again R. Forasmuch as according to Scripture-indication Psal. 90. 4. 2 Pet. 3. 8. One day is with the Lord as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day and whereas the World was created in seven days whereof each consists of a thousand years it follows clearly that the whole Age of this World doth reach to seven thousand years of which six thousand are the six work-work-days but the seventh thousand of years is the day of Rest or Sabbath of this World which is the reason why God commanded the day of Rest to be observed and the seventh day to be sanctified to the end that in the six days we might end all our works and offer them up to God for to enjoy a Rest the seventh day in order to a new week 23 Q. Forasmuch as heretofore mention hath been made of the continual Revolution of the Sun Moon and Stars and that without ceasing they give out and take in again the Query is Whether this might not somewhat more clearly be represented and held forth to the Reader R. That this indeed is so may be further cleared by this Example that man perceives and experienceth in all visible and living Creatures not one excepted and particularly in himself a natural hunger he hath continually to draw something into him as to take in the Air and Food for his support and maintenance and to restore and fill up what continually he gives forth from him And in like manner it happens also in the Great World for Man who is the Little World must have the self-same Life and Being in him as hath the Great World because he hath all the parts of it in him and is united with the same CHAP. II. Concerning the Air. 1 Q. COncerning the Lights of Heaven their Working and Revolution some Propositions have already been laid down as also that the Great and Little World do relate to each other and stand in harmony and agreement Now we see that Man the Little World hath a body which in all its parts is perfectly united the Query therefore is How we may come to see and know the like perfect Union in all and every part of the Great World which there is between the members of one body For seeing that the heavenly Lights do onely touch one another with their Rays by means of which they work with and upon one another and are no otherwise united with the lower parts of the Great World their fellow-members than by the influence and darting down of their Rays how can they be said to make up one onely Body together with the other parts of the Macrocosm And what a strange kind of body must that be in which we find so great a distance between the upper parts of it and this Earth R. We do see indeed that the Air interposeth between the upper and these lower parts of the World in which Air the Birds do flie who likewise are a part of the body of this Great World And this Air is not a Nothing nor an empty space but it is likewise a member of and in the body of this World and hath an essential body of its own which admits of being weighed as may be seen in my Alphabet of Nature printed at Sultzbach 1657. pag. 49. where the same is demonstrated 2 Q. When therefore in manner as is there expressed we by force separate a part of the Air from the rest of its body and so weigh it being shut up in a Glass what then is that other Essence which stays behind and from which the part we weigh is separated is that a vacuum or empty thing in which neither life nor activity is left R. No it is not an empty Being or without any virtue or power but rather the most powerful and virtuous of all for whereas the force of other things is earthly and tends downwards this continually tends and carries upwards and consequently is more spiritual and heavenly For we â—ee that when an ounce of Air is with violence drawn out of the Glass Vessel and separated from the other remaining Air it then endeavours with greater force and strength to make up again the defect of this separation and division of its parts forasmuch as it hath been found by experience that the remaining Air hath attracted twenty two measures of Water instead of the Air which was drawn out from it so as it hath left no room or void space remaining in the Glass From whence we find that this subtile spiritual Essence can unite it self to the Water and dwell in it without increasing the bulk of it Of this spiritual Being the Weather-glasses are made which represent to us the changes of the Weather and Air. So that we may perceive even by the eye what a great Regiment there is in this spiritual Being or Essence of the Air which is indeed the vigour and strength of the Macrocosm 3 Q. What doth this spiritual Being which is called the spiritual vigour and strength of the Macrocosm work or effect in the Air R. Even as in the Microcosm there be many continual Revolutions of various sorts of water and bloud and that according to what shall be shewed hereafter when we shall treat concerning the Microcosm the flesh and sinews take their original from the bones as also several living humours and winds salt and sulphurous essences c. In like manner in the Great World this vigour and strength in the Air which are as the spiritual strength of the Macrocosm do cause many and various Revolutions in the Air streams and drivings of the Clouds and Winds and several sorts of Thunder and Lightning c. 4 Q. What kind of operation doth this spiritual Being in the Air perform in Thunder and Lightning R. The Thunder and Lightning which smell like Brimstone and Gunpowder have their own proper and peculiar