Gate of affliction and of misery 31. Thus the noble life in the Tincture standeth in great danger and hath hourely to expect the corruption or destruction breaking or dissolution for as soone as the bloud wherein the Spirit liveth floweth out or passeth away the Essence breaketh or dissolveth and the Tincture flieth away like a glance or shadow and then the source or springing up of the fire is out and the body becometh stiffe 32. But alas the life hath many greater and more powerfull enemies especially the foure Elements and the Constellations or starres as soone as any one Element becometh too strong the Tincture flieth from it and then the life hath its end If it be overwhelmed with water it groweth cold and the fire goeth out then the flash flieth away like a glance or shadow if it be overwhelmed with earth viz. with impure matter then the flash groweth darke and flieth away if it be overwhelmed with aire that it be stopt then the Tincture is stifled and the springing Essences and the flash breaketh into a glance and goeth into its Ether But if it be overwhelmed with fire or heate the flash is enflamed and burneth up the Tincture from whence the bloud becometh darke and swearthy or black and the flash goeth out in the meeknesse 33. O how many Enemies hath the life among the Constellations or Starres which qualifie or mingle their influence with the Tincture and Elements when the Planets and the Starres have their conjunctions and where they cast their poysonous rags into the Tincture there ariseth in the life of the meeke Tincture stinging tearing and torturing For the sweet or pleasant Tincture being a sweet and pleasing refreshment cannot endure any impure thing And therefore when such poysonous rags are darted into it then it resisteth and continually cleanseth it selfe but as soone as it is overwhelmed that it be darkned then the flash goeth out the life breaketh and the body falleth away and becometh a Cadaver Carkasse or dead corps for the spirit is the life 34. This I have here shewen very briefly and summarily and not according to all the Circumstances that it might thereby be somewhat understood by the way what the life is in its due place all shall be expounded at large for herein is very much contained and there might be great Volumes written of it but I have set downe onely this that the overcoming and the sleepe might be apprehended The Gate or Exposition of the heavenly Tincture how it was in Adam before the Fall and how it shall be in us after this Life 35. Great and mighty are these Secrets and he that seeketh and findeth them hath surpassing joy therein for they are the true heavenly bread for the soule If we consider and receive the knowledge of the heavenly Tincture then there riseth up the knowledge of the divine kingdome of joy so that wee wish to be loosed from the vanity and to live in this Birth which yet cannot be but wee must finish our dayes-work 36. Reason saith Alas If Adam had not lusted he had not fallen asleepe If I had been as he I would have stood firme and have continued in Paradise Yes beloved Reason you have hit the matter well in thinking so well of thy selfe I will shew thee thy strength and the Gate and doe but thou consider how firme thou shouldst stand if thou didst stand as Adam did before the Tempting Tree 37. Behold I give you a true similitude Suppose that thou wert a young man or young maid or virgin as Adam was both of them in one onely person how doest thou thinke thou shouldst stand Suppose thus set a young man of good complexion beautifull and vertuous and also a faire chaste modest virgin or young maid curiously featured and put them together and let them not onely come to speake together and converse lovingly one with another but so that they may also embrace one another and command them not to fall in love t gether not so much as in the least thought also not to have any inclination to it much lesse any infection in the will and let these two be thus together forty dayes and forty nights and converse with one another in meere ioy and command them further that they keepe their will and minde stedfast and never m Or purpose in thought conceive one thought to desire one another and not to infect themselves with any essence or property at all but that their will and inclination be most stedfast and firme to the command and that the young man shall will and purpose never to copulate with this nor no other maid or virgin and in like manner the maid or virgin be enjoyned to the same Now thou Reason full of misery defects and infirmities how doe you thinke you should possibly stand here would you not promise faire with Adam but you would not be able to performe it 38. Thus my beloved Reason I have set a Glosse before you and thus it was with Adam God had created his worke wisely and good and extracted the one out of the other The first ground was himselfe out of which he created the world and out of the world he created Man to whom he gave his Spirit and intimated to him that without wavering or any other desire he should live in him most perfectly 39. But now man had also the spirit of this world for he was come out of this world and lived in the world And Adam understand the Spirit which was breathed into him from God was the chaste virgin and the Spirit which he had inherited out of Nature from the world was the young man These were now both together and rested in one arme 40. Now the chaste virgin ought to be bent into the heart of God and to have no imagination to lust after the beauty of the comely young man but yet the young man was kindled with love towards the virgin and he desired to copulate with her for he said thou art my dearest Spouse or bride my Paradise and garland of Roses let me into thy Paradise I will be impregnated in thee that I may get thy essence and enjoy thy pleasant love how willingly would I taste of the friendly sweetnesse of thy vertue or power If I might but receive thy glorious light how full of joy should I be 41. And the chaste virgin said Thou art indeed my bridegroome and my Companion but thou hast not my Ornament my Pearle is more n Costly precious than thou my vertue oâ— power is incorruptible or unfadable and my minde is over constant or stedfast thou hast an unconstant minde and thy vertue is corruptible or brittle dwell in my o As in the outward Court of the Temple Court and I will entertaine thee friendly and doe thee much good I will adore thee with my Ornaments and I will put my Garment on thee but I will not give thee my Pearle for thou art
the first Principle he conceived that he was now but a meere child of this world when he beheld his corruptibility and also the monstrous image which he c Or carried about him was in and that the Paradisicall d Wit reason or skill understanding delight and joy was departed from him so that his spirit and perfection was driven out of Paradise that is out of the second Principle of God where the Light or the Heart of God is generated from eternity to eternity and where the holy Ghost proceedeth from the Father and the Sonne and that he now lived no more meerly by the word of God but did eat and drink viz the e Preservation or propagation birth of his life henceforward consisted in the third Principle that is in the Region Kingdome or dominion of the Starres and Elements and he must now eat of the vertue and fruit thereof and live thereby and thereupon he then supposed that he was past recovery and that the noble image of God was destroyed And beside the Devill also continually represented his corruptibility and mortality to him and himselfe could see nothing else being he was gone out of paradise that is out of the incorruptible holy f Preservation or protection geniture or operation of God wherein he was Gods holy image and childe in which God created him to continue therein for ever And if the mercifull love of God had not appeared to him again in the center of the birth of his life and comforted him he would have thought that he were wholly departed or quite separated from the eternall Divine birth and that he were no more in God nor God any more in him and that he were no more of Gods essence 5 But the favourable love that is the g Unigenitus onely begotten Sonne of God or that I may set it down so that it may be understood the lovely fountain where the light of God is h Begotten or born or brought forth generated sprung up grew again in Adam in the center of the birth of his life in the fifth form of his birth whereby Adam perceived that he was not broken off from the Divine root but that he was still the childe of God and repented him of his first evill lust and thereupon the Lord shewed him the treader upon the Serpent who should destroy his monstrous birth and so he should from the monstrous birth be regenerated anew in the shape form power and vertue of the treader upon the Serpent and be brought with power again into Paradise into the holy birth and eat of the i Verbum Domini Word of the Lord again and live eternally in spite of all the * Or power gates of the wrathfulnesse wherein the Devil liveth concerning which there shall be further mention made in its due place 6. But mark and consider this well dear Reader and let not your simplicity deceive you the Authour is not greater than others he knoweth no more neither hath he any greater authority than other children of God Do but look upon your self why have you earthly thoughts of your self why will you be mocked by the Devill and be fooled by the world so as to be led to think that you are but a kinde of Figure like God and not generated or begotten of God 7. Your monstrous form or shape indeed is not God nor of his essence or substance but the hidden man k Which the soul is which is the soul l Or out of Gods own essence or substance in a childe is the fathers own substance is the proper essence of God forasmuch as the love in the light of God is sprung up in your own centre out of which the holy Ghost proceedeth wherein the second Principle of God consisteth How then should you not have power and authority to speak of God who is your Father of whose essence you are Behold is not the world Gods and the light of God being in you it must needs be also yours as it is written The Father hath given all things to the Sonne and the Sonne hath given all to you The Father is the eternall power or vertue and the Sonne is the heart and light continuing eternally in the Father and you continue in the Father and the Sonne And now being the holy Ghost proceedeth from the Father and the Sonne and that the eternall power or vertue of the Father is in you and that the eternall light of the Sonne shineth in you why will you be fooled Know you not what Paul said That our conversation is in heaven from whence we expell our Saviour Jesus Christ who will bring us out of this monstrous Image or Birth in the corruption of the third principle of this world in the m Or paradisicall sustenance Paradisicall birth to eat the word of the Lord. 8. Why will you be fooled by Antichrist by his lawes precepts and pratings Where will you seek God In the deep above the starres You will not be able to finde him there Seek him in your heart n Or in the ground or foundation of the beginning and sustaining of mans life in the centre of the birth of your life and there you shall finde him as our father Adam and mother Eve did 9. For it is written You must be born anew through the water and the Spirit or else you shall not see the kingdome of God This birth must be done within you the heart or the Sonne of God must arise in the birth of your life and then the Saviour Christ is your faithfull Shepherd and you are in him and he in you and all that He and his Father hath is yours and none shall pluck you out of his hands and as the Sonne viz. the heart of the Father is one with the Father so also thy new man is one in the Father and the Sonne one vertue or power one light one life one eternall Paradise one eternall heavenly o Or enduring substance birth one Father Sonne and holy Ghost and thou his childe 10. Doth not the Sonne see plainly what the Father doth in his house and now if the Sonne learn to do the same thereby what displeasure will the Father have towards his Sonne for it Nay will not the Father be well pleased that his Sonne is so apt and forward to learn Then why should the heavenly Father be so displeased with his children in this world which depend upon him and enquire after him which would fain learn to know him fain labour in his works and do his will Doth not the Regenerator bid us come to him and whosoever cometh to him he will not reject Why should any p Or withstand the spirit of the manifestation of the hidden things of God resist the spirit of Prophesie which is Gods Look upon Christs Apostles did any other teach them than God who was in them and they in him 11 O dear
