened in the heavenly Corporality as to the inward ground and put on the Garland yet if this come to passe it is taken off againe from the soule and layed by as a Crowne useth to be after a King is crowned with it it is layed by and kept so it is also with the soule because it is yet encompassed with the house of sinne that if the soule should fall againe it Crowne might not be defiled This â— spoken plainely enough for the children that know and have tried these things None of the wicked are worthy to know any more of them The Processe A sober minde is there requisite which in an earnest purpose all deepests humility with sorrow for â— sinnes cometh before God in which there is such a resolution that a man will not enter any more into the old footsteps of vanity and though the whole world should account him a foole for it and he should loose both Honour and Goods nay and the temporall life also yet he would abide constant therein If ever he will obtaine the love and marriage of the noble Sophia he must make such a vow as this in his purpose and minde For Christ himselfe sayth He that forsaketh not wife and children brethren and sisters money and goods and all that even he hath and even his earthly life to follow me he is not worthy of me Here Christ meaneth the Mind of the soule so that if there were any thing that would keepe the mind backe from it though it have never so faire and glorious a pretence or shew in this world the minde must not regard it but rather part with it then with the love of the Noble Virgine Sophia in the bud and blossome of Christ in his tender Humanity in us as to the Heavenly Corporality For this is the Flower in Sharon the Rose in the Valley wherewith Solomon delighteth himselfe and termeth it his deare Love his chast Virgine which he loved so much as all other Saints before and after him did whosoever hath obtained her called her his pearle After what manner to pray for it you may â—ee by this short direction following the worke it selfe must be committed to the Holy Ghost in every heart wherein it is sought he â—ormeth and frameth the Prayer for him The Prayer I Poore unworthy person come before thee O Great and Holy God and I lift up mine eyes to thee though I be noâ— worthy yet thy great mercy viz. thy faithfull Promise in thy word hath now encoucouraged me to lift the eyes of the deâ—iâ—e of my soule up to thee for my soule hath now layd hold on the word of thy promise and received it into it and therewith it conâ—eth to thee and though â—t be but a sâ—â—ange childe before thee which was dâ—sâ—â—bedieâ—t unto thee yet now it desireth to be obedient and my soule doth now iâ—fold it selfe with its desire into that word which became man which became flesh and bloud which hath broken 〈◊〉 and death in my humanity which hath changed the Anger of God into love in the soule which hath deprived death of its power and hell of its victory in soule and body which hath opened a gate for my soule to the cleare face of thy strength and power O Great and Most Holy God I have brought the hunger and desire of my soule into this most holy Word and now I come before thee and in my hunger call into thee thou living fountain through thy word which became flesh and bloud thy word being become the life in our flesh therefore I receive it firmely into the desire of my soule as my owne life and I pâ—erce into thee with the desire of my soul through the word in the flesh of Christ viz. through his holy conception in the Virgine Mary his whole Incarnation his holy Nativity his Baptisme in Jordan his temptation in the wilâ—ernene where he overcame the Kingdome of the Devill and of this world in the Humanity through all his powerfull miracles which he did on earth through his reproach and ignominy his innocent death and passion the shedding of his bloud when Gods anger in soule and flesh was drowned through his rest in the Sepulcher when he awaked our father Adam ouâ— of his sleepe who was fallen into a dead sleepe as to the Kingdome of Heaven through his love which pierced through the Anger and destroyed Hell in the soule through his resurrection from the dead his ascention the sending of the holy Spirit into our soule and spirit and through all his words and promises one of which is that thou O God the Father wilt give the holy Spirit to them that aske it in the Name and through the Word which became man O thou life of my flesh and of my soule in Christ my Brother I beseech thee in the hunger of my soule and intreate thee with all my powers though they be
he him This we understand to be both out of the eternal and temporall birth out of the inward spirituall world which hee breathed into him into the created Image and then out of the substance of the inward spirituall world which is holy 31. For as there is a nature and substance in the outward world so also in the inward spirituall world there is a Nature and Substance which is Spirituall out of which the outward world is breathed forth and produced out of light and darknesse and created to have a beginning and time 32. And out of the substance of the inward and outward world Man was created out of in the likenesse of the birth of all substances The body is a Limbus of the earth also a Limbus of the heavenly substance for the earth is breathed forth out of the dark and light world In the word Fiat viz. in the eternall desire man was taken out of the earth and so created an Image out of time and eternity 33. This Image was in the inward and spirituall element from whence the foure elements proceed and are produced In that one element was Paradise for the properties of nature from the fire-dark-and-light-world were all in harmony in like agreement both in number weight and measure none of them was manifested eminently more then another and so there was no fragility therein for one property was not predominanr ovet another neither was there any strife or contrariety among the powers and properties 34. Into this created Image God breathed the Spirit and breath of understaÌ„ding out of all the three worlds as one onely soule which is in the inward dark and fire world of the eternall spirituall nature according to which God calleth himselfe a strong zealous God and a consuming fire 35. And this now is the eternall creaturely great soule a magical breath of fire in which fire consisteth the originall of life from the great power of variation Gods anger and the eternall darknesse is in this property so farre as sire reacheth without giving light 36. The second property of the breath of God is the Spirit of the source of light proceeding from the great fiery desire of love from the great meeknesse according to which God calleth himselfe a loving mercifull God in which consisteth the true Spirit of understanding and of life in power 37. For as Light shineth from fire and as the power of understanding is discerned in the light so the breath of the light was joyned to the breath of the fire of God and breathed into the Image of man 38. The third property of the breath of God was the outward aire with its Constellation wherein the life and Constellation of the outward substance and body did consist This he breathed into his Nostrils and as time and eternity hang together and as time is produced out of eternity so the inward breath of God hung to the outward and this threefold soul was at once breathed into man 39. Each substance of the body received the Spirit according to its property thus the outward flesh received the outward aire and its constellations for a rationall and vegetative life to the manifestation of the wonders of God and the light-body or heavenly substance received the breath of the light of the great divine powers and vertues which breath is called the holy Ghost 40. Thus the light pierced through the darknesst viz. through the dark breath of sire and also through the breath of the outward aire and its constellation and so deprived all the properties of their power that neither the anguish of the breath of Fire in the inward property of the soule nor heat and cold nor any of all the properties of the outward constellation might or could be manifested 41. The properties of all the three worlds in soule and body were in equall agreement and weight That which was inward and holy ruled through the outward viz. through the outward parts of the outward life of the outward Starres and the foure Elements and that was the holy Paradise 42. And thus Man was both in heaven and also in the outward world and was Lord over all the creatures of this world nothing could destroy him 43. For such was the earth also till the curse of God was The holy property of the Spirituall world sprung up also through the earth and brought forth holy Paradisicall fruits which man could then eat in a Magical Paradisicall manner 44. And had neither need of teeth nor entrails in his body For as the light swalloweth up darknesse and as the fire devoureth water and yet is not filled therewith just such a center man also had for his mouth to to eat withall according to the manner of eternity 45. And in such a manner he could also generate his like out of himself without any dividing or opening of his body and spirit as God did generate the outward world and yet did not divide himselfe but did in his desire viz. in the word Fiat manifest himselfe and brought it into a figure according to the eternall spirituall birth so also man was created such an Image and likenesse according to time and eterntiy out of both time and eternity yet in and for an eternall immortall life which was without enmity and contrariety 46. But the Devill having been a Prince and Hierarcha in the place of this world and having been cast out for his pride into the dark anguishing painfull and hostile property and source into the wrath of God Hee therefore envied man that glory of being created in and for the Spirituall world the place which he himselfe had and therefore brought his imagination into the Image of Man and made it so lusting that the dark world and also the outward world arose in Man and departed from the equall agreement and harmony and so one over weighed the other 47. And then the properties were every one made manifest in it self and every one of them lusted after that which was like it selfe viz. that which was out of the birth of the dark world and also that which was out of the birth of the light world would each of them eat of the Limbus of the earth according to its hunger and so evill and good became manifest in Adam 48. And when the hunger of the properties went into the earth from whence the properties of the body were extracted then the Fiat drew such a branch out of the earth as the properties could eat of in their awâ—kened vanity for this was possible 49. Being the spirit of the strong and great magicall power of Time and Eternity was in Adam from which the earth with its properties was breathed forth and so the Fiat â— viz. the strong desire of the eternall Nature attracted the essence of the earth And thus GOD let the Tree of knowledge of good evill grow for Adam
