introduced earthly will may dye in it 40. For the fire-soule viz. the first Principle hangeth upon the Band of the outward world and continually and eagerly introduceth Something of vanity into it whereby the virgin-childe of the Angelicall worlds Essence viz. of Christs essentiality is defiled obscured and darkned therefore it must be so refined purified and purged again and many a cold piercing rautish wind of tribulation Anguish and great perplexity bloweth upon this child it must be continually as an off-scouring of the world for its Kingdome is not of this world as Christ said my Kingdome is not of this world 41. But the effect is this when the fair morning Star doth dawn and arise in the virgin-child then the outward life is even illuminated Or while it â—ives here in this time and it giveth it selfe up unto the obedience of the Internall life as an instrument and Servant of the internall 42. And then the holy Spirit of God shineth forth through the virgin-child and preacheth Christ crucified and reproveth the world for its Sins and wicked malicious doings and shewes them their false hypocriticall erroneous way that they will needs be the children of God in the outward Kingdome in their selfe-contrived and devised wayes and will seeke an externall forgivenesse of Sin in their owne conceited and received wayes and yet will still remaine in the vanity and in the pleasure of their flesh and desire onely to make devout shewes before God and give good words in a soothing glozing glosse of fine hypocrisie as if they served God in their contrived Conjectures and Opinions but still they will continue in selfehood in the outward shew and Ostentation 43. These the holy Ghost doth rebuke and reprove by the Virgins child in Christs Spirit and calls them hypocrites and wolves in sheeps cloathing and crafty Foxes borne of the Serpents Ens in whom there is the very property of Toads Dogs and wilde Beasts and shewes them that they draw neer to God with their lips but their Heart is full of murther gall and Serpent-desire and hath no true upright Love-desire in it also it shewes them that they are but meer flatterers and dissemblers in their Office who onely seeke pleasure and Temporall Honour and Respect thereby that so they might be able to domineer and Lord it over mens bodies and Soules Goods and Estates and thus they serve God onely from without with hypocriticall mouthes but their heart hangeth to the whoredome of Babylon full of devillish murther and poyson against him that doth but touch their Conscience 44. Such children in the Serpents craft who are best able as cunning Crafts masters in Sophistry to turne this Suttlety most takingly and artificially the children of the world doe set up unto themselves for Teachers and will learne the way of God from them 45. These Teachers doe assume unto themselves and presume upon the writings of the Saints and proclaime with open mouth that they teach Gods word the holy Spirit is poured forth by their teaching and preaching and though their conscience doth even convince them that they are not capable of the Office of the Ministry and that they are in no wise the Temples of the holy Spirit who should teach in and by them yet they care not for that it brings them money and Honour Christ is gone up to heaven and hath placed and Ordained them to be Stewards and Vicars in his office they must compose and contrive their Doctrine out of the writings of the Saints and out of their Reason upon the Letter of the Scripture their heaping together and composing of the words in the forme of their Suttle Reason must be the voice of the holy Spirit they say the holy Spirit is thereby poured forth into the Hearts of men 46. And though they themselves be onely Cain and in their q q q Or composing of the texts or bare letter of Scripture litterall and Bookish rapsody in their Sermons doe cast forth a great deal of light lewd Cainicall scorne and brother-slaughter and oftentimes mix lies and truth together yet the holy Spirit must have taught and the Congregation must thanke God for such holy sound orthodox Evangelicall Doctrine as they call it and after their killing of their brother there they must also help with boldnesse courage and zeale to murther and slay Abel and the little childe Jesus in his members with words and deeds 47. Such Teachers the world sets up to learn the Kingdome of God from and whosoever can but lustily cavill censure and condemne others in their Gifts and propose it with fine Distinctions and suttle Arguments and cloath them with the mantle of Reason and hide the Wolfe which thereby murthereth and devoureth Christs flock under the purple mantle of Christ to him they give diligent attention for the fleshly Serpents Heart doth therewith sooth up and flatter it selfe in its evill property It hath even such an Artificiall nature and Constitution 48. Such Seed these Teachers chosen of men doe sow who onely desire the Calling for temporall Honour and pleasure but are not called of God and are also without divine knowledge and understand not what true divinity is they enter not by the doore of Christ but they come into place by the Election and favour of men through the means of their own willing walking and running these can no way be acknowledged for the shepheards of Christ for they are not borne of Christ and chosen to this Function and divine calling 49. They are onely the great Master-builders of Babylon where the Languages are confounded and men thereby set at ods and variance and they set up war and contention upon the Earth for they wrangle and jangle about the meer Husk viz. about the written word and Letter and they have not the living word of God dwelling in them from which they ought to teach the Spirit of Christ it selfe must be the teacher in the word with the living voice or Expression the Spirit r r r The humane Spirit of man must know and feelingly finde Christ in it otherwise none teacheth the words of Christ onely dumb sencelesse words without power and Spirit 50. Now the Spirit of Christ in his children doth reprove these and shewes them the true way viz. how we must dye wholly in Christs death to the selfehood and the false selfe-full desire of temporall pleasure and honour and be borne again of Christs Spirit with another new will and desire out of Christs s s s Or body Love in peculiar Reall knowledge and preach and teach Christ from our own peculiar and singular knowledge of him in our selves 51. This Babel in Cain cannot endure that one should teach that Christ himselfe must be the teacher in the humane Spirit they plead their Cause from the forewritten Apostolicall word and say if they teach the same then the Spirit of God is poured forth yes forsooth very right I say so
signifie that the soule and the spirit shall in Christ enjoy like Graces and Gifts onely the power he gave to the New Regeneration out of the faded heavenly Image that the soule should through the power of the New Regeneration work and flourish spread forth and be great therewith that is that the soulish-Tree with its branches should grow out of this blessing 18. In the words of this blessing there is this understanding or meaning viz. The Incorporated ground of grace in the power and vertue of the Word spake forth the power and comprised in Jacob his body soule and Spirit in One and thereby spake it selfe forth upon the children of Joseph God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaack have walked that is through the wills and desires which my fathers have inclined to God with which they have walked before God also through the power of God who hath susteined mee my life long even unto this day also the Angell who hath delivered mee from all Evill blesse these Ladds that is he blesseth them through the divine and humane power through the Angell of the great Councell in Christ Jesus which Angell hath delivered Men from all Evill that they should according to these Names be called children of the Covenant and in this power encrease and grow great 19. But when Joseph saw that his father layd his right hand upon Ephraims head it pleased him not well and he layd hold on his fathers hand Gen. 48.17 that he should turne it from Ephrams head upon Manassehs head and sayd to him not so my father this is the first borne lay thy right hand upon his head but his father refused and sayd I know it well my sonne I know it well this shall also be a people and be great but his younger Brother shall be greater then he and his seede shall be a multitude of people 20. By the outward figure the Spirit pointeth at their Offsprings which Stock or Tribe should excell the other in greatnes and Might but by the Inward figure of Mans conversion and New Birth it pointeth at the inward Ground signifying how the inward and youngest ground of the incorporated Grace in Christ would be greater then the ground of the first Created Adamicall Man 21. But that Joseph disliked it and would not willingly that the youngest should be preferred before the Eldest in the figure it signifieth this Joseph stood in the figure of the New Regeneration signifying how the inward ground viz. the Eternall Speaking Word in the humanity of Christ should turne it selfe forth through our soule and take away the power of selfe-will from the soule and that the Creaturely soule would not that it should loose its power it would not willingly dye to its own will but keepe its first Naturall right 22. As wee see in Christs humanity viz. in the humane Soule when it was to dye to selfe and yeeld up its Naturall right * * * Mat. 26.36 Luk. 22.39 Then sayd Christ on the Mount of Olives father if it be possible that is the humane soule in him from the Fathers property in the Word sayd Father if it be possiblle let this Cup passe from mee but if it be not possible and that I must drinke it thy will be done as Joseph heere in this figure was loath to come to it and would not willingly that the last should be preferred before the first 23. The Text sayth it pleased him not well the Naturall Man is not well pleased to give up his naturall right and let the Kingdome of humility reigne in him he would rather be Lord himselfe but his owne will hath squandred that away so that he is set behinde for it is not possible that he should become the childe of God unlesse he drinke the Cup whereby he dyeth to his owne naturall will Therefore sayth Christ Father thy will be done and not my Naturall Adamicall humane will but let Gods will in my inward ground be done and not my Adamicall soules will It shall and must be resigned into God the first naturall right must goe backward behinde and Christ forward else there is no salvation 24. In this Type and Image the Spirit of God sporteth with the children of the Saints signifying how the new incorporated Kingdome of Grace would spread it selfe forth aloft and how the Kingdome of Nature should be set back behinde for if Christ arise and be borne in Man then must Adam be Servant and Minister 25. And it declareth besides that the Kingdome of Nature would also be great but the Kingdome of Grace yet greater of which wee have a similitude in a great Tree of many branches which through Nature generateth many twiggs and Branches and wherein Nature is powerfull but the vertue and power of the Sun is much more powerfull for if this doth not co-operate then the Tree cannot grow nor beare any fruit and wee clearly see thereby that the vertue and power of the Sun must gett aloft if the Tree grow and its fruit come to be ripe and profitable so also is it in Man 26. Man is Nature and Nature begetteth him that he may come into the formes and Conditions of the Creatures but the understanding must come forth in him which governeth and taketh care of Nature Nature willeth indeed that its desire be fullfilled but the understanding ruleth over Nature 27. But now Nature is sooner and Earlyar then the understanding Nature goeth formost but when the understanding cometh then it must follow behinde thus it is to be understood also in this figure of Jacob and Joseph concerning the New Regeneration that when the divine understanding shall againe be manifested in Man then shall Nature follow behinde 28. * * * Gen 48.20 Thus he blessed them that day and sayd Hee that will blesse any in Israell let him say God set thee as Ephraim and Manasseh In this Text what the Spirit declareth in this figure is as cleare as the Sunne for Ephraim and Manasseh were re-inoculated back into the Root of Jacob that is into the Covenant of Grace which God had manifested in him and were transplanted with the Birth of the Naturall right when the youngest was preferred before the Eldest thus also should all blessing and wishing be among the children of God that God would set them back from the Evill Adamicall will of selfe and set them into the Paradisicall Covenant againe and make them grow therein and bring forth the Kingdome of Grace in them and set it above the Kingdome of Nature of the first Adamicall Birth when this is done in Man then he is a childe of God againe in Christ and standeth in the blessing of God 29. Courteous Rabbies and Masters of * * * Literature Criticismes upon every letter learne I pray to understand the figures of the Old and New Testament and dispute not about the outward shell of words looke upon the chiefe Ground why the Spirit of God
will enlarge this exposition through all the chapters of the first Book of Moses and signifie how the Old Testament is a Figure of the New what is to be understood by the Deâ—ds of the holy Patriarchs wherefore the Spirit of God did give them to be set down in Moses and at what the figures of these written Histories doe looke and ayme and how the Spirit of God in his children before the times of Christ did allude with them in the figure concerning the Kingdome of Christ whereby then God hath alwayes represented this Mercy-Seat or throne of grace Christ by whom he would blot out his Anger and manifest his Grace 13. And how the whole time of this world is pourtrayed and modelized as in a watch-work how afterward it should goe in time and what the inward spirituall world and also the outward materiall world is also what the inward Spirituall man and then the externall man of the Essence of this world is how time and Eternity are in one another and how a man may understand all this 14. Now if it should so fall out that when these our writings are read the Reader might not presently apprehend and understand the same seeing this ground which yet hath its full foundation and pregnant Concordance as well with the Scripture as through the light of nature hath for a long time been very dark and yet by divine Grace is given to plaine simplicity let him not despise and reject the same according to the course and custome of the wicked world but looke upon the ground of practice which is therein intimated and give himselfe up thereunto and pray God for light and understanding and at last he will rightly understand our ground and it will finde very great Love and acceptance with him 15. But we have written nothing for the proud and haughty wiselings who know enough already and yet indeed know nothing at all whose Belly is their God who onely adhere unto the Beast of the Babylonicall Whore and drink of her poyson and wilfully will be in blindnesse and the Devills Snare but we have laid with the spirit of our knowledge a strong bolt before the understanding of folly not to apprehend our meaning being they wilfully and willingly serve Sathan and are not the children of God 16. But we desire to be clearly and fundamentally understood by the children of God and doe heartily and readily communicate our knowledge given to us of God Seeing the time of such Revelation is borne therefore let every one see and take heed what Sentence and Censure he passeth Every one shall accordingly receive his reward and we commend him into the Grace of the meek and Tender Love of Jesus Christ. Amen Sept. 11. Anno 1623. DE Mysterio Magno OF THE GRAND MYSTERIE THAT IS Of the Manifestation of the Divine Word through the Three Principles of the Divine Essence The first Chapter What God Manifested is and of the Trinity 1. IF we would understand what the new birth is and how it is a a a Wrought or effected brought to passe then we must first know what man is and how he is the Image of God and what the divine b b b Or how God dwelleth in man and filleth all things with his presence inhabitation is also what the Revealed God is of whom man is an Image 2. When I consider what God is then I say He is the One in reference to the Creature as an Eternall Nothing he hath neither foundation beginning or Abode he possesseth nothing save onely himselfe He is the will of the Abysse he is in himselfe onely one he needeth neither Space or Place He begetteth himselfe in himselfe from Eternity to Eternity He is neither like or resembleth any thing and hath no peculiar place where he c c c Or no Sundry habitation above the Stars in an Emperean Heaven as Reason phancieth dwelleth the Eternall wisdome or understanding is his delight He is the will of the Wisdome the wisdome is his manifestation 3. In this Eternall Generation we are to understand three things viz. 1. An Eternall will 2. An Eternall minde of the will 3. The d d d Efflux effluence the proceeding-forth Egresse from the will and minde which is a Spirit of the will and minde 4. The will is the Father the minde is the e e e Comprehension or Receptacle Conceived of the will viz. the Seat or habitation of the will or the Centre to Something and it is the Wills Heart and the Egresse of the will and minde is the Power and Spirit 5. This f f f Or Tri-Une threefold Spirit is one onely Essence and yet it is no Essence but the Eternall understanding an Originall of the Something and yet it is the Eternall g g g Or mysticall Mystery hiddennesse as the understanding of man is not confined in time and place but it is its own comprehension and Seat and the Egresse of the Spirit is the Eternall Originall Contemplation viz. a Lubet of the Spirit 6. The h h h That which is flown forth from the One Eternall Will Egressed is called the Lubet of the Deity or the Eternall wisdome which is the Eternall Originall of all Powers Colours and Vertues by which the threefold Spirit in this Lubet comes to a Desiring namely of the Powers Colours and Vertue and its desireing is an Impressing a conceiving it selfe the Will conceiveth the wisdome in the minde and the conceived in the understanding is the Eternall Word of all Colours Powers and Vertue which the Eternall Will i i i Or Speaketh forth expresseth by the Spirit from the understanding of the minde 7. And this Speaking is the Motion or life of the Deity an Eye of the Eternall Seeing where one power colour and vertue doth distinctly know each other and yet they all stand in Equall k k k Text Property proportion or Analogy devoid of weight limit or Measure also undivided one from another all the Powers Colours and Vertue lye in One and it is a distinct Mutuall well-tuned Pregnant Harmony or as I might say a Speaking Word in which Word or Speaking all Speeches Powers Colours and Vertues are contained and with the Pronouncing or Speaking they doe unfold themselves and bring themselves into sight and ken 8. This is now the Eye of the Abysse the Eternall Chaos wherein all whatsoever Eternity and time hath is contained and it is called Counsell Power Wonder and Vertue its peculiar and proper name is called GOD or JEOVA or JEHOVAH who is without all Nature without all beginnings of any Essence a Working in himselfe Generating finding or Perceiving himselfe without any kinde of Source from any thing or by any thing He hath neither beginning nor End he is immense no number can expresse his largenesse and Greatnesse he is deeper then any thought can reach he is no where far from any thing or
the Angels cannot abide there is a great Gulfe between them that is a whole birth 22. For what else is able to sever the light from the darknesse save onely a birth of Sight or light the light dwelleth in the darknesse and the darkenesse comprehendeth it not John 1. As the externall Sun-shine dwelleth and shineth in the darkenesse of this world and the darkenesse comprehends it not but when the light of the Sun withdraweth then the darknesse is manifest Heere is no other Gulfe between them save onely a birth 23. Thus we are likewise to conceive of the Eternall light of God and the Eternall darknesse of Gods Anger there is but one onely ground of All and that is the Manifested God but it is severed into sundry Principles and properties for the Scripture saith that the holy is unto God a good Savour to life understand to the holy divine life viz. in the Power of the light and the wicked is unto God a good savour to death that is in his wrath viz. in the Essence Source and Dominion of the darke world 24. For the God of the holy world and the God of the darke world are not two Gods there is but one onely God he himselfe is the whole Beeing he is c c c In his wrath Plagues and Hell Torment Evill and Good heaven and hell light and darknesse Eternity and time Beginning and End where his love is hid in any d d d Beeing Essence or Substance thing there his Anger is manifest in many a thing Love and Anger are in equall measure and weight as is to be understood in this outward worlds Essence 25. But now he is onely called a God according to his light in his Love and not according to the darknesse also not according to this Outward world Albeit he himselfe be ALL yet we must consider the Degrees how one thing mutually proceeds from another for I can neither say of heaven nor of darknesse or of this outward world that they are God none of them are God but the expressed and formed Word of God a Mirror of the Spirit which is called God wherewith the Spirit manifesteth it selfe and playeth in its Lubet to its selfe with this manifestation as with its owne Essence which it hath made and yet the Essence is not sundred from the Spirit of God and yet also the Essence comprehends not the Deity 26. As body and Soul are one and yet the one is not the other or as the fire and the water or the aire and the earth are from one Originall and yet they are particularly distinct but yet they are mutually bound to each other and the one were a nothing without the other and thus we are to conceive and consider likewise of the Divine Essence and also of the divine Power 27. The Power in the light is Gods Love-fire and the Power in the darkenesse is the fire of Gods anger and yet it is but one onely fire but divided into two Principles that the one might be manifest in the other for the flame of anger is the manifestation of the great Love and in the darknesse the light is made knowne else it were not manifest to it selfe 28. Thus we are to understand that the evill and good Angells dwell neere one another and yet there is the greatest immense distance betweene them for the heaven is in hell and the hell is in heaven and yet the one is not manifest to the other and although the Devill should goe many millions of miles desiring to enter into heaven and to see it yet he would be still in hell and not see it also the Angells see not the darknesse for their Sight is meere light of divine Power and the Devills sight is meere darknesse of Gods Anger the like is also to be understood of the Saints and againe of the wicked Therefore in that we in Adam have lost the Divine Sight in which Adam saw by the divine Power Christ saith you must be borne anew else you cannot see the Kingdome of God 29. In the fire-Spirit we are to understand the angelicall Creation where the will of the Abysse introduceth it selfe into Bysse and manifesteth the Eternall Speaking Word or life with the fiery birth viz. with the first Principle where the spirituall Dominion is manifest by the fire-birth In this Spirituall fire all Angells doe take their Originall viz. out of the formes to the fire-Source for no creature can be created out of the fire for it is no Essence but out of the properties to the fire a Creature may be apprehended in the desire viz. in the verbum Fiat and introduced into a creaturall forme and Property 30. And therefore there are many and divers sorts of Angells also in many distinct Offices and as there are three formes to the fire-Source so there are also three Hierarchies and therein their Princely Dominions and likewise three worlds in one another as one which make three Principles or Beginnings for each Property of the Eternall Nature hath its Degrees for they doe explicate and mutually unfold themselves in the fire-blaze and out of those degrees the different distinction of Spirits is created 31. And we are to understand nothing else by the Creation of the Angells and of all other Spirits but that the Abyssall God hath introduced himselfe into his manifested Properties and out of those Properties into living Creatures by which he possesseth the Degrees and therewith playeth in the properties they are his Strings in the All-Essentiall Speaking and are all of them tuned for the Great Harmony of his Eternall Speaking Word so that in all degrees and Properties the voice of the unsearchable God is manifest and made knowne they are all created for the Praise of God 32. For All whatsoever hath life liveth in the Speaking Word the Angells in the Eternall Speaking and the Temporall Spirits in the re-expression or Ecchoing forth of the Formings of Time out of the Sound or breath of time and the Angells out of the Sound of Eternity viz. out of the voice of the manifested word of God 33. And therefore they beare the names of the severall degrees in the manifested voice of God and one degree is more holy in the Power then another Therefore the Angells also in their Quires are differenced in the Power of the Divine Might and one hath a more holy Function to discharge then another an example whereof we have by the Priests in the old Testament in their Ordinances which were instituted after an angelicall manner 34. Albeit earthly yet there was even such an angelicall understanding and meaning coucht therein which God did represent upon Jesus which was to come into the humane Property and so alluded with Israel in the Type at the Eternall which was to come which Jesus out of Jehova did restore and introduce into the humane property which the Earthly Reason hath neither apprehended or understood but seeing the time is e
the Element This holy Element in the beginning or inchoation of the foure Elements did Penetrate through the Earth and sprang or budded forth in the holy Powers Property and bare fruits of which man should have eaten in a heavenly manner but when it did disappeare in man the Curse entred into the Earth and so Paradise was quasht in the foure Elements and continued retired in it selfe in the inward Element there it stands yet open unto man if any will depart from this worlds Essence and enter into it upon the Path which Christ hath made open 60. The Punctum of the whole created Earth belonged e e e Ad Centrum Solis to the Center of the Sun unto the Centre of Sol but not any more at present he is fallen who was a King the Earth is in the Curse and become a Peculiar Centre whereunto all whatsoever is engendred in the vanity in the foure Elements doth tend and fall all things fall unto the Earth for the f f f Or Creation Fiat is yet in the deep and g g g Or draweth or Concreteth createth all earthly Essence together unto the judgement of God for Separation 61. We meane not that the Earth came h h h Or onely wholly from the Place of the Sun but from the whole Sphear out of both the internall Spirituall worlds but it hath another A. B. C. in that the Earth belongeth unto the judgement of God for Separation even then it shall be manifest wherefore it is said it belongeth unto the Punctum of Sol. 62. For the worst must be a cause of the best the Eternall joy consists in this that we are delivered from Paine God hath not Eternally rejected his holy Essence but onely the iniquity which mixed it selfe therein but when the Crystalline Earth shall Appeare then will be fulfilled this Saying it Appertaines to the Punctum of Sol heere we have hinted enough to the understanding of our school-fellowes but further we must heere be Silent CHAP. XI Of the Mystery of the Creation 1. THe Reason of the outward man saith whence is it that God hath not revealed the Creation of the world unto man that Moses and the children of God have written so little thereof seeing it is the Greatest and most principall worke whereon the Maine depends 2. Yes deare Reason smell into thy owne bosome of what doth it Savour contemplate thine owne Minde after what doth it long likely after the cunning delusions of the Devill had not hee known this ground very like he had been yet an Angell had he not seen the Magicall birth in his high light then he had not desired to be a selfish Lord and maker in the Essence 3. Wherefore doth God hide his children which now receive the Spirit of knowledge with the Crosse and cast them into tribulation and mire of vanity for certaine Therefore that they might play the Tune of miserere and continue in humility and not sport in this i i i Text Time life with the light of nature else if they should espie and apprehend what the Divine Magick is then they might also desire to imitate the Devill as Lucifer did for which cause it is hid from them and neither Moses or any other dare write clearer thereof untill the beginning of the Creation beholdeth the End of the world in it selfe and then it must stand open 4. And therefore let none blame us for the time is come about that Moses putteth away his vaile from his Eyes which he hung before his face when he spake with Israel after the Lord had spoken with him Moses desired to see it in that he said Lord if I have found grace in thy sight let me see thy face but the Lord would not and said thou shalt see my back part for none can see my face 5. Now the Eye of God was in Moses and in the Saints they have seen and spoken in the Spirit of God and yet had not the through-vision of the Spirituall birth in them save at times onely when God would worke wonders as by Moses when he did the wonders in Egypt then the Divine Magick was open unto him in manner and wise as in the Creation 6. And this was even the fall of Lucifer that he would be a God of nature and live in the transmutation and this was even the Idolatry of the heathens in that they understood the Magicall birth they fell from the onely God unto the magicall birth of nature and chose unto themselves Idolls out of the Powers of nature 7. For which cause the creation hath remained so obscure and God hath covered his children in whom the true light shone with tribulation that they have not been manifest unto themselves Seeing Adam also according to the same lust did imagine to know and prove the Magick and would be as God so that God permitted him that he defiled his heavenly Image with the vanity of nature and made it wholly darke and Earthly as Lucifer also did with the Centre of nature when he of an Angel became a Devill 8. Therefore I will seriously warne the Reader that he use the Magick aright viz. in true faith and humility towards God and not meddle with Turba Magna in a Magicall manner unlesse it conduceth to the honour of God and Salvation of mankinde 9 For we can say with truth that the Verbum Fiat is yet a Creating albeit it doth not create Stones and earth yet it Coagulateth formeth and worketh still in the same Property All things are possible to nature as it was possible for it in the beginning to generate stones and Earth also the Stars and foure Elements and did produce them or worke them forth out of one onely ground so it is still unto this day by the strong Desire which is the Magicall ground All things may be effected if man use nature aright in its order to the worke 10. All Essences consist in the Seven Properties now he that knoweth the Essence he is able by the same Spirit of that Essence whence it is come to be an Essence to change it into another forme and likewise to introduce it into another Essence and so make of a Good thing an Evill and of an Evill thing a Good 11. The Transmutation of all things must be effected by i i i Assimulation or likenesse Simility viz. by its owne native Propriety for the Alienate is its Enemy like as man must be regenerated againe by the divine Essentiality in the Simility by the simility in his holinesse of the divine Essentiality which he lost 12. And as the false k k k Magus or Magician Magist woundeth man through Inchantment with the Assimulate and through the desire introduceth Evill into his Evill viz. into the Assimulate and as the upright holy faith or divine desire also entreth into the Assimulate and forfendeth man so that the false desire takes no place 13. Thus all
possibility of Eternity hath in it and what kinde of spirituall play is in the Ens of the inward spirituall world accordingly it came forth into a creaturall beeing out of good and evill into a Time and that through the Divine Motion 13. And hereby the Kingdome and Dominion of the Prince of the place of this world was taken from him for the Ens hath introduced it selfe into another Principle wherein he cannot be for he was not made a creature in this Principle and he hath no life therein save onely in the property of the awakened wrath in the Vanity CHAP. XV. Of the Sixt dayes worke of the Creation 1. THe Sixt day in the Creation is Friday on which Venus ruleth the first houre of the day which doth rightly signifie unto us the order of the degrees how the Eterall-speaking Word hath manifested it selfe with nature through the time how the Spirit hath brought forth the six Properties of nature into six degrees or dayes into a working life and yet hath introduced them all againe into the Seventh viz. into the Rest or into the mansion wherein they should worke denoting that all whatsoever they should worke manifest and produce out of the wonders of the Eternall wisdome should re-enter into the one viz. into the Rest which is the Seventh Property viz. a house of the working life wherein it should stand as a figure to the Contemplation of the Great Glory of God 2. Now when God had educed the five dayes of nature through five properties or degrees into five Constellations all which are not indeed Constellations but a fountaine of an Astrall Property viz. into a Sundry Peculiar heaven as it might be given and expressed to the understanding then he did on the Sixt day educe out of the Joviall property viz. out of the fift Constellation the sixt viz. he produced out of the Joviall Power the fiery Love-desire wherewith the ruleth through all the Constellations whence it is that each life doth long after its likenesse that is it againe desireth such a creature as each life hath in it 3. Each life desireth in this Venus Property to generate againe such a creature as it is in it selfe hence ariseth the strong ardent imagination and fiery desire that the properties doe againe desire into one viz. into the fountaine whence they proceeded for in the same they may generate the Assimulate of themselves 4. Now when God had educed this fiery Love-desire out of the Centre through all the properties then nature was now desirous in this Love-property of the likenesse of God viz. a Similitude according to and in the Generation of the holy Love-desire that so this holy Constellation of the Love-desire might also be creaturized and figurized 5. And being this Love-desire was Educed out of all the properties of nature and the heavens viz. out of the Verbum Fiat wherein all the Creatures lay from Eternity in a Mystery and introduced into a Separation viz. into a sundry distinct Degree therefore now the Property longed to be an Image of all degrees and properties viz. a living rationall and understanding Image according to the manifestation of this manifested property 6. Now said the Speaking Word in the Verbum Fiat Let us make man that is out of the * * * Masse or Mixture Mesh of all Essences out of the Property of all Powers and Constellations the Love-desire desired a Limus out of all Essences for a living Image An Image that may be like and resemble Us and let them have dominion over the fish of the Sea and over the fowle of the aire over the Cattle and over all the Earth and over every worme or creeping thing that creepeth upon the Earth 7. Understand this thus the sixt Property of nature viz. the Love-desire was produced expressed or breathed forth out of all the properties and was the desirous life in the joy viz. in the light of nature this was not it selfe a Limus but it was the desire to the limus for the Speaking Word which God expressed moved therein viz. the intellectuall life God was therein manifest 8. This manifested word of God desired in this Love-desire a limus out of the earth and all the created Essences out of all the Constellations and degrees for a * * * Corpus Body unto it selfe therefore God said an Image that may rule over fish fowle beasts wormes and over the Earth and all the Essences of the Constellations now if it must have dominion therein then it must be thereout for each Spirit ruleth in its mother whence it is arisen and proceeded and eateth of its mother 9. But heere we must rightly understand this Love-desire in the expressed Word the expressed Word had in this Venus-desire the desire of all heavens that is of all entities and properties in it self viz. the properties of the inward Spirituall holy heaven which is the mansion of the power of God and of the outward created heaven with the heavens of all constellations and Elements yet not essentially or in substance but as a Spirituall desire and these properties desired in the Spirituall desire to be essentiall 10. Now the Text in Moses speaketh very clearly and fully where it saith and God created man in his owne Image in the Image of God created hee him by the creating is understood the body which is twofold viz. a Spirituall body and a Corporeall for the Venus-desire is a spirituall body and that which it hath attracted unto it self in the Fiat into the desire of the spirituall body that is a fleshly body the Verbum Fiat it self did figurize and forme it into a Spirituall man out of all the three Principles viz. according to the inward divine world both according to the fiery-light-world and the outward world 11. And the Spirituall body is the Image of God which the Fiat cloathed with the Essence out of all the Essences viz. it cloathed it with the heavenly holy Essence the heavenly holy Corporality of the inward holy Love-desire and from the outward Love-desire it was cloathed with the limus of the Earth and the other Elements together with the visible Constellation of the third Principle 12. The inward holy man was in the heaven of God and the outward man was in the outward heaven a limus of the outward heaven and the inward man a limus of the holy Spirituall heaven therefore saith Moses very right God created man in IN his Image TO ZVM the Image of God for IN betokeneth that he was known by the Spirit of God in this Essence from Eternity in the mystery of wisdome as a Constellation of Magicall Power Into this knowledge God introduced the Essence and created the Essence TO the ZVM Image of the Magicall Image of God 13. Thus understand by the inward creating the true heavenly Image viz. an holy Spirituall man out of all the properties of the Angelicall divine world understand the inward body for the one only
Evill wherein the dissolution of the outward life was manifest 39. For it was long of Adam when he was yet in Paradise when he lusted after vanity and brought his Imagination into the Earth viz. into that Essence whence the limus of the outward body was extracted and desired out of his mother to assay of the Enkindled vanity which the Devill had inflamed thereupon the Fiat drew him forth such a Plant out of the Matrix of the Earth whence also it had extracted Adams body so that Adams hunger had to eat 40. For the Essence in the Tree of the knowledge of Good and Evill and the hunger of the desire in Adam were alike what he desired was represented unto him by the Fiat Adams Imagination was the Cause of it 41. Reason saith wherefore did God suffer it to come to passe Christ said if you had Faith as a graine of Mustard-Seed and should say to this Mountaine be cast into the Sea it should be done I preethee was not the Souls spirit sprung forth out of the Great Divine Omnipotence out of the Centre of the Eternall Spirituall nature whence all Beeings were created and should it not then be potent 42. He was a fire-spark of Gods Might but when he was formed into a creaturall beeing of the Creatures he withdrew into Selfe lust and brake himself off from the Universall Beeing and entred into a selfefullnesse and so he wrought his own destruction and this he had had if Gods Love had not redeemed him 43. The Soules power was so potent before the vanity that it was not subject to any thing and so it is still powerfull if the understanding were not taken away from it it can by Magick alter all things whatsoever are in the outward worlds Essence and introduce them into another Essence but the vanity in the outward Aires Dominion hath brought a darknesse thereinto so that it doth not know it selfe the Curse of God hath cast the defiled childe into the dirt that it must pray for a Laver and must be in this life time it s own Enemy that it may learne to be humble and continue in the divine Harmony and not become a Devill CHAP. XVIII Of the Paradisicall * * * Dominion life or condition State shewing how it should have been if Adam had not fallen 1. I Know the x x x Or Sophist Sophister will heere cavill at me and cry it down as a thing impossible for me to know being I was not there and saw it my selfe To him I saw that I in the Essence of my Soul and body when I was not as yet I but when I was in Adams Essence was there and did my selfe foole y y y Negligently lose away my Glory in Adam but being Christ hath restored it againe unto me I see in the Spirit of Christ what I was in Paradise and what I am now in Sin and what I shall be againe and therefore let none cry it out as a thing un-knowable for although I Indeed know it not yet the Spirit of Christ knoweth it in me from which knowledge I shall write 2. Adam was a z z z A husband and also a wife Man and also a woman and yet none of them distinct but a Virgin full of chastity modesty and purity viz. the Image of God He had both the Tinctures of the fire and light in him in the Conjunction of which the own Love viz. the Virgineall Centre stood being the faire Paradisicall Rose-Garden of delight wherein he loved himselfe as vve also in the Resurrection of the Dead shall be such as Christ telleth us Matth. 13. and 22. that we shall neither marry nor be given in marriage but be like the Angells of God 3. Such a Man as Adam was before his Eve shall arise and againe enter into and eternally possesse Paradise not a Man or Woman but as the Scripture saith they are Virgins and follow God and the Lamb they are like to the Angells of God yet not onely pure Spirit as the Angells but in heavenly bodies in which the Spirituall Angelicall body inhabiteth 4. Seeing then Adam was created in Paradise to the Life Eternall in the Image of God and God himselfe breathed his life and Spirit into him therefore we can well describe him how he was in his innocency and how he fell and what he is now and shall againe be at last 5. If God had created him a a a Or for unto the Earthly corruptible miserable naked sick beastiall toilsome life then he had not brought him into Paradise if b b b God he had desired or willed the bestiall copulation and propagation then he would instantly in the beginning have created Man and woman and both Sexes had come forth in the Verbum Fiat into the division of both Tinctures as it was in the other earthly creatures 6. Every creature bringeth its cloathing from its c c c Or mothers body Dam but Man cometh miserable naked and bare in deepest poverty and un-ability and is able to doe nothing and in his arrivall to this world he is the poorest miserablest forlornest and most shiftlesse Creature amongst all kindes which cannot at all help himselfe which doth sufficiently shew unto us that he was not created of God unto this misery but d d d Or unto in his perfection as all other creatures were which Perfection the first man fooled away or lost by false lust whereupon God afterward in his sleep did first figurize him in the outward Fiat to the Naturall life in Man and Woman according to the Property of all earthly Creatures and hung upon him the wormes Carkasse with the beastiall members for propagation of which the poore soule is to this day ashamed that it must beare a beastiall forme on the body 7. Two fixt and stedfast Essences were in Adam viz. the Spirituall body e e e Or of from the Love-Essentiality of the inward Heaven which was Gods Temple and the outward body viz. the limus of the earth which was the mansion and habitation of the inward Spirituall body which in no wise was manifest according to the vanity of the Earth for it was a limus an extract of the good part of the earth which at the last Judgement shall be Severed in the Earth from the vanity of the Curse and Corruption of the Devill 8. These two beeings viz. the inward heavenly and the outward heavenly were mutually espoused to each other and formed into one f f f Text Corpus body wherein was the most Holy Tincture of the fire and light viz. the great joyfull Love-desire which did inflame the Essence so that both Essences did very earnestly and ardently desire each other in the Love-desire and loved one another the inward loved the outward as its manifestation and Sensation and the outward loved the inward as its greatest sweetnesse and joyfulnesse as its precious Pearle and most beloved