truly and really in the knowledge in the new Man and it is the sword wherewith wee can fight against the Devill onely wee must take the sword of the Death of Christ into our hand which cutteth so sharply that the Devill must flie away CHAP. XXV Of the Suffering Dying Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ the Sonne of God Also of his Ascension into Heaven and sitting at the right hand of God his Father The Gate of our Misery and also the strong Gate of the Divine Power in his Love 1. IF wee consider our selves in our right Reason and behold the Kingdome of this world in which wee stand with our flesh and bloud also with our Reason and senses then wee finde very well that wee have the substance and stirring of it in us for wee are its very proper own Now all whatsoever wee thinke doe and purpose in the outward Man that the Spirit of this world doth in us Men for the Body is nothing else but the Instrument thereof wherewith it performeth its work and wee finde that as all other Instruments which are generated from the Spirit of this world decay corrupt and turne to dust so also our earthly Body wherein the Spirit of this world worketh and acteth for a while 2. Therefore none should scorne or despise another though he lead not the same course that he doth himselfe or though he be not of that way in his minde and will which himseâ—fe is or that another cannot learne and follow the same stately Courtly manners and behaviour with himselfe for the Naturall heaven maketh every one according as its forme in its Influences is at all times and so every Creature getteth its condition forme or shape inclination and will which cannot wholly be taken away from the outward Man till the Naturall Heaven breaketh its Beast Therefore wee ought to consider the great strife in us when wee are regenerated out of the Eternall then the Eternall striveth against the Corruptible against the malice and falshood of the Corruptible 3. And now each Kingdome a Worketh or performeth effecteth its will the inward goeth right forward and consenteth not to the wickednesse of the outward but it runneth to its b It aimeth at Mark and the outward also goeth forward with its desire and performeth its work according to the Influence of its Constellation 4. But if it happen that the outward doe not what its desire will that proceedeth not from its wisdome but the Heaven hath altered it by another c Or aspect Conjunction but if d The outward Man it be compelled to leave off that which is evill that is not e From the influence or acting by the course of the Heavens but the new Regenerated Man who is in strife with the Earthly doth many times overcome but cannot swallow up the Earthly for the Earthly getteth up againe as wee see by our Anger for if my new Man have the upperhand he will have no Anger nor any evill desire but if this worlds Driver assault him then the fire of Anger riseth up in the old Man and his desire is often kindled to doe what he rejected and reproved a little before 5. Now wee cannot say that the Spirit of this world alone consenteth to and doth that which is evill and wrathfull for the whole Man oftentimes runneth with all his thoughts and his whole will after it And heere wee f Or know finde our great Misery for the poore soule which lieth yet tied in the Bands of Anger is often kindled that it burneth like a fire and runneth after evill for it is in the Band of Eternity in the Father and reacheth in its most inward Roote the Anger of God and that is even the Birth of its Life and its Originality and the Noble Graine of Mustard-seede that was the new Garment of the soule which was new put upon it in its Repentance is many times destroyed therefore none should be secure though he doe once attaine the Garland of Pearle he may loose it againe for when the soule consenteth to sinne then it goeth forth from Christ into falshood and into the Anger of God 6. Now therefore as wee know that Christ by his entrance into the Incarnation hath opened a Doore into Heaven into his holy Body so that wee through a true Repentance and Confidence may come to him and put the new white Garment of his Innocency in his Love upon our soules so wee know also that the soule standeth yet fast bound with two chaines one is the Birth of its own Life whose most inward roote is poyson and wrathfulnesse and so the soule being sprung out of the Eternall source and having its originality out of the Eternity none can redeeme it g Or bring it back in its own roote of Eternity or bring it out of the Anger except there come one who is the Love it selfe and be borne in its own very Birth that so he may bring it out of the Anger and set it in the Love in himselfe as it was done in Christ 7. The other Gate or Chaine is the flesh and bloud with the Region or Dominion of the Starres there the soule is fast bound and swimmeth therein as in a Great Sea which daily so h Infecteth it that it burneth stirreth up the soule that it is kindled 8. Concerning these two chaines wee know in our deepe knowledge and see them in the Ground of the Originality and know very exactly that wee could not be redeemed except the Deity did goe into the soule and i Or Regenerate bring forth the will of the soule againe out of the fiercenesse in it selfe into the Light of the Meeknesse for the Roote of Life must remaine or else the whole Creature must be dissolved 9. But because the soule stood with its most inward Roote in the Abysse of Hell and according to the Kingdome of this world in the hard frozen Death so that if the flesh and bloud as also the Dominion of the Starres should leave it then it would continue inwardly in a k Or stâ—ffnesse hardnesse wherein there is no source or active property and it selfe in its own property would be but in the fiercenesse of the Originality in great Misery and therefore it was necessary not onely for God to come into the soule and generate it to the Light for there was danger that the soule with its Imagination might goe forth out of the Light againe but also for God to assume a humane soule from our soule and a new heavenly body out of the first Glorious Body before the fall and put it on to the soule with the old earthly body hanging on it not onely as a Garment but really united as one in the Essences so that it must be a Creature that is the whole God with all the Three Principles 10. And thus yet the one must be parted from the other viz. the Kingdome of this world
to be beleeved and Christ saith By their works thou shalt know them for a good Tree bringeth forth good fruit and an evill tree bringeth forth evill fruit also he teacheth us plainly that we should not gainsay the Prophesie that is of God but should learne to try them by their fruits 15. Wee speake not of perfect Works done by the body which is captivated in the Spirit of this World but wee speake of their Doctrines that wee must trie them whether they be generated of God For if that Spirit teacheth blasphemies slanders and persecutions then it is not from God but it proceedeth from the covetousnesse and haughtinesse of the Devill For Christ teacheth us meeknesse and to walk in brotherly Love wherewith wee may overcome the enemy and take away the Might of the Devill and destroy his Kingdome 16. But when any fall to fireing killing with the sword to undoe people ruine Townes and Countreys there is no Christ but the Anger of the Father and it is the Devill that bloweth the n Or the Cole fire For the Kingdome of Christ is not found in such a way but in Power as the Examples of the Apostles of Christ declare who taught no revenge but they suffered persecution and prayed to God who gave then signes and great Wonders so that people flocked to them and so the Church of Christ grew mightily so that it overshadowed the Earth Now who is the Destroyer of this Church Open thy eyes wide and behold it is Day-light and it must come to the Light for God would have it so for the sake of the Lilly It is the Pride of the Learned 17. When the Holy Ghost spake in the Saints with power and Miracles and converted people powerfully then they flocked to them they honoured them greatly they respected them and submitted to them as if they had been Gods Now this was well done to the Saints for the honour was given to God and so humility and love grew among them and there was all loving Reverence as becometh the children of God and as it ought to be 18. But when the Saints comprised their Doctrine in Writings that therby in their absence it might be understood what they taught then the World fell upon it and every one desired to be such a Teacher and thought the Art skill and knowledge stuck in the Letter thither they came running old and new who for the most part onely stuck in the Old Man and had no knowledge of God and so taught according to their own conceits from the written words and expounded them according to their own meanings 19. And when they saw that great respect and honour was given to the Teachers they fell to ambition pride and greedinesse of money for the simple people brought them presents or gifts and they thought that the Holy Ghost dwelt in the Teachers whereas the Devill of Pride lodged in them and it came to that passe that every one called himselfe after his Masters name whose Doctrine he prized most one would be of Paul another of Apollo another of Peter and so forth And because the Saints used not the same kinde of words and expressions in their Teaching and Writings though they spake from one and the same Spirit therefore the Naturall Man which being without the Spirit of God knoweth nothing of God began all manner of strife and Disputations and to make Sects and Schismes and they set themselves up for Teachers among all sorts of People not for Gods sake but for temporall honour riches and pleasure sake that they might live brave lives For it was no very hard labour and worke to hang to the bare Letter and such strife and contention arose amongst them that they became the most bitter enemies and haters one of another and none of them were borne of God but their Parents held them close to the Scripture that they might come to be Teachers that so they might be honoured in and for their children and that their children o Might have good maintenance or great Livings for their Beastiall Man might live bravely 20. And so it fell out that every one would get the greatest conflux of people be could that he might be esteemed by most people and these Lip Christians did so multiply that the sincere hearty desire to God was lest and they onely looked upon the Lip Priests who did nothing but cause strife and contentions and they all vapoured and boasted of their own Art and skill which they had learned in the Schooles and Universities and cryed loe here is Christ come running hither thus and thus hath Paul written and another saith come hither here is Christ thus and thus hath Peter written he was the Disciple of Christ and had the keyes of the Kingdome of Heaven this cannot be amisse they doe but deceive you follow after mee 21. Thus the poore ignorant people looked upon the p Such as Apishly Teach the words of Holy Men without the understanding they had Mouth-Apes those greedy covetous Men which were no other than q Mock Priests Monsters of Priests or Priests in a Play vizard-Priests and so lost their deare Immanuel for Christ in them from whence the Holy Ghost goeth forth which driveth and leadeth Men and who at first had begotten them with power and Miracles must now be nothing but a History and they became but History-Christians yet so long as the Apostles and their true Disciples lived they stopped and reproved such things and shewed them the right way but where r The Apostles and their Disciples they were not there the History Priests mis-led them as may be cleerly seene in the Ephesians 22 And so the Kingdome of Christ grew not in Power onely but for the most part in the History the Saints borne in Christ they confirme that many times with great Wonders or Miracles and the History-Priests of Baal they alwayes built upon those Miracles of the Saints same that which was good for the promoting vertue and good manners many brought forth thistles and thornes that they might make strife and warres many sought onely great honour dignity and glory that it should be conferred upon the Church of Christ and her Ministers as it may be seene in Popery out of what Roote it is growne And it came so farre that they mingled the Jewish Ceremonies in their Doings as if the Justification of a poore sinner did lye in them because they were of Divine appointment for which cause the Apostles held the First Councell at Jerusalem where the Holy Ghost concluded that they should onely cleave to Christ in true Love one to another and that was the onely Justification before God 23. But it availed not Pride would erect its Throne and set it above Christ the Devill would be God and they made Å¿ Faire suttle pretences and Expositions of Scripture Glosses that they might bring it to passe in such a way that the simple people might not take
