of these Waters on whose Face dwelt the Darkness when first the Spirit of God began to move thereon Q. 27. What is the Ground of the Male and Female Kind in the Essence of this World Whence is the Conjunction and Desire arisen Could not the same be effected in one only Ground without dividing A. The Question having three Branches requires a distinct Answer to each part 1. To the first it must be said The Male and Female Essence of this World have their Root in the very Properties whereof the World it self consisteth And tho' the same Tinctures be an Image of the two Spiritual Worlds and of the Principles yet the dividing of the Tinctures are not in the Divine World for though they are there yet are United and so are not two but one Potent glorious Power 2. Will any say Why differs the Copy from the Original It 's answer'd The four Elements though divided are a Figure of the inward World yet the inward World consisteth in one undivided Element whence the four proceeded 3. Now this is a manifest dividing of the Tincture of the Fire from that of the Light which the Elementary Creatures bear in two distinct Bodies divided each from other for as the four several Properties of the first Principle longed to be Creaturely and attained their Images in the several Transitory Creatures so the two Tinctures longed and obtained their Images in the two distinct Sexes of the Transitory Creatures 4. To the second Part whence the Conjunction and Desire is arisen which is for that they come from one only Root and are there really one only Tincture therefore being divided do they so exceedingly desire one the other as is seen among the many Kinds of Birds and Beasts Also in the Properties of the Minerals for we may see how Mars naturally incorporated and digested with and made tough by Venus and then brought into an Hunger and fed by Sol transmuteth into the desired Metal or Solar Body This Desire Nature sheweth in Mulberry-Trees and that of the Vine and Elm c. And not only in Minerals Vegetatives and Animals 5. But in the Sympathies of the outward Universe is this apparent as in every Element and part of Element who all retire to their several Centres as soon as they get dismist from their Obligations to other different Elements Also in the Union of Will between the Loadstone and Needle more especially in Man the bare Instances whereof would be a Volume one whereof may be 6. We see how exceedingly every Man is affected with the Good or Ill Opinion others have of him drawing a kind of Life or Death from their Affections or Ill Humours shewing the Souls of all Men to have but one only Root Body or Fountain and the Severals to be but Drils or Twigs 7. To the third Part Whether it could not have been otherwise c. 'T is answer'd The Male and Female Tinctures are originally one glorious Power-World in which all Properties are United but when that one Element or Divine Eternal Nature was moved to give out the Astral Heavens and four Elements in their divided Properties Those Beasts Birds and Fishes which were distinguished into Male and Female Sexes and did propagate themselves by Commixture were the most apt Expressions of the Astral Spirit and Powers and plainest Characters of the inward distinct Wills For granting that World whereof this is an Image the longing Desire it had to be Imaged it could not possibly be otherwise For though the Female and Male Properties are shewn obscurely in the Spawn and Melt of Fishes but not so conspicuous as in those greater Kinds of Fishes which bring forth young large full-formed Fishes Also not so plainly in Insects as in more mature Sensitives nor in Immoveables as in Insects yet perceptible it is in every of them 8. But all this relates to Temporary Creatures Extracts of the Stars and Elements having no Original Right but Usurping Dominion over Man's pure holy Humane Body for that being out of the Quintessence was capable of Eternity therefore not out of the Stars which shall fall into their Ether nor out of the four Elements which shall dissolve and be Melted by their Central Fire 9. The dividing of the Tincture into two distinct Sexes in Man was no otherwise needful but as a Chirurgeon impresseth an Incision to save a maimed Limb from a Gangrene To man thus it became also of absolute necessity because he was fallen headlong from his Magistracy over both the Astral and Elementary Powers to be a poor Captive under their Domination Q. 28. What are the Principles of the Spirit of this World of the Superior or Inferior Being A. 1. A Principle is a New Birth or New Life The Eternal Deity is the only One Principle wherein is Eternal Life the Creation of Angels and Men are its manifestation yet is there another Principle rightly call'd the first which is also Eternal but not of Life Eternal but of Death where-ever the Divine Principle is not manifest 2. Into which when Lucifer and his Legions had thrown themselves Man was created to supply that place And lest when he should fall he might become a Devil also the third Principle was created to help him And were it not out of the Question and that perhaps it may fall under another Question to be answered by a more enlighten d hand it should be here shewn how the Man's concern in This Created World was what adequated and priviledged him tho' fallen to a possibility of being recovered which here not without some reluctancy I must be content to omit in this place 3. Now restraining my self to the limits of the Question with all brevity 't is answered That the most or innermost Principle of This Worlds Spirit is the Powers of the Stars in all the Creation The Light of the Sun and the Astral World is out of the second Principle And were not some Wrath in the Sun shewn by the intolerable Heat it might unite with the Light of the Eternal Spiritual World but as it is the Tincture in it is the most noble of all Visibles as a God in Nature not only wholly useless to Evil Angels but a check to many of their works for they like Adulterers love the Twy-light 4. The next Birth or Principle downward in the Spirit of this World inferior to the Astral is the Elementary which is not so remote from the wrathful or first Principle as is the former but are another or second Birth the Stars being reckoned the first Whence it is that Man 's Elementary part since the Fall is transitory gross and sluggish like as the Bodies of Beasts for the Spirit of this World doth in this Birth boil up the half dead Salitter gross Sulphur and infected Mercury So that the Body were a lump did not the Sun's lustre or glance give him Eyes and it with the other powers of the Stars in the Properties of the first Principle
many in a desert place how much less will he lose the noble Tincture it self nor for the sake thereof the Earthen Pot in which like the Manna it is intrusted but Ransom by his Mighty Power the Tincture like a Captiv'd Turtle from the power of the Dog for his own glory sake and therewithal every Idea it hath been imploy'd to animate and hath spirited Q. 174. What shall be after this Worlds time when God shall be All in All when the Dominions shall cease A. 1. 1. The Answer of this may be censur'd as curious as the preceding Question seemed at first to be 2. To be also so hidden as to be inscrutable from the perplexedness and ambiguity of it being so far as may seem beyond our measure 3. To be sterile and unfruitful And in incountring such imputations it runs parallel with the discouragements of inquiring into the last precedent Question but to this one is added viz. that 4. It is a Tautology repeating the former Question 2. But to clear all successively the Matter here inquired must be confessed to be our great End Mark and Object we should level at therefore not unnecessary and curious and accordingly it is the subject of that of our Apostle therefore not unprofitable for us to get the knowledge of being our particular concern Nor is it unsearchable seeing the Holy Ghost in that Text teacheth us that Mystery can therefore the Explanation of it be unacceptable Lastly It is no Tautology for it must be heedfully noted and distinctly understood that the former last preceding Question intends the first Administration step or transaction immediately following the general Resurrection comprizing that formidable final irrevocable general Judgment but this Question intendeth the second step or administration as consequent of that Judgment or as may be expressed the Executive result of that Universal Judgment being the compleat summit of the perfect Worlds wherein the end hath not only found the beginning but is entred thereinto resteth in and possesseth it 3. We come now to speak of that most holy pure desireable state It is most undeniable that God shall not then only be All in All but ever was and is so either in his love or second Principle or in his Wrath or first Principle therefore it is no News but that it is said he shall then be so also how and why is clear in the following part of this Answer particularly in verse 23 24 25. being its proper place whither it 's referr'd 4. This state signified by the Sabbath Jubilee c. in Israel is when all the six Properties or Forms of Nature give up themselves into the seventh that is into the Throne or End of Action and Work Thus as by the gracious Creator the captiv'd Properties were ransom'd out of the dark confused Chaos and by him disposed into orderly Contexture to Image the hidden Powers of the Holy World and seven Fountain Spirits which made the Morning Stars sing their Psalm of Adoration Thankfulness and Shout for Joy So out of the Confusion the Creation had hurried themselves into by the direful Fall this state is the compleat Restoration there being afore begotten in every thing capable thereof something conformable to the new Birth which is the superior part of the Lords Children according to the capacity of the things themselves 5. And as in the Out-birth are such Fruits Products Precious Stones Seasons Localities Properties Auspicious sweet Astral Influences in the animate and inanimate Creatures all which are the footsteps of the disappeared Paradisical World and the Figures and Pointers toward the state here intended So are there in the Out birth on our Terrene Ball and why not on other Stars Certain Inhabitable Climates as toward both Poles Inhabitable places in the Habitable Latitudes as terrible Wildernesses raging Deeps also there are cross fatal Conjunctions malevolent Astral Influences with their various Productions amongst us as may figure and point out the state of the dark Abyss where the Ear bor'd are for ever Slaves 6. But because some may think this Discourse to be too remote from the Matter here sought it must therefore farther be said the Demonstration of what remains after the general Dissolution may be found in every Man whether wicked or holy for instance the Prophane Soul who turns all God's Goodness to him into Gall and Wormwood when ever the influences of gracious Bounty cease and God's tender Pity and great Long-suffering with him terminates the Serpent is grown in such a one thereby but the more strong and lusty for that in him which by the allay of this World 's intermixing Divertisements and the Holy World's Neighbourhood was only bitterish will then when this World as to what it now is is vanished and that wholly and for ever withdrawn become bitterness in the Abstract 7. As prick or bruise an angry Man's finger only and you see his Choler but rend his several Limbs and judge what his severe Fury will be Take from a griping Man but a few Shillings and see his Anguish and Repining but take all his Idol gods at once and he is as a Bear bereaved of her Whelps Disregard but the presence of an imperious spirited Man and he will wish to make a Sacrifice of all that do so and all they are and have like Mordecai but render him as vile as really he is and what would he not do could he revenge himself to the full Thus may we see what remains to the Dark Impression when this World's time is ended 8. But now according to the Divine World which is the thing in this Question intended it is very evident thus Let the Man who is raised in the Spirit of Christ retire himself but a little while by submissive resignation quitting his being at Home and from the Images there swaying in the outward Man also from the Desires and Remembrance of them let him then approach the holy Intercourses enter into the Contemplation of the infinite Love kingdom and he shall see and feel what he cannot speak or write he shall like a little Child act purely and will uninterruptedly the Passions of the Principle in which he lives if they may be call'd Passions he shall also like a little Child move simply according to the Dictates of his Father's Universal perfect Will for himself and his own Will averted are as if neither had ever been and thus according to the Question what remains after this World's time such a one throughly penetrateth the Spirit of this Man experiments how God being all in his poor little all causeth all other Dominions to cease in and over him and he breaths the holy Air. 9. The contrary Properties in him are in a measure so attoned and in harmony as they are in the infinite Abyss of Almightiness for they are all really and truly in him he consisting of them yet all is but one Power because the Divine Love in the
is the seventh Form or Seal of the Eternal Nature wherein the six Seals disclose themselves And natural Wisdom instead of finding the Heart of God by humble resignation hath found the Wonders of this World by Thunders Voices and Strife for when after the Apostles times Men left Love and Meekness and fell to Pomp and Pride the Golden Candlesticks and seven Stars withdrew and were hid and all became seven Seals The Glassy Sea is the Angelical World The Voices of the seven Thunders would be hid proceeding out of the stern Essences did we not put our Imagination into them and open them in us So that only the Lamb excepted none in Heaven nor Earth were worthy to open the Seals nor look thereon we were shut up by them under Death Darkness which only the Light in the Heart of God could open for Man was become an abominable Beast a Dragon with seven Heads and ten Horns and ten Crowns on the ten Horns this Beast the hypocritical Woman rideth on is this the Ass Christ humbly rode on 4. It is hellish Pride and worldly Pomp on which the Woman of seeming Holiness rideth she pretendeth to the Keys of Heaven and makes Laws Decrees and Canons yet knoweth not the New Birth He only that is born of God in his inclined heart the Seals are opened But when and wheresoever the Lamb openeth the seventh Seal then and there the Whore the Beast and Dragon are cast into the Lake of Fire then doth the good Shepherd lead his Flock into green Pastures then they that mark hearken incline the heart mind and thoughts coming humbly with broken hearts are met and embraced in them Christ is born they have him in the Baptism Supper and hearing of the Divine Word in all places for the Holy Ghost satisfieth the longing of the contrite spirit CHAP. V. Of the Seventh Form of Nature the Corporeity 1. COrporeity subsisteth in the 7th Form of Nature and as all the other six Forms are a hunger and longing desire to each other so are all their desires to the seventh to have a Body or Rest and the desire of the Essences is to preserve and sustain the Body The whole Essence of all Essences is a continued hunger of propagating from its fulness so that when one Form attaineth the other a third riseth yet the two former vanish not but all keep one in the other their own respective Powers and so of the rest And tho' the still Eternity is the only true Rest yet is the seventh Form a substantial Body of Rest whereinto the six diffuse their vertues and the same seventh Form standeth and is the comprehensible Body of Darkness and Light 2. The sharp Fire in the Liberty holdeth its right and the anguish whence the Fire ariseth sinking as a death affordeth matter and weight as in my self I see the Fire the cause of feeling in the dead Corporeity which else in the anguish sinketh into weight and is burthensom as a stifling Now what as Fire ascendeth not or as weight sinketh not in death doth as anguish remain neither uppermost nor lowermost which as the begun anguish is the Centre of both and not getting up nor down presseth side-ways like the lower Branches of a growing Tree 3. The Deity longed to see the Wonders in the Eternal Nature and Innumerable Essences yet created all for the Light not for the Darkness for the Tincture is awakened in the Centre in the death of the Earth which is the life of all Gems Minerals Vegetatives and Animals And in the deep the Sun having the Tincture of the Fire is the Father and Life of all the Stars who in the beginning proceeded from its Centre not that they all sprang from them for as the Sun is the Centre of the uppermost in the Liberty so is Saturn or the Earth of the lowermost in death yet is there no dying but a transmutation for neither doth this World die but the Essences change to be what they were not and remain as figures for ever to the glory of God's works And if the gross Visibles were not created to the Darkness how much less the Spirits which are out of the Eternal Mind and therefore Eternal like as our Mind hath diversity of innumerable thoughts and those thoughts essentially potent when exalted as in that of a Woman with Child whose thoughts can magically impress foreign preternatural substances as well as heterogene incongruous figures on the fruit of her womb 4. When God willed the Fiat viz. the creating the Eternal Essences or Powers which flowed into substance which Eternal Essences before went forth without substance then time hads its beginning But the Holy Will still proceeded with the Powers into the love and delight in meekness contrariwise Lucifer's direful Fall was his delight of turning back his will to domineer in the Tincture of the Fire root his motion to which was the forms of the Genitrix before enkindling of the Light as sour bitter dark tart stinging envious for in the fourth form stands Love and Anger in opposition being the middle form of the seven having three drawing one way and the other three drawing the other Lucifer therefore was drawn of both but that the Root forms prevailed was because he saw the Divine or Second Birth proceed out of the Centre and himself standing in the Essences of the Nature of Eternity the great Fountain he therefore despised the Humility whereof Love and Light are the Off-spring and would rule over it and so was cast out of the uppermost Life into the nethermost Death and Darkness for he was offended to see the greatest Mysteries to stand in the greatest lowliness 5. The attaining the Divine Light consisteth in a fixt resolution wrought in us of Humility wherein the Love is generated But all Laws and Devices to attain it are fabulous and as the making costly works wherein the Artificer pleaseth only himself with things wholly unprofitable reaching no higher than imitation of useful things like also as there are many Spirits Aerial Aquastrish Terrestrial and in the Anguish which are not out of the Eternal Well-spring but from the beginning Will generated by the Tincture of Heaven in Nature which mutable at their time leaving only their shadow to manifest the wonders of God And from Eternity there hath been such a Government where the knowledge was only in God but at the coming out of the Angelical World an Intellect was also in the Creatures The Gate into the Holy Trinity 6. In no Creature in Heaven or this World stand the three Principles open as in Man The first Principle or Father tho' he standeth in the Liberty Eternal Stilness is not call'd Father as such but as he is the desiring Thus the Mind of a Man being one only Will is desiring yet therein out of the Eternal Will are innumerable Wills the first Will is Master and the other are recomprehended leading to Light and Darkness to Joy
how to help no Prince or Throne Angel could contrive a Remedy Then said Jehovah Christ Lo I come to do thy Will O God and his own Arm wrought Salvation by becoming Man entring Death with his Humane Soul brake the seven Seals of the Centre of Nature hung the old Adam as a Curse on the Cross kindled again the Divine Fire in the Soul cast away the Earthiness and powerfully through Death introduced Life The highly precious Gate Thus the Regenerate may see that as Christ did cast away from him by Death only the Spirit of this VVorld and raised himself so shall they in his VVord and Heart which is every where present and in his Flesh and Blood not in the corrupt Body be raised for the inward Body Adam had in Paradise is only capable of being clothed upon with the Flesh of Christ In this new Body fixeth the new Regenerate Soul but the old corrupt Flesh only hangeth to the new Body yet comprehends it not The which old Body conceived from the Spirit of this VVorld being at the last day raised therewith only in a figure in which figure all Mans works follow him passeth into its Ether yet remaineth in its figure So likewise the corrupt Bodies of the wicked at the last Judgment shall be presented with their Mother the Spirit of this world and the Souls shall hear the sentence then shall the Bodies pass with their Mother and stand as a Figure and their works in the figure shall follow them into the Abyss CHAP. IX Concerning the Threefold Life Also the Inclination and whole Government of Man in this Life 1. MAN's whole Race is a strife 'twixt the Devil and the Soul and the Spirit of this worâ—d and the Soul for this worlds Spirit hath apprehension tho not Divine planted in its Matrix and this world stood in the Eternal wisdom as an invisible figure before the Creation and by Creation became a proper Principle to the end it might bring all its wonders and works into Existence and appear Eternally in their figure 2. Man only being capable to exhibit this worlds wonders of Arts and the Spirit and Life of Metals precious Stones Earths Celestial Influences c. therefore hath the Spirit of this world longed to draw Man into it That precious Stone of Philosophers may be found in Metals by him who understandeth this Author in the Centre of Natures progress to the Cross of the Trinity and Glance of the Majesty which this worlds Spirit hath a Natural longing to reveal 3. The first Birth of things are not pleasant as in Trees but the Fruit is a second Birth and what is desir'd by Man which points us to our Noble Birth and high Descent which was Divine for when the Kingdom of the Anger did press into the Fruits the Paradisical Principle did almost wholly withdraw Yet though Toads Serpents poysonous Herbs bitter Properties Thistles c. originate in the wrathful Matrix yet as the evil Properties explicate the inward worlds they are as good and concur to the same end with the best but the evil and good eaten by Adam being such as we now eat was his eating of Death because thereby the Spirit of this world captivated him as doth both it and the Devils Kingdom rule in Man still Of the great strife about Man 4. Hell saith my Anger is his Root he is therefore by Nature mine This world pleads possession of Man in its Body and his Community of Nutrition from it God saith I â—ave set my Heart upon Man and Regenerated him he proceeded out of me I have sought and found him again he is mine to reveal my wonders Pursuant to this one of three things winneth him either 1. His desire of Honour Glory and Power which is the Devils Will. 2. His desire of Riches Opulence and Fulness in which he is a Beast of this World 3. He the somewhat sensible Sinner but not the Swine greatly feareth Hell and the Devil and weakly panteth after Heaven but the other two draw so violently that many through desperation engulph themselves into the Abyss Of the Devil changing himself into an Angel of Light 5. When the Sinner begins to be sensible of his evil and danger the Devil willingly permits him to go to the Stone Churches then flatters him that his diligent so doing makes him godly and devout Where often thoughts are sowen in him of Pride Lust c. also of contempt of others especially if the Preacher be a Reviler If the Soul be yet afraid and would repent and pray the Devil clouds the understanding introduceth doubts and promiseth amendment to Morrow he rehearseth words but prayeth not for the Soul cannot reach the Centre of Nature where the Fire should be struck but his words in this Worlds Spirit vanish into Air or Gods Name is taken in vain 6. But Prayer is a great or at least a true going of the Soul to be spoken to of God and brought out of the House of Sin into the House of God Which when the Devil opposeth we are to oppose the more for we have in Christ far greater power than he But if the Devil covers the Heart by heaps of Sin we are not to dispute or despair but to lay them on the Devils Back and lay up in our Hearts Gods most merciful Calls and earnest Will towards us shewn by the Sufferings Wounds Death and dear Love and Pity of Christ to Sinners for there is no other Will in God but to do as the Father to the Prodigal Son therefore to doubt of Gods gracious Intents is to sin greatly The Gates of the deep Ground concerning Man 7. The knowing what Man is in the variety of form feature and different driving Will hath been controverted since the beginning because the Gates thereof were sunk with Adam's Fall but the Spirit of the Soul of the Regenerated Man knoweth himself in all the three Principles to have but one only Rule though in three Principles the prevalence of either denominates the Man We are as a Seed sowen in a Field by the Lust of Man and Woman the Mover whereunto is that the Tincture now divided to the Male giving Life and Soul and the substantiality now peculiar to the Female giving Spirit and Existence were in Eternity one wherein this world stood as a Figure and the Tincture over-shadowed by the Wisdom was received thereinto as the Body doth the Spirit yet could not be brought into substance visible to Angels who are in a substance unless God had moved the Eternity 8. In the moving of the Trinity was moved the Centre of Nature whereby the Tincture became substantial and the substantiality became material yet not divided wherein when the Fiat was awakened forth came all sorts of Beasts c. The Tincture took substance and the Spirit of the substance took on it a Body the first had the Centre of Life the other only an impotent Life which may be demonstrated by a