tooke in the same lust and formed him in his sleep even as the lust was and every member was formed in its place to the Conjunction of the beast-like copulation for each Desire hath obtained its mouth to manifestation Thus the Image of God formed it selfe in the Verbum Fiat into such a beast as vve are still to this day and this same was done in it selfe viz. Mans own Fiat viz. the first forme of nature which is the desire of Gods manifestation did effect it and none other maker from without him 26. We are not to conceive that there was any thing else upon Adam which made his Eve out of him or that formed them both to the outward naturall life save onely the Verbum Fiat in them their own very propriate and not any alienate or any thing strange from vvithout them as the first creation of Adam and all kindes of creatures was so brought to passe the Verbum Fiat Coagulated each Ens and the manifested word Severed it selfe in the Ens according to its property and formed the Creature according to its Astrum and kinde where also in every Ens the Matrix was separated from the limbus and formed into a Male and Female into an He and She. 27. The picturing of God as a man in making Adam and aftervvard standing over Adam as he sleepeth and making a woman out of him is more Idolatrous then reall and God hath earnestly forbidden in Moses to make the likenesse of any God for he is no Image save onely in the Creatures according to the Expressed Formed Word both according to the creatures of Eternity and of time he is no such maker but a former of the properties a creatour and not such a maker 28. The Creating is the Fiat vvhich amasseth or formeth and the Word in the power of the Amassed or conceived being gives the distinction according to the Ens As the Ens is in the generation of the Spirit so a thing is formed for the body or substance of all things is nothing else but a Signature or mansion f f f Or of according to the Spirit as the Birth is in the Ens where the Spirit formeth it selfe so is likewise the body of all kindes of Creatures both in Animalls and vegetables as we plainly see that the first Creatour who hath moved himselfe and brought himselfe into a Creaturall Manifestation hath left in all creatures a Power to their own Multiplication or Encreasing propagation and g g g Text makeing procreation and incorporated the Fiat in them as a Maker for their own propriety or most innate Instinct CHAP. XX. Of the lamentable and miserable fall and Corruption of Man NOw when Adam did awake from sleep he saw his wife Eve standing before him and tooke her unto him for he knew that she was his owne that she was his Matrix and cast the property of his desire upon her as he had done before when he loved himself so now also the Fiery Tincture of Adams soule entered into the Spirits or lights Tincture in Eve 2. But they both stood yet in Paradise in the Garden in Eden and knew neither Evill nor Good for they lived yet in joy and delight in the Kingdome of Heaven and it was Eves first longing to eat of good and evill for Adams desire had introduced and imprinted it into the Magicall Image while it was yet in Adams Essence as a childe receiveth a marke or Impresse in the wombe which the mother imprints on it 3. Thus also Adam did Impress the false desire into his Essence whence the woman was made therefore the woman so soone lusted after the vanity as to this day meer earthly Lust of the flesh is found in most of them so soone as this Sex comes but to any yeares the selvish lust and will doth predominantly appeare in pride and glistering shewes of fleshly desires and they soone long after the forbidden tree contrary to the Virgin-like modesty chastity and angelicall humility 4. The Abomination which Adam introduced into his Matrix is so exceeding strong in them that they are as 't were h h h Or very weake and poore in Naked shame before the Image of God which God himselfe created in Adam therefore they must be subject to the man in that they are the cause that the vanity was enkindled to which the Devill also was a strong i i i Sollicitour promotour 5. For when he saw Eve he then knew his insinuated desire in her which he had introduced into Adam the same did shew forth and discover it selfe in Eves lust therefore the Devill came now in a strange forme viz. in the Serpents Essence which vvas the most suttle Beast and laid himselfe on the tree of temptation towards Eve that the introduced Concupiscence in Eve which the Devill had also infected did k k k Was much taken with amuse it selfe upon the outward Serpent and so one lust tooke another whereupon Eve did strongly Imagine and long after the forbidden fruit which the Devill perswaded her to eat and then her eyes should be opened and she be as God and know Evill and Good 6. Which indeed was true this knowledge did stick in the fruit for the Essences were discordant and un-like therein but he told her not that the enmity would awaken in the Essences of her body and that heat and cold moreover sicknesse and death would force into her Herein he was silent and fairely coloured it over and drew her in by collusion as if God had withheld some great thing from them which she might finde as a treasure so craftily did he deceive Eve 7. And when she yeelded to discourse with the Serpent she was taken in the voice for the Devill infected the same with false delight untill he perswaded her she should be wise if she did eat thereof 8. For the Devill thought that if Eve should bring forth chidren in Paradise then his l l l Text his cause might prove naught Designe would miscarry they might then possesse his Angelicall Kingdome 9. Now the question is wherefore the Devill did deceive Eve by the Serpent onely and not by some other meanes could he not doe it in his owne forme why did he even speake m m m Or in through the Serpent to Eve and wherefore did the Serpent addresse it selfe to the Tree to perswade her against Gods prohibition 10. Heere the vaile lyeth before Moses his cleare eyes for he sets down the Hystory very right but how can an un-illuminated minde understand it in that he writeth of the Serpent saying that the Serpent spake with Eve and deceived her whereas indeed it cannot speak and also is onely a beast without divine understanding and in its selfe cannot know the Image of God much lesse did the Serpent understand the heavenly Powers or the Prohibition 11. But heare what Moses saith the Serpent was more subtill then any beast of the field
reason of their predomination or potent influence that Astrum which is most predominant in the Constellation that hath its desire in the Seed and if it be sown such a property is hatched forth in the earthly part of man 35. Not that the whole man is such a very brute beast in outward shape but there is such a figure of the desire in the earthly Essence and the man must beare such a Beast in the body which stirs him up and drives him to the beastiall property not that he hath this forme according to the outward person but really in the earthly Essence according to the outward personall shape he remaines in the first formation or platforme 36. Yet this Beast doth somewhat put forth its Signature externally in every one if one doe but heed and well minde the same he may finde it Hence Christ called the Pharisees a generation of Vipers and the Seed of Serpents also others he called wolves ravening wolves foxes doggs and the like for they were such in the earthly Essence and He taught us that we must be borne anew and forsake this beastiall property and become as children or we should not possesse the Kingdome of God 37. For as the Essence is in the body even so the Spirit doth figure and forme it selfe internally and the poore soule stands in this prison bound and married to such a beast unlesse that a man be borne anew for which ground and end God ordained the Circumcision in the old Testament and in the new the Baptisme in the Spirit of Christ. 38. Heere we are highly to consider what horrour lamentation and misery Anguish feare and distress did arise and awake in man and was manifest as a false life and will in man of which we have a type in the Death of Christ when he destroyed the Death in our Humane awakened property upon the Crosse and overcame it with the great Love in his heavenly bloud which he introduced thereinto that even then the earth viz. the limus of the earth whence Adams outward Essence was extracted did tremble and shake at it now when the great Love forced into the humane earth wherein the anger of God was living and effectually working in the Curse I say when it now was to dye and to be changed into another Source it did tremble before this great Love-fire like as the Love-fire in Adam and Eve did tremble in the awakening of the anger in them whereby they were astonished and creap behinde the trees in the Garden and were afraid for the dread and horror of Gods anger was awakened in their Essence and they knew their beastiall properties CHAP. XXI Of the Impression and Originall of the Beastiall man and of the beginning and ground of his sicknesse and mortality WHen Adam and Eve were become monstrous the Holy Spirit proceeding from the part of the heavenly limbus departed for the part of the Heavenly property disappeared in the Soule in which part the divine light shoane and in which the Divine power of the holy Tincture dwelt 2. Understand the power of the light u u u Or withdrew departed from him into the Centre in manner as a shining light which flameth forth from a candle extinguisheth and the fire Source onely of the light remaineth even so likewise the Magicall fire-source onely of the soules property remained viz. the Centre of the Eternall nature viz. the Fire-world and the darknesse 3. And on the outward part of the soul the Air-Spirit with its Astrum remained wherein the light of the outward nature shoane which now the fire-soule must make use of for the Fiat was enraged in the wrath of God viz. in the fiery property of the soul and also of the body and in a fiery hunger in the awakened Flagrat of Gods anger had entred into and taken possession of the Essence in soul and body and with hard Attraction did impresse it selfe in the Essence of the x x x Or matter outward Essence substance in the y y y Or limus limbus of the body whereupon the flesh became grosse hard thick and corruptible 4. For in the Flagrat of the wrath all the properties of each Astrum according to the property of all the creatures did awake in the Essence whence the enmity antipathy and contrariety did arise in the Essence of the body and soul so that one property is against another one taste z z z Or a loathsomnesse to another against anothers for all departed out of the Temperament paine tormenting malady and sickness a a a Or arose in them hapned unto them 5. For if an opposite Essence entreth into another it makes an enmity and an hatefull overmastring and destroying each the other one property annoyes weakens and destroyes another whence the death and dissolution of the body is arisen 6. For whatsoever stands not in the Temperature cannot subsist eternally but whatsoever standeth in the Temperature that hath no destroyer for all properties doe there mutually love one another and in the Love is the growth and preservation of the life 7. And we are heere fundamentally to understand how the grosse properties in the wrath of the Fiat in the Essence of the body have obscured and wholly shut up the heavenly essentiality in the Sulphur so that the heavenly man was no longer known as Lead doth hold the Golds spirit b b b Or blended avalled in it selfe that it is not knowne or discerned 8. For the desire viz. the first forme of nature which is the Fiat hath swallowed c c c Or with in the grosseness the heavenly part both in man and Metalls like as all the soverain power of or from the holy worlds Essence which is in all hearbs and all other fruits lieth shut up in the wrath and Curse of God in the darke worlds property in the Earth and springeth forth by the strength of the Sun and the light of the outward nature in the Essence through the Curse and wrath which budding or pullutation giveth a Soverain power and healing vertue for the malignant Essence in the living bodies whence the Physitian is arisen who seeketh and learneth to know the vertue and temperature thereof that he may resist and remedie the opposite Essence in the body which notwithstanding is onely a luke-warme and faint Sparckle thereof if he be not able and skilfull first to Separate the gross ravv wildness which is from the darke worlds property from his Cure 9. For if the captivated Essence of the heavenly worlds property may be redeemed from the Curse and wrath of nature then it standeth in the Temperature and if it then so commeth into a living body it doth awaken also the shut up or imprisoned life of the heavenly worlds Ens if that likewise be in the body and expelleth the wrath whereby the Sicknesse is destroyed and the Essence entreth into the Temperature 10. That this is certainly thus we may
heavenly pomp a Queen of Heaven and Princess of the Beeings of God apprehended and formed in the Fiat of the divine desire through the fire in the light in like manner as Hierarch Lucifer was so and Prince Lucifer sate in heavenly pompe in the Serpents Ens who had infected the Ens out of which the Serpent was created and therein awakened the darke worlds property viz. the Centre of the Eternall nature whence evill and good doe take their Originall but when the Good did in the Fire sever it selfe into the light and the Evill into the darkness the Serpents Ens which vvas good was then infected filled and possessed with the darknesse and from hence cometh its Craft 30. For even such a craft the Devill desired which also tooke him in the Eternall-Speaking word in such a property and confirmed him therein to y y y For ever Eternity for it is also a Wonder in God how an Evill could come to be out of a Good that the good might be known and manifest and the creature might learne to feare before God and hold z z z Willingly submit to still to the Spirit of God that he onely might act and worke in the Eternall-Speaking Word and make and doe what he please with and by the creature 31. And to this End Lucifer was swallowed up in the wrath seeing his free will went forth from the Resignation and departed from Gods Spirit into the Centre to be its owne selfe-full maker and creatour that the Angells now have an a a a Warning Text Looking glasse example in this revolted fallen Prince and Puissant Hierarch for the Kingdome of God which is peculiarly and properly called Gods Kingdome stands in the deepest Humility and love and not at all in the wrathfull fires-might but in the lights Ardent might viz. in Power 32. But the Devills Kingdome after which he longed and laboured stood in the wrathfull fires-might but the same was b b b In the beeing Essence or Substance Essentially taken from him in his place and he was spevved out into the eternall hunger of the darkness 33. And that he had infected and possessed the Ens of the Serpent which was so crafty may be seen in its Body which is onely a dry hungry Skin and fills it selfe with poyson in the Taile in which property the great craft ariseth and therefore the Serpent carrieth the poyson in the Taile which may soone be pulled off in that the same in the beginning was introduced into its virgin-like Ens. 34. For the Serpent is therefore called a Virgine according to the Right of Eternity because it hath both Tinctures which is in no kinde of earthly creatures besides but it is now in the curse of God yet if the Artist knew what its pearle was he would rejoyce at it yet by reason of the worlds false desire which seeketh onely the false magick it remaines Hidden also it is not manifest that the wicked may beare his Rebuke 34. For the Pearle of the whole world is trodden under foot and there is nothing more common then the same yet it is hidden so that the holy Ens might not be introduced into an ungodly one which is not worthy of it and so Gods power and Word in the Virgin-like Essence be thereby brought into a Serpentine Ens as it is to be understood in the Serpent enough for our schoole-fellowes 36. Thus we doe fundamentally understand the Originall of Sins birth how Sin was borne and opened in the Humane Word and how God is provoked to anger in his Expressed Word by the Humane Re-expressing for man beareth the Word which created Heaven and Earth in his Ens for the same word is brought to Substance 37. Now God hath inspired into mans Ens viz. into the formed Compacted Word the living Soule viz. the c c c Or understanding Originall out of all the three Principles as a Spirit of the formed Word this understanding hath now power and might to re-conceive and to Generate againe a formall Voice in the Ens viz. in the Formed Compacted Word 38. But being the Serpents craft viz. the Devills introduced desire became manifest in the Ens of Adam and Eve viz. in their Compacted and formed Word thereupon the free will doth now draw forth from this Serpents Essence meere Adders poyson and death and formeth its word therein unless the holy Ens or Seed of the woman be again awakened in the new-borne Love of God in Christ then the free will may conceive in this same holy Ens and bruise the head of the Serpents and Devills Ens in the Anger of God that is reject and abhorre the evill will which desireth to Idea and imprint it selfe from the Serpents Ens in the formation of the words and bruise it in the will of the Thoughts with the Ens of the woman viz. of Christ and esteeme it as the Devills Mire and Dirt which in the children of God is a continuall Combate and strife between the Ens of the Serpent in the flesh and betvveene the Regenerate Ens of the heavenly part 39. Also know this Every Thought which is formed in the Will so that a man consenteth unto lies or any thing else which is false or if his will hath conceived and contrived any thing that is uniust and he bringeth that contrivance into the desire that he would very willingly doe it or express it in the false Evill formed word if he could or knew how and yet must let it alone either for feare or shame sake this same is all Sin for the will hath formed it selfe in the Serpents Ens. 40. But understand it well if a good will doth d d d Or forme it selfe conceive in a good Ens and yet the evill desire doth adhere to it and willeth to poyson the good if then I say the good conceived will overcometh the evill and casts it out that the evill cannot also be formed or received into the Compaction or Substance it is no Sin and though the evill desire which adhereth to the good be Sin yet if the good will doth not close with it and bring it into Substance but rejects it out of the good will as an Evill then the sinfull desire cannot come into Essence and the good will hath not hereby wrought any Evill if it hath not consented to the Craft of the Serpent 41. Every Sin is borne of the strange Ens if the free vvill departs from the Ens vvherein God hath created it then the Sin which is conceived in the will in false desire and brought to Essence in the Ens of the will so that man would faine doe wickedly or unjustly if he could but bring his intent to pass is also great in the sight of God but if it proceeds so far as to hurt and injure any one by word or deed then the Sin is double for it is formed in its owne Ens and formeth it selfe also in that
whereinto it introduceth the false word so far as the false word in its Speaking findes a place of Rest to work and bring forth its evill fruit 42. And therefore the holy word shall judge the False as also at the end of this time the holy word shall cast out from it selfe all false e e e Carved work of phancy Idoll Opinions and all whatsoever hath been formed in the Serpents Ens and give them to the darke world 43. All those that take or conceive the word in them in their devillish and Serpentine Ens and use it against Gods children in whom the holy Ens is manifest and doe stir up also an offence or occasion of stumbling in the children of God that the free will in them doth also conceive it selfe in the Serpents Ens viz. in Anger and aversenesse where alwayes the holy Ens doth likewise forme it selfe and the Spirit of zeale ariseth these false authors beginners and Causers doe all sin against the holy Ghost 44. For they doe extreamely despight and defye him that he must even proceed forth through the anger of the children of God whereby he is stirred up and oftentimes shewes himselfe in the Turba of the children of God and falles upon the neck of the wicked as may bee seen by Elias and Moses and also by Elisha who cursed the Boyes that the Beares came out and tore them to pieces for thus the sword of God comes forth through the mouth of the Saints if the holy Spirit be extreamly displeased and set into a fiery zeale then he awakeneth Turba magna which draweth the Sword against a wicked people and devoureth them 45. Thus understand it in its full scope and meaning Man hath Gods Word in him which created him understand the word hath imprinted and formed it selfe with the Creating both in its Holiness and also in the Anger and that also f f f Or out of in the outward world for the limus of the Earth or the Earth it selfe was amassed and compacted through the word so that the formed Word which tooke its beginning in the divine desire viz. in the Fiat is an exhalation forth-breathed from the Spirit of God out of Love and Anger therefore it is evill and good but the Evill was hidden and as it were wholly swallowed up in the light as the night in the day 46. But the sinfull desire in Lucifer and Adam hath awakened the Anger so that it is become essentially manifest now the Gates of the formed Word both in Love and Anger doe stand open in the earth and also in the limus of the earth viz. in man and also in the free will of man whatsoever he doth now forme and amasse in his free will that he hath made be it either evill or good 47. But now the Evill shall in the judgement of God be separated from the Good and in what part either of the evill or good the humane understanding viz. the soule shall be found thereinto it must enter with all whatsoever it hath done as into its owne made habitation and therefore Christ saith their workes shall follow them and be purged or proved by the fire Note also at the end when the bookes of the Essence shall be opened they shall be judged according to their works for the worke be it evill or good doth embrace the soule unlesse it doth wholly depart from the evill and destroy it againe by reconciliation of his offended and wronged brother and drown the Substance in the Bloud and Death of Christ else there is no remedy 48. Therefore a man must vvell consider what he will speake for he speaketh from the formed Ens of Gods manifestation and well bethinke and ponder with himselfe before he intendeth or conceiveth in the will to doe any thing and by no meanes consent unto any false backbitings or approve by a yea neither privately nor openly 49. For all forged tales and sharp taunts proceed from the Serpents Ens all Cursings and swearings and stinging girds proceed from the Serpents Ens yea though they be but in Jest yet the Serpents Ens hath stuck it selfe with them to the good and compacted them with the word therefore Christ saith sweare not at all let your speech be yea yea nay nay for whatsoever is more then these cometh of evill Note that is it is borne of the Serpents Ens. 50. All Cursers and swearers have introduced their free will viz. the poore soul into the vanity of the Serpents Ens and forme their Curses and Oaths vvith all their lewd wanton talke which is wrought in the Serpents Ens and sow into Gods anger and on the contrary all Gods children who are in right earnest doe forme their words in the holy ens especially the Prayer when the free will of the soul doth amasse or conceive it selfe in the holy Ens which is opened by Christs humanity then it formeth the true essentiall word of God in it selfe so as it comes to Substance 51. Therefore Saint Paul saith the Spirit of God doth mightily intercede for us in the sight of God as it pleaseth him for the Spirit of God is formed in the desire of the holy word he is taken or apprehended and this taking or receiving is that which Christ said he would give us his flesh for food and his bloud for drink 52. The soules will taketh Christs Ens and in Christs Ens the word of Christ became man which the soules desire or Fiat doth receive or impresse into its holy Ens disappeared in Adam and here Adam ariseth in Christ and becomes Christ the second Adam or the Anointed one according to the heavenly Ens and divine word and from this Ens of Christ proceeds forth divine knowledge out of the word of God 53. Thus the children of God are the Temple of the holy Ghost which dwelleth in them and so they speake Gods Word and without this there is no true knowing or willing but meere fable and Babel a Confusion of the crafty Serpent 54. Therefore Christ called the Pharisees a Seed of Serpents and a generation of Vipers and although they were the High Priests yet he knew them to be so in their essence for they had formed their will in the Serpents Ens they carried the words of Moses in their mouth and therein they mixed the Serpents Ens as many still doe to this day where the incarnate Devill carrieth Gods word upon his tongue and yet doth onely hide the Serpents Ens thereby and introduceth the Diabolicall Ens into the litterall word whence Babell the mother of all Spirituall whoredome is borne a meere verball contention and wrangling about Words where the Ens of the Devill and the Serpent doth oppose the divine Ens in the Formed Divine Word 55. But so it must be that the formed and Conceived Word in Gods children may be stirred up whetted and exercised and the truth come forth to light Deare brethren this is the
Inheritance which we have received from Adam and Eve and that is the cause that the Body must Dye and wholly putrifie and entet againe into its first Ens for the Serpents Ens must be wholly done away it cannot inherit the Kingdome of God 56. The first Ens in the limus of the Earth which was coagulated in in the Verbum Fiat must be wholly renewed in the Spirit of Christ if it will possesse the Kingdome of God but if it remaineth captivated in the Serpents Ens it shall never be any more manifest understand the holy Ens which disappeared in Adam and was captivated in the Serpents Ens whereby Death came into the flesh 57. Therefore a man must consider what he speaketh thinketh and doth least he conceive his Thoughts in the Serpents Ens and frame a will in the Minde in the Ens of the Serpent for else the Devill doth set himselfe therein and hatcheth a Basilisk viz. an hellish forme in the word 58. For all wrath which is conceived in man for Revenge doth primarily arise in its Centre out of the nature and property of the darke world viz. in Gods anger and formes it selfe further in the Serpents Ens to Substance let it be what zeale it will if it brings it selfe into a wrath to its owne Revenge it is formed in the Ens of the Serpent and is devillish 59. And though the same were a Prophet and an Apostle and yet would bring himselfe in the wrath to his owne Revenge then this Substance is formed from the Anger of God in the Serpents Ens and goeth into the wrath of God and the Anger of God is therein zealous which oftentimes doth so stir up and forme it selfe in the holy children of God that * * * The Saints they must against their purposed will bring down the Turba upon the house of the wicked also upon his Body and Soule as may be seene by Moses upon Chorah Dathan and Abiram whom the Earth swallovved up so also by Elias in the Fire concerning the two Captaines over fiftie whom the fire devoured also by Elisha and many other Prophets 60. And there are many remarkable examples to be found concerning this in in the holy Histories how oftentimes the children of God have been forced to carry the Sword of the Turba in them a great example whereof we see in Sampson and also in Joshua with his warres and likevvise in Abraham how the zeale of God did enkindle it selfe in them that they in their spirit of zeale have oftentimes awakened the Turba magna in the Anger of God and raised great Rebukes judgments and plagues upon whole Countries as Moses in Egpit did with the plagues upon the Egyptians 61. But we must heere distinguish if the zeale of God should awaken it selfe in an holy man without his purposed will and give him the Sword of Gods anger such a one differs much from those who in their owne Thoughts contrive and plot in the wrath and introduce the Conceived or purposed will into the Serpents Ens and make it to Substance for that is Sin yea though the g g g The greatest Saint most holy man should doe it 26. Therefore Christ so emphatically and punctually teacheth us in the new birth Love Humility and Meeknesse and would that a Christian should not at all Revenge Note also not be Angry for he saith that whosoever is angry with his brother is guilty of the judgement for the Anger is a conception in the Serpents Ens which must be cut off by the judgment of God from the Good Being and whosoever shall say unto his brother Racha shall be in danger of the Counsell for the desire of * * * Or Revenge Racha ariseth in the Centre of the darke fiery wheele of the Eternall nature therefore in the fire-soule there is a forme of the fire word in manner of a wheele like a madnesse and the soules fiery-forme stands in the Racha as a mad furious wheele which confounds the Essence in the Body and destroyes or shatters in peeces the understanding for every Racha desireth to destroy Gods Image thus the soule hangeth on the wheele of the Eternall nature viz. on the Centre of the horrible Anxious birth as is before mentioned concerning the Centre of the birth of nature 63. Moreover Christ saith Whosoever saith to his brother thou foole shall be in danger of hellfire this is thus wrought when the Conceived will hath formed it selfe in the furious wrath of Gods anger and introduced it into the Serpents Ens then it standeth in the furious wheele as mad and if it doth now purposely goe on and so forme the word and casts or speaks it forth against its brother and enkindles in him also an hatefull enmity in the Serpents Ens the same burneth in his Expressed Word in the fire of Gods anger and he is guilty of it for he hath enkindled it in his Racha 64. Therefore said Christ if thou wilt offer thy Gift goe first and be reconciled to thy offended brother or neighbour for otherwise he bringeth his wrath into thy offering and withholdeth thee in thy desire towards God that thou canst not reach the holy Ens which else washeth away the Turba in thy Enkindled vanity 65. For the Word foole is in it selfe in the Essence nothing else but an enkindled wrathfull fiery wheele an outragious madness and he that so calleth his neighbour without a cause he hath brought forth a word in the fire-wheele in Gods wrath and is guilty of it for the forth-produced word is arisen out of the Ens of the Soule and Body 66. Every word vvhen it is formed doth first awaken its owne Ens whence it taketh its originall then it leads it selfe forth through the Counsell of the five Senses against its brother now whosoever useth such a wrathfull devouring fire-word against his brother he soweth into the Anger of God and is in danger to reape the fruit which he hath so sown when it springeth up and groweth 67. Therefore take heed and beware O Man what thou thinkest speakest or desirest to doe looke vvell alwayes in what zeale thou standest whether it be divine or onely of thy own poysonfull nature thou Father thou mother thou brother and Sister which proceed and come from one bloud from one Ens and mutually Assimulate each with other as a tree in its branches thinke and consider what kinde of Sound or tune thou introducest into the vitall Ens of thy fellow-twiggs and branches whether it be Gods Love-word or his Word of Anger if yee doe not destroy the introduced Evill againe with Love and introduce againe the Love Ens into the Anger to overcome and reconcile it then the Substance must come * * * Or before into the judgement of God and be separated in the fire of God as the Devill is Severed from the good Ens and so shalt thou oh wicked man with thy vvicked formed Word
into his Minde Temporall Goods for his own property he is no Christian but a childe of the Serpent for he suffereth his under branches to wither and keepeth away his sap and power from them and will not work forth fruits by his fellow-branches 82. We doe not hereby meane the wicked Idle Crew which will onely suck the sweet and not worke and bring forth fruit themselves in the Tree that they should be pampered to exercise pleasure and vanity but we speake of the twigs which stand in the tree and co-operate and would faine grow and beare fruit from whom the great branches of this world doe withdraw the Sap and hold it in themselves that they as leane overdript twiggs doe wither by and under their charge such are the rich Potentates and Nobles with them the Spirit of zeale doth heere speak so far as they doe keep and hold their Sap within themselves and suffer their small branches to dry up and wither and wholly withdraw the Sap from them they are branches on the tree of the Serpent which is grown up in the Curse of Gods anger and is reserved for the fire of Gods Anger saith the Spirit of Wonders CHAP. XXIII How God re-called Adam and his Eve when they were entred into Sin and vanity and awakened in the Serpents Ens and laid upon them the * * * Estate or calling or Ordinance Order of this toilsome laborious world and ordained the Serpent-bruiser for an Help or Saviour to them NOW when Adam and Eve had eaten of the tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evill and were become Monstrous by the Serpent Moses writeth of it thus Their eyes were opened and they knew that they were naked Gen. 3. v 7. and they sewed Figg-leaves together and made themselves Aprons Heere the Soule did even now know the monstrous Image and was ashamed of it that such a grosse beast with grosse flesh and hard bones should awaken or shew it selfe with a beastiall wormes-carkase of vanity in their tender delicate Body and they would have covered the same from the eyes of God and for shame crept behinde the trees so very ashamed were they of the foule deformity of the beast for the Beastiall Ens had swallowed up the heavenly and got the upper hand which they had not before known now they could not tell for shame what they should doe 2. The Serpents craft would not Heere cover the shame but did lay it onely more open and accused them as revolting faithlesse Rebells for Gods anger did awake in them and arraigned them now before the Severe judgement to devoure them into it selfe as into the darke world as hapned to Lucifer 3. And this is the * * * State Condition or Thing which caused the Earth to Tremble c. Place whereby the Earth trembled in the death of Christ and the Rocks clove in sunder Heere Gods Anger shut up the holy Ens of the heavenly humanity in Death which Christ vvhen he destroyed death on the Crosse did againe Open at which the wrath in the Curse of the Earth and rocks shooke and trembled 4. And heere was the Soare combate before Gods Anger in which combate Christ in the Garden when he prayed and was to overcome this Anger did sweat drops of bloud when he said father if it be possible let this Cup passe from me but if it be not possible but that I must drink it thy will be done 5. Christ on the Crosse must drinke dovvn this wrathfull anger which was awakened in Adams Essence into his holy heavenly Ens and change it with Great Love into divine joy of which the drinke of gall and vineger being a mixed Draught which the Jewes gave him was a type signifying what was done invvardly in the humanity of Christ. 6. For the outward Image of man should also be redeemed from the Anger and death and again arise out of the Earth therefore Christs outward humanity from the Kingdome of this world must also drinke of this Cup which God the Father had filled to Adam in his anger the same Christ must drink off and change the anger into Love therefore said Christ is it possible then let it passe from me but it was not possible to overcome the anger unlesse the sweet Name Jesus drinke it into it selfe and change it into joy then said Christ Father thy will be done and not the will of my humanity 7. Gods will should also have been fulfilled in Adam but he exalted his ovvne will by the Serpents craft now the Humanity of Christ upon the Crosse must give this own selfe-will unto the Anger for to devoure it but the holy name Jesus brought it into the death of selfehood that it must dye in the wrathfull death and enter again through death in his Resurrection into the true Resignation viz. into the divine Harmony 8. Adam when he had awakened the Anger in him stood in Paradise in great shame and scorne before God and all holy Angells and the Devills did mock and deride him that this Image of God which should possesse his Royall Throne vvas become a monstrous Beast and into this Scorne Christ must enter and suffer himself to be reviled mocked spit upon whipped crowned with Thornes as a false King for Adam was a King and Hierarch but become false and Rebellious 9. Heere Christ stood in his stead and was condemned to death for Adam also should have been judged by Gods Anger Heere Adam that is Christ in Adams humanity stood in his stead Adam should have been rejected as a curse even as a scorne before Heaven and Earth and and in Sum the vvhole processe of Christ from his Incarnation unto his Ascention and sending of the holy Ghost is Adams estate what Adam had merited as a malefactour Christ himselfe must take upon him in Adams person and bring againe the life out of death 10. Adam was made by the word of God but he fell from Gods Love-word into his Anger-word thus God out of meer grace did again awaken his Love-word in the deepest humility Love and mercy in Adams wrathfull Image and introduced the great Love Ens into the Ens of the awakened anger and changed the Angry Adam in Christ into an holy ONE 11. Moses describeth it very clearly but the vaile lyeth before the beastiall man that he doth not know him for he saith And they heard the voice of the Lord God Verse 8 which walked in the Garden when the day grew coole and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the Trees 12. Moses saith they heard the voice of the Lord God which walked in the Garden what is now this voice which was or stirred in the Garden for Adams eares were dead to the Divine hearing and were awakened in the wrath he could not in his own might heare any more Gods holy voice for he was dead as to the Kingdome of Heaven as to the
the spirit ariseth which formeth it a creature out of the Ens and the spirit signeth it selfe in the Body what it is and so stands its figure CHAP. XXV How God drove Adam out of Paradise and laid the Cherub before the Garden WHen God had cursed the Serpent and the Earth then the Beast-Man was no longer profitable in Paradise for he could not any more enjoy the fruits of Paradise therefore he laid upon him the labour and toil of the world and drove him out of the Garden of Eden and placed the Cherub with the fire sword of judgement before it that if the new born virgin-child of the seed of the woman would again returne and enter into Paradise this Angel with the fire-sword should cut away the Serpents-beast from it and not any more suffer l l l Understand the beast it to come into Paradise 2. The Angel with the fire-sword is the right destroying Angel who carrieth death and life in his Sword he hath therein Gods Love and Anger and when man Dyeth in this world then he cometh before the Gates of Paradise before this Angel and even there the poor Soul must passe through this Garden judgement 3. Now if it be captivated in the Anger of God then it cannot passe through this judgement but if it be a virgin child born of the Seed of the woman then it may passe quite through this Sword and then the Angel cutteth off the Beast begotten of the Serpents Ens and even then the Soul is an Angell of God and serveth him in his Temple in Paradise and expecteth the Day of judgement viz. the Resurrection of the outward body when this Angell with the fiery Sword shall Sever the Earth from the Curse then the right humane body returnes again for it must also passe through this Sword and the Sword will cut off its Beast that he may be onely a Man and no more a Beast 4. The Speech of Moses concerning this Mystery is wholly hidden to the Earthly Man for Moses speaketh of an Angel and Sword and albeit the Outward figure was even just so for so was Adam driven out yet it hath far another A. B. C. internally the naturall man without Gods light understands nothing thereof 5. This Sword is in man when man converteth and entreth into sorrow for his committed Sins and casteth away the vanity and steppeth into the Infants Shirt then the morning Star ariseth in the spirit of Christ in the virgin-like m m m Or shut up Ens. occluse Ens in the true womans seed 6. And in this Anxious Sorrowfull Gate of true Repentance the Angel standeth with the fire-flaming sword and the virgin-Bud forceth quite through this fire-sword into Paradise viz. into the light into the life of Christ and groweth forth through this sword 7. And now the virgin-child standeth with its faire Rose in the New Plant in Paradise and the poore Soul which begetteth this child standeth the whole time of this life under the reach and Swinge of this fire-sword and is fast bound with a band to the grosse beast in the outward world where the virgin-child is sufficiently thrust at and wounded with this fire-sword for the fire-soul which in the fire-Sword of Gods Anger is bound to the Serpents Monster doth daily amuse it selfe upon the Serpent-Monster and Sinneth and even then this fire-sword doth cut away the Sins and devoures them into Gods Anger where they are examined and judged 8. Therefore the poore virgin-child which is borne out of the Soul must stand under Christs crosse in Christs death and the pierceing Sword of Tribulation and grief passeth quite through it it must suffer it selfe to be drawn quite through this flaming Sword and the fire burneth away the Abomination which the soul continually brings into it selfe from the Serpents n n n Or false Image Monster and even then it is in a Sore strait when that is cut off from the fire-soul which it faine would have from its Monster 9. Then must the virgin-child Supplicate the fire-soule and tender it the Love that it should onely forsake the Monster of the Serpent heere then ariseth strife and opposition for the part of the fire-soul hath introduced the Serpents Monster into it and desireth also to have its joy therein and loveth the Evill Beast 10. Then Sophia viz. the Second Principle viz. the Part of the light world doth speak against it and hence cometh up the Strife betwixt the Seed of the woman and the Seed of the Serpent and then man goeth up and down in Sorrow and Sadnesse trouble and perplexty sometimes the virgin-child prevailes and sometimes the Serpent-childe 11. And then the Devill stirs up and incenseth all Monsters against the virgin-child to strike it to mock it scorne it revile and laugh it to shame and make it ridiculous that it may by no meanes be known least the Devills Kingdome should become manifest 12. Thus the virgin-childe must be exercised by this in the Spirit of Christ and suffer it selfe to be whipped persecuted and injuriously reproved and often called one possessed by the Devill be cursed and continually accounted an off-scouring of the world untill the outward Beast hath finished its Course in its Constellation and then the Cherub cutteth off the grosse beast and lets it fall even unto the judgment of God and then the part of the fire-soule must forthwith force through the judgement of this Sword 13. Now if the fire-soul hath o o o Impressed taken in much vanity into it self viz. much of the Serpents craft and lust then the part of the fire-soule must stand p p p Or in under this Sword untill the fire of Gods Anger consumes this introduced vanity which to many a one is q q q Refining fire Purgatory enough which this present too too wise world will not beleeve and will be onely an Adopted child from without and so have an externall washing away of Sins in Grace but it hath another A. B. C. here God will not let the Serpens Ens neither in body nor Soule come into Paradise 14. The fire-soule must subsist in the fire of God and be so pure as the clear refined Gold for it is the husband of the Noble virgin Sophia which is from the womans Seed it is the fires Tincture and Sophia the lights Tincture if the Tincture of the fire be wholly and throughly pure then it s Sophia will be given to it and so Adam receiveth again into his armes his most pretious and endeared Bride which was taken from him in his sleep and is not any r r r Or from thence forward longer man or woman but a branch on Christs Pearl-tree which standeth in the Paradise of God 15. To the description whereof we need an Angels Tongue and yet we are understood well enough by our School-fellowes we have not written this for Swine for none but those onely who have been by and
too if the same be taught in Christs Spirit and power then t is so indeed 52. But the Spirit of Christ in his children is not bound to any certaine forme that it need not or ought not to speak any thing which stands not in the Apostolicall Letter as the Spirit in the Apostles was free and they spake not all one and the same words but from one Spirit and ground they did all speak every one as the Spirit gave him utterance even thus likewise the Spirit speaketh yet out of its children it needeth no forme aforehand composed and gathered together out of the Literall word it indeed doth put mans Spirit in minde of what is comprehended and contained in the letter for Christ said the holy Ghost shall take of mine and declare it unto you 53. Christ is Alone the Word of God that teacheth the way of truth through his children and members the literall word is onely a manuduction and manifestation of Christ that we should have the same before us as a Testimony and witnesse of Christ shewing what he is and what he hath done for us that we should conceive set and fasten our Faith therein and yet with the desire enter into the living word Christ and be our selves borne to life therein 54. None is a shepheard of Christ but he that hath Christs Spirit and teacheth from him no Art nor University makes one a shepheard of Christ unlesse he be capable of the office in Christs Spirit if he hath not that living and working in him then Man hath onely chose him to be a Carver and builder of the Great Babylon a letter changer a verball jangler and wrangler without divine understanding and knowledge for the Scripture saith the naturall man perceiveth nothing of the Spirit of God how will then he teach the way of God who himselfe understands nothing thereof 55. And Christ saith he that entereth not into the sheepfold by him viz. by the doare of his Spirit but climeth up some other way as by Art and Reason or by the favour of man into the same whosoever seteth up himselfe not being called of Gods Spirit to be a sheepheard of Christ for humane and temporall repute and Revenue's sakes he is a Theefe and Murtherer and the sheep hear not his voyce for he hath not Christs voice and cometh onely that he may rob and steale 56. But they say the written word is Christs voice yea it is indeed the Cabinet thereof viz. a forme of the word but the voice must be living which opens the same and likewise acts it in due motion as a watch-worke the Letter is as an Instrument thereunto as a Trumpet but there must be a true and right breath and aire which agrees with the air or tune in the letter 57. The word of the letter is a prepared * * * Or worke Instrument what kinde of Trumpetter takes it in hand to play thereon even such a sound it gives Is not I pray the Great Babel built out of this worke every one hath sounded the Trumpet of the Letter as his own Aire and Tone hath been in him and so it hath been approved and received by each Trumpetter and brought into a Substance and this same substance is the Great Babylon where evill and good is built into a building 58. But if men had not introduced any Exposition upon the Apostolicall Word and brought or contrived the same into other formes then the Instrument had remained Pure but the un-illuminated minde hath set it selfe up to be a master therein and bowed the same according to its own Imagination and well-liking for the humane pleasure hath thereon set it selfe and formed and expounded the same according to the Rule of fat Benefices for the Belly sake and worldly pleasures And thus the Spirit is extinct and 't is turned to an antichristian Order and Custome men have taken and formed the word as an Organ and so they have brought it into a fashion and custome that a man must play thereon and others must hear the Sound and tune which he makes and thus for the most part such Organists are onely used who strike the Organ from without and make a fine contrived and composed Peece which they willingly and readily heare but the Organ Soundeth onely as the Master t t t Or playes on it strikes it 59. But to this Christ saith Every plant which my heavenly Father hath not planted shall be rooted up also whosoever is of God he heareth Gods word Christ said the Son of man speaketh nothing but what he heareth the Father speake in him so likewise must a teacher of Christ heare the Fathers Spirit in Christ speak in him he must heare Gods Word in the Spirit of Christ in him as David saith I will hear what the Lord speaketh in me he must be a Temple of God in whom God dwelleth and from whom he speaketh being only an Instrument thereto for Christ said we will come to you and make our Abode in you also I will put my word into your mouth saith the Prophet also the word is nigh thee namely in thy mouth and heart heere the Spirit of God speaketh of the living Word and not of a Bell without a clapper 60. This the Spirit of Christ in his children doth teach and reproves the woodden clapper in the right bell which hath hung it selfe up to be a clapper in the Bell of the divine word and yet hath no power to make the Bell sound this Cain in his offring can by no means brook that one should tell him his offring doth not please God 61. He setteth forth himselfe with very faire glozing and glistering outside shewes and hath made himselfe such a brave glorious forme moreover he is chosen of the high schooles and worldly might thereto and if a mean Lay-man without humane calling should come thereinto as Christ was accounted for a Carpenters Son and offer to reprove such an High Priest in such great dignity Honour and Respect the same the world beleeveth not that it is from God that he is sent 62. The Great Beare thinketh presently this is onely a sheep which I will take into my mouth and devoure him what shall a sheep reprove me who am a Bear will a disesteemed sheep nullifie my Reputation and esteeme among men and dare to quetch at me I will soon rid him out of the way and so defile him that he shall not be known that he is a sincere and single-hearted Lamb of Christ and speaketh from Christs Spirit I will so wallow and mire him in the Dirt disgrace and scorne that he shall be held for a filthy Beast or a very defiled Swine 63. In the meane time I live in my delicious Dayes of pleasure and remaine Lord over Soule and Body but if the sheepling shall offer to stir and shew more then a sheepling of Christ then I will help the Butcher drive it to the slaughter-house 64.