notice oâ— it there the Keys of Peter must govern the Citie and they drew together with the Keys t Jus Divinum Divine Authority to them and so could use the Divine Power in deeds and wonders no more for they desired to be rich and wealthy upon Earth and not to be Poore with Christ who in this world as himselfe witnesseth had not whereon to lay his head they would not be such Christians in power and wonders As Adam who would not live in the Power but in a great Heape of Earth that he might have something to take hold of And heere may be rightly seene our Misery which Adam brought us into that our Essences alwayes reach after the Spirit of this world and desire onely to fill themselves with a great Heape from whence Adam and wee all have gotten such a swelled grosse untoward body full of sicknesses contrariety and contentious desires 24. Now when the Historicall Christendome and the true Christians grew together the Scepter was alwayes among the Learned who exalted themselves and made themselves potent and great and the simple Church yeelded to it as right and yet there was a desire after the Kingdome of God found in Men vâ—z the Noble Word of God which had u Imaged or figured it selfe in the minde imprinted it selfe in the Promise in Paradise in the Light of Life and which was made stirring by Christ that drave them indeed to the feare of God And then they built great x Temples or Churches Houses of Stone and called every one thither and they said that the Holy Ghost was powerfull there and they must come thither y Saying doe as wee say and not as we doe besides they durst be so impudent to say when they were found to be so wicked and malitious that the Holy Ghost was powerfully in the mouth of the wicked 25. But thou Hypocrite thou lyest if thou are ungodly thou canst not raise z The dead in trespasses and sinnes the Dead thou canst convert none that in this world lyeth drowned in sinnes thou mayest stirre the heart of the Beleever indeed through thy voyce which is a work of the Spirit but thou bringest forth none out of Death into life it is an impossible thing For if thou wilt convert a poore sinner which is drowned in sinne and lyeth captive in the Anger then the Holy Ghost must be in thy mouth and thy Essences must take hold of his and then thy Light will shine in him and thou shalt raise him out of the Death of sinnes and with thy Love in thy Tincture catch him and then he will come to thee with a hearty desire longing after the Kingdome of Heaven and then thou art his Confessour and hast the Keys of Peter and if thou art voyde of a The Holy Ghost that thou hast no Keyes 26. As the Confession is so is the Absolution Is the Patient an Historicall Christian so is the Physitian too and in them both there is a Mouth Hypocrisie But hath the Patient any vertue or power then the voyce bloweth that vertue or power up not from the power of the Physician but in the vertue or power of God who with his power even in a Thorne-Bush maketh it to grow which is the power in all things and so also in a voyce which in it selfe hath no ability 27. Thus it became a b Or fashion Custome that every one was bound to come to the Temple made of Stones and the Temple of God in Christ stood and standeth very empty but when they saw the Desolation in the c Disputations and Controversies Contention they called Councels and made Lawes and Cannons that every one must observe upon paine of Death Thus the Temple of Christ was turned into Temples made of stones and out of the Testimony of the Holy Ghost a worldly Law was made then the Holy Ghost spake no more freely but he must speak according to their Lawes If he reproved their Errours then they persecuted him and so the Temple of Christ in Mans knowledge became very obscure if any came that was borne of God and taught by the Holy Ghost and were not conformable to their Lawes he must be a Heretick 28. And so their d False power usurped supposed Jus Divinum Power grew and every one had great respect to it and they strengthened their Laws still more and more with the Power of Saint Peter till they raised themselves so high that they impudently set themselves as Lords over the Doctrine of the Apostles before God and gave forth that the Word of God and the Doctrine of the Saints must receive their value worth and authority from their Councels and what they ordained and instituted that was from God they were Gods dispencers of the Word Men must beleeve their Ordinances for that was the way and means e Meanes of salvation for the poore sinner to be Justified before God 29. But where then is the New Regeneration in Christ through the Holy Ghost Art thou not Babell a Habitation of all Devils in Pride How hast thou adorned thy selfe not for Christ but for thy own Pride for thy f God Maufim the belly God Idoll the bellies sake and thou art a Devouter But thy g Or Idoll Belly is become a stinck and hath gotten a horrible source there is a great fire of h Terrible devouring in that which thou hast made thy God Anguish in thy source for thou art naked and manifest before God thou standest as an impudent whorish woman Why doe you Layety hang and depend on such a Strumpet Her own l Usurped Jus Divinum usurped Authority is her Beast whereon shee rideth behold and consider her in the Revelation of John how the Holy Ghost setteth her forth in her colours 30. Wilt thou be an Apostle of Christ and wilt be but a Minister for the Belly and teach onely according to thy Art from whom doest thou teach from thy Belly that thou mayest fatten thy selfe thereby T is true thou shouldst be fed and thou shouldst have subsistence from Men if thou art Christs Disciple but thy Spirit should not stick in covetousnesse but in Christ thou shouldest not rely onely upon thy Art but shouldst give up thy selfe to God that God may speake from thee and then thou art in the Temple of God and not in the Temple of the institution of Mans Inventions 31. Look upon Saint Peter on the day of Pentecost who converted Three Thousand soules at one Sermon he spake not from the appointment of the Pharisees but out of the Spirit of Moses and the Prophets out of the Temple of the Holy Ghost that pierced through and enlightened the poore sinners But thou teachest Persecution onely consider thereby whence thou didst grow viz. out of that first stock where they fell from the Temple of Christ to humane conceits and Inventions where they sent forth Teachers according
spoken he is a weede and shall be throwne to the Beast And now though other seede be found among the wheate when it is fanned and fisted that he cannot get out shall he therefore not use his wheate for food Every kinde of Graine hath its vertue one strengtheneth the heart the other the stomack another the other members of the Body for one Essence alone maketh no Tincture but all the Essences together make the senses Thoughts and understanding 26. Goe into a Meadow and looke upon the hearbs and flowers which grow all out of the Earth and alwayes one is fairer and more fragrant in smell than the other and the most contemptible hearb hath many times the greatest vertue Now then the Physician cometh and seeketh and often turneth his minde to the lustiest and fairest because they thrive so in their growing and smell strong then thinketh he these are the best whereas many times a small regardlesse hearb will serve his turne better in his Physick for his Patient whom he hath under cure 27. Thus I must tell you the Heaven is a sower and God giveth him seede and the Elements are the ground into which the seede is sowen now the Heaven hath the Constellation and receiveth also the seede of God and soweth all together one among another now the Essences of the Starres receive the seede in the Ground and qualifieth or is united with it and carry themselves along in the hearb till a seede also be in the hearb 28. Now since there is variety of Growth according to the Essences of the Starres and yet the seede of God which was sowne in the beginning is in the Ground and so they grow together should God now therefore cast away the whole crop because all have not the same Essences doth it not all stand in his wonders and is it not the Joy of his life and the quickening of his Tincture this is spoken by way of similitude 29. Therefore my beloved Minde looke what thou doest and judge not so hastily and unadvisedly and do not turne Beast because of the multitude of Opinions to whom belongeth onely the Chaffe of the Noble seede The Spirit of God sheweth himselfe in every one that seeketh him yet according to the manner and kinde of his Essences and yet the seede of God is sowne along in the Essence and if the seeker seeketh in a Divine desire then he findeth the Pearle according to his Essences and so the great Wonders of God are manifested thereby 30. If now you desire to know the difference and which is a false seede or hearb understand a false Spirit in which the Pearle or the Spirit of God is not consider it in its fruit smell and taste if he be vain glorious a seeker of his own honour covetous a blasphemer a slanderer and despiser of the children of God which casteth downe all under his feete and would be Lord of g All Mens mindes and opiaâ—ous all then know that such a one is a naughty h Or Spirit seede and he is a Thistle and shall be fisted out from the seede of God Goe out from i Or be at enâ—itâ— with such a property in thy selfe sayâ—ng with Paul Who shall deliver me from this body of Death such a Spirit for he is a confounded wheele and hath no foundation nor no sap or vertue from God for the growing of his fruit but he groweth as a Thistle which pricketh onely and beareth no good seede 31. The good smell in the hearb which you should now look for in the many Opinions is onely the New Regeneration out of the old corrupted Adamicall mixt Man in the body of Jesus Christ in the Power of the Holy Ghost viz. a new Minde towards God in love and meeknesse which is not set upon pride covetousnesse and seeking his own honour credit and esteeme nor upon warre or any manner of stirre or insurrection of inferiours against their superiours but groweth in patience and meeknesse as a Graine of wheate among thornes and bringeth forth fruit in its season And consider that where there is such fruit in thy minde that is borne of God and it is the Noble vertue in that Man Goe out from the other fruit which teacheth uproares and dissention between inferiours and superiours for such fruits are thistles and will prick and sting like Nettles God will fanne his wheate himselfe 32. The Lilâ—y will not be found in strife or warres but in a friendly humble loving Spirit together with good sound k Well-grounded conveâ—cing satisfactory Reason Reason this will dispell and drive away the smoak of the Devill and flourish in its time Therefore let none thinke that when strife goeth on and he getteth the upper hand now it is well and right and he that is under and subdued let him not thinke sure I am found to be in the wrong I should now goe to the other opâ—â—ion or side and help that party to prosecute the other no that is not the way such a one is meerely in Babell 33. But let every one enter into himselfe and labour to be a righteous Man and feare God and doe right and consider that this his worke shall appeare in Heaven before God and that he standeth every moment before the face of God and that all his works shall follow after him and then the Lilly of God springeth and groweth and the world standeth in its Seculum AMEN FINIS AN APPENDIX OR Fundamentall and true Description of the Threefold Life in Man First Of the Life of the Spirit of this world in the qualities and Dominion of the Starres and Elements Secondly Of the Life of the Originality of all Essences which standeth in the Eternall indissoluble Band wherein the Roote of Mans soule standeth Thirdly of the Paradisicall Life in Ternario sancto viz. the Life in the New Regeneration which is the Life of the Lord Jesus Christ wherein the Angelicall Life is understood as also the Holy Life of the New Regeneration All searched out very fundamentally in the Light of Nature and set downe for the comfort of the poore sick wounded soule that it might seek the holy life in the new Regeneration wherein it goeth forth out of the earthly and passeth into the life of Jesus Christ the Sonne of God By the same Author 1. BEcause in our The Aurora and the Three Priciples foregoing Writings there are some words which the Reader may not perhaps apprehend especially where wee have written that in the Resurrection of the Dead we shall be in the Body of Christ in Ternario Sancto where wee call the Ternarius sanctus Holy Earth which must not be understood of Earth but of the holy Body out of the holy vertue or power of the Trinity of God and that by Ternarius sanctus is properly understood in our writings the Gate of God the Father from whence all things proceed as out of one onely substance Therefore wee will instruct the
Father is unmeasurable so also is the Life of Christ so for the pure Element in the source of God the Father in his Barmhertzigkeit Mercifulnesse Mercy is the Body of Christ and as our Earthly Body standeth in the foure Elements so the new Man standeth in a pure Element out of which this world with the foure Elements is generated and the source of the pure Element is the source of the Heaven and of Paradise and so also it is the source of our Body in the New Regeneration 11. Now that Element is in the whole Principle of God every where in all places and so is unmeasurable and infiniâ—e and therein is the Body of Christ and his quality and in that is the Trinity of the Deity so that the Father dwelleth in the Sonne viz. in the Body of Jesus Christ and the Sonne in the Father as one onely God and thus the Holy Ghost goeth forth from the Father in the Sonne and is given to us to regenerate us to a new life in God in the life of Jesus Christ and the Earthly Man in his Image and source or quality and property hangeth but to us in this Life time which is well understood if wee be borne of God with our Minde 12. For as God the Father in his own substance comprehendeth all the Three Principles and is himselfe the substance of all substances wherein both joy and sorrow is comprehended and yet goeth forth in it selfe out of the source of the Anguish and maketh the Kingdome of Joy to himselfe unconceivable to the sorrow and incomprehensible to the source of his Anger in the Anguish and Generateth to himselfe his Heart in the Love wherein the Name of God taketh originall So also the Minde hath in it all the Three Principles and therein the soule is comprized viz. in the Band of Life The soule which must enter againe into its selfe and create a will in the Life of Jesus Christ and endeavour after it desiring it with a strong will and purpose and not stay meerly in the History or in the knowledge of it and being able to speake of it and suppose the words and discourse make a sufficient Christian when the Minde is still in meere doubt in Babell no that is not the Regeneration but it must be an Earnest Resolution the Minde must in it selfe goe forth into the humility towards God and enter into the will of God in Righteousnesse Truth and Love 13. And though indeed the Minde