craved he might go home to his House and settle his small Affairs there and take his Family with him or at least take leave of them but it could not be admitted he must according to the Sentence immediately depart To which he answered that seeing it would be no better he with all willing Submission obeyed their Decree and forthwith departed the Town But the Council meeting again the next Morning and reconciling their Difference repeal'd their Sentence and send to seek out their innocent Exile and at length found him and brought him back with Honour into the City yet still tir'd with the Preachers incessant Clamours they at length send for him again and intreat him that in love to the Cities quiet he would seek himself a Habitation elsewhere which if he would please to do they should hold themselves oblig'd to him for it as an acceptable Service In compliance with this Friendly Request of theirs he removed to Dresden I have observed that if any Member of the Church should have a Doctrine or Exhortation made known to him or have his Mind furnished with other Notions than what he learned from his Pastor it is Felony in Divinity and if they cannot find an old Heretick in their black Calendar that will challenge the Opinions an Indictment that they are Ignâ—â—i cujusdam will by them be esteemed good in Law whereon to bring him to Trial and Judgment What a Presumption is it to believe that the Wisdom and fulness of God can ever be pent up in a Synâ—dical Canon How overweening are we to limit the successive Manifestations to a present Rule and Light persecuting all that comes not forth in its length and breadth It would be exceeding unnatural for a Parent to desire the perpetual Infancy of his Child And yet how frequent is it that if any get the start of their Brethren in growing up towards the stature of a Perfect Man in Christ they become the Objects of Hatred Calumny and Persecution Concerning the Proceedings at Dresden we have the Relation thereof from Persons worthy of belief and without exception Jacob Behmen was cited to appear before his Highness the Prince Elector of Saxony where were Assembled Six Doctors of Divinity besides Mathematicians as Dr. Hâ—â—en Dr. Meysner Dr. Baldwin Dr. Gerhard Dr. Leysern and these in the presence of his Highness the Prince Elector examined him concerning his Writings and the high Mysteries therein as also of many profound Queries in Divinity Philosophy and the Mathematicks they propounded unto him to all which he answered and replied with such meekness of Spirit such depth of Knowledge and fulness of Matter that none of these Doctors and Professors returned one word of dislike or contradiction The Prince his Highness much admired him and required to know the result of their Judgments in what they had heard but the Doctors desired to be excused and intreated his Highness that he would have Patience till the Spirit of the Man should be more plainly cleared to them for in many particulars they did not understand him nevertheless they hoped that hereafter he would make it more clear unto them and then they would tender their Judgments but as yet they could not Then Jacob Behmen propounded some Questions to them to which they returned Answers with much Modesty and as it were amazed that they should so much beyond their Expectation hear from a Man of that mean Quality and Education such Mysterious Depths as were beyond the Fathom of their Comprehension Then he conferred with them touching most of the Errors of those times pointing as it were with the Finger at the Originals of them severally declaring unto them the naked Truth and the great difference betwixt it and some erroneous Supposals To the Astrologers also for there were two present having discours'd something of their Science he said Thus far is the knowledge of your Art right and good grounded in the Mystery of Nature but what is over and above instancing in several particulars are Heathenish Additions through their Ignorance and Blindness which we ought not to follow or imitate Then his Highness the Prince Elector being very much satisfied in his Answers took him apart from the Company and discoursed with him a good space concerning severa Points of Difficulty wherein being well satisfied he admitted him into his favour and courteously dismissed him his Attendance at that time After this Dr. Meisner and Dr. Gerhard meeting at Witteâ—berg began to discourse of Jacob Behmen expressing how greatly they admired at the continued Harmony of Scriptures produced by him at his Examination and that they would not for all the World have served his Enemies Malice in censuring him for says Dr. Meisner Who knows but God may have deâ—igned him for some extraordinary Work and how can we with Justice pass Judgment against that we understand not for surely he seems to be a Man of wonderful high Gifts of the Spirit though we cannot at present from any certain ground approve or disapprove many things he holds forth After this it pleased God the Hearts of many Learned Men and Preachers were turned to a Studying themselves and teaching of others those Doctrines of the Regeneration and the means of attaining it they had formerly in a blind Zeal exclaimed against as Heretical whereupon they ceased from Preaching up Disputes and Controversies in Religion many of those being no ways determinable but by a beam of Divine Light arising out of the Principle of the New Birth which though it clears up that Man's Judgment that is possessed with it yet can it not always make its way to the dispelling those Clouds of Ignorance that remain upon the Souls of others whence they Judged all Contests about those Difficulties being most Pregnant Mothers of Pride and Contention as â—aneful to Divine Charity and the Common Peace of Mankind But for resolution of all Doubts referr'd Men to an earnest Endeavour after the recovery of the Life of Christ the only Fountain of all true Light and right Understanding in Divine things Thus was that excellent Light shining in this heavenly Man's Soul by the cross Design of an Adversary lifted up into its Candlestick and brought upon a Publick Stage to give Light to many for by these Questionings the Man's worth came to be taken notice of and his Writings sought after and studied not only by mean People but many Great and Worthy Men and some who in their Hearts were Infidels to all Religion in catching only at the Bait of his mysterious Philosophy were drawn into the true Faith of God and Universal Charity His Superscription and Motto in most of his Epistles were these Ten words Our Salvation in the Life of Jesus Christ in us In his Seal he had Engraven a Hand out-stretch'd from Heaven with a Twig of Three blown Lillies It is a Custom in Germany and I have seen some Germans whom the War had compell'd for Relief to come into England to carry a
operation of the darkness is God's anger and the flagrat or manifestation of the light is his principle of Love These two not severed make one triumphant Kingdom wrestling to exalt the sublime joy of the holy sweet divine free will of God 7. But after severing become two Worlds viz. one the dark cold fierce harsh bitter stinging fire World The other the delightful loving sweet joyful ravishing holy World yet the holy World hath the Potence of the other as it s perfectly perpetual root or fountain As the natural heat in mans body is of such absolute necessity and use while moderated by due proportion of cold for That is the food of the heat but if either heat or cold domineer it becomes rapaciously ruinous 8. Now whereas it is said above that Darkness and Light are without beginning and coeternal And it being true that Angels as well as all other creatures had a beginning it may be asked how can it be true and in what sense understood that darkness should be without beginning seeing the Holy Ghost saith God is light and in him is no darkness at all Also what communion hath light with darkness 9. This tho' it be cleared in the following part of this discourse yet a little to open the way as we go that the inquirer may not be offended nor he that seeks occasion think he finds it it is answered by way of explanation 10. That it is not meant a Nescience Defect or Ignorance much less an evil in it self 11. But by it is understood an Adumbration like a dark crudity An eternal original to substance Might potence and essence A center or root austere and earnest like a hot and cold fire which principle is understood to be the Fathers property or first principle according to which he is called a jealous or zealous God and a consuming fire A Power-world in its own property secret hidden in and by the second principle of glorious Light and gracious Love as the night by the day or the wiek of a Candle by splendor of the light but is manifested and awakened by severation of the second principle from it in or upon any separate unclean spirit or creature 12. For tho' it was from eternity yet was in the highest harmony and so is in God in eternity undividable and inseparable from the most holy spiritual Light-world and Love principle yet in its own Abyss and distinct property it is as is above described 13. This after severing from the Love-principle is as the glowing fire the flame whereof is extinct in which principle the dark life burneth 14. And must needs be called the first because from it as from an eternal root of living fire the majestick splendor of glorious light is eternally generated which so is the second Eternal Principle 15. Thus these two principles in perfect unity as in Eternity they are in God are the One Only Highest absolute Compleat Good but where-ever the Light is withdrawn There is found a wrathful fierce evil spirit creature thing or world 16. For further explanation we may observe That the Holy Ghost who saith as above God is light and in him is no darkness at all saith also Fury is not in me And That yet besides in many other places of the same and other Prophets saith For behold the Lord will come forth with fire and with his Chariots like a whirlwind and render his anger with fury and his rebukes with flames of fire Again When I shall execute Judgments in thee in anger and in fury and in furious rebukes 17. But God's so doing is called His coming forth of His Place and His strange work 18. Thus is found that the Astringent and Attracting Powers by their contrariety produce Anguish That Anguish a stinging raging pricking sense not by Agent and Patient but by violence and impatience This Raging Spirit cannot deliver it self from the strong bands of the Astringency whence by strugling Heat is excited the extremity whereof is fire 19. The food of the fire is cold as hath been said or for want of it the heat and fire would fall into anguish but Infinity hath no deficiency therefore the fire by rarefaction breaths the Sullen Cold into the Liberty called Air That again by condensation being imposed upon by its father the Cold falls to water which again by the inkindled Element is lickt up as its nutrition Thus by an immutable Law and Chain of Causes the Separators wisdom useth This great Machin to effect the parcels into an intire harmony CHAP. II. A Description of the seven Fountain Spirits 1. BUT before we consider the three Worlds existing on the Foundation of the above two Principles let the seven Fountain Spirits in the Divine Power of the Father be known represented by the seven Lamps before the Throne In the outward World by the seven Planets Among us by the six days of the Creation and One the seventh of Rest also by the seven simple Metals appropriated to the seven Planets the seven Stars in the Revelation with many the like important and more than speaking demonstrations 2. A method to be profitably used on this weighty Subject may be First To name define and describe them severally and distinctly Secondly To demonstrate them in some measure to the Reason of Mankind yea to the eye and senses thereby to give assurance that the blessed Author J. B. in his discovery of them was not beating the Air but building on a Rock not to be shaken 3. Definitions of the seven Fountain Spirits in the Divine Power of God the Father 4. The Astringent binding piercing compacting knitting Power secret and hidden in the Divine Power of the Fathers Salitter A sharp power like Salt whence existeth in the evil and mortal part a power locking up as are the outward earth and stones 5. An Attraction vanquishing the harsh Astringency which is both sweet mild meek and also bitter the stirring of the desire and cause of life whence also water originateth Out of these two Fountain Spirits is the heart or Son of God generated from Eternity in Eternity Also of them with the rest of the seven Spirits is the Son of God the Heart by Eternal generation to all Eternity as saith the Lord My Father worketh hitherto and I work 6. The Bitter or Anguish Fountain-Spirit a cause of the mind senses and thoughts a triumphing exalting of Joy to the highest degree to trembling in its own quality it forms all sorts of red colours in its own quality in the sweet quality white and blew in the astringent green dusky and mixt colours But if it be moved too much it kindleth the sweet and astringent and all becomes a raging tearing stinging burning poison like the torment of a plague-sore When enkindled in the Hellish Property it extinguisheth the Light perverteth the sweet quality into loathsom stink the Astringent into sharp dark coldness also
sour rank bitter fierceness to all Eternity when enkindled in the Heavenly power it is the Spirit of the jealous zealous unquenchable wrath of God as is in Lucifer and his Legions 7. Heat the true beginner of life and of the true spirit of life It kindleth all the qualities generating the Light in them whence exist the senses and thoughts For when the bitter spirit with the heat passeth thorow the astringent and the Sweet mildly yielding passage the two open gates the eyes are made 8. The Holy Gracious Love kindled by the heat in the Sweet Quality Here is all pleasant ravishing sweetness light and glorious the fountain of eternal free immense brightness of love Here all Tongues stammer Hands shake Pens blot and Hearts flame that Taste See Hear and Feel it even so Amen 9. The Tone or Sound of the Divine Word whence is speech and language also the singing of Angels and opening the Divine Kingdom of Joy Here all Colours Beauty and Ornament is seen This Tone or Mercurius originateth in the hard Astringency as the Father and the whole Salitter is the Mother for if the Astringency were both Father and Mother a Stone would sound 10. The Body generated out of the six other Spirits and in which they dwell as their Sabboth wherein all heavenly figures joy c subsist image and form the spirit of Nature wherein Heaven it self and Angels are formed the mansion or body in which the six do rest as the kingdom of divine Glory 11. Now we may see that all the Spirits together are God the Father 12. The life generated by them all and generating the life in them all in triumph is the true Son of God the second Person in the Holy Trinity 13. And the power of the seven Spirits proceeding continually in the splendor of the life forming all things in the seventh Nature-Spirit is the true Holy Ghost the third Person in the Deity CHAP. III. Demonstrations of One or the first Spirit HAving described the seven fountain Spirits now to prosecute the Method propounded in the last precedent Section here follow the Demonstrations of the seven in order Demonstrations of the first fountain Spirit The Astringency Viz. 1. It is not to be said This or That is First or Last being All from Eternity and One in Another but that the Astringency which is call'd the first is truly what it is above defined and described to be is what will be demonstrated 2. The outward Senses of us all inform themselves that there are cold crude tough impenetrable Bodies or a power tending to impenetrability and our Reason consenteth that there must be a Root and This Root cannot but be called the Binding or Astringency 1. As That which causeth Cold to condense Air to Water and Water to Ice 2. That pursues condensed seces of Matter with the help of the bitter quality to Earth or Sand and That agen onward to Stone 3. That also compacteth fluid parts to stalks stems of corn c. the Boles skin and bark of Trees 4. That also incloseth the tender Brains and Marrow in Skulls and concave Bones 5. That contracteth and obdurates the subtle parts of Metals to a continuity and restrains or confines their allected vertues even to Unity Identity by continuity By These and a thousand more doth the Astringent Spirit demonstrate it self to be One Fountain whose outward Agent is confest by Antient and Modern Philosophy to be Saturn CHAP. IV. Demonstrations of the second fountain Spirit the Attraction 1. WE find somthing Breaking the Bonds else would the Astringency hold all as in a dark dry hard Prison all would be stone bone or the like dead concrets no Production no Creation And the stronger this Attractive Power is the stronger the other bindeth also the more Tough and Ponderous the Astringency the more actively vigorous is This As the more you compress Air or Water the greater violence hath the so suppressed body to resist as Wind causing Earthquakes or Gunpowder Pent. 2. We find a contrariety of Sweetness and Bitterness which we cannot but see comes from the cold Astringency That Property being one and to every one the same But This it is That in the Good Part being its Native Original is a Sweetness but in the crude undigested part a Bitterness 3. We find inclinations put into things different from themselves for by This Man's eager harshness is by due ingredients interposing taught and composed to affable Mildness the New Temper becomes in time Connatural and a Habit like as a bitter Apple is matured to a sweet Temperature 4. We find This gives continual opposition and interruption to the piercing Astringency by its own bitter harshness and such fire as is in a Stone and by the penetrating violence is excited and so is a cause of life The outward instrument is Mercury in conjunction with Jupiter CHAP. V. Demonstrations of the third fountain Spirit the Anguish 1. THis is like and no more but like a dying Astringent Torment like that of dying Creatures which our Senses often tast some forerunings of So as the second is a cause of Life This is a cause of Sense feeling perceiving and consequently of the Mind and Senses in all subjects which the Separator hath fitted and exalted thereunto as Angels and Men and in some degree in inferior sensitive Creatures 2. We find there is something that lifteth up the mind to Great Joy even to the excess of gladness This cannot be the first for That depresseth nor the second for That only enliveneth it is therefore This for This is an Elevator to the highest joy and triumph helping on to excess of Laughter 3. We may find it not only in its mean as above but in its extream for in every body wherein it is too much enkindled it is a Raging Poison resulting as well from its own Nature as from the Extremities of the two first Fountains introducing desperation and hellish rage in the Creatures like to the Gall in the body very good in causing and exalting life also a very evil incendiary in disordering the whole frame of Nature The outward instrument of This fountain Spirit is Mars conjunct with Mercury CHAP. VI. Demonstrations of the Spirit producing Heat THe whole Creation is acted by this Spirit as the great Engine of Omnipotence 1. Hence is it that the Celestial fire emitteth its beams to the joy of the Universe so that every leaf and pile of grass hath a tongue to tell it us 2. The Subterranean fire which like the heart in the body of Animals doth officiate in the Work-house of This Ball is applied by the Separator the Father of Nature to generate Metals medicinal Earths efflux of Fountains hot and sanative Baths c. 3. Lastly It is demonstrated by every Man and other living Creature from Youth to giving up the Ghost as also by Vegetables Minerals c. from their dwelling in the