that none could slay it 54. For Cain did not cry out onely for feare of the outward life but he feared that his right Eternall life might be slaine that his life should be wholly blotted out from the Face of God for he cryed also and said Lo thou drivest me out this day from off the Earth and I must hide my selfe from thy face and I must be a fugitive and a vagabond in the Earth and it will now come to passe that whosoever findeth me will slay me He cryed out for feare of being killed and was sore afraid and yet there vvas no man besides him upon the Earth save onely his Father Adam and without doubt his sister vvhom he tooke to wife 55. Cain feared the Spirits vvho had moved him to slay his brother that they would also kill him for he saith I must be hid from thy face now this was not in any externall manner but in an internall for God dwelleth not in the view of the outward eyes but in the inward Spirituall vision therefore God said whosoever killeth Cains internall life vengeance shall be taken on him seven-fold and he set the marke of the Covenant on his life so that no spirit in the wrath could murther it for he was a twigg out of the Tree of life 56. Although the Seven properties of nature in him were departed from their mutuall accord in each other yet he was not the sole cause of it for he had so received his life from Father and Mother in the divided property and therefore the Grace passed as vvell upon him as upon Abel except onely that Abel proceeded out of the other line but the Centre of the Soule was alike to them both but the motion in the Seed was unlike for they were the two types of the world viz. Cain the type of the Selfehood in the wrath and Abel the type of the resignation of life where from the Resignation another world springeth forth through Death out of the Centre 57. Not that Cain was borne to destruction but that evill awakened property in the dissimility viz. the Soule of the outward world brake forth forcibly in the Seed and tooke the Centre of life into its Power and therein God set a marke viz. his Covenant that the murtherers should not slay the Souls life 58. But if it should so come to passe that the owne peculiar will would give it selfe to the murtherers then the life of Cain should be avenged Seven-fold that is through all the Seven properties and the free-will which did slay the life of God which was in the Word John 1. should be rebuked and punished seven-fold through all the Seven formes of nature both temporally and eternally and this is the meaning whosoever killeth the life that is what free-will soever murthereth its life vengeance shall be taken on it Eternally in the Seaven properties of the dark vvorld 59. And in this place we are further to consider aright of the great mysteries for the Seaven properties of the humane Tree producing and manifesting the life of the Wonders of God had now Spread forth themselves even unto Lamech the Dominion of the world was novv wholly brought forth with Lamech in nature for Lamech was the Seventh man in the Root of the Wonders arising from the first Stock that is Adam was the first Abel belongeth not unto the Line of the Wonders but unto the Regeneration Cain was the Second in the Line of the Wonders Hanoch the third Irad the fourth Mahujael the fift Methusael the Sixt and Lamech the Seventh 60. Now Lamech did spring forth from Cains Root out of this Line of the Wonders of God and he was an honest upright man but was a a a Taken or beset environed with the Spirit of the Wonders and he Looked back upon the Wound and also upon the b b b Or Seale Signe of Grace in the Covenant and knew for certaine that even now the Spirit of the Wonders should be fully brought forth and manifested in the humane life whereby all Arts of the vvorld should be found out 61. And he saw also forwards how it would fall out in these Wonders of the world hovv his children would introduce his life which they should receive from him by propagation into a Babylon of folly and Corrupt the same and hereby also he looked especially upon the word whence the humane life was Sprung and how the life in the Spirit of the Wonders of the world would introduce it selfe into a seaven and seventy-fold word of Languages and Nations as came to passe at Babel and how the free-will of Nature would goe astray from the Onely God and be corrupt and that it should be avenged seven-and-seventy-fold that is every tongue and speech should be Avenged in the Anger of God and therefore because they would Corrupt Lamechs life which they received of him by propagation and this the Wrath of God would Avenge in the free-will of his children divided into severall Speeches 62 For the Spirit saw forwards hovv the free-will vvould give up and addict it selfe to Selfehood and Apostatize from the Onely God and â—ovv the Anger of God would Seize upon and confound the Naturall Spirit of the Wonders in man viz. the Soule of the outward world from whence the Great Babylon of Contention about Gods being and vvill vvould arise and this the Spirit said should be avenged seven-and-seventy-fold in Lamech 63. For this was a Seven and Seventy-fold Racha or Avengement upon the Word of the understanding in the humane life that out of one onely tongue out of one onely Speaking Word and vitall Spirit a Seventy and seven-fold tongue viz. a Confusion of the understanding should be made before the understanding lay in one Sound voice or Harmony but now the Racha came into it and Confounded and shattered it into Seventy and seven parts 64. For the humane vvheele of the Sound or understanding was turned round and the Ten formes of fire wherein time and Eternity doth consist did open themselves in every forme of nature which was seven times ten vvhich makes Seventy whereto also belongeth the Centre with its Seven unchangeable formes of the Eternall nature which is together seventy and seven 65. And herein Deare brethren lyeth the * * * Mysterium Magnum Grand Mystery if ye were not cloathed with the Garment of the Contentious Languages then we vvould be bold to declare something more in this place unto you but ye are yet all captivated in Babel and are contenders about the k k k Or Meaning Spirit of the Letter and yet have no understanding of the same yee will also be Doctors and learned Masters forsooth but yet ye understand not your own Mother-Tongue yee bite and devoure one another about the husk of the word wherein the Living word doth forme and amasse it selfe and ye neither desire nor understand the living word yee speake onely out of Seven and out of seventy
Spirit did continue and then the Turba in all flesh shall perish or be thrown down for this Sorrow was nothing else but that the Word in the Covenant did grieve at the misery and vanity of man and would comfort mankinde by the Covenant through Noah which comfort did first open it selfe in Abraham viz. in Enos his manifestation 24. For the comfort went forth in the Love of the Covenant and opened it selfe with its branch at its right Limit or juncture of time for God hath confined all things into a certain limit when every thing shall come to passe and from the comfort of the Moving Word in the Covenant proceeded forth the judgement that the old Adamicall man with all his desires concupiscences and lusts should in the Covenant when the same should open it selfe in the flesh be drowned and mortified in the same New humanity of Christ and out of the comfort of the Covenant a new humane Spirit and will should arise which should live in righteousnesse and purity of which the Deluge was a type 25. For the griefe or Repentance came out of the Covenant upon the formed word in the life and therefore seeing the same word Repented of the vanity thereupon the vanity of the creature must be drowned for the will in the Covenant went forth from the vanity and grieved the life of God and moved the matrix of Nature in the waters birth and drowned the fiery wrath in the fires Nature 26. But the Spirit in Noah doth especially complaine here against man for their Sodomiticall beastiall Concupiscence and filthy lusts of the flesh viz. Against unchastity and unclean lascivious wantonnesse and also against the High Oppressours and Tyrants who put forth and advanced themselves in their own lust and would rule and domineere and no longer suffer the Spirit of God to rule in them and reprove them that they had intruded themselves to compell and tyrannize over one another without Command all this was an abomination before God and it grieved the Spirit in the formed Word that it had brought forth such Evill Beasts and would no longer endure them 27. Even this same propheticall Spirit whose root did open and display it selfe in Enoch which also by Enoch did propagate and put forth its Line with its branches which also by Noah did grieve at the wickednesse and iniquitie of mankinde and drowned them with the Deluge even this is he which now also doth grieve at the Great Sins and vanity of Men for his mouth is at present opened he hath been translated in the Spirit of Christ Now this word which became man doth Repent at the vanity and wickednesse of men that its children of the new Covenant will not * * * Suffer the Spirit of Christ to draw them give willing obedience to the Spirit of Christ therefore this propheticall Mouth doth now disclose and put forth it selfe for it is the Time of its manifestation and proclaimeth the Great Deluge of Gods Anger and the Flaming Sword of Elias who also was Translated into the Mystery for he must draw forth his Sword in the Turba 28. Let this be told thee Babel he complaineth mightily against thy beastiall unchastity and Tyranny Against thy own usurped power force and violence wherewith thou art proud and wanton and hast thereby set up thy selfe in Gods Government he will drown thee with thy Tyranny and beastiall wantonnesse in the fire of Anger Seeing thou wilt not repent thee of thy vanity therefore he repenteth through thee vvith the Turba and will drown thy Turba that so His Repenting may be made manifest in his children and also his refreshing Comfort and consolation might be manifested out of his Repentance 29. For without Gods repenting there is no true Sorrow or repentance for the vanity for the naturall spirit desireth not to Repent yea if it could be more wrathfull malicious Evill and vaine it would please Love and delight it selfe therein for it is Nature's spirits Strength and Might but the Word of God which in the creation did Impresse and give it selfe into the humane Ens for a Soverain powerfull and holy life the same incorporated engrafted Word of life if it be stirred and moved doth repent and grieve that it hath such an Evill Beast in Nature on it that saith it repenteth me that I have created the evill beast in nature 30. But this Sorrow is not a Sorrow to annihilation as if he would have no more to doe with the creature but it is a Sorrow which saddeth and moveth Gods Heart viz. the holy divine word and setteth the naturall spirit a time for to repent that so it might enter into divine Sorrow but if it doth not then he will drown the Naturall Spirit in its Evill will and wayes as came to passe in the Deluge 31. God said the Earth is corrupt and full of perversness Vers. 11. and the End of all flesh is come before me I will destroy them Here is againe a great Mystery in that God said the Earth was corrupt before him that all flesh had corrupted its way and that the Earth was filled with * * * Violence perversness through them and lo he would destroy them The Earth was afore with Cain accursed according to the vanitie's property but now he saith also in this place all flesh hath corrupted its way the end of all flesh is come before mee This is not so mean and slight a thing as one would looke on it to be for the Spirit complaineth against all flesh that all things were become vaine in his Sight and full of perversness 32. Now saith Reason a Beast doth not Sin it doth according to its Natures property how can any perversness be attributed to it so far doth reason goe and further it knowes not also it understands nothing of the divine mystery It understands nothing of the formed Word that hath formed it selfe through the Nature of time It saith onely God hath created and made and considereth not that all things are created in the word that the Word hath introduced and compacted it selfe into an Ens Also it will know nothing of the Eternall Spirituall Nature of divine Manifestation it understands nothing of the Ground or Originall of the outward visible world with its creatures when it saith God hath made all things out of Nothing then it meaneth that he hath so spoken it forth and yet it is wholly blinde and Senseless in it it looketh onely upon the outward Colour and knoweth not from whence it taketh its Originall thus it is onely learned in the externall Colour and prateth of the painted worke of the outside and shell and concerning the Ens whence the Colour ariseth it is dumb and senseless 33. The Spirit complaineth against all flesh upon the face of the Earth even * * * Text liveth in the aire and fire whatsoever hath breath and Sence the outward Nature had corrupted it selfe in Every kinde of
hindered by evill malignant Aspects which Master * * * The false Philosopher or Sophister Wiseling will scarce beleeve He can speak of the ground of nature exactly and hath it at his fingers end and yet is blinde in the Mystery and understands not either the inward or outward part of nature for such I have not written any thing for I need not such * * * Text Calves Animals to the understanding of my writings but good clear quick-sighted illuminated Eyes unto all others they are dumb and absurd let them be as wise and learned as they will 37. The Chaos is the root of nature and yeildeth of it selfe nothing else but a good property but if the Constellation be evill the evill malignant desire taketh the good property into it selfe and changeth it into evill as a good man among evill Company doth change his good also into an Evill 38. And the Rain-bow is especially represented or freely given unto man for a Token of the divine Grace so that he might behold and view himselfe as in an open and perspicuous Glasse what he is for the signe of Good and Evill is manifest as a type of the Centre of nature out of which Evill and Good take their rise over which the Son of man was set by God to be Judge 39. For the Type or forme of the Arke of Noah is also in the Rain-bow if we were not blinde it would plainly appeare so unto us also the Trinity of the Deity is therein pourtrayed for the red colour betokeneth the Father the yellow and white the Son and the blew the Spirit 40. And God hath set forth himselfe in a figure according to his manifestation in the Signe of the Covenant that we should flie unto his Grace and receive his Covenant and be alwayes mindefull of his Revelation to come where he will againe manifest the Spirituall world as he hath set it forth unto us by way of Similitude in the Rain-bow to the end that we should see what is in Secret and how his Covenant is Eternally established with us in Secret and standeth ever before him CHAP. XXXIV How Noah cursed his Son Ham and of the mysticall Prophecie concerning his Three Sons and their posterity AND Noah began to be an Husbandman and planted a vineyard and he dranke of the wine and was drunken and lay uncovered in his Tent Gen. IX vers 20 21 22 c. and Ham Canaans father saw the nakednesse of his father and told it his two bretheren without and Sem and Japhet tooke a garment and laid it upon both their shoulders and went backwards and covered the nakednesse of their father and their faces were backwards so that they saw not their fathers nakednesse now when Noah awoke from his wine and knew what his younger Son had done unto him he said cursed be Canaan a servant of all servants he shall be amongst his bretheren and he said further blessed be the Lord God of Sem and let Canaan be his Servant and God enlarge Japhet and let him dwell in the tents of Sem and let Canaan be his Servant This is an exact reall Type of the humane property according to the Three Principles or worlds for the Spirit in Noah speaketh from the Centre and the Three Sons of Noah did now stand before the Spirit in a figure typifying what kinde of People should arise from them 2. By this figure the spirit of Noah prophecied or declared from the very Stock or root of the formed word of the humane property what the Second Monarchy should be Noah was drunke and lay naked with his shame at which his Son Ham mocked and also declared it to his brethren that they also should doe the like here the Spirit intimateth and pointeth out whence the Curse arose upon Ham viz. from the shame of his father 3. For this was even the Abomination before Gods Holinesse out of which root Ham and his generation viz. the man of vanity doth arise for in the Image of God the shame is an abomination 4. Therefore God commanded Abraham to be circumcised on this member to shew that this member was not given to Adam in the beginning and that it should be againe cut off from the Image of God and not inherit the Kingdome of God upon which Cause and reason also the Soules spirit is ashamed to uncover it 5. But being that Adam did not stand in the Image of God when his Eve was made out of him it was hung upon him for to propagate in a beastiall nature and kinde thereupon also this beastiall Tree viz. the fleshly spirit of vanity came to be propagated all along from this property and adheres to man the figure of this was Ham and therefore he mocked his own property in his father 6. The Spirit of this property mocked its Ens which it had from the Centre of nature it beheld it selfe in his fathers shame from whence it had its rise as in a looking-glasse of its selfehood and thus this spirit of fleshly Ham forthwith brake forth as a Life of vanity and manifested what it selfe was viz. a scorne disdain or mock-god of heaven 7. Which the Spirit of Gods Image in the formed word of the good Ens in Noah did well know and did awaken in him the fire-Centre of the Soule in the wrath and cursed this spirit of vanity that it should not co-inherit in the Kingdome of heaven the Scoff-Spirit shall not possess the Kingdome of God but be cut off from the Image of God that is from the outward Image of the formed creature 8. For the same property from whence the shame ariseth is Good in it selfe but in Adams Imagination after the beastiall property it became Monstrous Beastiall and Strange in the Image of God and therefore this strange forme and shape shall not remaine for ever 9. From this strange false shape the Scorner or Scoff-Spirit did arise the Devill insinuated into the Figure of Hams strange spirit and mocked at the Heavenly Generatresse that it was now even become a Monster in the Image of God and therefore the spirit of Noah cursed the false scoff-spirit in Ham and all his generation 10. Not that we are to understand that Ham was accursed in his Soul and Soules-spirit but according to the figure He and all his were accursed in the property of the reviling mocking Spirit which brake forth and manifested it selfe out of the monster but He that is the earthly Image of the Limus of the Earth should be hidden with its own selfe-will in the Image of God and be only as a Servant or instrument of the divine Image proceeding from the holy Ens the Earthly Spirit should not rule but the heavenly viz. the Soul with its spirit the Monster that is this vile reviling spirit must not be manifest but being the free-will did awaken and stir up the Monstrous spirit which was onely a scorner of the Mystery and
hiddennesse in the Covenant Noah cursed * * * Or it him and said he shauld be a Servant of his brethren 11. For he said blessed be the God of Sem and let Canaan be his Servant God enlarge Japhet and let him dwell in the tents of Sem The God of Sem was he who had espoused or incorporated himselfe with the Covenant in the Seed of the woman the figure and type of this in the Spirit was Sem and Japhet was the figure of the poore Soul captivated in the monster God should let this Japheticall or Soules property dwell in the tents of Sem and enlarge it in Sems figure 12. But Hams figure according to the monstrous spirit should not have any dominion or Reign in the life of the new-birth but be only as a servant or as an instrument without selfe-will or any peculiar life of Selfeness must serve and administer to the use of the Spirituall Kingdome in manner as the night is hidden in the day and yet 't is really there and yet so as if it were not and it is the Handmaid to the dayes operation and power 13. Thus in like manner the Spirit did expresse how the three properties of the humanity viz. the womans Seed and the creaturall Souls Seed and the Earthly Seed in Hams figure should stand in their place order and rule in the Regeneration in the Spirituall Kingdome and thereby it did declare and point at the Kingdomes of the world intimating that this same figure would all along put forth it selfe in the Kingdome and Dominion of the * * * Or mankinde humanity upon the Earth and thus keep its figure externally so long as mankinde should live in the dominion of the four Elements as it hath thus fallen out 14. For Sems figure passed in the Covenant upon Abraham and Israel among whom the word of the Covenant was manifested and spoken forth and Japhets figure went along in nature viz. through the wisdome of nature in the Kingdome of nature whence the Gentiles arose who looked upon the light of nature and Sems linage looked upon the light in the Covenant thus Japhet that is the poor captive Soul which is of the Eternall nature dwelt in Sems tent viz. under the Covenant for the light of nature dwelleth in the light of Grace and is a tenant or inhabitant of the light of Grace viz. of Gods light it is even as a forme or framed Substance of the unformed un-comprehended Light of God 15. And Hams line passed upon the Animall beastiall man proceeded from the Limus of the Earth in which was the curse whence the Sodomiticall and almost wholly brutish people did arise who esteemed neither the light of nature nor the light of Grace in the Covenant 16. This signifieth and pointeth out the outward part of the Soul from the spirit of this world which in the regeneration in the Spirituall world shall be a formed and very fixed will which may not or desires not to rule in the manner and condition of a Selfish peculiar Spirit but shall be as a Servant and Minister of the creâ—turall Soule and Gods Spirit in the holy lights Image it shall not be manifest in any Selfe-full arrogative understanding of Selfehood but remaine hidden as the night is hidden in the day and yet it is really there 17. For the Animal Soul shall not inherit the Kingdome of light although it shall and will be therein yet it hath no dominion or predominant vertue of its Selfenesse as an Instrument is a dead sencelesse thing in reference to the master and yet it is the masters Toole wherewith he maketh what he pleaseth the same in like manner we are to understand concerning the Animal Soul in the Regeneration 18. But in the Time of the four Elements it will have the upper hand and Sway for it hath brought it selfe into a proper selfehood and Imaginative life of Selfish propriety and therefore God hath accursed it and condemned it to Death so that it must dye to Selfe-hood 19. For when Adam did awaken the earthly properties out of the Limus of the Earth in his desire so that they went forth out of their just accord and mutuall Harmony each of them into its own selfe-will and lust to behold and looke upon its Selfe as a peculiar selfe-Life the beastiall Soul was hereby brought to its predominant power and force and this same is Hams property which God hath ordained to be Servant under the Angelicall Kingdome and Cursed its jeering Scorning Power in that it did mock at the heavenly Matrix and set forth its own figure and forme 20. The Spirit saith in Moses that Sem and Japhet took a Garment upon their shoulders and went backwards to their Father and covered him Gen IX Vers. 23. so that their faces were turned backwards and they saw not his shame O thou wonderfull God! How very Mystically and Secretly dost thou carry thy works who would know and understand thy wayes if thy spirit did not lead us and open the understanding 21. Both these brothers tooke a garment upon their shoulders and covered the father wherefore did not one doe it alone or wherefore did Noah drink himselfe drunke and lay so naked with his shame This reason looketh upon as if there were nothing more in it but onely an Hystory of such an Act but being that Ham was thereby cursed and made to be a Servant of his bretheren and not onely he but also all his posterity out of him we see thereby very clearly what the Spirit doth hereby signifie viz that it is a Type Character and figure of that which should afterward come to passe 22. The Earthly spirit which the Devill had made monstrous was a Scorner and jeerer of the heavenly birth it indeed saw the shame which it must bear upon it as a Monster but He went away as a Beast and mocked the new regeneration of the heavenly Matrix but Japhet viz. the poor Soul and Sem that is the disappeared Heavens Image which was moved stirred or quickned againe in the Covenant they tooke a Garment upon their shoulders this Garment was the new humanity which should open it selfe out of the Covenant out of the Angelicall world 23. And they went backwards and covered the Fathers shame this intimateth and betokeneth that the free-will of Selfe must and shall wholly turne it selfe away from the beastiall Monster of Selfefulnesse and ownhood wherein the shame standeth open and enter againe into the Resigned filiation or child-ship and goe no more forwards but retire again backwards and must take the Garment of the new humanity viz. Christs innocency merit and Satisfaction upon it and therewith cover the shame which our father Adam hath with the monster passed upon us by inheritance This was the Type which was here set forth 24. And that Sem did not carry the Garment alone and cover the father doth figure out unto us that the Soul viz. Japhet that
is the inward Kingdome of the inward Eternall nature must help for the Soul is of the Fathers property and this Japhet doth typifie and the Soules spirit viz. the faire Image of God in the light which did vanish or disappear in Adam and stood * * * Or in the Image typically in the Covenant of which Sem was the figure doth point out unto us the Sons property who should open the Covenant thus also we are to understand that the Father in his will who freely gave us the Son tooke on one part the Garment of our Sins Covering and this was typified by Japhet and the Son on the other part who covered our shame with the Fathers will and this Sem was a figure of 25. For if Christ shall lay the Covering Garment upon our shame then the Soule must help that is it must give up and resigne its will wholly thereinto and goe backwards with its will towards the Bosome of the father and not any longer parley with it selfe in its own will and knowledge how it goeth or will goe but so it must take the Garment in true repentance upon its shoulders and leave the other part upon the shoulders of Sem viz. unto the true Image of * * * Or God Christ which is the pretiouâ— noble Sophia 26. Both these take the heavenly Garment and goe backwards to the Father and though they cannot see how they goe yet they goe in Faith trusting on Gods Mercy and turn away their eyes from the shame vanity and false will for going backwards and covering the shame in this place signifies nothing else but to Convert the Selfe-hood naturally going forwards in its own will and way and goe back againe into the ONE out of which the free-will departed and came into the monster or shame 27. Noahs drunkennesse signifieth that when Adam entred with his Lust and desire into this worlds property he became drunk in the beastall property and therein he uncovered his shame that is he disclosed and made bare therein the beastiall Lust now when this was done he stood before God in great shame and then the beastiall spirit in this Monster of false lust and poysonfull concupiscence brake forth and reviled the pretious heavenly Image and made it selfe Master 28. And thus Christ must in our Soul and in our disappeared and again revived noble Sophia cover the shame of our father Adam and his children for he would therefore not be borne of the Seed of man but out of the heavenly disappeared Ens and brought his living Ens of the holy world thereinto that so he might cover our monstrous * * * Text Seed Shame of the Soules property which Adams lust had uncovered with the heavenly Ens. 29. The corrupt nature which had opened it selfe now in Paradise went along in all men and though the Image of God was againe regenerate in the Spirit of the Saints as in a figurative forme untill the fulfilling of Christ in the flesh yet the monstrous Image was propagated all along in all in the earthly property 30. But being the First earthly world of the humane property was drowned in the floud and there the first Monarchies ceased the same figure did forthwith represent it selfe again in Noah and his Three Sons so that now the spirit doth here signifie from the very stock and root of the humane property how it should afterwards be viz. the Tree of man would in its properties introduce it selfe into boughes and branches that is spread forth it selfe into distinct Nations and Governments and that they would not all know the Onely God according to the light of his Grace and how that God would represent unto them the light of Grace in the Generation of Sem. 31. For Noah saith blessed be the God of Sem and let Japhet dwell in Sems tents by the God of Sem he meaneth the holy word in the Covenant intimating how the same would manifest it selfe and then the Japhites or Gentiles which lived in the light of nature should come to the light of Grace manifested from the Generation of Sem and enter into Sems Tents and dwell therein this did point at the Gentiles who before knew onely of the Light of nature but when the word did manifest it selfe in the Person of Christ with the gratious light of the Gospel they came into the Light of grace 32. And even here Ham viz. the fleshly lust-lust-spirit must be in its own property and selfehood a servant among the children of light for the children of God doe compell him to servitude and keep him under and take away his reviling scorning will for the spirit of Ham which Noah cursed doth intimate how this Hams spirit would be great upon the Earth and goe on onely in its own proud monstrous and beastiall knowledge and scoffe at the children of the light account them fooles because they hope upon something else which they doe not outwardly see 33. Thus the spirit in Noah pointeth out unto us three Sorts of men first it signifieth the children of faith who nakedly and meerely looke upon the hidden light of Gods grace and have the same shineing in their Hearts 34. The other would look upon the light of Nature and Reason and would endeavour to fathome and search out the hidden light by the strength of reason and that they would therefore contend dispute wrangle and jangle and bring forth many wonderfull strange monsters and Conceits out of the light of nature and set them up for Gods or Gods light as it hath so come to passe among the Christians and Gentiles 35. The Third Sort would be of Hams nature and Generation and know neither the light of nature or grace but walk as the Beast and be onely Titular verball praters and litterall children and moreover mockers scoffers and fleering Apes who would also be called the children of God but their knowledge would be onely of the externall Stone-Church a meere custome and verball round of a * * * Or Divine Service as they call it Service of God where the mouth would use indeed the Name of God but the heart would onely bring forth a beastiall spirit to earthly pride lust and pleasure 36. Thus the spirit of Sem Ham and Japhet would dwell together in one Congregation Sems generation in faith hidden among the Japhites as a poor disesteemed contemned abject people but the tribe of Japhet would set forth themselves with great plausible words with great and huge ostentation of Gods Service but yet it would be but as an hypocricy and seeming holinesse proceeding from the light of nature but Hams linage would be full of gluttony and drunkennesse scoffing and reviling and they would mock at both viz. the children of the Caine-like seeming holinesse and also at the children of the true light and would live as the wilde brute beast and yet in their Swinish life would be children of Grace by an outward appropriation or
and gave them the Covenant of Grace 9. For in Cain this Tree was cursed but in Noah it was againe blessed that the properties of the formed naturall word should put forth themselves with the Tongues through the property of nature as a Wonder of many words or Gods in the Onely living Word 10. The Image of God in the formed word should bring forth the formation of the onely word out of the first Ens into many formations or formes of tongues and Speeches according to the nature and manner of the Princely Dominions of the high Spirits which also are in their distinct Degrees and differences in the formed word and in the Deep of this world doe rule in the properties of nature above the foure Elements yea also above the operation of the Stars in the Soule of the great world which also beare the Names of God in the formed word of nature as an instrument of God whereby he in a formall manner ruleth in his Dominion and Love-delight or Harmony 11. That the * * * Patriarchs Ancient Fathers lived so long before the floud was because that the powers of the formed word of the divine property were yet undivided and un-manifested and un-explicated in them as a young Tree which is full of power vertue and Sap doth excellently manifest and display it selfe in its Branches and spreading growth but when it begins to bloome then the good power goeth into the Blossomes and fruits 12. The like also we are to understand concerning the first Age of mankinde when the powers were couched in One property in the Stock then men did understand the Language of nature for all Languages did lye therein but when this Tree of the one onely Tongue did divide it selfe in its properties and powers among the children of Nimrod then the Language of nature whence Adam gave names to all things naming each from its property did cease and the Stem of nature became faint feeble and weak by reason of the divided properties in the word of the powerfull understanding 13. Thus they did not any longer live so long for the true power of the humane life whence the understanding floweth is * * * Or proceeded come out of the word of God but being that the understanding did divide it selfe into many Tongues and properties Nature grew weaker and weaker and the high understanding of the properties of the Spirits of the Letters did fall for the internall brought it selfe into an externall in manner and wise as a man relateth and speaketh of a thing which he hath by hear-say and yet hath no right understanding of the same also is not able to see it 14. Of Such a Gift as the understanding of the Language of nature mankinde was deprived of at Babel when as they so highly exalted nature and would by the outward nature build them a Towre whose top should reach even to heaven which hath a very subtile hidden and innate understanding and it lyeth very excellently and emphatically in the Names of Noahs children and childrens children which the spirit in Moses hath set down in the line of their forth-spreading Generations wherein the properties of the division of the onely understanding and Language may be understood for they doe intirely intimate how the properties of the understanding doe give forth and unfold themselves one out of another and how each mutually brings it selfe into a Sundry particular Speech as into a peculiar Selfely word 15. For the names of the children of Noah and their children from whom the Second Monarchy had its rise upon the Earth are Seventy two which the spirit in Moses doth point out and herein lyeth the Great Mystery of the Tower of Babel viz. the division of the Tongues 16. For d d d 77. Seventy Seven is the whole number of the divine manifestation through the formed word e e e 72.5.1 â— seaventy two are Babel viz. the tongues of the wonders the other Five are holy and lye hidden under the seventy two and they take their Originall out of JOTH and the JOTH standeth in the viz. in the one which is the Eye of Eternity without ground and number 17. Through the five holy Speeches proceeding from JOTH the Spirit in the formed word of nature speaketh holy divine words in the children of the Saints and through the Seventy two Tongues he speaketh through the Nature of the wonders both from the Evill and good according as rhe word doth forme and amasse it selfe in an Ens. 18. The five Speeches belong to the Spirit of God who speaketh by his children when and how he pleaseth but the Seventy two belong to mans Selfnesse and particular ownhood whence mans self-full understanding speaketh Lies and Truth therefore the seaventy two Languages viz. Babel must passe through the judgement of God and the pure shall be separated from the Impure and tryed in the fire 19. For him who is taken under and capable of this knowledge we will give a short direction and manuduction to trace out our Sence and meaning which yet we in this place will keep to our selves and thereby intimate unto him how he may search out all Mysteries and Secrets which lie coucht under these Names which the holy Spirit in Moses hath marked out 20. The Spirit in Moses sets down Seven Names in Japhets Line viz. the Seven Sons which he begat which are these Gomer Magog Madai Javan Tubal Meschech and Tiras Now Japhet is the first and betokeneth the first Principle and therein the Kingdome of nature intimating how even out of Nature the Seven free Arts or liberall Sciences should be found under a naturall Philosophy and these were found out in this Japhets line in a naturall manner by the heathenish Philosophy for this was the twig which should dwell in Sems Tent as Noah foretold 21. For the Seven Sons of Japhet signifie and point out the Seven properties of nature and under their Seven Names lyeth the great Mystery of the Japheticall Lines in the Kingdome of nature intimating to us what kinde of people and Kingdomes should arise from them even unto the end of the world concerning the manifestation and writing of which our Speech is stopt and taken from us but it shall be freely and fully manifested to our school-fellowes in its Time and be wholly made known and revealed 22. After this the Spirit mentioneth onely two Sons of Japhet which begat children viz. Gomer and Javan he passeth over the other children of Japhet in Silence and mentions not at all what children they begat and this is not without cause the Spirit pointeth at the two sorts of men among the Gentiles in the Kingdome of nature viz. under Gomer he setteth three Names Askenaz Riphath and Togarmah these were the Sons of Gomer who doe thus manifest themselves in the Language of nature viz. they forme conceive or Amass the Ens of nature viz. the formed Word into an Ens and bring it into
hath thus be held it selfe it doth conceive with the Lubet in the Letters viz. in the Sence of nature and composeth the Sences of the Letters together and formeth the Lubet into a word the same standeth in an internall forme viz. in a conceived Thought 55. And even then the free-will taketh the H viz. the Spirit of the forth-breathing and bringeth the formed Thought before the counsell of the five Senses who behold the formed word and prove the same whether it be apt or not if it doth but please them then the H viz. the breathing Spirit taketh the word and brings it upon the Tongue into the Mouth there is the chief framer vâ—z the Fiat which is the divine Instrument and figureth the Senses of the properties out of the letters as the free-will hath set and composed them into a Substance to the Sounding or pronouncing manifestation or Expression 56. Now marke and observe us here very exactly how every word is formed or brought in the mouth to * * * Note when a word is formed or expressed it is brought to Substance Substance viz. to the expression How the chief worker and contriver viz. the Fiat which is in the Senses doth shape and figure it and how the Tongue cooperates or frames it selfe therewith when it takes it and by what way it brings it forth whether through the Teeth or above or with open Mouth also how the Tongue doth frame it self in the conjunction of the word which Sence it doth againe draw back and will not wholly cast forth as there is many a sence which is not halfe put forth but many fully and many againe are drawn halfe backwards towards the heart And now as the word was formed so is also the thing in its forme and property which is named by the word provided that the free-will giveth it also a right Name and doth not impose a strange Name on it out of Malice or Ignorance so it is externally noted and internally in the compaction of the Senses it hath such a vertue or ill malignant property 57. Now whosoever hath the understanding of the Senses viz. of the Spirits of the Letters so that he doth understand how the Senses are set or compounded in the Lubet he understands it in the framing of the word when the same is formed or brought forth to Substance and is able to understand the Sensuall Naturall or essentiall Language of the whole creation and understands whence Adam gave Names unto all things and from whence the Spirit of God hath prophecied in the Ancient 58. This is now the ground of the Head Languages when as all people spake in one Language then they understood one another but when they would not use the * * * Text Sensuall Naturall Genuine tongue then the true and Right understanding was put out in them for they brought the Spirits of the genuine tongue of Sence into an externall grosse forme and framed the subtile Spirit of the understanding into a grosse forme and learnt to speak out of the forme onely as at this day all Nations speak onely from this same forme of their contrived sensuall tongue 59. Now No people doe any more understand the Language of Sence and yet the Birds in the aire and the beast in the fields understand it according to their property 60. Therefore man may well thinke and consider what he is deprived of and what he shall againe obtaine in the New-birth although perhaps not here upon the Earth yet in the Spirituall world for in the Language of Sence all Spirits speake one with another they use no other Language for it is the Language of nature 61. Our Learned ones doe terme themselves Doctors and Masters and yet none of them understands his Mother Tongue they understand no more of the Spririt then the Country man doth of his Toole to the tillage of his ground they use onely the bare contrived forme of the grosse compounded words and understand not what the word is in its Sense hence ariseth the contention and strife wherewith men contend and jangle about God and his will men will teach what God is and yet understand not the Least of God 62. The five holy Speeches in the Language of Sence are Gods Word they are his operation through the Sence-tongue viz. through the properties as it cannot be denied that God giveth power vertue and life to all creatures and vegetables for his holy Name is through all and Adam had this holy Name as a proper possession working ruling and sensibly efficacious in his Senses and even this jewell he lost which is now again restored and enkindled in the holy Name JESVS 63. Therefore none can with Right be called a Divine or Learned in the holy Scripture much lesse a Doctor of the same unlesse that he understands the SensVAll tongue and knowes how the holy Spirit hath spoken by the Sensuall tongue in the holy Pen-men of the Scripture if he understands not the divine Sence in the holy Scripture Let him not undertake to be a Master over it to censure or interpret it he is not at all learned therein he is onely a changer of letters a Chop-Logick in the Scriptures and understands not one letter in its Sense 64. Thus understand us herein concerning the children of Noah viz. Japhet Sem and Ham and their children and grand-children they had lost the SensVAll Language and had made themselves a formed contrived one and so spake in a formed Language which they themselves understood not in the true Sence therefore God was hidden to them for they understood no more the voice of the holy Spirit in their Language viz. the Mentall Tongue of the five Vowells 65. And they looked about or Imagined where God should be and supposed that he must needs be something with forme and dwelling apart from them and being they could not understand any thing of God upon the Earth either what or where he was and yet had heard so much of God spoken by their fore-fathers thereupon they thought that he must needs dwell on high above the Stars and thought them not able to reach thither therefore they undertooke to build them a Towre whose Top should reach to heaven that so they might ascend up to him also they would thereby make themselves a Great Name that it might be said they had built a Towre even unto Heaven 66. Such a knowledge the formed understanding had of God as still to this day such Doctors are to be found who know and understand no more of Gods habitation and being then these Builders of the Towre and build in their Art altogether except the true genuine understanding ones upon this high Towre and can never ascend up to God and therefore they contend about the Building every one saith how it might be built sooner and better and yet they could never agree for they have all built themselves even to Death thereon untill the Lord sendeth a