according to his awakened properties for the great power of the soule and of the body caused it 50. And then man must be tried whether he would stand and subsist in his own powers before the Tempter the Devill and before the wrath of the eternall Nature and whether the soule would continue in the equall agreement of the properties in true Resignation under Gods Spirit as an instrument of Gods Harmony a tuned instrument of divine joyfulnesse for the Spirit of God to strike upon This was tried by this Tree here and this severe commandement was added Thou shalt not eat thereof For at that day thou eatest thereof thou shalt dye the death 51. But it being known to God that Man would not stand and that he had already imagined and lusted after good evill God said It is not good for man to be alone Wee will make him an Help meet for him 52. For God saw that Adam could not generate Magically having entred with his lust into vanity Now therefore Moses saith God caused a deep sleep to fall upon him and he slept that is seeing man would not continue in obedience of the divine harmony in the properties submitting himselfe to stand still as an instrument of the Spirit of God therefore God suffered him to fall from the Divine Harmony into an harmony of his own viz. into the awakened properties in evill and good the spirit of his soule went into these 53. And there in this sleep he dyed from the Angelicall world and fell to be the share of the outward Fiat and then bad farewell to the eternall Image which was of Gods begetting Here his Angelicall form power lay on the ground and fell into a swound 54. And then by the Fiat God made the woman out of him ex matrice Veneris of the matrix of Venus viz. out of that property wherin Adam had the begettresse in himselfe and so out of one body he made two and divided the properties of the Tinctures viz. the watery and fiery Constellations in the Element yet not wholly in substance but in the Spirit viz. the properties of the Watery and Fîery Soule 35. And yet it is but one thing but the property of the Tincture was divided the desire of Self-love was taken out of Adam and formed into a woman according to his likenesse and therefore man now so eagerly desireth the Matrix of the woman and the woman desireth the Limbus of the man viz. the Fire-element the originall of the true soule by which is meant the Tincture of fire For these two were one in Adam and therein consisted the Magicall begetting 56. And as soon as Eve was made out of Adam in his sleep both Adam and Eve were at that instant ordained and constituted in the outward naturall life having the members given thē for Bestiall and animall multiplication and also the earthly Carkasse into which they might put their vanity and live like beasts 57. Which the poore soule that is captivated in vanity is at this day ashamed of that its body hath gotten a bestiall monstrous shape as is manifest And from hence came mankind to be ashamed of their members and nakednesse and to borrow their clothîng from the earthly creatures having lost the Angelicall form and is changed into a Beast 58. This clothing sheweth man sufficiently that having this awakened vanity and heat and cold seizing upon him he is not at home with his soule therein For the vanity together with this false clothing must perish and bee severed from the Soule again 59. Now when Adam awaked from sleep he beheld his wife and knew that she came out of him For he had not yet eaten of vanity with his outward mouth but with the imagination desire and lust onely 60. And it was the first desire of Eve that she might eat of the Tree of vanity of Evill and Good to which the Devill in the form of a Serpent perswaded her saying That her eyes should bee opened and she bee as GOD himself which was both a lye and truth 61. But he told her not that she should lose the divine light and power thereby he only said her eyes should be opened that she might taste prove and know evill and good as he had done he did not tell her neither that heat and cold would awake in her and that the property of the outward constellations would mightily domineere in the flesh and in the mind 62. His onely aim was that the Angelicall Image viz. the Substance which came from the inward spirituall world might disappeare in them for then they would be constrained to live in subjection to the grosse earthlinesse the Constellations and then he knew well enough that when the outward world perished the soule should then be with him in darknesse for he saw that the body should dye which he perceived by that which God had intimated and so he supposed yet to be Lord to all eternity in the place of this world in his false shape which he had gotten and therefore he seduced Man 63. For when Adam and Eve were eating of the fruit evill and good into the body then the imagination of the body received vanity in the fruit then vanity awaked in the flesh and the Dark-world got the upper hand dominion in the vanity of the earthlinesse upon which the faire Image of heaven that proceeded out of the Heavenly divine world instantly disappeared 64. Here Adam and Eve dyed to the Kingdome of heaven and awaked to the outward world and then the faire soule in the love of GOD disappeared as to the holy power vertue and property and in stead thereof the wrathfull anger viz. the Darkfire-world awaked in it and so the soule became in one part viz. in the inward Nature a halfe Devill and in the outward part of the outward world a beast 65. Here are the bounds of Death and the gates of Hell for which cause God became man that he might destroy death and change Hell into great love again and destroy the vanity of the Devill 66. Let this be told you yee children of men it is told you in the sound of the Trumpet that you should instantly goe forth from the abominable vanity for the fire therof burneth CHAP III. Of the lamentable fall of Man and of the meanes of his Deliverance 67 NOw when Adam and Eve fell into this vanity then the wrath of Nature awaked in each property and in the desire impressed the vanity of the Earthlinesse and wrath of GOD into it selfe 68. And then the flesh became grosse and rough as the flesh of another beast and the noble soule was captivated in the essence therewith and saw that its body was become a beast and it saw also the bestiall members for multiplication and the stinking Carkasse into which the desire would stuffe the loathsomnesse which it was ashamed of in the presence of GOD and therefore they hid
thereby but it is thus When Christ ariseth then Adam dyeth in the the essence of the Serpent when the Sunne riseth the night is swallowed up in the day and the night is no more so sins are forgiven 147. The Spirit of Christ eateth of his holy substance the inward man is the receiver of the holy substance he receiveth what the Spirit of Christ bringeth into him viz. the Temple of God Christs flesh and blood But what doth this concern a Beast Or what doth it concern the Devils Or the soul that is in the anger of God these eat of the heavenly body that is in the heaven they dwell in which is the Abysse or bottomlesse pit 148. And thus it is in the Office of Preaching the ungodly heareth what the outward soul of the outward world preacheth that he receiveth viz. the History and if there be straw or stubble in that which is taught he sucketh the vanity out of that and the soule sucketh the venemous poyson and the murthering cruelty of the Devill from it wherewith that soule tickleth it selfe in hearing how to judge and condemne others 149. And if the Preacher be one that is dead and hath no true life in him but soweth venome and reproach proceeding out of his affections then it is the Devill that teacheth and the Devill that heareth such teaching is received into a wicked heart and bringeth forth wicked fruits by which the world is become a Murthering Den of Devils so that if you look among the Teachers and Hearers there is nothing to be found but revilings slanderings and reproachings also contention about words and wrangling about the Hâ—sk 150. But the holy Ghost teacheth in the holy Teacher and the Spirit of Christ heareth through the soule and the Divine house of the Divine sound in the holy Hearer the holy man hath his Church in himselfe wherein he heareth and teacheth 151. But Babel hath a heap of stone into that she goeth with her seeming holinesse and hypocrisie there she loveth to be seen in fine cloathes and there maketh a very devout and godly shew the church of stone is her God in which she putteth her confidence 152. But the holy man hath his church about him every where and in himselfe for he alwayes standeth and walketh and sitteth and lyeth down in his church he is in the true Christian church in the Temple of Christ the Holy Ghost preacheth to him out of every creature whatsoever he looketh upon hee seeth a Preacher of God therein 153. Here now the scoffer will say I despise the Church of stone where the congregation meeteth but I say I doe not for I doe but discover the hypocriticall Whore of Babylon which committeth whore ome with the church of stone and termeth herselfe a Christian but is indeed a Strumpet 154. A true Christian brings his Holy Church within him into the congregation His Heart is the true Church where a man must practice the service of God If I did goe a thousand times to Church and to the Sacrament every week and heard absolution declared to me every day and have not Christ in me then all is false an unprofitable fiction and graven Image in Babell and no forgiving of sinnes 155. A Holy Man doth Holy works from the Holy strength of his mind the work is not the expiation or reconciliation but it is the building which the true Spirit buildeth in his substance it is his habitation but the fiction and fancie is the habitation of the false Christian into which his soule entreth with dissimulation The outward hearing reacheth but to the outward and worketh in the outward onely but the inward hearing goeth into the inward and worketh in the inward 156. Dissemble roare cry sing preach and teach as much as thou wilt if thy inward Teacher and Hearer be not open then all is nothing but Babel a fiction and a graven Image whereby the Spirit of the outward world doth modell and make a graven Image in resemblance to the inward 157. And maketh a Holy shew therewîth as if hee did performe some Divine or Holy service to GOD whereas many times in such service and worship the Devil worketh mightily in the imagination and very much tickleth the heart with those things which the flesh delighteth in which indeed not seldome happeneth to the children of GOD as to their outward man if they doe not take great heed to themselves the Devill doth so â—ift them CHAP. VII Of unprofitable opinions and strife about the Letter 158. A True Christian who is born anew in the Spirit of Christ is in the simplicity of Christ and hath no strife or contention with any man about Religion he hath strife enough in himselfe with his own beastiall evill flesh and blood he continually thinketh that he is a great sinner he is afraid of God but the love of Christ pierceth through and expelleth that feare as the day swalloweth up the night 159. But the sinnes of the ungodly man rest in the sleep of death and bud forth in the pit and bring forth fruit in hell 160. The Christendome that is in Babel striveth about knowledge how men ought to serve God and glorifie him also how to know God and what he is in his essence and will and they preach peremptorily that whosoever is not one and the same in every particular with them for knowledge and Opinions is no Christian but a Heretick 161. Now I would faine see how any can bring all their Sects so to agree in that one which might be called a true Christian Church when all of them are scorners every party of them reviling the other and proclaiming it to be false 162. But a Christian is of no Sect he can dwel in the midst of Sects and also appeare in their services and yet adhere and be addicted to no Sect He hath but one knowledge only that is Christ is him He seeketh but one way which is the Desire alwayes willingly to doe and teach that which is right and he putteth all his knowing and willing into the life of Christ. 163. He sigheth and wisheth continually that the will of God might be done in him and that his Kingdome might be manifested in him He daily and hourely killeth sinne in the flesh For the seede of the woman viz. the inward man in Christ continually breaketh the Head of the Serpent viz. of the Devill which is in vanity 164. His Faith is a Desire to God and goodnesse which he wrappeth up into a sure hope and therefore ventureth it upon the words of the promise and liveth and dyeth therein though as to the true man hee never dyeth 165. For Christ telleth us saying whosoever believeth in me shall never dye but hath pierced through from death to life and Rivers of living waters shall flow from him viz. good Doctrine and works 166. Therefore I say that whatsoever fighteth and contendeth about the Letter is all Babell The