planted a seed or sperm whereon the Holy Ghost brooded and in six days hatcht the generation of the Heavens and Earth with their Hosts Thrones and Royalties Hence were founded the Ant and Elephant the Insects as well as Leviathan And but for this God would have been wholly an unsearchable God nor could any Creature Angel or other have been made 5. We say in things of our little Horoscope the end of Motion is Rest and shall the Originals whence all things exist want a Rest for themselves Must our six days toil end in one of rest and shall these supream Agents reach no Sabbath wherein to triumph in with and for the delight of the Lord of the Sabbath This seventh Spirit is therefore the quiet receptacle of them all 6. Out of which according to the harmony of the Divine Unity they never for one moment can possibly depart And over the Threshold of which according to the separate Property whereby they are rent from the glorious Unity they never put a foot or can for ever enter 7. Will therefore the Human Off-spring whose departure is as written by the Sun Beams reunite and do its first works those whereunto he was created and the pure works of the second Adam whereunto he was regenerated 8. Be it said forasmuch as by his departure he is so far degenerated that his Soul by a willing captivity is under the rage of the first four Spirits from whom the light is withdrawn His Spirit that was a meek divine Ruler hath lost its dominion to so great a degree of fierceness that the Astral rule all His Body which was formed out of the one pure Element out of which Element came also the four and to have been a perpetual figure of the holy third Principle as his Soul and Spirit were of the first and second And which body of his should have eaten Paradisical food is now a captive under the four Elements in so great rigour and vileness that Nature shames at its Beastiality till thus it travels thro' sorrow pain and shame to the dust But the Soul and Spirit may here be baptized and regenerated 9. And because the fruit cannot be brought back to the Tree but the Apple must first perish and the seed in it first die as doth the grain of Corn before it increase therefore the Soul and Spirit must also die the mystical death that is to its strange will to secure them against the second death or before they are capable of the first Resurrection 10. From the same ground is it that the Body also must die and lose its new gotten bestial Image before it can put on immortality and the Image of the heavenly whereunto Jesus came to conduct it 11. But we may know these things are not the work of faint wishes but call for striving watching praying fighting contending running working searching knocking that fruit may be produced by patience for Heaven may not be ascended by earthy wings therefore let the Earth beware of resisting when Heaven stoops descends and enters it 12. To subject mad Mankind to this its only good the gracious Jehovah on Adams departure left his Soul should be a Devil his Body a Beast and the Woman generate a Race of Monsters in the out-birth and of totally proud hellish spirits in the inward reimplanted the Word of Eternal Life as a seed or as a light shining in a dark place to which they only do well who take heed so as to obey such shall by the Divine Guide lose their All and be as a Fool or Child as to self-wisdom but proceeding that way under the Cross possess all things 13. For as there is no salvation in any other so is there no other way of entring there into The six names of the Tribes on Mount Gerizim to bless represent the six active Fountain Spirits according to the second principle and Gerizim the seventh or heavenly body where they rest And the other six on Mount Gebal to curse exhibit the same six Fountains according to the first principle or dark world The seven Pillars on which Wisdom built her house points out the seven Foundation Spirits The six Steps to Solomons Throne hath the same signification and the Throne it self the seventh whither they led and ascended was the Sabbath or Rest. So the seven Seals seven Trumpets and seven Vials signifie the same seven Fountains yet all hidden and according to the Darkness where neither can the Book be read till first the Seals be gradually opened the mind and voice of the Trumpets be distinguished till they be orderly sounded nor the things contained in the Vials discerned till severally effused by the Lamb and his successive Angels But the seven Golden Candlesticks are the seven according to the second Principle or Light-World seen all manifestly at once The same also are the seven Stars at once giving their splendor Again we read there were seven Lamps of fire burning before the Throne which the Text saith are the seven Spirits of God We find and 't is observable the Revelation gives the Vision treble to each viz. To the dark impression by Seals Trumpets and Vials To the Light impression by Candlesticks Stars and Lamps So the seven lean Kine and blasted Ears signifies what we have the seven Properties The seven fat and good what God made the seven Properties to be CHAP. X. Of the Three Principles of the Divine Essence 1. BY a Principle is meant a chief beginning power a self-subsisting Life an original root foundation or in some sense a mystery or genus whence other Spirits Bodies Species or things originate as from a Supream Power And thus is God the only one Principle 2. And this one Principle is also three Eternal Births or Principles ever without ceasing begetting being begotten and proceeding by in and from each other of which all Worlds are conjunctly or severally an Image but very different according to the inscription stamp figure and degrees they attain or are capable of 3. And tho' the three Principles are by an indissoluble band ever inseparably one in God yet are they distinguishable 4. But in the Creatures in the separate Properties are terribly manifest which tho' Adam was not to have known in himself yet is it what we ought to know 5. God said Let us make Man in our Image after our likeness but saith not so of the other Creatures Man in his first make being most perfectly his figure and off-spring 6. Yet every of the other Creatures the Astral Elementary Vegetative Sensitive and the Dark World do all in their various kinds more or less perfectly represent him for the invisible things of him from the Creation of the World are clearly seen being understood by the things that are made his eternal Power and Godhead And as there are the united three bearing record in Heaven so are here an agreeing three bearing record on Earth viz. Spirit Water and Blood CHAP. XI
more or less such are sick of Sacred Love so more or less feel they this And the more we die to our immoderate Lusts after the Dominion of the whole third Principle the more doth this Principle evidence it self in us And in such proportion as we enlighten our first Principle or Souls Original standing in the first four forms of Nature proceeding by Divine Power to enâ—indle the true Light in them in the same measure is our Root transplanted to grow in this Paradisical Field or Principle 7 Demonstration But we are to know by way of Explanation This to be a passing into Death and thro Death into Life of which the Holy Scripture is plentiful Nor may even Plato's description of Love be counted discordant to this who defines Love â—o be one 's dying to his own Body and living to the Body beloved 8. For the living to the Divine Light and Love of the second Principle which is the property of the Son of God is a dying to us and ours that is to our whole depraved Image much like as the Day is the Death of the Night 9 Demonstration The second Principle is shewed by the Sacrifices which were consumed by the Holy Fire whereby they died to their first Form and lived to a new one that is were transmuted into the holy Flame 10. And as what part of the Sacrifice would not enkindle into the holy Flame figuring This Principle fell to Ashes as into the perishing third Principle Even so see we much of the Regenerate Man stay below and be uncapable of the New Image but be as Ashes 11. Now we see that Ashes may be heated but Flame not Such is the Earthy Man and Sensual part yet we see after the procedure of a second work Men do transmute common Ashes into a Lucid and Transparent Body 12. So may our vile Bodies by the procedure of the second work the Resurrection be translated into a clarified Christalline Temple for our immense glorified Souls and they both be the Hallowed Habitation of our resigned humble divinely irradiated Spirits 13. And our illustrated Ashes glorified Souls and meek human Spirits being first clothed with the Robe of Christ's Righteousness and heavenly Humanity the Virgin of God's Wisdom will be both suitable guests for the New Jerusalem as a Bride adorned for her Husband and also be Eternal Temples for the Holy Ghost 14. Thus hath been given a glimpse what the second Principle is in it self and what its Operations are in us as to our first Principle It now rests to search what it is in the third Principle in us and in the whole Creation 15. In us it is our Principle of Divine Understanding directing to know our Creator the End of our Creation and wherein â—ies our true good The Eye thus enlightned informs the Affections that from the Reason offered they should 16. On the Principles of Justice pay the Debt we owe for our Being and the Means wrought for our Restauration to Well-being and of ingenuity willingly and thankfully to adore him as the only Fountain of Good and to esteem every thing in that degree as they partake of that Fulness to figure and resemble him 17. And on the Principles of Self interest to prevent eternal loss or be eternal gainers as our choice or rejecting shall render us capable or otherwise 18. These Notions and Beams of Light when the Understanding receiveth from the second Principle it offereth to the Judgment to consider of 19. The Judgment hath the Senses to consult who are grown so dim-sighted having from their youth been habituated to the Good or Evil of the third Principle that they cannot see beyond it but judge as the Beasts do of Pleasure or Pain nor can they see the least cause to deny themselves of any one thing they lust after whereof if denied they allarm the Passions which have their Root in the first Principle 20. The Passions are as furious violent impetuous Storms which often obscure and impose on the Eye of the Mind and sometimes immerse the Ship of the whole Man setting on fire and extremity the whole frame of Nature so that the Judgment wants power to get the Will right 21. Here the New Man as Child of the holy second Principle hath need enough to pray always fervently to knock wait use much abstinence with highest diligence to watch to stand on its guard to use much violence and severity and that often to fight the faithful Combate till he kill the Murtherers to die from day to day thereby to be pluckt as a brand out of the fire He shall find great necessity of help from Heaven to bind the Strong Man 22. But most especially in some persons whose originals having been strongly rooted in the first four Forms of the first Principle conveyed by Generation and perhaps also reinforced by their Constellation so that they have much of the Serpent in them In such Souls the work of Resignation to the Divine Conduct goes very hardly slowly sadly on with many recoils notable resistance and reluctance that they resemble the Child possessed with that kind that goeth not out but by prayer and fasting 23. Others having so deep Root their Wills being lapsed and wedded to the third Principle either having so great possessions as seem rather to be possessed with them than to possess them or having long enjoyment their Evils plead Prescription and Custom Some by their Constitution incline to delicacy or by their Constellation and Complexion to airiness many such find the Cross too heavy do look back the Pearl in their Account is too dear 24. Others Good Intentions are covered with so much rubbish that they will not be at the pains of removing it for indulgence to their ease and perhaps ensnaring reputation with men foils and pinions them Many of the above strive to enter but are never able therefore withdraw from the Yoke their Goodness is only as the morning dew 25. But the Judgment rightly informed sees all things as they are things present as if past things to come as if present it sees the Out-birth brave with a borrowed Goodness only entrusted to it to shadow the Grace and Glory of the true Fountain of Goodness It sees the World on fire the Heavens rolled up the Lord sitting on his Judgment-Throne sees the triumphs of the humble and tremblings of the proud 26. As for things visible the Glory of the visible Heavens figuring that of the true Heavens the Earth that of the Divine Salitter 'T is true in this dead Earth the surviving relicks of Good strive to produce perfect Bodies of several kinds but the Curse hindereth It would have Paradice bud and bear fruit holy and pure productions every where but it cannot for Death is entred at the door opened by the first Adam 27. Had indeed Life been received as offered by the second Adam Paradice might well have blossomed in the Out-birth and his Kingdom have come with
continue without touching any hallowed thing or approaching the Sanctuary 33 days But if she had a Maid-child her Legal Uncleanness was for fourteen days and not to be purified till sixty six days Whereas seven days sufficed for cleansing a Leper or one who had an Issue Those on the eighth day might come into the Tabernacle of the Congregation as before 19. All which evinceth the Human Birth by the Woman to have much more in it than bodily Pollution since separating the Tinctures For the Leprosie was a bodily Pollution in a high degree but the cleansing the Woman being near Five times as much for a Man-child and near Ten times as much for a Maid-child is a too pregnant Testimony that the Impurity of This Propagation is exceeding great which moved David's Confession I was Born in Inquity and in Sin did my Mother Conceive me 20. Man's Propagation after Separating the Tinctures is defiled with much Immodesty and Lust so that it derives Filth Sin and Shame as by a Torrent down a Precipice from one Dark Soul to another For abating the Impetuousness of which Isaac the Son of the Promise was not only of Abraham when Old but of Aged Sarah with whom it was ceased to be after the manner of Women and Lust was withered and the eminent Joseph Samuel and other choice Servants of God were of great Modesty and obtained by Prayer 21. But at once fully to convince us of our Impure Descent from Adam and Eve the Lord Jesus was of the Virgin CHAP. XVII Of a Virgin-Propagation Q. 1. WILL any ask Could a Virgin-Propagation possibly have been A. The Lord speaketh nothing in vain and He it was that said God is able of These Stones to raise Children unto Abraham But 2. It is answered That tho' the above Arguments may challenge the force of Demonstration to enlightened Reason yet because the Senses often make Mutinous Resistance to solid Reason the Senses shall be by what follows gratified as far as the Sublimity of the Subject may expose it self to the view and touch Demonstrations to the Senses of a Virgin-Propagation 3. Light with little loss penetrateth Glass so plentifully as can improve Generation by contraction of its Central and Original Property thro' Burning-glasses by which also it can destroy as 't is said Archimedes did the Roman Navy at Syracusa and we see Light not only walking thro' Christal but Multiplying by the Motion 4. And can any think Adam's Pure Body whilst capable of Eternity had not Less in it obstructive to his Magical Will for Divine Imployment or rather More Assisting Power than Condensed Ponderous Glass or Christal have of opposition or furtherance of the Solar Raies Was not His whole Man fortified by Harmony for Vigorous Operations 5. See we not the subtle Atoms of Fire insinuate thro' the Pores of Gross Iron Pots to the evaporating of Liquor with the ascending Breath whereof the subtle fiery Atoms cloath themselves and take wing till only Dregs uncapable of Light be captiv'd in the Pot and finally the Iron become Lustrous as if it also willed no longer to be Iron but Fire and Light See we not Fiery Atoms as calmly enter the finer Pores of Silver Vessels and with like facility make passage through the most exquisite Pores of Golden Vessels 6. And should not That Glorious Creatures Body a glimpse whereof was Moses Shining Face and Wondrous Works have been more Potent to work His Creators Will in His Own Principle than these Dead Instances Consider we also the Healing Emanations from the Bodies of the Disciples as the Power of Raising the Dead c. 7. See we not the due affection of the Blood drawn out of the Veins with That remaining in the Veins And if That which issued out at one Orifice be kindly treated abroad how it dispatcheth quick Messengers to impart the Vertue thereof not only to that Wound whence it issued but to as many other as the Body hath suffered by 8. And shall we abridge the Magical-Child of the kind Assisting Intercourse of Its natural Parent of what the Absent Man and Cold Blood is privileged with 9. A Woman Great with Child doth often Impress Magically on the Fruit of her Womb Cherries Strawberries c. things She Longed Earnestly for as well as other tokens of â—ll Created by her Passions of Fear others do Mortally Wound by their Anguish Despair c. Others Exalt to expressions of Joy by the raised Serenity of the Mother's Spirit as the Babe in the Womb of Elizabeth leapt at the Salutation of the Virgin Mary 10. If therefore such Vigour remain as the Relique of Languishing Magick-Power in so great a degree Dead and almost forgotten and that in the weaker Sex of the divided Tincture of Mortal Man when Rowsed shall any doubt but That sufficient Virtue and Majesty Sate enthroned in Adam whilst perfectly Enriched and Ennobled with both the Tinctures Who was a Spark of God's Omnipotence Divinely to effect what His Creator blessed him to viz. to Multiply the New Race bearing God's compleat Image instead of the Apostate Angels who by extinguishing the Kingdom of Love implanted in their Creation had let loose awakened and introduced into themselves the Wrath of the first Principle and so perverted God's Holy Work by the Wrath of the first four Spirits 11. We see an Ability of Propagation in the Universal Sperm issuing at the Conduct Pipes of the three Principles The Eye observes it in Shell-fish Trees Flowers Herbs having their various kinds in their respective Seeds with their Tinctures of Male and Female united or Fire and Light in one And though these last the Vegetative Tribe be more remote than the Sensitive yet every one gives Pregnant Testimony to illustrate and lead to the most Noble 12. And shall any think Man whose Original exempted him had he persever'd and fixt and set him on high far above the reach of any the least approach of Mortality as Sorrow Weariness Sickness Sleep could admit the Defect of any thing that might tend to impeach his Perfection Should not he be fully able to perform all the Parts of what might concern the perpetuating his Race by communicating his Heat and Light as the Sun doth his in pure Modesty and highest humble Love that his Divine Offspring might have assisted in that holy Paradisical Imployment 13. It seemed needful to be thus Large to be a High and Powerful Incitement to all the Sons of Wisdom to fix their Souls on noble Divine Objects by the Example of the Sons of Princes who level at Kingdoms 14. Let therefore the Sons of God pity and pray for and never envy gods of clay who covet Crowns of glittering Earth stuft with Thorns washt with Tears and Blood of oppressed Innocents often supported by Fraud and not seldom blown off by the breath of Curses justly caus'd 15. At best the centre of Cares surrounded by ravennous hungry Vultures I say Let not
State of things will fall under the Answers of the 33 34 35 36 and 37th Questions by whomsoever they shall by Divine Assistance be resolved Q. 24. Wherefore and to what use and benefit are the Stars created Ans. 1. This of the Stars includes the Sun and Moon for they also are two of the Royal Stars To the better discoursing which it may be orderly 1. To say what they are 2. What they figure and represent 3. What they are Instruments to do 2. They are in the Out-birth vigorous Engines of Omnipotence that by occult and Spiritual Powers can insensibly influence and act irresistible applications for the concreting or generating improving dissolving of all the various Bodies within the Sphere of their Activity or Principle being of the Outward World or Third Principle 3. Thus by similitude the Angels are call'd Stars As doth the Lord of Angels humble himself to be call'd a Star several times in the Sacred Records 4. What they represent and figure The four Forms or Anguishes of binding attracting Anguish and Fire represent the first whole Principle and do form Saturn Jupiter Mercury and Mars The two Forms of Majestick Light and dear Love figure the whole second Principle and do form Sol and Venus And the seventh Form of habitation a seeming change or inconstancy a seeming alteration of increase and diminution of Essence being the Scale and Method of the third Principle formeth the Moon with her Changes and Eclipses 5. The seven Royal Stars are like vowels or spirits of Letters and the innumerable others are like consonants forming infinite variety of syllables and words for as words are the opening of the secret lockt up Mind so are the Stars the opening of the Dark Mystery or Chaos shut up in the Anguish Chambers And as the various Properties of the several Principles are couched in and expressed by the vowels and spirits of the Letters peculiar to them so the seven Royal Stars are suited in and qualified by the three Principles and the seven Properties of the Eternal Nature 6. Thus the Stars figure God in his Almightiness Infinity and Eternity according to the first Principle In His Majestick Triumphant Kingdom of Light according to the second and in His Gracious Kingdom of Love according to the third Principle And are in the very third Principle the express word of what the Devils are in the Dark Abyss and of what the Holy Angels are in the Heavenly World In all which they are an Image of the Image of God so expresly that the Throne or Angelical Kings according to each of the seven Fountain Spirits are imaged by the seven Kingly Stars The Hosts and Legions of the seven Angelical Kings by the rest of the innumerable Constellations and lesser Glories 7. What they do instrumentally Moses saith they were for signs seasons days months and years Deborah makes them Warriors The Stars in their courses fought against Siâ—era The wise men found one of them a Harbinger to tell them of Christ's Incarnation 8. The wise Antients penetrated so far into their Properties Virtues and Orderly Applications in Human and all Terrene Bodies Affairs Governments that by true Natural Magick they could demonstrate their occult Energies by sensible Influences And the Egyptian Magi imitating Moses may not be concluded meerly Impostors tho' their Acquired Operations how really natural soever must humble themselves before the stupendious Fiat of the God of Nature The Babylionian Magi whereof Daniel and his Companions were could interpret and disclose Secrets And the wise men find the King of the Jews by clear Inductions and Conclusions of Natural Operations as are found Real Causes by Natural Consequents 9. But some Modern Pretenders to Wisdom little more than gaze on the Stars and take up with names and numbers and where they see more will entitle Satan to the honour of God's great excellent Works amongst his Creatures 10. Having thus made way be it known Man hath an Astral Spirit call'd by Some an Evester by others otherwise which laies hold on him at the enkindling of his Life when his Embrio in the Conception is ennobled by a Living Soul and that Astral Spirit sublimeth or debaseth his Intellect decorateth or incurvateth his Mind towards Good or Evil. This as the Separators Instrument doth model and distinguish into Sexes dispenseth such Peculiar Properties as their successive ascending Regiments by prevalence or precedency shall impress then and at the Birth the Internal Faculties more or less capacious c. The whole composure of Body the Eye Feature Stature Lineaments Voice Seal of the Palm Tincture of the Parts caâ—t of the Hair c. 11. The Stars are such Arbitrary Lords since Adam's heavy Fall subjected him thereunto that they can well proportion the Elementary Body of one a Mind well composed Atchievements successful his course renowned Another they load with an incumbring Body of Ill Symmetry perverse Humours and unprosperous and finish him with a Tragical Exit 12. The Astral Vertue is woven into all the variety of Minerals distributing weight to one making Lead from Saturn so Mars harshness makes Iron Venus Copper those with the work of the power of Sol produceth Gold and so of the rest 13. Their Vertue is also as apparent in the other parts of the Creation as in Vegetables from the Cedar to the Hyssop or pile of Grass In Insects that there is infused both utmost diligence and providence which is observed in the Ant. What is the Spur of the delicate curious Bee the crafty industrious Spider the profitable Contexture of the Silk-worm with its Transmigration all proceeding from the strife of the Properties 14. In Sensitives and Animals are there Inscriptions some fitted by the first four Forms or some of the four for prey and hostility others by conjunction of more benevolent Aspects are mild some very docible So in the general Body of Nature by some call'd the Soul of the World are Sympathies and Antipathies c. In all which no cause is left to doubt but their Vertue is expresly eminent in the several Elementary Worlds Who sees not that all things bear their Impressions Some according to the Darkness and others the Light and some after the mixt Powers from their peeping up into Propriety till their being resumed by their several Ethers and first Principles 15. As the Stars are over under and incircle us so their Energies and Powers are in us and on us we are strong in their strength they are not ours more properly than that they are us even a very great part of us They are the Pilot of the Elementary part and the Chariot of our Eternal Soul And to our shame and sorrow it must be acknowledged they are in very many Lords paramount even over the High-born Noble Eternal Soul very many give up their Will to their Conduct for never laying hold of the Grace provided for them in the true Jubilee are voluntary Ear-boar'd Slaves 16. But