watchman and shewes them that it is in vaine that they shall not finde him on High but that he is even among them under the Letter and they have not known him 67. At this we doe exceedingly rejoyce that the time is borne that we are lead from the Towre of Babel and are able to see the holy God in the SensVAll Language Hallelujah The Towre is broken and fallen down at which our fathers have built themselves to Death and yet have not built it up the foundation thereof shall not be any more laid while the Earth standeth saith the spirit of wonders 68. The hidden Mystery of the Towre and the divided Languages is this mankinde had framed the Sensuall Language of the holy Spirit into a dumb forme and used the formed word of the humane understanding onely in a forme as in a contrived vessell or vehiculum they spake onely with the outward contrived vessell and understood not the word in its owne proper Language of Sense they understood noâ— that God was in the Speaking word of the understanding as at this Day the like comes to passe and is 69. But being God had in the beginning of the creation incorporated himselfe with his word into mans Image viz. into the properties of the Senses and would not be without Sense or in one onely conceived forme and likewise seeing that all things doe stand in growth Seeding and Harvest even now was the time of the humane Trees Blooming where the spirit of the Senses did put forth it selfe in its properties with Blossomes and manifested the properties through the Blossomes and out of the Blossomes brought forth the Fruit and like as every blossome doth open and put forth it selfe at the outmost part or highest of the stalke or branches of the Tree or stock even so the spirit of nature drove the children of men to the extreamest Height that they also would build them an High Tower like to an high Tree or tall stalke for it would manifest its blossome and fruits also in the highest of the stalke and upon the Towre which they would build up unto heaven the SensVAll Spirit opened it self with the Blossome 70. For mans will was that they would ascend up to God and the God of nature or Sense put forth himselfe in the same desire and will for they sought him onely in a circumscribed Locall outward manner and even so he applyed himselfe to them in a Conceived forme of Sence out of the contrived formed tongues and Languages wherein notwithstanding they were dumb and knew him not 71. They were entered with the Sence viz. with the b b b Or the spirit of their Minde Mentall spirit into Nature and nature had captivated them in the understanding therefore God also manifested himselfe to them with the Sensuall Spirit in the contrived forme of the tongues out of the seventy two properties 72. Properties through the Three Principles viz. through a threefold Sensuall Alphabet according to the Three worlds property viz. through * * * three times foure and twenty letters and they brought the Sensuall spirit of the letters in their contrived forme through the Tongue out of each Letter through the three Principles viz. into Three properties of tongues and Languages according to the property of the Trinity of the Deity 72. And hence arise seaventy two Languages out of one onely Sensuall tongue 72 Languages wherein all Speeches and Languages are contained and each Tongue and Language fell upon its people according as every Family of the Stock of the humane Tree had a property out of the formed word even such a Language befell them out of their Sense viz. out of the same property of the formed word 73. For the Sense of mans speech that he is able to speake doth come unto him originally out of the divine word which introduced it selfe with the Verbum Fiat into a creation now this word brought forth it selfe through the compacted properties according to their Compaction nature kinde forme and property for so distinct and various also are the Senses in the quality even in the place of this world far otherwise in one Country then in another and even so God did likewise form the Languages according to the property of every Land and Country 74. For being that people were to be dispersed into every Country and Climate he opened to each people a Language according as it should be in a Land which did apply it selfe unto the same quality of Sense and accord therewith so that the quality of the Country did not introduce the Turba into it if they with the word of their voice agreed to the Sound of the formed spirit in the Soule of the Great world in that place 75. For as the manifestation of the formed word was in the spirit of the world in every place even so the Spirit of God did forme through the nature of the properties the Language and speech in every Country first the seventy two head Languages out of nature and afterward the c c c Or Dialects of Language collaterall affinities proceeding from the Senses of every head Language as we plainly see that a man doth scarce finde in any place of the world among all the head Languages one and the same sence in any head Language within the compasse of fifteene or eighteene miles 15. or 18. miles According to the Elevation of the Pole Climate or Zenith and Nadir they alter and change almost every fifteen or eighteen miles all according as the properties of that Pole or Elevation are Look what kinde of property the Lubet hath in its predominant Constellation even such a property the vulgar people have in their Language and Speech CHAP. XXXVI Of the Antichristian babilonicall VVhore of all Nations Tongues and Speeches shewing what is contained under the Languages and Towre of Babel An open Gate of the Mystery of the Great Babilon CUrteous Reader I desire to warne thee in Love that thou wouldest not understand our Sence and meaning according to partiall affections to detract Revile or especially to contemne or despise any as from us much lesse to set upon them in their Office Function and Dignities out of passion but we shall speake in Generall Let every one prove himselfe he shall indeed finde the Great Mystery of the babilonicall Towre in himselfe and also the * * * Number of the Beast Number of the false Beast Let him but read our meaning with Patience and take himselfe along as to his evill innate hereditary property under the same as really the earthly mortall man in all men belongeth unto this text 2. we will here write what the time hath brought forth and manifested and if it were not manifest by Man yet the beasts should be driven to manifest the same for the time is * * * Or fulfilled borne and nothing can hinder the most High accomplisheth his worke 3. Moses saith Nimrod Hams
Opinions of Gods being and Essence and therein consists the Confusion viz. the Mystery of the great Babylon concerning which the Spirit of God did prophecie and declare out of the propheticall root both out of the Line of Christ how Christ should come to restore and remedy the poore captive soule and regenerate its right true life and also out of the Turba magna how this Beast together with the whore should be cast from the face of God into the fiery furnace 30. With this whore of Selfe all the false Spirituall * * * Clergicall and Ecclesiasticall ones or priesthood have cloathed themselves who set up themselves to be Teachers of the mystery of Gods Kingdome without Gods Spirit they have externally covered themselves with the propheticall and Apostolicall word and pleaded the Testimony of the Bible but they have introduced their own sense out of the Whores Ens thereinto and have hung in their heart to the babilonicall fleshly whore and have not understood the Propheticall and Apostolicall Tongue in its Sence 31. They have spoken from the sence of their owne beastiall selfe-hood through the propheticall and Apostolicall word and have brought and used Christs words to their own selvish babilonicall Harlottry and committed whoredome and likewise have Adorned and trimmed up their Bastard under Christs purpur-mantle with Silver Gold and pretious stones and also with worldly dignities Honours favour and riches 32. After these men have run and have even adored and esteemed them as Gods falling deeply in love with their Bastard although their hearts have never agreed or stood upon the onely true ground but have been at variance with each other and this is that of which the Prophet Daniel speaketh saying * * * Daniel 11. they shall honour a God whom their fathers knew not with Gold Silver and pretious stones and unto those that help them to strengthen their strange God * * * God of forces Maozim they will divide the Land for inheritance this whole chapter doth belong hereunto 33. Now when we consider aright what this babilonicall Towre is at present in Christs Kingdome upon the Earth and what it was under Moses and among the Gentiles then we finde very clearly that among all Three it is of one property and so also among the Turks and present Jewes every Nation builds it out of its own materialls for in the Right universall Sensuall tongue if it be manifest in one we are altogether but one onely people and Nation even from Adam 34. But the very cause that we are divided and brought into Opinions is by reason of our Master-builders and founders viz. of the high schooles Priests Popes Bishops Doctors also the Rabbies and Masters of all nations who are set as work-men to the building of the Towre all these have judged from their owne Language and naturall understanding viz. from their conceived and formed sensuall tongue from the outward letter and have indeed neither known God or the Light of nature but have been blinde and dumb as to both both the Jewes and Gentiles and also the Selfe-made Teachers of the Christians 35. Whosoever have run devoid of Gods spirit without divine understanding either among Jewes and Gentiles Christians and Turkes they have built onely this Towre in their own essence and the same is even a Towre of the great wonders of God of divine Contemplation both according to light and darknesse life and death joy and sorrow 36. Not that we are to understand that this Towre is not at all profitable before God it is even the great Mystery of Gods manifestation according to Love and Anger as God hath created out of the great mystery all manner kindes and sorts of Beasts Birds Wormes Trees and Hearbs evill and Good and that all to the manifestation of the Great wonders thus likewise the humane Tree hath brought forth such wonders out of its Sensuall tongue out of the multiplicity of the properties and introduced them into a Substance for its Growth and glory viz to the great Harvest of God where each property of Love and Anger Light and darknesse shall reap in it s own fruit and every thing shall possesse its heaven in it Selfe in its own formed and conceived Ens out of the onely word of God which hath given forth it selfe to every life even unto every life and Being according to its own proper quality and vertue according to and out of its Principle as an universall word to the glorious manifestation of Eternity 37. Now when we further consider of this Beast with the Whore what it is in it selfe within and without then we finde that it is the formed compacted word of the spirits of the Letters for men are all of one onely property as to their life all are begotten out of one flesh and Soul and have all but one onely kinde of life as a Tree in many boughes and branches where the boughes and twiggs doe not perfectly and wholly seeme alike or the same in forme but all have one onely Sapp and vertue so likewise the creature of mankinde among Jewes Christians Turks and Heathens 38. And the onely difference is this the spirits of the Letters in the formed word do sever us in the understanding else we live all alike in the four Elements and eat of the fruits of one Mother and remaine in her when we dye to this outward life 39. The compacted Sensuall tongue which is divided in the spirits of the Letters doth confound us and make us to erre so that we doe suppose we are strange one to another and yet we are all but one onely Tree which the Devill hath poysoned with his desire in Adam so that the equall Temperature or Accord was brought into distemper and discord whereupon the spirits of the Letters were variously made manifest so that we speak from many speeches that is we have introduced the powerfull word of God into the multiplicity of the divided properties and have made in each tongues property a Selfehood or a Self-ish desire to arrogation self-apprehension and assumption 40. Hence arise the contrarieties differences and * * * Text Images Opinions in that we have introduced the unformed word into the forme of our owne selfe-made Image now we contend and strive about these Images and conceits and every one supposeth his own to be best and when we bring all these Images and severall Semblances again into one Language and Speech and mortifie them then the Onely Quickning Word of God which giveth power and life to all things is again manifest and strife ceaseth and God is all in all 41. Therefore we say as we have found it in the Grace of the One that all mens Imaginations opinions and Knowings of God his being and will without the divine light or * * * The undoubted Unction of the holy Ghost illumination of the Spirit are this same whores Beast which is flown forth and arisen from the
compacted spirits of the Letters whereby men contend about the Spirits of the Letters 42. We have lost the Five vowells in the Alphabet which doe introduce all the spirits of the Letters into one pure harmony and the five vowells are as t' were sencelesse or dumb in reference to the other letters and yet they are the life of the rest for there cannot any word be formed but there must be a vowell 43. Now there is no better way or remedy to bring us into union that so we may become ONE again with one another One people One Tree One man in Soul and body then to destroy and kill all the Images or formes of the Letters in us and suffer none of them at all to have its owne selfe-life not desiring to know or will any more of God save onely and alone what God willeth to know in us and through us and also that we doe immerse or resigne the Soules hunger and desire meerely onely and nakedly without any other knowing or willing into the five vowells and therein the great holy Name of JEOVA or JESVS viz. the living word is manifest which giveth life unto all things and not according to the property of nature desire and will the different variety of many things but give up our selves into the one onely Love-Sun therein He is manifest 44. As the outward Sun giveth life and power to the whole world so likewise this onely Name in its Power giveth life and understanding to all the Letters and understand us aright what we meane by the whoredome of the Letter 45. The letters viz. the properties of the Sensuall tongue have introduced themselves into an externall forme or selfe-full will and understanding and brought themselves with the vowells into a compaction selfe-comprehension or particular formation and when this was done then JESVS viz. the holy Name JEOVA died or disappeared in the Sensuall tongue in the Letters with the five vowells of the one onely holy mentall tongue that is the spirituall Man which was resigned in and to God dyed to the divine understanding and will 46. Now there is a selfe-willed Beast of Selfishnesse and own-hood brought forth out of the spirit of the other letters which doth onely kill Christ in Paul 2 Cor. 3.6 and bring forth dead fruit for Christ saith the letter killeth but the spirit maketh alive understand this thus 47. The divided Sensuall tongue killeth us sets us at ods and variance leads us into Babel but the spirit of the vowells viz. the holy Name of God doth againe revive and quicken us in him therefore the holy word of the five vowells did again when as the spirits of the letters were divided and brought into the Selfehood of the wonders of God espouse and incorporate it selfe forthwith in Paradise with the precious covenant into the Letter viz. into the Naturall man for to manifest it selfe again with a motion in the Compacted Tongue and to introduce the holy Sence again into the Sensuall tongue 48. Thus understand us aright the literall forme in the Sensuall tongue is now the Evill Beast which will domineere in its own power now into this evill Beast the spirit of the five vowells viz. the Name JEHOVAH which with the H hath breathed the JESVS thereinto hath given in it selfe and killed the evill Beast viz. the Selfe-will and hath againe Tinctured the spirits of the Letter viz. the right naturall man with the Tincture of the holy Name of the vowells or JEHSVS and with the Love hath slaine the death or deaths in the letters and destroyed their Selfe-will so that the spirits of the letters cannot any more introduce themselves into a selfefull Compaction of the Sensuall tongue for they are dead in their owne will and the Spirit JEHOVAH in JESVS is become their life Rom. 6.2 so that they live no longer to their Selfehood viz. to the nature of the wrath but in that they live they live to God 49. Thus now the Beast of the whore is in us outwardly viz. in the mortall man and inwardly is Christ in the immortall man who is passed through the death of the letters and hath turned the death into life Joh. 5.24 50. Now it behooveth man and his main happinesse depends thereon that he also dye unto the Images of the letters in him and disclaime or depart from all Reasons schollarship or knowledge of nature and all babylonicall Master-builders however they be called and enter into the one onely life JEHSVS and not at all dispute about the way where it is but onely d d d Or consider think that it is in him that he must forsake all whatever he hath either Art wit or skill c. and become one barely and nakedly in himselfe bring himselfe into the ONE viz. into Gods will and be freely willing with whatsoever it will worke or doe with him he must give up himselfe will-lesse and leave himselfe wholly in Gods Mercy and bring all his learnings into this one onely Thing that he in his teachings and learnings will not doe or speak any thing but what God willeth through him and thus all Images opinions and conceits doe dye in him and the Soules life falleth into the onely living word which hath manifested it selfe again in the humanity 51. For this is the great Beast of the Babilonicall whore in us that we bring our selves into the Images and formes of the Letters and make Opinions to our selves that Opinion is a Beast 52. Also we must not desire to know and will our selves but dye continually with our own selfe-will and in all things give God the honour and give him againe that which he giveth us viz. whatsoever understanding wisdome and skill we have and acknowledge that it is not our owne but that the divine Sun shineth out of and through us and worketh in us as it pleaseth 53. Thus likewise we must diffuse and give out againe our power and vertue which the divine Sun worketh in us universally to all without any gaine advantage or hire from any whosoever shall help to maintaine and nourish our life unto him we must be thankfull and not flatter any for his authority's sake or receive his false glance shew or lustre into this Sun-light but all must be in Generall or Common as the Sun-shine doth give it selfe universally and gives no strong Great or Potent thing any more but its purity and brightnesse it Tinctureth the Earth and its children with one onely power and vertue and giveth life and strength to all things 54. Herein now we shall know whether one be a Teacher sent of God or whether he hath his rise and originall onely out of the spirit of the Letter if he be born universally out of the Love then he hath the light of divine knowledge viz. the Sensuall divine understanding a Tongue Tinctured from the divine Ens of the five vowells and speaketh from the Spirit of God rebuketh and teacheth
that so he might have great respect in the City Babel and therefore they build themselves strong holds and make great bulwarks and walls to defend and keep the Image and flatter themselves in hypocricy and understand and meane by the contrived and painted Image the God Maozim viz. the fat-belly God and pleasure of the beast viz. of this whores Image they set the Image upon the Towre for the shew of their holinesse and therewith they are very devout in glistering appearances before God as with a peculiar Selfe-born God but they immure the Beast within their Stone-houses that it may be secure and there fat it selfe 64. What is now this beast with the whore it is halfe-devill which hath its Kingdome upon the Earth and it is half beast this evill Beast hath devoured man viz. the Image of God 65. And for this cause God became man that he might destroy slay and nullifie the works of the Devill and we must put on this divine humanity and destroy the Devills Kingdome in us and mortifie all Images otherwise we cannot see God the living word must mortifie the literall Image 66. The living word is therefore become man that the literall Image might dye and the first man which was formed out of the living word in Gods Image might be regenerated anew in Christs Spirit viz. in the living word and if now he be borne then all the Image-teachers are more prejudicall then beneficiall to him for they introduce their Images onely into the Temple of Christ and destroy the Image of God 67. And let this here be declared concerning the children of Nimrod and the Towre of Babel as the Spirit hath so given us to know and we doe admonish the Reader in Love to prove and examine himselfe he shall finde where he is this is not written to reproach any but thus the Spirit speaketh with open mouth and sheweth what all things are from whence they come and into what End they shall goe 68. But the reason why so much is written of the Beast and the Whore of Babel is because it is at its End and shall soone be broken in pieces therefore it must be revealed that men may see and know it for Babel falleth not unlesse that all whatsoever hath made the Images doth likewise fall all Images Opinions and Sects of Religion together with the Beast and whore must fall else there is no Cure or remedy 69. Men have for a long time been a patching and pieceing of it and have verily thought to have made a virgin of the whore but her whoredome hath thereby been onely adorned trimmed up and made the greater if this whore shall fall then all Sects which are onely the Images of the whore must fall down and come to naught together with Beast upon whom she rideth every man must break down and destroy the Images and Idols in himselfe and where they will not doe it there the zeale of the Lord doth it 70. How very finely doth the whore at present perck up its head and being it heareth that the spirit doth intimate great and glorious things of Zion viz. of the Adorned holy bride of Christ then it thinks that it is the faire childe which God will bring into a golden Temple wherein there shall be a brave Golden Time and meere joy pleasure and delight and it looketh about to see from whence this faire Temple of God should come into which it should enter and become a virgin it hearkneth continually from whence these holy People should come who as it supposeth should make a Golden world 71. But it thinks not to leave off from its covetous voluptuous whoredome and be converted no! it groweth worse and worse and more unchaste and abominable full of blasphemies so that there is scarce any good at all in it and it standeth before God as an arraigned condemned whore 72. Hearken thou Adorned and crowned Babilon full of evill and wickednesse in the sight of God and his Angels we have heard a watchman say Away the city together with the Towre of the whore and the beast is fallen and judged of the most High thou shalt not see the city of God for ever unlesse that thy children doe put off and cast away the defiled Garment full of shame and fall down wholly naked and bare without any Image at the feet of the most High and turne unto him such as these may indeed see it but as for others who hope for golden mountaines and seek for Temporall honour money and pleasure of the flesh not any of them AMEN 73. Reason will here in the above mentioned Text where it is mentioned that a true Christian must dye to all Images Opinions and Selfe-knowledge and be wholly annihilated in himselfe begin to speculate cavill and say that we doe forbid man the naturall knowledge and externall Rationall wisdome whereby men doe Governe the life and all things of this world and if this were so all understanding would be abolished 74. Unto him we declare that nothing is hereby taken away or abolished in man neither understanding skill or Art for all these arise out of the divine wisdome we doe not nullifie the expressed Word of the formed wisdome but onely the Beast which will rule in divine contemplation viz. the beast-like will of Selfe and selvish ownhood and propriety which is departed from God which honoureth it selfe as a false selfly God and cannot beleeve or trust in God This is even the Antichrist which hath * * * 2 Thess. 2.4 set himselfe up in Gods place and we withall doe teach that man must wholly dye to the Antichristian Image that he may be born again in Christ with a new life and will which new will hath might and ability in the formed word of nature to see and behold with divine eyes all the wonders of God both in nature and creature in the formed wisdome 75. For if the Antichrist dyeth in the Soul then Christ ariseth from death for he resteth in the five vowells in his grave viz. in the mentall-tongue which dyed in Adam and lieth captive in Antichrist when this same ariseth from death in the mentall tongue and is made alive then he openeth all the treasures of the heavenly wisdome in the Sensuall tongue so that man doth far more clearly understand the spirits of the letters viz. the formed word of nature in all the three Principles then he did before in the Antichristian whores child 76. For the new birth is indeed effected and broughâ— to passe in the mentall tongue viz. in the disappeared Image of the heavenly humanity but it Tingeth and casteth away the false antichristian Image of the naturall humanity viz. of the spirits of the dumb sencelesse letters and doth make them all sencelesse and dead in their selfe-hood and gives them their own life so that they doe behold themselves in the new humanity and make all their assumptions and formations in the new humanity 77. These
holy virginity the Eternall holy word of the power of God which had created Adam into an Image of God did promise in-hest and incorporate it selfe with a Covenant to bruise the head of the Devill and the Serpents Ens. 29. Thus understand us here very accurately like as the Father generateth the Son and as out of Adam who betokens the Fathers property the woman viz. his Love-Tincture was taken and as before while the woman was in the Man the fires Tincture penetrated into the lights Tincture and loved it selfe therein and as man and woman are one Body so likewise the fire-baptisme of the Circumcision went forth out of the mans fire-Tincture into his female Tincture in the woman God baptized the fires Tincture in the Man and out of the Mans Seed cometh both the male and the Female Sex 30. Thus the mans Covenant and Baptisme entred into the woman viz. into the female property for the Womans Tincture had in it already the holy Ens in the Covenant that Gods word in the Covenant would become man in her shut up barren Ens and quicken again therein the disappeared virginity 31. Therefore the woman must not put on the Seal of Baptisme in her own peculiar will or desire but have it from the man being shee was taken from the man that so shee might become a right woman or manness in the mans Baptisme that so the Image of God in her might obtain the fires-Baptisme and Tincture from the man 32. For S t Paul understood this very well when he said * * * 1 Tim. 2.15 The woman shall be saved by bearing of children if shee continues in the Covenant and in the Love for the woman hath her soul from the mans soul and when shee is given to the man then she is one body with him and brings forth children to the man she is his woman his instrument an half-man and the Man an half-woman 33. And that the mans property might again obtain the perfect Love viz. the female Ens and the woman the Masculine Ens the Holy Spirit baptized the mans viz. the fiâ—es Tincture with the heavenly holy virgin-like Tincture and the man baptized the womans essence in his Seed with the fiery and also divine Tincture therefore God commanded the males onely to be circumcised 34. For in the Jewes fire-Baptisme the Spirit baptized onely without water but among the Christians the Spirit baptizeth through water the Jewish women could put on the Spirit indeed in the mans fire-Tincture but now being this same * * * Burning ardent fire-word is become flesh they ought now of right also to put on Christ in the flesh and be baptized for their heavenly disappeared virginity must also put on Christ's introduced heavenly virginity so that they might be true manlike virgins in the spirit and essence of Christ. 35. Now Reason asketh further Circumcisiâ—n the 8 th Day Wherefore must the male-children be circumcised just on the Eighth day why must it not be either sooner or later did it not lye in mans choice and power to delay the same if it were weak Herein is contained the mystery and wonder dear brethren cease from the contention of the letter and learn to understand the hidden mysteries we shall deal with you in a child-like manner do but look us in the face from whence we come and whence it is that wee know and understand all this 36. God Commanded the Boyes to be circumcised upon the Eighth day and wherefore Six dayes are the Man in nature the Seventh is the day of Rest in him viz. the heavenly disappeared Ens wherein the six spirits of nature do work As God made the Creation in six dayes viz. out of the six properties of nature and brought them to Rest into the Seventh viz. into the Emanation or flowing forth of the heavenly Ens which God hath co-imprinted into the compaction of the creation which is the rest and right life of the six properties 37. Thus man hath gotten seaven dayes for his own the Seventh is his day of Rest understand the Seventh property is the heavenly nature which dyed in him whereby he came into disquietnesse therefore the Eighth day came out of meer Grace to help him and gave it self again into his Seaven working dayes viz. into the Seaven properties of his own essence and THIS DAY is Christ in the Circumcision and in the Baptisme 38. For God in this process holdeth the order with the Regeneration of man in manner and nature as he created him out of seven dayes understand in six dayes his naturall life was brought out of the six properties of the inward and outward nature into an Image and the Seventh property was the Paradise viz. the * * * Text. The Sun-Evening or â—he Evening of atonement according as the word will bear it See Chap the 16 of this book Paragraph 16 17 c. Saturday in which the six spirits of nature in their operation were reconciled and Atoned for it was the spirituall world 39. And hence arose that command unto the Jewes that they should sanctifie and rest even externally on the Saturday viz. the Sabbath to signifie the inward holy Eternall Sabbath in which the Spirit of God worketh in man and every creature in each according to its property for every created being resteth in him 40. And therefore he commanded the male children to be circumcised on the Eighth day viz. in himselfe for he himselfe is this Eighth day which circumciseth for before Christs humanity the process went in the form of nature but being now Christ hath fullfilled the nature of man and given himselfe into the Seaven dayes of mans property children may now be baptized every or any day Baptized every Day 41. We see here a very excellent figure by the beginning or first institution of the Circumcision and Covenant of the fire-baptisme against the makers of the reason-conclusions upon the letter who will needs have it that some children are damned from the wombe and even therefore because they are taken and born out of the corrupt Ens of nature For Ishmael who was by nature a mocker and captivated in the poysonfull and corrupt Adamicall Ens Even He must be the first man which Abraham circumciseth who was baptized in the Covenant 42. Yee reason-wise I pray set this looking-glass before your eyes and think what you do with your Conclusions concerning Predestination we shew it you in humility if you will not see it shall be shewn you with fire which is certainly known for Christ came for Ishmâ—els sake and for those that are like him to help and save them if they would themselves but in Isaac shall the Seed be called viz. the Eighty day which is come to help the other six dayes and introduce them again into the Seventh viz. into the day of Reâ—â— 43. Dear brethren be instructed aright the God of Love He will not the death of the poor
shall be so in eternity the same shall arise at the Last day and be proved through the fire of God where it shall be made very pure as a christall in which the Angel viz. Gods right Image shall dwell in which Angelicall Image God is primely manifest and thence shineth through the Beast as the Sun through a cristall this now is the signification of this Tender and good Calf which was dressed for this Meal and shews that the outward man according to his right Image created in Adam out of the Limus of the earth shall be brought upon Gods Table 22. But that Abraham saith He gave it to the young man to dresse that is the Servant doth betoken that this heavenly Beast-man is the instrument of the Angelicall man who is prepared to be a servant of this Angels Image 23. And Abraham took Butter and Milk also and set it all before these three men and came before them under the Tree and they did eat When Christ hath fed his people with his Body and Bloud and even while he feeds them he cometh in his power in his children before the holy Trinity and waiteth in his children upon these three men and giveth them from this prepared food wherewith he feedeth his children Praise and spirituall food 24. These three men viz. the holy Trinity do eat these holy spirituall meats out of the power of Christs Body for mans will giveth it selfe wholly peculiarly and fully to these three men for a food of praise with an holy voyce and prayer of Thankesgiving and this voyce of praise eateth the power of God into it selfe in manner as a man willingly eateth the tune harmony or pleasant air of a delightfull musick into his hearing and is therein merry and pleasant even so God doth awaken or manifest himselfe in his power in his word of hearing or divine Sence with mans pure humble voyce or melody of praise 25. For thereunto God hath created Angells and Men viz. to his own joy and know that we speak from the true ground and not from conjecture or * * * Or Parables Similitudes but from the Open Seal of God as we really see do but understand it aright 26. And now when God had delighted and fed himselfe with Abraham in the heavenly Ens which he would by the opening of the living word in the Seed of the Woman being also the heavenly Ens manifest and introduce into the Ens of the Covenant and had sported in the Ens of Abrahams faith viz. in the power of the praise of Abraham viz. in his humility then God asked after Sarah whom he well knew but Sarah knew him not that even the Lord should be in such a form then he said to Abraham Where is thy wife Sarah that is she was not yet in this Play untill she had received Abrahams Ens of faith and then this Play would awaken it selfe in her therefore she laughed at this for she knew not the Mysteries they did at present onely manifest themselves in Abrahams spirit where the Ens of Faith lay and he said She is in the Tent that is 27. She is in the humane Tent covered with the Earthly Tent that she doth not see who now is with me and the Lord said I will come again to thee * * * Ger. So. signifies As or If. As I live and lo Sarah thy wife shall have a Son that is I will come again to thee with the motion of thy Seed and when Sarah shall conceive then I will open and unloose her in her shut up Seed and come into thy Seed that is move for to come signifieth to move when God cometh then he moveth man and cometh or goeth in and with man 28. But that he saith As I live this is spoken after an essentiall manner for God told him how he would come not before him as at this time he did but * * * Or If. As that is as the lightfull influence and power of the Sun giveth it self into a fruit which when it cometh doth not step neer to the fruit but * * * Or If. As that is it penetrates essentially with the As into it for As is as much as thus I will see into it or open my Love-aspect in the Ens of its life * * * Or If. As I live hereby we are not to understand as if he had said if I yet live but he would live in the As he would come in the As viz. Essentially and not figuratively and typically as at this time he did 29. For when God cometh then he comes no otherwise then * * * Or If. As that is like the Sun-shine into the fruit this is understood in the Language of nature Essentially with emphaticall excellency for if God speaketh of his own Comming then he speaketh onely essentially in nature and manner of the uncompacted tongue of Sence 30. And Sarah laughed at this shee thought that shee should bring forth a Son from Abrahams lust onely from the humane cohabitation in the concupiscence of the flesh therefore shee said Shall I now I and my Lord are both old take pleasure the beastiall worlds-spirit laughed at its youth in that it was now weak and should now again become youthfull and thought with it selfe this were a sport if thou couldest As if one should tell an old man thou shalt become young again and receive such a desire and lust as when thou wert young at this nature would laugh and think yes indeed would that were true as if doubt and hope were coupled together thus it was also with Sarah for the world-spirit understands not the mysteries of God it is before God onely as a beast and being the world-spirit did now hear that it should so come to passe then it thought thou shalt be the work-master oh that thou couldest thou wouldst very fain and laughed at it selfe that it should become young again 31. The naturall man understands even as much of God as a beast when it sees the Hay then it thinks now there is somewhat for me to eat but if it sees nothing then it hopeth for it out of Custome but Sarah had now hoped untill shee was ninety yeares old and thought it to be very wonderfull that God would do somewhat unto her above the ordinary and usuall course of nature and Imagined it unto her selfe after the manner of humane pleasure 32. But the Lord said Wherefore did Sarah laugh at it and she was afraid and said I laughed not but the Lord said it is not so thou didst laugh should any thing be too impossible for the Lord to do Here is the Type of Eve when shee had turned her vain curiosity into Selfe lust to eat of the forbidden tree and God afterward asked her Wherefore shee had don so shee denied also her own lust and laid it upon the Serpent 33. And being that now God had here alluded with Abraham concerning
saw them he arose up to meet them and he bowed himselfe with his face towards the ground and he said Behold now my Lords turn in I pray into your servants house and tarry all night and wash your feet and ye shall rise up early and go on your wayes but they said nay but we will abide in the street all night and he earnestly entreated them and they turned in unto him and entered into his house and he made them a Feast and baked them unleavened cakes and they did eat 25. If we should declare and explain this in its right understanding then we would express it after this manner the cry of the Sodomites was the Curse which Noah laid upon Ham when he cursed him by reason of his unchast wanton beastial Eyes and desire this same cursed beastiall spirit had propagated bred up it self in the malicious prophane wholly earthly and serpentine property in the flesh and soul of this generation of Ham so that it had established it selfe in a Kingly Dominion under which they lived more like to Beasts then true Men. 26. This Cry of the cursed Serpents Ens grown up to its full height in the Anger was made manifest and sounded aloud in its Mother viz. in the Anger of God in the dark worlds property and had awakened the judgement upon and in it selfe and now God sent his judgement upon the Serpents Ens this was now the time of Enos his hidden and at present opened Seal as it is before mentioned concerning the Seaven * * * The 30 Chap. of this Book vers 36. Lines or Generall junctures of time where his mystery was at the end and was now revealed as a Sound of his preaching in the word of power both in Love and Anger 27. As in Abraham in Love for here the formed word which began to be taught in the dayes of Enos did now manifest it selfe in the formed pregnant and Grown Ens or being in Abraham with the promised and holy Seed of Faith And in the children of iniquity who were of the generation of cursed Ham the property of the Anger did here manifest it selfe out of Enos his Preaching wherein he threatned Gods judgement and Rebuke this same was now grown up in the children of iniquity and brought to Substance 28. And now seing the Seal of this Enos did open it Selfe being his mystery was at the End and was forthwith to be manifest according to Love and Anger thereupon each property set forth its Substance to the divine Contemplation viz. whatsoever the word in the Love Ens had wrought under the sound or voice of Enos and also what the Sound of the denunciation of the Anger of God had wrought Here now the Essences of both properties did open themselves and set themselves into the judgement to the finall sentence of the righteousness of God Now in this finall Arbitration or determination of the divine Justice viz. in Abraham there stood Christ in the judgement of Enos his Preaching of Repentance and in Enos his threatnings of plagues and punishment the earnest and severe judgement of God viz. Prince Lucifer did there stand in the judgement in the children of the curse in Ham to execute the fame in the wrath of God as a servant of the house of darkness 29. For God said to the people of Israel on Mount Sinai * * * Exod. 20.5 I will visit and punish the iniquities of the Parents upon the children even unto the third and fourth Generation which is here to be seen in Ham Noahs Son here came first the curse of Noah into Judgement 20. And here two Angels were sent that is in the power and might of the judgement in Christs stead being Christ was not yet in the flesh and in Office for Christs Office continued in Abraham before the Lord and prayed for the Rebellious men of Sodom and Gomorrah 31. But when they were tryed in the judgement viz. in the Office of the Love of Christ before the Lord whether there were any men of Sodom who were capable of the office of Christ in the Love and yet none were found then the office of Christ in Abraham remained behinde and went not unto Sodom but the Office of divine Righteousness and truth went in the form of two Angels to Sodom and looked very intimately into their essence and being and proved the same in it selfe as it is to be seen that as soon as these two Angels came into the Citie the property of the People did open and manifest it selfe and they would have these Men brought forth among them 32. For these two Angels had stirred up or moved their properties and set them in open view before the Lord to see what was in them and then they found that they were onely beastiall unchast lewd murtherers which brought them into judgement and now they must be judged according to their Essence 33. But that the Spirit in Moses signifieth That Lot sate at the Gate and knew these Angels and entreated them earnestly to turn in unto him that so he might wash their feet and bake them cakes and that they did eat and yet at first did deny to turn in unto him The same is a very hidden mystery for it is the Spirit of truth and righteousness which Lot knew very well for it was moved in the Essence and entered first with the Tryall into Loth and when as he humbled and bowed himselfe before the Lord he was proved and found upright in himselfe 34. But the truth did first refuse to go into his house with the Righteousness viz. with the judgement and would remain in the street for it was because of Lotts wife who when she was proved and the judgement passed through her was cast as to her Temporall life for she continued in the judgement as a * * * Prima Materia first matter viz. as a Sulphur Mercurius that is an * * * The hard Astringent impressed matter of the judgement as a transmutation into the first Essence out of which the Body was created 35. Yet not so soon before the execution of the judgement but when Lot went with her out of Sodom and the judgement began she drew the judgement back again on her as is to be seen in the judgement which then laid hold on her for it had taken her in the probation 36. Yet the Command was given her not to look back and so she might have overcome if she had forthwith entered into Repentance and broken the evill earthly will and fallen down with Lot at the Lords feet and this was the cause that the two Angells refused to turn in unto Lott 37. And by Lotts wife the earthly Matrix is signified which shall not go along through the judgement although it must help to work and bring forth fruit as an instrument yet it is not in its outward form chosen unto the kingdome of heaven for it was adjoyned to Eve