nature and working Thus in the month of May we have little kind of Thunders which in Hebrew are called Ramses which promote the fruitfulness of the Earth so that not onely by the Rain which follows upon the said Thunder but also by the change of the Air which then happens the Earth is made fruitful And therefore we read Gen. 47. v. 11. that the best part of the Land of Egypt where Joseph placed his Father and Brethren was called Ramses Now that the Thunder hath its peculiar working may be partly perceived from hence that at the time when it thunders Beer Milk c. turn sower in the Cellars and some that are troubled with the Gout fell their pains much increased So that we find that the Thunder doth everywhere introduce corruption and putrefaction yea and in the Earth also in order to a new Life or Generation And as hath been before said concerning this spiritual Essence in the Air that it can pierce through the water and unite it self through the same so we may likewise perceive the same in other Bodies how that it pierceth them
the body of the Great World Now the Spirit of the Great World it dwells and rules in this Stone when now this Stone dies or consumes it doth not therefore go to nothing but by the means of a new birth and multifarious changes the same is reduced to a sort of Earth and that Earth in which the said Spirit is still working on towards perfection when it dies also it brings forth by means of another new birth divers Herbs Trees and creeping Things which when they are fed upon by Animals or to speak more particularly by man for his sustenance they are by means of the digestion performed in his stomach in which his vital specifick powers doth over-rule and operate transmuted into his Essence even into his Flesh and Bloud And all these changes are superintended and governed by the same Spirit which by means of those vicissitudes and alterations doth advance and carry on its own multiplication and glorification And this Dominion and Rule which the universal Spirit of the World hath as a Mother over the Creatures as over her Children doth continue so long in every Creature as the same like a member or part of this World is fastened to and united with it as a Child to its Mother whilst yet in the Womb but when it is born out of the Mother and hath attained to its perfection so as to be able to rule it self then it begins to work for it self and doth not stand in need to be ruled by its Mother for itself is now become that what the Mother was before And this is the joy and glory of the Mother that she now sees her self living in her Child 20 Q. Since then there is in manner as hath been said a never-ceasing Revolution of whole Nature as if it were a living Clock-work bounded within a certain beginning and end in which the whole Age of the World consists and wherein the same must work out it self until its total perfection and Sabbath this Query seems to be necessary in this place viz. Whether there be not a sure way by which we may come to know and understand the true and right order of this Clock-work even the end and beginning of the same and that from the present point of time wherein we live And whether there can be any other way than the course and revolution of the Sun Moon and Stars which were created in the midst of the seven days of the Creation viz. on the fourth day R. Yea verily the Creator of this beautiful World who is the Master of this Clock-work hath pointed us to and given us such a way by means of which we may know when this Clock-work will have accomplished its Period or when this World which comprehends in it self all the Wheels of this Clock-work will have wholly wrought out it self to its own perfection in one onely harmony as well above as below in order to the attaining of her proper exaltation and glorification Now this way is to be considered in a twofold manner First in Man the Microcosm for seeing he is a Member or rather the very Center of the Great World in whom all the parts of it concurre and meet together it is not at all to be doubted but that if man could dive so deep into himself he would no less perceive and understand the same than heretofore some few holy men have found and perceived it But because this way at present is unknown to the greatest part of men in as much as they are too far fallen into the outward obscurity of this World and are become lost therein therefore the Creator doth likewise set it continually before man in the Macrocosm that by the outward beholding thereof he might be stirr'd up to enter into himself for to find and know that which is no less in the Microcosm than in the Macrocosm 21 Q. Seeing then that this forementioned knowledge of the great Clock-work of this World must be gathered from the course of the Sun Moon and Stars and that the total Period of the Age of this World is far greater than that it can be measured by the course of the Sun and Moon alone forasmuch as the Sun partly compleats his course in one day through the twelve hours of it according to what our Saviour saith John 11. 