come to me înto the anguish of Hell and hast delivered me from torment and received me againe for thy Consort I will now therefore breake my will for thy loves sake and be obedient unto thee waite for thy love I am satisfied now that I know thou art with me in all my troubles and wilt not forsake me O Gracious Love I turne my fiery countenance to thee O faire Crowne fetch me quickly into thee bring me forth froÌ„ unquietnesse I will be thine for ever and never depart from thee The Noble Sophia answereth the Soule very comfortably sayth MY Noble Bridegroome be of good comfort I have bethrothed thee to me in my highest Love and contracted me with thee in my faithfulnesse I will be with thee and in thee alwayes to the end of the world I will come to thee and make my dwelling in thee in thy Inner Quier thou shalt drinke of my Fountaine for now I am thine and thou art mine the Enemy shall not seperate us worke thou in thy fiery property and I will put my Rayes of love into thy working we will plant manure the Vineyard of Jesus Christ afford thou the Essence of fire I will afford the Essence of light and the increase be thou the fire I will be the water we will performe that in this world for which God hath ordained us we will serve him in his Temple which we our selves are Amen To the Reader BEloved Reader count not this an uncertaine fiction it is the true Ground and it comprehendeth in it all the Holy Scripture for the Booke of the Life of Jesus Christ is plainely set forth therein as it hath beene certainely knowne by the Author himselfe for it hath beene his way that he hath gone he giveth thee the best Jewell that he hath God grant his blessing with it An heavy sentence and judgement is gone forth against the Mocker of this Be thou therefore warned that thou maist avoid the Danger and receive the Blessing A Morning Prayer Commending our selves to God when we rise before we suffer any other thing to enter into us BLesse me O God the Father Son and holy Ghost thou onely true God I thanke thee through Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour for thy protection and all other benefits I now commend my selfe both body and soule and all that thou hast set me to doe in my employment into thy protection be thou the beginning of my conceptions of my seekings and endeavours in all my doings worke thou so in me that I may begin all things to the glory of thy Name and accomplish them in thy Love for the good and service of my Neighbour send thy good Angell along with me to turne the venomous Rayes of the Devill and corrupt nature away from me preserve me from the desire of all evill men make all my enemies favourable to me and bring my minde into thy Vineyard that I may labour in my Office and employment and worke as thy obedient servant therein and blesse me and all that I am to goe about and doe with the blessing of thy love and mercy continue thy grace and love in Jesus Christ upon me and give me a mind cheerefully to follow thy wonders let thy holy Spirit guide me in my beginning and so on to my last end and be my willing and working and accomplishing in me Amen An Evening Prayer I Lift my heart to thee O God thou fountaine of eternall life and give thee thanks through Jesus Christ thy beloved Sonne our Lord Saviour for that thou hast stood by me and preserved me this Day in my condition and employment from all mischiefe that might have befallen me I commend now to thy disposing my condition and employment and the worke of my hands and humbly flie with my soule to thee worke thou so in my soule that neither that wicked enemy nor any other influence and desire may come or sticke fast in my soule let my minde onely delight in thee in thy Temple and let thy good Angel stay with me that I may rest safely in thy power and strength Amen Revel 21. 6. I am Α and Ω the Beginning and the End I will give unto him that is a thirst of the fountaine of the water of Life freely He that overcommeth shall inherit All and I will be his God and hee shall be my Sonne The End of the First Booke THE SECOND BOOK TREATING OF True Resignation How Man must daily die in his owne will in Selfe and how he must bring his desire into God what he should ask and desire of God also how he must spring up out of the dying of the sinfull man with a new mind and will through the Spirit of Christ. ALSO What the old and new Man is and what either of them is in Life Will and Doings Written in the German Language Anno 1622 By JACOB BEHMEN Alias Teutonicus Philosophus LONDON Printed by M. S. for H. Blunden at the Castle in Corn-hill 1647. Matth. 16. 24. Mark 8. 34. Luke 9. 23. John 12. 26. Christ saith Hee that wil follow ME let him deny HIMSELFE and take up his Crosse and follow ME. Matth. 9. 27. Mark 10. 28. Luke 18. 