in the sleep in Adams fall and shall remain in the Judgement and be changed again into its first matter out of which it was created it is not condemned into the Abysse but it shall passe into the mystery viz. into Sulphur and Mercurius which * * * In Mysterio Magno in the Grand Mystery is a Salt-spirit viz. a cause of all corporality as it shall be mentioned hereafter concerning Lots daughters who for this very cause were to be gotten with child of their father 38. Thus understand the figure farther internally Lot baked cakes of unleavened dough and made them a feast and they did eat Now the Angells do not use any such food but they were onely formed Angels in an Angelicall shape for Abraham and Lot also called them Lord it was Gods judgement and truth 39. This Feast was eaten in manner as the Offrings of Abraham and Moses as is before-mentioned for the wills-desire * * * Amasseth conceives formeth it selfe therein into a Substance God eateth onely the word of the will but the food is consumed in the outward spirit in which it is wrought 40. For Lot his Faiths-desire was the divine food of these men but with the feast which Lot gave them out of his good Love-will Lots will was formed into a Substance that so he might be preserved in this judgement outwardly as to the earthly life and inwardly as to the will of faith 41. For these Angels did eat of Lotts food as if they had eaten of his Body and Spirit which was therein apprehended in manner as it is to be understood in the * * * Or Sacrifices Offrings as is before sufficiently explained concerning the * * * Or Sacrifices Offrings of Cain and Abel for the unleavened cakes were or did signifie the informing or Impression as may be seen every where in Moses and they denote the Body of Christ whereinto the Imagination of God entered as into a Type and yet was onely conceived or apprehended in the Faith Vers. 4. 42. Furthermore the Spirit in Moses saith And before the men lay down the men of the Citie Sodom came and encompassed the house round about young and old even all the people from every quarter and called for Lot and said unto him where are the men that came in unto you the last night bring them out that we may know them 43. This is now the figure as it is before-mentioned the Judgement after that it had bound it selfe with Lott in the Feast did now penetrate and presse in the probation of their Essence and Being into All that they came peâ—meâ— on heapes running as mad enraged people driven forced and compelled to the Judgement 44. For the zeal of the Lord which longed after them drew them to it selfe it hungered earnestly to devour their vanity therefore they run altogether young and old and would know the Mouth which hungered after them for they in their blindness know not what they did thus the Anger drew them to it selfe 45. And Lot went out unto them at the door and shutt the door after him and said ah I pray dear brethren do not so wickedly I have two daughters which have never known man let me I pray you bring them out unto you and do with them what seems good in your eyes but unto these men do nothing for therefore came they under the shadow of my roof but they said Come hither thou art the onely stranger among us and thou wilt rule well we will deal worse with thee then with them 46. Here the ground of their Sin is finely deciphered and laid out in its colours wherein their cry was come before God as namely Uncleanness Lasciviousness Tyranny Self-willed perversness and the greatest of all was the Contempt of God for Lot had told them of the punishment which God would bring upon them and then they said Thou art the onely Stranger among us and wilt go about to rule and judge us we will yet plague thee worse then those to signifie that God had before sent them warning by the Messengers of his mouth and that they had onely plagued and contemned them therefore they said also to Lot wilt thou govern us with thy Threatnings and contem and nullifie our workes we will serve thee worse then them 47. For when they understand that Men of God were come in unto Lott who threatned them with ruin and destruction they made an uproar against them and would kill them as the mad blind world hath alwayes don when God hath sent them Messengers who have rebuked and reproved them then the Babylonicall Whore hath cryed out run run there is a new Heresie which would teach us other Doctrine and reprove our way which we go in 48. Thus it was here the selfefull rebellious Devills-will in his Serpents Ens would be uncontroulable unreprovable and Being these men were come they cryed out * * * Murther Mordio and said there were false Prophets and Teachers come to rebuke and contem them as the Babylonicall Whore hath alwayes don for shee will not hear what the Lord speaketh through his children but that onely must be accounted Sacred which 〈◊〉 speakes from the Serpents Ens. 49. This Whore hath covered her selfe with the Literall Word and gives forth her selfe for Holy and boasteth much in a Strange Attire but her heart is onely Sodom and Gomorrah when she seeth these two Angells come from Abraham that is from Christ to her in her Sodom and Gomorrah and lay open her shame then she makes the whole City of an 〈◊〉 with a cry of murther so that all people young and old come running together and think that there is some strange wonderfull Beast arrived 50. TAnd when they can perceive no new strange thing in Gods Messengers and hear that they do onely Teach and reprove then they think O! Our Minister and our Pastour calls him a new upstart an Heretick and false Prophet there is a fool and a frantick fellow sure enough he is worse then out of his wits and they begin to wonder at him like birds at an Owl and assault him and his house his wife and his children with scorn reproach and contempt as the Sodomites did Lot every one thinketh that he doth well if he can but Jeer and revile these Messengers 51. And although he knows no other ground or reason in the world but onely that the * * * Or Some noted Minister high Priest who hath put on the whore of Babylon doth set him at nought yet he is very raging mad and suffers a false wind viz. the spirit of the Babylonish whore to drive him and raveth in misunderstanding as here the Sodomites did who both young old smal and Great do force upon Lot and the two men which were come in unto him that they might know them That they might plague them scorn revile and reproach them for thus the Anger of
God doth drive it selfe into a fire for its own enkindling And thus mad also must the people be when the punishment shall come that they must all make up the measure of their iniquities 52. And we will not hide from thee thou unclean lascivious rebellious self-willed lewd Idolatrous murtherous Babylon full of all vices sins and abominations that now also these two Angels viz. Gods truth and judgement are come into thee and declare unto thee now at the end of Enochs Seal which was hidden but at present is opened in its sound and voice thy destruction and overthrow for the Time of thy Judgement is at hand and behold thy selfe aright and observe it very narrowly thou hast at present cast scorn reproach and contempt upon Lot and the two Angels as the Sodomites did and therefore thy punishment hangeth over thee and observe it when the two Angels shall carry forth Lot under the opened Seal from thee then the Day of thy destruction is at hand which now thou wilt by no means beleeve but must be forced to finde it so by sad and wofull experience saith the spirit of wonders 53. We may see very fully what was the Sodomites vice and great Sin the cry whereof was come up before God for Lot would bring out his two daughters which were yet virgins unto them that so they might but cease from the raging uproar against these Angelicall Messengers for he knew well enough that they were wholly drowned in uncleanness if so be they might satisfie their desire 54. The inward figure in the spirit giving us to understand what Moses doth hereby typifie is this The judgement begins at the house of God as here in Lot the children of God must be first brought into judgement and proved if there be children of God in any place which may withhold the Anger so that the punishment may be kept back then the spirit taketh the children of God and proveth them in the same vice and sin of that City or Country to see if they be capable of the same lewdness 55. Lot must set his two daughters with entreaties into judgement he would give them to the unclean lascivious people to be tryed for that which he said was so directed by the Spirit which had the two daughters of Lot in the judgement and had brought the Proba or Tryall into their Essence and hereby signified and layd open the sin and shame of the City viz. that they were onely unclean Harlots-beasts 56. But when these two virgins were not capable of this vice the spirit viz. the two Angels defended them understand Gods truth protected them from the judgement of this people and also from the sin of uncleanness for Lot did not speak so of set purpose as if he would suffer his daughters to be defloured and defiled but the Spirit did set forth its figure 57. And know for certain that this first book of Moses was written wholly from the Prophecy of the Spirit intimating what each Act or sentence of the History holds forth in the figure and whosoever will read and rightly understand these Acts of the Patriarchs he must modelize or represent in his minde the old and new man and set Christ and Adam one against the other and then he may understand all and without this he understands nothing hereof but a child-like History which yet is so rich and full of Mysteries that no man from the cradle unto the longest age is able to express them although he had obtained the knowledge and understanding thereunto in his childhood and we in our gifts do also give but some glances and hints thereof albeit we have obtained the apprehension and meaning of them from the gift of God yet we cannot express all and the world were not able to * * * To understand or apprehend it aright V. 9 â—0 11. receive it 58. And Moses saith The men of the City pressed sore upon the man Lot and when they drew near together to break the door the men put forth their hand and pulled Lott into the house to them and shutt to the door and the men which were before the door of the house were smitten with blindness both smal and great so that they wearied themselves and could not finde the door 59. This figure was * * * Acted or don atchieved thus externally so that they were thus blind with visible eyes and could not see the door and did no hurt neither to Lot and the two men with him or his house either but in the spirit the figure stands thus 60. When God sendeth these two Angels viz. his truth and judgement into a mans spirit viz. into the house of his heart as here it came to passe in Lott in whom also the spirit viz. Gods truth and judgement was manifest and therefore he rebuked Sodom for which cause they did encompass him about to slay and murther him then the Judgement passeth first upon this man who is represented unto the Sodomites as if he were a fool whom they must vex plague and perplex and they also do without intermission revile and rail at him and condem him for false 61. But he must reprove rebuke and teach them and he hath no externall protection of man they all cast the dirt of their mouths upon him and they that should hinder it do but laugh at it let him look where he will he hath no Deliverer then supposeth the common people God rebukes and punisheth him on this wise 62. But these two Angels are with him in his Heart and stand in his person as in their vessell and instrument even amidst the enemies but the common people do eagerly labour and bestir them to destroy him and his house 63. And when it comes to the tryall in earnest then these two Angels do putt forth their hand upon the wicked malicious mens heart and strike them with blindness that they are confounded and know not how they should gett * * * Or 〈◊〉 by this Lott and the two Angels one casteth forth this another that one saith he is honest another reviles him and saith all evill of him so long till they cannot finde the door wherein they would break in unto him and do him mischiefe for these two Angels do shutt him up in themselves that they cannot see the door of Revenge as may be seen here in Lot how God doth deliver the messengers of his mouth and hides them from the enemies and this * * * Vnderhand the Author Pen hath so found it by good Experience Vers. 12 13. 64. And these men said unto Lott hast thou here any besides Son in law and sons and daughters and whosoever belongs unto thee in the Citie bring them out of this place for we will destroy this place because the cry thereof is waxen great before the Lord who hath sent us to destroy it and Lot went and spake to his Sons in law * * *
of the flesh unconverted and hath turned its eyes onely towards Sodom but with the mouth it is gon out of Sodom and the body is yet at Sodom and looketh with Lots wife onely upon Covetousness and temporall pleasure and will not go with the heart out of Sodom 34. Therefore the Angel of the wonders saith Thou art sifted and * * * Taken or captivated apprehended in the Turba thou art guilty and capable of the Brimstone-fire thy verball hypocrisie in that thou saist that thou art gon out of Babel and Sodom doth not at all avail thee thou art wholly captivated with Lots wife in the three First being thou hungerest onely after the three first and usest the Spirit of Christ onely for an externall covering and wilt not hear in thee what now the Lord speaketh but hearest onely what the Antichrist speaketh in his pride covetousness envy and Anger how thou maist please thy Earthly mortall Idoll Maozim and Mammon viz. Selfe-Love Selfe-Will Selfe-Sence 35. Thou seekest and honourest onely the externall Idoll-God viz. Silver and Gold Copper and the fullness of the Belly to thy Luxurious sumptuous and Stately Sodomiticall pleasure and this Idoll is also sifted for thy sake and is made nigh and far off unto thee and thou understandest not what it meanes thou saist there is no danger and it may well be helped and amended we may contrive it well enough to a good use but thou knowest not what is thereby Signed and signified The most inward figure of Lots wife being turned to a pillar of Salt is this 36. When these two Angels came from Abraham viz. from the Spirit of Christ unto Sodom to Lot and he bowed himselfe before the Lord unto the earth and entreated these Angels to turn in unto him they entered according to the divine property Essentially in unto him in manner as they came in unto Abraham with the Ens of faith even so it was here for it was but one Covenant but in Abraham the Seed to Christs person was named and not in Lot as Moses declareth very sufficiently 37. Lots faith took the Ens from the Angel who brought the same to him from Abrahams faiths Ens for of one viz. of him who did move and manifest himselfe in Abraham they must all be sanctified now Lot by the Administration of the Angel understand formed Angels sent out of the divine property out of Christs Ens and word was sanctified as a * * * Or line of affinity proxime line or branch on the Ens of Abraham 38. And being Lots daughters were capable of this Sanctification and not the mother the mother must go again into the first matter and Lot must copulate with his two daughters in the blessed Seed for they were capable of it and none else in the world for two Potent Generations were to arise from thence viz. the Moabites and the Ammonites A Great people as the Spirit in Moses doth also speak very covertly and hiddenly concerning Lots daughters that the one said unto the other Lo there is not a man on the earth to come in unto us after the manner of men come let us give our father sweet wine to drink and then we will lye with him that so he may not know it and we may preserve Seed of our father for the mother was not capable of this holy Seed being she was captivated and taken in the * * * Or sifting Triall Probation in the Turba 39. Now Reason would object and say wherefore did not the daughters of Lot marry with Abrahams Generation why would they lye with their Father Contrary to the Right and Law of Nature and all Nations Answer This might not be for the Seed of Christ was called in Abraham but now there lay two other lines in the Seed of Christ as neere affinities which should be born of Abrahams faith viz. of Christ As Abrahams faith was born out of JEHOVA out of the Name Jesus so these two lines of Affinity were in the Tree of Wonders which should spring forth from Gods Truth Righteousness and be brought into the Love of Jesus this manifestation the Angels brought unto and into Lot which opening and manifestation did spring forth in Lots Seed 40. But being his two daughters did also stand in this judgement and were apprehended in the same Spirit which opened it selfe in Lot and received also the same properties as their father it must be so and it was so permitted of God that these two sons Ammon and Moab must be born of two Sisters of One Seed for they were to be two Nations proceeding from two Lines of nature yet from one root 41. But in that the Spirit in Moses doth so cover it and saith The two daughters caused their father to drink sweet wine that he did not know what he did and so were gotten with child of their father in the fathers drunkenness which yet seems to be wonderfully strange without Gods work The same is thus to be understood Not that it did not so come to passe it did so come to passe as the Text in Moses declareth but this was a work of the Spirit of God and hereby also he covereth the externall shame 42. For the outward work is onely a shame in Gods sight and also in the sight of all People but the inward work in its figure must be so and it is the true figure that the Man Christ viz. Gods Son should be born through a shame which also was a shame before God but so he took our shame and reproach upon himselfe and hung it as a curse upon the Tree of the Crosse and offered it up unto the righteousness of God so likewise both these lines must be covered with a Shame that they both might be sanctified onely and alone under Christs shame on the Cross and they should not dare to say that they were pure before God and nature for the Scripture saith * * * Rom. 11.32 He hath shutt them up all under Sin that he might have Mercy upon all 43. And that this was truly and certainly a work of God appeares in this that on the same day the mother was turned to a pillar of Salt and Sodom destroyed doubtless with all their housholdstuffe and Goods that yet they that same night they set about this work whereas they continued all night in a Cave of the Mountain by Zoar so that we may well thinke no naturall fleshly instigation did provoke them thereunto 44. But it must be that the father should be drunk that the humane understanding might not do it but that it might be Gods work also that the Soul of Lot might not be Turbated in the Tincture of the Seed with the shame of the daughters it must be don therefore as it were in mans drunkenness and misunderstanding least the Nations should make a Right or Custome thereof for the daughters of Lot were also as t' were drunk in the spirit
to another * * * Mat. 24.14 For a Testimony unto all People And unto thee O * * * And to thee also O England Germany it is now shewen and also to those Nations of whom thou art born with the Name of Christ in that thou hast for a long time walked under the Mantle of Christ with an heathenish heart and boasted of the Adoption but lived onely in the iniquitie of the flesh That thy Judgement is nigh at hand 13. For the Angel of the judgement calleth aloud to the residue of Abrahams children in Christ Go out of Sodom Abraham in Christ is gon away from you yee have no more of Christ then an empty breath and a disputing verball lip-labour a mockery whereby one brother doth contemne scorn and mock another for Christs Knowledge sake and onely killeth Christ in his members The Citie Jerusalem and Babylon wherein thou hast gloried and proudly percked up thy selfe in thy devout hypocrisie shall go to ruin Amen 14. Lon Star shineth from the East and North which shall blindfold thee and break down thy walled Towers and Strong Holds in Jerusalem and Babylon for thou art called no longer Jerusalem but Babel and the children which sit in the shadow of the night and which lye imprisoned in Babel shall be delivered and come forth and enter into the Citie of God which he hath set open to all Nations and tongues of the earth that his glory may be known A light for All Nations or people 15. The figure of Abraham Sarah and Abimilech Gen. 20. is an emphaticall Type of Christendome how they should be weak in their own power and be delivered by God onely as Abraham was of a faint and timorus spirit when he was to go among these Nations and prayed his Sarah that she would say of him that he was her brother that so they might not slay him for her sake to signifie that a Christian in his own strength is not able to do any thing or to take unto himselfe therein the spirit of Christ who gives courage but he must go onely naked among his enemies and not at all rely on himselfe and his knowledge but meerly and onely upon Gods Grace 16. For he himselfe cannot stand onely Christ in him must be his sole courage and stedfast perseverance As Abraham here in his own abilities was full of doubt before Pharoah and Abimilech and continually fearfull of his life and must see onely when and how God would shield him and his Sarah and this history is excellently elegantly and exactly written of * * * Note Esdras Esdras in the vision of the spirit of Christ concerning Christs Kingdome as if the spirit had on purpose figured this History concerning Christs Kingdome for it aymeth directly thereat 17. But the outward man understands nothing of the Kingdome of Christ as we may see in Sarah when she conceived and brought forth Isaac shee said the Lord hath made me to laugh the people will laugh at this that the very Aged Sarah should give a child suck she did not yet understand the * * * Image Type of Christ but the Spirit of Christ in her understood it and not the naturall man in Selfhood but the will which was resigned and given up to God the same onely did apprehend the Covenant and the Spirit of Christ. 18. But Reason viz. the selfefull will did not perceive any thing thereof it was onely matter of mirth and laughter to it for it looked onely upon it selfe what it was As Abrahams will of selfe-own hood looked onely on it selfe and was afraid and dismayed and yet in him there was the great might over all Powers and Principalities but it did not belong to the humane own-hood 19. For Christ in his children doth not belong to the humane own-hood viz. to the selfewill neither doth he appropriate or give in himselfe to it but unto the humble resigned will to that he doth incline and appropriate himselfe and sometimes he doth also defend the own will thereby 20. For the own selfe-will is of the nature of this world born of flesh and bloud but the Resigned will dyeth to the world and is brought forth to life in God Thus also we are to understand in Abraham and in all Christians a twofold will viz. one of this world which allwaies stands in fear and then according to the Second Principle viz. the Kingdome of Heaven the poore captive soules will which diveth and immerseth it selfe into Gods Mercy in * * * Note Hope Hope CHAP. XLVI Of Isaac's birth and the casting-out of Ishmael with his Mother Hagar What thereby is signified Gen. XXI THe Spirit in Moses setteth the figure of mans Regeneration in its process so exactly and orderly together in the history of Abraham that a man may even lay hold of it much more see it how he doth set the naturall man in selfe and Christ so punctually by each other and points even with the finger at the figure for when God had destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah and that Plain over against which Abraham dwelt and brought forth Lot then Abraham journeyed from thence towards the South shewing that when the Kingdome of Christ should be * * * Corrupt despoyled in any place that then Christ would depart thence 2. And He lived under the King Abimilech and sojourned as a stranger at Gerar In these two Names viz. Abimilech and Gerar the figure stands plain in the generation or formation of the word without any interpretation or exposition wherefore the Spirit in Moses wrote down this History and from whence he looketh as through an exact Perspective for ABIMILECH denoteth the man of ingenious and discreet Reason viz. the true man but without Christ onely in the creature as he is created GERAR betokeneth the strong Austere life of nature wherein the understanding must dwell which nature is corrupted and from that corruption casteth or darteth Temptations and oppositions continually into the life's understanding or Reason-light so that the life stands in a constant contrariety and is uncessantly sifted winnowed and proved which is the * * * Note Cross of the children of God that they see that while they live in themselves in selfe-Reason they can doe nothing else but go astray slip and erre as may be seen here in Abraham When God lead him away from the borders of the Sodomites he went towards the South unto King Abimilech The inward figure of this stands thus 3. When God had manifested himselfe to Abraham and set forth the figure of Christ and his Kingdome and also the Power of Judgement upon the whole earth then God hid himselfe again from Abraham and then Abraham went towards the South Countrey that is into his Reason viz. into mans own understanding and dwelt at Gerar that is in the corrupt nature which manifests it selfe plainly in his carriage towards Abimilech where he in the fear of nature in
the will to the Selfehood or ownhood of this world and although the flesh be disquieted being it must forsake what it fain would have yet the true nature and the Soul must not give heed to it Also it must not take care for the sake of the flesh where that should have its maintenance but commit it to God and go on in his calling as a day-labourer in the Service of his Lord and Master and let God take care for the Ram and give it what he please 33. And the Angel of the Lord called unto Abraham out of Heaven the second time and said by my selfe have I sworn saith the Lord Gen. 22. v. 15. to the 19. because thou hast don this thing and hast not spared thy onely Son that I will bless and multiply thy Seed as 〈◊〉 â—tars of the Heaven and as the Sand that is upon the Sea-shore and thy Seed shall possesse the Gate of his enemies and through thy Seed shall all the Nations of the earth be blessed because thou hast obeyed my voyce and so Abraham returned to his young men and they rose up and went together to Beer-sheba and dwelt there This is now the Seal of Faith when man hath wholly given himselfe up to God then God sweareth unto the humanity by him selfe that he will blesse man that his life's essence shall thence forward spread forth it selfe in his Power and grow unto a great Tree of divine Essence in the wisdome whose fruit and knowledge shall be infinite and innumerable as he sware unto Abraham that out of his body or life's essence many Nations should arise also how his life's essence should possess the Gates of the enemies viz. of the Devill and Death as heere he gives a full and pregnant hint concerning Christ and his Christendome how they should destroy the Devills Kingdome and break down his Gate in man This the faith in Gods children is able to do 34. For so soon as the iudgement of the earthly man hath been held in the penitent man so that the Soul rejecteth the will of the evill flesh viz. the will of the Animal Soul and brings it into judgement to the condemnation of death and resignes it selfe up wholly unto God then God sweareth in Christ Jesus this Oath unto the Soul and setts it to be a Prince over the enemies viz. over the proud and haughty Devills even to judge them and obtains full power over them and drives them out 35. After these things Moses mentioneth how the blessing of Abraham did spread forth it selfe and he maketh a relation of his brother Nahor how Milcah bare unto him eight Sons from whom great Nations did arise viz. the Assyrians who indeed did not spring forth out of the Ens of faith viz. in the line of Christ as Abraham but out of the naturall Adam upon whom also the blessing of Abraham did * * * Passed or went light for the history is so exactly deciphered that a man may see that God hath not onely chosen the naturall line of Christ proceeding from Abraham and Isaac but also the lines of nature in the Adamicall Tree which he would also bring together and manifest himselfe to them and they who would beleeve in God should be engrafted into the line of Christ that is those who should be capable of the divine Ens in the voice of the Lord whose will should direct it selfe to God 36. As wee may see again in this figure how God hath not rejected the Kingdome of nature in man but that he in Christ will deliver it out of the Anguish and Enmity and that a man should and must continue in the Kingdome of nature as Abraham when he had finished this offering he went with his Son and two young men to Beer-sheba and dwelt there by which the Spirit of Moses signifieth that when Abraham had performed this Calling in the figure of Christ before the Lord he returned again unto his naturall affaires viz. unto the doing of this worlds business he went to Beer-sheba that is into the toil and labour whereinto Adam hath brought us where a child of God in the cloven and broken nature viz. in Beer-sheba must work in God with teaching and praying and also in nature with the labour of the hand to maintain the outward man and follow the wonders of the outward world in the formed word and help to form manifest and bring them forth in â—â—â—ure to the Contemplation of the wisdome of God 37. Also hereby is hinted very clearly that a child of God in this worlds being doth not stand daily and hourely in the Operation of the spirituall figure that his Spirit can see and know that onely but also in the naturall where the Spirit of God goes also along working in the work of nature and manifests it selfe in another property in him as it may be seen here in Abraham and all the Saints that God did sometimes manifest himselfe to them in the figure of Christ and sometimes again in the Cross and labour in the Temptation and contrariety of the nature of the corrupt Adam so that they have lived in weakness and infirmities as all Adams children have don and do 38. And we ought not to look upon and consider this figure concerning Abraham in all that the Spirit of Moses and * * * Text. Ezra Note concerning Esdras Esdras hath written down but as a Type of Christ and Adam viz. of the Kingdome of Christ and the Kingdome of nature that hereby God hath represented the figure of Christ and his Christendome how he would again Redeem and deliver them from the Great Toil and Labour 39. Wherewith also the Kingdome of darkness in the Pain and Torment is continually represented and how the same doth pant and reach after man and how man doth stand here in this life as in a field and growes on Whom sometimes the Sun of divine Love doth eglimpse and shine and sometimes again Gods wrath and Anger and how man must be purged tryed and purified and the chiefest and most especiall point herein is this that a man must give up and resigne himselfe to God in faith and full assurance and hold still unto him and let him work in him as he please and how also he must learn to bend and bow his own nature and lead it towards God that it in all things may desire to be Gods instrument and Servant and desire and will to work nothing but what belongs to the divine manifestation in the wonders of nature for the Contemplation of Gods wisdome and on the contrary reject the Own will of the Devill and all desire to Selfehood 40. And we should not look upon the written History of Moses concerning the Patriarchs so blindly as the Jewes and Babel do as if they were onely a meer History no the same is not onely full of the types of Christ and Adam viz. of the old and new man but there are also secret
and mysterious intimations and prophecies concerning the hidden spirituall world shewing what shall be after this time 41. Reason must know that the Spirit of God hath not laboured in the work onely to set forth the histories of the Ancient which for the most part seem but simple and childlike no they are set forth for a Type and information 42. The Spirit of God hath represented the greatest wonders therein which he would accomplish in man and that in a plain simple and childlike manner that so the pride of the Devill and the suttlety or wisdome of Reason might be confounded and made foolish thereby 43. For we must know that the greatest power and vertue together with the wonders doth lye in the humility and lowliness and how God is so near unto all things and yet nothing apprehends him unlesse it stand still unto him and give up the Own will and then he worketh through all as the Sun through the whole world CHAP. XLIX Of the death of Sarah and the hereditary Sepulchre of Abraham What is understood and signified thereby THe Spirit in Moses hath set before him the whole figure of man by Abraham shewing what his condition should be in this world Gen. XXIII and what hereafter should become of him for after he had first spoken of the beginning viz. of the Stock of the humane tree shewing whence it did spring he afterwards declares its boughes and branches together with its power and vertue and mentioneth how this tree is corrupted in its power and essence and that God hath bestowed the highest Tincture upon it to tincture it again and renew it and how the Poyson in the essence of the tree * * * Or hath been with-stood is to be resisted 2. Here he doth now very wonderfully signifie how this tree hath stood in the corrupt property in a strange field and rooted it selfe with the root into a strange or alienate own hood wherein the root was not native and how the root of the humane tree must forsake the strange field together with the strange introduced essence and wholly give it selfe freely out of its life's will and desire 3. Also hereby is signified how the place whence the humane root did spring is between the holy spirituall world and this earthly corrupt world and that mans propriety from whence he is sprung doth stand in a double * * * Our Text hath it The Cave of Machpelah which here in the Germane version is rendred a double Cave or a twofold Pitt cave viz. in two Principles and how he must be buried in this twofold pit as a kernell which is Sown into the ground and how also this cave of Machpelah this twofold pit is mans propriety of which essence or substance he himselfe is essentially 4. The figure of this wee see here in Abraham that when he conversed in this outward world he possessed upon the earth no Land of his Own but went from one place unto another and was every where a Stranger but when his Sarah dyed then he would have a burying place for a certain possession for his wife himselfe also and his children and moreover he would not have it for nothing but buy it all which is a very wonderfull typification and not onely a bare history as the Jewes have held it to be before whose eyes the vail of Moses is hung but we will here also set forth the inward figure with the outward and see what the Spirit in Moses doth here signifie Gen. 23.2 5. Moses saith Sarah dyed at Hebron in the * * * Our Text Kiriach-arba head Citie in the Land of Canaan this may very well thus be but the Spirit hath his figure under it for he lookes upon the Centre where the death of the Saints is and where the true man must dye as namely in the Head-Citie Hebron that is in the formed Word where he hath introduced the own hood and selvish lust into the formed word of his life's property and set himselfe up into a selfefull Dominion and Regiment as into an Head Cittie where the selfe-will hath framed and contrived to it selfe a Citie or propriety in the formed word and built it up for its own peculiar Land of possession where he indeed supposeth he is a God or Something of his Own that he may do with and how he please now this selfe-will must dye in the Head-Citie viz. in the formed Ens of the Word in its Centre viz. in the Citie of its own-hood 6. And this Citie Hebron lyeth right over against Mamre viz. between the eternall and temporall nature where the cave of Machpelah the twofold Pit is viz. the Kingdome of God and of nature for in this twofold Pit Abraham would bury his Sarah and have the Pit for his Own 7. That is to say when the children of the Saints in Hebron viz. in the Citie of humane own-hood do dye unto the selfefull outward naturall life or Selfehood then the true resigned life will no longer stand in a strange field or strange essence but in its own from whence it is Originally arisen but being it hath lost this same life's field in Adam and rooted it selfe into a strange field viz. into the Serpents field of falsehood the life cannot take unto it selfe again of due Right the first true field but it must buy it this is even the figure that Christ hath bought it for his Bloud of the heavenly essentiality for the holy Tincture understand he hath thus purchased it of the eternall nature wherein Gods Anger viz. the wrath of God in the Centre of nature was manifest and had devoured this field in the humane property into its selfe as its own for out of the Centre of nature the Word of the humane property was brought into a formation This the children of Selfe had taken into possession therefore saith the Spirit the children of Heth had this field for their own possession 8. This signifieth that Gods children must wholly forsake the nature-Right in this field of the formed life or word for they have lost the naturall Right in it but in Christ they must buy it again of the Father of nature they must take Christ for their Ransome and give the Father four hundred shekells of Silver for the same and these are the four Centres in the spirituall bodie 's property which are born in the holy Tincture viz. in Christs property 9. The first shekell is the true magicall fire the Second is the Light or Love-desire the third is the holy Sound of the mentall tongue the fourth is the formed or conceived Ens out of the other properties where the holy life is formed and stands in an Essence this is the pure Silver without any spott or foulness under which the Spirit of Moses points that Abraham in Christ hath given to the children of Heth viz. to Ephron understand to the Father or the Fathers property for his cave of