is not able to doe this in its own abilitie because it is captivated with the Spirit of this world yet it hath the Purpose in its power and God is presented with and in the Purpose and receiveth it in his Love and soweth therein the seede of Love in his vertue or power out of which the New Man in the Life of Jesus Christ groweth Therefore all lyeth in the true Earnest Purpose which is called True Repentance for the Receiving of the Word of God in the obedience of Love groweth not in the Earthly Life but in the New-borne in the Life of Jesus Christ 14. Therefore the Kingdome of Heaven is a bestowed Bounty of Grace for all those that earnestly desire it not that it is enough to say to ones selfe I have indeed a will to yeeld my selfe earnestly to God but I have need to have this world for a while and afterwards I will enter into the obedience of God and that continueth from one time to another and from one day to another and in the meane while the Or the childe of perdition evill Man groweth if you deferre it to the end and then desire and think to be a Heavenly fruit or Birth when all the Time of your life you have growne in the anger of God in the Abysse of Hell no that is deceit thou deceivest thy selfe 15. The Priests in Babell have after that no Key to open the Kingdome of Heaven for thee thou must enter in thy selfe and be new-borne or else there is no remedy for thee in this world nor in Heaven thou standest heere in this life time in the Ground and art a Plant but when Death cometh and cutteth downe the stock then thou art no more in the growing but art a fruit and then if thou art not foode for God thou doest not belong to his Table and then God will not dwell in thee 16. For wee know that the Deity onely is the vertue to the New Birth which vertue if thou longest for it and desirest it with earnestnesse soweth it selfe in thy minde and in thy soule out of which the New Man in the Life of Christ groweth so that in this world the Earthly Man doth but hang to it Thus the New Man is in God in the Life of Jesus Christ and the Old Man is in this world of which Saint Paul writeth cleerly in his Or Epistle Letter to the Romans that if wee thus live in the New Birth wee live to God but as to the old Adam wee are in this world where then the source of the Eternall Band in the soule is also changed and the soule entreth in it selfe into the Life of Christ into the Holy and Pure Element which in some places of my Second Booke I call the Ternarius Sanctus 17. Not according to the understanding of the Latine Tongue but according to the understanding of the Divine Nature by which words is excellently expressed the Life of Jesus Christ in God the Father as also the Characters or Letters themselves and the Spirit in the syllables doe signifie wherein the Birth unigeniture or Eternall working of the Deity is excellently understood though indeed it is hidden to the Historicall Man of the Or universities Schoole of this world yet it is wholly comprehensible to those that are enlightened from God who then also understand the source or working property of the Spirit in the Letter which is not at this time fit to be set downe here and yet it shall be brought to the understanding 18. And there is nothing more profitable for Man for his beginning to the New Birth than true earnest sincere Repentance with great earnest Purpose and Resolution for he must presse into the Kingdome of Heaven into the Life of Christ where then his Regeneratour is ready deepe in his Minde in the Light of Life and with desiring and earnestness helpeth to wrestle and so soweth himselfe as a Graine of Mustard seede into the soule of Man as a Roote to a New Creature And if the earnestnesse in the soule of a Man be great then the earnestnesse in his Regeneratour is also great 19. And it is not possible to describe the New Birth in Christ fully for he that cometh into it can finde it onely in himselfe by experience there groweth another Bud in his Minde another Man with other knowledge he is taught of God and he seeth that all the labour in the History without the Spirit of God is but a confused
destroy not thy selfe see that thou grow in the Ground or field of Love Meeknesse and Righteousnesse and enter with thy Life in thy selfe into the Meeknesse of Jesus Christ in the Regeneration to God and then thou shalt live in Gods source of Love and so when the field of this Or End sprout is taken away then thy Life is a fruit and Plant of God and thou shalt spring and grow with a New Body out of the holy and pure Element before God in the Life of thy deare Saviour and Redeemer Jesus Christ give up or dedicate thy selfe to it in this contentions Life wholly and altogether and so thou shalt with him through his Death and Resurrection grow up in a New Man before God The Table to the Three Principles Aaron Chapter 11. IN the Time of the Lilly Aaron giveth his Garments to the Lambe Verse 28 Abell Chapter 20. Abell was not Righteous by his own Power and ability Verse 75 20. Of the Church of Abell from 77. to the Verse 118. Ability Chapter 20. Mans Ability Described Verse 75 Chapter 20. Man 's own Ability was tried in Caine. Verse 96 Above Chapter 14. How Above and beneath is in the Eternity Verse 77 Adam Chapter 4. Of Adams misapprehension Verse 4 Chapter 9. Adam was in the Garden of Eden and also in Paradise at once Verse 6 Chapter 10. Adam and Eve were Earth after their Fâ—ill Verse 3 Chapter 10. What flesh Adam had before the Fall Verse 4 Chapter 10. Of Adams knowledge and Beastiall Member after the Fall Verse 6 7 Chapter 10. How Adam was an unreasonable Beast Verse 5 Chapter 10. Out of what Adam was Created Verse 10 11 Chapter 10. How Adam should have Generated an Angelicall Hoast or numerous Off-spring Chapter 10. A Description of Adams properties or Condition before the Fall Verse 17 to the 21. Chapter 11. Before the Fall Adam had other Qualities Verse 9. to the 11 Chapter 11. Why Adam was Tempted Verse 14 Chapter 11. Adams Temptation at large with all the Circumstances Verse 31. to the 38 Chapter 12. How long Adam was in Paradise Verse 2. to the 10. Chapter 12. Of Adams feeding before his sleepe Verse 16 Chapter 12. Adam slept not before his Fall Verse 17 Chapter 12. Adams Image and the Image in the Resurrection is all one Verse 17 Chapter 12. Adams spirit which he had from God discourseth with his spirit which he had from this world Verse 36. to the 47. Chapter 12. Whence the Originall spirit soule and Worme of Adam proceeded Verse 49. to the 51 Chapter 12. What the difference is between Adams young man and young maid or virgin Verse 52 53 Chapter 13. How the Heavenly body of Adam was changed Verse 2 Chapter 13. Of the Pit out of which Adam is supposed to be taken Verse 4 Chapter 13. How Adams side repaired by Christ side Verse 17 Chapter 13. How Adams propertie was before his sleepe Verse 18 Chapter 14. The Fall of Adam his inward Tree of Temptation and Tempting Verse 34. to the 36 Chapter 15. How Adam could have eaten and Generated in Paradise Verse 16 Chapter 15. The Adamicall Man likened to a Theefe Verse 35 Chapter 17. Adam was captivated by the Spirit of this world Verse 2 Chapter 17. Adam had not the Image of the world before his Fall Verse 3 4 Chapter 17. Adam was before the Fall as the Just shall be when they shall rise againe Verse 5 Chapter 17. Where Adam was Created both body and spirit Verse 6 Chapter 17. Adam was not Created to Corruptibility Verse 10 Chapter 17. Out of what Adam was and the Spirit of his Essences Verse 12 Chapter 17. Adams food before his sleepe Verse 13 Chapter 17. Adam was not a Lump of Earth but be became such Verse 20 Chapter 17. How and how long he stood in the Garden and concerning his properties Verse 25 Chapter 17. What Light Adam saw by in Paradise Verse 25 Chapter 17. How long Adam slept Verse 29 Chapter 17. Adam became another Image in his sleepe Verse 30 Chapter 17. How Adam was before and after his sleepe Verse 31 Chapter 17. In Paradise Adam saw from a Threefold Spirit Verse 31 Chapter 17. Adam and Eves horrible biting of the Apple Verse 33 Chapter 17. Adams Condition before his sleepe Verse 47 Chapter 17. Out of what Adams body was Verse 47 Chapter 17. What was behinde before and beneath Adam Verse 49 Chapter 17. How and how long Adam was in Paradise Verse 50. to the 53 Chapter 17. How Adam fell into Lust and into sleepe Verse 54 Chapter 17. Adams Properties after his sleepe Verse 56 Chapter 17. How Adam and Eve conversed in the Garden Verse 57 Chapter 17. How Adam and Eve became altogether Earthly Verse 58 Chapter 17. How Adam and Eve were both ashamed Verse 80 Chapter 17. What and how Adam was before his sleepe Verse 82 Chapter 17. How Adam should have propagated Verse 82 Chapter 17. How Adam and Eve heard the voyce of God Verse 83 Chapter 17. How Adam became a flesly Man Verse 87 Chapter 17. What Adam and Eve understood concerning the Treader upon the Serpent Verse 102 Chapter 18. Adam did eate in another manner after his Fall Verse 4 Chapter 18. Adam could eate of no Paradisicall fruit after the Fall Verse 6 Chapter 20. Adam and Eve were ashamed after the Fall Verse 5 Chapter 20. How Adams cloaths were made Verse 6 Chapter 20. How Adam and Eve kept together after their being driven forth of the Garden Verse 44 Chapter 20. What was in Adams and Eves mind was manifested in Cain Verse 81 Chapter 20. Adam and Eve were terrified at the Murther Verse 84 Chapter 21. Adams Great knowledge of the Mysteries Verse 9 Chapter 21. Out of what Adam was Created both body and soule Verse 10 Chapter 21. The True Ground of Adams Fall Verse 11 Chapter 22. Adam and Eve gat a Body that belongeth not to the Deity Verse 16 Chapter 22. Of Adams body and soule after the Fall Verse 17 Chapter 22. Adam should not have generated in an Earthly manner Verse 27 Chapter 22. Adams own will onely could perish Verse 54 Chapter 22. From whence Adams soule or will was breathed in Verse 55 56 Chapter 25. Why Adam went into the world Verse 54 Chapter 25. Adams sleepe and Christs rest in the Grave is all one Verse 73 Chapter 25. How Adam should have lived in Paradise Verse 92 Angels Chapter 5. From whence the Angels have their Bodies Verse 24 25 Chapter 7 From whence the Angels are Verse 24 Chapter 9. Why Angels and Spirits are Eternall and Beasts not Verse 42 Chapter 10. Whence the Angels are Generated Verse 41. Chapter 11. How the Angels were propagated Verse 4 Chapter 14. Out of what they are Created Verse 9 Chapter 15. Whence the Angels have their being Verse 3 Chapter 15. Which of the Angels are fallen Verse 5 Chapter 17. What kinde of bones the Angelicall Man had Verse
children of God in Christ flye away from Antichrist who hath set up himselfe over all the coasts of the earth and who seteth a painted image before you as the Serpent did before our mother Eve and q Or representeth to you painteth your own image of God as if it were farre off from God But consider what is written The word is near thee yea in thy heart and lips And God himself is the word which is in thy heart and lips 12. But Antichrist hath never sought any thing else but his own pleasure in the third principle and to fulfill it in the house of flesh and therefore he hath detained people with lawes of his own inventing which are neither grounded in Nature nor in the Paradise of God neither are they to be found in the centre of the birth of life 13. Dear children consider how mightily and powerfully with wonders miracles and works the Spirit of God went forth in word and deed in the times of the Apostles and after till Antichrist and the spirit of self-pride with his invented lawes and Astrall wisdome brake forth and set himself up by that worldly and fleshly arm or by the authority of the worldly Magistrate meerly for his own pleasure and honour sake where the most precious words of Christ who gave no lawes to man but the law of Nature and the law of Love which is his own heart must be a cloak for him viz. for Antichrist who is a Prince in the third Principle what he ordains must be as the voyce to Moses out of the Bush and so the man of Pride makes as if himselfe had r Divine or Apostolicall Authoritie or Jus Divinum Divine power upon Earth and knoweth not in his blindnesse the Holy Ghost will not be Å¿ Or blinded and mocked by them tied or bound up to their Cannons and Humane Inventions 14. But if any would attaine salvation he must be borne againe through the Water in the t In the ground where the graine of Mustard-seed is sowne and springeth up Centre of the Birth of Life which springeth up in the Centre in the light of God for which end God the Father hath by his Sonne commanded Baptisme that so wee might have a Law and a remarkable signe of Remembrance signifying how a u Or Infant childe voyd of understanding receiveth an Outward signe and the Inward Man the power and the New Birth in the centre of the Birth of Life and that there ariseth the confirmation which the light of God brought into Adam when the light of God the Father in the centre of the fift forme of the birth of the Life of Adam brake forth or sprung up Thus it is both in the Baptisme of an Infant or childe and also in the repenting Convert that in Christ returneth againe to the Father 15. The last Supper of Christ with his Disciples is just such another Covenant as the Paedobaptisme or Baptisme of Infants That which is done to the Infant in Baptisme that is done also to the poore sinner which awakeneth from the sleepe of Antichrist and cometh to the Father in and through Christ as shall be handled in its place 16. I have therefore been desirous to warne you and tell you beforehand that you must not looke upon flesh and bloud in these high things nor upon the worldly wisdome of the