28. Peter saith to Christ Behold we have FORSAKEN ALL and followed THEE OF TRUE RESIGNATION CHAP. I. WE have a cleare example in Lucifer and also in Adam the first man of what Selfe doth when it getteth the light of nature to be its owne and may walke with the Understanding in its owne dominion we see it also in men learned in Arts and Sciences that when they get the light of this outward world or nature into the possession of their reason nothing cometh of it but pride of themselves And yet all the world so vehemently desireth and seeketh after this light as the best treasure and it is indeed the best treasure this world affords if it be rightly used Secondly But while Selfe viz. Reason is ensnared and fast bound in a close and strong prison viz in the Anger of God and in earthlynesse it is very dangerous for a man to make use of the light of knowledge in selfe as if it were in the possession of Selfe Thirdly For the Wrath of the eternall and temporary Nature will soone take pleasure in it and then selfe and a mans owne reason will rise up in pride and breake it selfe off from the true reâ—igned humility towards God and will no more eate of the fruite of paradise but of the property of selfe viz. of that dominion of life wherein good and evill are mixt as Lucifer and Adam did who both entred with the desire of selfe into the Originall againe out of which the creatures were brought forth and entred into the condition of the creatures Lucifer into the Center and wrathfull Nature into the Matrix of the fire and Adam into the earthly Nature into the Matrix of the outward world
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
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
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
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
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
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
light in all its members Now if any boast himself to be the child of God and yet suffereth the body to burn in sins he is not yet capable of being a child but lieth captive in the fetters of the Devill in great darknesse and if he doe not find in himselfe an earnest will burning in him of well-doing in love then his pretence is but an invention of Reason proceeding from Selfe which cannot see God unlesse it be born anew and shew forth in its power and vertue that it is his child For there is no fire but hath light in it and if the divine fire be in the mind it will shine forth and the mind will doe that which God will have done 40. But perhaps thou wilt say I have a will indeed to doe so I would willingly doe it but I am so hindred that I cannot 41. Yes thou vile man God draweth thee to be his child but thou wilt not the soft cushion in evill is dearer to thee then so thou preferrest the joy of wickednesse before the joy of God thou wholly stick'st fast in Selfe still and livest according to the law of Sin and that hindereth thee thou art unwilling to dye from the pleasure of the flesh and therefore thou art not in the filiation and yet God draweth thee to it but thou thy selfe wilt not 41. O how fine a thing would Adam think it to be if he might be taken into heaven with this will of the voluptuous flesh to have the child of wickednesse that is full of deceit set upon the Throne of God Lucifer also would fain have had it so but he was spewed out 42. It is a troublesome thing to mortifie the evill will none are willing to have it so we would all willingly be the children of God if we might be so with this garment but it cannot be This world passeth away and the outward life must dye what good can the childhood in the mortall body doe me 43. If we would inherit the filiation we must also put on the new man which can inherit the filiation which is like the deity God wil have no sinner in heaven but such as are born anew and become children which have put on heaven 44. Therefore it is not so easie a matter to become the children of God as men imagine Indeed it is not a burdensome thing to him that hath put on the filiation whose light shineth for it is joy to him But to turn the mind and destroy Selfe there is a strong continual earnestnesse requisite and such a purpose that if the body and soule should part asunder by it yet the will should persevere constantly and not enter again into Selfe 45. A man must wrastle so long till the dark center that is shut up so close break open and the spark in the center kindle and from thence immediatly the Noble Lilly-branch sprouteth as from the divine grain of Mustard seed as Christ saith A man must pray earnestly with great humility and for a while become a foole in his own reason and see himselfe as voyd of understanding therin untill Christ be formed in this new incarnation 46. And then when Christ is born Herod is ready to kill the child which he seeketh to doe outwardly by persecutions and inwardly by temptations to try whether this Lilly-branch will be strong enough to destroy the kingdome of the Devil which is made manifest in the flesh 47. Then this destroyer of the Serpent is brought into the wildernesse after he is baptized with the holy Spirit and tempted and tried whether he will continue in Resignation in the will of God he must stand so fast that if need require hee would leave all earthly things and even the outward life to be a child of God 48. No temporall honour must be preferred before the filiation but he must with his will leave and forsake it all and not account it his owne but esteem himselfe as a servant in it onely in obedience to his Master hee must leave all worldly propriety Wee doe not mean that hee may not have or possesse any thing but his heart must forsake it and not bring his will into it nor count it his own if he set his heart upon it he hath no power to serve them that stand in need with it 49. Selfe onely serveth that which is temporary but Resignation hath rule over all that is under it Selfe must doe what the Devill will have it to doe in fleshly voluptuousnesse and pride of life but Resignation tteadeth it under with the feet of the mind Selfe despiseth that which is lowly and simple