viz. the free gift of the Father doth dwell in the inward true man which God created in Adam yet the gross Beast viz. the earthliness and vanity shall and trust in every respect be cast away from Christ yea Every man who desireth to be a Christian must cast out the earthly will which longeth and breatheth after vanity and Selfe â—â—st 21. As Abraham in this figure did not spare his owne children but cast them out so likewise a Christian must not spare or forbeare his children viz. his own lust and vaine desire and all whatsoever doth hang or depend thereon but dayly and hourely cast them out by the understanding out of the true Temple of Christ viz. out of Gods free gift and crucifie the old Adam else if it be not thus effected the old selfe-willed Adam crucifyeth Christ in him and so Christ indeed must hang on the Cross and be putt to death 22. And this figure also Concerning Abraham's casting out his naturall children doth signifie that when Christ viz. the true Isaac came into the flesh viz. into the humanity Abrahams naturall children viz. the Jewes should under the kingdome of Christ be cast out from the naturall goods viz. from all Dominion from Countrey and Kingdome and their Rule and Dominion should cease for the Dominion belongs onely unto Christ viz. to Christendom for Christ brought an Eternall Kingdome with him the goods were all his as Abrahams goods belonged to Isaac 23. And although it hath not dominion over all as Isaac had possession and rule of that onely which his father left him for the naturall children of Abraham born of Kethura became afterwards heathen and ruled over the outward goods as children of the outward nature yet Abrahams children who were in the Covenant under Circumcision must when Christ did manifest himselfe be cast out to signifie that the earthly man also viz. Selfe in the Serpents Ens which is on the children of the Covenant must be cast away from God 24. Thus in Abraham and his Son Isaac the figure of the Kingdome of Christ was represented but when Christ came into the flesh God putt away the figure and took from the externall children of Isaac the outward goods of the Land Canaan to intimate that now the holy Land of Canaan is become manifest where Isaac's children shall take possession of the true promised inheritance in Christ and no longer have the figure onely but the Essence of the figure viz. the perfect substance and now forsake the outward goods with the figure and putt on Christ in the flesh 25. But that the Jewes viz. Isaac's and Abrahams children viz. the children in Christs figure did not all turn unto Christ when he did manifest himselfe in the flesh hath this meaning God gave them the law of nature where in the law the Government of nature was understood externally and internally Christ viz. the Covenant and the promised free gift of God in Paradise so that the law of nature was to be Christs Sojourner and the true man also was to live under the law of nature in a * * * Note Right rationality and yet bring his own nature into Christs house and thus the figure of the law must continue among some of Abrahams children viz. amongst some of the Jewes to signifie that the law is Christs Sojourner 26. Understand that the nature of man shall remain for it is not so rejected of God as if clean another new man should arise out of the old but the new man shall arise out of Adam's nature and property and out of Gods in Christs nature and property so that man is become an Adam-Christ and Christ a Christ-Adam a Man-God and a God-Man and therefore the figure continued still among the Jewes and for this cause they were not all converted to Christ that so nature might keep its figure and due right for it shall deliver up its children under the Law viz. the figure of Christ to God the Father in Christ but its figure shall be proved in the fire of God so that it shall be known who hath been the true child of the naturall Law in the figure of Christ that hath been born in the spirit in the law out of the figure of Christ and who hath not 27. It is not hee that hath the words and Title of the law that is a Jew born in the figure and in the law but he who is born of the promise in Abrahams faith he that liveth in the figure of Christ viz. in the law in profession and practice with mouth and heart the same the law of God in Christs figure hath comprehended and will bring him into the fullfilling of the figure 28. For it doth not onely depend on mans knowing that Christ hath given himselfe into the law and is become the fullfilling in the law as the Titular Christian boasteth but it depends on Gods * * * Ordinance Order on the mercy of God whosoever hath been a true Jew and hath put on Abrahams faith in the law he hath putt on the Ens of Christ which Abraham conceived or apprehended which Ens of faith the humanity of Christ hath fullfilled and it is hidden to him what it is for he worketh in the office of nature in the law of God which Christ hath taken into himselfe and fullfilled so that he serveth God in the office of nature and the Office of nature serveth Christ for it is become Christs own propriety 29. For unto him all power is given both in heaven and on earth Matth. 28. under which power the office of nature also is in the law for God in the spirit of Christ is Even the selfe same who gave the law and the office of nature to do Righteousness together with the figure of the kingdome of Christ with the Ens of faith to Abraham and Moses and he is also the very same who fullfilled the Faith and the law 30. Thus the Jew worketh in his faith in Christs office viz. in the Law wherewith Christ governeth in nature and hath putt on Christ in the Covenant and in the Ens of faith in Christs figure which Christ hath fullfied 31. For the Christian who confesseth Christ in the flesh worketh in his Faith in the flesh of Christ and hath the Law of nature viz. Gods officer to do uprightly in his faith for Christ ruleth in the Law of God which he hath fullfilled and made a Servant in his children and killeth the law of Sin through the fullfilling of his Love in his bloud and death both in them who live in the dominion of his Law and also in them who live in the dominion of his Conquest as the Christians do 32. For the faith which presseth or cometh in unto God in the law in the figure in the Covenant the same cometh unto God in the Ens of Abrahams faith out of which Christ was born and he that cometh in unto God in the fullfilling of the
Selfe therefore the figure calls him in the high tongue Edom. 6. For the desire of Esaus soul said to the divine Ens in Jacob Give me thy tast into the Essence of my creaturall selfehood but Jacob that is the spirit of Christ in the Ens of Faith said Sell me thy birth-right for the pottage that is give me for it the Soules life 's forme viz. the Centre of the Soules nature that so thy * * * Or Birth-right first birth viz. the Soules Centre may be my own and then I will give thee the Ens of God 7. For Esau inherited the first Soulish power from his father and had the Soules Centre for a naturall due right after this came the Ens of Christ as a divine Free Gift with a Soulish Centre for the holy Ens should receive the Soulish Centre from the Adamicall nature now here the Adamicall Soulish nature did wooe for the Ens of Christ and the spirit in Christs Ens wooed for the Soulish nature and the spirit of Christ in Jacob would not give the tast of the divine Ens to the Souls nature in Esau unless it did give him the fiery Centre to the beginning of the Soulish creature for a propriety that is unless it did wholly resigne and give up it selfe in the naturall selfeness into Gods will and forsake the firstbirth of the creature esteem of it selfe in its selfeness as dead and give over the dominion and will of life to the spirit of Christ in this heavenly pottage 8. But being Esaus reason did not understand this he said to Jacob Lo I must even dye what then is this first Birth to me so very lightly did reason pass over it and knew not what the poor Soul stood in need of but the spirit of Moses played here in the inward figure and doth secretly hint hereby at what this externally signified 9. And Jacob said Swear unto me this day that is the life of Adam in Esau should freely give it selfe out of the fiery might and wholly give it selfe up to the divine Ens and forsake the fiery Right of Own-hood and it should do it this day that is from henceforward for ever and this is said to swear in God viz. wholly deeply and fully to cast immerse give up and resigne one's selfe into the divine power and not resist upon pain of Gods rejection 10. And he sware unto him and when as he had sworn he was called Edom for the fiery soules nature did dive and immerse it selfe into the lubet of the divine Ens whence this Lentil-pottage is said to be reddish for here in this Oath the fiery Essence entered into the lubet of the divine Ens and thus the lights Ens received the fires Ens and the spirit of Moses playeth here in the figure alluding how the soules property in the fires Essence must wholly resigne up and eternally immerse it selfe into the Incarnation of Christ in the divine lights and Love-Ens in the Covenant viz. into the divine Lubet and how the lights Ens would receive and take pitie on the corrupted miserable fiery Soules nature and cause it to Repent and quit it selfe of its lust and also how the poor Soul would give up its naturall right for this red pottage 11. For this is even a figure shewing-how God the Father giveth his Nature viz. the Soul to his Son Christ in the Love Ens wholly for his own propriety where the fiery Right is made subject to the Love in the light for thus it goeth also in our New Birth the Soul longeth after this pottage but if it will tast it it must give its birth-right for it and moreover it must swear to God this day that is for ever to forsake and quit its natures-Right which the outward Reason looketh upon as ridiculous and foolish I meane the children of the earthly lust that when a man giveth honour goods and also the Temporall life for this pottage they even call him a fool as here they do Esau. 12. There is in this figure a twofold understanding viz. inwardly it is the figure of Christ and Adam as it is above-mentioned and outwardly it is the figure of the earthly man shewing how carelesly and slightly he passeth over it and selleth and gives away the heavenly substance to fill his carnall Belly and to satiate his lustfull will the poor soul indeed longeth in its Essence after this red pottage but the earthly reason desireth onely a Lentil-pottage for the lâ—sting Belly as the like also is here to be understood in Esau 13. The soul of Esau longed after Jacobs heavenly Ens but the earthly Esau according to the outward soul minded onely the â—arâ—hly power the kingdome of nature was so very strong and earthly in him that he neither understood or regarded the Eternall but said * * * Gen 25.32 34. What profit shall this birth-right do unto me seing I iuust even dye and he sat down and did eat and drink the earthly food for the heavenly 14. And Moses saith that when he had eat and drunk he rose up and went away that is he filled his belly with the pottage of Lentiles and sold Jacob his nature-Right and went with the earthly man away from the divine Enjoyment The inward divine figure is thus 15. Abraham received the divine Ens in his faiths desire and the same was the stock and the root of Israel but he was not Israel for the kingdome of the corrupted nature and the kingdome of Grace viz. the conceived Ens of faith were not as yet One in him as when a kernell is sown into the earth the kernell hath as yet no root upon which the stalk branches and fruits should grow but the kernells power drawes the Essence of the earth into it selfe and of both these viz. of the kernell and of the earths power growes the root and then the stalk and above againe the manifold fruit 16. The like also is here to be understood the divine holy Ens is not natures but the soul is natures now if the divine Ens shall be made manifest then it must be don through a naturall Essence or Mean wherein the invisible may come into a visible Essence 17. The divine faiths Ens which Abraham received was of the invisible spirituall property the same desired to introduce it selfe through the humane nature into a visible substantiall creaturall and naturall Essence for a working life wherein the holy lights naturall Ens and the Soules fiery naturall Ens might work and bring forth fruit in one * * * In one substance or body Essence for the Adamicall nature was gon forth from the holy Ens which was disappeared in it and here now was the ground or foundation of the union and as it is with the kernell in the ground where the power in the kernell did mix it selfe with the Ens of the earth and afterwards leaves its shell and husk when the earths
Rejoyced with Rebecca under a strange King where they lived in the kingdome of this world and yet were led preserved and nourished in the divine Arm and therefore they grew great before the world as Isaac under King Abimilech and when Israel after Forty yeares pitched their Tent at Beer sheba viz. in the promised Land they yet took these two wives to them in their fleshly lust which caused meer grief of heart to them for which two wives sake they were sorely punished of God and were at last for their sake driven from Beer-sheba 22. Thirdly this figure denotes the hard combate of Christ in the wilderness in Adams stead where Christ in our humanity took these two wives which were manifest in Adam through his strange Son or will unto his heavenly essentiality suffered them to hunger * * * Christ 40 dayes in the Wildernesse forty dayes so that they must resigne and give in their desire to the divine Essence and learn to eat heavenly Manna to signifie that this earthly lust in us from the Stars and four Elements should be broken in Christs death and cease 23. Fourthly it denotes the * * * Christ 40 Houres in the Grave Forty houres of Christ in the Grave where these two wives of unquietnes in the humane property were changed againe into one Eternall wife viz. into the true Rebecca and Right Adamicall Eve which was in Adam before his Eve 24. Fiftly it points at the * * * Christ 40 dayes after his Resurrection Forty dayes of Christ after his Resurrection when the two wives of Adam Esau were again changed into a Manly virgin when this virgin viz. Christ in our male and female property did rightly stand out the Forty dayes of Adam in Paradise when he was tryed and therefore he set himselfe by divine might into the Royall throne of ejected Lucifer as a Judge and with these two wives in one virginity and one onely person or Image would rule over * * * Viz. Lucifer him as the causer of mans misery being he was the great cause that Adam viz. the Image of God did manifest by his Son of the new will yet two wives in his virginity 25. This the spirit in Moses and * * * Note Esdras Esdras have mystically and secretly hinted at under an outward figure shewing how it should afterwards fall out and although it is very likely that Reason will not beleeve us we care not for that and it matters not much seing we have not disclosed this for its sake but for the sake of the understanding children However we know very well in what vision we write we know from what spirits illumination and knowledge we have set down some glances of the great mysteries signified by this short divine history of Moses CHAP. LV. Shewing what we are to understand by Isaacs blessing Jacob unknowingly when he was old and ready to dye The Gates of the Great Mysteries of the whole Bible WHen Reason readeth this history of the 27 Chapter of Genesis Gen. XXVII it hath a twofold conjecture upon the same one is as if Rebecca onely loved Jacob more then Esau and therefore brought him by craft to obtain the blessing of his father and again it conceives that indeed it was from the appointment and providence of God because Esau was not worthy of the blessing and therefore it will take upon it wholly to condem Esau whereupon also it hath set the Predestination and yet it understands nothing at all of this wonderfull figure 2. Now if we would rightly understand and interpret this figure then we must set here in the figure the Patriarch Isaac in God the Fathers stead who alone can bless who also blessed Isaac in Abrahams seed that Isaac should again bless his Seed in the Covenants Line 3. And Esau was set in the place of the depraved nature viz. in the kingdome of the corrupt nature in mans property apprehended in the Anger of God 4. And Jacob we set in the new-birth in the humanity of Christ which God the Father blessed in stead of the depraved Adam when he brought forth a new Generation out of our humanity in this Line 5. And we see here how Adam hath fooled away and lost the blessing and divine Vnction and how he was rejected in the Earthly Image from God and how he hath lost his Right of the divine Unction as here Esau the first birth and also the blessing The inward spirituall figure stands thus 6. Isaac was old and expected to dye Gen. 27.1 to the 4. and called Esau his first-born Son that he might bless him with the blessing of Abraham and bad him go take some Venison and dress it for him that he might eat gladly thereof that his soul might be refreshed and the blessing of the Lord might put forth it selfe in him that he might bless Esau and Esau went and did as his father would have him that so he might be blessed this in the inward understanding in the figure is thus 7. When Isaac was ready to dye the Blessing in God the Fathers property moved it selfe in him and would bless the naturall Seed of the Adamicall nature viz. the kingdome of nature in Esau for Isaac longed after venison viz. after the kingdome of nature in the beastiall property viz. after the depraved Adamicall man as to the first creation 8. For the Fathers blessing would cast it selfe upon Adam in whose stead Esau stood but the heavenly Ens was extinct in the first Adam and therefore the naturall man might not be helped and remedied onely with a blessing but there must be another Serious Earnestness the Blessing must become a Substance viz. Man in the kingdome of nature of which substantiall blessing the kingdome of nature was not capable in its own power and might as here Esau in his kingdome of nature was not capable of the Fathers Blessing 9. For the kingdome of mans nature was so poysoned that it must be dissolved therefore the Blessing of God the Father turned it selfe upon the womans Tincture viz. upon the Adamicall female Tincture understand the lights Tincture for the fiery Tincture in Adam was awakened in the wrath viz. in the kingdome of darkness and was made an Earthly Image and herein the heavenly was swallowed up and mortified Now the Blessing would come to help this heavenly disappeared Image that so it might be quickned again in the blessing and so the kingdome of nature with which it was incorporated should be blessed Tinctured and Regenerated 10. Being then two lines went forth in Abrahams and Isaacs Seed viz. in Ismael and Esau the right depraved Adamicall Image and in Isaac and Jacob the Line of the Covenant in the Free given Grace the Blessing of God the Father which was manifested in Isaac turned it selfe upon Jacob viz. upon the line of Christ whom God hath anointed that he should again anoint the first-born Esau
also that God will not work in the love of our selves in that wee love and honour one another according to fleshly lust worldly honour and Riches where Men flock together associate and love one another according to their Greatnesse State Riches Glory Beauty Bravery and Pleasure of this World 29. But the Spirit of God requireth humble faithfull and sincere love where the soule is resigned up into God and seeketh not its owne pleasure or selfe-love but looketh upon the way of God and joyneth it selfe to the humble children who love God and constantly give him thanks there God manifesteth himselfe and worketh in them that they beare fruit to the Lord. 30. Jacob first served seaven yeares for Rachell which himselfe had chosen in his owne Love yet she was not given to him for the first seaven yeares service but Lea was unknowne to him layd by him Jacob desired Rachel as wages for his service yet seeing the Covenant of the Lord lay in the Line of Christ in him therefore he first received the spirituall wages of the Grace of God 31. For Christ is the wages of Gods children as they must serve their Lord for worldly wages so God first payeth them with his Covenant of Grace and then afterwards they receive also Temporall wages As Jacob must first receive the Gift of God as God appointeth it for him though it went very ill as to Reason afterwards he also received the wages according to his will for which he must serve yet seaven yeares more 32. Which seaven yeares in the inward Ground in this Figure signifie the seaven properties of the Naturall Life which must be given up to the service of God into which God gives himselfe for wages in a co-working power where the seaven formes of Life first help the Lord to beare a spirituall Figure and Image or Type and to manifest the Line of Christ then afterwards that same spirituall forme discovereth also the Naturall forme and beareth a Prince in the Naturall Life in whom God worketh and through whom he ruleth the world as is to be seene by Jacob. 33. He served seaven yeares for Rachell but being he feared God the divine wages viz. the Line of Christ was first given him afterwards God blessed also the humane selfe-Love according to the kingdome of Nature in him so that of Rachel whom he had taken in naturall selfe-Love he begat a Prince and wise Man even Joseph by whom the Spirit of God ruled and made him a Lord and Governour 34. And this figure presents to us that first Christ should be borne in us and so then Christ in us beareth also the Naturall Man with understanding and wisdome and appointeth him to his service in the kingdome of Nature and also in the kingdome of Grace as he did Joseph CHAP. LVIII How Jacob served his * * * Stepfather Father in Law Twenty yeares and begat Twelve Sonnes and One Daughter and how God blessed him that he gat great Riches and how Laban often changed his wages and yet could not hurt him what is to be understood thereby Vpon the 30 Chapter of Genesis 1. WEE see in this History especially Gen. XXX how it goeth with the Children of God in this world how they must live in meere Crosses and adversitie as Jacob did with his wives for * * * Gen. 30.1 when Rachel saw that shee was barren shee envied Lea her sister to signifie that Man 's own Love seeketh not the honour of God but it selfe as now Rachel envied Lea because shee had a Name that God had blessed her and sayd to Jacob * * * Gen. 30.1 Give mee Children also if not I die 2. Where wee see how the wayes of God are quite hidden to Reason although Reason standeth in the figure of the divine wonders as here Rachell which here signifieth the owne Adamicall Nature which desireth of Jacob the lifes power from the blessing of God and if it get not the same it must die which indeed the Spirit of zeale in her desire doth very well signifie according to her inward Ground in the Covenant of God but her Reason understood it not but onely desired Children that shee might be delivered from disgrace but her inward Ground stood hidden and panted through the humane Nature to manifest it selfe in the humane Essence Therefore the inward Ground in the Covenant of Grace signifieth through its own Adamicall Essence that if the inward ground should not be manifested through the humane Essence it must then die Eternally Therefore sayth Reason Give me children or else I die which seemeth outwardly to be an Opposition and discouragement But the Spirit of God hath here its figure under which it hath its signification 3. And then wee see in both these Sisters who yet were Daughters of Gods Covenant in the Promise how the Poyson of the Serpent in the wrath of God in flesh and bloud so vehemently sets against the Line of Christ in the Covenant and alwayes despiseth the same and as a proud Lucifer elevates and puffeth up the Rationall humane ownhood of selfe-will and would have the Dominion 4. As heere Rachel despiseth her sister because shee was outwardly fairer and more beautifull then Lea in that Lea in the sight of the world was simple and bleareyd and Rachell had the Spirit of the world in Reason Elegantly as an Ornament and so the Adamicall Nature in Rachell ruled over the Manifested blessing of the Covenant in Lea to signifie that the Line of Christ in this world would be manifested in a meane simple and despised forme in Men of such like dispositions which Men would by the Reason pomp and beauty of the world be esteemed fooles and bleareyd who in such scorne and disregard would goe away and * * * Psal 125.5 sow in Teares but in their inward Ground in the Line of Christ would beare and at the End reape in Joy to signifie that * * * John 18.36 Christs Kingdome is not of this world that in this world it must be throwne into Gods Anger and disdaine and into death and by this throwing in satiate the Anger of God with Love and Meeknesse and with Love spring forth through the Anger and Death and bring the proud Lucifer in the humane owne will and fleshly Lust to scorne and to nought as an unstable Life which Life cannot overpower the Divine humility 5. Which humility Springeth under all scorne and also breaketh through death and the anger of God and maketh Death to be Life and taketh from Hell the victory and changeth the sting of the false Serpents Essence with sweet Love as we see here by Lea who although shee was envied by her sister as by Reason yet the Line of Christ in the Covenant springeth forth in her under all scorne and maketh her fruitfull and Rachell Barren till shee gave her Mayd to her Husband for a Wife which signifieth the Adamicall viz. the servile Line
of Seperation wherein ‖ ‖ ‖ Gala. 6.7 Every one shall reape what he hath heere sowen 32. When we rightly view and consider this History how God did begin the kingdome of Israel with a servile Shepheard and exalted him before all the Potent rich Men on Earth even to Eternity and Consider that the Twelve Stocks or Tribes of Israel were begotten under a servile yoake as servants out of which Stock Christ according to the Humanity was to be borne So we see that all Highnes of the world also all Art and witt of Nature is foolish in the sight of God wherewith yet men so boast and esteeme their worldly matters doings or pomp and their high state for Great things and yet in the sight of God are not by farre * * * Like uâ—to an honest Shepheard so acceptable as an honest Shepheard 33. A Shepheard in whom the Spirit of God worketh is more highly esteemed before God then the wisest and most potent in selfe-witt without the Divine Dominion and wee see very well how God erecteth his kingdome in simple lowly and meane Men who are not esteemed by the world but are accounted no better then Heardsmen in the Eye of the world As Christ also chose such for his Apostles who were but poore meane contemptible people by whom he manifested the kingdome of Israel in divine Power 34. Where are the Learned and worldly wise Men Again where are the Potent Lords who contemne the simple Where is their Might strength Art and Witt They must all come in dust and ashes and fall downe to the simplicity of such Shepheards and bow their hearts in servitude under Christs yoake if they will be partakers of the * * * Note the true Line Linage or Succession Line of these †††Or Pastours Shepheards yea they must be as Jacobs wives Maydes if they will come to this Marriage 35. For the Line of Christ in the beginning was manifested in Abel a Shepheard so also afterwards in Abraham Isaac and Jacob Moses and David they were all but Shepheards when the Line of Christ was manifested There is no Potentate Noble Rich Learned or High worldly wise hath attained it but meane people of no account who have put their trust in God 36. Where are now the high Priests Schooles and Vniversities who ascribe to themselves and assume the authority and power of these Mysteries and often tread underfoote the Gifts of the Holy Ghost in such Shepheards and laugh at them and count them Fooles Are they not all of them Cain Ismael and Esau of the left Line from the kingdome of this worlds Nature in the Hypocrisie of selfe Reason which in the sight of God is not so acceptable as a Shepheard 37. O ye poore blind Men in Adam cast your Eyes downe from above and lay your selves low under the simplicity of Christ in the * * * Or true succession Line of these Shepheards and looke not upon the Pomp of Art and Loftinesse or you will be miserably deceived If you will be capable of this Line you must not attaine it from Loftinesse which boasteth it selfe in Hypocrisie in this Office of a Pastour or Shepheard but in humility and meane simplicity where the soule submitteth it selfe under Christs yoake there will the poore soule blinde as to God get roote in this Marriage and be capable of this Line 38. The †††12 Children Twelve Children of Jacob are even the Lines which the Spirit of God from Adam to Noah and his children signified which sprung from the Line of the Covenant in Paradise and pressed from Adam to Abel and so on to the Children of Noah and there also twelve Lines or Stocks or Tribes were manifested heere the same Tree openeth it selfe againe out of One Stock which was Jacob and signifieth how those Lines should all be sanctified in one Stock which Stock is Christ who also chose him * * * 12 Apostles Twelve Apostles to manifest this Tree which was growne out of the Line of the Covenant 39. And as Jacob begat these Twelve sonnes †††Gen. 30.21 he begat also a Daughter Dina by name ‖ ‖ ‖ Gen. 34.1 who went out to see the Daughters of the Land and thereby lost her honour and Virginity and he begat her of Lea in whom the Line was manifested out of the Stock or Tribe of Juda to signifie that the Line of Christ at this time as yet stood hidden in the womans Tincture and yet was manifest through the Masculine viz. the fiery Tincture till Mary the Mother of Christ as we see in the Covenant of Abraham Isaac and Jacob that the Covenant pressed forward in their seede wee see it also in the Circumcision which was given onely to the Man or Male. 40. And much more doe we see in the Law on Mount Sinai which was also given in a way of Fire to signifie that Men before Christ were lead in the Fathers Property which held us captive in the Wrath till his Love viz. his Sonne through the wrath manifested himselfe in the Womans Tincture and changed the Mans and Womans Tincture into One againe therefore the Line of Christ with the Fathers sprung forth in the Womans Tincture through the Mans. 41. In the Mans Tincture it was stirring in the Covenant of Faith in Abraham and was manifest out of the Mans Tincture in the Woman But in the * * * Fulfilling fullness of Time it was manifest in Mary in the Womans Tincture viz. in the highest Love in which Love Adam loved himselfe before his Eve was for God was manifest therein 42. There wee see heere in Dina a figure of Eve for after Lea had borne Six Sonnes shee bare a Daughter which signifieth the Female Tincture which in her vaine Curiosity * * * Or trifled squandred away her honour as Eve would see and know the Daughters of the world viz. the Beastiall Creaturely Lust and in this Lust lost the Paradisicall Virginity 43. Thus the Spirit of God here in Dina sets a figure of Eve neere the Line of the Covenant seeing he should come out of the Line of the Covenant who should seeke and save the poore children of Eve 44. For Lea did beare six sonnes which signifie the six properties of the Naturall Life and the Seaventh is the Substance or Corporeâ—ty of the six in which spirituall Substance Adam dyed or was extinguished as to the kingdome of God when his will brake it selfe off from God and that same seaventh property of Nature is now even the Woman viz. the Mother wherein the other six are continually borne which rightly signifieth the Adamicall Eve when Eve was yet in an Image or Type 45. The figure whereof the Spirit of God represents in Dina with Jacob signifying how that seaventh property of Nature in Adam is become a Whore perfidious to God and sets this Figure neere the Line of
and Authority and so one playeth the hypocrite with another the inferiour that is without power and authority playeth the hypocrite with the potent that he may advance him also and bring him to honour plenty to deliciousnesse and fat dayes whereby the Spirit of Zeale declines and falls to the Ground and the truth is turned into a lie and the Spirit of Zeale of the mouth is stopped with Power and Man is honoured in God's stead 33. This History relating how * * * Gen. 34.25 Simeon and Levi went into the City to Hemor and his children and People and slew all the males in this City may well be understood to be a figure whereby the Spirit signifieth that he declareth in the figure concerning the future time and is so written as a figure 34. Also the History is cleare that †††Gen. 34.24 25 26. Hemor and his son Sichem and all the males of the whole City were circumcised and became * * * Or Israelites Jewes and then presently were slaine by these two brethren Simeon and Levi which indeed is a hard figure to be understood seeing Reason questioneth whether it were so done or no that two men should slay a whole City But seeing it is a figure and was done even by Simeon and Levi viz. by the Stock and Root of the Levitical Priesthood and signifieth the future Christendome This therefore is to be understood under it 35. These two Brethren required first and proposed that if they would be circumcised and receive their Law they would give them their Sister and afterwards as it came to passe they slew them all both the innocent and the guilty This is that which Christ said to the Pharisees †††Mat. 23.15 Woe unto you Pharisees yee compass Sea and Land to make a Proselyte And when he is one you make him twofold more a childe of Hell then your selves 36. This also may be said of the Christian Levites they perswade People to be Baptised and called Christians and when that is done they stick their murthering sword into their hearts that they learne to slay other People with words which are not called after their name and are not of their Opinion They curse and damne them and they give occasion that one Brother persecutes another slanders condemnes hates and becomes his malicious enemie and yet understands not wherefore Heere it is rightly said these Levites have promised mee their sister to wife so that I am become a Christian and now they slay me with false Doctrine and not onely mee but all my generation who heare them and receive their blasphemy for Divine Truth and believe them that it is right that one man should thus judge and condemn another which yet Christ hath earnestly forbidden and thereby now that man judgeth himself since he doth that himself which he judgeth in another 37. Thus is the murthering sword stuck into many innocents hearts so that they are guiltlesly slain by the Levites But seeing Simeon and Levi are placed together and Jacob also when he was at his end Prophesied concerning them and putteth them together calling them murthering swords it hath this signification that they will not only slay them with the sword of the mouth but they would also set themselves up in worldly power and authority and for the truths sake kill their bodies and would doe it even to them which are under the Circumcision or under the Gospel whom first they had perswaded to be Circumcised or to be Baptized 38. As it is also come to passe among the Christians when men have first perswaded them unto Baptisme afterwards when they have for a while seen their abhominations that they live worse then the Heathen and will not in all things give their consent approbation then they begin persecution with fire and sword and slay them with their innocent children both in soule and body which is powerfully prefigured in this type of Simeon and Levi else that were a grievous grosse murther of the children of the Saints for them to perswade People to their Faith and give them their promise and then afterwards under such hypocrisie to slay all both innocent and guilty when they had so deeply humbled themselves before them 39. Therefore men should carefully and accurately looke upon the old Testament especially the first booke of Moses for the vail of Moses hangeth before it there is alwayes somewhat more signified under the Text Although wee will have the Text left also standing as a History and doubt not at all thereof which is knowne to God who hath thus suffred it be described 40. For the Text saith * * * Gen. 34.25.29 They fell upon the City and slew all the males and tooke all their children and wives captive and plundred and spoild all that was in their houses Which though it doth indeed seeme that these two men were not able to do it yet even Jacob himself witnesseth that there were no more then these two when †††Gen. 34.30 He said to Simeon and Levi Yee have raised mischief unto mee that I stink before the Inhabitants of this Land which stands very right in the figure that the murthering sword of the Levites hath raised such disturbance in the world that Christendome for their base murthering practises stinketh before the strange Nations so that they say if they were God's People they would not be such Tyrants and outragious scorners and they hate them for that very cause and slay and kill them as a turbulent evill people that contend onely about Religion and kill one another for it Therefore there can be no certainty among them and their Divine service and worship of God must needs be false say they For which cause the potent Countries of the East are departed from them and have subjected themselves to a Doctrine of Reason as is to be seene by the Turkes which ought farther to be considered of CHAP. LXIII How God called Jacob to depart from Sichem and what hapned upon it and how afterwards Rachell bare Benjamin and dyed in the Birth also how Isaak dyed and what is to be understood thereby Vpon the 35 th Chapter of Genesis WHen Simeon and Levi had committed that Murther God said to Jacob Gen. XXXV 1 2 3 4 5 6. Get thee up and go to Bethel and dwell there and make there an Altar to God who appeared unto thee when thou diddest flee from thy brother Esau. Then said Jacob unto his Household and to all that were with him Put away from you the strange Gods which are among you and cleanse your selves and change your Garments and let us arise and go to Bethel that I may there make an Altar to God who hath heard mee in the time of my trouble and hath been with mee in the way which I have gone Then they gave unto him all the strange Gods which were in their hands and their ear-rings
und he buried them under an Oake which was by Sichem And they went forth and the feare of the Lord came upon the Cities which lay round about them that they did not pursue after the Sons of Jacob. Thus Jacob came to Luz in the Land of Canaan which is called Bethel with all the People that were with him and built there an Altar and called the place El-Bethel because God there appeared to him when he fled from his brother This History once againe prefigureth powerfully the future times how it would go both with Israel and also with Christendome For when Levi and Simeon had committed that murther and slaine all the males of Sichem and taken captive all their wives and children having plundered and spoiled all then Jacob was afraid of the People of the Land and then God called him from thence to go to Bethel and make an Altar there The inward Figure standeth thus 2. When men both the Jewes and afterward the Christians were grown up in fleshly whoredome and unchast life and became wicked then would God's Spirit depart from them and then they began a spiritual whoredome and Idolatry and were erroneous in their opinions and would fall together by the eares and say one to another he defloureth his sister Dinah that is his worship and service of God and would fall one upon another and murther kill plunder spoile and rob one another with warrs and bring their Country to desolation and misery And then when they should stick in such misery and trouble they would attaine the feare and trembling as heere Jacob upon the murther which his children committed for the Lord would touch their evill consciences and call them again to Repentance as he did Jacob and his children when he commanded them to come away from the place of this murther and commanded Jacob to make an Altar to him viz. to the Lord that is in the lowliness of the feare of God 3. So the Spirit heere signifieth that God would then again send them Prophets and Teachers who would disswade them from their Idolatry and wicked life as heere Jacob exhorted his family that they should put away the strange Gods and the Pride of their ear-rings from them and then when they had thus seene the anger of the Lord which destroyed their Land and exceedingly devoured them for their Whoredome Pride and Idolatrous life then would they follow and obey the Prophets who reproved them for it and bring their Idols and strange Gods viz. their Idolatry before God and put it away from them and would again seek the Temple of God within them and then would God again build up his Altar in them and they would again rightly offer sacrifice to him viz. offer up their soules and would cleanse their garments that is their hearts as Jacob heere commanded his People this also would the Prophets and among the Christians the true Apostles and Teachers command and direct 4. And we see further heere a powerfull figure how Jacob tooke their Idols and Ear-rings and buried them under an Oake by Sichem where the murther was done O thou great and wonderfull God! What does this signifie Nothing else but that these their errors and Idolatry together with their warrs and contentions should thus for a long time lie buried in the anger of God 5. And seeing the Spirit mentioneth an Oake under which these Idols and Pride are buried the figure is cleere to us for an Oake is of a magnetick attractive kinde and maketh a †††Tougle tenacious hardness in its property moreover blackness duskiness and darkness This signifies that the former Idolatry Sins and Blasphemies which they have committed shall there in the hungry wrath of the anger of God in Turba Magna viz. under the great Oake in Spiritu Mundi viz. in the hidden mysterie stand still a long while 6. And what sin they shall commit anew all that will this magnetick Oake draw to it and bring it to the treasure of the former Idolatry and Pride till they become so great that the earth under the Oake can cover them no more Then shall these their old and new whoredomes and Idolatries together be naked before the anger and judgement of God and their * * * Gen. 15.16 measure be full 7. And they would stink before God for these abhominations for the sake of which the Spirit of God would hide it's countenance from them take away from them the light of his countenance so that they would run on in vaine errors and enter again upon the way of such whoredome and with their evil zeale for Dinah their sister which yet is but a deflowrd whore trample all under with Murther and Robbery 8. As is come to passe among the Jewes and Christians that afterwards in the zeale of their Idolatry and whoredome they have slaine and murthered the Prophets and Ministers of Jesus Christ which are * * * Rom 10.15 sent from God that they might live in their Pride and Sodomitical whoredome till †††Rom. 1.28 God hath given them up to a perverse minde in their hearts that they are become wholly evill before him * * * Gen. 15.16 Then is their measure full and the horrible punishment followeth as may be seene by the cast away Jewes which for such abhominations sake were driven out of their Country and Kingdome as also by the Christians who in the faire Country of the East were the best Christians and now must have the Alcoran instead of Christ and their Country horribly wasted in the anger of God 9. Thus it goes now also with thee thou warring Babylon and titulary Christendome full of Idolatry and Ear-rings of Pride which have lien for a long time under the Oake and the Magnet of that Oake hath drawne to it all thy abhominations Idolatry and proud evil life that the earth can cover them no longer but they now stand naked before the face of God therefore also thy Judgement is neere at hand 10. The Prophets call thee and reprove thee but thou ravest for thy sister Dinah viz. for thy fleshly kingdome full of Pride which thou hast built with thy Idolatry and fleshly love and murtherest thy Brethren for thy sister's whoredome sake viz. for the Pharisaical whoredome sake and doest not discern how thou shouldst remedy thy sisters whoredome that shee may be married and thou takest thy sister with her bastard which in the presence of God and all the world stand in shame to thee againe and wilt have her call'd a virgin If thou didst give her to Sichem for a wife and let him be circumcised and wouldst live with him in peace then would thy sisters whoredome be covered 11. But thy wrath O Lord maketh it to be thus for the misdeed is too much and the earth can no more cover it under the Oake in Spiritu Mundi it standeth naked before thy face therefore yee wise children flee out of