9. Are there not twelve hours in the day and partly also in a year through the twelve Signes of the Zodiack And as for the Moon she finisheth her course in a month or twenty eight days accordingly as we find by experience that by virtue of this circumvolution of the Moon with sound and understanding people the same working thoughts which they have had before but not wholly wrought them out do return upon them at the same time when the Moon comes to that point in her Revolution where she was when they had them before But it is not so perceived with Fools and Lunaticks inasmuch as they are so inamour'd of the Image once born in them out of the lunar waters that they will not easily let it go again and in freedom or unconcernedly work it out wherefore also they are by means of the said Image subjected to the dominion of the Moon whereas otherwise they ought and might rule over their Moon and its Image Is it not therefore necessary that the whole period of the Age of this World should be reckoned and measured by a greater Clock-work consisting of greater wheels and which make a longer motion or circumvolution and forasmuch as there is no other remaining but the course and circumvolution of the other Planets must not they make far greater hours days and years than the Sun and Moon do R. Yes certainly for according to the common received Opinion of Astronomers the Circles of the other Planets viz. Saturn Jupiter Mars Venus and Mercury are so great that some of the highest of them take up several common years in pâ—â—forming one of their Revolutions Now the right circumvolution of these by which the whole Age of the World may be defined determined reckoned and measured as being commensurate to its total duration is this when the Planets all in general and every one of them in particular hath so finished his Course as that after he hath perfectly wrought out his whole circumference he returns again to the self-same point in which he stood at his creation and from whence he at first set out so as all the Planets in this state and at this juncture of time become perfectly united together after that every one of them by means of his foregoing conjunctions with them all hath wrought out a total perfect World according to his measure and is made partaker of the Essences of all the rest 22 Q. In how long time is this perfect Circumvolution and Out-birth of all and every Planet accomplished And how many Revolutions must they perform before their finishing of this universal Revolution when all of them shall be united together
is still drawn in yet so as that a certain part of this first attracted and wrought-out air remains in the Belly which serves to the necessary strengthening and maintaining 〈◊〉 Life And may not we from all this in part understand that in the Little World the Body 〈◊〉 Man as well as in the Great World there is a continual Revolution without ceasing 19 Q. Do not we in like manner perceive this continual Revolution of the Air in the Body of Man and the Communication of the same from the Belly to all parts of the Body and that by means of the same the Life of man is without ceasing fed and maintained in this instance That when in aged Persons and sometimes young who by over-hard labour have already given forth their Life and Strength this Revolution comes to be weakened and draws to a period the Dropsie follows upon it because the living power and virtue in the Air can no more be taken in by that party and that consequently the Night and Moon as the Lady of Water gets the upper hand And thus the Water takes up its residence in the hollow of the Body where the Air before had its abode and from thence pours forth itself into the Legs and Feet where the Air bore sway before And upon this account it is that the Dropsie proves incurable when it seizeth persons in whom this revolutional power of Life is wholly lost either by reason of old age or over-hard labour or long-continued sickness 20 Q. May not we further perceive of how great concern this Revolution of the Air in the Body of Man is from hence that when the Dropsie is onely caused by some obstruction or disorder by means of which this Revolution is hindred and that the Life be not wholly wasted then it may be cured as is known by experience that many who have had life enough and by the help of Medicines have had this disorder appeased and reduced have been perfectly cured of this sickness and that by different ways in case the Disease have not yet taken an entire possession of man so as to rule over him 1. It hath been found by experience that Opium prepared in manner here specified hath proved very successful in the cure of this Distemper Take one pound of Opium to eight pounds of the Juice of Quinces with other Spices or Drugs that shall be thought fit digest and ferment these together the space of three weeks whereby it is spiritualized and made more fit for due operation the press it out and boyl it to a thick consistence and give the Patient daily of this six seven eight nine ten grains or more with regard had to his strength as well as the strength of the Opium in some warm Vehicle taking care that he be kept warm in Bed This I say is an experienced Cure of this Distemper for it makes the Patient to sweat and opens the obstructed hidden passages In like manner for cure of the Quartan Ague which is nothing else but a bare custom left by the Agues going before whereby Nature doth as it were return back from a Tertian to a Quartan in which case we give some grains of this prepared Opium upon the first invasion of the Paroxysm in some warm Vehicle and then compose the Patient to sweat in a Bed and repeat this if need be nine or ten times until the Patient do mend and be restored by which means many have been recovered The same likewise is commonly of great use in all those Diseases which proceed from an ebullition