but Resignation sitteth down with the lowly in the dust it saith I will be simple in my selfe and understand nothing lest my understanding should exalt it selfe and sin I will lye down in the Courts of my God at his feet that I may serve my Lord in that which he commandeth me I will know nothing my selfe that the commandment of my Lord may lead and guide mee and that I may only doe what God doth through me and will have done by me I will sleep in my selfe untill the Lord awaken mee with his Spirit and if he will not then will I cry out eternally in him in silence and wait his commands 50. Beloved brethren men boast much now-a-dayes of faith but where is that faith The modern faith is but the History Where is that child which beleeveth that Jesus is borne If that child were in Being and did beleeve that Jesus is born it would also draw neere to the sweet child Jesus and receive him and â—urse him 51. Alas the Faith now a dayes is but Historicall and a meere knowledge of the story that the Jewes killed him that hee left this world that he is not King on earth in the animall man but that men may doe what they list and need not dye from sinne and their evill lusts All this the wicked child Selfe rejoyceth in that it may fatten the Devil by living deliciously 52 This sheweth plainly that true faith was never weaker and feebler since Christs time then it is now when neverthelesse the world cryeth a loud and saith we have found the true saith and contend about a child so that there was never worse contention since men were on earth 53. If thou beest Zion and hast that new-born Child which was lost and is found again then let it be seen in power and vertue and let us openly see the sweet Child JESUS brought forth by thee and that we may see that thou art his Nurse if not then the children in Christ will say thou hast found nothing but the History viz. the Cradle of the Child 54. Where hast thou the sweet child Jesus thou that art exalted with the History and with thy false and seeming faith O how will the Child Jesus visit thee once in the Fathers property in thy own Turba which thou hast fatted It
themselves under the Trees of the Garden of Eden heat and cold also seized on them 69. And here the Heaven in Man trembled for horror as the earth did quake in wrath when this anger was destroyed on the Crosse with the sweet love of God there the anger trembled before the sweet love of God 70. And for this vanities sake which was thus awakened in Man God cursed the earth lest the holy Element should spring forth any more through the outward fruit and bring forth Paradisicall fruit for there was no creature could then have enjoyed it neither was the earthly Man worthy of it any more 71. God would not cast the pretious Pearles before Beasts an ungodly man in his body being but a meere grosse beastiall creature and though it be of a noble Essence yet it is wholly poysoned and loathsome in the sight of God 72. Now when God saw that his faire Image was spoyled he opened himselfe before them and had pitty on them and promised himselfe to them for an everlasting possession and that with his great love in the received humanity he would destroy the power of the Serpentine property viz. of vanity in the wrath of God with love And this was the breaking of the head of the Serpent which he would perform viz. he would destroy the dark Death and subdue the anger with his great love 73. And this covenant of his incarnation which was to come he put into the light of life to which Covenant the Jewish sacrifices pointed as to a mark to which God had promised himselfe with his love For the Faith of the Jewes entred into the Sacrifices and offerings and Gods imagination entred into the covenant 74. And the offering was a figure of the Restitution of that which Adam had lost and so God did expiate his anger in the humane property through the offering in the limit of the covenant 75. In which covenant the most holy sweet Name JESUS proceeding out of the holy Name and great power JEHOVAH had incorporated it selfe so that he would again move and manifest himselfe in the substance of the heavenly world which disappeared in Adam and kindle the holy divine life therein again 76. This mark or limit of the covenant was propagated from Adam and his children from Man to Man and did goe through from one upon all as sinne also and the awaked vanity did go through from one upon all 77. And it stood in the promise of the covenant at the end in the root of David in the virgin Mary who was in the inward Kingdome of the hidden humanity viz of the essentiality that disappeared as to the Kingdome of God the daughter of Gods covenant but in the outward according to the naturall humanity she was begotten by her true bodily father Joachim and her true mother Anna out of the Essences and substance of their soules and bodies like all other children of Adam a true daughter of Eve 78 In this Mary from the Virgin in the promised limit of the Covenant of which all the Prophets have prophesied the eternal speaking Word which hath created all things hath in the fulnesse of time moved it self in the name of JESUS according to its highest and deepest love and humility and hath brought living divine and heavenly substantiality into the humanity of the heavenly part which was disappeared in Adam from which he dyed in Paradise into the seed of Mary viz. into the Tincture of love viz. into that property wherin Adam should have propagated