Principles out with and through the same subsist all things And without these nothing can subsist that is or hath a Being and are Light Life and Love God Nature and Element Spirit Wind and Water Body Soul and Spirit and that in the Word CHAP. III. Of the first Principle of all things which is God GOd being the beginning of all Beginnings as from which all things proceed then his beginning is from no other He is without a beginning because he is not from another yet though he hath his beginning from no other he representeth in himself his beginning to all This beginning of God is not a beginning to God himself but to us for he himself is all in all Now that he might shew himself to us men to testifie and instruct us of him therefore God sheweth himself in his beginning which is the Word which is God himself Now through this VVord is shewed to us testified and taught that and what God is and who he is But without word or speaking may be neither Doctrine nor Testimony nor a presentation as Reason doth make it manifest Therefore the VVord is the beginning of God to us out of which all Testimonies Names and Relation of God do proceed as out of the depths of God which consist in their own proper Spirit wind and water The name of God is but one according to the Essence which no man knoweth but only he upon whom he is written with the living Letters of the Spirit of God and his VVord Essentially which is Christ and those that are of his Being These are they in whom the VVord dwelleth Essentially and that see his Glory in a Light and Eye that no body else can see All the names of God come together only in this one name For the whole fulness of the Godhead dwe leth in him bodily who is called Alpha and Omega Zach. 14. 9. Col 2. 9. He that seeth him seeth also God and the Father and the living Word and the quickning Spirit John 14. 9. 1 John 1. 1 Cor. 15. 45. Even so he that seeth man seeth also with the Body the Soul and the Spirit which are in their Nature invisible The Testimony of God consisteth in three Namely in three witnesses which are the Father the VVord and the Holy Spirit Now as the name proceeds from the word so doth every Testimony of God and resteth only upon the dear and true witness that is called Amen which is the beginning of Gods Creatures Rev. 3. 14. And the Testimony of God stands thus God Father Word Holy Ghost Amen which is Christ Now because no body can testifie of God but he himself alone and all Testimonies of Truth must be justified by three Therefore God also testifieth of himself by three but they are not three persons But one onely person and one only God even as in one Earthly mans Body Soul and Spirit cannot be three distinct persons so in God are not three persons But this is the Testimony of God to us in the Name non in Nominibus sed in Nomine of the Father Son and Holy Ghost which consist in the word which three are one thing and one But this Testimony none acknowledgeth save he that hath it within himself Essentially that is that hath the Spirit out of God and is annointed and sealed with it This is the Testimony of God with one word through which we are Sons and Heirs of God Rom. 8. Lastly The Revelation of God consists in seven Powers which are the seven Spirits of God Rev. 1. 4. Chap. 4. 5. Chap. 5. 6. Zech. 4. 2 10. And rest upon him who is called and is Jesse who is of no other but out through in and of himself is is self subsisting in whom is all who hath all Also the fulness of the Godhead Rev. 3. 1. Isa 11. Col. 2. 9. For through him all things are Created in Heaven and in Earth and by him all things are preserved by him also all is Redeemed and reconciled He Reigneth over all and hath all under his Power through him all lost things are restored at his glorious coming He also holdeth Judgment over all flesh over quick and dead And lastly he will make old things new and will abandon and put away all old things Everlastingly Therefore the Mystery of God consists in One Three and Seven and according to this Mystery all other things are Created and consist in One out of Three through Seven and are therein testified learned manifested or justified nothing at all excepted whatsoever it be and that for this Reason That God in his mystery may be learned and glorified in and on all his Creatures Herein consists now the Mystery of the VVisdom in its measure number and weight as in One Three and Seven whereby all things are numbred measured and weighed so perfectly that nothing can be added to it or diminished from it For all the works of God are perfect and testifie of the Creator according to the Mystery of the wisdom namely that by the works may be known Him that made them that what and who he is in his Mystery CHAP. IV. Of the Second Principle viz. Nature NAture is the second Principle and beginning of all things and stands betwixt God and the Elements through which God worketh into the Elements at through and by means and is in its consideration even as Angelical whose beginning is out of God a forth-blown Breath VVind and Air of the Almighty in which consists the Soul and Life of all Created things and every living Soul and is concentred and fastened together essentially bodily and self-subsisting in the Tree of Life even as God in Christ and the whole Elementary world in Man This second Principle is not everlasting according to the beginning yet eternal according to the end even as the Angels are It is not Created out of nothing as this world but proceedeth from God even as the Life from the Spirit as a Breath VVind or Air doth proceed and is also the breath of Gods VVord in which is Life thus that the speaking of the word is a living Eternal Breath and is distinct from God as a living breath or Soul from the quickening Spirit The living breath Soul or Life of all things iâ— according to its Original out of the Nature but the Spirit out of God namely after his measure and the body out of the Elements The Spirit as the Soul or the Life are distinct thus As God who is Eternal Life and the quickening Spirit himself and hath Life from no other because himself is the Spirit And as the living Soul having her Life not out from and by or through it self but out of the Spirit which maketh things alive whose breath is the Life Now that is soulish which hath its Life not from it self but from the Spirit and which is not a Spirit but only a breath All things whatsoever are in their Being have the food of thir
him see and he that hath Ears let him hear and an understanding Heart hearken unto it But this is the Revelation and appearance of Christ the day of the Revelation of the Son of Man namely that God in Christ and Christ in God a Spiritual Divine Heavenly Adam and man from Eternity is and hath been in a Divine Spiritual Heavenly Essence flesh and bloud and after this his essential Image he hath in the Creation created and framed a Soulish Adam and Terrestrial Man CHAP. XIX Of the Mystical Image that is of the Mystery of God THis is the Mystery of God as was said already which is clear and manifest on the Soulish Adam and Terrestrial Man from beneath that namely above is the true Adam and Man but beneath is only his Image Wonderful is Gods counsel and who hath known the Lords mind who was so pleased that the last should be the first and should receive the Money or Peny and the blessed glory at first Well may these last say This is the day which the Lord hath made let us rejoyce in it it is marvelous in our Eyes â—sal 118 To day is fulfilled the Word which is written The Stone which the builders rejected is become the Corner Stone and it is marvellous in our Eyes for the Spiritual Rock of which all the Fathers have eaten and drunk from the beginning of the world and upon which the Church of God is founded and builded remained unknown till to the seventh Trumpet where the Mystery of God must be manifested and is also made manifest for the Spiritual Adam and Heavenly Man in his Divine Flesh and Bloud through which we are so dearly bought is thrust away from the Holy place and on the contrary another Flesh and Bloud from beneath out of sinners is brought into the Holyest for an abomination of the desolation But now the new Creation is come in which the Word saith and the Lord himself speaketh as he hath promised Isa 52. 6. c. 40. 5. Saying Jehior or let it be light for the day is come which is known to the Lord to them to whom he will reveal his Mystery Zech. 14. Concerning the Mystery of God in the Creation of Man it is thus that God hath Created Man a Man and Woman Gen. 1. 27. And took the Woman out of the Man Chap. 2. 21 22. To shew the great Mystery of Christ and of his Church which is his Wife and spouse out of his flesh and bones Ephes 5. 30 31 32. But the Divine Spiritual and Heavenly Eve is threefold 1. The most holy Godhead it self 2. The Church of Christ 3 The Heavenly Soul in Man This is the body of Christ his Church whose Saviour he was made for which he gave himself The Divine Eve as the most Holy Godhead is the Mother of us all and the right Jerusalem which is from above The Spiritual Eve as the Church of Christ is the Mother the Spouse of the Lamb. The Virgin and Daughter of Jerusalem The Heavenly Soul is the Heavenly Eve a Maid of the Lord a Daughter of Jerusalem who was married to a Terrestrial Man who brought her to great misery and death but the Lord was made a Servant for her and hath made her free again through his death and hath married unto her a new Adam man out of his flesh and bone of which she hath a divine Inheritance Now if we ask after the Mystery of God how that may be made known answer is on man it may be known There is but one man in one Person but in it three witnesses of his substance as Body Soul and Spirit and in seven Powers The Spirit is always in stead of the Father and is the Father himself also and begetteth by the Soul as by the true Mother to himself a body which is the Child and the Son in which dwelleth all fulness So there is but one God in one only Person but in three Witnesses Father Word and Holy Ghost and in seven Spirits or Powers of God God is a Spirit and a Father and begets through the Word and in the same to himself a Body a Child a Son in which he with all his fulness dwelleth bodily in this manner that he that seeth the Father seeth the Son also the word it self the quickening Spirit and the quickening Adam himself Afterward God begets a Son not after the Person or a personal distinction as one Man another Man else there would be two Gods although there is but one only God But after the Testimony for our sakes he begets a Son that we namely by that Witness as of the Father and Son in God might be made Gods Children Heirs and Co heirs out of his Seed flesh and bones for God in and for himself needs neither Father nor Son because there is never no more in him but one in number but even himself is Jesse and all in all neither are there two or three but One only and none else 3 Lastly God begets also a Son and is a father after the Testimony and that to all Creatures and what ever he hath Created namely that all might have a trust and confidence in him as also the young Ravens when they are forsaken by the old ones This Testimony is done by the Spirit which from God is in all things and fills up all Wisd 1. 7. Chap. 12. 1. Who it is that cryeth to God out of the young Ravens Who is a God of the Spirits of all Flesh Num. 16. 22. And remembreth to God that he is a father of all Creatures and cannot neither ought to forsake them Now the Spirit is it that calleth upon God in all Creatures and praiseth and glorifieth him where is is said in the Psalm All that hath breath Praise the Lord Every Spirit Laud and Praise the Lord The Earth the Sea and the Trees in the Forest Praise the Lord. O man there is much in the Spirit the knowledge of him availeth much for if you do not know him you are but a Beast without a Spirit as Ecclesiastes and others more have it CHAP. XX. Of the Truth and Spirit by which all Wisdom is justified WHen we intend to speak of the Wisdom it must be done in the Spirit and Truth Now nothing is Truth but only the Spirit and the same can lead us into all Truth can teach us all and can tell us of things to come for all Spirits are in subjection to him he penetrates through them all even as fire doth to Gold and Silver seven times and the good that remaineth in it it doth not undoe but rather thinks that there is a blessing in it and bloweth into the smoking â—lax a fire of Life Light and Fire and inâ—useth it self into the same that it may be fitted for a new Creation for a multiplication into many thousands But nothing may attain unto Wisdom unless it be first gone to the fire for a Tryal even as the Gold