Universities or high Schooles but that you should consider that this wisdome is planted and sown by God himselfe in the first and last and in all Men and you need onely to returne with the Prodigall lost Sonne to the Father and then he will cloath you with a new Garment and put a seale-ring upon the hand of your minde and in this Garment onely you have power to speak of the x Or Divine Birth Birth of God 17. But if you have not gotten this Garment on and will prattle and talke much of God then you are a thiefe and a murderer and you enter not into the Sheepfold of Christ by the Doore but you climbe over into the Sheepfold with Antichrist and the Robbers and you will doe nothing but murder and steale seeke your owne reputation esteeme and pleasure and are farre from the kingdome of God your Universitie-Learning and Arts will availe you nothing it is your poyson that you are promoted by the favour of Man to sit in great Authority and Place for you fit upon the stoole of Pestilence you are but a meere servant or minister of the Antichrist but if you be new borne and taught by the Holy Ghost then your place or office is very pleasing and acceptable to God and your sheep will heare your voyce and you shall feed them and bring them to the chiefe Shepherd God will require this at your hands therefore take heed what you teach and speak of God without the knowledge of his Spirit that you be not found to be a lyar Now here followeth the Chapter 18. The Eternall a Or begetting Generating is a not-beginning Birth and it hath neither number nor end and its depth is bottomlesse and the band of life b Indissoluble uncorruptible The c Astrall starry or aiery spirit of man Sydereall and Elementary Spirit cannot discerne it much lesse comprehend it it onely feeleth it and seeth a glimpse of it in the minde which minde is the chariot of the soule upon which it rideth in the first Principle in its own seate in the Fathers Eternall Generating or Begetting for its own substance is altogether d Weake feeble empty and dry crude without a body and yet it hath the forme of the body in its own spirituall forme understand according to the Image which soule if it be regenerated in the light of God it seeth in the light of God the Father which light is his Glance Lustre or Sonne in the Eternall Birth wherein it liveth and remaineth eternally 19. Understand and consider it aright O Man God the Father made Man the beginning of whose body is out of the one Element or Roote of the foure Elements from whence they proceed which one Element is the fift Essence or Quintessence hidden under the foure Elements from whence the dark Chaos mist cloud or dust had its beeing before the times of the Earth whose originall is the spring of Water and out of which this world with the Starres and Elements as also the Heaven of the third Principle was created 20. But the soule was breathed into man meerely out of the originall Birth of the Father by the moving Spirit understand the Holy Ghost which goeth forth from the Father out of the light of the Father Which originall Birth is before the Light of Life which is in the foure e Or Aking properties Anguishes out of which the light of God is kindled wherein is the originall of the Name of God and therefore the soule is Gods own Essence or substance 21. And if it elevate
dark matrix it generateth the third principle For p Or thereby so God is manifest but otherwise the Deity would remain hidden eternally 14 Now therefore we say as the Scripture informeth us that God dwelleth in heaven and it is the truth Now mark Moses writeth that God created the heaven out of the midst of the waters and the Scripture sayth God dwelleth in heaven therefore we may now observe that the water hath its originall from the longing of the eternall Nature after the eternall light of God but the eternall Nature is made manifest by the longing after the light of God as is mentioned before and the light of God is present every where and yet remaineth hidden to Nature for Nature receiveth onely the vertue of the light and the vertue is the Heaven wherein the light of God dwelleth and is hidden and so shineth in the darknesse The water is the Materia or matter that is generated from the heaven and therein standeth the third which again generateth a life and comprehensible essence or substance out of it selfe viz. the elements and other creatures 15 Therefore O noble Man let not Antichrist and the Devill be foole you who tell you that the Deity is afarre off from you and direct you to a heaven that is situated farre above you whereas there is nothing nearer to you than the heaven is you onely stand before the doore of heaven and you are gone forth with Adam out of the Paradisicall heaven into the third Principle yet you stand in the gate doe but as the eternall mother doth which by great desiring and q Or seeking longing after the Kingdome of God attaineth the Kingdome of heaven wherein God dwelleth wherein Paradise springeth up doe you but so set all your desire r Into upon the heart of God and so you will passe in by force as the eternall mother doth and then it shall be with thee as Christ sayd The kingdome of heaven suffereth violence and the violent take it by force so you shall make to your selfe friends in heaven with your unrighteous Mammon and so you come to be the true similitude and Image of God and his proper own for all the three principles with the Eternity are in you and the holy Paradise is again generated in you wherein God dwelleth then where will you seek for God seek him in your soule onely that is proceeded out of the eternall Nature wherein the Å¿ Or divine working Divine Birth standeth 16 O that I had but the pen of man and were able therewith to write down the Spirit of knowledge I can but stammer of the great mysteries like a childe that is beginning to speak so very little can the earthly tongue expresse what the Spirit comprehendeth and understandeth yet I will venture to try whether I may procure some to goe about to seek the pearle whereby also I might t Or work labour in the works of God in my Paradisicall garden of Roses for the longing of the eternall u Mother of Nature matrix driveth me on to write and exercise my selfe in this my knowledge 17 Now if we will lift up our mindes and seek after the heaven wherein God dwelleth we cannot say that God dwelleth onely above the starres and hath inclosed himselfe with the firmament which is made out of the waters into which none can enter except it be opened like a window for him with which thoughts men are altogether befooled and wilderd neither can we say as some suppose that God the Father and the Sonne are onely with the Angels in the uppermost inclosed heaven and rule onely here in this world by the holy Ghost who proceedeth from the Father and the Sonne All these thoughts are voyd of the very knowledge of God for then God should be divided and circumscriptive like the Sunne that moveth aloft above us and sendeth its light and vertue to us whereby the whole deep becometh light and active all over 18 Reason is much befooled with these thoughts and the kingdome of Antichrist is begotten in x Which possess the minds of straying Christians these thoughts and Antichrist hath by these opinions set himselfe in the place of God and meaneth to be God upon earth and ascribeth y Divine authority Jus divinum Divine power to himselfe and stoppeth the mouth of the Spirit of God and will not heare him speak and so strong delusions come upon them that they beleeve the Spirit of lyes which in hypocrisie speaketh strong delusions and seduceth the children of Hope as St Paul witnesseth 19. The trve Heaven wherein God dwelleth is all over in all places or corners even in the middest or Centre of the Earth He comprehendeth the Hell where the Devils dwell and there is nothing without God For wheresoever he was before the Creation of the world there he is still vâ—z in himselfe and is himselfe the Essence of all Essences All is generated from him and is originally from him and he is therefore called God because he alone is the Good the Heart or that which is Best understand he is the light and vertue or power from whence Nature hath its Originall 20. If you will z Think or applauding any thing of God meditate on God take before you the eternall Darknesse which is without God for God dwelleth in himselfe and the Darknesse cannot in its own power comprehend him which Darknesse hath a great desire of longing after the Light caused by the Lights a Speculate as in a glasse beholding it selfe in the Darknesse and shining in it and in this longing or desiring you finde the b Or active property source and the source taketh hold of the power or vertue of the Light and the longing maketh the vertue materiall and the materiall vertue is the enclosure to God or the Heaven for in the vertue standeth the Paradise wherein the Spirit which proceedeth from the Father and the Sonne worketh All this is incomprehensible to the c Creature or naturall man Creation but not impossible to be found in the minde for Paradise standeth open in the minde of a holy soule 21. Thus you may see how God created all things out of nothing but onely out of himselfe and yet the d That which is procreated viz. the foure Elements Out-birth is not from his Essence or substance but it hath its originall from the Darknesse The e Or springing properties source of the Darknesse is the first Principle and the vertue or power of the Light is the second Principle and the Out-birth generated out of the Darknesse by the vertue of the Light is the third Principle and that is not called God God is onely the Light and the vertue of the Light and that which goeth forth out of the Light is the Holy Ghost 22. You have a similitude of this in your selfe your soule which is in you giveth reason to you whereby
yet is Paradisicall and it cannot comprehend it but it maketh a p Or sowing of seed semination onely wherein there is again a centre to the birth And thus is the originall of both Sexes and their propagation yet it doth not attain the Paradisicall childe of love but it is a vehement hunger and so the propagation is acted with great earnestnesse 45 But that I now write that the starres doe rule in all Beasts and other creatures and that every creature received the Spirit of the starres in the creation and that all things still stand in the same Regiment this the simple will hardly beleeve though the Doctor knoweth it well and therefore we direct them to Experience Behold a Male and Female beget young ones and that often now they come forth out of one onely body yet are not of one kinde nor of the same colour and vertue nor shape or form of body All this is caused by the alteration of the starres For when the seed is sown the q The fashioner or the Fiat Carver maketh an Image according to his r Or desire pleasure Å¿ As of a Lion a Lion of a sheep a sheep yet according to the first essence he cannot alter that but he giveth the spirit in the essence to it according to his power or ability or dominion as also manners and senses colour and gesture like himselfe to be as he is and as the Constellation is in its essence at that time when the creature draweth breath first in its mothers body whether the essence be in evill or in good inclined to biting worrying and striking or to meeknesse or loving kindnesse and gentlenesse all as the t Or the Matrix heaven is at that time so will also the spirit and the beast be CHAP. IX Of the Paradise and then of the transitorinesse of all creatures how all take their beginning and end and to what end they here appeared The Noble and most pretious Gate or exposition concerning the reasonable Soule 1 NO Money nor Goods nor Art nor Power can bring you to the eternall rest of the eternall soft meeknesse of Paradise but onely the noble Knowledge into that you may wrap up your soule that is the Pearle which no Moath can eat nor Thiefe can steale away therefore seek after it and then you will finde the noble Treasure 2 Our wit skill and understanding is so very hard a Cold frozen or shut up knit up that we have no more any knowledge of Paradise at all and except we be again born anew by water and the holy Ghost the veile of Moses lyeth continually before our eyes when we read his writings and we suppose that was Paradise whereof Moses sayd GOD placed b Adam him in the Garden of Eden which hee had planted that he might till it 3 O beloved Man that is not Paradise neither doth Moses say so but that was the Garden in Eden where they were tempted the exposition whereof you may finde about the fall of Adam The Paradise is the Divine joy and that was in their minde when they were standing in the love of God But when disobedience entred they were driven out and saw that they were naked for at that instant the spirit of the world caught them in which there was meere anguish necessity turmoyle and misery and in the end corruptibility and death Therefore it was of c Needfull necessity that the eternall World did become flesh and bring them into the Paradisicall rest again whereof you shall finde the exposition in its due place about the fall of Adam 4 Paradise hath another Principle for it is the Divine and Angelicall joy yet not without the d Extra locum place of this world Indeed it is without the vertue and source or active property of it neither can the spirit of this world comprehend it much lesse a creature for it standeth not in the anguishing e Operation birth and although it thus taketh its originall yet it consisteth in exact perfection meere love joy and mirth wherein there is no feare neither misery nor death no Devill can touch it nor no beast can f Or attain it reach it 5 But when we will