himselfe in a Magical and heavenly manner viz. into the true seed of the woman of heavenly substantiality which disappeared in Paradise 79. And when the Divine Light in the heavenly Essence was extinguished the Word of God viz. the divine power of the divine understanding did bring in heavenly and living Substantiality and awakened the disappeared Substantiality in the seed of Mary and brought it to life 80. And so now Gods Substance wherein God dwelleth and worketh and the disappeared Substance of man are become one person For the holy Divine Substantiality did anoynt the disappeared therefore that person is called CHRISTUS the anointed of God 81. And this is the dry Rod of Aaron that blossomed and bare Almonds and the true high Priest and it is that humanity of which Christ spake saying that he was come from heaven and was in heaven and that no man could ascend into heaven but the Son of man which is come from heaven and is in heaven John 3. 13. 82. Now when he saith He is come from heaven it is meant of the heavenly Substance the heavenly Corporality for the power and vertue of God needeth no comming any whither for it is every where altogether unmeasurable and undivided But Substance needeth comming the power or vertue needeth to move it selfe and manifest it selfe in Substance 83. And that substance entred into the Humane substance and received it and not that part onely of hevenaly substantiality which disappeared in Adam but the whole humane Essence in soule and flesh according to all the three Worlds 84. But the awakened and impressed vanity which the Devill by his imagination brought into the flesh by which the flesh did commit sinne he hath not received that nor taken that upon him he hath indeed received the awakened formes of life as they were gone forth from their equall agreement each of them into their own desire 85. For herein lay our infirmity and the death which he was to drown with his heavenly holy blood Herein he took upon himselfe all our sins and infirmities also Death and Hell in the wrath of God and destroyed the Devill in the humane properties 86. The wrath of God was the Hell into which the Spirit of Christ went when he had shed that heavenly bloud into our outward humane bloud and tinctured it with the love and changed that hell of the humane property into heaven and reduced the humane properties into equall agreement into the heavenly Harmony CHAP. IV. How we are born a-new and how we also fall into Gods anger again 87. NOw here we may rightly understand what our New-birth and Regeneration is and how we may be and continue to be the Temple of God though in this lifes time according to the outward humanity we are sinful mortall men 88. Christ in the humane essence hath broken up and opened the gates of our inward heavenly humanity which was shut up in Adam so that nothing remaineth wanting but that the soule bring its will out from the vanity of the corrupted flesh and bring it into this open gate in the Spirit of Christ. 89 Great and strong earnestnesse is required here and not onely a learning and knowing but a hunger and great thirst after the Spirit of Christ For to know onely is no faith but an hunger and thirst after that which I desire so that I imagine it to my self and lay hold on it with the
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
viz. That these who have once tasted the sweetuesse of the world to come if they fall away again they shall hardly see the kingdome of God 113. And though it cannot he denied but that the gates of grace do yet stand open yet the seeming light of the outward Reason of the soule so keepeth them back that they suppose they have the Pearle and yet live to the vanity of this world and dance with the Devill after his pipe CHAP. V. How a man may call himselfe a Christian and how not 114. HEre a Christian should consider wherefore he calleth himselfe a Christian and ponder well whether he be one or no For surely my learning to know and understand that I am a sinner and that Christ hath killed my sins on the Crosse and shed his bloud for me doth not make me a Christian. 115. The inheritance belongeth onely to the children A maid-servant in a house knoweth well enough what the Mistresse would have to be done and yet that maketh her not an heire of her Mistresses goods The very Devils know that there is a God yet that doth not change them into Angels again But if the Maid-servant in the house shall be married to the Sonne of her Mistresse then she may come to inherit her Mistresses goods And so it is to be understood also in our Christianity 116. The children of the History are not the heires of the goods of Christ but the legitimate children regenerated of the Spirit of Christ For God sayd to Abraham Cast out the son of the Bond woman he shall not inherit with the son of the Free For he was a scorner and but a Historicall sonne of the faith and spirit of Abraham and so long as he continued such a one he was not a true inheritor of the faith of Abraham and therefore God commanded he should be cast out from inheriting his goods which was a type of the Christendome which was to come 117. For the promise of Christendome was made to Abraham therefore the type was then also represented by two brethren viz. Isaac and Ishmael shewing how Christendome would behave it selfe and that two sorts of men would be in it viz. true Christians and lip Christians who under the Title of Christianity would be but