be extracted and we may observe a kind of demonstration hereof by our Mother Earth who brings forth all things For take any good and fit Earth extract all the Stones Roots Salt peter and whatsoever else is included and being then left open to the Air for some time in a convenient place it will not onely of its self be impregnated again with new salt Peter Vegetables Stones Mettals and Minerals but also with Animals and those very Stones c. shall hold a Sulphurous Gold and Mercury fit for a Philosopher to work upon and to make a fit Medicine for any of the three Kingdoms of Nature and this being after specificated with a fit Metallick shall perfect the impure Mettals to Sol and Lune and 't is strange that salt Peter a Mineral in the Earth should have its root and Quarry in the Air. And verily every thing brought to such likeness in perfection of Elements and the three Principles as to be Quintessential and fixt are in community of substance with the principles of Mettals and are in a manner universal and may help to make the Stone for Transmutation of Mettals as well as for the health of Men c. For the community of matter of all things is in Sal Sulphur and Mercury and the purity of the four Elements is in pure Water and pure Earth brought to a Quintessential essence and so are in community of substance with Mettals and will be of equal nature with their principles namely in Sal Sulphur and Mercury For the matters and principles of Generation are in Sal Sulphur and Mercury and these may as well be had by Art above the Earth as by Nature in the Mines and so may be brought to a fixt Sulphur of Nature which is as good an Earth for the work as may be for Guido saith of the Earth it is no matter so it be fixed and Raimund saith nought is required in this Art for transmutation but pure Earth and pure Water and Ripley saith Hair and Blood cannot be the Stone for transmutation but Elements separated from them may and of ☿ separated from them is little good but if brought to Sulphur of Nature it is as good Earth for it as may be yet still mark that it be brought to a community of Nature and must be fermented with pure real Gold yet you are not tied to go to so great a distance for things neerer of kin are easier transmuted and the neerest the best Wherefore the Artists may begin where Nature left off in her simple and single operation And like a good Husband-man with Corn Sow the pure grain of Gold not common Gold in its pure Mercurial virgin Mother Earth not common Earth but a white Crude Golden Water or Essence brought to them by the help of Eagles or else by the mediation of the Doves and the man in his glittering golden Robes may drink of his Nectar in a pure silver Cup three to the Graces or nine to the Muses as Ripley intimates and according to the old Mystical Law Ter bibe aut toties ternos sic mystica Lex est Drink Three or thrice Three which is a Mystery And so the Masculine and Feminine or ☉ ☽ ☿ being in perfect health and in their prime and Sperme as one thing willingly embrace and joyn to spiritualize themselves into a Sprout or living Seed to grow up to the highest degree of the power energy and virtue of ☽ and Gold and of the spiritual Stone of Philosophers and to do whatsoever else the Philosophers have need of Nam Lapis Philosophorum nihil alind est quam Aurum in gradibus suis multiplicatum stante proportione quâ fuit in Auro primo For the Philosophers Stone is no other thing then Gold multiplied in its de-degrees standing in the same Temperature or Proportion in which it was at the first which must be nourisht with the Mothers pure Milk till it can feed upon stronger Meats and so gets vigour to Multiply And then the Glorified King Triply Crown'd shall vanquish his Enemies and redeem his Brethren and Kindred in all or any Nations from their vile Corruptions If they can but touch the hem of his Garment or entertain him at his approach as they ought for 't is alike to him to raise their Essences as to separate their Maladies Yet you must First Learn the Eagles that foster up the Doves And makes Diana taste of Venus's Loves Where Cupid conquers Mars his furious Ire And makes the Magnet draw the Calib's Fire Which seems a Riddle and 's the Gordian Knot And Herculean labour for the Artists Lot Without the perfect knowledge of which thou canst never attain thy end CHAP. II. Of the Causes and Manner of Multiplication of Life and Seed And one way of preparing Mercury for the Philosophers Stone and others for making of Vniversal Medicines c. IN the beginning God gave his blessing to increase and multiply and commanded that each Thing from its like should draw its Form and so created in Nature a certain Chain or subordinate propinquity of Complexions between Visibles and Invisibles by which the Superiour Spiritual Essences descend and converse here below with the matter Yet Nature hath nor had but one onely Agent hidden in the universe which is Anima Mundi working by its universal Spirit through innumerable distinct Concreates according to their Specificque Forms and Seeds which God the Father at first Creation by his word and Idea or Son and Holy Spirit did Glance at once into the first matter and so set Laws and Bounds in Nature Of In and over all which he is still president upholding strengthening and ordering all the said Powers as his Instruments in every particular as well as in the general so that a Sparrow falls not without his Providence and Power and so kind by kind produceth kind in all Natures Three Kingdoms Animal Vâ—gitable and Mineral by means of the said Seed For as Fernelius saith Nihil est in ulla naturae parte quod non in se generis sui semen contineat There is no part of Nature which doth not contain within it self the seed of its own kind God and Nature still use the same and as a mean to unite the Form to its own Matter and to raise strength and Appetite in the Patient and to invite the active Virtue of Form and Life to work freely Yet still its motions to tend to its own Specifick end as God had ordained except it be misplaced or abused as Sendivogius expresseth or joyned to some unfit matter which end being attained the Life then seems Dead or at a stand and so Chained Hedged and imprisoned with Corporal â—ences that it can work no further upon that subject to its Promotion but onely doth Organizare molem and sets its Prison or House into the best order it can Branching into several Members that it may have the more room to employ its Faculties evidently seen in Animals and
he that desires to know God must learn to know him in his image and that perfectly which perfect knowledge is this That God is man and that he is true man who is of God and God is in him This is the wisdom that is mystical hitherto and yet is manifest but only to the wise and is called Theosophia because God doth no where so clearly manifest himself as in man who is his image or honour or glory 1 Cor. 11. 7. Therefore man needs not to go far but only into himself to learn the true knowledge of God and to seek after God in himself and himself in God If he do not thus all is vain and no where else any wisdom to be found Acts 17. 27. Luke 17. 21. Seeing the three other books proceed only from the one Book as the world of God therefore all three do testifie unanimously of this book 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 namely each in its letter wisdom and testimony but none so clearly as man doth This is that great whole and perfect Library of wisemen wherewith in justice and equity they may be contented All wisdom and knowledg with their mysteries in these books we may not learn any where else but only through the same Spirit who himself hath penned these books made and testified He therefore who is desirous to study these books must from the bottom of his heart acknowledge and confess his own blindness folly and ignorance and must pray unto the Father of Lights for illumination wisdom and understanding that he would send his holy spirit which may lead us into all truth and take us away from all foolishness and falshood and may bring us to the Light of Gods glory Which may not be done by any other means then through a love to God and to mans own salvation and through a holy life without all Hypocrisie and through the Light that commeth from above and not from beneath from man and his wisdom which all those must learn to deny that desire to learn the wisdom of the holy ones We will speak thus That hitherto all these books were sealed up but are now opened in the end of the World according to the Prophecy 4 Esd 6. 20. Dan 12. 9. Zach. 14. 7. And if wise worldly men are offended at this they betray themselves that the wisdom of the holy one is not in them The books of wisdom testifie unanimously of the word by which all things are created and in which only all wisdom doth rest and which is the beginning of all beginnings in which is all and without which nothing is which is all in all God blessed for ever Amen CHAP. II. Of those principles and beginnings of all things as also of God himself and of all whatsoever it be THe Principle of all Principles and beginning of all beginnings as also of God himself is only the word according to the testimony of the divine truth and word it self John 1. Now the word may not be defined otherwise then that it is a Spirit breath or voice of God yea God himself in such a subsistence essence and being as namely How the image of God doth represent us according to the similitude which is man as that he is a quicâ—ning spirit a spiritual Adam and heavenly man which is God the Lord glorined and magnified for ever Amen Now we hold altogether that this is the proper definition of God and no other which the holy writ clearly signifieth 1 Cor. 15. 45 47 48. who according to his Image and Similitude hath created a spiritual Adam and Terrestrial man when God said Let us make Adam or Man after our image after our Similitude Gen. 1. 