speak of the source or fountain and joy of Paradise and of its highest substance what it is we have no similitude of it in this world we stand in need of Angelicall tongues and knowledge to expresse it and though we had them yet we could not expresse it with this tongue it is well understood in the minde when the soule rideth in the Chariot of the Bride but we cannot expresse it with the tongue yet we will not cast away the g That little which wee can expresse of it A. B. C. but tattle or stammer with the children till another mouth be given us to speak withall 6 When God had created the Beasts he brought them to Adam that he should give them their names every one according to their essence and kinde as they the beasts were qualified or according to the quality and condition they were of Now Adam was in the Garden of Eden in Hebron and also in Paradise at once yet no beast can come into Paradise for it is the Divine h Or habitation or refreshment joy wherein there is no unclean thing also no death or corruptible or transitory life i Therefore the garden of Eden is not Paradise much lesse is there the knowledge of Good and Evill yet Moses writeth of it that in the Garden of Eden there was the tree of temptation which bare the knowledge of Good and evill which indeed was no other Tree than like the Trees we now eate of in the k Or In the transitory body corruptibility neither was it any other Garden than such as wee now have wherein earthly fruit Good and Evill grow as is before our eyes 7. But the Paradise is somewhat else and yet no other place but another Principle where God and the Angels dwell and where there is perfection where there is meere love joy and knowledge where no misery is which Paradise neither death nor the Devils doe touch neither doe they know it and yet it hath no wall of earth or stones about it but there is a great Gulfe or cliffe between Paradise and this world so that they who will passe from hence thither cannot and they who would come from thence to us cannot neither and the Hell and the kingdome of darknesse is between them and none can come therein but by a new Birth which Christ spake of to Nicodemus The soules of the Saints holy and regenerate must enter into it by the death of Darknesse whom the Arch-Shepherd with the Angels bringeth thereinto upon his l Note the Bride-Chariot is the true Resignation into the bosome of the Father Bride-chariot of which you shall finde an exposition in its proper place in order 8. But seeing
dark and that is shining and bright 42. Then said the Spirit of Nature viz. the young man my faire Pearle and chastity I pray thee let me enjoy thy comfort if thou wilt not copulate with me that I may impregnate in thee yet doe but enclose thy Pearle in my heart that I may have it for my owne art thou not my Golden Crowne how faine would I tast of thy fruit 43. Then the p Or Modest chast Spirit out of God in Adam viz. the virgin said My deare Love and my Companion I plainly see thy lust thou wouldst faine copulate with me but I am a virgin and thou a man thou wouldst defile my Pearle and destroy my Crowne and besides thou wouldst mingle thy sourenesse with my sweetnesse and darken my bright light therefore I will not doe so I will lend thee my Pearle and adorne thee with my Garment but I will not give it q Into thy own disposing to be thy owne 44. And the companion viz. the spirit of the world in Adam said I will not leave thee and if thou wilt not let me copulate with thee then I will take my innermost and strangest r Or Might force and use thee according to my will according to the innermost r Or Might power I will cloath thee with the power of the Sunne Starres and Elements wherein none will know thee and so thou must be mine eternally And although as thou sayst I am unconstant and that my vertue is not like to thine and my light not like thine yet I will keepe thee well enough in my Treasure and thou must be Å¿ At my disposing my owne 45. Then said the Virgin Why wilt thou use t Or force violence Am I not thy Ornament and thy Crowne I am bright and thou art darke behold if thou coverest mee then thou hast no glance or lustre and then thou art a dark dusky or black Worme and then how can I dwell with thee Let me alone I will not give my selfe to be thy own I will give thee my Ornament and thou shalt live in my joy thou shalt eate of my fruit and tast my sweetnesse but thou canst not u Or mingle qualifie with me for the divine vertue is my Essence therein is my faire or Orient Pearle and my bright shining light generated my fountaine is eternall If thou darkenest my light and defilest my Garment then thou wilt have no beauty or lustre and canst not subsist but thy Worme will corrupt or destroy thee and so I shall loose my companion which I had chosen for my Bridegroom with whom I meant to have rejoyced and then my Pearle and beauty would have no x Recreation or delight company seeing I have given my selfe to be thy companion for my joyes sake if thou wilt not enjoy my beauty yet pray continue in my ornament and Excellency and dwell with me in joy I will adorne thee eternally 46. And the young man said thy Ornament is mine already I will use thee according to my will in that thou sayst I shall be broken corrupted or destroyed yet my Worme is eternall I will rule with that and yet I will dwell in thee and cloath thee with my Garments 47. And here the Virgin turned her to the heart of God and said My heart and my beloved thou art my vertue from thee I am cleere and bright from thy roote I am generated from eternity deliver me from the Worme of darknesse which infecteth poysoneth and tempteth my Bridegroom and let me not be darkned in the Obscurity I am thy Ornament And am come that thou shouldst have joy in me wherefore then shall I stand with my Bridegroom in the darke And the divine Answer said The seed of the Woman shall breake the head of the Serpent or Worme and thou shalt c. 48. Behold deare Soule herein lyeth the heavenly Tincture which wee must set downe in a similitude and wee cannot at all expresse it with words indeed if wee had the y Angelicall Tongues tongue of Angels wee could then rightly expresse what the minde apprehendeth but the Pearle is cloathed covered or vayled with a darke cloake or Garment The virgin calleth stedfastly to the z The Sonne of God heart of God that he would deliver her companion from the darke Worme but the divine Answer a Standeth still is The seed of the Woman shall breake the Serpents head that is the darknesse of the Serpent shall be separated from thy Bridegroom the dark Garment wherewith the Serpent cloatheth thy Bridegroom and darkneth thy Pearle and beauteous Crowne shall be broken corrupted or destroyed and turne to Earth and thou shalt rejoyce with thy Bridegroom in mee this was my eternall b Or purpose will it must stand 49. Now then when we consider the high mysteries the Spirit openeth to us the understanding that this afore-mentioned is the true Ground concerning Adam For his Originall Spirit viz. the soule that was the Worme which was generated out of the eternall will of God the Father and in the time of the Creation was by the Fiat after the manner of a Spirit created out of that place where the Father from eternity generateth his heart between the fourth and the fifth forme in the centre of God where the light of God from eternity discovereth it selfe and taketh its beginning and therefore the light of God came thus to helpe him as a faire virgin and tooke the soule to be her Bridegroom and would adorne the soule with her faire heavenly Crowne with the noble vertue of the Pearle and beautifie it with her Garment 50. Then the fourth forme in the Centre of the soule brake forth there where the spirit of the soule was created viz. between the fourth and the fifth forme in the Centre c Next to neere the heart of God and so the fourth forme was in the glance in the darknesse out of which the world was created which in its forme parteth it selfe in its Centre into five parts in its rising till it attaine to the light of the Sunne For the Starres also in their Centre are generated betwixt the fourth and the fifth forme and the Sunne is the d Or fountain spring of the fift forme in the Centre as in the eternall Centre the heart and light of God is which hath no ground but this Centre of the Starres and Elements hath its ground in the fourth forme in the dark minde in the rising up of the awakened or kindled flash of the fire 51. Thus the soule is generated between both the Centres between the Centre of God understand between the Centre of the heart or light of God where it is generated out of an eternall Place and also between the propagated or out-sprung Centre of this world and it the soule hath its beginning from both and qualifieth with both and therefore thus it hath all three Principles and can live in
her selfe in the living spirit of Adam 46. Hereupon now the Spirit of the Starres and Elements would continually get againe into the Element for in the Element there is meeknesse and rest and in the r Viz. In the foure Elements kindling thereof there is meere enmity and contrary will and the Devill ruleth also therein and they would faine be released from that abominable and naughty Guest and they seeke with great anxiety after Å¿ The dissoluÌ„tion deliverance as Paul saith All creatures groane together with us to be freed from vanity 47. Then saith the minde Wherefore doth God let it move so long in the Anxiety alas when will it be that I shall see the virgin Hearken thou noble and highly worthy Minde it must all enter in and serve to the glory of God and praise God as it is written All tongues shall praise God let it passe till the number to the praise of God be full according to the eternall minde 48. Thou wilt say How great is that number then Behold tell the Starres in the Firmament tell the Trees the hearbs and every spile of Grasse if thou canst so great is the number that shall enter in to the glory and honour of God For in the end all Starres passe againe into the Element into the Mother and there it shall appeare now much good they have brought forth here by their working for the shadow and the image of every thing or substance shall appeare before God in the Element and stand eternally in the same thou shalt have great joy thou shalt see all thy workes therein also all the afflictions thou hast suffered they shall be altogether changed into great joy and shall refresh thee indeed waite but upon the LORD the Spirit intimateth that when the time of the Lilly is t Or come about expired then this shall be done 49. Therefore it is that God keepeth it hidden so long as to our fight that the number of the glory of his Kingdome may be great but before him it is but as the twinckling of an eye have but patience this world will most certainly be dissolved together with the fiercenesse which must abide in the first Principle therefore doe thou beware of that 50. My beloved Reader I bring in my u Figures or Parables Types of the Essences of the Incarnation in the Mothers body in a Colloquie or Conference of the Spirit with the Essences and Elements x Note I cannot bring it to be understood in any easier way onely you must know that there is no conference but it is done most certainly so in the Essences and in the Spirit Here you will say to mee thou doest not dwell in the Incarnation and see it thou didst once indeed y Wert incarnate in thy mothers womb become man but thou knewest not how nor what was done then neither canst thou goe againe into thy mothers body or womb and see how it came to passe there Such a Doctor was I also and in my own reason I should be able to judge no otherwise if I should stick still in my blindnesse But thanks be to God who hath regenerated mee by water and the Holy Ghost to be a living Creature so that I can in his light see my great in-bred native vices which are in my flesh 51. Thus now I live in the spirit of this world in my flesh and my flesh serveth the spirit of this world and my minde serveth God my flesh is generated in this world and hath its z Kingdome or Dominion Region or Government from the Starres and Elements which dwell in it and are the master of the outward a Or body life and my mind is b Or generated of God regenerated in God and loveth God And although I cannot comprehend and hold the virgin because my minde falleth into sinnes yet the Spirit of this world shall not alwayes hold the minde captive 52. For the virgin hath given mee her promise not to leave mee in any misery shee will come to help me in the sonne of the virgin I must but hold to him againe and he will bring mee well enough againe to her into Paradise I will give the venture and goe through the thistles and thornes as well as I can till I finde my native Countrey againe out of which my soule is wandred where my dearest virgin dwelleth I rely upon her faithfull promise when shee appeared to mee that shee would turne all my mournings into great joy and when I lay upon the mountaine towards the c Or Midnight North so that all the trees fell upon mee and all the stormes and winds beate upon me and Antichrist gaped at mee with his open jawes to devour me then shee came and comforted mee and married her selfe to mee 53. Therefore I am but the more cheerfull and care not for him he ruleth and domineereth over mee no further than over the d Over the transitory house of flesh house of sinne whose Patron he himselfe is he may take that quite away and so I shall come into my native Countrey but yet he is not absolutely Lord over it he is but Gods Ape for as an Ape when its belly is full imitateth all manner of tricks and prancks to make it selfe sport and would faine seeme to be the finest and the nimblest Beast it can so also doth he e Note I desire not to write the exposition of this yet His power hangeth on the Great Tree of this world and a storme of winde can blow it away 54. Now seeing I have shewed the Reader how the true Element sticketh wholly hidden in the outward kindled Elements for a comfort to him that he may know what he himselfe is and that he may not despaire in such an earnest manifestation or Revelation as this is therefore now I will goe on with my Conference between the Elements Sunne and Starres where there is a continuall wrestling and overcoming in which the childe in the Mothers body or womb is figured and I freely give the Reader to know that indeed the true Element lyeth hidden in the outward man which is the chist of the Treasure or cabinet of the precious gemme and jewell of the soule if it be faithfull and yeeld it selfe up f In. to God 55. So now when the heart liver lungs bladder stomack and spirit together with the other parts or members of the childe are figured in the Mothers body by the Constellation and Elements then the Region or Regiment riseth up whâ—ch at length figureth fashioneth or formeth all whatsoever was wanting And now it exceedingly concerneth us to consider of the originality of speech minde and g Or Senses inward senses thoughts wherein Man is an image and similitude of God and wherein the noble knowledge of all the three Principles doth consist 56. For every Beast also standeth in the springing up of the life formerly mentioned in the Mothers