mockers as Ishmael and Esau was who also was a type of the outward Adam as Jacob was a type of Christ and his true Christendome 118. Thus every one that will call himselfe a Christian must cast away and out from himselfe the sonne of the Bond-woman that is the earthly will and be evermore killing and destroying of it and not settle it in the inheritance 119. Nor give the Pearle to the Bestiall man for him to spoâ—â— himselfe withall continually in the outward light in the lust of the flesh but we must with our Father Abraham bring 〈◊〉 sonne of the right will to Mount vooria and be willing in obedience to God 〈◊〉 offeâ— in up alwayes willingly dying from sin in the death of Christ giâ—â—ng no place to the Beast of vanity in the Kingdome of Christ nor â—â—ffâ—ring it to grow wanton proud covetous envious and malicious all these are the properties of Ishmael the son of the Bond-woman whom Adam begat in his vanity of the wanton whore the false Bond-woman by the Devils imagination out of the earthly property in flesh and bloud 120. This Mocker and Titular-Christian is the sonne of a whore he must be cast out for he must not inherit the inheritance of Christ in the Kingdome of God he is not fit he is but Babel a confusion of that one language into many languages he is but a talker and a wrangler about the inheritance he meanes to get it to himselfe by talking and wrangling by the hypocrisie of his lips and seeming holinesse and yet he is but a blood-thirsty murtherer of his brother Abel who is a true heire 121. Therefore we say what we know that he that will call himselfe a true Christian must try himselfe and find what kind of properties drâ—â—e and rule him whether the Spirit oâ— Christ driveth him to truth and righteousnes and to the love of his neighbour so that he would willingly doe good if he knew but how to perform it 122. Now if he find that he hath such a hunger after such a vertue then he may surely think that he is drawne And then he must put it in practice and not have a will onely without doing The drawing of the Father to Christ consisteth in the will but the true life consisteth in the doing for the right Spirit doth that which is right 123. But if there be the will to do and yet the doing followeth not then the true man is shut up in vain lust which keepeth the doing captive and he is but an hypocrite and an Ishmaelite he speaketh one thing and doth another and witnesseth that his mouth is a lyer for he himselfe doth not that which he teacheth and so he onely serveth the Bestiall man in vanity 124. For he that will say I have a will and would willingly doe good but for the earthly flesh which I have which keepeth me back that I cannot yet I shall be saved by grace for the merits of Christ I comfort my selfe with his merit and sufferings he will receive me of meere grace without any merits of my owne and forgive me my sinnes such a one I say is like him that knew what food was good for his health yet did not eat of it but eat poyson in stead thereof from whence sicknesse and death would follow 125. What good doth it the soule to know the way to good if it will not walk therein but go a wrong way that leadeth not to God What good will it doe the soule to comfort it self with the filiation of Christ with his passion and death and so flatter it selfe if it will not enter into the filiall birth that it may be a true child born out of the Spirit of Christ c. out of his suffering death and resurrection Surely the tickling and flattering of it selfe with Christs mirits without the true innate childship is falshood and a lye whosoever he be that teacheth it 126. This comfort belongeth onely to the penitent sinner who striveth against sinne and the anger of God When temptations come and the Devill assaulteth the soule then the soule must wholly wrap it selfe up in the passion and death of Christ and in his Merits 127. Christ indeed hath merited redemption for us alone but he hath not merited it as such a merit for upon a Merit a Reward is given that for his own proper merits sake he would outwardly freely grant us his childshîp and so receive us for children when we are none No hee himselfe is the merit he is the open gate that leadeth through death through that gate we must enter But he receiveth no beast into his merit but those onely that turn and become as children
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
Letters of the word proceed from and stand all in one Root which is the spirit of God as the many flowers stand all in the earth and grow by one another None of them fight with the other about their colours smell and taste they suffer the Earth the Sun the Raine the Wind the heate cold to doe with them as they please and yet every one of them grow in their own Essence and property 167. And so it is with the children of God they have various gifts and knowledge yet all from one Spirit They all rejoyce at the great wonders of God and give thankes to the most High in his wisdome why should they long contend about him in whom they live and have their being and of whose substance they themselves are 168. It is the greatest folly that is in Babel for people to strive about Religion as the Devill hath made the World to doe so that they contend about Opinions of their owne forging viz. about the Letter though the Kingdome of God consisteth in no Opinion but in Power and Love 169. As Christ said to his Disciples and left it to them at the last saying Love