thing its owne will is without GODS will and there the Devill dwelleth and all what ever is without God The Scholar 42. How farre then is Heaven and Hell from one another The Master As far as day and night something and nothing are one from another they are in one another and they doe cause joy and trouble one to another Heaven is through the whole world and without the world all over without being divided or included in a place and worketh through the Diviâ—â— Manifestation but onely in it self and in that which commeth into it or in that wherein it becommeth manifest and there God is revealed for heaven is nothing but a manifestation of the eternall One wherein all worketh and willeth in quiet love Hell also is through the whole world and dwelleth and worketh also but in it selfe and in that wherein the foundation of Hell is manifested viz. in Selfe and in the false or evill will The visible world hath both Heaven and Hell in it Maâ— as to his Temporall life is only of the visible world and therefore during the time of this life he seeth not the spirituall world for the outward world with its substance is a cover to the spirituall world as the soule is covered with the body But when the outward man dyeth then the spirituall world as to the soule is manifested either in the eternall light with the holy Angels or in the eternall darknesse with the Devils The Scholar 43. What is an Angel or the soule of a man that they may be manifested thus either in Gods love or anger The Master They came from one originall they are a Branch of the Divine Sience of the Divine will sprung from the Divine Word and made an object of the Divine Love they are come out of the ground of eternity from whence Light and Darknesse spring viz. Darknesse consisting in the receiving of Self-desire and Light consisting in willing the same with God and there the love of God is in the working but in the receiving of Self in the willing of the soule Gods will worketh in pain and is a Darknesse that the light may be known They Heaven and Hell are nothing else but a manifestation of the Divine will either in Light or Darknesse according to the properties of the spirituall world The Scholar 44. What then is the Body of a Man The Master It is the visible world an Image and essence of all that the world is and the visible world is a manifestation of the inward spirituall world come out of the eternal light out of the eternall darknesse out of the spiritual weaving twining or connexion and it is an object or resemblance of eternity wherewith eternity hath made it self visible where self-wil and resigned will viz. evill and good work one with another and such a substance the outward man also is for God created man of the outward world and breathed into him the inward spirituall world for a soule and an understanding life and therefore in the things of the outward world man can receive and work evill and good The Scholar 45. What shall be after this world when all things perish The Master The materiall substance onely ceaseth viz. the foure elements the Sun Moon and Starres and then the inward world will be wholly visible and manifest But whatsoever hath been wrought by the Spirit in this time whether evill or good I say every work shal separate it self there in a spirituall manner either into the eternal light oâ— into the eternal darknesse for that which is born from each will penetrateth again into that which is like it selfe And there the darknesse is called Hell and is an eternall forgetting of all good and the light is called the Kingdome of God and is an eternall joy and an eternall praise in the Saints that they are delivered from the evill pain The last judgement is a kindling of the fire both of Gods love and anger in which the matter of every substance perisheth and each fire shall attract its own into it selfe viz. the substance that is like it selfe that is Gods fire of love draweth into it whatsoever is born in the love of God in which also it shall burn after the manner of love and yeeld it selfe up into that substance But the pain draweth into it selfe what is wrought in the anger of God in darknesse and consumeth the false substance and then there remaineth onely the painful or aking will in its own forme Image and figure The Scholar 46. What Matter and Form or shape shall our bodies rise with The Master It is sown a natural grosse elementary body which in this life time is like the outward elements and in this grosse body there is the subtile power and vertue as in the earth there is a subtile good vertue which is like the Sun and is one and the same with the Sunne which also in the beginning of time did spring and proceed out of the Divine power and vertue from whence all the good vertue of the body hath been received this good vertue of the mortall body shall come again and live for ever in a kind of transparent Crystalline material property in spirituall flesh and bloud as also the good vertue of the earth shall when the earth also shall bee Crystalline and the Divine light shine in every thing that hath a Being Essence or Substance And as the grosse earth shall perish and not return so also the grosse flesh of Man shall perish and not live for ever But all things must appeare before the judgement and in the judgement bee separated by the fire yes both the earth and also the ashes of the humane body For when God shall once move the Spirituall world every Spirit shall attract its spirituall substance to it selfe viz. a good Spirit and soule shall draw to it selfe its good substance and an evill one its evill substance But we must here understand such a substantiall materiall power and vertue whose substance is meere vertue like a materiall tincture whose grossnesse is perished in all things The Scholar 47. Shall we not rise again with our visible bodies and live in them for ever The Master When the visible world perisheth then all that which hath come out of it and hath been externall shall perish with it there shal remain of the world onely the heavenly Crystalline Nature and Form and so there shall remain of Man also onely the spirituall earth For man shall be then wholly like the spiritual world which as yet is hidden The Scholar 48. Shall there be also husband and wife or children and kindred in the spirituall life or shall one associate with another as they doe in this life The Master Why art thou so fleshly minded There will be neither husband nor wife but all will be like the Angels of God viz. Masculine Virgins there will be neither sonne nor daughter brother nor sister
feare of any end where no evill thoughts could touch him neither care nor trouble neither heate nor cold where no night is knowne where there is no day or time any more but an everlasting joy where soule and body tremble for joy and where he should rejoyce at the infinite wonders and vertues in brightnesse of colours and ornament of the infinite begetting in the wisedome of God upon the new christaline Earth which shall be as transparent glasse that he doth so wilfully lose all this for so short and poore a times-sake which yet in this vanity in the evill life of the voluptuous flesh is full of miserie feare and trouble in meere vexation and it goeth with the wicked as with the righteous as the one must die so must the other yet the death of the Saints is an entrance into the eternall rest but the death of the wicked an entrance into the eternall unquietnesse Eightly He must consider the course of the world that all things are but a play wherewith he spendeth his time in unquietnesse and that it goeth with the rich and mighty as with the poore and the begger that all of us equally live and move in the foure Elements and that the mouthfull or morsell of the poore is as relishing and savoury to him in his toyle and labour as that of the rich is to him in his cares also that all of us doe live in one breath and that the rich man hath nothing but the pleasure of the palate and the lust of the eye more then other men for else it goeth with the one as with the other for which lust of the eye man so foolishly forgoeth so great a happinesse and for the sake thereof bringeth himselfe into so great and eternall unquietnesse In this consideration man shall feele in his owne heart and minde especially if he represent and set before his eyes his owne end that he shall get a hearty sighing and longing after the mercie of God and will begin to bewaile his committed sinnes that hee hath spent his dayes so ill and not observed nor considered that he standeth in this world in a field in the growing to be a fruit either in the Love or in the Anger of God and then he will first begin to find in himselfe that he hath not yet laboured at all in the vineyard of Christ and that he is a drie branch in the vine of Christ. And then in many whom the Spirit of Christ toucheth in such a consideration there ariseth aboundant sorrow griefe of heart and inward lamentation over the dayes of his wickednesse which he hath spent so in vanity without any working in the Vineyard of Christ. Such a one now whom the Spirit of Christ bringeth into sorrow and Repentance so that his heart is opened that he can know and bewaile his sins is very easily to be helped he needeth but to draw to him the promise of Christ viz. That God willeth not the death of a sinner but that he wisheth them all to come unto him and hee will refresh them and that there is great joy in heaven for one sinner that repenteth let such a one but lay hold on the words of Christ and wrap himselfe up into the passion and death of Christ. But I will speake with those who feele indeede a desire in themselves to repent and yet cannot come to acknowledge and sorrow for their committed sins the flesh saying continually to the soule stay a while it is well enough or it is time enough to morrow and when to morrow is come yet the flesh saith again to morrow the soul in the meane while sighing and fainting conceiveth neither any true sorrow for the sinnes it hath committed nor any comfort Unto such a one I say I will write a processe or way which I my selfe have gone that hee may know what he must doe and how it went with me if peradventure any be minded to follow it and then he shall perceive what is hereafter written A processe of Repentance WHen any man findeth in himself by the former consideration a hunger that he would willingly repent and yet findeth no true sorrow in himselfe for his sinnes which hee hath committed and yet perceiveth an hunger or desire to sorrow being the poor captive soule continually sigheth feareth and must acknowledge it selfe guilty of sinnes before the Judgement of God such a one I say can take no better course then this viz. to wrap up his senses and minde and also his reason together and make to himselfe at the same time presently in the first consideration when he perceiveth in himselfe a desire to repent a mighty strong purpose and resolution that he will this very houre nay this minite immediatly enter into Repentance and go forth from his wicked way and not at all regard the power and honour of the world and if it should be required would forsake and disesteeme all things for true Repentance sake and take such an earnest firme and strong resolution that he will never goe forth from it againe though he should be made the foole scorne of all the world for it and that with his minde he will goe forth from the beauty and pleasure of the world and patiently enter into the Passion and Death of Christ in and under the Crosse and set all his hope and confidence upon the life to come and that now in righteousnesse and truth he will enter into the Vineyard of Christ and doe the will of God and in the Spirit and will of Christ begin and finish all his actions in this world and for Christs Word and Promise sake who hath promised us heavenly reward willingly suffer and beare every adversitie and crosse that he may but be numbred in the communion or fellowship of the children of Christ and in the bloud of the Lambe Jesus Christ be incorporated and united unto his Humanity He must firmely imagin to himself wholly wrap up his soule in this that in this his purpose he shall obtaine the love of God in Christ Jesus and that God will give unto him according to his faithfull promise that noble pledge the holy Ghost for a beginning that in the Humanity of Christ as to the heavenly divine substance he shall be borne a new againe in himselfe and that the Spirit of Christ will renew his minde with his Love and Power and strengthen his weake faith also that in his divine hunger he shall get the flesh and bloud of Christ for foode and drinke in the desire of his soule which continually hungreth and thristeth after it and with the thirst of the soule drinke the water of eternall life out of the sweete fountaine of Jesus Christ as Christs most true and stedfast Promise is He must also wholly and firmely imagine to himselfe the great love of God That God willeth not the death of a sinner but that he repent and live that