third Principle falleth away and leaveth the soule and it can use that no more in Eternity Of the t Exit going-forth of the Soule 16. Seeing then that Man is so very earthly therefore he hath none but earthly knowledge except he be Regenerated in the Gate of the Deepe He alwayes supposeth that the soule at the deceasing of the body goeth onely out at the mouth and he understandeth nothing concerning its u Deep Essentiall vertues or faculties which are of a higher originall than the foure Elements Deepe Essences above the Elements When he seeth a blew vapour goe forth out of the mouth of a dying Man which maketh a strong smell all over the chamber then he supposeth that is the soule 17. O no beloved Reason it is not so the soule is not seene nor comprehended in the outward Elements but that is the Brimstone Spirit the Spirit of the third Principle for as when thou puttest out a Candle a filthy smell and stinck cometh from it which was not before when the Candle did burne so here also when the light of the body breaketh then the Brimstone Spirit is smothered from whence that vapour and deadly stinck proceedeth with its working Spirit or infecting poyson 18. Understand or consider it aright it is the source-Spirit or working Spirit out of the Gall which kindleth the Heart whereby the life was stirred which is choaked so soone as the Tincture in the Bloud of the Heart is extinguished The right soule hath no need of such going forth it is much more subtile than the Brimstone Spirit although in the life time it is in one onely substance 19. But when the Spirit of the foure Elements parteth then the right soule which was breathed into Adam standeth in its Principle for it is so subtile that it cannot be comprehended it goeth through flesh and bones also through wood and stone and x Breaketh or disturbeth stirreth none of them 20. It may be comprehended as followeth if it hath y Been enamoured and not broke off from it promised somewhat in the time of the body and hath not recalled it then that word and the earnest promise comprehendeth it which wee ought to be silent in here or else there is nothing that comprehendeth it but onely its own Principle wherein it standeth whether it be the kingdome of Hell or of Heaven 21. It goeth not out at the mouth like a bodily substance it is raw or naked without a body and instantly passeth at the departure of the foure Elements into the Centre into the Gate of the Deep in the hidden Eternity and that which it is cloathed withall that it comprehendeth and keepeth it if its treasure be voluptuousnesse might or power honour riches malice wrath lying or the falshood of the world then the fierce might of the Essences out of the first Principle comprehendeth these things through the sydereall Spirit and keepeth them and z Buddeth or floweth worketh therewith according to the Region of the Starres yet the starry Region cannot bring the Spirit of the soule into its own forme but it practiseth its jugling therewith and so there is no rest in its a Or Conscience Worme and its Worme of the soule hangeth to its Treasure as Christ said Where thy treasure is there is thy heart also 22. Therefore it happeneth often that the Spirit of a deceased Man is seene walking also many times it is seene riding in the perfect forme of fire also many times in some other manner of disquietnesse all according as the cloathing of the soule hath been in the time of the body just so hath its source or condition been and such a forme according to its source it hath after the departing of the body in its figure and so rideth in such forme in the source or working of the Starres till that source also be consumed and then it is wholly b Or without a body naked and is never seene more by any Man but the Deep Abysse without end and number is its Eternall dwelling house and its works which it hath here wrought stand in the figure in its Tincture and follow after it 23. Hath it wrought good here then it shall eate that good for all sinnes stand before it in its Tincture if it think inwardly in it selfe of the kingdome of Heaven which yet it neither seeth nor knoweth then it seeth the causes wherefore it is in such a source or misery for it selfe hath made that And there all the teares of the oppressed and afflicted are in its Tincture and they are fiery stinging and burning in a hostile manner fretting and gnawing in themselves and make an Eternall Despaire in the Essences and an hostile will against God the more it thinketh of c Or Forbearance Abstinence the more the gnawing Worme riseth up in it selfe 24. For there is no light neither of this world nor of God but it s own fiery kindling in it selfe and that is its light which standeth in the horrible flash of the grimnesse which also is an Enmity to it selfe yet the source is very unlike all according to that which the soule hath here burthened it selfe with For such a soule there is no remedy or counsell it cannot come into the Light of God and although St Peter had left many thousand Keys upon Earth yet none of them could open the Heaven for d That soule it for it is seperated from the Band of Jesus Christ and there is between it and the Deity a whole e Principle or Gulfe Birth and it is as with the Rich Man Luk. 16. where those that would come from thence to us cannot And this must be understood of the unrepentant soules which thus in hypocrisie or shew-holinesse depart from the body being unregenerated 25. But there is a great difference in soules and therefore f Or their departure is also unlike the going to Heaven is very unlike some of them are through true repentance and sorrow for their g Or evill deeds misdeeds through their Faith in the time of their bodies set or ingrafted into the Heart of God and new regenerated through the Birth of Jesus Christ and they instantly with the breaking of their bodies leave all that is h Transitory or corruptible Earthly and instantly also lay off the Region of the Starres and they comprehend in their Essences of the first Principle the mercy of God the Father in the kinde Love of Jesus Christ and these also stand in the time of their bodies according to the Essences of the soule which they receive from the Passion and Death of Christ in the Gate of the Heaven and their departure from the body is a very pleasant entring into the Element before God into a still Rest expecting their bodies without irksom longing where then the Paradise shall flourish againe which the soule tasteth very well but effecteth no source or worke till the first Adam
upon the Earth and therefore the q The mysteries were not so dark to them Mysteries were not so very hard and close hidden to them but all was found out very easily especially by Adam who had the Mysteries r Or naked open and plaine in his hands and was but entered out of the Wonders of Paradise into the Wonders of this world who kwew not onely the Essences Å¿ Or kinds Natures and properties of all the Beasts but also of all Plants and Mettalls he knew also the ground of the seven liberall Arts arising out of the seven formes of Nature yet not so altogether out of the Ground or fundamentally But he was the Tree out of which afterwards all the rootes and branches grew 9. But the Depth in the Centre of the Birth he knew much better than wee in our Schooles or Universities which is shewed by that t Speech or word saying That he gave names to all things to every thing according to its Essence u Or kinde Nature and property as if he had stuck or dwelt in every thing and tryed all x Or beeings Essences whereas he had the knowledge of them only from their sound also from their forme and aspect smell and tast the Metalls he knew in the Glance of the Tincture and in the fire as it may yet well be knowne 10. For Adam was the Heart of every thing in this world created out of the Originality of all things his soule was out of the first Principle throughly y Or shining or enlightened illustrated with the second Principle and his body was out of the one Element out of the z Or warme hatching Barm or Birth out of the Divine vertue which is before God which body was entered into the out Birth of the one Element viz. into the foure Elements and wholly gone into the Spirit of this world viz. into the third Principle And therefore he had the Tincture of every thing in him by which he teached into all Essences and proved or searched all things in the Heaven Earth fire aire and water and all whatsoever is generated from thence 11. And so one Tincture took hold of the other and the stronger hath proved or tried the weaker and given names to all things according to their Essences and that is the true ground of Adams fall that he went out of the Eternall being into the Out birth of the corruptible being and hath put on the a Or transitory corruptible Image which God forbad him 12. And here the two strong Kingdomes of the Eternity are to be seene which have been in strife with one another and are alwaies so and the strife continueth to Eternity for it is also from Eternity viz. between b The wrath and the Love the fiercenesse and the meeknesse If the fiercenesse were not there would be no mobility but it overcometh in this world onely c The wrath ruleth in all that is evill in the foure Elements and in that which is good it maketh the exalting joy according to the Kâ—ngdome of Hell and in the Heaven it maketh the ascending Joy and the Meeknesse 13. And it is hâ—ghly to be sound and considered by us in the light of Nature how the fiercenesse or wrath is the Roote of all things and moreover the Originality of the Life therein onely consisteth the Might and the Power and from thence onely proceed the Wonders and without the fiercenesse or wrath there would be no enmity but all would be as it were a noth ng as is formerly mentioned 14. And then wee finde also how the Meeknesse is the vertue and the Spirit so that where the meeknesse is not there the fiercenesse in it selfe is nothing but a Darknesse and a Death where no d Working fruit or bringing forth growing can spring up and it cannot generate nor discover its wonders and thus wee finde that the fiercenesse wrath or sourenesse is a cause of the Essences and that the Meeknesse is a cause of the joy and a cause of the rising and budding oâ— growing forth of the Essences and then that the Spirit is generated by the flowing working springing and rising up out of the Essences and that the fiercenesse so becometh the Roote of the Spirit and the Meeknesse is its Life 15. Now there can be no meeknesse without Light for the Light maketh the Meeknesse and there can be no fiercenesse without the light for the light maketh a e A desiring or attracting Longing in the darknesse and yet there is no darknesse there but the longing maketh the darknesse in the will so that the will attracteth to it selfe and impregnateth the longing so that it becometh thick and dark for it is thicker than the will and therefore it shadoweth the will and is the darknesse of the will 16. And if the will be thus in darknesse then it is in anguish for it desireth to be out of the darknesse and that desiring is the flowing or working and the attracting in it selfe where yet nothing is attained but a fierce source in it selfe which by its attraction maketh hardnesse and roughnesse which the will cannot endure and thus it stirreth up the Roote of the fire in the flash as is afore-mentioned whereupon the re-comprehended will goeth forth from the flash into its selfe and f Dispelleth breaketh the darknesse and dwelleth in the broken darknesse in the light in a pleasant joy or habitation in it selfe after which joy or habitation the will in the darknesse continually lusteth from whence longing ariseth and thus it is an Eternall Band which can never be g Or Dissolved loosed and thus the will now laboureth in the broken Gate that it may manifest or discover his wonders out of himselfe as may be seene well enough in the Creation of the world and all Creatures 17. But wee should not here againe wholly set downe the Ground of the Deity so farre as it is meete and knowne by us wee account that needlesse here for you may finde it before the incarnation of a Childe in the Mothers womb or body Wee set downe thus much here to the end that the Region of this world may be understood and thus wee give the Reader exactly to understand and know how the Region of Good and Evill are in one another and how it is an unfadable thing or substance so that one is generated out of the other and that also the one goeth forth out of the other into another substance or being which it was not in the beginning as you may learne to understand this in Man who in his beginning in the will of Man and Woman viz. in the Limbus and in the Matrix is conceived in the Tincture and sowen in an Earthly h Field or Ground soyle where then the first Tincture in the will breaketh and his own i Or Life Tincture springeth forth out of the anxious or aking chamber of