26 27. Now the word being the Beginning of all Beginnings there is contained in the same the Light Life and Love The Light affords the Revelation of God for God is Light and dwelleth in Light and is the Father of Lights Life is the virtue and power of God and a quickning Spirit who hath createth and preserveth all Love is a Testimony of God in which is the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost in one word which is called Jesus Christ the spiritual Adam and heavenly Man Messias who is Essential Alpha and Omega All in All the Beginning and the End the First and the Last Blessed and Praised for ever Amen Rev. 1. 22. Now the word being the true Principle in God himself then consequently all proceedeth from the word out of which do chiefly manifest themselves three general Principles in which Principles with and through which all things are contained and are these namely God Nature Element Now these three general Principles afford also a threefold world namely a divine uncreated from Godflowing world from Eternity then an Angelical world which proceedeth or lighteth forth or shineth forth out of the Light in which God dwelleth and lastly an Elementary world whose Original came out of the water After these three general Principles proceed also three special Principles namely Ghost Wind and Water Now every world hath its proper Ghost Wind and Water in their Kind and Nature All things Created out of the divine world from above are Created out of Water and Spirit from above through the wind and breath of the Omnipotent God for to the Divine world is properly competent the Spirit to the Angelical is properly competent the wind and to the Elementary world is water proper After these special Principles follow lastly particular Principles each of which hath its proper Being out of which in which and from which it consists But these three Principles proceed from the former and are Spirit Soul and Life and Body All bodies are out of the Water All Life and Soul out of the Wind And all Spirit out of the Spirit But concerning the Angels their Body is out of the Wind of the Angelical World their Soul and Life a Fire-flame and their Soul a â—ight of which elsewhere These are our Principles in the Wisdom out of which all things have their Original Whether other Principles may be shewed unto us we do much doubt The Primum mobile first mover of all things is the Word for in it is the Life The Secundum mobile Second mover of all things is the Spirit through which all things are Created The Tertium mobile Third mover is the Wind and these three moving Principles are the Perpetnum mobile everlasting mover of all things by which all things move live and have their Being But these three do rest upon the Water bodily out of which the World is and all things are And in the Air according to the Life wherein all things are And in Heaven from which all things come from above after the Spirit but the Spirit from God from which he cometh and returneth thither John 1. 4. Psal 104. 30. Acts 17. 28. Eccles 12. 7. But all these come together on and in the Earth as in the heart of the world Wisd 1. 7. In these
knowledge how the Powers Created to one and the same end may be brought into activity Thousands of such things might be instanced although thou dost not know the splendor in the Angels the candid brightness in the Heavens the Perspicuity in the air the clear Limpidity in the waters the variety of colours in the Flowers the hardness in Stones and Metals the Proportion in living Creatures the Image of God in regenerated men Faith in true Believers and Reason in the Soul Yet is there in them such a beauty which very few mortals have throughly perceived or plainly known Now why should there not be such an admirable virtue in the true Philosophers Stone which truly I have seen and known to be so Yet hereby I endeavour not to perswade the worthy and unworthy alike to labour in this work I rather dehort busie searchers from this most perillous secret like as from some Holy of Holies Yea let every discreet Student be exceeding cautious in reading and keeping company with Sophisticate false Philosophers Nevertheless to satisfie curious Naturalists I shall communicate faithfully whatsoever was acted between Elias the Artist and Me concerning the nature of the Philosophers Stone It is a thing much brighter then Aurora or a Carbuncle more splendid then the Sun or Gold and more beautiful then the Moon or Silver Insomuch that this most recreating light can never be blotted out of my mind though it should not be believed by Learned Fools or Illiterate Asses bubling nothing but the gloss of haughty proud eloquence For in this exulcerated old malignant Age nothing can be secured from slanderous Carpers But all such Batts and Bratts do err from Truth and in progress of time vanish miserably ensnared in their own errors yet our assertion shall stand till the very end of all generations being built upon the eternal foundation of Triumphant Truth And although this Art be not yet known to all the Adept do assert according to experience That this natural Mistery is only to be found with the great Jehovah Saturninely placed in the Center of the World In the interim we account them happy who by the help of art are careful how they may wash this Philosophical Queen and circulate the Catholick Virgin Earth within a Magick Physicall Christalline Artifice Nay as Khunrade saith they aone shall see the Philosophers King crowned with all the colours of the world and coming forth of his Bedchamber and glassy Sepulchre more then perfect in his external glorified fiery body shining like a bright Carbuncle or a compact and Ponderous transparent Christal These shall see the Salamander casting out waters and washing therewith the Leprouse Metals in the fire as I my self have seen What shall I say These shall see the â—byss of the Spagyrick Art where this kingly art did rest and lye hid so many years in the Mineral Kingdom as in their safest bosom Assuredly the true Sons of this Art shall not only manifest such a river of Numitius in which long since Aeneas being washt and absolved from his mortality by the command of Venus was presently transformed like to an immortà l God but also the whole Lydian River called Pactolus transmuted into gold as soon as Mygdonian Mydas hath washed himself in the some Also in a long Series they shall partly see the Bath of naked Diana and the Fountain of Narcissus yea Scylla walking in the Sea without her clothes by reason of the fervent rayes of the Sun and shall gather the blood of Pyramis and Thysbe by whose help the white Mulberries were tinged into red Partly also the blood of Adonis transformed by the descending Goddess Venus into the Anemone Rose Partly also the blood of Ajax out of which did spring the fairest Flower of Hyacinth or Violet Partly also the blood of the Gyants struck by Jupiters Thunderbolt partly also the tears of Althea shed when she had divested her self of her Golden Robes and laid them down partly also the drops from Medea's decocted water out of which green things did presently sprowt out of the earth Partly also Medeas Potion boyled out of many hearbs gathered three days before the Full Moon for the healing of her good old Father Jason Partly also the Medicine of Aesculapius Partly also the leaves by whose taste Glaucus was transformed into Neptune Partly also the expressed juice of Jason by whose benefit he got the Golden Fleece in the Land of Colchos after he had fought generously in the Field of Mars not without great danger of his Life Partly also the Garden of Hesperides from whose Trees might be gathered Apples of Gold Partly also Hippomines running a Race with Atalanta delaying and conquering her by throwing down three Golden Apples given him by Venus Partly also the Aurora of Cephalus Partly also as it were Romulus transformed by Jupiter into a God Partly also the Soul of Julius Caesar transfigured by Venus into a Comes and placed amongst the Stars partly also Pytho the Serpent of Juno springing up after Deucalions deluge out of the putrified Earth heated by the rayes of the Sun partly also the Fire whereby Medea lighted seven Candles partly also the Moon inflamed by the great burning of Phaeton partly also the dryed shrub or branch of the Olive Tree new greening with berries as a new and tender tree partly also Arcadia wherein Jupiter was used to walk partly also the dwelling place of Pluto at whose entrance the three headed Cerberus did watch partly also that Mountain where Hercules burnt all his Members he had from his Mother upon a Pile of Wood when the Fathers parts did remain fiâ—t and incombustible in the fire yet was he not one jot impaired in his life but at length was changed into the likeness of a God Further these true children of the Philosophers shall at last enter into the Temple of the transformed rustick house whose roof was built out of fine gold Indeed I cannot do less then once more proclaim aloud with the Adeptists O happy and thrice happy is this Artist who by the most gracious blessing of the most high Jehovah obtains this art to prepare and make this almost divine Salt by whose efficacious operation the metallick body or mineral is broke open destroyed and killed yet its soul is revived to the glorious resurrection of the Philosophick body Most happy therefore is he who obtains this Art of Arts to the glory of God by earnest constant prayers For certainly the knowledge of this Mystery cannot be obtained unless drawn and suckt out of the Fountain of Fountains which is God Therefore every serious Lover of this inestimable art should believe the chief of his business is That with uncessant desires and prayers in a living Faith he implore and adore the most Soveraign grace of Gods Holy Spirit in all his works for it is the solemn custom of God to communicate his gifts candidly and liberally only to candid and liberal men mediately or immediately for by