soule to come into thee my soule crieth to come into that Spirit from whence the soule was breathed into the body and which hath formed it in the likenesse of God my soule desireth in its thirst to get the sweete fountaine which springeth from IEHOVAH into it selfe to refresh Gods breath of Fire which it selfe is so that the sweete Love of IESVS may rise in its breath of Fire through the Fountaine IESVS springing out of IEHOVAH and that CHRIST the holy one may be manifested and become Man in my disappeared Image of heavenly spirituall corporality and that the poore soule may receive its beloved Bride againe in its Armes with whom it may rejoyce for ever O IMMANVEL thou Wedding Chamber God and Man I yeeld up my selfe into the Armes of thy Desire towards us in us it is thy selfe whom I desire O blot out the Anger of thy Father with thy love in me and strengthen my weake Image in mee that I may overcome and tame the vanity in flesh and bloud and serve thee in holinesse and righteousnesse O thou great and most holy Name and power of God IEHOVAH which hast stirred thy selfe with thy most sweete power IESVS in the limit of the Covenanted promise to our Father Adam in the womans seede in the Virgine Mary in our disappeared heavenly Humanity and brought the living essentiality of thy holy power in the Virgin-wisedome of God into our humanity which was extinguished as to thee and hast given it to us to be our life victory and new Regeneration I entreate thee with all my strength beget a new holy life in me by thy sweete power IESVS that I may be in thee and thou in me and that thy Kingdome may be made manifest in me and that the will and conversation of my soule may be in heaven O great and incomprehensible God thou who fillest all things be thou my Heaven in which my new Birth in CHRIST IESVS may dwell let my spirit be the stringed Instrument harmony sound and joy of thy holy Spirit strike the strings in me in thy Regenerate Image and carry through my Harmony into thy Divine Kingdome of Joy in the great Love of God in the wonders of thy Glory and Majesty in the Communion of the holy Angelicall Harmony build up the holy City Zion in me in which as children of Christ we all live together in one City which is Christ in us into thee I wholly plunge my self do with me what thou pleasest Amen A Prayer In temptation under the Crosse of Christ at that time when all our enemies assault us and when we are persecuted and hated in the Spirit of Christ and slandered and reproached as evill doers POore man that I am I walke full of anguish and trouble in my Pilgrimage into my native Country again from whence I came in Adam and goe through the thistles and thornes of this world to thee againe O God my Father The thornes teare me on every side and I am afflicted and despised by my enemies they scorne my soule and despise it as an evill doer who hath broken the faith with them they despise my walking towards thee account it foolish they thinke I am senselesse because I walke in this thorny way and goe not along with them in their hypocriticall way O Lord Jesus Christ I flie to thee under the Crosse O deare Immanuel receive me and carry me into thy selfe through the Path of thy Pilgrimage in which thy selfe didst walke in this world viz. Through thy Incarnation Poverty Reproach and Scorne also through thy anguish Passion and Death Make me like unto thy Image send thy good Angel along with me to shew me the way through the horrible thorny wildernesse of this world assist me in my misery comfort me with that comfort wherewith the Angel comforted thee in the Garden when thou didst pray to thy Father and didst sweat drops of bloud sustaine me in my Anguish and Perfecution under the reproach of the devills and all wicked men that know not thee but refuse to walke in thy way O great love of God they know not thy way and doe this in blindnesse through the deceit of the devill have pitty on them and bring them out of blindnesse into the light that they may learne to know themselves and how they lie captive in the filth and mire of the devill in a darke dungeon fast bound with three chaines O great God have mercy upon Adam and his children redeeme them in Christ the new Adam I flie to thee O Christ God and Man in this Pilgrimage which I must passe in this darke valley every where dispised and troubled and accounted an ungodly wicked man O Lord it is thy judgement upon me that my sinnes and inbred vanity may be judged in this pilgrimage before thee and I as a curse be made an open spectacle on which thy Anger may satiate it selfe and thereby may take the eternall reproach away from mee It is the token of thy love and thereby thou bringest me into the reproach anguish suffering and death of my Saviour Jesus Christ that so I may die from vanity in my Saviour and spring up in his Spirit with my new life through his reproach and ignominie through his Death I beseech thee O Christ thou patient Lamb of God grant me patience in my way of the Crosse through all thy anguish reproach thy death and passion thy scorne and contempt upon the Crosse where thou wert despised in my stead and bring me therein as a patient Lamb to thee into thy victory Let me live with thee and in thee and convert my persecutors which unknowne to themselves by their reproaching sacrifice my vanity and inbred sinnes before thy Anger they know not what they doe they thinke they doe me harme but they doe me good they doe that for me which I should doe my selfe before thee I should daily lay open and acknowledge my shame before thee and thereby sinke my selfe downe into the death of thy beloved Sonne that my shame might die in his death but I being too too negligent weary faint and feeble therefore thou usest them in thy Anger to open and discover my vilenesse before thy Anger which thy wrath taketh hold of and sinketh it downe into the death of my Saviour O mercifull God my vaine flesh cannot know how well thou intendest towards me when thou sufferest my Enemies to take my vilenesse from me and sacrifice it before thee my earthly minde supposeth that thou afflictest me for my sinnes and I am extreamely perplexed at it but thy Spirit in my inward new man telleth me that it is of thy love towards me that thou intendest good to me by it when thou sufferest my enemies to persecute me it is best for me that they performe the worke in my stead and unfold my sins before thee in thy anger that it may swallow them up that
they may not follow me into my native countrey for they are strong and lusty still in thy Anger therefore can do it better then I that am feeble fainting already in the will of vanity this thou knowest fulwell O thou righteous God I beseech thee therefore O righteous God since thou usest them as servants to me to doe so good an office for me though my earthly reason knoweth it not that thou wouldest make them also to know my way and send them also such servants but yet before hand bring them to the light that they may know thee and give thee thanks O mercifull God in Christ Jesus in my knowledge I beseech thee out of thy deepe love towards us poore men which thou hast manifested in me in the hidden man call us all in thee to thee O stirre thy selfe in us yet once in this last trouble thy Anger being kindled in us doe thou resist thy Anger in us least it swallow us up both soule and body O thou dawning of the Day-spring of God breake forth to the full art thou not already risen manifest thy holy City Zion thy holy Jerusalem in us O great God! I see thee in the depth of thy Power and Strength awaken me wholly in thee that I may be quickned in thee breake off the tree of thy Anger in us and let thy love spring forth and bud in us O Lord I lie downe in thy sight and beseech thee not to rebuke us in thine Anger are we not thy possession which thou hast purchased Forgive all of us our sinnes and deliver us from the enmity of thy wrath and from the reproach and envy of the devill and bring us under thy Crosse in patience into Paradise againe Amen Here followeth a Prayer or Dialogue betweene the poore soule and the noble virgine Sophia in the inward ground of man viz. betweene the Spirit of Christ in the new Birth out of his Humanity in us and the soule shewing how great a joy there is in the Heaven of the new regenerate man and how lovingly and graciously the noble Sophia presenteth her selfe to her Bridegrome the Soule when it entreth into Repentance and how the Soule behaveth it selfe towards her when Virgine Sophia appeareth to it The gates of the Paradisicall Garden of Roses This is understood by none but the children of Christ who have knowne it by experience WHen Christ the corner-stone stirreth himselfe in the extinguished Image of man in his hearty conversion and repentance then Virgine Sophia appeareth in the stirring of the Spirit of Christ in the extinguished Image in her Virgines-attire before the soule at which the soule is so amazed and astonished in its uncleanesse that all its sinnes immediately awake in it and tremble and shake before her For then the judgement passeth upon the sinnes of the soule so that it even goeth backe in its unworth inesse and is ashamed in the presence of its faire love and entreth into it selfe denying it selfe as utterly unworthy to receive such a jewell This is understood by them who are of our Tribe who have tasted this jewell and to none else But the noble Sophia draweth neare in the essence of the soule and kisseth it friendly and tinctureth the darke fire of the soule with her Rayes of love and shineth through the soule with her Kisse of love then the soule skippeth in its body for great joy in the strength of this Virgine-love triumphing and praysing the great God in the strength of the noble Sophia I will set downe here a short description how it is when the Bride embraceth the Bridegroome for the consideration of the Reader who perhaps hath not yet beene in this place where the Bride embraceth her Bridegroome it may be he will be desirous to follow us and to enter into the place where men dance with Sophia When that which is before mentioned cometh to passe the soule rejoyceth in its body and saith I. PRayse thanksgiving strength honour and glory be to thee O great God in thy power and sweetenesse for that thou hast redeemed me from the driver of anguish O thou faire Love my heart embraceth thee where hast thou beene so long me thought I was in hell in the Anger of God O gracious Love abide with me I beseech thee and be my joy and comfort leade me in the right way I give my selfe up into thy love I am darke before thee doe thou enlighten me O noble Love give me thy sweet pearle put it I pray thee into me O great God in Christ Jesus I praise and magnifie thee now in thy truth in thy great power and glory for that thou hast forgiven me my sinnes and filled me with thy strength I shout for joy before thee in my life and extoll thee in thy Firmament of Heaven which none can open but thy Spirit in thy mercy my bones rejoyce in thy strength and my heart delighteth in thy love Thanks be to thee for ever for that thou hast delivered me out of hell and turned death into life in me O sweet Love let me not depart from thee againe grant me thy Garland of Pearle and abide in me O be my peculiar possession that I may rejoyce in thee for ever Upon this Virgine Sophia sayth to the Soule MY Noble Bridegroome my strength and power you are a thousand times welcome why hast thou forgotten me so long that I have beene constrained in great griefe to stand without the doore and knocke have I not alwayes called thee and entreated thee but thou hast turned away thy countenance from me and thy eares declined my Territories thou couldest not see my light for thou didst walke in the valley of darknesse I was very neare thee and intreated thee continually but thy sinne held thee captive in death so that thou knowest me not I came to thee in great humility and called thee but thou wert rich in the power of the anger of God and didst not regard my humility and lowlynesse thou hadst taken the Devill to be thy Paramour he hath desiled thee thus and built up his fort of prey in thee and turned thee quite away from my love and faith into his hypocriticall Kingdome of falshood wherein thou hast committed much sinne and wickednesse and broken thy will off from my love and so broken the bond of wedlock and set thy love and affection upon a stranger and suffered me thy Bride which God did give thee to stand alone in the extinguished substance without the power of thy fiery strength I could not be joyfull without thy fiery strength for thou art my husband my shining brightnesse is made manifest by thee thou canst manifest my hidden wonders in thy fiery life and bring them into Majesty And yet without me thou art but a darke house wherein is nothing but anguish and torment an odious horrible paine O Noble Bridegroome stand still with thy countenance towards me and