the Scales c. They have also Craft Wrath Love every of the Five Senses Invention Providence Memory c. 2. To call them moving Plants is too low but only that it leadeth the Mind to view the Harmony of all the Creatures how they variously some more clearly others more obscurely Image and Shadow every of the three Principles and the seven Properties of the Eternal World 3. Whence they sprung appears by several Answers of the foregoing Questions particularly in that of the 33th 4. And now among the many Glorious Ends of their Creation the following brief hints are some They are at fourth Degree from the Principles and Properties created 1. To Figure the Dark Abyss 2. The Light World though very obscurely 3. The Out-birth or outward World of the Stars and Elements with the almost infinitely various Tendencies Inclinations and Impulses of them By every of which the Almighty Creator uncovereth his veiled Omnipotence infinite Grace and Wisdom 5. The Contemplation of them is both a pleasant and a perplexing Laboratory or serious Book for Man's Study and as it were a Play-Book for the Angels whose piercing understandings read the Effects by the Causes while declined Man gropeth by the Information of the Senses at a piece-meal guess of the Causes from Experience of the Effects 6. It must be confest that Adam being as to his Body or third Principle in his first and pure state Lord of the Mystery whence they proceeded could more sensibly discover and Epitomize them than the Angels as the Lord Jesus had a feeling of our Infirmities by His gracious humbling Himself to be as one of us But Adam's bright Eyes were darkened by the dismal lapse 7. Men may see themselves in the brute Creatures 1. All Unregenerate Men are figured either by the greedy ones 2. Or by the haughty proud Beasts 3. Or by the envious Reptils where by the way may be observed that Envy is found among the Poorer sort for the venomous Creatures are rather creeping than going 4 Or by the cruel wrathful ones And all these are of the first Principle without proceeding to enkindle the Light of the second Principle and are call'd by the Names of those Creatures in the Sacred Records 8. Other Creatures there are that figure the Light World or second Principle by their Innocence Love Usefulness and Loveliness in which they glorifie the Creator and like a dark Shadow pourtray the same 9. There are other Creatures more especially of the Out-world or World's Spirit as those that have Lunary Bodies produced improved and transacted by her Mutations which extends very far also to the whole Creation 10. My last Consideration restraining my self to brevity is somewhat abstracted which is That their Root is not so Ignoble and Vile but their Forms and Idea's for the sake of their Tincture have a prospect into Perpetuity each into their natural Aethers as is signified by the Apostle that the Creatures Travel in pain groaning under forced and as to them causless Vassalage shall be deliver'd into the glorious Liberty of the Children of God where the Drunkard's Horse shall like Balaam's Ass convince mens Madness and cruel Excess The abused toil of the Laborious Ox the innocent life of the Patient Lambs both employed to nourish filthy Lusts the cruel Delight of Hunting to the heart-breaking of the Deer and Hare c. shall at last be material Witnesses of Man's aggravated Guilt perpetuated Apostacy and lawless Irregularities Q 38. Whence was Man Created as to his Body The Fourth grand Distribution A. 1. Not of the Earth for the brute Animals are more nobly descended not of the four Elements which are the Matrix of the Earth for of that Matter are the Brutes form'd and the Elements are Transient and must melt or resolve into their first Principles Not of the Astral Out-birth for the Stars shall fall that is cease their present Order and pay the Debt of their various Properties to the Aether whence they were separated 2. But because Adam's Body was of Eternal Duration had he not â—inned it could not derive from a fading Root as Eternity is not founded on Mortality which forceth our search to ascend a step higher 3. It shall therefore be to the Divine Salitter which also hath the Water-spirit in it from both which the Stars were breathed And this Divine Salitter as it hath in it all the Powers of the Properties together with the Divine Sulphur and Mercury is call'd the great Mystery Eternal Nature or Quintessence 4. Out of this was Created Adam's Holy pure Paradisical Body capable of Eternal Life This Divine Saliter J. B. calls the Holy Ternary that is a Celestial Paradisical pure Earth whence grows Heavenly holy Fruits and near unto it no Curse ever can enter or approach for thereinto cometh nothing that defileth Of this Dust of this Ground Moses spake that God formed Man But they who suppose it to be our dead Dust wherein is the Wrath and Fierceness do not only err by means of the Veil before Moses's Face but also by reason of the Veil on their own Hearts and Eyes 5. The Apostle saith The first Man is of the Earth earthy The second is the Lord from Heaven 6. That it could not be this nor the Elements nor the Astral Birth is clear but therefore that it must be the Heavenly Earth is of forcible Consequence The Apostle saith not what Adam was or was extracted from but what he is or is come to be but if he had so said yet the Proportion betwixt the second and first admits no Comparison 7. Between a Mote in the Sun and the whole Glorious Sun is some Proportion for the least of Quantities taken from the greatest of Bodies below Infinity hath Proportion to that whence it was for it leaves the other really lessened but all created Worlds bear no Proportion with the Infinite Son of God for all breathed out from an Infinite leaves still an Infinite and the Infinite is not lessened by it 8. The Apostle therefore in this place either doth not speak of Adam's first state or doth not lessen his Extraction but adoreth the Glory of the second Adam as the Work-master excelleth the Work made for when of the Angels it is written And hath made them all ministring Spirits Of the Son it is said Let all the Angels of God worship him Also Thy Throne O God is for ever and ever c. Q. 39. What was the Inspiration or Breathing in whereby Man became a living Soul A. 1. The Inspiration of Man's Soul was out of the first Principle the Father's Property which consisteth of the first four Forms of Nature of this Living Root sprung his Immortal Living Soul 2. Yet so is it that wherever or in whomsoever the second Principle is shut out that Exclusion is truly call'd the Death of the Soul for the Living Soul by that Deprivation enters or remaineth in Death which though
or Prophesying c. Also He that prophesieth let him prophesie according to the proportion of Faith 2. But this Question intending chiefly things to come we must say There are two sorts of False and two sorts of true Prophets viz First to describe the false 1 They are such as do Lying Wonders and predict Events of Publick and Private Importance going no farther than into the imaged formed word the occult qualities of Nature and outward Causes and Consequents contracted to wonderful Good and Evil Uses into which Satan can easily insinuate himself 3. 2. Such as have a Spirit of Prophesie but not a Spirit of Holiness such was Balaam and such the Lord mentions who shall say Lord Lord we have prophesied in thy Name c. And these have their Water out of the Fountain but receive and keep it in foul Vessels God is so bountiful a House-keeper that his Wine is given running over so that some falls into such Mensold Bottles 4. 3. The Children of Wisdom the regenerated holy ones who live in God and have their Names written in the Book of Life having Divine senses opened These Prophesies according to their proportion of Faith for Love and Faith begot them They prophesie of their own Death which comes to pass for they die daily they are Priests and Prophets what they want in skill and Power they have in love to his Service These as Prophets and Priests shall have boldness in the day of the Lord which they wait for being Children of the day and are true Prophets yet without that Gift of Prophecy this Question levels at and yet of these it is said the Spirits of the Prophets are subject to the Prophets 5. 4. Those of the Lord 's Holy ones who are gifted by the Spirit of Prophecy some more eminently familiarly frequently and as it were continually before whom the Doors of the spiritual World lye Night and Day wide open 6. They as Watchmen see the contest of the Properties and what weight of sin over-ballanceth the contra-ponderating Wrestlers for the Magical Power of their Souls uniteth with the Universal as the Tincture of Gold doth with the Sun's Tincture they as evidently see the Displeasure of the Almighty as by Man's face may his delight or dislike of any extream occurrence be discerned 7. This is so intimate that the Lord saith he doth nothing but what he tells or shews to his Servants the Prophets For as there is but one God and his Spirit is but one and that Man is a compleat Image of the whole Almighty God and having the Work of that one Spirit begetting in him the true Divine second Principle he can as clearly when gifted to this distinct office hear and see the Power whence himself and all things are as a Glass can reflect a Face for all lyes in himself though like Hagar we see not the Fountain till God's Angel shew it though it be as that in and before us For such a Man is as a well tun'd Musical Instrument the Sounds are all distinct ready when ever the Spirit of God shall play on it And the simile sutes well for Man's original Numbers and Measures answer exactly to the Number of the Notes in Musick which are 3 and 7 and not one more or less and this Harmony is signified in the Harp Organ c. used in the legal Administration 9. And as Men are affected with the elevating of the Airs to Delight and with the solemnity into seriousness with the harshness into regret and with the solid composure into excess of Melancholy so ought all to be with the Lord's Voice in his Prophets 10. To such it is shewn many times what time place manner and other circumstances may sitly hide the Lord 's redeemed ones if the Decree be not gone forth for they see where when and how the Destroyer comes by which such may escape who are not to witness by their Blood and be Crown'd with Martyrdom 11. Some have been Leaders as Moses Deliverers and Judges as Samuel c. And as a figure of the Heavenly Worlds concurrence and assistance to the Magical Vertue of the faithful Soul was the Oracle near the Mercy Seat the Urim and Thummim Ephod c. Some have been Prophets for more private and particular Occasions as Agabus c. 12. We are farther to know he that liveth the Life of Jesus Christ lives at the Fountain of Wisdom having all the Principles and Properties in due subordination to the Divine Life whereby he knows God the Creation Heavenly Hellish the Out-world and Himself 13. Yet all this in part he comprehends not that wherewith himself is comprehended he seeth a part of every thing but not the whole of any part As a Mathematician hath a true distinct knowledge of both Globes which he can describe and measure while yet he knoweth not fully that spot of Earth whereon his Feet tread 14. And though the Natural Philosopher penetrateth much farther and the Divine Philosopher deepest of all yet how little a part know we of him even of things existent how much less of Futurities 15. And if Daniel heard the Angel praying How long wilt thou not have Compassion on Jerusalem against whom thou hast had Indignation these threescore and ten years and if the Lord Jesus said of that day and hour knoweth no man no not the Son which I submissively understand to be meant thus viz. 16. Not the Son as he is the opened Treasure of Grace and Love of the second Principle but the Father that is as he is the secret Treasure of the Justice and Vengeance of the first Principle How very little and poor is the utmost faln Man's Race can attain 17. But hence we discern that the Knowledge and Spirit whence the Prophets in the Old Testament did Prophesie Good was by the Spirit in them opening those things out of the second Principle and the Spirit and Knowledge whence the Prophets either brought Evil Denunciations which should succeed was out of the first wrath Principle or by which they call'd down immediate Evil as Eliah the Fire was the same 18. But that it might not as a Coal burn the hand of the Bearer it was wrapt up in the Prophets holy Divine second Principle 19. For as it is hard for a Captain who hath Personal Enemies in the adverse Camp to carry on his Force vigorously and at the same time pursuing his Success wholly lay aside the Sentiments of all personal private Wrongs so is it hard for a Prophet to bring the Turba on others without his own entring into it either before in or after the stroak How needful is it therefore that sinful men should be inhibited to revenge themselves Q. 102. What is Christ of whom the Prophets Prophesied in the Old Testament The Seventh grand Distribution A. According to the constant design of avoiding Repetitions the Answer of this Question is referr'd to the review and perusal of
8. Why the Temptation lasted forty days is referr'd to the 78 Answer Also why a God-Man should be Tempted is shewn above His Temptation must needs be of the Devil or otherwise as from without his Divinity and Purity exempting him from such variety as we poor miserable Creatures are surcharged with from within our Souls and outward Man and Objects of our Sences are as so many Snares Serpents and Devils in us about us and waiting way laying us 9. And lastly that all this must precede his working of Wonders and Miracles teaches us the method of the Eternal World also is manifest in all Created Existencies viz. That from the anguishes of the first four forms should result the glory of the second Principle or other three Properties But I close here because if God will that I live to meet with more of the dear precious golden inestimable Contemplation of the Process of Christ it may fall under the 117 Question Q. 113. How was Christ in Heaven and also on Earth both at once A. 1. Men may not think Heaven and this World to be so sever'd as that Heaven cannot be said to be here till the present World pass away for though this World cannot be in Heaven by reason of its Impurity yet Heaven is in this World for it comprehends it and is the whole second Principle where-ever the Infinite God is in his Love there is Heaven 2. This understood it must be acknowledged Heaven is in every Heart that loves God but every Child of God is not yet in Heaven for they are so present in the Body as that they are absent from the Lord that is their love c. hath an allay of Dross 3. But the Lord Jesus Christ and also the first Adam before his Fall were as Men or in their Humanity in Heaven for their love was perfect and it must be noted that the Lord saith not the Son of God but the Son of Man which is in Heaven I farther refer this Answer to the 77th and 108th Answers Q. 114. Why did Christ upon Earth teach before the People concerning the Kingdom of Heaven in Similitudes or Parables A. 1. We read All these things spake he to the multitude in Parables and without a Parable spake he not unto them 1. Adding that it might be fulfilled c. I will open my mouth in Parables seeing therefore the Text gives that for a Reason must we not receive it as such The second is The Reason the Lord Himself gives His Disciples To you it is given to know the Mysteries of the Kingdom but to them it is not given The Text also gives viz. with many other Parables c. as they were able to hear it The fourth is drawn from the Lord's warning and inhibition Cast not Pearls before Swine nor Holy things to Dogs of whom it is said by the Lord I speak to them c. because they seeing see not and hearing they hear not nor do they understand Of them also it is said Make the hearts of this People fat make their Eyes heavy c. 2. Summarily then the Children by means of their weakness were not able to hear it otherwise than in Parables though to them apart they were open'd and the Multitude by reason of their Wickedness were not worthy to hear it otherwise because the proud Rejecters of God were inwardly devilish and outwardly bruitish and are call'd Dogs and Swine to whom the Childrens Bread might not be given for God resisteth the Proud 3. Because Man was fallen into the third Principle over which he should have been Ruler so that the regenerate themselves were outwardly bruitish and in their inward and best part were as young Children to them the Gracious Lord vouchsafed to bow down and as it were lisp and to feed them with Milk 4. For as much now as Man was gone out of the Unity into the Multiplicity God of infinite Bowels follows him into it and there teacheth him by the Earth Corn Fruits Stones Thorns Sheep Fowls Ants c. Making them speak to him pursue convince and judge him by the Good and Obedience of the very Oxe and Ass gratefulness of the Earth for Rain and Bounty of Heaven in the Seasons and when nothing will do he makes the Stone cry out of the Wall and Beam out of the Timber to answer leaving such not only without excuse but accused by the whole Creation Nevertheless by these Parabolical Applications call'd the foolishness of Preaching was Power found to save them that Believe Q. 115. Why hath not Christ himself described his Gospel with Letters in Writing but only taught and left it afterwards to his Apostles to write down A. It may be supposed and argued who so sufficient as the Omnipotence of the Son of God Who could so exactly discover the Mysteries therein as the Author thereof Who could so challenge and command Belief as he who is Truth it self with the like reasonings 1. But we must know that the Three glorious Persons have Three distinct Operations viz. The Almighty Father or Infinite first Principle doth Eternally beget and generate as his Love Delight or Heart the Eternal Son whom he giveth The Almighty Son or Infinite second Principle is Eternally begotten every where in the Abyss giving Himself who is the Light of Divine Life having Life in Himself is Himself the Gospel written in the Heart Ye are manifestly declared to be the Epistle of Christ. The Almighty Spirit Holy Ghost or Infinite third Principle doth Eternally proceed from the Father and Son and Eternally publish propagate figure declare image and manifest the first Principle and the second also the first in the second infinitely through the whole Abyss 2. Thus was the carrying on publishing abroad or prospering this wonderful Work of the Arm of the Lord to restore lost Man being like making dry Bones live the proper operation of the third not of the second Person Therefore saith the Lord to the Disciples What I tell you in the ear preach you on the house tops Again He that believeth the works that I do shall he do and greater works c. And saith the Spirit when he cometh shall convince the World c. 3. Thus Abraham figured the Father's property or operation giving his Son a Sacrifice Isaac the Son's property giving himself but Jacob that of the Holy Ghost multiplying first into 12 Branches then became as the Stars and the Evil Seed only professing are like as the sand for multitude sand for their earthiness 4. Thus as the Lord saith the Father hath born witness of me And again speaking of the Holy Ghost saith for he shall take of mine and give it unto you not filling Jerusalem only but the whole World with his Doctrine Q. 116. Why must it be the very High Priests and Scribes or Scripture learned who taught the People that must speak against or
And why must his â—ide be open'd with a Spear out of which Blood and Water ran How do these signifie in the Figure A. 1. Christ being nail'd to the Cross a Plant or Product of the third Principle shews us how we are fixed to the loading burthensom part of that Principle whence we cannot dis-engage or free our selves though being over-loaden therewith we should greatly desire it but must patiently wait the whole time of our life till God shall do it 2. And as Christ refused not His Cross no not the carrying it though the Burthen exceeded the strength of His afflicted wounded Body for that one was compelled to help him to bear it thus neither should faln Man refuse his own nor help to bear another's Burthen 3. And as Christ refused neither to be nail'd to it nor did remove His blessed Body from it but thereon meekly poured out His very Soul and breathed out His Spirit and was taken off by others so will the regenerate Man spend and be spent for his God 4. And as out of Adam's Side being rent open went out a Female Property which Wound otherwise incurable was repaired by the piercing Jesus holy Innocent Side because as the separating the Female from the Male Property introduced so great an Evil the Consequence whereof was Deâ—ilement Misery Lamentation and Wo. 5. So the piercing the Lord's Side was the opening the Divine Fountain whence issued Blood and Water that is the Virgin Tincture of Soul and Spirit the holy Fire and Light the first and second Principles in Inseparable Harmony which introduced that Good viz. the bringing forth Righteousness Salvation and sacred Love wherein consists the pure Heavenly Virgin Image that out of which Adam departed and died or disappeared to him the Bride of Christ and Joy and Delight of the Eternal World and General Assembly and Church of the First-born Q. 123. Why must Christ be reproached on the Cross A. 1. One accounted it the Complement of Misery when a Captive in much Torment begâ—d his severe Governess whose Slave he was in old Rome for Ease or some Mitigation who was so wholly regardless as to be all the while Painting her Face a Scene calculated very fitly to the present Mother of Harlots in Rome Antichristian 2. But what is the anguish and torture all Creatures are capable of if compared with this super abundant grief sorrow and load the weight of a World of Sin pressed our Lord with To all which that no part might be exempted was added that His blessed Eyes where Love and Mercy sate Triumphant and His Prayer-hearing Ears must see the scornful gestures of Prophane Heads wagging at Him in Scorn not bowing to Worship Him and hear the Taunts of vile and blasphemous Spectators the very Passers by and a Thier under Execution joyning to aggravate it So was the 53 of Isaiah fulfill'd in the 27 Matthew 3. And what shall we say was not the Cup bitter enough till cruel Mockings were wrung into it but thus it was that as Adam by the loss of his Innocence purity and brightness fell into guilt filthiness and scorn reproached by the Devils by the first and third Principles by the in of Cain his own and the rest of his sinful Posterity by every Essence whence he fell and every separate unclean Property into which he fell All this did He who hid not His Face from Shame and Spitting receive as if it had been His own Due and His own Procurement 4. And into this Shame Mocking and Reproach must every Child of the Regeneration submissively enter and accompt it their peculiar Privilege to suffer their own Shame by the Lord's designation we suffer righteously yet the Lord calls it a suffering for Him 5. His reproach was Moses Riches and the Apostles Joy His Chains are all pure Gold but all the Lord's Children must remember that their Cross is fully as long as themselves being the Principle into which they fell and that they are nail'd to it But though the Lord's Crown were Thorns there is at the End of our light and momentary Afflictions and Cross a Crown of Righteousness and Eternal weight of Glory coming by the meer free Gift of gracious Love Q. 124. Whether was also the Divine Power in the Blood which Christ shed or poured into the Earth Q. 125. Why did the Earth tremble when Christ bung on the Cross A. The latter of these Questions depends on the opening of the former so that one Answer will sâ—ffice to both 1. The whole scope of the Gospel teacheth us that Christ was truly God and truly man for that the Deity graciously United it Self to the Humanity in the Incarnation of the Lord Jesus 2. We are also to know that though God may be distinguished as into three yet not at all divided Seeing therefore that God assumed the Humanity and became Man we may not after that Unity divide Him from that Humanity which He United himself with though we distinguish the Deity from the Humanity left we seem to divide Him from Himself What therefore God hath joyned together let no man put asunder 3. By the Incarnation of the Lord Jesus Christ He Himself who is God Blessed for ever became a God-Man in an inseparable indissâ—luble Union And a little to disgress the Human Nature of us poor Men is so strongly allied espoused or betroathed and adopted by the same incarnation that it is most stupendious admirable and ravishing How can a poor Earthen Vessel bear the serious contemplating of it 4. For were Man sensible how near God is to us who as of our selves are wretchedness and vanity in the abstract it must be with the regenerate Children as it was with the Women departing quickly from the Sepulchre with Fear and great Joy and with others as with the Souldiers they would be as dead Men. 5. But the third principle is an Eclipse to the prospect of the Soul awakened by the Sun of Righteousness and an allay to their holy affecting Meditations and is also a mitigation and flattering gilded Dream to the willingly deluded Captives 6. And now to step back to our Work we must say that the Humane Soul of the Lord Jesus being of Divine Conception was inseparable from his Deity therefore the Blood he shed for us Sinners had Divine power in it for that Souls Masculine Seed was out of the Fountain Spirits pure before God as of the Eternal Divine substance of the Holy Ghost 7. And as Fire kindleth combustible Matter So was the Feminine Seed he receiv'd from the Virgin Mary which was also our Soul according to which he is our Flesh and Blood and our Brother united and incorporated with the Divine substance maâ—ing one Heavenly Humanity in an indissoluble Band. 8. Thus as a Child receiveth a Soul from the Souls of Father and Mother so this Heavenly Humane Soul of the Lord Jesus dwelling in his holy precious Blood was one and but one received from the Holy