for the value of the matter but for some particular consequences nay if it were possible said he that fire could be burnt of fire I would rather at this instant cast all this substance into the fiercest flames But after he demanding if I had another private chamber whose prospect was from the publick Street I presently conducted him in to the best furnished room backwards where he entred without wiping his Shooes full of snow and dirt according to the custom in Holland then not doubting but he would bestow part thereof or some great secret treasure on me but in vain for he asked for a little piece of gold and pulling off his Cloak or Pastoral habit opened his Doublet under which he wore five pieces of Gold hanging in green silk Ribons as large as the inward round of a small Pewter Trencher and this Gold so far excelled mine that there was no comparison for flexibility and colour and these Figures with the Inscriptions ingraven were the resemblance of them which he granted me to write out D. 8. Pag. 16 1 Amen Holy holy holy is the Lord our God and all things are full of his hononr Leo. Libra 2 The maruelous wisdome of the wonderfull Iehovah in the vniuersall Booke of nature I am made the 26 th of August 1666 3 ☉ ☿ ☽ The wonderfull God Nature and the spagyricall Art make nothing in vain 4 To the Honour of the Euerlasting Inuisible â—ivne only wise most high Omnipotent God of Gods holy holy holy Gouernor and praiseworthy Preseruer of all 5 Holy art thou O holy spirit Halloluiah ffye vpon the Diuell and neuer speake of God without light Amen I being herewith affected with great admiration desired to know where and how he came by them Who answered An outlandish friend who dwelt some days in my House giving out he was a Lover of this art and came to reveal this art to me taught me various Arts First How out of ordinary Stones and Christalls to make Rubies Chrysolites and Sapphires c. much fairer then the ordinary And how in a quarter of an hour to make Crocus Martis of which one dose would infallibly cure the Pestilential Dissentary or Bloody Flux and how to make a metallick Liquor most certainly to cure all kinds of Dropsies in four days as also a limpid clear water sweeter then hony by which in two hours of it self in hot sand it would extract the Tincture of Granats Corals Glasses and such like more which I Helvetius did not observe My mind being drawn beyond those bounds to understand how such a noble juice might be drawn out of the metals to transmute Metals but the shade in the water deceived the dog of the Morsel of Flesh in his mouth Moreover he told me his said Master caused him to bring a glass full of rain water and fetch some refined Silver laminated in thin plates which therein was dissolved within a quarter of an hour like Ice when heated And presently he drank to me the half and I pledged him the other half which had not so much taste as sweet milk whereby me thought I became very light hearted I thereupon asked if this were a Philosophical drink and wherefore we drank this Potion He replied I ought not to be so curious And after he told me that by the said Masters directions he took a piece of a Leaden Pipe Gutter or Sistern and being melted put a little such sulphurious powder out of his Pocket once again put a little more on the point of a Knife and after a great blast of Bellows in short time poured it on the red stones of the Kitchin Chimney which proved most excellent pure Gold which he said brought him into such a trembling amazement that he could hardly speak But his Master thereupon again incouraged him saying Cut for thy self the sixteenth part of this for a memorial and the rest give away amongst the poor which he did And he distributed so great an Alms as he affirmed if my memory fail not to the Church of Sparrenda But whether he gave it at several times or once or in the Golden Masse or in Silver Coyn I did not ask At last said he going on with the story of his master he taught me throughly this almost Divine Art As soon as this his History was finisht I most humbly beg'd he would shew me the effect of Transmutation to confirm my faith therein but he dismissed me for that time in such a discreet manner that I had a denial But withall promising to come again at three weeks end and shew me some curious Arts in the Fire and the manner of projection provided it were then lawful without prohibition And at the three weeks end he came and invited me abroad for an hour or two and in our walks having discourses of divers of natures secrets in the fire but he was very sparing of the great Elixir gravely asserting that was only to magnifie the most sweet fame and name of the most glorious God and that few men indeavored to sacrifice to him in good works and this he expressed as a Pastor or Minister of a Church but now and then I kept his ears open intreating to shew me the Metallick transmutation desiring also he would think me so worthy to eat and drink and lodge at my house which I did prosecute so eagerly that scarce any Suiter could plead more to obtain his Mistress from his Corrival but he was of so fixt and stedfast a Spirit that all my endeavors were frustrate yet I could not forbear to tell him further I had a fit laboratory and things ready and fit for an experiment and that a promised favour was a kind of debt yea true said he but I promised to teach thee at my return with this proviso if it were not forbidden When I perceived all this in vain I earnestly craved but a most small Crum or Parcel of his pouder or Stone to transmute four Grains of Lead to Gold and at last out of his Philosophical commiseration he gave me a Crum as big as a Rape or Turnip seed saying receive this small Parcel of the greatest Treasure of the World which truly few Kings or Princes have ever known or seen But I said This perhaps will not transmit four Grains of Lead whereupon he bid me deliver it him back which in hopes of a greater Parcel I did but he cutting halfe off with his Nail flung â—t into the fire and gave me the rest wraped neatly up â—n Blew Paper saying It is yet sufficient for thee I answered him indeed with a most dejected Counâ—enance Sir what n eans this the other being too â—ittle you give me now less He told me If thou â—anst not mannage this yet for its great proportion â—or so small a quantity of Lead then put into the Cruâ—ible two Drams or halfe an Ounce or a little more â—f the Lead for there ought no more Lead be put in â—he Crucible
that only by a harmonious Sympathy between it and the vital Spirits Wherefore the Adept do call it the Myster of Nature defence of old Age and against all Sicknesses yea of the very Plague and Pestilence For this being a kind of Salamander communicates its virtue and as a Salamander makes a man live till his last appointed time against all the Fiery Epidemical Darts of the angry Heavens or their Malevolent Influences Physitian Sir I understand by your discourse That this Medicine doth nothing to the correcting of depraved or corrupt humours but only by strengthning the Vital Spirits and our Balsamick Nature but other practical Chymists teach how to seperate he impure from the pure and ripen the unripe o make the bitter become a little sower or Acid and the sower sweet and so to turn sharp into mild mild into sharp sower into sweet and sweet into sower Also I understand you say this universal medicine cannot prolong life beyond its prefixed time but only preserves it from all venome and deadly sickness which agrees with the vulgar belief That the Life depends only upon the will of God But passing by these things my question is still whether a mans former nature may be converted into another new nature So that a slothful man may be changed into a diligent nimble man and a Melancholy man by nature be made a merry man or the like Elias Not at all Sir for no Medicine hath power to transform the nature of man in such a manner no more then wine drunk by divers men changeth the persons nature but only provokes or deduceth what is in man potentially into Act For the universal Medicine works by recreating the vital spirits and so restoreth that health which was suppressed for a time In the same manner the heat of the Sun never transmutes the Hearbs and Flowers but stirs up their potential powers to become active For a man of melancholly temper is again raised up to his natural melancholy disposition and a merry man to become merry And so in all desperate diseases it is a present and most excellent preservative Nay if there could be any prolonging of Life Then Hermes Paracelsus Trevisan and many others having had the said Medicine would never have undergone the Tyranny of death but have prolonged their lives perhaps to this very day It were therefore the part of a mad Lunatick to believe that any Medicine in the world could prolong life longer then God limits Physitian Worthy Sir I agree now cheerfully to all you have said touching the Universal Medicine being no less regular then fundamental Yet till I can prepare the same my self it profits me not Indeed some Illustrious men have written of it so cautiously in dark Aenygma s that very few can understand their progress to the end and if one could purchase all these Authors this short life might be therein consumed and not attain the thing It remains therefore only to pray and labour Ora labora Deus dat omni horae Work and Pray God gives every day Elias Seldom indeed can this Art of Arts be pickt out of Books without demonstration from some true Adeptist But waving this let us come to Transmutation of Metals by the most noble Tincture of which many have written but 't is true few Disciples attain this Arcanum Physitian Your convincing Arguments and my fore going Experiments I believe all you say for Dr. Kuffler with the Tincture of one ounce of gold projected on two ounces of Silver transmuted as is said an ounce and half into the purest gold and a third of the remainder into white gold and the rest was still the purest Silver imaginable And Van Helmonts experiment proves the same But especially Alexander Scotus and Count Russes Experiment well known at Prague and as here you may see the inscriptiors done before the Roman Emperour Caesar Ferdinando the Third Where with one grain of Tincture were transmuted three pound of Mercury into the noblest pure gold Yet I confess I never saw a true Adeptist or projection made and therefore cannot so absolutely conclude these things to be true Elias My Friend The art will remain true whether F. 1. Pag. 34. LIKE AS RARE MEN HAVE THIS ART SOE COMETH IT VERY RARELY TO LIGHT PRAISE BE TO GOD FOR EVER WHO DOETH COMMVNICATE A PART OF HIS INFINITE POWER TO VS HIS MOST ABIECT CREATVRES THE DIVINE METAMORPHOSIS EX HIBITED AT PRAGVE XV IAN A c MDCXLVIII IN THE PRESENCE OF HIS SACRED CAESAREAN M ty FERDINAND THE THIRD The Thickness of that piece of gould â—ount Rusz uppermost Hill master in Steyer â—nd Carinthiae two Prouinces of high Germany â—ath with one only graine of Tincture transmuted â—â—ree pounds of Quicksiluer into pure gold fixt â—all assayes proofes out of which was cast â—his piece of Gould F. 2. Pag. 35. 1 Amen Holy holy holy is the Lord our God and all things are full of his hononr Leo. Libra 2 The maruelous wisdome of the wonderfull Iehovah in the vniuersall Booke of nature I am made the 26th of August 1666 3 ☉ ☿ ☽ The wonderfull God Nature and the spagyricall Art make nothing in vain 4 To the Honour of the Euerlasting Inuisible trivne only wise most high Omnipotent God of Gods holy holy holy Gouernor and praiseworthy Preferuer of all 5 Holy art thou O holy spirit Halleluiah ffye vpon the Diuell and neuer speake of God without light Amen you believe or not For Example In the singular exalted sulphurous virtue in the Loadstone by its only touch derives a sympathetick vertue into the sulphurous Iron to become another Magnet or Loadstone by its touch So doth it happen in the Philosophers Stone in the which is all that the wisemen seek Now in regard their writings are so numerous and dark it is to be wished one Laconick short Epitomy were extracted out of all for the said Art to be clearly manifested in a short time with little labour and expence and so a most easie Transite made to the best Authors But look here I will now shew you the true matter of Philosophers to confirm your belief Phisitian Is this glassy yellow Masse it indeed I fear you do but jest or dally with me Elias Yea truly thou hast now in thy hands the most pretious thing in the world the true Philosophers stone none ever more real or can be better neither shall any have another and I my self have wrought it from the very beginning to the very end Then stepping into a more private Room he shewed me these five pieces of pure gold made out of Lead by the Philosophical Tincture which saith he I wear in memory of my Master Now by thy great reading canst thou judge of what matter or substance it is made and composed Physitian Sir I cannot judge but it seems you learnt it not of your self but had a master instructed you to make it Now I beseech you Sir bestow a little crum of the