* * All whatsoever he hath or is Substance and fly from thence nakedly and resignedly in spirit and power that his chast virginity may abide stedfast before God 9. And if Joseph doth thus wrestle and suffers not flesh and bloud nor the base world to hinder or over-master him then it will become his utter enemy and betray him to death because he will not commit lewdnesse and whoredome with her and then Joseph viz. the †††The reall earnest conflicting Christian. wrestling man is cast into prison viz. into reproach and contempt for the sake of his chastity and feare of God and he must hide himselfe under Christs Crosse under his yoke in his suffering and death and live as a Prisoner in misery the world rejecting him as one not at all worthy to tread upon the Earth Accounting him as a prisoner that is imprisoned and despised for whoredomes sake desiring to have no converse nor intercourse with him being that the chiefe Masters and Great Ones viz. Potiphars wife doe revile him and accuse him of unchastity 10. Which wife doth also signifie the false Babylonish hypocriticall whore with all her dissemblers and flatterers in the fine Adorned house of Christendom who when they cannot catch Joseph with their whoredom and hold him but that he doth strongly gett away from them then they exclaim out against him falsely and keep his Garment for a Signe accusing him of unchastity viz. of Idolatry and * * * One of dangerous Principles or opinions heresie and call him a dreamer a ‖ ‖ ‖ A whimsicall fellow phantasticall fellow and a scismatick as hapned to Joseph 11. And when the Master heareth it then he beleeveth this Potiphars wife viz. the painted and fine accomplisht hypocrite in the house of hypocrisie and so Joseph cometh to be suspected of the Master and is rejected of him and cast into the prison of Affliction and there he must live in misery and scorn as a guilty person and yet not guilty 12. But this contempt banishment and affliction is good for him for thereby he is drawn from the pride and whoredome of the world and all its falsehoods which might assault his flesh and bloud and hinder the new birth and thus the pretious Pearle-plant growes under Christs Crosse in the disrespect and tribulation of the world and becomes great and strong 13. But in the meane time God doth send honest people to such a Joseph who take pitty and care of him and maintain him and acknowledge his innocency and shew themselves friendly and kinde towards him and consider his chastity and feare of God and do also respect him and provide for him till the inward Prince in Gods power be fit for the Government and then God bringeth him out of prison and giveth him the Scepter of Government to be a Prince in his Wonders and to rule and govern in Divine Knowledge over Gods wonderfull Workes as Joseph over the Land of Egypt In which * * * In such a condition type and figure this Pen is likewise born and indeed no otherwise which yet is hidden unto reason 14. This is now the Summe of the Exposition of the History of Joseph but seing it is so very rich and full we will make a fundamentall explanation upon the Text for a direction and manuduction to the loving reader who also intendeth to become a Joseph if he shall be in Earnest and learn to observe and know himselfe in this figure he will see what Spirits child hath made these writings for he will finde this †††That Pen of Iron or point of a Diamond is that engraveth in the heart Jer. 17.1 Gen. 37.1 2 3 4. Pen Engraving or writing in his Heart 15. The Text saith Jacob dwelt in the Land wherein his Father was a stranger namely in the Land of Canaan These are the Generations of Jacob Joseph being Seventeen yeares old was feeding the flock with his brethren and the Ladd was with the Sons of Bilhah and with the Sons of Zilpah his fathers wives and Joseph brought unto his Father their evill report Now Israel loved Joseph more then all his Children because he had begotten him in his old age and he made him a Coat of many Colours And when his brethren saw that their Father Loved him more then all his brethren they hated him and could not speak friendly to him The inward Figure is this 16. Jacob had cast his fleshly naturall Love upon Rachel being shee was fair and seing that the line of Christ in the Covenant did lye in Jacob Rachel was shutt up so that his seed was not manifested in her in the naturall manner of the flesh untill Jacob Rachel were grown old and neither of them loved each other so any more according to fleshly love but onely desired a fruit of their seed wherefore also Jacob and Rachel prayed unto God that he would open her and make her fruitfull and when this was brought to passe out of this seed of Jacob sprang forth a Line which did set forth and represent a figure of the pure naturall and right Adamicall humanity which birth in the figure typifieth how Christ would again beget the Adamicall humanity * * * Vnto in its primitive chastity purity and fear of God 17. For in Lea viz in the simplicity and lowlinesse the line of Christ arose and sprang forth and in Rachel the line of the first Adamicall man in his Innocency viz. a figure of the same which figure did represent how a Christian should stand at once both in Christs Image and in Adams Image and what a Christian in this world should be inwardly and outwardly and how he must become a Christian therefore saith the Text †††Gen. 37.4 Jacob Loved Joseph more then all his children the cause was this Joseph was sprung forth out of Jacobs owne naturall line of his peculiar naturall Love to Rachel wherein the line in Christs Love in the Covenant had also imprinted and manifested it selfe and it was a punctuall representation in the Figure of a new Regeneration how a true Christian should stand after that Christ should be revealed in the flesh of the humane nature 18. And therefore Joseph was so inclined in his Minde that he could not conceal any falsehood but when he heard any evill of his brethren he told the same to his father this his brethren could not brook and therefore they called him a betrayer and envied him for the spirit which reproveth wickednesse and falsehood was revealed in him for * * * Joh. 16.8 Christ should reprove the world for Sin but being he now did represent a Christian he told it his father out of whom HEE should come who should reprove the world and we see very clearly how flesh and bloud viz. Josephs naturall brethren in the Type of Christendome became an utter enemy to the type viz. to the true Christian Joseph
the affliction of Joseph shall not be avenged behold in thy miserable Famine and distresse when thou shalt hunger and thirst even then thou must make thy Adresse and supplication to him the high Towre will give thee neither comfort nor deliverance the Time is come about that Josephs Affliction is to be Avenged and Reubens whoredome with Jacobs Concubine is come before Israel 32. Why makest thou such long delay and flatterest thy selfe playing the Hypocrite and saist not yet a good while behold it is come before the Eyes of Israel that thou hast committed whoredome a long time with the Concubine and defiled the line of Christ Israel will no longer endure it thou shalt with Reuben be cast out of the high Office of Sacrificing and Governing This is the voyce which the watchmen have pronounced 33. ‖ ‖ ‖ Gen. 37.5 6 7 8 9 10 11. When Joseph had had the two Dreames the one of his sheaf standing upright before which the sheafes of his brethren bowed the other of the Sun Moon and Eleven Starrs which had done obeysance to Joseph Envy forthwith arose amongst them and they supposed he would be their Lord and being that they were the Eldest they desired to rule over Him 34. Whereby we see how the outward man hath onely sought and aimed at the Kingdome of this world which was even the bane and undoing of Adam in that he forsook the inward and sought after the outward 35. * * * Gen. 37.3 Josephs party-coloured Coat which his father made signifieth how the inward power of God would again be revealed through the outward man whereby the humane nature would be variously coloured that is mixed with God as the inward spirituall Kingdome with the outward The Spirituall Christian figure is thus to be understood 36. Joseph with his Coat of many colours was as yet a Ladd both tender and young and had not yet the wit craft and suttlety of the world but spake the truth in simplicity for his soul was not yet defiled from without with the craft of lying and the Spirit of God began to †††Work act or move in him drive him forward for his Coat of many colours was a figure of the inward 37. This figure prefigureth and representeth to us the Image of a true young Schollar and beginner in Christianity how he must be when the Spirit of God shall drive and act him namely he must turne his heart to God his Father and learn to love him heartily As Joseph loved to be with his father and told him the evill that was committed among his children so must a beginner in Christianity daily bring before God all his own miseries and the miseries and sins of all that belong to him yea of all Christendome As Daniel confessed the sins of the People of Israel before God and Joseph the evills of his brethren before his father so also a true Christian doth daily confesse the misery and sin of his People and Nation in hearty Compassion that God would be mercifull to them and preserve them from Great Evills and Sins 38. And when this is brought to passe his heart becometh very simple honest and upright for he desireth no craft but would fain have all things proceed righteously and justly and he cannot abide any unrighteousnesse or suttle dealings for he alwayes confesseth the peoples unrighteousnesse before God and thus his minde becometh altogether simple and seeketh no kinde of craft or suttlety but putteth his hope and confidence in God and liveth in the simplicity and lowlinesse of heart before God and the world and he is as the tender young ladd Joseph for he hopeth for good continually from God his Father 39. Now when a man is come so far then Joseph viz. the chast virgin childe of Sophia is even born then God his father cloathes his soul with the party-coloured coat viz. with the divine power and forth with the Spirit of God in him beginneth to play with the soul as he did with Joseph for the Spirit of God seeth through the soul and with the soul as Joseph in the Type saw things which were to come represented to him in the vision of dreames whereby the Spirit did also play with the soul even so the Spirit of God doth forthwith take delightfull communion with the soul of a new Joseph viz. with the inward spirituall world so that the soul understandeth divine mysteries and seeth into the Eternall life and knoweth the hidden world which yet is to be revealed in man as this Pen hath found by Experience from whence it hath received its Spirit of knowledge 40. Now when this man beginneth to speake of divine things and visions of the hidden worlds divine mysteries and speaketh forth the wonders of God that his brethren viz. the children of the outward world in whom the hidden spirituall world is not yet manifest do heare it they count it a meer fable and a melancholly Chimera and whimsey and esteem him foolish in that he speaketh of those things which they cannot understand and comprehend they make a meer Phancy and Fiction of it also they account it some Astrall instigation or false Enthusiasm or the like especially if he revealeth and reproveth their evill workes and wayes as Joseph did then they turn his open Enemies and grudge him his very life as hapned to Joseph 41. Now when it is thus Reason beholdeth it selfe at a stand as if it were confounded and knoweth not the wayes of God viz. that it must be thus with the children of God it thinketh thou seekest God and he bringeth thee into distresse and misery thus this man doth now wander up and down as Joseph wandred in the * * * Or Field Wildernesse when his father sent him to his brethren to see how it was with them 42. So it goeth likewise with Gods new children when Gods Spirit sendeth them to be zealous about the affliction of Joseph and the world doth every way hate and persecute them for it then they thinke in the Reason of this world dost thou not goe in the wayes of God wherefore then doth it goe so with thee that thou art but the fool of the world and then the Minde beginneth to be troubled and knowes not how it is with it for he heareth that he is every where accused for a frantick wicked person and hated for the young minde in flesh and bloud understandeth not the divine processe viz. how reason must become a fool and how Christ doth very willingly take upon himselfe in man the reproach and scorn of the Devill and of the world and how Gods righteousnesse and Adams propagated Guilt must be alwayes fullfilled with suffering how a Christian must stand in Christs figure 43. And now when it comes to be thus then Reason goes truely a wandering in great sorrow and desertion with Joseph in the wildernesse and is every way in distresse and yet he must performe his
divine appointment and providence come to be knowne 54. But they intend treacherously and falsely towards him and so sell Joseph to Reproach Derision and Servitude to serve the world and to be their footstool and scorn as happened to Joseph from his brethren and hath also happened to this Pen. 55. Thus †††Gen. 37.36 Joseph is brought into Aegypt and sold for a Slave * * * Gen 38.1 2 3 4. but God is with him and giveth him understanding and wisdome that he is made his Masters Steward so that his Master ‖ ‖ ‖ Or undertakes doth nothing without him but entrusteth him with all things So also when the Spirit of Joseph though in a spitefull manner is sold into strange Countries where his Person is not knowne yet the wise doe take especall notice of the Spirit of his sence and meaning and know him and see that God hath given him his wisdome and Spirit and receive his Writings and Doctrine and Order their whole life according to it and thus Joseph cometh to sit in the chiefe office of Pharaoh's Steward and Governeth his whole house 56. But for all this Joseph is not yet passed through the Judgement for even in this Government he first meeteth with the greatest danger of his life for there * * * Gen. 38.7 the Stewards wife burneth in lust towards him that is the false Sects who would fain wooe and wed themselves into his Spirit and therewith Adorne their Doctrine and Doings for Temporall Honour Art and Science and if this Joseph's Spirit will not mix it selfe with their humane fiction and fables then they exclaim against him and say all manner of evill of him and accuse him of unchastity viz. of false Doctrine and appeal him before the Steward that is the Magistrate 57. And then †††Gen 38.20 Joseph must be cast into prison and lie there captive and be tryed to purpose till God shall bring him out again from thence and set him before Pharaoh and then his wisdome and fear of God is revealed that it is plainly discerned and known that his understanding is given him of God and so his understanding is made Ruler over the Land of Aegypt so that he ruleth not onely strange Nations but his own brethren must at length also come unto him in their famine when the right understanding of the divine manifestation and mystery is scarce and rare with them and he nourisheth them also by his wisdome thus God hath sent him aforehand to be their father that they afterwards must be fain to come and seek and enjoy their brother Joseph's wisdome among * * * Or Strange other Nations 58. For so also did †††Matth. 5.12 Israel persecute the Prophets till they were brought into darknesse and Idolatry in the Lust of their flesh and all those things came upon them of which the Prophets told them and then when they sat in hunger and misery their Land was full of Abomination they sought out the writings of the Prophets and even then they acknowledged that what they had spoken was true and that they had don them wrong and * * * Matth. 23.29 30. Adorned their Graves and said Had we lived in our fore-fathers time we would not have killed them but the Most High doth so order his Judgement that it beginneth at the House of Israel and he extinguisheth his Anger and Indignation in the children of Grace for the Bloud of the Saints in the power of Christ hath at all times resisted the Anger so that †††Mal. 3.6 Israel hath not been consumed 59. * * * Gen. 37.28 20 pieces of silver Joseph was sold for Twenty pieces of Silver and †††Mat. 26 15 30 pieces of silver Christ for Thirty to signifie that the humanity of Christ is higher and perfecter then the humanity of others which are his children being he was not conceived of the Seed of man but sprung forth in the Naturall Tincture in the lights property but the Adamicall Soul is from the fires property from whence the light receiveth its Originall and manifestation so that the lights property in Christ assumed the fires viz. the Adamicall Soul and the inward hidden divine and heavenly being which was sealed up and quite faded as to the Light 's life in Adam did again open and putt forth it selfe afresh 60. Therefore seing a Christian is under Christ and in Christ becometh again manifest in God the figure of Christ is represented here in this figure in the Number of 30. and that of a Christian in the Number of 20 for a Christian is sold into the hands of men to suffer but Christ must not onely suffer in the hands of men but give himselfe up also to the wrath of God whereupon he sweat bloud 61. And this whole history of Joseph doth excellently decipher to us how a Christian standeth in his figure before God and the world for the * * * Or History whole Acts of Joseph doe paint out how Adam cometh to be a Christian how he must in the processe of Christ be putt into Christs figure and become an Image of Christ and how God doth in Christs processe exalt him againe in the Kingdome of Christ and setteth him at the right hand of God as Joseph was sett at the right hand of King Pharoah after that he had continued in the processe of Christ and was brought through it CHAP. LXV Of Juda and Thamar being a Mysticall Figure of Adam and Christ in which the New Birth is excellently prefigured Vpon the 38 Chapter of Genesis WHen we consider the History of Joseph according to outward Reason then Reason demandeth Ge. XXXVIII Wherefore Josephs history is not sett down together in the Bible without any interruption whereas One Act followed so upon another Why doth Moses putt this typicall figure of Judah and Thamar between But if we look upon examine and consider this History of Juda and Thamar and likewise the figure of Joseph with a Right understanding we finde and see that the Holy Ghost hath of sett purpose so ordered and disposed them in their Right and true Order 2. For Joseph representeth a true Christian shewing how he must behave himselfe before God and the world and how he is putt in the processe and figure of Christ but this History of Juda and Thamar is a figure of a Christians growth out of Adams Image according to the humanity in the Kingdome of Nature shewing how he must spring forth out o◠the first Adamicall Image and how this same Adamicall Image is evill and must dye which the Anger of God killeth and yet that the first right must stand that a Christian according to the humane Nature and property is only the Adamicall Image and no new or strange thing and how Christ manifesteth himselfe in this Adamicall evill Image and killeth the evill
Selah is borne viz. the Law of Nature which offereth righteousnesse to Man for which Law Thamar viz. the Covenant of Grace waited a long time during Selahs youth to see whether the Law could be married with the Covenant of Grace but it could not be that Gods righteousnesse could be fully performed by the Law and that Thamar viz. the Grace in the Covenant and the Law might enter into marriage 24. Now the Spirit heere signifieth cleerly that when Gods Word had manifested it selfe in the world by the Law that Thamar that is the Covenant of Grace laid aside her widdowes apparrell and had set her selfe in the way of the Word in the Law where under the Law the Spirit of the Prophets out of the Line of Judah went onward concerning the Kingdom of Christ this Spirit would have the Covenant of Grace for a Spouse for it was the right Spirit from which the Prophets under the Law pointed at Christ. 25. But Thamar that is the Covenant of Grace vailed her beautifull Countenance from the Earthly Adam and was ashamed of the deformity of the Earthly Man in that the children of the Law as also the Prophets were outwardly so earthly even as Thamar vayled her countenance from Judah but when the time was come that the Covenant should be manifested then the Spirit of the Covenant sets its selfe before Selah viz before the Law for the Grace should receive Adam into it selfe againe as Thamar received seede from Judah her father in Law and suffered her selfe to be gotten with childe 26. But the holy Countenance of the Covenant of Grace in its power remained yet hidden to Adam in the Law as also to the Prophets till Christ as Thamar veyled her Countenance from Judah her father in Law that he knew her not so also the Covenant of Grace stood in the Law but with a veyled Countenance And the Spirit speaketh further in Moses and sayth 27. Now when Judah saw her he supposed shee was a whore for shee had covered her Countenance that is when the children in the Law heard the Propheticall Spirit speake of Christ they supposed it was in their Law and of the Law but it had veyled its countenance like Thamar and Judah went towards her on the way and sayd Prethee let mee lye with thee for he knew not that shee was his daughter in Law that is Adams Nature in the Law sayd to the Propheticall Spirit of Grace pray let mee come in unto thee lye with mee I will give thee seede of my Nature and it knew not that God was in this Spirit and desired to mixe with him after a creaturely manner neither knew it that this Propheticall Spirit was the incorporated Spirit in the Covenant in Man himselfe so very blinde was the Adamicall Nature concerning the Covenant 28. The Adamicall Nature thought it was a whore that setteth it selfe forth so in the Propheticall Spirit before it therefore have the Jewes so often slaine the Prophets for they supposed they heard a false whores Spirit speake but heere the figure of Judah sheweth that the first Adamical Nature should mix with the Covenant of Grace that the heavenly Ens would receive the Adamicall humane Ens againe into it selfe and Man himselfe would not understand what God would doe with him 29. The Adamicall Nature would indeede in its lust long after the heavenly Ens but would not know it although it should see the same yet it would thinke that is like unto mee I will commit whoredome therewith so strange a thing is Paradise become to Adam 30. And †††Gen. 38.14 15 16 17 18 19. when Thamar with her face covered presented her selfe before Judah in the way and that he said to her Lye with mee thâ—n sayd Thamar to Judah What wilt thou give mee to lye with mee He said I will send thee a kid from the stock shee answered and sayd then give me a Pledge till thou send it and he sayd what wilt thou have mee give thee for a Pledge shee answered and sayd Thy Ring and thy Bracelet and thy staffe which thou hast in thy hand and he gave them to her and lay with her and shee was with childe by him and shee arose and went away and layd off her Mantle and put her widdowes apparrell on againe 31. Heere the Spirit alludeth very finely in the figure how Adams Nature lyeth with the presented new Eve in the Covenant and yet knoweth her not also how the Covenant lyeth with Adams first right Nature and how they meete together in strange apparell when Adams Nature sayth Lye with mee and would have this Eve in the Covenant onely for a little pleasure sake as the Adamicall Nature doth in its selfehood that it might onely in its false seeming holiness lye with the New Eve and its heart is far from the true wedlock Marriage and onely draweth neere her in an hypocriticall whoredome as is done in the Office of the Pharisees then sayth this Eve to the Adamicall Nature what wilt thou give mee then this Adamicall Nature promised her a kid that is a Beastiall desire and will full of the burning Lust of flattery and Hypocrisie 32. But this Eve viz. Thamar sayth give mee for a Pledge thereof thy * * * Seale Ring or Signet Ring Staffe and Bracelet the Ring is the soule which came from the Word of God the Bracelet is the Spiritus Mundi the Spirit of the world viz. the Outward Spirit and the Staffe is the Body these will the New Eve viz. the Line of Christ in the Covenant have for a Pledge these †††Habiliments or precious Jewells Ornaments must Adam give for a Pledge to the Covenant of Grace viz. of the womans inward seede in the incorporated Grace of the heavenly worlds substance 33. When this deare Eve in the seede of Mary should lye with Adam and receive Adams seede into her holy Birth as Judah in whom lay the line of the Covenant must give Thamar who stood in the Image Type of the New Eve viz. of the Heavenly worlds substance these Ornaments and Jewells viz. his Ring Bracelet and Staffe Both which stood in the figure shewing how Christ should be manifested out of Adams Nature in Mary wherein lay and was manifested the right Thamar or New Eve 34. And when Thamar had gotten the Ring Bracelet and Staffe for a Pledge shee took them and layd them up and asked not after the kid but kept these Jewells and went from thence with them and changed her selfe againe into her former widdowes Estate and hid her selfe from Judah that he knew not who shee was nor whence shee came 35. This now is the most excellent figure shewing how the Spirit in the Covenant mingleth and uniteth it selfe againe with the heavenly worlds substance viz. with the New Wedlock or Eve viz. with Adams faded substance which is from the heavenly worlds substance which substance faded or vanished in the
mixed himselfe with the daughters of Heathenish Kings and took them to wife and allowed his Heathenish Women to set up their Idolls Images for Idolatry in the high places at Jerusalem 46. In this eminent figure the Spirit signifieth that Man is fallen away from God and meerly Idolatrous that Adam and all his children in their own Nature are such a beastiall adulterous and Idolatrous Generation and in this King Salomon represents the Line of the Covenant subjoyned with these heathenish Idolatrous adulterous Concubines who in their own nature were but an abomination in the presence of God to signifie that Christ out of this Line of the Covenant should set himselfe in the middest amongst the Heathen and teare Idolatry out of their Hearts and Convert them all to Christ. 47. Also to signifie that God did beare with the wise Heathens under the Patience of the figure of Christ and that he did represent by the Jewes onely a prefiguration or Type of the Temple of Christ and that the Jewes in their Nature were but Idolatrous adulterers as well as the Heathens onely that in their Law they had the Type and prefiguration of Christ in their Sacrifices and Offerings at which the Covenant had respect shewing how God would redeeme and purifie both Jewes and Heathens from Adams abominations and Idolatry and that the one people in his sight were as the other no whit better but every one of them were the evill Adam Therefore the Spirit represents them perspicuously in the figure of Salomon in the Line of the Covenant * * * Rom. 11.32 that he may have mercy and compassion upon all for Christs sake who should fullfill and accomplish this Line 48. And heereby is signified to the Teachers in Babell part of whom account Salomon damned in regard of those Heathenish Idolls that they themselves lye under the vayle as the Jewes did under the Type of Christ and doe really understand the Scripture as little as the Jewes and stand in Contentious Idolatrous whoredome in the presence of God as Salomon with his Concubines did and the Jewes 49. For Salomon had the Law but at length with his heart he committed whoredome with the Heathenish Womens Idolls and so doth Babell who calleth her selfe a pure childe pretending the Name of Christ and striveth zealously and vehemently about it in Opinions and all the Opinions about which shee contendeth are Salomons Heathenish Women and Idolls and no Polemick or Contentious Opinion is any whit better 50. For Christ sticketh in no Contentious Opinion but in the Line of his Grace he is entered into the midst amongst us and if wee receive him then he taketh us also in it to himselfe and there needs no strife or Opinion about it but this one thing he requireth of us that we continue in him and then he will continue in us and that we love our selves in him as he loveth us in himselfe that all of us may be clensed from the wrath of God in his Love and that his Grace and Love may wash all of us that come to him from our sinnes and Idolatrous abominations and make of Judah Thamar David Salomon and all the children of the Jewes Heathens and Christians a pure Virgin prepared for himselfe by his love in his Bloud which he hath bestowed upon us in his Grace that we may acknowledge and put on him in that love and be one Spirit and body with him and then Adam is helped and restored againe 51. The Spirit of Moses in the Text sayth further thus †††Gen. 38.24 25 26. After three Moneths it was told Judah saying Thamar thy Daughter in Law hath playd the Harlot moreover behold shee is with childe by whoredome and Judah sayd bring her hither that shee may be burned and when they brought her forth shee sent to her Father in Law and sayd from the Man whose these are I am with childe and sayd Doest thou know whose this Ring these Braceletts and this staffe is Judah acknowledged it and sayd shee is more righteous then I for I gave her not my sonne Selah yet he lay with her no more This is a powerfull figure shewing that whoredome is an Abomination in Gods sight and how God sets mans sinnes before his eyes and here it signifieth this to us that the Adamicall whoredom and Abomination are manifest before this Covenant of Grace and that Man in such abominations is guilty of Hell-fire as Judah judged his Daughter in Law Thamar to be condemned to the fire and knew not that he himselfe was the whoremonger who stood in the like condemnation 52. And heere in this figure the Spirit presenteth Mens false Judgement that they even doe the same thing which they condemne as heere Judah condemned the whoredome of Thamar to the fire and saw not his fall that he himselfe was guilty to signifie that Christ also had set himselfe in the Judgement of the world in this Line of the Covenant as a righteous Judge who would seperate right from wrong and condemne the whoredome and Idolatry of the world But on the other side we see in this figure how Thamar presented the pledge viz. the Ring Bracelett and staffe before the Judgement and before the severe sentence of Judah and therewith did overthrow Judahs determinate sentence and still his wrath that he must take compassion on her and justifie her 53. Thus also stood this figure before God in the Inward Ground in Judah and Thamar with Adam and Eve for Adam had brought himselfe into fleshly earthly Lust and committed whoredome with his feminine property through his Imagination in a beastiall manner and had forsaken the heavenly Magick way of the divine wedlock therefore also the heavenly woman dyed as to him and in the stead thereof the earthly beastiall one awaked with whom he now useth the beastiall manner in whoredome This God presents in him viz. in Adam himselfe in his Judgement and would condemne Adam to Death as indeed Gods righteousnesse then condemned him 54. But the re-incorporated Eve in the Covenant of Grace which hath incorporated it selfe in Eve viz. in the faded seede of the Woman from the heavenly worlds substance presented it selfe before the severe Judgement of God and sayd to Gods righteousnesse behold I am with childe from the Man whose these are that is behold I have taken Adams Soule Spirit and Body for a pledge when I joyned my selfe with him and am betrothed to him and have received the Fathers Nature in the awakened anger into my Love and am now with childe of the Humane Nature and shall bring forth a God-Man 55. And when the Fathers Property in the Soules Nature in the Anger knew that the Father had sowen himselfe againe into the Grace viz. into the New Eve in the Covenant then sayd the Anger of the Father in the Soule when this Grace went to meet it to this new Eve Thou art more righteous then I for I have caused
Imagination 7. Yet the right visions are when Mans will resteth in God and then is Gods will manifest in Mans will and then the soule seeth with Gods Eyes from its most inward Ground where it stands in the word of God and then the Speaking Word goeth with the Soules into the Magick Image of the Constellation and then the Astrall Spirit cannot Image or fashion it selfe in the Phansie but must stand in the Image in the figure as the Constellation is and then the soule seeth what the Most High hath prefigured and what shall come to passe and then the Word of God viz. the ground of the soule expresseth the figure in the soule so that the soule understandeth it as heere Joseph and also Daniell Expressed and Expounded As soone now as the figure of the vision was told before Joseph the Spirit of God was together in the voyce of the relatour and in Joseph Expounded the vision for so also are the Magick visions of all the Prophets 8. For after God hath once appeared to a Prophet in an audible voyce and called them to be Prophets as to * * * 1 Sam. 3.4 6.8.10 Samuell then afterwards he appeared to them in Magick visions and answered them upon their Questions 9. The right Prophetick Ground of the Magicall seeing and understanding is thus Every Prophet is a limitt wherein a Time is included or an Age Comprehended and he is the Mouth of that Kingdome or Dominion that is when that Kingdome hath awakened and generated the Turba in it then is he the Mouth of the Inward Ground which declareth and expresseth the vanity in the Turba and also the Grace of God which hath taken compassion on the humane misery and opposed the wrath of the Turba and reproveth that Kingdome for their vanity and Idolatrie and comforteth them with the introverted Grace againe 10. For his Spirit standeth in the figure in the Eternall Speaking Word of God from which the Life was expressed or Spoken forth and became a Creature introverted againe as an Instrument of the Spirit of God whereby the Spirit of God speaketh and intimateth for the Prophetick Spirit could not in its owne might and power declare future hidden things if the Spirit of God did not see through it and that the Word of God did also goe together through his Word into the Magick figure which the Prophet seeth 11. For the Brophet knoweth not any thing beforehand in his owne power and authority which he declareth but when the Word moddelleth it selfe together in the figure then the Prophetick Spirit seeth through Gods seeing how the Word of God goeth also together upon the figure and then the Word expresseth declareth and Expoundeth the figure through the Prophetick Spirit as heere was done by Joseph when the Kings Officers told their Dreames then the Word set the figure in Josephs understanding how it should come to passe so that Joseph knew what their visions meant 12. But he knew it not beforehand but in the telling of the Dreame the word of understanding modelled it selfe in Josephs understanding that he knew it for Josephs Spirit stood in a Magick figure * * * Re-introverted the the word introverted againe into the Word after the manner as the New Birth in the Spirit of Christ standeth introverted againe so also the other Prophets through whose Mouth Gods Word Expounded and expressed from the Inward Ground through their Mouth the Wonders of God in Nature viz. in the formed Creaturely Word 13. By this figure of Joseph in that he obteined Divine knowledge and skill and could expound hidden things we see how the introverted Spirit of Man resigned up into God when he forsaketh all that is his owne doth attaine the Divine Eye to see and understand so that he gets much more againe then he forsooke and that he is much richer then when he enjoyed his owne for in his owne will he had and possessed onely a Particular but in the Resignation he gets into the Totall viz. into the universall into All for ALL is from the Word of God 14. Therefore if he cometh into that he cometh into the Ground wherein all lyeth in the Eternity and from being poore becomes rich as Josephs figure declareth that a poore Prisoner became a Prince and that onely by the Divine Word that had manifested it selfe in him when the Word in his submissive dereliction and forsaking all Expressed or spake forth it selfe againe and so spake or pronounced Joseph into a Regall Government and Dominion through whom the Word of God would rule in Aegypt and give the understanding for such a Kingly Government 15. Wee see further in this figure of Joseph * * * Rom. 8.28 How at the length all must serve for the best to Gods Children all the wrong they must suffer that will turne to meere Joy in the Issue for in trouble and affliction they learne to know what they are how very weake and miserable they are in their owne selves and how neere Death and Misery attend them and how all the Trust confidence and expectation they have of Men in that they will relie upon Man and trust to the favour of Man is a very fickle uncertain thing also how Man should turne his Hope towards God when he expecteth to be delivered out of trouble by the favour of Man yet so at length the favour and Councell of Man * * * Must. must stand him in stead 16. But if a Man will expect the favour and Councell of Man he must set his hope upon God and looke whether God will give him comfort by humane meanes and release him from misery and not set his hope upon the favour of Man but looke upon God to see what he will worke by meanes and though it seeme as if God had forgotten as heere with Joseph who must remaine Two yeares in Prison then he must consider with himselfe that God will have him heere but if he will through meanes have him in another Place then he will afford meanes for it and send it in due time as is to be seene heere 17. The mishap of the Kings Officers in that they were put into Prison to Joseph was a meanes whereby God would bring Joseph before the King but it was not done suddenly because Joseph hoped the Kings Butler would speake a Good word for him to the King and tell his Innocency but the Butler forgat him left Joseph lying in the Dungeon that Joseph might wholly despaire of humane meanes and flie to God and when he doth that and despaires of all humane meanes and barely relyeth on God then must even that meanes in which Joseph had hoped and yet also had long despaired of any helpe from it break forth againe and stand him in stead 18. By this a childe of God should learne that all which he prayeth to God for that it should stand him in stead by Man that he should not set his hope upon Man
but upon God then at length every thing is done which he hath prayd to God for that should stand him in stead by humane meanes when the Minde despaires of humane meanes and diveth downe into God againe then Gods helpe breaks forth through humane meanes Thus the Minde is instructed to learne to trust in God CHAP. LXVIII Of the Dreames of King Pharaoh how Joseph is fetch out of Prison and presented before the King and Cometh to Great Honour Vpon the 41 of Genesis MOses sayth After Two yeares Pharaoh had a Dreame Gen. XLI 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8. that he stood by the water and saw seaven faire fatt Kine arise out of the water and went to feede in the Meadow after this he saw other seaven Kine arise out of the water which were ill favoured leane and Meager and drew neere the Kine that were by the water side and the leane Meager and ill favoured devoured the seaven faire fatt Kine then Pharaoh awaked and he slept againe and dreamed once more and saw seaven Eares grow out of one stalke full and thicke But afterwards he saw seaven thinne blasted Eares spring up and the seaven thinne and blacke Eares devoured the seaven full and thick Eares then Pharaoh awaked and observed that it was a Dreame and when it was Morning his Spirit was troubled and he sent forth to call all the * * * Truth-sellers South-sayers Magicians of Aegypt and all the Wise men and related to them his Dreames but there was none that could interpret them to Pharaoh 2. These Dreames of Pharaoh were represented to him from God therefore no Magus and †††Skilfull in Nature Naturalist could interpret them for the Naturall Magus hath power onely in Nature onely in that which Nature frameth in its working he cannot apprehend that nor advise in that which the word of God modelleth frameth but a Prophet hath power to interpret that for he is a Divine Magus as heere Joseph 3. With the Aegyptians the Magick Art and skill was Common but when it was misused to Witchcraft it was extirpate although it remained among the Heathen till the Kingdome of Christ till the Divine Magia sprung up then the Naturall Magia was suppressed among the Christians which in the beginning was well that it was suppressed for the Heathenish * * * Or Religion Faith was thereby allayed and quenched and the Magick Images of Nature which they honoured for Gods were rooted out of Mens hearts 4. But when the Christian Faith was common then came other Magi up viz. the Sects in Christendome which they set up for Gods instead of the Images of Heathen Idolls and drive on greater Delusions then the Heathen with their Magick Idolls 5. For the Heathen looked upon the Ground of the possibility and working of Nature but these set themselves above the ground of Nature meerely in an Historicall Faith and say that men ought to beleeve that which they contrive 6. As at this very Day Titulary Christendome is full of such Magi as have no Naturall understanding either of God or of Nature more among them but onely an Empty Babbling of a supernaturall Magick Ground wherein they have set up themselves for Idoll-Gods and understand neither the Divine nor Naturall Magia so that the world is made stock-blind by them whence the Contention and Strife in Faith and Religion is arisen that men talke much of Faith one drawing this way another that way and make a multitude of Opinions which are altogether worse then the Heathenish Images which indeed had their ground and foundation in Nature but these Images have no ground either in Nature or in the supernaturall Divine Faith but are dumb Idolls and their Ministers are Baals Ministers 7. And as it was highly necessary and good that the Naturall Magia was discontinued amongst the Christians where the Faith of Christ was manifest so now at present it is much more necessary that the Naturall Magia were againe manifest that indeed Titulary Christendomes Idolls which it maketh to it selfe might through Nature be made manifest and knowne that Man might know in Nature the Outspoken or expressed formed Word of God as also the New Regeneration and also the Fall and Perdition that thereby the Contrived supernaturall Idolls might be suppressed that men might at length in Nature learne to understand the Scriptures seeing Men will not confide in the Spirit of God in the Divine Magia of true Faith but lay their foundation upon the Tower of Babell in the Contention and Contrived Idoll Opinions viz. in the Edicts and Traditions of Men. 8. I doe not say that Men should seeke and preach the Heathenish Magia againe and take up Heathen Idolls againe but that it is needfull to learne to search the Ground of Nature viz. the formed Word of God in Love and Anger with its re-expression that Men might not be so blinde concerning the Essence of all Essences 9. For the Fathers of the first Faith were not so blinde concerning the Kingdome and Dominion of Nature but did know in and by Nature that there was a hidden God who had made himselfe visible by the Word of his Exhalation and Information of the Created World and have knowne Gods Word by the Creation which is now at present much the more necessary that the Opinion Idolls might come to light and be knowne that Man might at length see what Faith is that it is not an Opinion and Conceit but a Divine * * * Heb. 11.1 Substance or Essence which Substance or Essence in the visible Man is hidden to outward Eyes as the Invisible God is hidden in the visible substance of this World 10. But that the Magi Naturales the Naturall Magicians could not Expound Pharaohs Dreames this was the cause Pharaohs Dreames sprang from the Centre of Nature which the Heathenish Magicians understood not for their Magick Ground in their understanding was onely in the working and †††Or Scheme Figure of the Constellation or Asterisme and in the Elements they understood not the Ground of the Eternall Nature out of which the Nature of this world had its Originall and wherein it standeth but the Dreames of Pharaoh had their Originall out of the Eternall Nature and were represented in a visible Image in the outward Nature of Time and in the outward figure * * * Or representation to the outward Man of Man 11. For the †††7 fatt Kine seaven fat Kine in the Pasture signifie in the inward Ground the ‖ ‖ ‖ 7 Holy Properties seaven properties of the Eternall Nature in the Holy good Substance or Essence viz. in the Kingdome of Heaven where the Divine power is Substantiall and the * * * 7 leane Kine seaven leane ill favoured meager Kine signifie in the inward Ground the †††7 wrathfull properties seaven properties of the Eternall Nature in the wrath of