of the Bloud or from a contrariety aversion risen in Nature such as are the Cholick Gripes Bloudy Flux Pleurisie c. for to bring Nature to rest and quiet again but in cases where Vomits are necessary as in foulness of the stomach or Palsey this Opiate must not be given 2. Toads cut up in the midst and their intrails taken out and afterwards dried and beaten to powder with a like quantity of Sugar give the Patient a thimble full of this Powder fasting in Wine and it will strongly drive forth the water of the Dropsie by Urine 3. Where it is yet seasonable and the sick party is not wholly over-powered by the Disease the vulnerary Herb called Asclepias or Wince-toxicum taken inwardly every day is very good and profitable in this case Another means serviceable in the curing of this Disease hath already been set down in the former part of this Treatise to which we remit the curious Reader 21 Q. Forasmuch then as we do perceive that the Great and Lesser World do stand in an harmony and agreement together and that the Moon and Stars do continually produce water and bear rule in the same and that the Sun continually works in the said waters in order to the perfecting of them in that he makes a fiery water by which means a perfect Revolution is brought about And do not we find that the same thing happens also in Man the Little World so that his Moon and Stars continually generate a water in him and bear rule in the same And whenever this Revolution doth not happen so that the light of the Sun cannot work orderly in the said waters doth not then the nature of the Nocturnal Light get the dominion And forasmuch as the same doth continually produce water and that the said water cannot circulate for want of the light of the Sun must not then this standing water of necessity produce the Dropsie And according to this Hypothesis can the cure of the Dropsie consist in ought else but in appeasing of the disturbed solar life by which means the Sun being again duly united with the waters doth reduce the waters to their former out-working subtilty and life seeing that the light of the Sun Moon and Stars which pierceth through all bodies how hard soever they may be doth again open the hidden spiritual passages that were obstructed which are far more subtile and minute than to be perceived by any Anatomist or the outward eyes of any man whatsoever and through the said opened passages it afterwards by means of the Air drives forth that water by Sweat Urine and Stool But when for want of knowledge of a true Medicine they tap the Patient and by making an Incision in his body let out the water in cases where the said Disease is come to such an height that by reason of the weakness of Nature the Physicians cannot any other way cure the same all at once through unskilfulness and want of experience how can it be otherwise but that sudden death must needs follow because the life which is yet in the said water and cannot in this way be separated from it is let out together with the water In like manner also when some unexperienced Physicians mistake the Tympanites or Wind-Dropsie for the Water-Dropsie and according to this imagination of theirs make an Incision in order to the letting out of the supposed water and
us to and was by all the Jews and Disciples of Christ at the time of his appearance here on Earth held for an undoubted truth As for instance John 9. where mention is made of him who was born blind and that the Disciples on that occasion asked our Saviour Whether this blind man had sinned or his Parents that he was born blind Where we find that Christ did not reprove his Disciples for this their opinion of mans Soul returning into another renewed body but onely answers them without excepting against their opinion and signifies to them the true reason why the said blind man was born blind by which means he tacitly confirmed the foresaid Doctrine which afterwards he himself also openly taught as shall be more largely shewed hereafter And seeing that we read in the Old Testament of so many Manslaughters committed by the express command of God and yet that God by reason of his infinite goodness and wisdom neither doth nor can do ought in his universal administration and government of the World but what must tend to the inevitable salvation and good of mankind forasmuch as according to Scripture he hath mercy upon all because he hath power over all and winketh at the sins of men because they should amend For he loveth all the things that are and hateth nothing that he hath made for neither would he have made any thing if he had hated it Or how could any thing have endured if it had not been his will Or how could it have been preserved if not called by him But he spareth all because they are his own who is the Lover of Souls and his incorruptible spirit is in all things Wisd. 11. v. 24 25 c. From all which we may take occasion to enquire what the end and aim of God in order to the common good of all mankind could be in all this killing and utter destroying of People but this that thereby a transplantation in this way of Revolution for the melioration and final perfection of men might be brought about Wherefore also God in Paradise foretold to Adam That the day wherein he did eat of the Tree of knowledge of Good and Evil dying he should die that is die and die again Thereby signifying to him that he should then enter upon a continual and uncessant dying and die in all his right Off-spring until the great Sabbath of this World And may we not here take occasion to consider whether this be not one of the chief points of Scripture and wherein is contained a singular great mystery of that Wisdom which hitherto hath been concealed and hid from the most in Europe And whether our ignorance of the same be not the cause of most of that Confusion and Contention which is amongst those who are called Christians as for instance about Praedestination Justification c. And whether all these Differences and Contests may not be taken out of the way by this Doctrine of Revolution when once the same shall be clearly made out and generally received 3. Q. Forasmuch as the Scripture makes mention of Cain and Abel who were Brethren and Twins as the Scripture witnesseth Gen. 4. 