or Originals of all things whatsoever Whereby are discovered the great and many Mysteries in God Nature and the Elements hitherto hid now made manifest and revealed To the Honour of God the love of our Neighbour and to the Comfort and Joy of the Children of Wisdom In the 4. Book of Esdras 6. v. 10. The Books will be opened before the Heaven insomuch that they all shall see Zachariah 14. 7. At the time of the Evening it shall be Light THE EPISTLE To the honest sober READER Curteous Reader THis Spring or Dawning of Wisdom was published some years since but being out of Print and something better improved by the Author and sutable to Pythagoras his Metaphysical and Physical Figure with my smaller Philosophical Epitaph and Figures I thought good to make them with the rest into one small Volume where much light of Divinity and Philosophy will appear concentrated and multiplied to any ingenious Spirits It is Gods greatest bounty to give light and Eyes to see not only the Corporal and Temporal but the Spiritual and Eternal Light of Wisdom Quantum quidque habet Luminis tantum numinis The more Light the more of God who dwelleth in Light and in his Children who are Children of Light and Life For this is the Condemnation and death That Light is come into the World and men love Darkness rather then Light because their deeds are Evil. This therefore as a Trumpet these latter days may awaken and teach men what God the World and Devils are that so their Souls and Spirits hereby quickened and inspired may the better know themselves and arise from dead works of Sin and sensual vanities the first Resurrection of Grace to be sure to rise again with Christ in the Kingdom of Heaven in Glory For many talk of Heaven and being in its Glory with Christ which have it not within them or desire to be there with such mortified pure and peaceable Company as go thither who rather have Hell and feed on it and delight in it and such company which the better to distinguish and reflect upon the the way and Company for Heaven take these four Observations To do Evil for good is devilish Evil for Evil Natural Sensual and Bestial Good for Good Humane and Good for Evil Divine The Wisdom therefore from above is still Pure Holy and Good gotten by mortification on the Cross of Christ and brings Joy and Peace in the Holy Ghost for the Kingdom of Heaven but horror amazement and misery attend the rest who live not after the Gospel of the Cross of Christ which is the power of God to Salvation but after the Flesh and do evil to serve the Devil To know and fear God therefore is perfect Righteousness Wisdom and Eternal Life so that the Patriarchs and many termed Heathen not having the outward name of Christ may have his Spirit and Essential name and be better members of him then we who live not thereafter For as the Scripture saith he was the Rock of Ages was slain from the beginning and hath enlightned every one that cometh into the World and was before Adam But most men do not know nor fear God but superficially believe there is a God and therefore talk of him as Parrots and sometimes worse by Lyes Oaths and Curses c. And therefore have no true faith in him or his Son For did they truly know and consider him still in his property and works to be Infinite Wise Omnipotent and Omniscient just as well as merciful and that he is able to destroy them in a Moment in the very Act of sin then would they fear him the first degree of Wisdom and so after Christs Example avoid all occasions and appearance of sin as they can and will do in some Acts for a very Childs being present And so would believe that he who made and Created the Eye and Ear and gives it Life and Sense in the instant of its exercise can both see and hear as well as any Eye and Ear which can see or hear nothing at any time without his help and likewise that he is as really present though invisible to the outward Sense as any Creature can be which he hath made yea and that he knows our very secretest thoughts too in whom we live move and have our Being But I am not in a Sermon but an Epistle nor would I hinder thee in the Porch from entring into this glorious building of Light where thou mayst find an heavenly Manna and sumptuous Mansion or Eternal Tabernacle for thy self not made with hands and so I take leave to be Thy Christian Friend and Servant W. C. July 3. 167â— THE PREFACE TO THE Lovers of Wisdom Loving Readers WE remember and know that all understanding and Wisdom cometh from God and all good things we receive from the Father of Lights and that Wisdom is nothing else but the Breathing of God who sends his Spirit and teacheth men what Wisdom is the Truth and true Knowledge Syrach 1. Jam. 1. Wisd 7. 25. Job 32. 5. Wisd 9. 17. John 20. 22. Acts 2. Psal 94. 10. Syrach 38. 6. Exod. 26. 1. 2. This Knowledge consists chiefly in three things 1. To know God 2. Our selves 3. That which God hath created After Wisdom and Knowledge followeth Judgment namely to discern Good from Evil Light from Darkness Truth from Falshood Upon judgement and understanding followeth Election and will to doe the one and to shun the other The Knowledge or Understanding of all things is threefold Namely 1. Of Men 2. Of Angels 3. Of God The understanding or knowledge of Men is but in part The Knowledge of Angels is in fear and trembling But Gods knowledge alone is perfect Wisdom Knowledge and the examining thereof cometh from the spirit alone which is in Men Angels and God For the spirit searcheth into all even into the depth of God 1 Cor. 10. 11. The Wisdom Knowledge and Understanding of men is three-fold after the spirit of the same Namely The spirit of men generally in this world is Foolishness in Gods eyes for let men be never so Learned and VVise yet the perfect and true wisdom is hidden from them because they do not know themselves 1 Cor. 1. 2. Mat. 11. 25. Some of these wise men are called Philosophers according to the Spirit of Sects boasting of the holy Scripture of God and of Christ but they have no knowledge of them because their Spirit is not of God but they are only mens opinions of God and of Christ and are carnally and earthly minded full of errours and confusion Lastly The Spirit of Gods holy Ones who being godly and spiritually minded are taught of God The VVisdom and knowledge of the first is full of folly darkness and Ignorance The wisdom of the second is full of misleading Philosophy and continual contentions The wisdom of the third sort of men who are Godly is but in part although true and good Rom. 1. 29. Ephes 4.
afterwards turned into a living death which never dyeth and a deadly eternal life made manifest as a soul to Satan At last through Lucifers pride a strange wind was gotten in Lucifer as a body unto him and Satan hath quite lost the Angelical Principle and self-subsistance and became a strange Bird and a wild Fly Lucifer did try whether he could not be a God or like unto God which yet he was in his portion and measure therefore he is called a Tempter and Satan and he was become such an one namely both a God and a Creator and a Creature of his own and lost all all Gods Testimony wholly as also the Testimony of good Angels He is a Knave or Lyer from the beginning through sin which hath begotten him and he hath begotten sin he is sins father and sin is his mother that hath begotten him and he her through covetousness in the leering eye of self-love and imagination Now as sin is that evil and found out in its Principle by Lucifer so it hath turn'd him into an evil one and one is the Principle of the other and so he can be excused by no means So Lucifer hath murdered himself and hath lost the Angelical Printiple and is and remaineth a forlorn Child and son of Perdition the right Antichrist for ever Thus is sin gotten through coveting and coveting through looking upon and looking upon through imagination and that through self-love and that through an arrogant liberty this through security and that through wantonness where there is no fear for as fear is the beginning of wisdom so is wantonness the beginning of folly and sin He that is fearful will not easily hazard upon sinning Lucifer was Created of God a good Angel and that so that he might easily have been kept from sining So also might Man if he would himself but self-will brought him to that sin yea his own wantonness but now he could not be so perfect Created that he could not fall into sin at all The reason is because his weight measure and number could not endure it because he was not born of God but had his Principles besides God although through God but what is born of God and of his seed that cannot sin because it is born of God to whom it is impossible to commit sin Thus is made clear and manifest the mighty abundant difference in the Creation which was very good at the Renovation which was done in and on the old Creature by means and help of the spirit of God and among the new births from above of God which is it alone to make Children and Heirs of God and Co-heirs of Christ unknown to the world and their wise Children Now the Angels consisting out of Wind Fire and Light and the fall of Lucifer standing before them as a warning therefore they cover their feet and faces before God with fear and trembling and are rather ashamed of themselves that they may find grace before the Lord God Now they are a fiery flame for a protection of the godly and a perdition and death to the wicked God also is a consuming fire in his Angels not on or in himself and will come also with his Angels and his Power and with fiery flames to judgment CUAP X. Of the difference of the light and darkness as also of the light and fire HItherto the light was not reckoned under the Elements by the wise of the world though it be the first of them in the Creation for in all Creatures the Bloud and Eyes are first and not the Heart Now the light is a going forth of Gods glory and it never goeth down or decayeth in its spirit anâ— is a dwelling of the seven spirits of God as the darkness is an habitation of Evil spirits In the light dwelleth the spirit of the Lord the spirit of wisdom and understanding the spirit of Counsel and of strength the spirit of Knowledge and of the fear of the Lord. All wisdom understanding and knowledge all judgment and examination and every truth and righteousness cometh from and out of the light and through the same And as the light doth illuminate the whole world and maketh day and is the day it self So it illuminates also every spirit in all living souls and as there is no day without light neither can be so no wisdom nor knowledge nor understanding can be without light But the light in its body in our opinion is a pure essential spiritual Salt from which all Gemms and precious stones get their Colour as also all Flowers and Beauties their fairness All which the spirit of light doth work and adorneth all things with beauties for in the light all Colours are hid and are gotten by the same the soul of the light is nothing else but a joyful Life out of Nature as an Angelical Life and his spirit and eternal love proceeding from the spirit of the Lord. Out of this light God hath made the lights of Heaven which are coagulated