Name 5. But Lucifer making an harsh jarring Tone and changing his Golden Letters into black of poysonous composition raced himself and his whole Hierarchy out of that fair Record Then did the creating Word speak or incert and interline Man into that part of the Book out of which Lucifer and his Angels had been raced which with the additional skill of Interliners had the Out-principle as an adjunct to him this was the second race of Intellectuals 6. And tho' the skill of the speaking Word were perfect yet as usually it is in Interlinings the obliterated Letters had left some flaws or scratches tho' not in the holy Book yet in the adjunct shadower or cover viz. the Out-birth which being new bound and the lacerated pieces cemented in the cover rested such stains and rents that thereof came the perillous poysonous stinging Animals and Vegetables and Beasts of prey bearing the impressions of the clauses of the dark World 7. Whereinto when Man fell their contagion so affected him that he could not sound a due consonance to the Harmonious Dialect of the Holy Book which as to him became so closed and sealed that he could not read open nor so much as look thereon But as Men Illiterate cannot Spell nor Read so the Language of Nature of the Heavenly Holy World our true Mother Tongue was lost he had no Ears to hear the Angelical Ravishing Voices nor Tongue to utter it till the Fiery Cloven Tongues descended 8. Now come we to the Holy Language it self which if any could speak would not some say this Man is full of new Wine But we may mournfully tell of our Losses easierthan regain them we must say that Language was one and but one For its Nature it is pure for its extent it is comprehensive of all and therefore no wonder all understood it for its power it hath Authoritatively Omnipotence in it actually or executively it hath the Keys of Life and Instruments of Death this Word slew Ananias and Sappâ—ira and freed Tabitha from the Bonds of Death 9. Now as in Mens ordinary Affairs the Reason and Understanding prevail to move the Mind so that after Debate a Will is formed this Will is the Result of all consideration and is the Man the Soul the Spirit the Body the Passions Affections all make one Intire Will and the Magical driving power of all this becomes the Word this Word is the Executive Instrument and not barely the Herauld of the Soul or whole Man It is the Energy and expressed Vigor of all the Powers wherefore it is said By thy words thou shalt be justified and by thy words thou shalt be condemned for the word is the work and the worker 10. Thus and no otherwise is the Divine Language which the Holy Ghost opened in the Apostles viz. the Result and Law or Abridgment of all the Powers of the hidden Holy World it was the Opener of all Doors the Epitomy of all Openings the understanding of which is offered by this simile 11. The Intricacies of the perverted perplexed confused Tongues in the multiplicity is compared to the Night season when a Man can only see the House or Room that contains him and that not without the aid of Fire or Candle Light where is much shadow many uncertainties some colours not distinguishable And the explicating opening and voice of the holy one Language is compared to the Noon-day which shews every thing at once without Door and within 12. Thus the Divine Word or Language comprehends all opens all Doors therefore was it that all Nations understood them for the unity contains the multiplicity as every Genus doth every of its own Species or as the Element of Fire doth every Spark of Fire This hath the Life of all openings as the Vowels are the Spirit of the whole Alphabet All the sounds Musical or otherwise are contained in three and in seven both Concords and Discords All Voices or Tones expressing the Passions and Affections in the two Extreams of Joy and Sorrow and the Mean of Equiponderating Solemnity of Humane Creatures or others are comprised in the sixth Fountain Spirit or property of the Eternal Nature and must have its efficacy in every formation Q. 147. What doth this shedding forth of the Holy Ghost out of Christs Resurrection and Ascention to Heaven profit or benefit us How may that be also effected in us A. 1. When the Epâ—esians who had been Baptized by John were ask'd Have ye received the Holy Ghost since you be ieved Answer'd We have not so much as heard whether there be a Holy Ghost they may not be thought wholly ignorant of the Eternal Existence of the Holy Ghost for all the Holy Men from the Creation were guided by him But that these knew not of this glorious and plentiful Effasion of the Holy Ghost on the whole Assembly 2. And now how the pouring forth of the Holy Ghost profits us is not only that records deliver this to us as once done in them but that the same is vouchsafed more or less Eminently as those sacred Visits are more or less welcom'd by joyful Obedience or grieved by stubborn Resistance For as the precious Ointment going down to the Hem of Aaron's Vesture is not said to be spilt on the Rocks or sterile Earth so neither doth the Holy Spirit always strive with Gaâ—sayeâ—s 3. Again the coming of the Holy Ghost out of Christs Death and Resurrection profits us also that whereas it finds us in as many pieces as there are Properties in Nature and drawn by as many contradictory wills as there are subordinate Species in those Properties figâ—â—'d by the confused Languages at Babel this Holy Spirit unites us as Fire unites all sorts of Fuel into a like Flame 4. Thus it found some of them in one form and extream some in another some Busied with Curiosities others Brutishly Ignorant and Remiss some seeking by fraud or otherwise to establish their particular propriety some making Ambitious Designs their Idol c. The sacred Spirit putting out their several false Fires and Gloworm fictitious Light brought them and willeth to bring us into one Kingdom by one Spirit to mind the same things leads us by one will to be imploy'd in one work for our scatter'd Interests extravagant Desires and private selfish Contrivances must as Rubbish be removed before the Lords House be Erected or as Weeds be eradicated before the good Seeds flourish 5. 'T is true our Humane Powers and the Spirit of the great World in us and the Tincture convey'd us thereby may be used by the Almighty Architect as unhew'd Timber rough stone and other Materials whereof to frame a Building like as the Principles and Properties were extracted out of the first Chaos So may our confusions be consecrated and made conducible to the work of the new Creation which is effected in us by dying of our first wilful desires For by giving up the might of our first principle into the Intellectual
if we eat it not and what it brings us to be if we do eat it is the Substance of the immediately foregoing Answer The place in Man wherein Christ's Flesh and Blood continues is the whole Mâ—n for all is the Lords viz. the whole enlightned Man though in all parts of him God is not alike manifest 2. As he who sits on the Throne of a Kingdom iâ— in 〈◊〉 of the Râ—â—â—lity of the whâ—le Territory yet â—specially reâ—â—dâ—nt in the Palace Râ—yâ—â— thâ—â— though the Flesh and Blood of Christ sit as Soveraign in the Spirit of thâ— Mind of the now born Child of God which is 〈◊〉 his 〈◊〉 Man and thâ—t wherein he is pâ—culiarly present yet is he thereby Owner aâ—d right 〈◊〉 of the whole Mâ—â— and where this is received all is new And whereas it is writtâ—n Behold I make all thiâ—â—â— nâ—â— yet is iâ—â—xteâ—â—â—â— only in all th 〈…〉 â—o receive this Râ—â—â—vation 3. It is true the Body hath the Honour to be the Antitype of the outer Court of the Temple of the Holy Ghost or the thing signified by a place without the Camp where the Sin-offering was to be Sacrificed the Body hath a rich and blessed hope not only to be raised again but that he shall change our vile Bodies and make them like his glorious Body Now though God was without the Camp as a Wall of Fire and in the Camp as Captain of his Host yet was he in his holy Place as at Home 4. The New Man strengthened by the Virgin of Wisdom is in its Wrestlings both with the Anguishes of the Fire-Soul or first Principle in us and with our Mortal Sensual Astral and Elementary Man or third Principle like to the good Properties of Nature labouring as it were in the very Fire to rescue themselves from the Curse and Wrath of the Dead Earth and indefatigably struggling to produce living Paradisical Fruits Precious Stones Odours c. in Power but cannot because the Curse hath introduced Corruption and Instability Thus goes it with the Divine stirrings where as it were ineffectually they approach our bestial Man so vastly unsuitable hath our Fall render'd us to the pure Paradisical State 5. But as the good Properties are much more prevalent in the benign Influence of the Syderial World where they find a flexible Will strenuously active and a kind of pure transparency and uninterrupted Serenity in the Form of Eternity So is the sacred Energy of Virgin Sophia approaching our Superior part viz our Spirits after Holy enkindlings in them whereas all those Applications to our vile Carcasses work so obscurely and faintly as sufficeth not to Tincture them to be out of the reach of Worms and Putrefaction 6. Thus is seen in what place or part in Man Christ's Flesh and Blood continueth which though before our Fall and when we shall attain the Resurrection of the Dead we stand as a well tun'd Instrument but now under the Fall as an Engine pull'd all in pieces 7. And whereas it is said continue IN us as usually we say the Soul IN the Body it is much more true and proper to say the Body is in the Soul for it comprehends the Body So and much more are we also in the Flesh and Blood or Body of Christ or in God's Body therefore it is written Put on the Lord Jesus Christ by whom our whole Man Soul Spirit and Body are comprehended The farther Answer is referred to the Book of the Two Testaments Q. 153. How is Man and how doth he become a Branch on the Vine Stock of Christ How doth Christ dwell in him and yet sit at the right hand of God in Heaven Also how can he sit at the right hand of God in Man and yet the outward Man not be he A. 1. Man was a noble Vine and became degenerate by his Fall into the Out-birth which shut him up from the Divine Birth into Enmity and under the Evil Influences of the Astral World over which he should have ruled The third Principle was that he took root in no wonder then that he bare Fruit to himself but concerning the Fall the 71 72 and 73 Answers are clear 2. And that Man might be grafted into the Vine Christ the Almighty second Principle took the Heavenly Humanity the Virgin Image whose love Adam exchanged for the Lust of a Woman and reimplanted it into the half-dead Humanity in Mary's Essences and so ingrafting fallen Man into the true Vine See 75 Answer from v. 3. to the 7th To the second part of this Question how Christ dwells in Man and yet sits at the right Hand of God in Heaven is shewn in the 77 108 113 129 and 141 Answers copiously 3. To the third part How can â—e fit at the right hand of God in Man and the outward Man not be he Is answered that the outward Man is the Image of Wrath and Love yet he who sitteth at God's right Hand in Man viz. where Wrath is quenched by Love is not the outward Man for he is the Image or express Character of God according to his Love 'T is true Man he is but is the Heavenly Man who by Uniting to the outward Man became our Brother by killing the Will of the Erring Brother preserved the Brotherhood by cutting him off implanted him 4. In like manner we see the Fountain of all Natural Philosophy is the very knowledge of a certain real skill to stay an expiring Spirit at home where it is eminently necessary to transplant it into another of the same kind which wants the out-going Spirit to reinforce that other Species And what is all Sacred Theosophy but the very understanding of a certain Divine Art to receive and assimilate the evermore over-flowing Effluence of God's Bounty This is the regenerating and the receiving the Divine Universal Will which grows over-tops and Commands to the irradicating the private perverted one This is that Holy One sitting at the right Hand of God in Man which though it resemble the outward Man as a Substance doth its own shadow yet is no more the outward than a good potent Tincture is a decay'd or impotent thing to be tinctured because its Application is continually about such or than a Physician is a Malady because his Business is about Distempers Q. 154. What manner of Christian is the titulary Christian in Name only without or out of Christ who only comforteth himself and imputeth Christs Merits to himself and yet is unregenerate of the Spirit of Christ and liveth bestially Whether also doth he in such working or doing belong to Christ Or what doth he receive in Christ's Supper A. 1. He is one who knoweth nothing as he ought to know nor doth what he ought in any thing for all that know God worship him in Spirit which this Man is a Stranger to and is also no less a Stranger to himself and God of such a one will say I know him not Oh may we never know a state
the Lamb was eaten as in haste and with bitter Herbs The Supper as in a Table gesture of such as have attained rest not by violent killing as That but by a free Issue of the highest and sweet Tincture as is That producing Bread and Wine and remaining in them 2. So high is it that it hath been thought by some of the Learned tho' erroneously that the Spirit of Wine is the true Fire of Nature 3. That it might be a Medium for conveyance for so great was the Precipice down which Man fell that he must be followed or for ever lost but tho' he fell into the Mortal Elementary State and the Elements of Bread and Wine blessed for his use yet these are not the Medium The Tincture is a Virgin a Servant to Virgin Sophis who tho' it be not purely Divine yet is such a Servant indeed as in whom is no guile 3. The Tincture whence issueth the Corn and Vine is the middle Earth betwixt the Heavenly or Paradifical Earth as the most superior and the Mortal as the most inferior This is therefore the proper Medium Here the Souls fiery hunger in the Promise meets the Divine Love and Grace the Living Word or Power World bringing in and with the Flesh and Blood of Christ's Heavenly Humanity which is the Emmanuel the Hope the Joy and Eternal Spouse of the Fire Soul and the Lord Husband and Crown of the enlightened renewed meek Spirit fore here the two Tiâ—ctures are united for â—ver and is neither Male nor Female but our Christ is all in all Q. 157. Whether is the True Testamentary Enjoyment or Participation bound meerly to the Apostolical Practice and Observation or whether also men may have Power or Authority to alter and change This Ordinance as is done now-a-days A. 1. Amongst men the Law making Power only hath Authority to change and alter Laws And a Testator dying no one may alter the Will and Testament ratified by the deceased On much higher and surer Reason is it therefore that no man or all men may alter or change This Ordinance or reject any of God's Institutions no more than two or three School-boys can root up the Basis of Philosophy or two or three Thieves or other Criminals change the publick Statuâ—es of a State or Kingdom 2. This will be acknowledged in words but when men come to measure Heavenly Mysteries by the Form of Words and Those Words by the Standard of Reason and That Reason corrupted by their Lusts disputes are raised without end and Obstinacy is the Disputant for the unregenerate man hath a perverse Will so that such of them as can attain the most exact Form of Godliness are only thereby the more confirmed in their Ungodliness 3. Could such do every Outward Ordinance with direct exactness of every gesture speak the words and only those spoken and done by the Lord himself without the Regenerating Spirit of Christ they would transgress the Rule still be in the Livery of Christ Traitors to Him fight against Him under His own Banners the Lord's Supper will be to such as the Sop to Judas who did after kiss and betray Such men receive the Heavenly Dews but bear fruit to self and That fruit the Grapes of Sodom they err in every work of their hands their very plowing is sin their Metonymies and other Tropes are airy distinctions of the words of the Institution like the endless Genealogies of the unbelieving Jews 4. Thus we see men guided by the Properties of the first Principle clothing their Hypocrisie by the Images and Maxims of the third do turn That blessed Ordinance which was to be as a Bond of Peace into Enmity And what wonder they should endeavour to impose their dark notions on others by hostile force as wild Beasts are to be dealt with not having the Light of the second to guide their Understandings as Children of the day But the new Nature of Gods Child is fed by that whereof it is Begotten and because the love of every such is sincere their hunger is earnest and is in proportion satisfied as it is in power and vigor excited Q. 158. Whether also is the Testament powerful in the alter'd or chang'd Ordinance or not A. 1. The misapprehending of this Question may either on the one hand encourage to make unwarrantable alterations arbitrarily or persist in them after being found to be such Or on the other hand unnecessarily to decline all Communion or despair of Vertue from the Ordinance because something said or done at the Administration seem not expresly commanded in the form recorded in the Institution Wherefore 2. To make way to the Answer 1. Something must be said to the Institution of the Sacrament it self 2. Something to the partakers 1. In the Sacrament are 1. The Form and Materials 2. The Force and Vertue 3. The Medium 1. The Form and Materials are meant in the words take eat this and take drink this this intends the Elements or Accidents of Bread and Wine 2. The force and Vertue meant by the words this is my Body is my Blood viz. are that Heavenly Flesh and Blood of Christ the Food of the Eternal Soul It is Christs Spiritual Humanity whereby he doth substantially inhabit the Souls of all who open to him their hungry and thirsty Mouth sups with them and is himself the true Bread and Water of Eternal Paradisical Divine Life 3. 3. The Place or Medium and this is not Christ himself tho' in his Heavenly Humanity he is not shut out of any Heaven for he is in or rather is all Heavenly Places Also the Medium neither can be the Elements of Bread and Wine for they are Mortal Accidents not Substances But the Tincture whence groweth the Bread and Wine is the Medium for that is Pure and Immortal and for the sake whereof the Idea of the Creatures shall be raised into the Glorious liberty of the Children of God 4. Something preparatory to the Answer is concerning the partakers of the Sacrament be the subdivisions how many soever there will be found at last but two sorts The Wise and the Unwise both call'd Virgins The one really and in Heart the other feigned and only in shew The one those of the day generated in the Glory and Love of the second principle the other of darkness in the works of the first principle 5. The Child of wrath can eat only and drink the Elementary part which hath in it the good and evil properties the Imaged Powers of Wrath and Love extending only to his Mortal Elementary Life wherewith neither his Eternal Soul nor Eternal Spirit of the Mind are really fed but starve and therefore so eats he and drinks he Damnation to himself not discerning the Lords Body viz. not receiving nourishment from the Heavenly Food the Lords real Body but only the Elementary And his Astral or Siderial Spirit cannot receive so much as the pure Medium and keep it