one another as I have loved you For thereby men shall know that you are my Disciples If men would as fervently seeke after Love and righteousnesse as after Opinions there would be no strife on Earth and wee should live as children in our Father and should need no Law or Ordinance 170. For God is not served by any Law but only by Obedience Lawes are for the wicked which will not embrace Love and Righteousnesse they are compelled and forced by Laws 171. We all have but one only order which is to stand stil to the Lord of all Beings resign our wil up to him and suffer his Spirit to play what musick he will and work and make in us what he will and wee give to him againe as his own fruits that which he worketh and manifesteth in us 172. Now if we did not contend about the various fruits gifts and knowledge but did acknowledg them in one another like children of the Spirit of God what could judge us For the Kingdome of God consisteth not in our knowing and supposing but in power 173. If wee did not know halfe so much and were more like children and had but a Brotherly minde or good will towards one another and did live like children of one and the same mother and as branches of one tree taking our sap all from one root we should be far more holy then we are 174. Knowledge serves only to this end to learne to know wee having lost the Divine power in Adam and so now are inclined to evill that wee have evill properties in us and that doing of evill pleaseth not God so that with our knowledge wee might learne to do right Now if we have the power of God in us and desire with all our powers to doe and to live aright then our knowledge is but our sport wherein we rejoyce 175. For true knowledge is the Manifestation of the Spirit of God through the eternall wisedome Hee knoweth what he will in his children He powreth forth his wisedome and wonders by his children as the Earth produceth its various flowers 176. Now if we dwell one with another like humble children in the spirit of Christ one rejoycing at the Gifts and knowledge of another who would judge or condemne us who judgeth or condemneth the birds in the woods that praise the Lord of all Beings with various voyces every one in its owne Essence Doth the Spirit of God reprove them for not bringing their voyces into one harmonie doth not the sound of them all proceed from his power and they sport before him 177. Those men therefore that strive and wrangle about knowledge and the will of God and despise one another for that are more foolish then the birds in the woods and the wild beasts that have no true understanding they are more unprofitable in the sight of the Holy God then the flowers of the field which stand still quietly submitting to the Spirit of God and suffering him to manifest the Divine Wisedome and power through them yes those men are worse then Thistles and Thornes that grow among faire flowers for they stand still indeed those men are like the ravenous Beasts and Birds of prey which fright the other birds from singing and praising God 178. In summe they are the growth of the Devill in the anger of God which must by their paine yet serve the Lord for by their plaguing and persecuting they presse out the sappe through the Essence of the children of God so that they move and stir themselves in the Spirit of God with praying and continuall sighing in which the Spirit of God moveth himselfe in them 179. For thereby the Desire is exercised and so the Children of God grow greene flourish and bring forth fruit for the children of God are manifested in Tribulation as the Scripture saith when thou chastiâ—est them they cry fervently to Thee CHAP. VIII Wherein Christian Religion consisteth and how men should serve God and their Brethren 180. ALL Christian Religion wholly consisteth in this To learn to know our selves First what we are and whence we are come how we are gone forth from the Unity into dissention wickednesse and unrighteousnesse how we have awakened and stirred up these things in us 181. Secondly how we were in the Unity when we were the children of God in Adam before he fell Thirdly how we are now in dissention and disunion in strife contrariety Fourthly whither we goe when we passe out of this corruptible Being whither we goe with the immortall and whither with the mortall part 182. In these foure poynts our whole Religion consisteth viz. to learn to come forth from disunion vanity and to enter again into that one Tree Christ in us out of which we are all sprung in Adam 183. We need not strive about any thing we have no contention Let every one exercise himselfe in learning how he may enter again into the love of God and his Brother 184. The Testaments of Christ are nothing else but a loving Boâ—d or brotherly covenant wherewith God in Christ bindeth himselfe to us and * us to him All teaching willing living and doing must aim at that All teaching and doing otherwise whatsoever is Babel and a fiction also a meer graven Image of pride in unprofitable judgings a disturbing of the world and an hypocrifie of the Devil wherewith he blindeth simplicity 185. Every one whatsoever that teacheth without the Spirit of God and hath no divine knowledge and yet setteth himselfe up for a Teacher in the Kingdome of God and will serve God with teaching that teaching is false and doth but serve the belly his Idoll and his own proud and insolent mind in desiring to be honored and accounted holy he beareth an office to which he