living and comprehensible lights and are nothing else in their essence but a spiritual essential and exceeding pure Christalline salt so high tempered as ever any thing may be without any quality or property of heat coldness warmth moistness drought and have their proper motion in and on themselves especially the Sun â—unneth always with the light and day but the Moon with the darkness and night and the other stars in and on their places and order Those lights of Heaven do shew always and every where clearly the power of the Elements and contrary Elements what their operations be through which powers all things in the whole world are finished and wrought upon but through the lights of Heaven no less then a Looking Glass sheweth such and such you see Now the powers of the Elements and contrary Elements change and revolve daily weekly monthly and yearly Now because out of the light cometh knowledge which searcheth out all the depths in every spirit soul and body and presents them in the lights of Heaven prophesie tell and give to understand to the beholders who are the Children of the light The spirit of light searcheth all in all things and sheweth by the lights of Heaven every ascendent or spirit in all things and also in Man namely what spirit soul and body he hath received at his nativity out and according to the Elements and opposite Elements as also what spirits do incentre in him All which if bad or evil Man may decline or resist by the holy and good spirit as a beast can shake off the dust or flyes Now the Lights of Heaven rule the whole world namely acording to their time and shew things present past and future Now because every Element hath its spirits as the Earth the Water and the Air and their eyes are more spiritual then our bodily they can therefore spy something in the lights of Heaven and reveal it to Man But the Children of light do not use the
there is no darkness but yet there is fire This Angelical fire is an Excretion of the light out of which the spirit of the â—ngels is and this fire also in the beginning and before the fall hath been a quiet and unknown fire and very good because it was and is the soul of the Light in the Angels But after the fall it was manifest known and turn'd to a flame and such a one wherein the raging anger of God doth rest in which all Gods Judgments do consist and come out of the same This fire now in the Angels with its rage anger and consuming flame is not evil at all but a just fire of Gods justice to punish the wicked All anger rage and judgment proceed out of the Angelical world as also the Law which was promulgated with fire Exod. 20. Acts 7. 53 38. Gal. 3. 19. Heb. 2. 2. Of the Devils fire was spoken above More things could be said of the fire which for brevity sake we omit CHAP. XII Out of what wherein and wher by all things good and bad do subsist pass away and yet how they last for ever ALthough our knowing and prophesying be but part yet we will not quench the spirit and we are not to despise prophesying And the Reader in the Lord may know that we have our wisdom be it about natural things or spiritual learned out of the Holy Scripture and not out of pro hane writings for the Bible is sufficient to us to all wisdom and we used in 24 years no other book to find out wisdom but the Bible Out of this book the spirit of wisdom through the anointing can teach us all things and needs no other spirit or man to teach us Every thing in a word subsists only by Salt they perish without it and in the same and it lasteth for ever in them both good and bad There is a threefold salt namely a Divine Angelical and Elementary All must be seasoned with salt if it shall last good and salt is the most noble and wholsomest Balm the best preservative and Conservative the highest strengthening The salt of the Divine world is a true light a Spirit and VVater from above whereby we are illuminated breathed on and baptized yea seasoned and salted that the hellish may have no power over us For every one must be seasoned with fire and must be tried with fire who and what doth subsist in it that is blessed else it is nothing at all Mark 9. 49 50. 1 Cor. 13. 14. The salt of the Angelical world is a quick life in its glory concentred of God into the Tree of Life which when it shall be broken at the glorious coming of Jesus Christ then all Created things in Heaven and Earth in this Elementary world he will so gloriously and powerfully season with salt that they shall be freed and redeemed from sin Curse Death Devil Vanity Pain and Misery and that will be a noble food at that great Supper of which as of an Angelical and Coelestial Manna all flesh that is all Created things and whole Creatures shall eat and drink and feed And then also shall be put away the sharp bitter sowre consuming devouring perishing and â—o nothing reducing salt of the contrary Element it shall dye and to its place be separated Of the elementary salt we have spoken already above There is another salt also of the contrary element which is threefold namely in the Earth Sea and Air The salt of the contrary element is a sharp devouring consuming salt and reigneth in all Creatures and is always mixed with the good salt which in the consuming sharp salt is held Captive and can no sooner be set at liberty till that which holds it Captive be drowned and killed by a cold fire which is a water above mentioned This Salt now is predominant chiefly in the Minerals of the Earth in the Mineral Salts as common Salt Vitriol Saltpeter Alume Salmoniak c. and is as it were fixed in this In all Sulphur especially in the common Sulphur the Salt of the contrary Elements is flying But he that can make it fixed with a cold fire hath a more precious thing then Gold is But what is more abused then Saturn Saltpeter and Sulphur They shoot it into the Air being so precious O malice and wickedness of men Is it not so that God hath made choice of things which the world holds to be ignoble foolish and rejected and base Lastly in all Arsenicks is the Salt of the contrary Elements essential and spiritual True it is a right Poison but having an essence why should not some thing be hidden in it It must be carefully and purely killed with a cold fire and be reduced to a new noble birth It is to be observed by the by that every Lee especially that of quicklime is a cold fire and that same in the unmature Metals that have yet their Sulphur Mercury and Arsenick may doubtless be of good use especially in some Iron or Copper Mines in which the Sulphur of Sol the glory of Gold sufficiently appeareth for the flying must through a fixed be made firm and glorious And truly herein is more hid then the world believes Now in the Salt is both life and death And as good things have their Salt so have bad and both are firm the good therefore because the life is in it and the bad also therefore because there is both life and death in it For what death killeth with extream coldness that life reviveth again by fire Therefore the fire is the life in the Devil and his Children and the cold is death But it is such a life which is not of God nor out of the light and love but out of the Devil himself out of darkness and anger which is with unspeakable torment anguish pain misery The Salt in the Sea is a soulish Salt raging and furious of which something may be said because a Mystery is hid in it it shineth also in its fire and is a Sulphurious light so that it may be seen Lastly the Salt in the Air is essential and Arsenical and poisoneth things on Earth man beasts and fruits c. These three sorts of Salt of the contrary element are made known after the fall therefore we must separate Salt from Salt that is good from bad to reject bad and embrace that which is good In the end all bad things fall to the Devils share especially the contrary elements with their Salt which maketh up the fiery pools devouring and gnawning and yet not consuming living for ever yet not alive but dead dyeth for ever and yet never liveth And thus it hath rightly the name of a contrary element CHAP. XIII Of the Creation of the World NOw having known the Principles in their subordinates and the Center concentrated both in and on the Elements as also in the contrary elements thence we may observe how all things are Created by the word and then to know
Witchcraft the wise men of the East made lawful use who knew the Star and proceeded so far therein that they go not only great knowledge but have also done wonders This natural Magick is learned out of the true and perfect degree from the Spirit of God and goeth before and beyond the ascendent because commonly other Spirits do mingle themselves into it This Magick art Daniel and his fellows had studied as also Moses the Prophets and went beyond the wise mâ—n Magicians of Egypt far with th ir skill From this natural Magick art the false Magicians took theirs and because the true ascendent was not in them namely the Spirit of God but had only their Elementary or their Masters ascendent therefore also Lucifer made shew of an Angel of Light and became ascendent in them and made Sorcerers of them Now as true Magicians know and perform all by the Word of God which speaketh in them operates out of them and by them so the Sorcerers abuse the word in its power and perform wonders thereby till Moses his staff and Serpent devoureth theirs and Daniels wisdom exceleth all the others wisdom Balaam was a right natural Magician but the covetous spirit was ascendent in him that he went to the Sorcerers that is to the spirit of Sorcery and the spirit of Avarice had blinded his eyes that he could not see the Angel that resisted him but the Ass saw him and was shye therefore Balaam must be kill'd by the Sword as others that deserved it Num. c 31. v. 8. Out of this false Magick art come all S rcerers and Witchcrafts with their bewitching spelâ— tokens words and works and all those that have familiarity with Spirits Let every one take heed of spirits and let them not rejoyce when spirits draw near unto them but rather fly from them and pray to the father of Lights for the Holy Ghost that he may come to them Secondly There is a Prophetical and Apostolical Magical art which cometh out of faith of Gods Spirit in his Children in which the word with glory dwelleth the same speaks to them in them as in the Prophets we read The Lord hath spoken to me namely not always outwardly with a loud voice but rather inwardly Thus old Simeon had an answer from the Lord thus the Lord also spake through the Ephod c. By this Magical art the Prophets and Apostles have done so many Miracles raised the dead and only by the word This Magical art the Devil presumeth to imitate namely that the word should speak out of Chrystals by looking into it out of Rings wherein perhaps dwelleth a spirit and speaketh out of it c. But this is not the word but only a spirit bewitched into it Lastly There is yet a higher Magick of Gods Children which worketh over and beyond nature and that through faith as when Moses divided the waters with his Red and Josâ—uah bid the Sun and Moon to stand still and the like which things are beyond the course of nature but all is done by and through faith So also when Elias shut up the Heavens that it should not rain and all these things are performed in out and by the power of the word of God which when it calleth and commandeth then it must stand there The Sorcerers also think to make use of this Magick but theirs is meer Witchcraft by Gods permission and yet things are performed really by them even as the Egyptian Sorcerers brought up Frogs c. but not by the finger of God but by the spirit of the Devil by which shortly the three unclean spirits and Frogs will do wonders to seduce the Kings of the earth as also other false Prophets Rev. 16. 