1 2. where it is said that Adam knew Eve his wife and she conceived and bear Cain and that she proceeded to bear without Adam's knowing of her a second time his brother Abel Which confirms that both the Brothers were born of one onely Conception of whom Abel who was born last was the elder and first conceived even as Thamar's Midwife witnessed concerning Pharez and Zarah Gen. 38. 28. And likewise is the reason why we cannot say that Jacob did unjustly defraud his Brother Esau of his Birth-right forasmuch as the same did of right belong to him as having been first conceived though he was born last Seeing then I say that the Scripture tells us that Cain killed his Brother Abel and that the Lord thereupon demanded of Cain where his Brother Abel was It is not worth our inquiry whether the Lord by this demand did not hint and signifie to him that his Brother Abel was in him which Cain at first was ignorant of and therefore answered the Lord I know not but presently thereupon call'd to mind and perceiv'd that he himself was the Earth that had received the bloud of his Brother wherein was his Soul Whereat he being astonished answered with wonder and horrour Am I then become my Brothers keeper Gen. 4. 9. May not we therefore conclude from hence that when a man in anger kills another outwardly as to his Body that he doth it for this reason because he cannot endure the being and nature of the other inwardly in himself and yet because he cannot kill him inwardly according to his Soul therefore the Party that is outwardly kill'd continues inwardly to be his Accuser and Judge to the end that by means of a due punishment he may be brought to right and bettered And that thus Abel's Bloud in which his Soul was continually cried for Vengeance in Cain until it was executed which was when Cain was killed by Lamech who was the seventh from Adam in the Line of Cain according to the common Opinion of the Jews 4 Q. Seeing that the foresaid Lamech was the first that is mentioned in Scripture who had two Wives at once and that he declared unto them the Revolution of Man in the words set down in Scripture it will not be amiss if we enquire more particularly into the meaning of them The words are these Gen. 4. 23. Hear my voice ye wives of Lamech and hearken unto my speech I have stain a man to my own wounding and a young man to my own hurt Cain shall be avenged seven times but Lamech seventy seven times Which last words in the Hebrew admit of a twofold meaning for besides seventy seven they may signifie twice seven or seven and seven Concerning which the Jews write that thereby is intimated that Cain should be brought to judgment by a double seven or two times seven viz. by two men each of which have seven names in Holy Writ of which the one was Moses and the other Jethro See more of this in Rabbi Jitschak Loriensis de Revolutione animarum p. 367. Francofurti 1684. Now when we count twenty years which more or less is the age of a man wherein he ordinarily attains his full growth for to Marry or go to War wherefore the Lord commanded Moses to number those of the children of Israel that were of the age of twenty years and upward that were able to go forth to war Numb 1. 2 3. and to these twenty years allow one year more for the getting of a Child and moreover some weeks for the wives purification which will amount to about a year and an half and when afterwards we multiply 77 by 21 1 2 we shall find the number of years from Adam to the Deluge viz. 1656. excepting onely a small gap which may be filled up several
ways as for example when a man is onely entred upon the beginning of any year he counts the same inclusively with the other years of his age notwithstanding that the said year be not yet ended but onely begun Have not we reason then to think that a very particular hidden meaning lies wrapt up in these words of Lamech and whether they may not import thus much when he saith I have stain a man to my wounding and a young man to my hurt that by the man Cain is to be understood and by the young man his Brother Abel And will not this interpretation lay a fair ground for the opening of many other misteries in a due and right order As amongst other things we learn from hence that both the Brothers Cain and Abel did from the time of their conception until Cain was killed inseparably continue together viz. Abel in Cain for his vengeance and punishment But that after Cain was killed they no longer continued Twins but separated themselves from each other and by Revolution were afterwards born of two distinct Mothers Where again we may observe that Abel who was the first conceived in Eve now became the first-born of Ada and was now named Jabal and his Brother Jubal which denotes the year of Jubile and continnes now his former course of life being a keeper of Cattle as he was before whereas Cain who was the first-born of Eve is here the youngest Son of Zillah and his name now is Tubal Cain which signifies the world of Cain and his exercise and labour is in the earth viz. about Minerals and Metals and his Sister is Naëmah which denotes Beauty of whom no further mention is made in Scripture but according to the common tradition of the Jews she and her Daughters did intice and seduce all men by their Beauty according to what is mentioned Gen. 6. 