the Almighty Power of the Holy Ghost the latter perfected and consummated by the same Power concurring with the Gracious Providence of Infinite Wisdom The first so great an inward Divine Work as none but such in whom it is wrought can speak more of it but as Parrots so that the Experimental Work only enables rightly to see taste feel and know it And the Spirit working it can only rightly open the Mouth and guide the Hand to tell and describe it And this being spoken in the plainest simplest way can yet be received and profitable to such only who by the same Spirit are not only enlighten'd but made alive by the new Regeneration 2. Therefore in answer to the first part of the Question we are to know that God made of one Blood all Nations of the Earth and all Men in one Principle viz. the third consisting of the first four Properties for its Root But the second was Mans Paradisical Garland his Heaven his Crown and Divine Image This our Root and common Father the first Adam suppressed extinguished and caused to die and disappear Thenceforth Man became like the Cursed Earth whereof some plats bear Thorns and Briars others fetid Weeds others poysonous Plants others less noxious Products according to the prevalency of every of which the plat is named So some Men are hurried by the impetuous storms and fury of the four Anguishes of the first Principle and so are Devilish others are swallow'd up of the voluptuous Lusts of the Elementary Spirit and thence rightly called sensual others steered and regulated by the Maxims of the Siderial World and these can be no more or better than Earthy 3. Now out of all these the Divine Power ingenerating Faith not only acting in the understanding but swaying the Scepter of the Will also self-denial both as from abhorrence of the defiling self and also from self-interest property and self-pleasing which is as the Flower of Grass then cometh a hunger after the unseen Manna which is the Root producing the meek resignation of self-pleasing desires patient submission to the Cross which as it were insensibly enkindleth in the Soul the sweet dear silent retirement rest and peace the passing into the fifth form and this walkt in gradually regenerateth and tinctureth the dark perverted Soul with the noble new universal Power and Might And these are as different according to the procedure of Men as years distinguish the growth and stature of Children But done so silently by the Holy Spirit in Mans Spirit as the Blossom issueth and after it the Fruit. 4. The true new Regeneration in the Spirit of Christ is always new and that continually and successively renewed if indeed it be true not as the natural Birth of Children into this World who are so Born but once but rather as the growing of the Embrio in the Womb to a formed animated perfect Child Nor as an Arrow flying through by the force of its first push but as a Ship sailing through successive Perils and always returning to its latitude from various aberrations and passing through raging Surges as over so many Deaths Or as young people recover out of escaping from and through many Sicknesses and Relapses For the Lord himself teacheth saying to his Disciples who none doubts were before that converted Except ye be converted and become as this little Child ye cannot enter into the Kingdom of God Which then they were not for their quest was who should be the greatest thus tho' Metal upon Metal be false Herauldry Conversion upon Conversion is true Christianity 5. Nor is this less plain and evidently real in it self to the Children of the day tho' Nicodemus the Night Visiter misunderstood it than that the outward Suns Diurnal appearances on the Earths Revolutions make so many new days and every advance of the new Born Soul towards Perfection is such another thing than was the former as this Harvest is than the last was for the Soul can no more continue to grow by the first stirrings of the Heavenly World in it than the Body be nourished and supported by the Food it received the last Month or the Plants by the Rain they imbibed the last year or the Manna gathered one day be Food the following day when grown Verminous Thus God saith Behold I make all things new 6. Such therefore who pinfold their apprehensions of the new Regeneration by the Gage and Glass of the Natural Birth of Children may as equally infer the Mortification or Dying to the corrupt Man to be one only act Contrary to the Apostle I die daily Whereas we both die daily and are daily regenerated as Night and Day Winter and Summer are successively perpetuated Among the Roman Ecclesiasticks their Novices are under an absolute Arbitrary Subjection to the Tyranny of their unaccountable Superiors but the higher the Soul advanceth to the superior parts of true Regeneration the more simply and resignedly obedient is he till he actively passively and compleatly become as a little Child 7. And now to the second part of the Question Is it done in this time or after this time It is answer'd in the immediately preceding Discourse on the first part of this Question That the Regeneration is not wrought by one act as neither is Mortification done at once but gradually by little and little effected as a Summer hath its Spring a Day its Dawning a Vintage its sprouting out Obj. 1. â—8 Is it objected Omnipotence may perfect the Regeneration at once by one single act A. Without the Censure of confining Infinity it 's queried on what Ground is this presumption Built God shews us his way by all his gracious Discoveries for instance that of the Creation of the Out-world leads us as by the Hand to the view of the progress of the new Creation in which not to touch particulars which were repeating what is elsewhere done and digressive it may not be denyed but the Light call'd for at the beginning might have been multiplied into the inkindling of the whole deep that all had been as a Sun and so the alone figure of the Heavenly World but how then had this Out-birth figur'd both Worlds or both Principles wherein the seven properties should impress themselves in their distinct powers Therefore was that Light collected and the place of the Sun ennobled with the preheminence of the Empire of the Out-world as the Representer of the Holy Infinite second Principle the Son of God And the Darkness which before covered the Deep was conserved by condensation of the Terrestrial Globe whereon we creep and the Crassitude of the other Stars to figure the Infinite Eternal first Principle whereinto according to the dark impression thereof Man fell and out of which he is gradually recover'd as by way of similitude the Suns lustre attenuateth the gross Air by his continual variation by steddy orderly and regular approaches toward either Tropick Obj. 2. 9. But God new regenerateth the Spirit of Christ in
into everlasting Indignation Wrath Tribulation and Anguish who can dwell with devouring Fire under the Wrath of the Lamb Q. 167. What is the Dying of a true Christian What of him Dyeth A. 1. The Dying here inquired is call'd a Sleep which alludes to Adam who not exerting his Power became as one fainting and fell into a deep Sleep in which time his Female Property was divided from him and he slumbered to the Unity of the Paradisical Life and then was opened in him the divided state partly and but partly Paradisical for it was a begun Declension into the Dividings of the Astral Multiplicity And by Eves and his Eating the Fruit of the third Principle soon wrought in them dismal Effects for he lived no longer according to the Universal Will but set up a private Self-will as Law-maker ceasing to Rule over the Astral Powers he fell under them and so sadly as to be relieved and collect support and food from them given up to their contrary Properties and became a Beast as to his outward Body the deadness of part whereof degraded him so far as to render him by his Bones Skin and other insensible Parts to the baseness of Vegetatives and all this not transient as are some Astral Impressions but as a strong Prison out of which is no escape but by demolishing the Walls and Fabrick This is the desolate Wilderness which was signified by the going of the the Lord Jesus out of Canaan into the Wilderness to be there Forty days teÌ„mpted of the Devil after Fasting 2. Thus may a glimpse be seen what Adam's Sleep and after that his Fall introduced It chang'd his first Principle by darkning the Divine Eye of his second from great Power and active Vigor such as is that of the mighty Angels into Discord Rage Envy Fury c. and it chang'd his third Principle from so great Purity Transparency and Aptitude to have done Eternally the Offices of his great Soul and Divine Spirit into a gross obscene filthy palpable feeble sickly bestial perishing Carcass or Sack of Worms 3. Now when the Sun of Righteousness descends into this dark Dungeon he more or less according to the growth of the Regenerate Child by his pure meek Spirit appeaseth the Disorders of the Soul and halloweth it directing correcting and confirming a resolved will to obey as simply as a little Child and to persevere as a strong Man in Christ by which the Internal Man is in great part made God's Child and Image reaching toward the Love flame pressing strongly thitherward and groans to be with the Lord but still is the Body as little affected as the Bark of a Tree with the Virtue of the Fruit or as a Candlestick with the lustre of the Taper or as the Earth with the Astral Vertue rouâ—ing the Principles of Sulphur and Mercury in the saline Spirit in and through it 4. What can be done with this Body If it were possible to affect it so as the East-India Nut-tree doth that the Mercurial Vertue arising with Sulphur into a Nutmâ—g on a Clove for the Stud the Bark should be a Cinnamon it were somewhat but our Carcass is as senseless of the inward Man's Divine Work as the Bone is the Respondence and Intercourse the Spirits have through the Arteries and venal Channels or as the Beasts Hide is of the Astral Impulses moving the Animal Therefore it must like a Husk shell off and the Natural Body as a Grain of Wheat be sowed into the Elements whence it derived as the Corn into the Earth and die before it can increase and rise a spiritual Body 5. Thus dieth the Elementary part of the true Christian. How dieth the Wise-Man as the Fool returning into the Mouth whence it was spoken The Astral Body also rather disappears than dies but being dissolved from the ancient Obligations to the bestial Body it may remain at the Will of the Noble Soul to be its Chariot wherewith as a Medium it sometimes doth vouchsafe a loving Visit to his dear Christian Friend yet in the Body but most easily when such a one sleepeth as to the Elementary Man and seeth heareth and toucheth with his Astral Man for then may the precious separate Soul if it desires it as familiarly have access and converse with his dear Friend or Brother as two Men of one Language may and this hath been and may be to the great Satisfaction and Edification of the surviving Christian though not frequently because of Mens unworthiness or for fear of Impostures and especially because the Lord only is abundantly and infinitely all-sufficient by his own Omnipotence and Omnipresence 6. As Adam slept to the Holy Paradifical Virgin state and awaked to the bestial World's Adulterous state so the true Christian's Death is a sleeping to that sleep of his viz. The filthy sickly cumbring prophane Elementary Life and an awaking to the pure holy triumphant dear sweet child-like angelical Endless Life it transfers him out of the howling Wilderness of Temptation into Eternal Canaan out of a Dungeon into the glorious Liberty of the Sons of God out of the Turba of perplexing Multiplicity and restless wrestling of contrary Properties into the equal Temperature and Calm harmonious complete Unity the private Self being extinct he entreth the Universal sacred Freedom of the Lord's Redeemed ones Q. 168. What is the Dying of the wicked in that it is called an Eternal Dying A. 1. It hath been often inculcated in these Writings that all Men are in all the three Principles of one Blood but their difference is notorious for though they are almost the same in their first and third Principles and much what alike though not without great distance of degrees in their second Principle yet here is the immense difference that in some their second Principle like the House of Saul impairs and gradually as it were insensibly extinguisheth to a dismal blackness to be felt at length and in others the Regeneration calmly yet with irresistible sweet force more and more opens that Principle which as the House of David improves and flourisheth 2. From these dear Children if their Progress hath been Crown'd with Perseverance their third Principle is like Trash and dusty Rubbish scatter'd about a firm built Structure fully finished which Death like an impetuous Storm with rapid Motion disperseth or as a mounting Torrent of Water violently bears away leaving the Fabrick unconcern'd But the third Principle is to the other his Fortress Confidence Retreat Refuge Rest Joy Hope Treasure and his all therefore Death at once surprizing him and snatching that away he and it perish together his only home falleth for want of Foundation the Cistern he hath hewn is broken having no Water in it nor can hold it if any were entrusted thereinto which shews the fault to be in the very bottom else it might hold some Water but the truth is it hath no bottom at all The World to the one is either as it is to
Wisdom hath swallow'd them all up and that Love is soveraign for ever over them And though this be most conspicuous in the mortified and daily dying Child of God who hath made good Progress in the Regeneration yet is it in some degree and measure in the Child of a Day old or a Span long for these have pure though much interrupted Breathings their Love may be very Ardent as the Love of Espousals though often and variously perverted these are begun to enter into the new World by the new Way in the new Nature and have thence by Intervals a fair Prospect into what cometh after this World all such are in a measure my Witnesses for what is above spoken in Answer to the Question 10. Now more particularly come we to the latter part of the Question viz. When God shall be all in all when the Dominions shall cease What therefore may most undeniably be said on this shall be drawn from the Words of the Holy Ghost by our Apostle wherein are taught us 1. That Christ having raised himself as the first Fruits raiseth also them that are his at his coming 2. That he shall put down all Rule Authority and Power 3. That then is or cometh the End 4. That then the Kingdom shall be deliver'd up to the Father and God shall be all in all To every of which a few words in their order 1. That our risen Christ shall raise all his and after all others at his second coming For 11. We ought assuredly to acknowledge that the great Work shall once be Universally accomplish'd by Jehovah's Almightiness in Raising Judging and Determining the state of all Adam's offspring and the actual delivering up the Kingdom to the Father and God shall be all in all and that all this is openly literally really and universally a Foundation Truth to be confessed before all men and next shall be spoken according to the same Method as Demonstrations thereof the work particularly done and doing viz. in the Divine meek Spirits and regenerated Souls of all God's new born Children from the first Holy Man to the last that shall be 12. Now that Christ having raised himself as the first Fruits shall also raise them that are his at his coming is such an immoveable Foundation Truth as neither Atheists or Apostate Christians those fallen Stars nor any fallen Angels nor all of them United can ever reâ—st but it is an Eternal Truth to the Glory of God the joy of all his in their Pilgrimage and matter of Divine Contemplation and Adoration for ever Read and Meditate among many others 1 Tâ—â—ss 4. 14 15 c. 1 Cor. 15. 23. Rev. 20 4 5 6. 1 Cor. 15. 3 4. and Review the 134 and 172 Answers 13. This great general second Resurrection is also done and demonstrated by the first Resurrection when God awakens the Sinner by unlocking the inspoken Grace and makes the Word a Refiner's Fire and as a Tincture transmuteth the Mass and leaveneth the Lumâ— then the Soul dies to the old and lives to the renewed Image by the Visits of the Virgin becomes a Virgin by looking on Christ comes to look like him the Bottle is made new into which the new Wine may now be intrusted and the King of Glory comes into his Temple his new made Vineyard and Garden and imparts himself his Heart his Whispers and Counsels when the Ear is opened For the sake of the Virgin Image thus Begotten shall the whole Man be crystalliz'd and tinctured with solar Power at the Resurrection mean time no Tongue or Pen can more than smatter at the recital of the loveinspired Words formed at every of the Masters sweet Visits when he comes to feed this Infant-birth and Sup with it 14. The Reason why we cannot tell it when we come out from the Holy Place is because our Astral Man knows not of what Dignity the Guest is that comes to the inward Man for he enters farther and our Astral Man or outward Reason is as a Porter whose office being at the Door hears not the Holy Treaty held within in the Closet and were it he could he understands not the Language but if a loud word be spoken which he hears then only when the sensual Man sleepeth then doth he either tremble as if he feared to be dismist his office for our Reason is like Gallio no Judge of these Matters or else he frames Images of what he as it were over-hears And if a Letter to the Virgin be intrusted with the Astral Man the Porter he only reads the Superscription but sees not what the inside is he thinks it all as the outside with ordinary Ink but within 't is all golden Letters mixt with Blood and legible in the dark Night for the Characters all shine and flame and none can read them but those who share in the first Resurrection for the old Eyes are dim these are convinced and somewhat more or less see how the second Resurrection will be having a sensible lively feeling of the first and passed the Danger and Power of the second Death See the 8th and 10th Verses of the 173 Answer 15. That our Lord shall put down all Rule Authority and Power this is meant to be after the Resurrection when he as the Sun in his strength obscures not only Gloworms but the Candle and Torch light Men shall then no longer abuse lawful Power nor acquire lawless Authority nor violently or subtilly Usurp undue Rule the Hunter and his Dogs shall no longer chase Lambs as if they were Foxes but the tyrannous Monarchs and the wronged Captives stand on the same level each in his own Principle and the Principles are as different as a dark Sulphurous Fire is from a sweet Radiant Lustre then also shall the Evil Angels whether they shall be Seducers of Men or other spiritual Wickednesses in High Places or Rulers of the Darkness as God of this World be all thrust out for he is come whose right it is both by Original and Purchas'd Propriety 16. This great general Manifestation of Jehovah Christ's Natural Soveraignty is also done and demonstrated in the whole Creation by his sitting among the Gods turning the Heart of the Mighty as Water stopping all Mouths bowing all Knees being above the Proud rescuing the Prey from the Teeth of the fiercest feeding the Hungry and Helpless the young Lions and young Ravens showering on the parched Wilderness stilling the raging Deep opening his Bottles in their Season treasuring his Snow and Wind and marshalling his Host of Stars But above all it is demonstrable in his Family who not only have ceased Hostility against him but taken up Arms for and under him out of weakness are strengthened to do suffer live die for him and in him their Health is to be Love-sick their Life to die daily he is their Fear Love Hope Repose Strength Wisdom Song their Springs and Treasures are in him for Time and
3. 11. Matth. 5. 22 29. 2 Pet. 2. 17. Isaiah 30. 33. Jude 6. 13. Luk. 10. 24. Rev. 20. 10 14. Rev. 14. 11. Isaiah 33. 14. Much also may be understood by considering the Answer of the blessed J. Behmen to the 34th of the 40 Questions concerning the Soul Something also apt and pertinent may be found by review of the 17 of these Answers from Verse 8th to 19th The 21st Answer throughout and the two first Verses of the 22th Answer 6. The Eternal Pain or Torment of the Wicked may be thus in part apprehended That as the Saints are invested with Eternal Joy by the Uniting of the Tinctures and Harmonizing of the Properties in them by the gracious Immanuel and so the sad Rent in the first Adam abundantly is made up united and restored by the second Adam by introducing and reviving in our Humanity the disappeared Virgin Image which had been as a Lamb slain by dividing of the Tinctures so that Man is again the compleat Image of the Holy Trinity with an intimate real indwelling of the Eternal Son in them 7. Thus the Eternal Torment of the Wicked consisteth in the irreconcileable implacable Enmity of the Properties in them at first divided and disordered by Adam It is observed old Friends once at variance are the more hardly appeased by how much the Bonds of mutual Amity and Endearments have been violated how much more is it here where the old Union is separated into Diametrical Opposition in its self to its own Structure and Existence and the Antipathy of the same Necessity of Nature as are the Properties themselves of Perpetuity 8. That Duel is most vigorous doubtful durable and fatal where the Combatants are of equal Force and Activity thus at the meeting of two steady contrary Currents is a continual Whirlpool and the Strife of contrary Elements is as impetuous as Life and Death the congress of opposite Properties bursteth out Thunder Claps and Air pent stirs up Earthquakes and Gunpowder dissipates by violent Expulsion the Opposition wherewith it stands charg'd 9. What outragious fierceness then like a Torrent must the Enmity of the damned Soul Burn in what Thunders must their Horror vent it self by whose Parts are not barely divided but Discordance it self not Enemies but Enmity For as those Souls had whilst with the Body no Food but that of the third Principle which was no more proportionable to their Hunger than painted Food to sustain the outward Life of Man or Beast or painted Fire to heat us So then the Soul 's extream Hunger incessantly yet necessarily as it were devours it self as Men Famishing to Death are said to gnaw their own Flesh and the damned Souls Flesh or Food is its own Faculties which are filled with the four Anguishes of the first or dark fierce Principle and in this respect is the Associate of all Devils and as the outward Body is encreased and as it were composed of the Vapour of the outward Elementary Food of the third Principle producing it So these Wicked Souls are as it were composed and consist of the Anguishes of the dark World 10. The Spirit of such Souls and their Tincture which is as the Eye or Treasure of the Soul looketh imageth and impresseth in it self the uncontrouled dark Powers viz. all impious blasphemous Lusts and impure proud wrathful Desires this is in the inward Centre of the Soul also in his Spirit and Tincture stands as a Memory or Record as to the out-birth the vile depressed Will of all cruel Bears and Tygers the insatiable desire of the Swine Wolf and Horseleech the Malice of Dogs and Toads the Wrath of Vipers and Dragons for they had imaged in themselves by the Magical degenerate Lusts of the separate private Self-will the Properties of all fierce cruel horrid griping poisonous filthy loathsom hateful Creatures 11. In the Spirit of the Soul remains a Will to Voluptuousness Superiority Revenge c. which may break out into Malediction Blasphemy and Monstrous Malicious Abominations but can proceed no farther than the Will and insatiable consuming Desire for the desire to Good or Evil and in Good and Evil is real and the Genuine Natural Issue of the Soul Actions may be dissembled Words gilded but Desires are entire solemn things thus their restless Desires and furious impetuous Wills are their real all and though the Magical Might and Power of the Will in the Spirit of a Zealous Soul is very puissant in all such who have all the Principles in some Harmony yet in these abandoned vile Wretches where all is depressed into Discord under blackness of darkness the Will is under Chains and Impotence only of Power most abundantly to torture it self 12. All the Horrors here are weak resemblances of the inexpressible Hell of the Damned and above all the Rebels against the Gospel that reject and defile that Garment which the God of Grace hath spun out of his own Bowels and dyed and washed in his own Blood For if all the Dreadful things here as the wasting Sword poisonous venomous Beasts insulting domineering Tyrants cruel voracious Wild Beasts devouring Fire astonishing Thunder and Earthquakes sudden Inundations wretched Famines desolating Contagions general Plagues and other noisom Messengers of Mortality if all these and such other are but Counterfeits Similes Figures or Shadows of the true real substantial everlasting dark Abyss what are the Originals and very Essences themselves which Form that fierce Principle where the Worm dieth not nor is the Fire quenched where Death flyes from them and Omnipotence establisheth a Life to subsist under the infinite Wrath of Omniporence call'd the wrath to come and shall after a Million of this World's Ages be still call'd the wrath to come 13. To the third and last part May there be any Alteration effected To resolve which we should first consult the Sacred Scriptures That the Joy of the Saints shall be Eternal who but the Lord himself must we hear in this thing Matth. 19. 29. John 10. 28. Chap. 3. v. 16. Chap. 4. v. 14. the like amongst many others is found Isaiah 61. 7. Rom. 6. 12. And that the Torment of the Wicked must be Everlasting also is told us by the Judge who is Truth it self Matth. 25. 41. and again v. 46. also it 's found 2 Thess. 1. 9. Isaiah 61. 7. Jude 6. v. 7. Rev. 22. 11. 14. This though it need no Confirmation yet it may be profitable by way of illustration to consider the Answer the last of the Forty Questions made by the blessed Jacob Behmen also somewhat pertinent thereunto in the 175th of these Answers from Verse 5. to the end Again in the 16th of these Answers from the 7th Verse to the 12th Exclusive 15. Now that Truth may appear what it really is how apt soever Man is to flatter himself Let it be considered that there is but one only Infinite Original of all Power Eternally generating his Delight the Son of God in whom is