soule might thus move it selfe in all the Three Principles and stirre up the most inward ground viz. Josephs Brother viz. the incorporated Gate of Grace together with all outward Essences or faculties of the outward soule and bring them along into the work of Repentance into the presence of the right Joseph or Jesus 10. For the fiery Soule is threatned by Joseph that is by Jesus that if in its drawing neere it bring not along with it the most inward ground viz. the brother of Joseph or Christ which in its Manifestation becometh the Temple of Christ then shall its Band of Gods Anger not be loosed its brother Simeon shall remaine in Prison till it also stirre up and bring with it Josephs Brother viz. the most inward Ground 11. Neither shall its Sack be filled with * * * Rev. 2.17 Heavenly Manna for its food that is its Faiths desire shall remaine hungry and Empty and not be filled with divine power and vertue unlesse it bring the Temple of Christ viz. the right Sack with it whereinto the heavenly Joseph filleth his Food 12. This now in the Text stands in a figure shewing how the Old Adamicall Man viz. the Old Jacob thinketh it to be very hard that he should let all the powers of his Life be carried along into Aegypt that is into Repentance into the presence of Joseph or Jesus especially when he seeth that he must breake his will and part with all temporall things for it as Old Jacob must part with all his children for this foode 13. It went hard with him and yet the famine and hunger did so presse upon him that in the end he must yeeld and be willing that all his sonnes should goe into Aegypt and his youngest sonne went along and he was alone as one who had no children so wholly must the Outward Nature leave whatsoever it hath or is in it selfe as having no more power and ability as to Earthly things and give up the selfehood of its inward soule which standeth in the Drawing of God that the inward soule may take the outward soules will along with it into Conversion and then the Old Jacob that is the Old earthly Adamicall Body remaineth alone in its house of Sorrow and knoweth not now what will become of it when its Spirit must goe along into conversion then thinketh the Earthly Lucifer in it viz. the fleshly desire heereby thou wilt loose temporall honour and good things and be the foole of the world this will not serve thy turne and Lust. 14. But the Great Famine viz. Sinne presseth the poore life in all the Three Principles that it must make ready and goe into Aegypt that is into Repentance and seeke divine foode and pray for it and desire it from the true householder Joseph or JESUS and in such Prayer and desire fall on his face of great humility before Joseph or Jesus and desire foode of him 15. But that Jacobs sonnes must goe twice into Egypt for Corne and at the first time receive Corne Enough and yet they came into danger thereby * * * Were kept in pawne or Custody and were kept as a pledge hath inwardly this figure when Man at first turneth into repentance then first the terrible figure or aspect of his sinnes standeth before him for they rouse him up and the Conscience standeth in the Anger of God 16. As the Brethren of Joseph stood the first time before Joseph when he held them for Spies so also Man standeth before God as a Spie of Divine Grace for he thinketh he will this once enter into Repentance that his old sinnes may be forgiven him but he hath not yet so strongly tamed his will that the will should think all dayes of its life while the body lasteth to remaine in such begun Repentance but it thinketh onely for once thus to destroy Sinne in the Conscience and to drowne the old sinnes in Repentance and Sorrow 17. And it cometh also to that passe that his Conscience though perhaps at first it be terrified is in the End appeased and divine foode is given to him from the heavenly Joseph into the Sack of his desire so that the Anger of God letteth him goe But the Anger of God in his righteousnesse taketh a ‖ ‖ ‖ Or Pawne Pledge from the Conscience and keepeth it to see whether Man would continue to rest satisfied with this burthen of food if not then the Anger of God hath its first right in soule and body 18. As it happeneth to us poore Men that wee very slightly and lavishly spend the first foode which the heavenly Joseph giveth us in Repentance and come againe with great hunger want and misery of Conscience and must come to be poore againe and even therefore because we did not the first time bring along with us our Benjamin viz. the most inward Ground in that our will was not quite broken and that wee suppose wee shall continue till our End in Repentance and divine Resignation But if it were done in the first Repentance then could not Gods righteousnesse in the Anger take any pledge but must leave us quite free 19. This figure now that Jacobs children must goe downe into Egypt for foode twice and at the second time Joseph was first manifested unto them and the third time they tooke along with them their wives and children and all that they had together with their father prefigureth that when Man through sinne hath spent and consumed the first divine food that he must hunger againe and be in want in his Conscience so that his conscience presseth him complaineth as a hungry Belly complaineth for food then he thinketh on the first repentance againe how Grace happened to him before 20. But his most inward Ground viz. the Band of Gods Anger complaineth against him condemneth him that he did not preserve Grace it blameth him for an unfaithfull perjured Man who hath tasted Gods Grace and how it was bestowed on him of meere Mercy and that he hath for the Lusts sake of the flesh spoyled and lost all againe and then he standeth as one that is not worthy of any thing so much as to look up to Heaven or that the Earth should beare him that he hath for such base Lusts sake of the flesh squandred so precious a thing againe and thinketh yet with the poore Publican and sinner and with the lost sonne the keeper of swine he will turne againe and come to the salvation of God and then first it is in right true Earnest and then goeth Jacobs sonnes all one and other the second time into Egypt into Repentance to buy heavenly Corne and then must the Old Adamicall Jacob viz. the Body stay at home in Calamity 21. In this Earnest it is that Benjamin viz. the inward Ground is first taken along and now the first will is broken and goeth no more in and with such a purpose as at the first time and they come
Man although it appeare outwardly as if Joseph would thus hide himselfe before his brethren as if he were not an Hebrew of their Progenie yet the Spirit hath heere set downe so deepe a Mystery that no Reason can discerne it 59. For Joseph in this place standeth in the figure of Christ who hath food apart * * * John 4.32.34 whereof they know nothing as it is to be seene at Jacobs well when his Disciples called him to Eate then sayd he I have foode which you know nothing of which is to doe the will of him that sent mee for the Heathen Womans Faith was his Foode 60. Christ according to the Eternall Word of the Deity eateth not of the substance of Heaven as a Creature but of the humane Faith and earnest Prayer and the soules of Men Praysing God are his Food which the Eternall Word that became Man eateth as apart which appertaineth to no Man or any other Creature neither can they eate it and when he eateth the Faith and Prayer together with the prayse of God from our soules then the Humane Faith together with the Prayer and praysing God becomes Substantiall in the word of power and is of one and the same Substance with the Substance of the heavenly corporeity of Christ all alike to the onely Body of Christ God and Substance viz. God Man and Substance all one 61. This Substance which is one and the same Substance with the assumed humanity from us wherein he hath shed his Bloud which is alike of a Divine and humane Substantiality viz. Supernaturall flesh and Bloud and then also of the humane Creatures flesh and Bloud except the Earthlines of our humanity he giveth this now to the humane Faith againe to be eaten and drunk 62. For Faith in the desire of its hunger is the Mouth which sucketh and receiveth it in in which impression catching and receiving Faith eateth and drinketh Christs flesh and Bloud which eating and drinking is apprehended and kept in the inward Paradisicall Image which faded in Adam and became living againe in Christ wherein the humane Paradisicall Substance and Christs flesh and Bloud are entirely one Substance and continueth so Eternally which inward Man is now no more called Adam but Christ viz. being a Member of the Body and Substance of Christ wherein is the Temple of the Holy Ghost and Gods holy Word is therein Substantially and it is a * * * Resemblance of the unconceiveable or non-imagible Deity forme or Image of the Imagelesse Deity viz. the Imaged Word of God an †††Answering exactly as a Mans face doth in a Glasse Expresse reflex Image of God 63. And this now is the signification of the figure that they served Joseph apart and his brethren also apart that still there is a difference between Christ and his Eating and Man and his Eating the difference is not as to the Creaturely humanity of Christ from us but between the un-formed Eternall Word in him wherein the Totall God is operatively and generatively not shut up and seperated but Expressive in full Omnipotence not creaturely but Divine 64. But in us Men so far as Man in his participation hath any thing of God and Christ in his owne Substance the Word is formed and Substantiall and this formed Substantiall Word eateth againe of the formed word of God viz. of Christs flesh and Bloud * * * Col. 2.9 wherein yet also the un-formed Word together with the whole fullnesse of the Deity dwelleth 65. But the humane Creature hath it not in his owne participation or possession of selfe as it is in Christ Jesus but as a vessell and habitation of God after that manner by way of similitude as fire possesseth Iron and †††Maketh it all of a light fire illustrateth it that it come to be all of a fire and yet it hath not the Fire in its owne power or authority for if the fire goe out the Iron then remaineth to be dark Iron or as the Sunne presseth and penetrateth through an hearb and puts forth it selfe together in the hearb and becometh Substantiall and yet the Sunnes Spirit remaineth to be onely a power and vertue in the hearb and the Corpus or Body of the hearb doth not come to be Sunne thus also is it to be understood between God and Man 66. But that Moses sayth And they served the Aegyptians also apart for the Egyptians dare not eate Bread with the Hebrewes hath also its figure though it might well be so outwardly in it selfe that they have not dared to Eate with them which wee leave unquestionably in its owne worth as also all other things wee leave it standing in a History but wee would onely cleere and explaine the meaning and understanding wherefore the Spirit of God hath caused it to be deciphered so narrowly curiously exactly and punctually 67. Now when wee will search out this wee must take into Consideration a Naturall Adamicall Man of what kinde Progenie or Name soever he is whether Heathen Turk * * * Or Mouth-Christian verball or Titulary Christian or Jew heere they are all alike and no otherwise all these dare not Eate with a right true Christian as viz. with Josephs Brethren But why because they have not a Mouth to eate such foode withall their Mouth is yet shut up to them and they cannot eate the Foode of Christs Body they are an Abomination to it and have a loathing against it as wee see that it is an Abomination to the Jewes Turks Heathens that a Christian sayth †††Joh. 6.53 Hee eateth Christs flesh and drinketh his Bloud 68. So also it is an abomination to the Titulary Christendome one part of which beleeveth not the Substantiall participation and feeding upon the Body of Christ but will have it meerely Spirituall The other part will have the Mouth of the Adamicall Mortall Man full of it and therewith comprehend receive it And so there is no right knowledg or understanding in either part and they sit at Table but without knowing any thing as the Brethren of Joseph did who knew not Joseph where indeed their Faith feedeth but their understanding knoweth not Joseph in his ‖ ‖ ‖ Or Messe of foode feast or Banquett 69. Now then sayth Reason seeing the Jewes Turks and Ignorant unknowing Heathen have no Mouth to eate such foode with and that Christ sayth * * * Joh. 6.53 Whosoever Eateth not the flesh of the Sonne of Man he hath no life in him therefore they must all of them be Damned O Israell how blinde art thou heere and knowest as little as they or as Josephs Brethren knew of Joseph 70. The Turks Jewes and Strange Nations whose desire and prayer goeth to the Onely God have indeed a Mouth but not so as a Christian hath for as the Desire viz. the Mouth is such is also the Foode in the Mouth They desire the Spirit of God and
and Brother the Heavenly Joseph for with Money Men trade so also should the inward Benjamin trade with his Gifts of the three hundred peeces of silver viz. with the Gifts of Christ that is teach and make knowne Gods wonders for he is Christs servant and assistant yea his true Brother 29. But the Ten Asses laden with the choice Good things of the Land of Egypt which Joseph sent to his Father signifieth in the figure the Ten Commandements in the Law of Nature which Joseph had laden with Good things that is Christ hath laden them with his Grace and sent them to Gods righteousnesse in the Conscience whereof poore Nature hath to make Expences 30. But the Ten shee Asses with Corne signifie the Ten formes of the Soulish and Naturall fire-Life upon which Christ loadeth the Soules foode when they goe in his processe in the imitation of him The Bread and the foode upon the way signifie the Word of God of which the poore old Adam must eate that he may live 31. These Christ giveth his children and brethren on the way of their Pilgrimage when they goe home againe in the processe of Christ that they may have provision to spend and thereon Nature viz. the Old Father eateth and commandeth them that they should not contend one with another upon this way but in Love and Peace goe home into Paradise 32. O Israell where is now thy Peace It seemeth as if thou haddest consumed all the provision of Joseph and must at present want seeing thou so very much contendest about this foode and hast raised such murdering about it Truly thou hast murdered thy brother Benjamin by the way and therefore thou art in Strife and wilt not goe home thou art afraid but the famine will drive thee forth or else thou wilt be hungry and starved 33. * * * Gen. 45.25 26 27 28. Thus they went up from Egypt and came into the Land of Canaan to their father Jacob and made it knowne to him and sayd Joseph is alive and is Lord of the whole Land of Egypt but his heart thought much otherwise for he beleeved them not then they told him all the words of Joseph which he had said to them and when he saw the Chariotts which Joseph had sent to bring him the spirit of Jacob their father revived and Israell sayd I have enough that my sonne Joseph yet liveth I will goe downe and see him ere I die This figure standeth thus 34. When Christs Apostles were loaden with this Present they went therewith into their fathers house viz. among the Brethren in the Kingdome of Nature in their unbeleefe and made knowne to them the great Glory and the present of JESUS Christ which he had given them that they should bring it to them but their heart beleeved it not that these simple Men the Apostles of God loaden with such great Good things were sent by Joseph till they saw the Chariotts of the Holy Ghost which brought the Present in great power and works of wonder and heard the powerfull Word of JESUS Christ with deeds and wonders out of their Mouth then sayd Israell Now I have enough now I can beleeve I will also goe along with you to Christ that I may see him as Old Jacob sayd I have enough that my sonne Joseph yet liveth I will goe up that I may see him before I dye 35. Thus also these Chariotts goe out from Gods children among the unbeleevers which at first will not beleeve but when they feele these Chariotts and the Present in them then they also say I have enough I will goe along into Egypt into Repentance that I may see and know my Saviour for their Spirit is also revived as Jacobs spirit was 36. Where are now these Chariotts in the Teachers Mouths upon which the Holy Ghost rideth and toucheth the heart of Israell that his spirit is revived Indeed sayth Babell the Spirit of Christ at present worketh not so powerfully in our words wee have now the knowledge of the Kingdome of Christ that need not be wee should onely beleeve the Word which Christs Apostles have left behinde them and that is enough 37. Else if wee should teach so powerfully wee must then be also of so simple and poore a life as Christs Apostles lead and forsake the world that needs not be Christs Kingdome must now be stately in Pomp and Glory 38. O how will poore Christ who on Earth had not whereon to lay his head reprove this to thee before thy face that thou hast taken his Covenant into a false and wicked Mouth Earnestnesse was never more necessary then at this present when all the Chariotts are overthrone and in great Confusion CHAP. LXXIII How Jacob and all his Children and all that were belonging to him and all their Cattle went into Egypt Vpon the 46 Chapter of Genesis MOses sayth * * * Gen. XLVI 1 2 3 4. Israell went with all that he had and when he came to Bersheba he offered sacrifice to the God of his father Isaack and God sayd to him that night in a vision Jacob Jacob and he answered heere am I and he sayd I am God the God of thy father Isaack feare not to goe downe into Egypt for I will there make thee a great people I will goe downe with thee into Egypt and bring thee up hither againe and Joseph shall lay his hand upon thine Eyes The inward Figure standeth thus 2. Jacob must goe into Egypt in the great famine and straite hunger with all the Company he had and he went up when he heard of Joseph when Joseph caused him to be fetched by his sonnes when he saw the Present and the Chariotts of Joseph then his spirit was revived and he went up thus it is also in the figure of the New Birth when the Adamicall Man heareth the voice of the heavenly Joseph sounding in him and seeth the Chariots of the Holy Ghost in him then he goeth up with all his powers and goeth into the Egypt of Repentance 3. And when he cometh to Bersheba that is into the sounding noise of his heart and soule then he sacrificeth his body and soule with all that he hath to the God of his father that is he giveth himselfe up with his Life and all whatsoever he is into the Word which created it in Adam and made it out of it selfe which is the God of his father then that divine Word speaketh or inspireth into him that is it speaketh actually operatively and powerfully in him that Night in a vision which is as much as to say here in the secret hiddennesse of Man where God hideth himselfe from Reason and the Creature and out of his principle speaketh or inspireth Comfort and power or vertue into the Life and calleth him by his Name as he did Jacob that is he compriseth his Name in the word of his speaking which is * * * Rev. 20.12 to the 15. the Booke of
Countenance which is as much as to say in the figure thus when Joseph in the Image or Type of the humanity of Christ brought his sonnes to his Father viz. before the Covenant of God then the Covenant tooke them in the Armes or into the Boosom of his desire viz. into Gods Essence and kissed them with the kisse of Love which God would manifest in Christ and the Fathers righteousnesse in the Word of might and power sayth to the Soules Essences behold thou art dimme to my sight and now I have seene thy Countenance againe through the Love and Grace of God which I thought not to have done for I thought to have kept the soule in the strong and severe Might of Gods anger for Gods Eye was departed in it with its turning away from him and so as to Gods righteousnesse it was rent off from God But now I have seene the Countenance of the Soule againe through Gods Love in the Grace of God and Gods Love hath let mee see * * * The Soules Essences powers or faculties them in the seede of the Covenant of Grace 8. And the Spirit of Moses sayth And Joseph tooke them from his fathers Boosom and bowed himselfe to the Earth before his face that is when the Word became Man then Christ tooke the soule from the fathers Boosom viz. from the fathers Nature in to himselfe and in a Creaturely manner presented himselfe with the assumed humanity before God the father and bowed that is humbled himselfe with the assumed soule viz. God and Man in one Person to the Earth that is even into Death and entred before the Face of God with our assumed Soule that is he brought the Soules will through the introduced power of the Deity back againe into the resigned humility before the Eyes of God 9. And Moses sayth further Then Joseph tooke them both Ephraim in his right hand towards Israells left hand Gen. 48.13 and Manasseh in his left hand towards Israells right hand and brought them to him This now is the pretious figure of the Great earnestnes of God shewing how Man is blessed againe for Ephraim was not the first-borne but Manasseh and Jacob layd his right hand upon the head of the Youngest but Joseph tooke Ephraim in his right hand and Manasseh in his left hand that he might stand with the first-borne before Jacobs right hand and with the other before Jacobs left hand but Jacob inverted the will of Joseph The Figure standeth thus 10. * * * John 1.14 The Word became Man understand the not-naturall un-creaturely word of God manifested it selfe in Gods Creaturely word of Mans Soule and tooke on him the faded lights Image and quickened or made it living in it selfe and put it into Gods left hand viz. into the fathers Anger which is heere expressed by setting the youngest Sonne viz. Ephraim before Jacobs viz. Gods left hand but tooke it in his right hand 11. For Christ tooke the incorporated Covenant of Grace in the faded heavenly Image which incorporated Covenant of Grace in Man was the youngest viz. the New Man in his right hand viz. into the highest Love in the Name JESUS and entered with this New Man from the Covenant of Grace before Gods left hand viz. before Gods strict righteousnesse in the Anger that he might attone the soule viz. the first-birth and the soule viz. the first-borne Christ tooke in his left hand that is he tooke the first Principle which beforehand had the superiour Jurisdiction authority and power and put it under that its power viz. the selfe-will should goe back and enter into humility before Gods right hand 12. For these two Sonnes of Joseph heere rightly signifie the inward Spirituall Man viz. the fiery Soule which is the Eldest Sonne also the Spirit of the Soule viz. the Lights power which signifieth the other or second Sonne viz. the Two Principles these did Joseph that is Christ set before God and tooke the Spirit viz. the second Principle in his right hand viz. in his Love and set it with his Love before Gods left hand viz. before his anger for he should breake the Serpents head and the soule he setteth before Gods right hand that it should receive the blessing from God that is that Gods Love should manifest it selfe out of the soule but that might not be For Moses sayth * * * Gen. 48.14 But Israell streached forth his right hand and layd it upon the head of Ephraim the youngest and his left hand upon Manassehs head and did so with his hands knowingly for Manasseh was the first-borne 13. That is thus much in the figure God would no more give the Dominion or Government to the first Birth viz. to the fiery Soule seeing it had turned away its will from God but layd his hand of power and Omnipotency upon the second viz. upon the Image of the Light which in Christ in his Love became living againe to this he gave now the power of the divine vertue that the soule might be under Christ for in the Lights Image is Christ understood and upon it God layd the hand of his Omnipotence and Grace and upon the soule he layd his left hand that it should be a Servant and a Minister of Grace 14. Thus the first Birth was set behinde viz. in subjection and the second Birth formost and uppermost in the Dominion and heere is that figure concerning which Christ sayth * * * John 17.6 Father the Men were thine that is they were of thy Natures property but thou hast given them to mee for the Father gave to Christ the highest blessing power whereby the fiery soule lost its Dominion of selfe-will 15. And Moses sayth Jacob did thus knowingly that is the Covenant of God knew it in Jacob that God would have it so Jacob could not with his bodily Eyes for Age well know these two Ladds but with the Eyes of Gods Covenant he saw and knew them for Gods Spirit in him did this 16. * * * Gen. 48.15 16. And he blessed Joseph and sayd God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaack have walked God who hath preserved mee all my Life long even to this day the Angell that hath released mee from all evill blesse these Ladds that they may be called after my Name and after the Names of my fathers Abraham and Isaack that they may encrease and multiply on Earth This figure standeth thus 17. The God of Love blessed the incorporated Covenant of Grace out of which should come Christ viz. the heavenly Joseph as heere Jacob with his blessing began at Joseph and blessed Josephs sonnes through Joseph thus God also through the Name JESUS blesseth the soule and the spirit for God hath appointed the Name Jesus to be a Throne of Grace and through that Throne of Grace he blesseth Christs children and Members according to the humanity and heere in the words of the blessing maketh no difference beween the children to
brother and yet the Spirit sayth of him he is a ravening Wolfe who in the morning would devour the prey In this Testament of Benjamin is couched the most hidden secret figure of the whole Scripture and yet in its Type in the unfolding in the Effect and work it is the most manifest and open figure which is cleere in the fullfilling so that Men may see it with bodily Eyes and yet in their Reason are quite blinde concerning it 49. This figure is fullfilled and yet is in action and shall be yet also further fullfilled it is very secret and yet as manifest as a Sunshiny Day and yet is not understood but it is knowne to the Magi and Wisemen who indeed have written much concerning it but it hath not been yet rightly explicated while the time of the Evening when Benjamins spoyle shall be divided was far off but now it is neere therefore wee shall offer somewhat concerning it and hint the sence and meaning for those of our society to consider of and yet remaine as it were dumb to the unwise seeing they sit in the dark and open their Jawes onely after the spoyle 50. The two Brethren Joseph and Benjamin are the Image or Type of Christendome and of a Christian Man which in their figure are twofold viz. the Adamicall Man in his Nature is signified by Benjamin and the New Man out of the Covenant in the Spirit of Christ is signified by Joseph and the figure representeth how Christ hath assumed the Adamicall Man and that this Man is halfe Adamicall and halfe heavenly and that entirely in one person which cannot be divided 51. So also in this Image or Type he prefigureth Christendome and how they would receive Christ and become Christians viz. that in them Christ and also the Evill Wolfe Adam would governe that is when they would receive the Faith they would be so ravenous raving and zealous as a Wolfe and would draw the Heathen to them with power and Compulsion and yet would devour them that is whosoever will not above all hold the same Opinion with them they would presently fall on to Condemne that other Opinion and persecute it with warres the sword as a raging Lyon or Wolfe biteth and devoureth thus in zeale they would devour round about them with Excommunication and the sword and that therefore not because they are zealous in the Spirit of Christ but from the Wolfe of the Evill Adam which would alwayes set it selfe in Spirituall and Worldly States and polities above the Spirit of Christ. 52. Thus their Zeale would be only from the devouring Wolfe Men being more zealous under the Name of Christ for temporall Goods fatt livings good dayes and worldly honour then for Love Truth and Salvation they will not be zealous in the power of Christs Love but in the power of the devouring Wolfe Also in the Zeale of their accustomed Exercises and Worship wherein yet they would but play the hypocrites before God they themselves would devoure one another as covetous greedy Wolves and so outwarldly the Wolfe would Governe But yet inwardly in the true children Christ would governe Outwardly Benjamin viz. the Naturall Adam which indeed is also a Christian but it is first after his Resurrection when he is quitt of the Wolfe and Inwardly Joseph who is hidden under the Wolfe 53. And now the Spirit of Jacob in the Covenant of God pointeth at the Time shewing how it would be viz. in the first time of Christianity they would be zealous hunger after God in the Spirit of Christ and yet must hide themselves from their Enemies as a Wolfe that Men hunt as an Enemie 54. But when they shall be great and possesse Kingdomes that is when Christs Name shall come under the power and authority of Dan so that Lawes and Ordinances shall be made out of pretence of Christian Liberty and its Orders and Exercises shall come under worldly authority and dominion then will this Christendom be a Wolfe which will no more judge and proceed in the Love of Christ but whosoever will not call all their Belly Orders good and right those they would devour with the sword of Excommunication with fire and * * * Racha vengeance and would raise warres for Christs Name and for their superstitions and compell the people with power to the acknowledgement of Christ and devoure round about them as a Wolfe and alwayes hunt after the spoyle and yet for the most part entend to get the Goods and authority of strange and forreigne people to themselves 55. Thus would Benjamin in the Morning viz. in his rising up devour the prey and towards the Evening he would againe divide this devoured spoyle that is towards the End of the world when Josephs Government will get aloft againe so that Christ shall be wholly manifest and that this Wolfe shall cease then will Benjamin viz. the holy true Christendom divide the spoyle of Christ wherewith Christ hath suppressed Death and Hell 56. This dividing or distribution of the spoyle shall come and is already come and yet is not though it is really in Truth and the whole world is blinde concerning it except the children of the Mystery The Time is and is not and yet truly is when this prey and spoyle of Christ and also the Wolfes prey shall through Josephs hand be given into Benjamins hand and be divided and distributed 57. O Babell let this be a Wonder to thee and yet no wonder neither for thou hast nothing and seest nothing at which thou canst wonder as a young plant groweth from a Seede and becometh a great Tree which bringeth forth much faire fruit so that a Man would wonder at the Graine or seede how so excellent a Tree and so much good fruit hath lyen hid in one only Graine or seede which men neither knew of nor saw before But because Men have knowledge and experience thereof that it is possible that a Tree should come out of one graine or seede Men wonder not at it yet Men see not how it comes to passe or where that great power and vertue was so also at present Men see the Graine or Seede of the Tree well enough but Reason contemneth that and beleeveth not that such a Tree lyeth therein whence such good fruit should come that thereby the Kingdome of Benjamin at the End of Time shall be called a dividing or distribution of the prey and spoyle 58. But Joseph must first be a Governour in Egypt and then Benjamin cometh to him and then Joseph giveth him five Garments of sumptuous apparell and five times more foode from his Table then the other when the famine famisheth the Land and the soule of Jacob hungereth then know that God will thereby draw Israell into Egypt viz. into Repentance and then is the time of visitation and Benjamin carrieth his spoyling sword in his mouth But Josephs countenance smiteth him so that he cometh into great Terrour and feare of
unlearned Tradesman and gifted him with such a noble endowment of the Universal Knowledge of God and Nature and shewn him the Centre of all Beings How all things arise from God Originally consist in God and again return and flow into him c. thereby to call man to the knowledge of God of himself and all things That he might turn from the corrupt Dark being of this World to Christ the only Light c. This high rare and pretious Gift which hath not been manifested in the like manner and Degree Height and Depth Breadth and Length before these times our Jacob Behmen learned in God hath employed in all faithfulness and simplicity and lay'd it forth as it was given and imparted to him And in all his writings hath lay'd his ground in God and hath reared up his whole Building very deeply founded from Him As Christ speaketh of the wise Master-Builder that he digged deep and layd his foundation on a Rock whereupon he built his Tow'r on High As it is clearly to be seen how he doth all along drive and press at God Christ and his Spirit at Faith and Love at the mortifying of the old and the renovation of the new-man And in brief at the Restauration in Christ of God's Image in us which did disappear in Adam Also he shewâ—th the Order Harmony and Birth of all things and how they subsist by the power of the yet uncessantly working word of Gods FIAT and hold their Analogy and orderly proportion in the wisdom of Gods wonders But he doth not set it forth with words of Scholastick knowledg and contrived Art of VVisdom in Babel and of her Builders but as it was given him according to the knowledge of Nature in his own Gift And though such Tearms and Phrases as he uses seem hard and harsh at first yet the diligence of an observant Reader that earnestly desireth knowledge for his Edification will by the indwelling Grace of God so bring him into a right apprehension thereof that what before seem'd difficult and dark will at length be plain clear and easy as it hath hapned to my self Thus far his own Country-man and Accquaintance Moreover he had the knowledge of that wonderfull Mystery containing the Secrets of the whole Creation The language of Nature and that in his Native tongue whereby the very name of every thing gave him clear Inspection into the Nature of it This Knowledge had Adam in his Innocency but by his Fall lost it Else it had been understood as our Author affirmeth in the Language of every Nation Now to the incredulous if they could but fathom his depths I should only bid them ask themselves this Question VVhether Art or Nature ever did or can produce such sublime Knowledge such pure and distinct knowledge of the highest Mysteries knowing that upon debate with their serious Thoughts they must speak the Negative But there is a malicious Ignorance possesseth many by which they condemn all things above their Sphear and cry down that excellency in others which exceeds the fathom of their own Comprehensions I need not travail for Proof or Instance Istorum plena sunt omnia They are no where not to be found Concerning the following Tractate it contains Four Tables with their Explication wherein may be seen by a spiritual eye the Ground and Foundation of all the Authors Works and profound Mysteries Yea there is also clearly decypher'd that so much sought and so rarely found Secret Cabal of the antient Rabbies These Tables indeed contain the Summe of all the Authors writings of all his Knowledge of all in Heaven and Earth yea of all the highest Mysteries that Man in this life is capable of knowing The First Table as the Radix briefly includes the rest The other three are Branches of the First and all together are properly termed an A.B.C. to all that the Author hath written which when I perceiv'd I could not but much desire their publication and not knowing when or by whom that might be done I furnish'd my self with all necessaries thereunto and so by God's enablement perform'd it with that care and diligence which the Majesty of the matter requires And though I know it a general Expect that the skill of a Translator should illustrate his Author yet that in this and some other of his Writings can not well be done for whoever not perfectly baptised into his Spirit shall render them in the genuine phrase of other language and not punctually verbatim will force his Reader to a double loss both in the significancie of expression and in the mind of the Mystery In a word this following Tractate I have annexed to the Author's Life and both not unfitly to his Mysterium Magnum For the first ten Chapters of that Book are not only introductory to the following Commentary but likewise an excellent illustration of these Tables wherein the pious Reader by a due search may happily find pulsanti dabitur a greater Treasure than the VVorld can afford and that to his infinite satisfaction which I heartily wish him together with the Life Light and Love of Jesus Christ In whom I rest His Servant H. BLUNDEN 1 Table What GOD is without Nature Creature What God without Nature and Creature is and what the Mysterium Magnum is How God by his breathing forth or speaking hath introduced himself into Nature and Creature  Abyss  1 NOTHING ALL  Father 2 VVill of the Abyss JE Sonn 3 Delight or impression of the VVill. HO Spirit 4 Science or Motion VA 5 GOD in Trinitie Thus is GOD without Nature and Creature considered 6 VVORD in GOD. 7 VVisdom  Begining of Mysterii Magni of the Eternal NATURE Here begineth Mysterium Magnum as distinction in speaking the WORD where the WORD by Wisdom is made distinct Natural Sensible Comprehensible and Invenible The Eternal begining of the Principles is here also understood with Gods Love and Anger in Light and Darkness GOD in LOVE GOD in WRATH  9. The First principle Spiri 8 The second Principle  Moving Thinking tual Dark Feeling Mâ—nd Nature V II Angel Light Love-fire 10 Tincture or speaking of the Trinity I Desire II. Prick or Science III Angush IV Fire Angelical World Root of the four Elements VI Sound or Distinction VII Essence or essential wisdom Austere Cause of Enmity Fire root of heat  Hard Hellish-life Hell Sub Growing or Greening in the Spiritual World 12 Pure Element 13 Paradise Sharpness cold fire Root Devill stan SAL MERCURIUS SULPHUR tial 14 Begining of the external World Here begineth the external visible World as the out-spoken visible WORD 1 Is understood the good Life of the creature which stands in the Quint-Essence 2 The poison and grossness of the Earth and Earthy Life 3 The Reader understanding these all Doubts and Queries cease in him and Babel is left in Ignominie The third Principle   15 Heaven  Starrs 16 Quint-Essence Good Powers The 17
for the Sensuall intelligible tongue was compacted according to the multiplicity of the properties 15. And thus the wrath of the eternall nature and also the Prince who dwells therein viz. the Devill in his Legions doth satiate and recreate it selfe in the strife and contention of man in the compacted word of the tongues and thus the Antichrist who is the Towre of Babel viz. the Selfe-will of the Ham-like man domineereth in the Temple of God and there hath set himselfe up in the place of the Holy spirit 16. For the Temple of God is the formed word of the humane Languages and tongues in mans understanding as it is written * * * Rom. X. 8 the word is nigh thee namely in thy mouth and Heart and the Seat and habitation of the opposite adverse Devill is the monstrous property out of the darke world 17. In this formed word of divine understanding the Antichrist viz. the will of Self out of the properties of nature hath set up and established himselfe and pranketh and set forth himselfe with his property of nature as if he were God and yet he is the condemned accursed Son chosen to death which cannot inherit the Kingdome of God for he was not made a creature out of Gods will but out of the will of Selfe as the Devill who was an Angel yet became a Devill from the will of the dark world which advanced it self in him 18. The like also we are to understand concerning the Antichristian babilonicall Beast of Reasons self will which termeth it selfe divine and is onely a monster of the true man which died in Adam to the holy Image of Gods spirituall world and shall and must be borne anew in the word which did again manifest it selfe in the humane property in Christ or else it cannot see the Holy word viz. the unformed Divine word of power 19. This same holy word must again enter into the Compacted Sensuall tongue and bruise the same so that the whole and perfect understanding of all tongues may be again manifest in one as Christ said of the Corner-Stone that it should be * * * Rom 9.33 1 Pet. 2.8 a Rock of offence upon whomsoever it should fall him it should bruise 20. Thus understand us now what the Antichrist or the babilonicall Whore with the Dragon Beast is as may be seen in the Revelation Every man which is not born again of God hath the marke of the Beast and the false whore in him 21. The Beast is the Animall naturall earthly Ham-like man who is from the Limus of the Earth according to the Earths grossenesse and malignant Malice which ariseth out of the dark world and standeth in the Curse of God This beast did arise in Adam and Eve when they did Imagine after evill and good and came into its selfe-fulnesse away from the divine power and will and is before God onely as a beast This beast the Devill hath infected with his desire and made it wholly monstrous and insinuated his desire thereinto so that it onely lusteth after vanity as a Cow doth after Grasse 22. But the whore of the Beast is the poor Soule captivated in vanity which soule had its rise in the formed word of the three Principles which was Gods Image but now by the Lust of the beast it hath begotten to it selfe an own selfe-will which is departed from God into selfehood as a self-willed self-born creature which doth what it pleaseth and not what Gods Spirit willeth this selfe-will revoulted and apostatized from God is the whore of the beast which whoreth with its self in the Pride of selfehood 23. But now the poore captive soule lyeth in this Grosse beast and is captivated in its owne selfe-borne will viz. in the whore and longeth after God from whom it proceeded and was inspired into the created Image and looketh about on all sides where its true native Home of Rest should be and it findeth that it is cloathed and covered with this whore and then it bringeth its desire into this whores will and seeketh the place of God for Rest and then the whores will taketh the poore captivated soules desire into it selfe and thereby doth exalt and set up it selfe it perswades it selfe that it in the soules desire is the fair child of God which shall possesse Heaven and gives out that it is holy and sets forth it selfe as a God which men must honour and adore 24. And being this Bastard viz. the false will of selfehood cannot see or behold the place of God either what or where God is then the false will goeth on in the way of its property and betakes it selfe unto and appropriates to it selfe the manifested Word of the Letter viz. the formed voice of Gods children who spake from the Living word and setteth its contrived forme of its owne conceived Ens into the Literall word and cloathes it selfe externally with the literall word standeth forth with boldnesse and selfe-achieved confidence and saith here is the place of God here is heaven here is God manifest but it is onely a Bastard and is predestinated to Condemnation for God hath not created it Note Predestination but it was born and brought forth out of the Lust of the Soule when it did turne its face from God into the Centre and would taste and prove evill and good 25. This Harlots Bratt sitteth upon the beastiall monstrous man and rideth upon him as upon its horse and is halfe Devill and halfe brute Beast which shall and must dye or else the soule will not be redeemed so as to see the face of God again 26. This whore hath taken its power and understanding out of nature viz. out of the Compaction of Evill and Good that is out of the dark and outward world and hath swallowed up or avalled the pretious Image of God in it selfe which after God was created out of the heavenly Ens. 27. Here is the Swinheard as Christ said who had consumed his fathers inheritance with the Swine he meaneth the poor Soule which hath devoured spent and consumed its heavenly Goods in the heavenly Ens with this whore of the evill Self-devillish will so that it standeth in Gods sight as a tattered patched Swineheard and keepeth the fruit of the evill whore viz. of the Devills fatted swine upon the Earth which are the wicked ones in their fruits 28. Thus we understand what the Antichristian babilonicall whore in man is which hath arisen out of the divided properties viz. out of Adam in whom the properties departed out of their mutuall and Equall Accord each into its owne desire and lust to Selfenesse whereby Adam became earthly and mortall out of whom afterwards the Tree of the multiplicity of tongues and speeches did arise out of one onely tongue 29. Now know this that the multitudes or variety of Faiths are generated out of the divided Tongues so that almost every Nation hath brought it selfe into sundry severall and peculiar