maketh himselfe merry with his desire in his seven formes of life of the Center of nature nor what abominable errour he setteth up 13 From this understanding false Babell is brought forth in the Christian Church on earth where men rule and teach by the conclusions of reason and have set the childe which is drunke in its owne pride and selfecovetousnesse as a faire Virgine upon the Throne 14 But the Devill is entred into its seven formes of life of the Center viz. into its owne selfe conceited reason continually bringeth his desire into this trimmed Virgin which the starres receive Hee is her Beast on which shee rideth well adorned in her owne forces of life as may be seene in the Revelations Thus it hath taken into possession the outward glance of divine holinesse viz. the light of Reason and supposeth it selfe to be the faire childe in the house but the Devill hath his lodging within it 15 And thus it is with all these that have beene once enlightened by God and after goe forth againe from true resignation and weane themselves from the true milke of their Mother viz. true humility The way which a true Christian must follow 16 REason will object and say Is it not right for a man to attaine the light of God and also the light of the outward nature and reason that he may be able to order his life wisely as the Scripture sayth 17 Yes it is very right nothing can be more profitable to a man neither can any better thing happen to him nay it is a treasure above all earthly treasures for a man to have the light of God and of time for it is the eye of time and of eternity 18 But marke how thou oughtest to use it the light of God first manifesteth it selfe in the soule it shineth forth as light from a candle and kindleth the outward light of reason immediately yet it yeeldeth not it self wholly up to reason to be under the dominion of the outward man no the outward man beholdeth himselfe in this through shining lustre as he doth his likenesse in a looking-glasse he presently learneth to know himselfe which is good and profitable for him 19 And when he doth so Reason which is the creaturely selfe cannot doe better then to behold it selfe in the selfe of the creature nor to enter with the will of the desire into the Center in seeking it selfe if it doe it breaketh it selfe off from the substance of God which riseth together with the light of God of which the soule ought to eate and refresh it selfe therewith and eateth of the outward substance and light and thereby draweth the venome into it selfe againe 20 The will of the creature ought to sinke wholly into it selfe with all its reason and desire accounting it selfe an unworthy childe that is no whit worthy of this so high a grace nor should it arrogate any knowledge or understanding to it selfe or desire and begge of God to have any understanding in its creaturely selfe but sincerely and simply sinke it selfe into the grace and love of God in Christ Jesus and desire to be as it were dead to it selfe and its owne reason in the divine life and wholly resigne it selfe to the life of God in love that he may doe how and what he will with it as with his owne instrument 21 It s owne reason ought not to enter upon any speculation in divine or in the ground or foundation of humane matters nor to will and desire any thing but the grace of God in Christ and as a child continually longeth after the breasts of the Mother so must its hunger continually enter into the love of God and not suffer it selfe to be broken off from this hunger by any meanes when the outward reason triumpheth in the light saying I have the true child but then the will of the desire must bow it selfe downe to the earth and bring it selfe into the deepest humility and simple ignorance and say thou art foolish and hast nothing but the grace of God thou must wrap thy selfe up into that with great humility and become nothing at all in thy selfe and neither know nor love thy selfe all that thou hast or is in thee must esteeme it selfe as nothing but a meere Instrument of God and then must bring the desire onely into Gods mercy and goe forth from all thy owne knowing and willing and esteeme it as nothing at all nor must thou ever entertaine any will to enter into it againe 22 As soone as this is done the naturall with entreth into weakenesse and then the Devill is not able to fift it thus any more with his evil desire for the places of his rest become very weake and drie and then the holy Spirit proceeding from God taketh possession of the formes of life and maketh his dominion prevaile viz. He kindleth the formes of life with his flames of love and then the high skill and knowledge of the Center of all Things ariseth according to the inward and outward Constellation of the creature in a very subtile drying fire with great delight and desire to sinck downe into that light and esteeme it selfe nothing and thinketh it self to be unworthy of it 23. And thus it s own desire pierceth into that nothing viz. into that wherein God createth and doth what hee will therein and the Spirit of God springeth forth through the desire of the resigned Humility And so the humane self immediately followeth the Spirit of God in trembling and joy of Humility and so it may behold what is in time and eternity for all is present before it 24. When the Spirit of God riseth up as a fire and the flame of Love then the spirit of the soule descendeth and saith Lord glory be to thy Name not to me Thou art able to take vertue power strength wisdom knowledge doe as thou wilt I can doe nothing I know nothing I will goe no whither but whither thou leadest me as thy instrument doe thou in me and with me what thou wilt 25. In such an humble and totall Resignation the spark of Divine power falleth into the center of the forms of life as a spark into Tinder and kindleth it viz. the fire of the soule which Adam made to be a dark coale in himselfe so that it glimmereth And when the light of Divine power hath kindled it selfe therein the creature must goe on as an instrument of Gods Spirit and speak what the Spirit of God telleth it and then it is no more in its own proper possession but it is the instrument of God 26. But the will of the Soule must without ceasing in this fiery-driving sink into nothing viz. into the deepest humility in the sight of God For no sooner doth the will of the soule in the least measure goe on in its own speculation or searching but Lucifer layeth hold of it in the center of the formes of life and sifteth
and entereth with the desire into him and he will not cast out them that come unto him he hath given to the will an open gate in Christ saying Come unto me all yee that are heavie laden with sinnes I will refresh you take my yoak upon you that is the Crosse of the enmity in the flesh which was the yoak of Christ who must beare it for the sinnes of all men This crosse the resigned will must take upon it in the evill earthly sinfull flesh and beare it after Christ in patience in hope of deliverance and always brea kt he head of the Serpent with the resigned will of the soule in Christs will and Spirit and kill and destroy the earthly will in Gods anger and not let it rest on a soft bed when sinne is committed thinking I wil repent one time or other 26. No no the earthly will groweth strong fat and wanton upon this soft bed But so soon as the breath of God shineth in thee and sheweth sinne to thee the will of the soul must sink it selfe down into the passion and death of Christ wrap it selfe up close in it and take the passion of Christ into its possession and be a Lord over the death of sin by the death of Christ and kill it and destroy it in the death of Christ. 27. It must die though it be never so unwilling Be at enmity with the voluptuous earthly flesh give it not what it would have let it fast and suffer hunger till its tickling cease account the will of the flesh thy enemy and do not what the desire in the flesh will and then thou shalt bring a death into the death in the flesh 28. Regard not any scorne of the world think they doe but scorn thy enemy and that it is become a foole to them nay doe thou thy selfe account it thy foole which Adam caused thee to have in thee and suffered to be thy false heire Cast the sonne of the bond-woman out of the house that strange child which God did not give to be in the house of life in Adam at the beginning for the son of the bond-woman must not inherit with the son of the free-woman 29. The earthly will is but the son of the Bond-woman for the foure elements should have been mans servants but Adam hath brought them into filiation Therefore God said to Abraham when he had opened the covenant of the promise in him Cast out the son of the bond-woman for hee shall not inherit with the sonne of the free This sonne of the Free is Christ which God of his grace hath brought again into the flesh for us viz. a new mind wherein the will viz. the eternall will of the soul may draw and drink the water of life of which Christ speaketh saying Whosoever shall drink of this water that he will give us it shall spring up in him and be a Fountain of eternall life This Fountaine is the renovation of the mind of the soule viz. the eternall Astrum or Constellation of the eternall Nature viz. of the creaturely property of the soul. 30. Therefore I say that all fictions and devices to come to God by let them have what name soever they will which men contrive and invent for wayes to God are lost labour and unprofitable without a new mind There is no other way to God but a new mind which turneth from wickednes and entreth into repentance for the sinnes it hath committed and goeth forth from its iniquity and willeth it no more but wrappeth its will up in the death of Christ and with all earnestnesse dieth from the sinne of the soule in the death of Christ so that the mind of the soule willeth sinne no more 31. And although all the Devils did follow him hard and did go with their desire into the flesh yet the will of the soule should stand still and hide it selfe in the death of Christ willing and desiring nothing but the Mercie of God 32. No hypocriticall flattery or outward comforting ones self availeth at all as when men will cover sinne and iniquity in the flesh with the satisfaction of Christ and remain in Self still Christ saith Except ye turn and become as children yee shall not see the Kingdome of God the mind must become as wholly new as in a child that knoweth nothing of sinne Christ saith also Ye must be born anew or else yee shall not see the Kingdome of God There must arise a will wholly new in the death of Christ it must be brought forth out of Christs entring into the humanity and rise in Christs resurrection 33. Now before this can be done the will of the soule must dye in the death of Christ first for in Adam it received the son of the bond-woman viz. sinne into it This the will of the soul must first cast out and the poore captive soule must wrap it selfe up in the death of Christ earnestly with all the power it hath so that the sonne of the bond-woman viz. sin in it selfe may dye in the death of Christ. 34. Truly sin must dye in the will of the soule or else there can be no vision of God for the earthly will in sinne and the anger of God shall not see God but Christ that came into the flesh The soul must put on the Spirit and flesh of Christ it cannot inherit the Kingdome of God in this earthly Tabernacle for the kingdome of sin hangeth to it outwardly which must putrifie in the earth and rise again in new power 35. Hypocrifie flattery and verball forgivenesse availeth nothing we must be children not by outward imputation but born of God from within in the new man which is resigned in God 36. All such flattering of our selves in saying Christ hath paid the Ransome and made satisfaction for sinne he is dead for our sinnes if we also do not dye from sinne in him and put on his merit in new obedience and live therein all is false and a vain frivolous comfort 37. He that is a bitter enemy and hater of sinne he can and may comfort himselfe with the sufferings of Christ he that doth not willingly see hear nor tast sinne but is at enmity with it and would willingly always doe that which is well and right if he knew but what he ought to doe he that is such a one I say hath put on the Spirit and will of Christ. 38. The outward flattery of being accounted a child of God by imputation or externall application is false and vain the work done in the outward flesh onely doth not make the child of God but the working of Christ in the Spirit maketh and is the child of God which working is so powerfull in the outward work that it shineth forth as a new light and manifesteth it self to be the child of God in the outward work of the flesh 39. For if the eye of the soule be light then the whole body is