13. Mat. 24. 29. Lastly the word speaketh out in and by all things because it is in all things and that by the signature and mark of every thing in the external viewing and sheweth clearly what is hidden within of power and virtue if only the speech and voice of the word could be heard and understood But in the renewed future world all these things will be clear and manifest to the praise of God CHAP. XVI Of the mystery of the Created lower visible things GOd hath brought forth all Created visible sublunary things out of the invisible that were so at the beginning he made them to something and visible and gave to every of them a Body Soul and Spirit after their kind and in them he hath hid his invisible glory that is the invisible in the visible and the Coelestial in the Terrestrial This is the mystery after which we must diligently seek that is after the hidden wisdom which no eye hath seen nor can see neither ear hath heard nor hath it entred into mans heart All these sublunary Created things visible have a Terrestrial body and is visible But they have also a Coelestial body hid within them inwardly The same is so long invisible till the visible body is dissolved and broke and afterward the invisible body is set forth to appear visibly which is heavenly and Spiritual consisting out of water and spirit and is nothing else but a Christalline yea new born salt of life which cannot be overcome by the contrary Element Further every thing hath a soulish life that is such a one which must fetch breath out of the common air and this is nourished by the same a life which in a moment is and must be mortal so that nothing is lasting of it Now to this soulish life is a quickening Spirit which doth not fetch breath as soulish life but it hath life and is in it self a Spirit of life and not a breath and hath eternal life in him and is nothing else but the Spirit of God and the breath of the Almighty that quickneth all Lastly all things have a spirit that returneth thither from whence it came and doth not stay in the dead because it is not the spirit of the dead but of the living and is the Spirit of God which in and by the old Creation and Creature doth not stay for ever but only in and by the new which is from above Thus nothing is lasting in this world but vanity and corruption but it sheweth to us clearly how that all these Created sublunary visible things are an Image of the things above This mystery God hath discovered to his Children and to the wise that namely this lower Created visible Elementary world is an Image of the upper visible Spiritual Coelestial yea divine world Therefore when the visible Elementary world doth vanish then the spiritual world yet invisible will be made m nifest and visible Therefore there is no Creature which doth not shew the mystery of the superiour spiritual world of which mystery and wonders in the future renewed world in Zion will be preached Now the Apostle siath clearly We do not look upon the visible but upon the invisible 2 Cor. 4. 18. Seek the things that are above and not
the things on Earth Col. 3. 2. In my fathers house are many dwellings that last for ever saith Christ John 14. Why should we regard the visible things which are fading away The Apostle saith If there be a Soulish body then there is a Spiritual body also 1 Cor. 15. 44. And when this house of our Earthly Tabernacle is broken then we have an house from above of God which is not made with hands 2 Cor. 5. There are Terrestrial bodies there are also Coelestial 1 Cor. 15. 40. Yet always the Spiritual Coelestial and yet invisible are hid within the soulish Terrestrial and visible Now as God his invisible glory continually poureth down into this sublunary world so he gathereth it to him again and then when all is ended in the end he will set them before him in a new Creation as it is written Rev. 21. 5. Behold I make or Create all things new But before this new Creation cometh the renewing of the old Creation and Creature goeth before Namely in the joyful coming of the Lord which will be with great power and glory because all shall be set free that is called Creature Rom. 8. 23. From the Devil Curse Death then will be the joyful Jubile Now we must know that there will be great difference between the renewing and the new being it self The old Creature is made new in its old being but the new Creature hath a new essence and that not from below as the old but from above For above is the right essence below is o ly the type and Image this is the mystery we are to observe Above are the right Principles and Elements these below are only a shadow Below are meerly Terrestrial bodies but above are the Coelestial although they are hid in those below The Terrestrial bodies are meer Ashes but the Coelestial are a noble salt of life The Terrestrial life is only soulish and a mouth full of breath If that be gone then down falls all But the Coelestial life is an Eternal life and cannot dye The Terrestrial spirit is but a wind if that be gone it flyeth into the air and vanisheth But the Spirit of God is a quickening Spirit ' even as God himself is Now as all things are an Image of the Heavenly so in truth the soulish Adam and Terrestrial man is an Image also of the Spiritual Adam and Heavenly man which is Christ in God and God in Christ This is the great and miraculous Mystery which thou O man O Adam O thou Image of God chiefly above all things shouldst observe that thou maist know thy self in God and God in thee and maist know and learn what man is what Adam is what the Image of God is that is what thou thy self art of which in our book Adam which is the greatest wisdom Namely for one to know himself after a perfect and true knowledge which is spirit and truth He that doth not regard this but despiseth it which yet is Gods Image rebuketh himself and will be rebuked of God also CHAP. XVII Of the Creation of man and his Anatomy MAn hath nothing so much to care for as himself that he may know his own best and salvation Now he that knoweth himself aright in spirit and in truth knoweth God also and all things Therefore mans knowing himself availeth most to himself Now to speak briefly all things and man also consist in one three and seven The one is individual a self-subsisting in it self The three are Body Soul and Spirit And the seven are chiefly the seven Powers after the seven Powers of the seven Elements and after the seven Spirits of God which seven Powers every Creature hath in it self in its glory Even so man is an only man in himself personally 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 individualiter in his self subsistance But is put together of three as of Body Soul and Spirit and is testified by seven Powers as 1. by Moving 2. by Hearing 3. by Seeing 4 by Smelling 5. by Tasting 6. by Thinking and Reasoning 7. by Sounding or Voice Moving containeth the life to feel see go c. are reckoned all to one In this part now Man is Soulish like unto the living Souls and Beasts which have all these but in their portion and measure number and weight namely as much as belongeth to them According to this man hath no more then they and hath with them a living Soul out and after the Elements of equal beginning out of the earth and of like going down to the earth again Sal. in Eccles 3. 19. After Man hath more then the Beasts which is out of another world namely out of the Angelical which is the Mind which in its spirit is a Preacher of the Law in all men from Nature and hath the Knowledge Will and Conscience to good directs Man to all good and accuseth man in evil things in his Conscience Num. 2. 15 16. Lastly Man hath also a higher and more glorious thing in him which is the Breath of the Almighty a Heavenly Soul and life from God which God breathed into the first mans Nostrils and face wherewith he hath marked and testified his divine inward love to his Image in and on a piece and part of the Eternal light and life Gen. 2. 7. Job 27. 3. c. 33. 4. According to this part Man is Immortal because he hath such a treasure within him namely the Breath of the Almighty and thus herein he is very much distinct from the beasts yea he is above the Angels In this Heavenly Soul is hidden the Kingdom of God and in this Breath of the Almighty consists the true Manhood by which he becometh a true immortal man But in the other Elementary part he is like unto the Beasts Terrestrial Corruptible Mortal Dust and Ashes Now man having received at the Creation such a part out of God from thence he can be made partaker of the new birth Creation and Creature from God of his Nature and Essential seed which is the most holy Flesh and Bloud of the Word which is Christ and thus the new man is the new Creature out of Gods and his quickening Words seed that is of Christ and of this Spiritual Adam and Heavenly man of his flesh and bone John 1. 13. c. 3. 1. John 3. 9. 1 Pet. 1. 23. 2 Pet. 1. 4. 2 Cor. 5. 17. 1 Cor. 15. 45 47 48. Eph. 5. 30. This Seed of God Man receiveth into his Heavenly Soul through the Holy Spirit to a new life of Gods Inheritance And this body together with this Heavenly Soul and the Holy Ghost from God in its full self-subsistance doth not personally appear till after the Angelical glory and laying down of the same body Lastly in the end it entreth into the divine world Hence it is said not to be manifest yet what the Children of God are 1 John 3. Only in a Riddle and obscure word is it spoken of After the part of the first Resurrection