1. That the Sons of God were inticed by the Daughters of men But what may be the reason that in Holy Writ after the mentioning of Lamech's Speech to his Wives nothing further is declared concerning his being avenged nor any account of the Actions of Cain or Lamech's posterity May not we suppose that it was because they were all of them entred upon Revolution For how could they any other way have been so often avenged except that they themselves were present and born anew into this World And did not all of them afterwards perish in the Deluge and by this means enter into Noah for to be revolved in him in order to their perfection which they in process of time after Christs Resurrection according to Gods wise and good Disposal in part attained And is not this plain and evident from many places of Scripture particularly 1 Pet. 3. 19 20. where we are told that Christ as the Greek Text doth declare compared with v. 22. after his Ascension into Heaven preached in Spirit by which he was raised again to Life to the Spirits in Prison even to the same Spirits who formerly were unbelieving in the days of Noah while the Ark was a preparing wherein few that is eight Souls were saved Doth it not therefore follow from hence that all those Spirits whose Bodies perished in the Deluge and to whom afterwards Christ after his Ascension in that Spirit by which he was raised again to life and which was poured forth upon the Apostles preached in and by them which Spirits at that time appeared again in bodies in this world from the which they could not be separated forasmuch as they had not yet attained to their full and final perfection and consequently were in a condition to hear the Sermons of the Apostles in flesh I say may we not infer from hence that all these Spirits entred into these eight Souls in order to their Revolution and so consequently were propagated by them until the time of Christ 5 Q. Noah now as who derived his descent from Adam and Seth was an upright perfect man and begat three sons Japhet Sem and Cham Gen. 9. 24. and Chap. 10. 21. And may not we suppose that in him a new World began and that the same day he entred into the Ark for to bring forth a new World he represented the Spirit of God which in the beginning of the Creation moved upon the Waters And may we not compare the six hundredth year of Noah's age in which he entred into the Ark with the sixth day of the Creation in which Man and all Beasts were created In like manner may not Cham his youngest Son be supposed to represent Adam forasmuch as Adam in his Central Spirit in the Garden of Eden by his eating of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil desired through Knowledge which is a seeing of the Spirit to behold his Source and Original by which means Adam fell out of the inner into the outward and so begat Seth in his own likeness and not in the Image of God in which he was created Now Cham did the same also though in a more gross and material manner when he gazed upon his Fathers nakedness wherefore also he was cursed by his Father and made a Servant of Servants whereas his other two Brothers Japhet and Sem went backwards with a Garment upon their shoulders to cover their Fathers nakedness whereupon they obtained the Blessing as Adam likewise might have done in case he had behaved himself as they did which indeed he ought to have done in his Central Spirit viz. he should have gone backwards and wrought out the whole Creation which was created before him and of which â—he was the last viz. from the sixth day to the third which is the middle of the six days and not have gone from one extreme to the other as from the End to the Beginning viz. from Man immediately to the Trees but beginning from himself should have gone through all Beasts backwards and wrought them out one after another and glorified them in himself unto the very last of them counting backwards which are the creeping things as the first bestial Life which had their Original from the putrefaction of Herbs and Trees Is not this likewise the reason why the spiritual Serpent as being the head and chief amongst all the spiritual creeping Creatures in the spiritual World of Man did first speak in Adam 6 Q. When after the Deluge the Children of Noah who were saved in the Ark and in whom all the Souls that lived before the Deluge except Henoch alone whom the Scripture exempts and perished in it were ingrafted had now propagated and multiplied themselves until the number of their Children and Grand-children was grown very great and perceived in themselves one Mindâ— Speech and Expression but withal considering that this unity of theirs could not be lasting and constant but that in process of time they would be divided May we not suppose therefore that from an apprehension of such a Division and aâ— endeavour to prevent the same when in their