those children that come to him are his reward which he hath merited and deserved 128. For thus he sayd Father the men were thine and thou hast given them to me as my reward and I will give them eternall life But the life of Christ will be given to none unlesse they come to him in his Spirit into his humanity suffering and merit and in his merit be born a true child of the merit 129 We must be born of his Merit put on the merit of Christ in his passion and death not outwardly with verbal flattery with bare comforting of our selves and still remain aliens and strange children of a strange Essence No the strange Essence inheriteth not the childship but the innate essence inheriteth it 130. This innate essence is not of this world but in heaven of which St. Paul speaketh saying Our conversation is in heaven the filiall essence walketh in Heaven and Heaven is in man 131. But if heaven in man be not open and a man stand without heaven flattering himselfe and say I am still without but Christ will receive me in by his grace is not his merit mine Such a one is in vanity and sinne with the outward man and with the soule in Hell viz. in the anger of God 132. Therefore learn to understand rightly what Christ hath taught us and done for us he is our heaven he must get a forme in us or else we shall not be in heaven Thus then the soules inward man with the holy body of Christ viz. in the New-birth is in heaven and the outward mortall man is in the world of which Christ spake saying My sheep are in my hand and none shall plucke them away the Father which gave them to me is greater then all CHAP. VI. Of the right and of the wrong going to Church receiving the Sacraments and Absolution 133. BEloved brethren we will tell you faithfully not with flattering lips to please the Antichrist but from our Pearle from a Christian essence and knowledge not from the husk and History but from a filiall Spirit from Christs knowledge as a Branch growing on the Vine Christ from the measure of that knowledge which is opened in us according to the counsell of God 134. Men tye us now-a-dayes to the History to the Materiall Churches of stone which were indeed good in their kind if men did also bring the Temple of Christ into them And men teach that their absolution is a forgiving of sinnes c. That the Supper of the Lord taketh away sinne Also that the Spirit of God is infused into men by the Ministery All this hath a proper meaning if it were truly expounded and if men did not cleave meerly to the Husk 135. Many a man goeth to Church twenty of thirty yeares heareth Sermons receiveth the Sacraments and some heare Absolution read or declared and yet is as much a Beast of the Devill and vanity at the last as at the first A Beast goeth into the Church and to the Supper and a Beast commeth out from thence again 136. How will he eat that hath no mouth How will he heare that hath no hearing Can any man eat that Food which is so shut up that he cannot get it How will he drink that can come by no water 137. What good doth it to me to goe to the material Churches of stone and there fill my eares with empty breath Or to goe to the Supper and feed nothing but the earthly mouth which is mortall and corruptible cannot I feed and satisfie it with a peece of bread at home What good doth it to the soule which is an immortall life to have the beastiall man observe the form of Christs Institution if it cannot obtain the Jewell of the Institution For St. Paul saith of the Supper You receive it to judgement because yee discerne not the Lords body 138. The covenant stands firm and is stirred in the use of the Institution Christ proffereth his Spirit to us in his Word viz. in his preached Word and his Body and Bloud in the Sacrament and his absolution in a brotherly reconciliation one to another 139. But what good doth it to a Beast to stand and listen and yet hath no hearing to receive the inward living Word nor any vessell wherein to lay the Word that it may bring forth fruit of whom Christ saith the Devill plucketh the Word out of their hearts least they beleeve and be saved But how can he doe so Yes being the word findeth no place in the hearing to stick fast in 140. And thus it is with Absolution what good doth it me for one to say I pronounce or declare to thee the absolution of thy sinnes when the soule is wholly shut up in sinne Whosoever saith thus to a sinner so shut up erreth and he that receiveth it without the voyce of God within himselfe deceiveth himselfe None can forgive sins but God onely 141. The mouth of the Preacher hath not forgivenesse of sinnes in his own power but it is the Spirit of Christ in the voice of the Priests mouth that hath the power if he be also a Christian. 142. What good did it do to those that heard Christ himselfe teaching on earth when he sayd Come unto me all yee that are weary and are heavy laden I will give you rest What good did it to those that heard it and yet laboured not nor were heavy laden What became of the refreshment or rest then being they had dead eares and heard onely the outward Christ and not the word of the Divine power surely they were not refreshed and so much good the bestiall man hath also of his absolution and so much good also the Sacraments doe him 143. The covenant now is open in the Sacraments and in the office of teaching also the covenant is stirred the soule doth enjoy it but in that property the mouth of the Soule is of 144. That is the outward Beast receiveth bread and wine which it may have as well at home And the fiery soule receiveth the Testament according to its property viz. in the anger of God it receiveth the substance of the eternall world but according to the property of the dark-world as the mouth is so is the food also which belongeth to the mouth he receiveth it to his own judgement or condemnation And after that manner the wicked shall behold Christ at the last judgement as a severe Judge but the Saints shall behold him as a loving Immanuel 145. Gods anger standeth open in his Testaments towards the wicked but towards the Saints the heavenly loving kindnesse and in it the power of Christ in the holy name JESUS standeth open What good doth the holy thing doe to the wicked that cannot enjoy it And what then is it that can take away his sinnes when his sinne is but stirred and made manifest by it 146. The Sacraments doe not take away sinne neither are sinnes forgiven
cunning knowledge subtilty and getting a multitude of naturall things no righteousnesse nor vertue remained in it at all but whatsoever evill and wrong it committed the soule covered it cunningly and subtilly under the cloak of its power and authority Law and called it by the name of Right and Justice and accounted it good The Devil came to the soule Upon this the Devill drew neere to the soule and brought it on from one vice to another for hee had taken it captive in his Essence and did set joy and pleasure before it therein and said to the soule Behold now thou art powerfull mighty and noble endeavour to be greater richer and more powerfull still use thy knowledg wit and subtilty that every one may feare thee and stand in awe of thee and that thou maist be respected and get a great name in the world The soule did so The soule did as the Devill counselled it and yet knew not that it was the Devill but thought it was its owne knowledge wit and understanding and that it selfe did very well right all this while Jesus Christ met with the soule The soule going on in this course of life our deare and loving Lord Jesus Christ with the love and wrath of God who was come into this world to destroy the works of the Devill and to execute Judgement upon all ungodly workes at a Time hee met with the soule and spake by a strong power viz. by his Passion and Death into the soule and destroyed the works of the Devill in it and discovered the way to his Grace to the soule and did shine upon it with his Mercy calling it back to returne and repent and then hee would deliver it from that monstrous deformed shape vizard or Image which it had gotten and bring it into Paradise againe How Christ wrought in the soule Now when the sparke of the love of God or the Divine light was manifested in the soule it presently saw it selfe with its will and workes to bee in Hell in the wrath of God and found that it was a mishapen ugly Monster in the presence of God and the kingdom of Heaven at which it was so affrighted that the greatest anguish awaked in it for the judgment of God was manifested in it What Christ said Upon this the Lord Christ spake into it with the voyce of his grace and said Repent and forsake vanity and thou shalt attaine my grace What the soule dâ—â— Then the soule in its ugly mishapen image with the deâ—â—ed 〈◊〉 of vanity went before God and entreated for grace and the pardâ—â— of its sinnes and was strongly perswaded in iâ— selfe that the satisfaction and â—tonement of our Lord Jesus Christ did belong to it But the evill properties of the Seâ—pent formed in the Astrall Spirit would not suffer the will of the soule to come before God but brought their Lusts and Inclinations thereinto For those evill properties would not dye to their own Lusts nor leave or forsake the world for they were come out of the world and therefore they feared the shame of the world in case they should forsake their worldly honour and glory But the poore soul turned its countenance to God and desired grace from God viz. that God would bestow his love upon it The Devill came to it again But when the Devill saw that the soule thus prayed to God and would enter into Repentance he drew neere to the soule and thrust the inclinations of the Earthly properties into its prayers and disturbed the good thoughts and desires which pressed forward towards God and drew them back again to earthly things that they might have no accesse to God The soule sighed The will of the soule sighed after God but the Thoughts arising in the Mind that should penetrate into God were destroyed scattered and distracted so that they could not reach the power of God the poore soule was more affrighted at this that it could not bring its desires into God and began to pray more earnestly but the the Devill with his desire took hold of the Mercuriall-kindled-fiery wheele of life and awakened the evill properties so that evill or false inclinations arose and went into that thing wherein they had taken pleasure and delight before The poor soule would very fain goe forward to God with its will and therefore used all its endeavours but all its thoughts fled away from God into earthly things and would not goe to God The soule sighed and bewailed it selfe to God but it was as if it were quite clean forsaken and cast out from the presence of God it could not get so much as one looke of grace but was in meer anguish and also in great fear and terrour and supposed every moment that the wrath and severe judgement of God would be manifested in it and that the Devill would take hold of it and have it and so fell into such great heavinesse and sorrow that it became weary of all the joy and pleasure it took in temporal things though it were never so delighted with them before The Earthly naturall will desired those things still but the soule would willingly leave them altogether and desired to dye to all temporall Lust and Joy and longed only after its first native Country from whence it came originally but it found it selfe to be farre from thence also in great distresse and want and knew not what to doe yet resolved to enter into it selfe and still stir it selfe up to pray more earnestly The Devils opposition But the Devill opposed it and withheld it that it could not bring it selfe into any greater fervency or Repentance The Devil awaked the earthly lusts in its heart that the inclinations might stil keep their evill nature and set them at ods against the will and desire of the soule for they would not dye to their own will and light but would stil maintain their temporal pleasures and so kept the poore soule captive in their evill desires that it could not stirre though it sighed and longed never so much for the grace of God for whensoever the soule prayed or offered to presse forwards towards GOD then the iusts of the flesh swallowed up the rayes and ejaculations that went forth from the soule brought them away from God into earthly thoughts that the soule might not partake of divine strength and then the soule thought it selfe forsaken of God and knew not that God was so neere it and did thus draw it Also the Devill drew neere it and entred into the fiery Mercury or fiery wheele of its life and mingled his desires with the earthly lusts of the flesh and mocked the poore soule and sayd to it in the earthly thoughts Why dost thou pray Dost thou think that God knoweth thee or regardeth thee Consider but what thoughts thou hast in thee in his presence are they not altogether evill thou hast no faith or beliefe in God at all how then should he heare