doth the wicked receive which is unregenerated I answer Hearken my beloved Reason what Saint Paul saith because he distinguisheth not the body of Christ therefore he receiveth it to this own Judgement As the Prophet saith They draw neere to mee with their its but their hearts are farre from mee and as before-mentioned whosoever goeth away from God entreth into his wrath 47. How wilt thou receive the holy Body in the Love if thou art a Devill Hath not the Devill also been an Angel wherefore went he away from God if my old Man captivated in the wrath be onely on thy soule and no new Man then thy soule receiveth the wrath of God and thy old Man receiveth the Elementary Bread and Wine the Noble Pearle is not cast before swine indeed the Testament is there and the n Or He that made the Testament Testatour inviteth thee to it but thou makest a mockery of it he would same helpe thee and thou wilt not 48. I say not that thou receivest the wrath of God in the Bread and in the Wine but in thy false confidence thou art with thy body and soule in the anger and wilt not goe out from it wherefore then doest thou approach often to the Covenant of God seeing thou art captivated of the Devill Doest thou thinke that o God he will adorne thy hypocrisie and will hang his Pearle on thee Thou art a Wolfe and how lest with the Dogs thy mouth prayeth and thy soule is p Ein schalck abominably wicked and naught when it goeth from the Testament of Christ it entreth into the stall of Robbery againe and is a Murtherer it howleth with the Dogs it is a perfidious whore when it goeth away from the Covenant it steppeth into whorish corners into the denne of Theeves and there they stand and pretend Great Holinesse O this day is a holy Day to mee I must not sinne and yet they think to morrow or next day they will goe thither againe 49. O thou Knave if thou bringest not another Man than so to it stay away from the Testament of Christ thou art but a Murtherer and doest scandalize thy neighbour so long as thou art in such a way thy Prayer is false it commeth not from the bottom of the Heart thy Heart desireth onely the pleasure of this world and the q Hunter persecutor or the Devill Driver receiveth thy Prayer he is thy God therefore consider what thou doest 50. O Babell wee have a great deale to say to thee but not here thou shalt once be talked withall in the Anger at which the Elements shall shake and tremble goe forth it is high time that the Anger may be allayed CHAP. XXIV Of true Repentance How the Poore Sinner may come to God againe in his Covenant and how be may be released of his Sinnes The Gate of the Junistification of a Poore Sinner before God A Cleere Looking Glasse 1. MY beloved Reader wee tell thee this that all things from the Originall of the Essence of all Essences every thing from its Originality hath its driving or impulsion in its own forme and it alwayes maketh that very thing with which the Spirit is impregnated the body must alwayes labour in that wherein the Spirit is kindled When I confider and think why I write thus many wonders and leave them not for other sharper wits I finde that my Spirit is kindled in this matter whereof I write for there is a living running fire of these things in my Spirit and thereupon let mee purpose what I will yet this thing continually moveth and swimmeeh on the top and so I am captivated therewith in my Spirit and it is laid-upon mee as a work which I must exercise Therefore seeing it is my work that my Spirit driveth I will wrire it downe for a Memoriall in such a manner as I know it in my Spirit and a The way how I attained to it in such a manner as I attained to it and I will set downe no b Other thing than my selfe have tryed strange thing which my selfe have not tried and knowne that I be not sound c Or to write lyes of my selfe a liar concerning my selfe before God 2. Now then if there be any that have a desire to follow mee and would faine have this knowledge whereof I write I advise him that he follow mee in this following Table Patterne or way not presently with the Penne but with the Labour of the Minde and then he shall finde how I could come to write thus whereas I was not taught from the Schooles of this world but onely a little of this mean hand-writing as may be seene here 3. But now seeing I have in hand the Articles of Repentance therefore I certifie the Reader that in my Earnestnesse this Pen was given mee which the Hunter would have broken with whom I began an earnest storme in so much that he had cast mee downe to the ground under his feere but the breath of God helped mee up so that I stand up and have the first Pen in my minde still wherewith I will write further though the Deviil for malice should storme Hell 4. Therefore now if wee will speake of this most serious Article wee must goe from Jerusalem to Jericho and see how wee lie among Murtherers who have so wounded us and beaten us that wee are halfe dead and wee must looke about us for the Samaritan with his Beast that he may dresse our wounds and bring us into his Inne O how lamentable and miserable it is that wee are so beaten by the murtherer the Devill that wee are halfe dead and yet feele out smart no more O if the Physician would come and dresse our wounds that our soule might revive and live how should wee rejoyce thus speaketh the desire and hath such longing hearty wâ—she and although the Physician is present yet the minde can no where apprehend him because it is so very much wounded and lieth halfe dead 5. My deare Minde thou supposest thou art very sound but thou art so beaten that thou feelest thy disease no more art thou not very neere unto Death how then canst thou accouut thy selfe to be sound O my deare Soule boast not of thy soundnesse thou liest fettered in heavy Bonds yea in a very dark Dungeon thou swimmest in a deepe water which riseth up to thy very lips and thou must continually expect Death Besides the d Or Corrupt Nature Hunter is behinde thee with a great company of thy worst Enemies whereby he draweth thee continually downe by his chaines into the horrible Deepe into the Abysse of Hell and his crew thrust thee on behinde thee and run upon thee on all sides yelling and hunting as if they had the Hinde they haâ—â— after 6. Then saith Reason wherefore doe they so O my deare Soule they have great cause for it behold thou hast been their Hinde and thou art broken out of their
as he was before the Fall i Or be its clothing againe be againe upon it 26. These holy soules works also follow them in their Tincture of the Spirit of the soule in the holy Element so that they see and know how much good they have wrought here and their highest delight and desire is still continually in their Love to doe more good although without the Paradisicall body which they shall then first attaine at the Restoration they worke nothing but their source qualitie or property is meere delight and soft k Or Well-doing welfare 27. Yet you are to know that the holy soules are not so voyde of ability or power for their Essences are out of the strong Might of God out of the first Principle although because of their great humility towards God they doe not use that might whereas they continually expect their bodies in that still rest with great humility and yet their love and delight is so very great that at severall times they have wrought great Wonders or Miracles among the faithfull upon Earth which faithfull People so vigorously set their love and desire in them that one holy Tincture took hold of the other and so through the Faith of the Living wonders are thus done for thâ—re is nothing impossible to Faith 28. And it is not hard for the holy soules which are departed from the body to appeare l Or upon to a strong Faith of one that is Living for the firme faith of the living if it be borne of God reacheth also unto the kingdome of Heaven into the holy Element where the seperated soules have their Rest 29. And now if the deceased or seperated soule was here in this world a Candlestick and a declarer of the Name of God and that it hath turned many unto Righteousnesse then it appeareth also to the Living Saints which incline their Faith so strongly to them and it is not a jot harder now than in former times when in the tiâ—es of the Saints great Wonders were done for the Faith of the Living and the Love of the seperated soules towards the Beleeving Saints hath wrought them in the strong Might of God and God hath permitted it for the conversion of People that they might see the great Might of those that were deceased in God and that they are and live in another kingdome that so they might be assured of the Resurrection of the Dead by the great Miracles of the deceased soules All which in generall were put to Death for the witnesse of Jesus that the Heathen and all People might thereby see what manner of Reward the holy â—People had when they laid downe their life for the Testimony of Christ by whose example many People also were converted 30. But now â—hat a Bâ—bell of confusion is come out of this in that it is come so farre that the Saints departed are invocated or worshipped as Intercessours to God and that Divine honour is done them this the holy soules departed are not guilty of neither here they desired any such thing neither doe they present the miseries and necessities of Men before God But the fault lyeth in the forged Superstition of the wicked deceitfull Antichrist who hath founded his m Chaire or Throne Stoole of Pride thereon not as a living Saint which with the holy inclineth himselfe to God but as an earthly God he thereby arrogateth Divine Omnipotence to himselfe and yet hath none but is the greedy covetous proud Anti-christ riding upon the strong n The Arme of the Civill power Beast of this world 31. The soules departed doe not present our wants before God for God is neerer to us than the soules departed are and besides if they should doe so then they must have bodies as also Paradisicall sources or flowing properties springing up and working whereas they are in the still humility and meeke Rest and doe not suffer our soure miseries to enter into them but one holy Tincture taketh hold of another to increase the love and delight But they make not of Christ their Great Prince a Deafe Hearer as if he did neither heare feele nor see any thing himselfe who stretcheth out his armes and himselfe without ceasing calleth with his holy Spirit and inviteth all the children of Men to the wedding he will readily accept all if they would but come 32. How then should a soule come before Christ and pray for a Living Invocatour whereas Christ himselfe doth stand and invite Men and is himselfe the atonement of the anger in the Father For the Father hath given Men to the Sonne as himselfe witnesseth They were thine and thou hast given them to mee and I will that they be with mee and see my Glory which thou hast given mee 33. O thou confounded Babell goe out from Antichrist and come with a penitent heart and minde before thy mercifull Brother and Saviour of all Men he will more readily heare thee than thou come to him Step onely out of this wicked Babell into a new Birth and be not so much in love with the kingdome of this world thou art but a meere Guest and stranger in it what availeth thee thy o Or corruptible transitory honour from men which scarce lasteth one moment Thou shalt indeed get much greater surpassing joy and honour in the new Regeneration where the holy soules in the Heaven and the Angels will rejoyce with thee Consider what joy and gladnesse thou wilt stirre up thereby in the Heart of Jesus Christ where then instantly the precious Talent the Holy Ghost will be given thee and thou wilt get the Keys of the Kingdome of Heaven that thou thy selfe mayst open it or dost thou think it is not true doe but seek and try with an earnest minde and thou wilt finde wonders indeed thou thy selfe shalt know understand and without any doubt at all assuredly see in thy minde out of what Schoole this is written 34. Now the minde thinketh that if all the workes of a soule which it wrought here shall follow it in the figure then how shall it be if a soule here hath for a long time p Or wrought great crimes sinnes and blasphemies committed great abominations then they will be great shame to it if they must stand in the figure before its eyes This is a great stumbling block of the Devills which plagueth the poore soule and usually forceth it thereby into despaire so that it selfe continually presenteth its sinnes before it and despaireth of the Grace of God 35. Now behold thou beloved soule who art dearly redeemed by thy Saviour Jesus Christ with his entrance into the humanity and with his entrance into the Abysse of Hell and plucked off from the Kingdome of the Devill in the Might of the Father and sealed with his bloud and Death and covered with his Ensigne of Triumph all thy works both the evill and the good which thou hast done follow thee in the shadow but