of the changing at the coming of Christ and according to the Jewel of the Heavenly calling all these that are partakers of it receive an An elical body life and spirit therewith they enter into Paradise and the Angelical world and will be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 like to the Angels Mat. 22. 30. Mark 12. 25. Luke 20. 36. Each body of man also the soul and spirit are nourished and preserved from that from which they come and are taken as the Elementary body out of Water and Earth the soul out of Wind and Air and the spirit out of Heaven and go again into the same when they are dissolved According to the Elementariness there is a threefold body in man whilst he liveth out of Water and Earth when he is dead out of wind earth till the Resurrection when he riseth out of Spirit Light and Heaven and know that every Element hath its proper body life and spirit Further Gods Holy ones rest after they depart in the Elementary part in the Earth Grave or where they are deceased So Samuel was heard out of that place of his Grave where he deceased to pronounce a ruine to the rejected King Saul According to the Angelical part they rest in Abrahams bosom which are the Chambers of the Just in the high Heaven But according to the divine part they are in Paradise of all three the Scripture testifieth clearly Lastly Infidels come to Hell and Prison with all except the dead body But those that have sinned against the Holy Ghost and have no pardon for it neither in this nor in the other world are buried in the Death because they have committed a deadly sin All the dead rise incorruptible that is in a Spiritual and Coelestial body But what glory or shame every body shall receive shall be known after the general judgment is past CHAP. XVIII Of the Image of God after which Man is Created THat man is Created after Gods Image is manifest out of Scripture Gen. 1. 26 27. Jam. 3. 9. But only this is the question what this Image is after which Man is Created Every Creature or Beast are made after their own Kind and Image but Man only after Gods Image This Image is Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 essentially bodily the Image of the invisible God Col. 5. 15 For God is a Spirit and and may not be felt nor seen unless it be in his essential substance and substantial essence Even as Man in his true Manhood after which he is distinguished from all other living Souls a Spirit or Spiritual in and on his Spiritual Soul and Mans Spirit cannot be seen felt or known otherwise then in his body in which he dwelleth with all his fulness So the invisible God who is a Spirit cannot be seen or known but in Christ and his substantial body as in which God the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost together with the whole fulness of the Godhead dwelleth bodily John 14 9. 1 John 1. Col. 2. 9. And this is the Spiritual Adam a quickening Spirit the Heavenly Man the Lord out of Heaven 1 Cor. 15. 45 47. The Image of God is threefold Namely 1. the Image of the Essence essentially after man is his own Image in his own proper Essence and Body So Christ also is the essential and bodily Image in God even as Mans body in Man and so is God in Christ as Man is in his body his own essential self-subsisting bodily and personal Image 2. The Image of that form on the outward appearance of that form Face and Members 3. The Image of the living properties Power or what name soever it may be called Here is manifest the Mystery of the Image of God and that God in Christ and Christ in God was much sooner a Man then we for we are in all things fashioned after him and so his counterfeit Christ the Image of God and Man who is out of Gods Image and honour are thus distinguished Namely 1. As the Image and Essence 2. As Essence and Essence 3. As Spiritual Heavenly and Divine and as Soulish Terrestrial and from beneath that is as Adam and Adam Man and Man and as above and beneath The Soulish Adam is not an Image of God after the Essence as Christ Reason because his Essence is Terrestrial and from beneath but in and on that Terrestrial body only that Image in that manner as a counterfeit and that in a Terrestrial soulish Essence from beneath out of the Earth So is the Soulish Adam and Terrestrial Man an Image of the Spiritual Adam and Heavenly man as a stony wooden or Image of Wax of a living mans Image is not in humane Essence on the Flesh and Bloud but in another being Now as Essence and Essence are one distinct from another so is frame and frame 1 The inward form of God is the most holy Godhead which with all fulness dwelleth bodily in Christ Of this form man hath received the Breath of the Almighty in a Heavenly Soul to his inward essential form and true Manhood 2. The bodily visible palpabl and personal form of God essentially in which God personally appeared and personally was made manifest is the flesh of the word the body of Christ After this man hath a body of flesh bloud and bones but not Divine Spiritual and Heavenly but Soulish Terrestrial and from beneath 3. The manifest face 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and looks and presence on the head body and all Members and their Powers and strength After this also is Man framed and thus to be looked on in which consideration many Mysteries may be observed although the spirit of Errour saith as if God had no Head Eyes Ears Face Nose Mouth no Hands nor Feet because he is a Spirit which rather befalls those Spirits of Errour he hath Eyes and seeth not neither acknowledgeth the Image of God in Christ and in Man hath Ears and heareth not and a Heart and understandeth nothing Further Man is made after Gods similitude and is like unto God Namely 1. on the Heavenly Soul Eternal and Immortal and thence he is of God 2. Like in Power that he can do much namely after his part measure and weight 3. Like in Glory as a God over all other Creatures a Lord and Ruler Good Reader here you must know and observe that this great Mystery doth manifest here and Bringeth along the right Jehior let it be light the day of the Revelation of the Son of Man of which Christ saith expresly Luke 17. 22. c. On which the the Son of man is revealed and that this is the Revelation and appearance of Jesus Christ of whom the Holy Apostles have prophesied 1 Pet. 1. 7. 5. 1 Tim. 6. 14. 16. ◠Joh. 2. 28. Tit. 2. 13. 2 Tim 4. 8. 2 Thes 2. 8. Thus The Revelation or appearance of the coming is clearly distinguished Mal. 3. Mat. 24. 30. And chiefly Rev. 12. He that hath Eyes let
Prophecy fulfilled and the most Holy Holy with his Saints will take the Kingdom and Jerusalem rebuilded and the Eternal righteousness and all what hath been lost by the fall shall be restored Of this great glory and unspeakable joy the Spirit prophesieth in all Creatures yea in all Lights of Heaven and in all the Elements But where are the Seers where are the Hearers and where are the Observers Further concerning the time of the world it is divided in 1. 3. and 7. The one time generally containeth the whole great day of the World 12 hours Mat. 12. Which shall be 6000. years and so there were 500. years to an hour but the days shall be shortned so that they shall not be full 6000. years and the days or years of that shortning are clear in the Book of Genesis at the first judgment over the world c. The three times of the world now are that they shall be divided namely the 6000. years into three times As the first time from Adam till Noah at the Deluge and containeth 1656. years From the Deluge till to the Messiah born of the Virgin Mary is the second time divided into 12 parts each containeth 214. years or 214. ½ year which added together make 2568. years from the Deluge till to the Messias 4 Esd 14. 11. Now if 1656. are summed up with the other then the Messias is born into the world of the Virgin Mary in the year of the world 4230. The third time of the world is from Christs Nativity till to his glorious coming the Mystery of which year is mystically signified in 4 Esd 7. 28 30 Chap. 9. Calculation Concerning the abovesaid threefold number 7. 49. 70. therein is the Mystery clearly signified without any diminution or addition if only you will open your Eyes Ears and Hearts to see hear and observe clearer it cannot possibly be told these numbers in themselves calculated namely to know certainly how many years every hour of the twelve do contain because the 6000. years are not compleat but those days must be shortned But now as in the former times and judgments over the world always seven days went before the judgment came upon the world So it is now in and with the time of the judgment over this world Gen. 7. 4. Josh 6. Levit. 25. Now when the judgment is proclaimed seven days goeth before the Proclamation Now if you have the Spirit of Daniel then number and reckon how many days are past and how many are behind to the judgment None believeth what alterations there are at hand the whole World lyeth in wickedness and it will perish in it But that we may keep nothing from the Reader and wellwisher to wisdom and that he may fully conceive the time of the end namely in the sure token of it then there are three signs of it the first is that presently after the great horrible bloudy Battel that is at hand he do come whom we expect Mal. 3. 4. and the Gospel of the Kingdom be Preached in the whole world for a Testimony over all Nations that one Shepherd and one Flock may be Mat. 24. 14. Rev. 14. 6. Zeph. 3. 8 9. The second time is when the Ten lost Tribes of Israel are found out again over the Water into the Land and upon the Mount Israel do come from the Orient after the sixth Vial is poured out Rev. 16 12. 4. Esd 13. 4. Isa 11. 11. Chap. 27. 13. Jer. 31. 8. Deut. 30. 4. Mica 4. 6. 7. Rom. 11. 25. Yea whole Israel and whole Juda will come again into their Countrey and will turn to the Lord their God Hos 3 Lastly The last sign of the coming of the Lord is when the Beast and all Kings of the Earth together with Gog and Magog by the seduction of the three unclean Spirits into the Land of Israel and to the Valley of Jehosaphat and upon the Hill of Israel come together to a Battel c. and are destroyed with fire from Heaven Rev. 19 19 20 21. Ezek. 3. 8. Joel 3. Isa 24. 21 22. This is the end then beginneth the Kingdom and Priesthood of Melchisedech Halelujah Come Lord Jesus and deliver us from the Evil One Amen Conclusion COurteous Reader we conclude this our Jehior or Morning Light and salute you in the Lord from the Lord in the Spirit of Grace and Supplication which the Lord will pour out over us all through the Power from above that we might find Grace before him at his coming and may not be put to shame when he judgeth Reader if you are a wellwisher to Wisdom then take of us the Crumbs which we have gathered from the Lords Table and accept of them till Melchisedech cometh and distributeth the Holy Shew-bread and to drink of the New Wine of his distributing at the great Supper of the Nuptials of the Lamb in Paradise the fruits whereof himself will set up You are to give thanks with us to him from whom all good gifts come from above the Father of Lights praying that he would inlighten us all turn us to him and make us happy for ever This is according to the love of God whose dedesire is that all men may be saved and that all may come to the knowledge of the Truth Therefore let us be merciful loving and perfect Even as our Heavenly Father is merciful loving and perfect that it may be known and revealed that we are his Children But Curteous Reader if you affect folly and art a despiser of Wisdom go to and despise but be sure that you do not despise men herein but God himself who hath given us his Spirit and from whom all Wisdom cometh and think that the Spirit of judgment will require an account of you in that day But Reader if you are a Pharisee and Hypocrite and seekest rather Honour from Men then from God We 'll consider then what the Lord saith 1 Sam. 2. 30. He that honoureth me him I will honour also and he that despiseth me shall be despised again And Christ saith Mat. 10. 3◠He that confesseth me before men him will I also confess before my Heavenly Father that is in Heaven He that denieth me before men him will I also deny before my Heavenly father But Reader if you are a simple Heart and art not fit for Wisdom then abide on in and by the fear of the Lord in a Godly life which fear is not only the beginning of Wisdom but also the end of Wisdom and it is no help to man though he be able to speak with an Angelical Tongue and had all knowledge and understood all Mysteries and had such a faith whereby he could remove Mountains and withall had not the Love of God which endured everlastingly all will profit you nothing Therefore blessed are the Babes and sucklings which know not these outward things for theirs is the Kingdom of God because the Spirit of God is declared in them Therefore