thee He heareth thee not leave off wherefore wilt thou thus needlesly torment and vex thy selfe thou hast time enough to repent at leasure wilt thou be mad Doe but look upon the world I pray thee a litle doth it not live in jollity mirth yet it will be saved well enough for all that Hath not Christ payd the Ransome and satisfied for all men Thou needest doe no more but perswade and comfort thy selfe that it is done for thee and then thou shalt be saved Thou canst not possibly in this world come to have any feeling of God therefore leave off and take care for thy body and look after temporall glory what dost thou suppose will become of thee if thou turn to be so melancholy and senslesse Thou wilt be the scorn of every body and they will laugh at thy folly and so thou wilt spend thy dayes in nothing but sorrow and heavinesse which is pleasing neither to God nor Nature Prethee look upon the beauty of the world for God hath created thee in the world to be a Lord over all creatures to rule them gather store of temporal goods before hand that thou mayst not stand in need of the world and when old age commeth or that thou growest neere thy end then prepare thy selfe for Repentance God will save thee and receive thee into the heavenly Mansions there is no need of such adoe in vexing bewailing and stirring up thy selfe as thou makest The condition of the soule In these and the like thoughts the soule was ensnared by the Devill and brought into the lusts of the flesh and earthly desires and so as it were bound with â—etters and great chaines and did not know what to doe it looked a little back into the world and the pleasures thereof but still felt in it selfe a hunger after Divine grace and would rather alwayes enter into repentance and come into favour with God for the hand of God had touched it and bruised it and therefore it could rest no where but alwayes fighed in it self after sorrow for the sins it had committed and would faine be rid of them but could not get true repentance much lesse the knowledge of sinne and yet had such a hunger and longing desire after repentance and sorrow for sin The soule being thus heavy and sad and finding no remedy nor rest bethought it selfe where to find a place to perform true repentance in and when it might be free from businesse cares and the hinderances of the world also by what meanes it might obtain the favour of God and therefore purposed to betake it self to some private solitary place and give over all worldly imployment and temporall things and thought in being bountifull and pitifull to the poore that God would have mercy upon it and sought out all kind of wayes to get rest and to get the love favour and grace of God again But all would not doe for all its worldly businesse followed it in the lusts of the flesh and it was ensnared in the net of the Devill now as well as before and could not get rest and though for some little while it was a little cheered with earthly things yet presently it fell to be as sad and heavie again for it felt the awakened wrath of God in it selfe and knew not how that came to passe nor what it ayled for many times great fear and temptations fell upon it which made it comfortlesse sick and â—aint with very fear so mightily did the first bruising it with the Ray or Influence of the stirring of grace work upon the soul yet it knew not that Christ was in its the wrath and severe Justice of God and sought with Satan that spirit of Error that was incorporated in soule and body and understood not that the hunger and desire to turn and repent came from Christ himselfe by which the soule was drawn in this manner neither did it know what hindered that it could not yet attain to Divine feeling it knew not that it selfe was a monster and did bear the Image of the Serpent in which the Devill had such power and accesse to the soule and in which Image he had confounded all its good desires thoughts motions and brought theÌ„ away from God and goodnesse concerning which Christ sayd the Devill snatcheth the word out of their hearts lest they should beleeve and be saved An enlightned and regenerate soul met the distressed soul. By the providence of God an enlightned and regenerate soule met this poore afflicted and distressed soule and sayd The enlightned soul sayd What aylest thou thou distressed soule that thou art so restlesse and troubled The distressed soule answered The Creator hath hid his countenance from me so that I cannot come to his rest and therefore I am thus troubled know not what I shall doe to get his loving kindnesse again for great Cliffes and Rockes lye in my way to his Grace that I cannot come to him though I long after him never so much yet I am kept back that I cannot partake of his power vertue and strength though I sigh and long and wait for him The enlightned soule sayd Thou bearest the monstrous shape of the Devill viz. the Serpent and art cloathed therewith in which the Devill hath an entrance into thee being his owne property and therein hee keepeth thy will from penetrating into God for if thy will might penetrate into God it would be anoynted with the highest power and strength of God in the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ and that unction would then break in peeces that monster which is in thee and thy first Image of Paradise would be manifested in thee again and then the Devil must lose his power in thee and thou wouldst become an Angel again And because the Devil doth envie thee this happinesse he holdeth thee captive in his desire in the lusts of the flesh from which if thou beest not delivered thou wilt be separated from God and canst never enter into our society The distressed soul terrified At this speech the poore distressed soule was so terrified and amazed that it could not speak one word more when it perceived it was in the shape and Image of the Serpent which separated the soule from God and that the Devill was so nigh it in that Image and did mingle evill thoughts in the will of the soule and had so much power over it thereby and that it was so neere damnation and stuck fast in the Abysse or bottomlesse pit of hell in the anger of God that it would have despaired of the grace of God but that the power vertue and strength of the first stirring of the grace of God that bruised the soule upheld it that it despaired not and so the soule wrastled in it self between hope and doubt whatsoever hope built up that doubt threw downe againe and so was in such continuall disquietnesse that at last the world and all the glory thereof was
if it would wholly yeeld it selfe to death and cease to be a creature any more and so did yeeld it selfe to death and desired nothing else but to dye and perish in the death of its Redeemer Jesus Christ who had suffered such torments and death for its sāke and in this perishing it began to sigh and pray in it selfe very inwardly to the mercy of God and to sink down into the meerest mercy of God Upon this there appeared unto it the amiable countenance of the love of God and penetrated through it as a great light by which it grew exceeding joyfull and began to pray aright and to thank the most high for this grace and to rejoyce exceedingly that it was delivered from the death and anguish of Hell and there it tasted of the sweetnesse of God and of his promised truth And in that very instant all evill spirits which had afflicted it before and kept it back from the grace love and inward presence of God were forced to depart from it and the wedding of the Lamb was kept and solemnized with the espousing or contracting of the Noble Sophia with the Soule and the Seal-ring of Christs victory was impressed or printed or set upon its substance or into its essence and it was received to be a child and heire of God again When this was done the soule became very joyfull and began to work in this power and to celebrate with praise the wonders of God thought henceforth to walk continually in this power strength and joy but it was assaulted from without or outwardly by the shame and reproach of the world and within by great temptation so that it began to doubt whether its ground were from God or no and whether it had really and truly partaken of the grace of God or no for the Accuser or Satan went to it and would lead it out of this way and make it doubtfull of its way and sayd to it inwardly The Accuser or Satan spake to the Soule saying It is not of God it is but thy Imagination Also the Divine Light retired in the soule and shone but in the inward ground as light in Embers or fire raked up in ashes so that Reason was solly to it selfe and thought it selfe forsaken and the soule knew not what had happened to it selfe nor whether it were true that it had tasted the Divine Light of Grace or not and yet it could not leave off strugling for the burning fire of love was sowne in it by which there arose in it a great hunger and thirst after the Divine sweetnesse and now at length began to pray aright and to humble it self in the presence of God and to examine and trie its evill inclinations in its thoughts and to put them away by which the will of reason was broken and the evill inbred innate or native inclinations were killed and destroyed more and more And this was very wofull to the nature of the bodie for it made it faint feeble and weake as if it had been very sick and yet it was no naturall sicknesse that it had but it was the Melancholy of the eatthly Nature of the bodie because its evill lusts were destroyed And when the earthly Reason found it self thus forsaken the poore soule saw that it was derided outwardly and despised by the world because it would now walke no more in the way of the wicked and ungodly and that it was inwardly assaulted by the Accuser Satan who also mocked it and continually set before it the beautie Riches and glorie of the world and esteemed the soule foolish that embraced them not which made the soule thinke thus with it selfe O Eternall God! what shall I now doe to come to Rest The Enlightned soule met it again While it was in this consideration the enlightned soule met with it againe and said What ailest thou my brother that thou art so heavie and sad The distressed soule said I have followed thy counsell and thereby attained a ray looke or glimps of the Divine sweetnesse but it is gone from me againe and I am now forsaken and outwardly have very great tryalls and afflictions in the world for all my good friends forsake me and scorne me and also inwardly I am assaulted with Anguish and doubt and I know not what to doe The enlightned soul sayd Now I like thee very well for now our beloved Lord Jesus Christ walketh in his pilgrimage on earth with thee and in thee as he did himselfe when he was in this world being alwayes reviled slandered and evill spoken of and had nothing of his own and now thou bearest his mark or Ensigne but doe not wonder at it nor think it strange for it must be so that thou must be tried refined and purified In this anguish and distresse thou shalt have often cause to pray and hunger after deliverance and in thy hunger and thirst thou attractest grace to thee from within and from without For thou must grow from above and from beneath to be the image of God again And as a young plant is stirred by the wind and must stand in heat and cold drawing strength and vertue to it from above and from beneath by that stirring and must endure many a tempest and undergoe much danger before it can come to be a tree and bring forth fruit for in that stirring the vertue of the Sunne commeth to move in it whereby the wild properties of that plant come to be penetrated and tinctured or qualified with the vertue of the Sun and grow thereby And now is the time wherein thou must behave thy selfe as a valiant Souldier in the Spirit of Christ and cooperate with it thy selfe For now the eternall Father by his fiery power begetteth his Sonne in thee who changeth the fire of the Father or the wrath into the flame of love so that out of fire and light viz. wrath and love there commeth to be one Essence Being or Substance which is the true Temple of God and now thou shalt bud forth out of the vine Christ in the vineyard of Jesus Christ and bring forth fruit in thy life and teaching of others and shew forth thy love in abundance as a good Tree For paradise must thus spring up again in thee through the wrath of God and Hell be changed into Heaven in thee Therefore be not troubled at the temptations of the Devill for he striveth for the kingdome which he had in thee and having lost it once he must be confounded and depart from thee therfore he coveres◠thee outwardly with the shame and disgrace of the world that his own shame may not be known and that thou mayst be hidden to the world for with thy New-birth or regeneration thou art in the divine harmony in heaven therefore be patient and wait upon the Lord and whatsoever shall befall thee take it from the hands of the Lord as intended by him for thy best good And so the enlightned