of Infinite power of the Jehovah so neither can it terminate but that second Death be ever a Dying Life while the God of Life liveth This is that King of the Kings of Terror this shakes the heart of a Rock of Adamant this as a World of Lead lyeth on the dark Troops while yet the most exquisit Tortures if transient and finite bring Cordials with them to the faintest of Christ's Followers sugaring the bitterest Pills to the humble patient tormented persecuted Children of whom the World is not worthy this also serves Gall in every Dish to him who could engross the Out-principles Delights for Methuselah's Age. But Eternity is as Incomprehensible as the Eternal God as far beyond Men and Angels as Infinity is beyond our short narrow shallow and superficial Measures This God this Christ this Holy Principle is our God our Christ our Holy Life for ever and ever and were there any thing after for ever it were ours too 2. Look then O my Soul fixedly on this Freehold and disdainfully on all visible and invisible melting Idols and airy bubbles breathe press pant sweat freeze suffer fight run watch persevere till thy dry husk crumble and fall off and thou shalt reap once and for ever more than Eye or Heart can see or conceive On the 16th Question and Answer Why is God's wrath Eternal c Let God be true and every Man a Lyar who saith he is Light in him is no Darkness at all But yet if the Creature shall put out its own Eyes it is Darkness having extinguished the holy Light in it self Again he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God for God is love but when Evil Angels and Men fix themselves in Enmity they causelesly quarrel with God live no more in that love but enter into wrath in their own Evil Principle This being so O my Soul search thy self what black veils are there excluding the bright holy eternal Light of God See also if there be an unmortified impenitent repining impatient Spirit swaying and prevailing in thee that thou be estranged from the meek love of God leading thee Captive in the inward Kingdom of dark Fierceness and then that the Devil perswade thee not that God willeth thy Destruction and thou to excuse thy wilful Rebellion Blaspheme the God of Eternal Light and pure Love On the 17th Question and Answer What is God's work in Hell is Hell a local place 1. The Holy Eternal Jehovah is in himself undivided yet as he operates in all the seven Forms of the seven Fountain Spirits moving to make himself Creaturely so all divided Properties derive from him and are radically in him and the multiplicity is as a very little thing comprehended in the infinite Unity Thus the Fire which is the Life of all Creatures is often their Death but when it generates the Light is the Joy of such where it so proceeds if it generate the Holy intellectual Light the Fire is made Holy and the whole Existence is Angelical and Paradisical but if it dwindle into an Image or meer Representation of the true Light it degenerates into a Shadow and if the Light that is in any be Darkness how great is that Darkness 2. Come up hither my Soul and see what Light thy Fire yieldeth grows it toward the Harmony resigning it self into the Unity then thou hast thy Fruit unto Holiness and thy End everlasting Life Or is it captiv'd in the Wrath of the divided Properties laboureth it in Building Babel striveth it to be its own Lord and Law-giver is self its first Mover and Ultimate End then shalt thou of the Flesh reap Corruption the Disunion makes Disorder the Disorder causeth Aversion that again begets Anguish that issues into utter Enmity that finally into Rage 3. Oh then my Soul return into thine impregnable Fortress step back into thy Child-like Innocence Meekness and Simplicity Hast thou in Adam lost thy dear Virgin Purity yet blush away thine adulterous Apostasie and with torn Hair flowing Eyes and a broken Spirit acknowledge thy unworthiness implore to be as one of the hired Servants and thou wilt find thy Father hath bowels a kiss of his will break thy Heart melt thee as Wax impress in thee his New Life wherein the various Properties draw all one way Divine Love will crucifie Self-love and Self-will and kill the Enmity as the fresh blushing morning doth the Fogs of the night With-hold nothing from him whose are all things and all Worlds whose thou art and who spared not his One Only dearest dear Son for thee to attone thy divided inimicitious Properties ransom thee from the Principle of Wrath exempt thee from the Eternal Dark Abyss free thee from the Hell of Hells thy exceeding sinfulness and to bring thee who wast a Devil inwardly and a Beast outwardly to be a Child among the Spirits of just men made perfect by his Mighty Salvation On the 18th Question and Answer Where is Heaven is it a local place c. 1. What a taking Travel were it to pass with and thro' Temporal Pleasures to Eternal Joy If so what throngs would resort by treading down the side banks to widen that narrow way But thou hast learnt O my Soul that the pleasing of the flesh is the Paradice of Fools consider thou therefore that it is abundantly sufficient advantage by passing through as many deaths as are days in thy Pilgrimage here and through as many horrid Hells to at last to step safely into our Fathers House How acceptable were the contemplation of Heaven if it were enough to entitle us to it without wetting a foot to sit on an easie Chair and take a prospect in the Holy Scriptures and other Books of what some Travellers thither have left on Record which will do the work when the viewing the World on a Card will entitle us to the Kingdoms of it 2. But because there are Legions of Lusts binding hand and foot there is much to be done and much help to be sought striving mortifying working crucifying fasting resigning patience lying low being often in the furnace And because there is a devouring Lion opposing maliciously there is need of great Faith constant strong Prayer and Watching Because also the Wisdom and Glory of this perishing World opposeth there is need to become Fools to be accounted the Off-scouring of it to pass through the Good and Evil without being impressed and swayed by either but in meekness blessing them that curse us praying for despiteful Persecutors and lying dead to present desirable things that thou maist be raised by the first Resurrection And now my Soul thou seest that Heaven is no empty speculation but entring is opening Heaven And the Lord Jesus who is the Heaven of Heavens in thee with a mighty Power utterly unconceivable to the top of Man's Wisdom and the acâ—test deepest search of all the unregenerate World and to the Children of the Resurrection known but as in a Glass darkly On the 19th Question and
Unctuosity of the Blood of the Heart which Oyl or Sap hath in it the Root of the whole Man as Tinder cast into Straw 6. But if the Light had kindled it self in the Birth of the Soul all the Fountain Spirits according to the right of the Deity had triumphantly United with the Deity and had been a living Angel but because the Wrath had already infected the Salitter that Danger was to be feared which befell Lucifer therefore the Extract whereof Man 's Body was made was not become Earth though it was of the Salitter of the Earth but was held by the Word till the Love-Spirit out of the Heart of God glanced on the Salitter of the Mass then did the Salitter become impregnated in the Centre of the Soul and the Light abode in the Centre of the Mass and the Word stood in the Mass in the Sound This Book was Written by J. B. in the Year 1612. Being his first Book It was taken from the Author and not finished but that Defect supplied in his other Writings Aurorae Finis THE Three Principles OF THE Divine Essence CHAP. I. Of the First Principle of the Divine Essence 1. THough God generateth the Essence of all Essences out of Himself for through Him and in Him are all things yet Evil is not God And though the first Principle be the earnest Fountain of Tartness and Cause of all Mobility yet if that be irradiated with Divine Light it is no more Wrath or Tartness but great Joy 2. Though also God hath no Beginning it is here set down as if he had to distinguish the first from the second Principle Although it cannot be said that Bitterness Sorrow or Hell Fire are in God for God made no Devil nor Death yet those things are in Nature and Nature originateth from God according to the first Principle of the Father whose is call'd Angry not in himself but in the Spirit of the Creature which hath enkindled it self and the Wrath of God burneth therein 3. God is the incomprehensible Infinite Spirit A Spirit doth ever nothing but ascend flow move and generate it self in a Threefold Form viz. Bitterness Harshness and Heat neither of which is the first or last for a Spirit is like a Will which rising up beholdeth perfecteth and generateth it self 4. Three things are in the Original whence all things came to be Sulphur Mercurius and Sal. In Sulphur is Soul or Spirit and Matter In Mercury is harshness Bitterness Fire and Water of which four Sal is the Child From harshness bitterness and fire in the first Principle come wo torment trembling and burning yet from those three is also generated Water But in the first Principle God is not called God but a devouring Fire CHAP. II. Of the first and second Principles what God and the Divine Nature is 1. THE Divine Essence cannot be expressed by the Tongue the Spiraculum vitae the Spirit of the Enlighten'd Soul seeth it for every Creature seeth no farther than to its own Mother whence it originated The Soul was breathed out of God's first Principle into the third Principle viz. into the Syderial and Elementary Birth it is not therefore marvellous that it should see the whole depth of the Father in the first Principle it so seeing only it self in its rising The Devils also see and know it they wish also they neither saw nor felt it but themselves shut themselves up from the second Principle 2. The Sydereal Spirit which cloatheth the Soul and the Elementary which ruleth the Foundation of the Blood see only into that whence themselves are But the Spirit of the Soul enlightned by the Holy Spirit of God seeth into the Holy Divine Birth the Heavenly Essence the second Principle This Door can be opened only by Prayer seeking and knocking 3. In the Syllable phur in Sulphur are signified the four Forms of harshness or astringency bitterness or attraction anguish and fire but in the Sul of Sulphur is the Soul or Spirit meant which when it attaineth the Light the fifth Form of Love springeth up the Bridegroom embraceth his sacred Bride 4. Hence by the Water Spirit in Mercurius ariseth the sixth Form or sound so are all in one Heavenly Harmony united in the Divine Nature yet every Form retains its own Property so that here existeth a cross Birth for the fire goeth upward the Water downward the Essences of the harshness sideways as it were East West North and South CHAP. III. Of the endless and innumerable Productions of the Eternal Nature 1. SUch as by reproach forbid a search what God is prosecute the Devil's deceit that it might not be known what the Anger of God is nor what the Devil is and what properly it is which God Abhors Ability is in Man to speak what God our Father is and what the Eternal working 2. Every of the six Forms generateth more for in every of the Fountain Spirits is but one Centre and each generateth more as out of one branch issue many springs and buds and out of one root many threads 3. Out of the harsh Spring proceed five Springs viz. Bitterness Fire Love Sound and Water and in their Co-operating through Anguish the Light and Life arise and the Anguish becomes in the sixfold Form a great Joy in a meer pleasing Tast delighting Sight reviving Smell ravishing Sound the softest Touch all unutterably Excellent So as if one were instantly snatcht out of the bitter Pangs of Death and Torments of Hell into the Triumphant Light of Divine Joy 4. For the Forms of harshness bitterness and fire being perfect in Love become totally Glorious and a Highest Joy and yet their various Properties remain all perfectly irradiated CHAP. IV. Of the Eternal Essence generating Infinity of Existencies 1. THE Eternal generating hath neither Beginning Number End Bottom nor is it Corrupted The Mind of the Sydereal and Elementary Spirit seeth only a glimpse of it which Mind is the Chariot of the Soul without which Mind the Soul were feeble and crâ—â—e in the first Principle but if the Soul be regenerated in the Light of God that Light is its lustre in the second Principle wherein it liveth Eternally 2. Man's Body was made out of the one Element the Quintessence whence also the four Elements Stars and Heaven of the third Principle were created But the Soul was breath'd by the Holy Ghost out of the Father's Light which Light being the Name of God is the Light of Life and enkindled out of the four Anguishes therefore is the Soul God's own Substance 3. If therefore the Soul elevate it self back into the Anguishes of the four Original Form into Priâ—e c. it become a Devil But if it elevate it self forward in the fifth Form of Light Meekâ—ess and lovely Humility it is fed by the Word the Heart of God and its own strong fierce Original becomes Paradisical a sweet Fountain of Eternal Songs of Praise â—t is an Angel a Child of
and Sorrow Meekness and Fierceness thus it is in the Father's Nature This twofold desiring in one substance are two Centres that to Meekness not severed from the other is the second or Son and is therefore call'd the Son because generated out of the Father's Nature call'd the Word because he is the Glance or Majesty of the Eternal Liberty call'd a Person because he is a Self-subsisting Essence not the Birth of Nature but the Life and Understanding of Nature and call'd the Heart of the Father because he is the Vertue and Power of the Centre of Nature as the Heart is in the Body and call'd the Light of the Father because he takes his Lustre out of the sharpness of the Eternal Nature and call'd wonderful for by him out of the Father's Essences are all things brought to Light the Father and Son are as Fire and Light 7. The Holy Ghost is the third the Breath or Noise is that which makes the Will manifest and the Heart also The Noise is the awakener of Life framer of the Sences or Reason and bringer of one Essence into another Thus the third Person is a Self-subsisting Essence going in triumph with the Essences the Father and manager of the Sword of Omnipotence the destroyer of Malice and Evil the opener of the Genitrix in the Darkness All which is thus shewed in Man his Body tho' it hath the Essences were senceless without the Spirit Again the Spirit is not the Understanding and Light it self for the Light is the blossom and originateth in the Tincture of the Fire and the Spirit is the blower up of the Fire CHAP. V. Of the Virgin the Wisdom of God and of the Angelical World and of the Holy Trinity 1. GOD is only One every where present the Mind therefore asketh if the Spirit goeth out from God whither goeth he seeing he remaineth in the mouth of God as a Spirit in a Body to which it is answered he goeth forth revealing God as in the seven Lamps and opening gradually the seven Seals but the seven Thunders being in the dark Matrix of Fierceness he hideth and â—ealeth not to be known till they are past and the whole Mystery of God's Kingdom opened by the seventh Angel And the Glassy Sea is the Water Spirit whence the Fiat made not only the outward Element of Water but every thing for in this seventh Form in great Holiness is the Father revealed in this Angelical World 2. Thus the Father's Will maketh the cause of Nature which is a Darkness consisting of the four first Forms to become seven and thence infinitely the seventh being their Body in this Earth for the Fathers Nature in the Wrath makes this Corporeal in which the Devil as Prince in the Wrath is called Prince of this World And the same is also in the deep of the Astral Wheel Just so is it also in the inward Holy World which is not severed from this but this severed by a Principle from that for there is no Angle where the inward World is not 3. The Angelical World of Love and humble Joy is the Sons and at the flash two Kingdoms sever Love and Wrath there is made the Cross with the two Centres as Light hath another Centre than Fire tho' not separated and on this Cross Birth is the Heart or Son of God generated from Eternity in Eternity at this Cross lie the Holy Children of the Virgin Image and in the Wisdom of the Serpent are the Children of this World The Holy Ghost goeth forth from the Father through the Son as the Air from Fire and Light revealing in the Angelical substantiality and this is meant by Ternarius Sanctus The highly Precious Gate for Man to consider of 4. The Wisdom of God is an Eternal Virgin of Purity in whom the Holy Ghost hath discovered the Image of Angels and of Man also of the third Principle she is the great secret Mystery which unapprehended goeth in the Powers and Anger of the Father opening the Wonders in the Forms and Seals of Nature Through her hath the Holy Ghost not only made Corporeal Existences out of both Matrixes of the substantiality but a limit to them where the seven Forms shall go into their Ether as after the six days Work or six Creations they enter the seventh being their Eternal Rest and the time of the seventh Seal and Trumpet yet both Mothers shall stand before the Trinity in the Eternal Figure for the glory of God's works of wonder 5. Tho' this Virgin be incorporeal yet is the Spirits Corporeity and Visibility her heavenly similitude is the Beauty and Lustre of all Fruits the Vertue of all Jewels and Vegetables she may be as the Tincture of the Holy Element wherein the Paradisical growing consisteth and the seven Forms as the holy delight of the Angels wrestle being a fulfilling of the will of every Life she is not circumscribed every Divine Creature as the Angels and holy Souls of men hath this Virgin in the Light of their Life in this we see the Majesty of the Deity We comprehend not the Trinity the Spirit of the Soul standing in the Divine Centre seeth it but imperfectly for the Soul is but out of one Form of Nature as there are several sorts of Angels yet can the Soul introduce it self into all forms the Trinity only is perfect God is manifest in a creaturely form in Angels and whole Angelical World for they are not out of the substantiality which is without understanding but out of the Centre of the seven Forms of the Eternal Nature out of each Form a Throne Angel and out of each Throne his Angel so was it a whole Dominion fell with Lucifer And the Dominions among Men which yet are all but Stewards originate here tho' a sort of proud Clergy would rule over them The Distinction between the Substantiality and the Element also between Paradice and Heaven 6. The Substantiality is in Heaven the Corporeity of the seven Spirits is call'd God's Body also the Body of our Regenerate Soul it is Christ's Body given us to eat in his Testament comprehensible to the Spirit of the Soul tho' not palpable to our outward sences yet in it self without understanding And the one Element doth lead the Principle in the Substantiality as a movable Life it is not the Spirit of God himself but the Spirit hath this Element as a â—ody 7. Heaven is call'd in the Meekness the Water Spirit and is the outward inclosure or Firmament parting the Principle and Paradice is the springing up out of the Essences through all Forms through the one Element through the Substantiality and through Heaven as the flourishing of a rich springing Rosy Garden and therefore was Adam therein that is in that Principle and also in this World The Gates of this World also the Language of Nature 8. All our knowledge of God is his own Revelation of himself for the Spirit of God hath imaged the Wisdom of God