his crosse so that the Devill seeth it not Therefore bee alwayes sober and watchfull and resist the crafty and subtill Devill that yee may live for ever Amen A Letter or Epistle FROM IACOB BEHMEN to a good friend of his Our Salvation or Redemption consisteth in the working of the love of JESVS CHRIST that is in us 1. MY very loving and Christian Friend I wish you the highest peace with the hearty love of a fellow-member of CHRIST working in the desire that the true Sunne of the effectuall love of JESUS CHRIST may continually rise and shine in your Soule Spirit and Body 2 Your letter dated the 24 of January I received 14. dayes after Easter rejoycing to see in it that you are a thirsty fervent and desirous searcher and lover of the true ground of the knowledge of Divine mysteries which I perceive you have sought and searched for with diligence 3 But that my writings are come to your hands and please you is certainly caused by the appointment of GOD who bringeth lovers to that which they love and often useth strange meanes whereby he satisfieth the desire of them that love a thing and feedeth them with his gifts and graces and putteth an Ens or Substance of the true fire into their love that it may burn aright and you may rest assured if you continue your constancy in love to truth that it will open reveale and manifest it self to you in its flaming love and make it self certainly known but the searching of it must be begnn aright for we attain not the true ground of divine knowledge by the sharp searthing of our reason froÌ„ without but the searching must begin from within in the Hunger of the soule for Reason peâ—etrateth no further then its own Aâ—rum or Constellation of the outâ—ard world from whence Reason haâ—h â—ts originall 4 But the soul searcheth in its own Astrum or Constellation viz. in the â—nward spirituall world from whence â—his visible world hath proceeded and â—own forth and was produced and wherein its ground or Root standeth 5. But then if the soule would search its own Astrum or Spirituall Constellation viz. the Mysterium Magnum or the eternall Divine Nature it must first wholly yeeld up all its power its wil to the divine love and grace within it and become a childe and turn it selfe to â—ts Center by Repentance and desire to doe nothing but that onely which the Spirit of God desireth to search by it 6 And when it hath yeelded and resigned it selfe thus seeking nothing but goodnesse and the glory of God and its own salvation and also how it may serve and love its neighbour and doth then find in it selfe a desire to have divine and also Naturall knowledge then it may know or be sure that it is drawn or inclined to it by GOD and then it may well search that deep ground which is mentioned in my Writings 7 For the Spirit of GOD searcheth by that soule and bringeth it at length into the deepes of the Deitie as Saint Paul faith The Spirit searcheth all things yea the deep things of God 8 Loving Sir it is a simple childish way that leadeth to the highest wisdome the world knoweth it not You need not travell into far Countries to seek for wisdome in remote places she standeth at the doore of your soule and knocketh and if shee shall find an empty resigned free place in the soule she will there reveale her selfe indeed and rejoyce therein more then the Sunne in the Elements If the soule yeeld it selfe up to wisdome for a full possession then she penetrateth through it with her flaming fire of love and unlocketh all mysteries to the soule 9 Sir you may perhaps wonder how a plain Lay-man could come to understand such high things having ever read them nor heard them â—om any man But loving Sir I tell â—ou that which you have seen in my â—ritings is but a glimpse of the myâ—eries for a man cannot write them God shall account you worthy to â—e the light kindled in your soule â—u would see taste smell feele and â—eare unspeakable words of GOD â—oncerning this knowledge And â—ere is the true Theosophicall Schoole â— Pentecost where the soule is taught of God 10 After this there is no more need â— searching and painfull toyling aâ—out it for all doores or gates and open a very simple silly man â—ay attaine it if he doe not hinder â—imselfe by his own willing and runâ—â—ng For it lieth in man beforeâ—nd and needeth onely to be awaâ—ned stirred up hatched or quickâ—d by the Spirit of GOD. 11 In my Talent or Writings â—s in my simplicity I was able to deâ—ribe it you shall easily â—ind the way â— it especially in this foregoing book which also is of my Talent and but for few weeks agoe published in print which Sir I present to you in love as to my Christian fellow-member and exhort you to read it over often for its vertue is the more the better liked In this Book you will see a true short ground and it is a sure ground For the Authour in his practice hath found it so by experience 12 But for the ground of the high Naturall Mysteries which you and Mr. Walter and Mr. Leonhart Elverne desire a further and a clearer explanation of be pleased to enquire of Mr. Walter for it for I have sent to you and him an explanation and other new writings if you shall like them you may cause them to be copied out you will find very great knowledge in them I ould that all of you might truly understand it I would fain have made it more plain but in respect of the great depth and also in regard of the unworthy it may not be done Christ sayth Matth. 7. 7. Seek and you shall find knock and it shall be opened unto you None can give it to another every one must get it himselfe of GOD One may well give a manuduction or direction to another but he cannot give him the understanding of it 13 Yet know this That a Lilly blossometh to you yee Northerne Countreys If you doe not destroy it with the Sectarian contention of your learned Men it will grow to be a very flourishing or great Tree among you But if you rather choose to contend dispute and wrangle then to know the true God the Ray or Influence will passe over you and touch but some few and then afterwards you will be forced to fetch water from strangers for the thirst of your soules 14 If you shall rightly observe it my writings will give you great furtherance in it and the Signat-Starre above your Pole will help you for its time born or begun 15 I will freely and readily give you what the Lord hath given me but look to it and bestow it aright it will be a witnesse for you against the Mockers Scorners or Despisers None ought to look upon my person it is the
meere gift of God given not for my sake onely but for your sakes also and for all theirs that shall get to read it 16. Let none gaze any longer after the time it is alreadie borne or begun whomsoever it hitteth him it hitteth hee that watcheth seeth it and he that sleepeth seeth it not the time is alreadie appeared and shall suddenly appeare more hee that watcheth he shall see it many have already felt it but a very great tribulation and calamity must passe over before it be wholly manifested The cause of which misery and calamity is the contention of the Learned who tread the cup of Christ under their feet and contend about a child with a contention then which there was never worse since men were that must be manifested therefore let no honest man defile himselfe with such contentions there is a fire from the Lord therein that shall consume them and himselfe reveale the Truth 17. You shall receive of Mr. Walter what he hath more especially a Table with an Exposition of it wherein the whole ground of all Mysteries is plainly laid down And so I commend you sir to the love of JESUS CHRIST Dated the 20. of April Anno 1624. Your Servant in the love of CHRIST JACOB BEHMEN AN EXPLICATION OF Some words in the writings of JACOB BEHMEN Turba Magna 1. THE Turba Magna the great Turba is the stirred and awakened wrath of the inward ground when the foundation of Hell is made manifest in the Spirit of this world from whence great plagues and diseases arise And it is also the awakened wrath of the outward nature as may bee seen in great tempests of Thunder and lightning when the fire is manifested or generated in water In briefe it is the effusion of the Anger of God by which Nature is disturbed Ternarius 2. By the word Ternarius the Ternary or number three in the Language of Nature we understand the Divine Birth or Propagation in the six formes or properties of Nature which are the six Seales of God Ternarius Sanctus 3. The Ternarius Sanctus or holy Ternary is the Inward heavenly working power in that Substance wherein the Trinity of God worketh and so I understand thereby an Essentiall power and the Number Three or Trinity in the seven formes or Properties wherein also the Angelicall world is comprehended Tria Principia The three Principles Primum Principium The first Principle 4. By the first Principle is meant the Eternall Darknesse which consisteth in the receivingnesse of the Properties whence feelingnesse ariseth and its ground extendeth as farre as to Fire in order of the seven Properties fire being the fourth property into which its ground reacheth by which ground we meane the Eternall Nature and the wrath of God according to which God is said to be a zealous Angry Jealous God and a consuming fire Secundum Principium The second Principle 5. By the second Principle is meant the Light and the Angelicall powrefull World in which the effluence of the Divine Power and Will doth manifest it selfe by the Magicall Fire in the Light with the flaming fire of love by this is meant the Kingdome of God according to which God is said to be a loving mercifull God and the Eternall goodnesse and Light Tertium Principium The third Principle 6. By the third Principle is meant the visible produced and created world with all its hosts which is an effluence out of the first and second Principle caused by the motion and breathing forth of the Divine Power and will in which the spirituall world as to Light and Darknesse is represented and come to be a creature Tincture 7. By the Word Tincture is meant the power and vertue of Fire and Light and the stirring up or putting forth like a bud of this vertue is called the holy and pure Element the vertue of the Sunne is the Tincture of all things that grow and live in the visibility of the world so also the colour is the Tincture of the ground Christ â—s the Tincture of the soule in briefe the Tincture is the life and the perfluent and informing vertue by which any thing doth subsist for without the Tincture that proceedeth from the Sunne Gold were no Gold and so also the Image of God in the soule without the true Tincture the Eternall Sun of Righteousnesse were not the Image of God CHRISTUS Christ. 8. By the Word Christ is meant the inward new man in the Spirit of Christ understood inwardly Satan 9. By the word Satan is meant the Spirit of errour in us and not alwayes a creaturely Devill but the property of such an erroneous Spirit The end COncerning the Authors life the Reader may finde some information in the Preface to his 40. Questions of the Soul in English And at the end of that Book a Catalogue of his other Writings * * Or Worke. * * Or put a a Larva or monstrous shape b b Or by c c Or modell d d Or obtaine a drawing * * Or a way to conversion a a Or in b b As its nutriment c c Or represent or set before himself d d De caâ—ed e e Or blowne out * * Or beings f f Or Step-child g g Barren or unprofitable h h I that which is called I or my self k k Or dying sparke ready to goe out l l Or I or I-hood or Inesse that which wee meane when we say 't is I. m m Or Bowe a a Or processes b b Or dumb c c Vertuous pious or godly life * * Or the Divine wisedome * * Or way ††Iericho a a Or disappeared ‖ ‖ Or Regeneration * * Or Divine wisedome d d In Paradise e e Having it manife sted in them f f The vineger or dreggs g g Processe or journey h h Or Time i i Bound end or full filling k k Or victorize l l Fortresse Castle or den m m Or â—nsigne n n pearlâ—ree or tree of faith o o His conscience is a sleepe still p p Triall or temtation q q Or Dawning ‖ ‖ Or eternal wisedome s s Or selfehood * * The Image * * Or aâ— guide ‖ ‖ The inward starres costellations in our bodies a a Or evill desires b b Gole or marke * * In virginali sapientiâ ‖ ‖ Or in thy sight c c Or sinck * * For. e e Or Valley f f Or journey g g Or vilenesse h h My enemies i i Or shame k k My enemies l l Or Day-breake * * Shineth through or coâ—â—ureth ‖ ‖ Or the divine wisedome * * Sporteth o o Or into p p Division corruption or breaking asunder ‖ ‖ Or processe or course that he hath taken * * Or calling ††Sensing * * Or Vomb which bringeth forth fire * * Or false o o The