Trinity was to have a total Similitude That longing awakened the Astringent Fiat That Desire hath drawn out of All into One a Similitude of Heaven this World and the Anger-World And as there is no Thing higher than the Soul so nothing can aâ—â—ihilate it being a Child of the Substance of all Substances Q. 4. What the Breathing in of the Soul is and when it is done A. 1. Every Spirit without a Body being unknown to it self desireth one for its Food and Habitation and the third Principle being created before the Soul as a Looking-glass of the Deity and generated materially out of the Eternal Wonders desired a material Similitude on the Soul and there did the outward Fiat Form an Image out of the Earth's Matrix a mixture consisting of Fire and Water 2. The Fiat of the Heavenly Matrix which did Create before the Earthy longed after the Soul and out of the Centre of the Word went forth the Fiat of the Word so was the third Principle created in the second The Virgin Wisdom clothed the Souls Spirit with Divine Flesh and the Heavenly Tincture made Heavenly Blood in the Water 3. Thus the inward Man stood in Heaven his glance in the Inward Eye was Majesty and understood the Language of God and the Angels viz. That of Nature And tho' he stood in the outward also yet knew not the outward by experience 4. Into this twofold Body Created on the sixth hour of the sixth day was the Royal Soul breathed in by the Holy Spirit into the Holy Man like an awakening of the Deity and the outward Spirit of the Stars and Elements breathed its Life through the Nostrils into the outward Heart also the quality of the fierce wrath pressed in with the original of the Soul so that the Soul could not continue to be Gods Image otherwise than in humble obedience Else could he not over-power two Principles the angry and outward which was generated out of the Anger And the Temptation was for Forty days signified by 1. Moses on the Mount Forty days when Israel stood not but made a Calf 2. The Spies Forty days searching the Land 3. Israel's being Forty years in the Wilderness 4. Elias Fasting Forty days 5. Christs being Forty days Tempted in the Wilderness 6. And being Forty hours in the Grave 7. Christs being Forty days on Earth before his Ascention 8. Israel's Forty Journeys in the Wilderness 9. Goliah's Forty days Challenge 10. Esau lived Forty years then took two Evil Wives which grieved Isaac and Rebekah all the days of their Lives Q. 5. How the Soul is peculiarly form'd and fashioned or framed A. 1. A Twig is like the Tree a Child like the Mother The Soul is like a round Globe ☉ ☉ ♓ the right Arm of the Cross signifieth the second Principle the Spirit The Left Arm signifieth the first Principle its Original Might and Power the upper part signifies its sproutinâ— through Anguish in the Fire The lower part its sinking the Water the Humility into Gods Majesty and be dead to its own will 2. The Soul in its first Principle hath the form of an Eye yet twofold wherein the Cross standeth unless it let the Devil into the Will viz. Pride and Covetousness if so it loseth the Cross. 3. In the second Principle it is a Spirit and a total intire Image such a one as the outward Man is 4. And in the third Principle it is a Looking-glass of the whole world the Potentiality of Heaven and Earth and all Properties of Creatures lye in it Q. 6. What the Ability or Potentiality of the Soul is A. The first power of the Soul is That if the will go strongly forward it is Faith And so can form another Image in the Spirit out of the Centre of Nature It can give the Body another form being Lord of the outward but that transmutation is not permanent because Adam did let in the Turba and this kind of power is call'd Nigromancy for the Body is Sulphur the Spirit of the Soul hath the Tincture But the Devil readily mixeth therein for it is the Abysses Wonder whereof he is Lord. 2. The second power of the Souls will is that the earnest will which otherwise is called faith can put the Spirit into another form If the Spirit were an Angel the will can make it a stubborn Devil Also if it be Devilish it can by sinking down in Humility under the Cross cast it self again into Gods Spirit 3. The third power of the Souls will or Spirit is that it hath power to enter into another Mans Marrow and Bones and if he be wicked can introduce the Turba into one who is not armed by Gods Spirit as do Sorcerers c. 4. The fourth power of the Souls will is that it hath power if it be Gods Child to lead Captive the Turba and pour it out on the House of the ungodly As Moses on Pharaoh and Elias did the Fire It can throw down Mountains break Rocks as far as the place is capable of the Turba having made the Anger stirring 5. The fifth power is that it can search out all wonders or works in Nature Arts Sciences c. So Moses commanded the Sea Joshua the Sun And if it be in God it can over-power the Devil Also can heal the Sick raise the Dead But not unless Gods Spirit stir it up having lost the exercise of its power by the Fall yet the Soul in its original is greatly powerful But only in that Principle into which it looketh or in which it standeth is its might Q. 7. Whether the Soul be Corporeal or not Corporeal A. The Soul is a Fire-Globe with a Fire-Eye and a Light-Eye The Tincture is a Spirit existing from the Fire and Light And is its Meekness out of which cometh Water which the Fire draweth to it self to allay its fierce quality turning that Water of Life into Sulphur according to the seven Spirits of Nature And that Mystery changeth it self into red from the Fire and into white from the Tincture the glance is from both so that the Life seeth it self out of which Reason and Thoughts exist The Blood is the House of the Soul The Tincture is its Body The pure Soul is not Corporeal but there groweth a Body in the Tincture not palpable or comprehensible to the outward but a Power Body Gods Body Christs Heavenly Flesh which he gives us in his Supper A Body the Turba cannot touch unfadeable comprized in nothing but in the noble precious Tincture Which being perished in Adam therefore God became Man and brought the Divine Image again into the Souls Tincture and we must now be Born again in Christ if we will see God Q. 8. In what manner the Soul cometh into Man or into the Body A. This Question is understood of propagation the Creation of the first Soul being shown before 'T is answered That Adam when fallen could not generate but in an
Deep one Power and Lustre receiveth the other The Deep with its Lustre is hidden but yet hath the power of the Sun in it 4. So Christ's Substantiality filleth Heaven and Paradise and swalloweth up the Earthiness also where it is received and obeyed 5. Thus Christ brought back what Adam lost and much more for the Word is every where become Man See the Extracts of the latter part of the 18th Chapter of the Three Principles The 2d Part being of Christ's Suffering Dying Death and Resurrection CHAP. I. Q. IS it said Was it not sufficient that God became Man why must he also die Could God no other way save Man What pleasure takes he in Death and Dying If God had by his Sons Death paid a Ransom for us why must we also die CHAP. V. Ver. 54. to the end Ans. 1. MAN had lost the Divine Substantiality and Angelical Property and imagined into the Out-birth viz. into the Earthy part was departed from the Divine Light into the Light of this World and captivated in the fierce Wrath of God which the Devil had kindled viz. the four first Forms according to which God calleth himself a consuming fire 2. The corrupted Out birth also had put a Body on him which it destroyed and swallowed up again in its essential fire 3. But being the Soul was breathed into Man out of the Holy Spirit of God out of the Eternal and so is an Angel 4. Therefore hath the Power of the Holy Light World the Heart of God resumed the same entring into the Human Essence which lay in the Anguish Chamber surrounded with Death and took to himself a Soul out of our Essence and our Mortal Life and introduced the Soul through Death through the earnest severe Fire of God the Father into the holy meek Light-World and so destroyed Death by bringing in Divine Substanâ—iality into the fierce Wrath of the Father the Centre of the Anguish-Chamber the Fire World in the Soul Christ being the right Centre of the Holy Trinity is with the out gone Holy Spirit the flaming Majesty the Light-World 5. And whosoever will possess the Light-World and be an Angel must enter in through the same path bear old Adams Cross go forth through the harâ—â—â— astringent stern and malignant corrupted Adamical Man and slay him and be born anew out of the Anxious Wheel 6. But seeing we were not able to do this Christ gave himself into the Centre of the fierce Wrath in the Soul brake and extinguished it with his Love So that now when we go out of our selves to the death of sin we come into the death of Christ the path he hath prepared for us and leads to his Resurrection whereby we ascend into his Arms the unshut Light-World which is also Abraham's bosom the Paradise wherein we were created our true dear native Country 7. It consisteth not in this that we think it enough to pourtray and represent what Christ hath done and suffered for us and tell of a Faith in that but that we daily and hourly fight and slay the Evil Adam as to his will and doings with resigned and resolved earnestness and then we enter into Christ's Death in our living Bodies put on his Life in us become impregnated with the Kingdom of Heaven Get on us Christ's Thorny Crown and still be accounted one that is not worthy to live on the Earth through all which we must faithfully proceed on knowing we must either be Angels or Devils 8. In this Death nothing dieth to or in us but only the Earthy Evil dead Adam whose will and life we have here continually destroyed This Enemy departeth from us into the Essential Fire into the four Elements and into the Mystery and must at the end be tryed through the Fire of God and then our Bodies and Works must be given us again through that Fire whatever the Earthy Mystery had swallowed up But not such an Evil one for the Fire of God devoureth the Evil but such a one as we here in anxiety have sought a Divine Spiritual Substance like the Wonders and Wisdom of God 9. Hypocritical Reason saith Christ hath done all for us we cannot It is right Christ hath done what we cannot do he hath broken Death and restored a new Life and is in Heaven But 't is not knowing but doing the Devils know but what availeth that we know if we remain without and enter not into Christ in the way and passage he hath made for us doing good for evil in truth and simplicty CHAP. VII Ver. 75. 1. IT is not enough to cry Lord give me a strong Faith in the Merits of thy Son he hath satisfied for my sins But I must enter into Christ's suffering and dying and be born a second time out of his Death become a Member in and with him Constantly crucifie the old Adam Always hang on Christ's Cross Become an obedient Child Tho' I plainly walk this way yet I have so evil a ghest in me that I still work too much evil must therefore continually strive and fight till I vanquish 2. Christ indeed hath in and for us broken Death and made way but what doth that comfort me unless I enter in that very way and path as a Pilgrim or Stranger here CHAP. IX CHrist's Sufferings c. 1. Men content them to participate of in the Lord's Supper v. 29. But his Divine Flesh and Blood is that which the wicked cannot participate of that is Sacramentally 2. They receive the four Elements in the Anger of God because they discern not the Lord's Body which is every where present in Heaven and Earth and is fed upon by the Heavenly Soul not as a sign as others dream not Spirit without Substance but the Substance of the Spirit Christ's Flesh which filleth the Light-World which the Word that became Man brought with it into the Virgin Mary and there became opened in its Flesh and Blood the assumed Human Essence 3. Yet was it at that very time while Christ lay in the Virgins Womb in Heaven in the one Element in all places It came not into Mary from many miles off but the Centre which Adam in God's Anger had shut up in death the Word of the Deity did unlock and bring in the Divine Substantiality not entring in but unshutting ingenerating and in this World exgenerating God and Man one person heavenly Substantiality and Virginity one only Man in Heaven and in this World See the latter part of the 18th Chapter of the three Principles The third part being of the Tree of Christian Faith CHAP. I. WHat Faith is 1. It is not our forcing the mind to belief of Articles which are the work of our Reason 2. But true Faith is one Spirit with God working in and with God is the might of God dwells in the liberty in God's Will inclined to his Love and Mercy is free from the fierce Wrath and Torment in Nature is not comprehended subsisteth in
then is the Mystery shew'd in various Figures 1. Seeing from the Eternal Nature all evil and good have proceeded by that it appears the one Property hath lusted and magically produced the other for Gods Spirit hath not predestinated the evil 2. And in the four Colours lye the great secresie viz. Blue Red Green and Yellow the White is Gods Colour which only subsisteth in the Fire The Black is only a Vail 3. So in Languages are first that of Nature then Hebrew Greek Latine and the fifth the Spirit of God the Opener of all Alphabets But the multiplicity of Speeches or Languages sprout and grow all against or contrary to the Tree 1. From what hath been written resulteth the Original of two Religions out of which Babel and Antichrist are generated In Heathens Jews and Christians The Heathen going forward out of themselves and their own seeking into the Magia of Multiplicity for outward Rule and Kingdoms tho' Gods free will rebuke them the Magus of the Multiplicity not comprehending the will of the Unity is an Idol and a Malignant Devourer for the will hath its Treasure in the Multiplicity because by Lucifer's Apostasie the Magia of Nature is eager after falshood 2. Hence spring Coveâ—ousness and Wars But those that went away from the seeking of Perdiâ—ion into the Light of Nature tho' they knew not God yet liv'd in puâ—ity the Spirit of the Liberty led those Children of the Free-will into the Mystery as may be seen by the Wisdom left behind them 3. Tâ—us also the Jews and Christians whose wills were poyson'd by their Covetous Magia while their Hands only are about the works of Gods Law do Crown the Whore Generate Antichrist and Build Babel 1. As there are two Magia's that of the Unity and that of the Multiplicity So there are two Magi in Man viz. The Spirit of God and that of Reason into which the Devil insinuates 2. Hereby may Man most clearly try himself to which of these is his longing But Man being Magical hath might by sincere earnestness to subdue his Starry Spirit by a temperate sober and quiet Life with continual giving up to the will of God and going out of the Influxes to evil Lusts and Passions which is effected not without great Toil fiery Tryals continual Sacrifice of the Fleshly Will and working in the Will of God To which the Lord help us Of the Divine Vision or Contemplation CHAP. I. Reason Because it seeth not God with the outward Eyes and observeth the Good and Vertuous go often afflicted to the Grave saith there is no God ANswer Reason is a Natural Life and hath a Natural Will yet proceedeth out of the Supernatural 1. It willeth evil and judgeth it self for it fearing a Judgment which it seeth not this is the reproof of the unseen and unapprehended God 2. When it suffereth wrong it hopeth for Rest in that which Created it 3. Thus God reproving the evil in the Conscience draweth the Sufferer by suffering to hate it self and the Natural Will and return that it may attain the Supernatural Life out of which it is gone forth Argument 2. 1. Seeing God is the beginning of all things why is opposition permitted and not the Good only to be in all Answer Contraries manifest contraries for were a thing only one without separability it would have no Motion Knowledge or Skill for one only thing hath nothing in it to make more than one only thing perceptible 2. And had not God who is one only substance and Will brought himself forth out of the Eternal Wisdom in the Temperature into Divisibility and that the same Life stood in strife how would his hidden Will be reveal'd to himself 3. The strife is in the departed sever'd wills going into infinite variety from one only Unity or Root The Mind as a Tree or Fountain is not broken but intire but the Exit of the Thoughts or Senses is it only that divides into evil or good as Twigs or drops Argument 3. What good ariseth from this that with the good there must be an evil Answer The evil opposite will causeth the good to press again after its Original 1. God so far as he is called God can Will nothing but himself and what he willeth floweth out from him as his Copy or Counterportraiture which is divided and compressed into substance 2. So also if Mans Mind did not flow forth it would have no Senses nor Thoughts nor know it self nor ought else 3. Now if in the Centres of the Thoughts representing the Mind there were only one will and no will contrary how would the Wonders of the Divine Wisdom be figur'd for the Mind is an Image of the Divine Revelation 4. From the strife of Contraries exist Substances thence also the will is caused to sink down from tormenting Anguish into the Eternal Rest its Original whence Exist Faith and Hope That Nature being unvoluntarily over-laden may be freed from Vanity into a clear Chrystalline Nature and then it will appear that Nature was subjected because the Eternal Power might introduce it self into Forms and Perception by Separation 5. Wisdom must be manifest through Folly and Eternal Stability be known in Mortality for the Mortal is only a Play Scene or Object of the right Life and the wise breaketh the folly dying to it and giveth its will to God tho' it be not deliver'd till it come to the Grave nor is the Mortal Body of the wise to be regarded for he that Buildeth on the Flesh shall of the Flesh Inherit Perdition CHAP. II. Argument I. Seeing the Mind and Senses or Thoughts is a beginning Natural Life subject to Corruption how may the Supersensual Divine Life be in this Life ANswer Tho' Mans Life is a Form of the Divine Will and it s Imaged Word yet by the Devil and Temporal Nature it is poysoned in its Earthy Image Now in three Principles The first according to its true Original in the Exit of Divine Knowledge which in the beginning was a Temperature or sensible working of the Divine Power a Paradise But the fierce wrath of the Devil drove it into Dissimilitude and Inequality wherein the Multiplicity strove against the Unity When this was done the Wisdom of God viz. his substantial Will or second Principle disappear'd 1. The Eternal Abyssal Will of the Life or cauâ—e of the Motion of the holy substance had perverted it self to Earthiness Gods Kingdom became as to it extinguished and the third Principle viz. that of the Constellations and four Eâ—ements took place making the Thoughts and Senses Earthy and the Body Gross and Bestial and the Life to seek rest in Mortality and to be its own God who by this domineering became foolish And when this fragil Kingdom breaketh as a Vapour the Life continueth as a Contrariety and becometh an unquenchable painful Fire in the dark Property 2. But the great Love of God instantly after the Apostacy came and still cometh to
irrecoverable Apostacy and of his Legions demonstrated 305. P. 385. The Devills present and future Prison 396. Composition of the Tâ—rrene Globe 429. The dear and Transcendent Heavens P. 432. Whence our Lord Jesus came and where also he now sitteth 438. Three Births of and in the Earth 441. P. 446. 456. 467. 471. 485. Man whereof made and what his Fall was What in Man the Devil hath access to 498. Strife of the 7 Spirits causeth Vegetation 500. Commixture of Good with Evil Demonstrated P. 533. 342. 555. The Ubiquity of the Trinity What the Deity is P. 568. Stars whence 570. Lucifer's Place at present Stars and for what P. 590. 594. What the Sun is 598. The Sun moves not the Earth rouls as do the Planets 606. 609. Saturn what 612. Venus what 617. The Ubiquity of the 7 Spirits of God from them came the 7 Planets P. 627. Man's Body 630. 637. Man's Body whereof made v. 56. Three Principles A Simile Or thus Ver. 34. Q. A. * See Chap. 18. of Mysterium Magnum What the Tincture is Tinctures Esences Heavenly Tincture * Ver. 12. What the Tincture is and doth Saturn Jupiter Mars Sol. The Exit of the Will by the sharp Fiat causeth the Essences Ver. 47. Illustrations by Similitudes The Cause of the Baptism with Water Why Children must be Baptized with the outward and inward Water v. 17. v. 22. * Mare v. 42. Ten Forms of Fire The Liberty Desire Attraction Flash Eter Nature Fire and Light Magia Turba Tincture Holy Ternary The Soul is a total Similitude of the Trinity or of all Devils The Souls need of Humility 1. The Souls Will can transform the Body 2. It can reform or deform the Spirit to Good or Evil. 3. It penetrateth the Bones of others 4. If in God it can pour the Turba on the ungodly 5. It can search Nature and work Wonders The pure Soul is not corporeal The Tincture is its Body which only can comprize Gods Body the Heavenly Flesh given in the Supper By propagation The Man soweth Soul the Woman Spirit The Elements the third Principle or Earthy Mystery Answered above It is the inward Fire in the inward Blood of the Heart The Spirit is in the Tincture By dying to Matter and self and by laying hold on the liberty of God it becomes enlightened * Viz. The Fire-Spirit It comes not pure but if the Parents be Vertuous it is Baptized with their Spirit They are not in Union for the sincere Soul is ashamed at the Imaginations the Turba insinuateth into the Body The contrariety is that the inward would be Lord as it ought to be and the outward would be Lord thâ— it ought not Verse 14. Lapis Philosophorum v. 22 23 24. Purgatory No Dying but only a Will of Dying The Heavenly Body of the Soul A zealous Prayer of a faithful Brother may help the weak faith of one hanging between Faith and Doubting * Masses viz. Souls Meals Three Conditions of Departed Souls 1. Those not yet in Heaven who by Earthy Concerns appear in the starry Spirit 2. Such as are free of all wherein is the Turba and appear to reveal good and profound Arts. 3. Such as are in Abrahams Bosom in Christ's heavenly Substantiality those none can stir Paradisical Eating Praises Knowledge of one another All in Paradise are Masculine Virgins The heavenly Flesh and Blood What and where Enoch is The restoration of the heavenly Virgin Image * Or regenerated Christ's Spirit The Christians renewed Spirit The Paradisical World The Trinity made the one Holy Element Out of it Angels Man not only out of it but out of the four Elements Male and Female Tinctures were in Adam The four over which he was to Rule over-powering the one the Tinctures were divided The Eternal Virgin reincorporated Ver. 37. Ver. 4. Self-resignation reduceth the Lifes fire into Liberty Ver. 8. Ver. 28. Holdeth the Truth in unrighteousness Adam's Soul opened the Fires Essences Christ opening the Lights Essences â—ed and clothed the soul with heavenly Flesh. Man was more fully a Similitude of â—he inward World than the Angels Strong Earthy Reason makes strong Resistance to Gods Spirit Matth. 12. 30. What it is not What it is What it doth The Great Mystery 1. Text. 2. Text. 3. Text. 4. Text. 5. Text. 6. Text. 7. Text. 8. Text. 9. Text. Rom. 5. 12 18. 1 Centre 2 Centre 3 Centre P. 35. 36. 39. 42. 48. P. 50. 51. 54. 57. 59. 60. NB. 29. 56. 67. NB. * The Devil v. 14 15 16. v. 67. * 56. Where and how to find God v. 76 v. 77 v. 78. * 41. * 37. God never willed nor can will Evil. v. 105. God according to the first Principle is called Angry Jealous or Zealous In the second Principle Mâ—rciful and Loving v. 20. v. 39 c. Three Hierarchies of Angels Lucifer gave himself into the third Principle v. 82. v. 64. v. 85. v. 95. v. 112. v. 116. Illustr 1. Illustr 2. Illustr 3. Illustr 4. Illustr 5. Illustr 6. Illustr 7. Illustr 8. Illustr 9. Illustr 10. Illustr 11. Illustr 12. Illustr 13 Illustr 14. The Soul's mouth eateth and drinketh Christ's Flesh and Blood as truly as the Plant the Sun's Vertue or the heated Iron the Fire Christs Paradisical Humanity presseth as Fire into Tinder The right Adamical Humanity is eaten and drunk by the Soul a ch 4 5. b ch 13 c. c ch 18 19. d ch 19 20. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. The following Instances are as so many Figures to point at the time Adam stood in the Proba Esau lived Forty years then took two Evil Wives Israel Forty years in the Wilderness Forty days searching the Land of Canaan Moses Forty days on the Mount Goliah's Forty days Challenging the Host of Israel Elias Fasted Forty days Christ Forty days Tempted And Forty hours in the Grave And Forty days after his Resurrection Ver. 26. Ver. 28. v. 42. Gen. 6. 1. * v. 5 6. Gen. 9. 20 21 22. Gen. 10. 24. v. 26. Ch. 11. v. 11. * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Dan. 11. * 1 Cor. 3. 6. * v. 66. Gen. 15. from v. 1. to v. 17. * John 2. 13 Gen. 18. Gen. 18. * Gen. 18. * ch 19. v. 1. Gen. 19. 15. v. 17. to 23. * Rev. 10. 27. * 2 Thess. 3. Gen. 21. 22. to 34. * Joh. 3. 17. * Ezek. 33. 11 * By himself 1 Cor. 5. 15. * Gen. 22. 3. * v. 4. * v. 6. * v. 7 8. Gen. 24. 2 3. * Gen. 24. v. 5. * v. 6. * v. 9. Gen. 24. v. 10. v. 11. v. 53. * v. 54. * v 61. to 67. Gen. 25. v. 11. * Gen. 25. 24 25 26. * Gen. 26. 32 33. Gen. 27. v. 35. * See the Extracts of the Book of the Incarnation Gen. 28. 14. Gen. 33. 1 2 3. Gen. 33. 5 6 7. Note The Blessed Author taking occasion at Mens false Iâ—ferencâ— from Gods saâ—ing Esau have I hated c. to conclude Goâ—s predetermining Mâ—n to Damnation doth fundamentally discuss that great Mystery from the 22d to the 68th verse of this Chapter so convincingly and yet as plainly as so profound a subject will admit But because it is treated of in a select Volume call'd Predestination beginning p. 369. of this I refer this place thither Gen. 33. 〈◊〉 13 14. * Vide p. 369 c. of this Book of Extracts Gen. 36. * Hebrew Montanus Gen. 37. 6. * Gen. 38. 1 to 10. * Gen. 38. 11 * v. 18 19. * Gen. 38. 27 28 29 30. Gen. 39. 7 8 9 10. Gen. 39. 11 12 13 14 15. Gen. 41. 1 to â— * Gen. 41. 14 15 16. Gen. 42. Gen. 43. Gen. 44. 7 8 9 10. Gen. 44. 11 12 13. v. 14 15 16 17. Gen. 45. 1 2 3. Gen. 45. 11 12 13 14 15. Gen. 46. 28 29 30. Gen. 46. 31 32 33 34. Gen. 47. 1 2 3 4 5 6. Gen. 47. 13 14 15 16 17. v. 18 19. v. 20 21 22. v. 23 24 25 26. Gen. 48. 17. Gen. 50. 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 Ep. Paul 1 Cor. 2. 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Depths of God King Charles the First his Opinion of Jacob Behmen Text. The Seven Fountain Spirits The Three Principles