so that Adam lusted 94. But because he beguiled Adam and Eve with his Sugar therefore God hath prepared such a dwelling house for him as Adam lets forth from the Å¿ From the earthly voluptuousnesse and dainty delicacies the Dung. earthly Sugar at the nethermost Exit and that shall be left for him at the corruption of the Earth when it goeth into its Ether and then that pleasant smell of the stinck of sinne and abominations in the kingdome of the fierce wrath shall remaine for him and that Sugar he shall eate Eternally and frame his will continually therein to get other Sugar in the t Or Oven furnace of the fire and then he may make that ready for him as may best sute with his pallat at which he quaketh and trembleth when he heareth the Spirit declare such things and hereby it is also signified to all the ungodly that they shall also eate the same Sugar Eternally which they have continually baked here with their blaspheming cursing covetousnesse scorne backbiting thorny-taunting murthering robbing and taking the sweat of the needy and miserable to maintaine their haughty stately Pride 95. And now when these two thus captivated by the Devill and this world stood before God with feare and great horrour and felt the anger of God and the severe Judgement then the Heart of God which had made them pittied them and it u Appeare or discover it self to see did look whether there were any remedy or counsell that might help poor Man and redeeme or deliver him from the Bands of the Eternall fiercenesse or wrath and from the mortall body of this world but there was nothing found neither in Heaven nor in this world that could make them free there was no Principality or Throne-Angel which had the ability to doe it all was lost they were in the Eternall Judgement of the Temporall and Eternall Death For the first Principle had captivated them in the Spirit of the soule and qualified or mingled with the soule the Kingdome of Heaven in the Light was shut up and there was a firme enclosure of a whole Principle between and x The soule it could not reach the kingdome of Heaven againe except that it were borne of God againe otherwise there was no counsell nor help nor refuge in any thing at all 96. Then the Devill mocked the Image and Hell opened its jawes wide and had the bridle in their Essences and continually drew them therewith towards the hellish fire of the fierce wrath and then there was trembling and horrour in the minde and they could not reach the love of God Heaven was their Enemy no Angel came neere them but the horrible Devills they shewed themselves and hooped crying Ho ho wee have gotten the Game wee are Princes over Men wee will torment them soundly because they would have possessed our Throne wee should have been their footstoole and now wee are their Judges what care wee for God he dwelleth not in our kingdome wherefore hath he thrust us out wee will be sure to wreake our spleene upon his Image The most pleasant and most lovely Gate or Exposition of the promise of the Treader upon the Serpent highly to be considered 97. Now when no counsell or remedy was found and that Man was sunk downe into Hell to the great Triumph of the Devills then said God to the Serpent the Devill Because thou hast done thus be thou cursed and the seede of the Woman shall tread upon or break thy Head and thou shalt bruise or y Or sting wound his Heele at which the Abysse of Hell did quake and tremble but the Devill understood not wholly what that should be onely he saw that the word imagined or represented it selfe in Adam and in Eve in the Centre of Life and that it opposed the fiercenesse of the kingdome of Hell of which he stood in feare and his jollity was lessened for he did nor relish that 98. Moses writeth here as if the Serpent had beguiled Eve because God cursed it and said That it should eate Earth and creepe upon its belly but Moses here putteth the vayle before our eyes that he cannot be looked in the Face for all Prophecies stand in dark words that the Devill may not know nor apprehend them and learne the Times and that he may not strow his false seede before the wonders of God appeare as may be seene in all the Prophets who prophesied of the Treader upon the Serpent 99. Wee know that the Devill slipt into the Serpent and spake out of the Serpent for God did not meane by it that the Treader upon the Serpent should tread upon the head of the beastiall Serpent but that he should destroy the Devill and the Abysse of Hell But that was the Punishment of the Beastiall Serpent that it should remaine a poysonous Worme without feete and eate Earth and have communion with the Devill for so all Evill Spirits in Hell appeare in their owne forme according to their source or quality as Serpents Dragons horrible Wormes and evill Beasts 100. This now the Devill did not understand because God spake of the Serpent and cursed it to be a horrible Worme and he supposed that it did not concerne him neither doth he yet know his own judgement he knoweth onely what he learneth from Men that doe z Or Prophesie declare things in the Spirit of God yet the Spirit of God doth not wholly intimate his Judgement to him but all in the Depth afarre off so that he cannot wholly understand it For to the enlightened Men all Prophesies even concerning the wickednesse of Men are thus given and they dare not set them downe clearer that the Devill may not wholly learne the Counsell of God and strow his Sugar upon it though in this place there are very excellent things that ought not to be revealed to the world for they remaine till the Judgement of God that the Devill may bring no new sects into it and lead men into doubt and therefore they shall be passed over till the time of the Lilly 101. So now when wee consider the great love and mercifulnesse in that he hath turned to Man wee finde cause enough to write and teach these a Matters or wonderous works and deeds things for it concerneth our eternall Salvation and Redemption out of the Jawes of Hell therefore I will set downe the ground of the promised Messiah that the following writings may be the better understood especially Moses in his Booke of the Law where there is need of it now he that will see nothing God help he must needs be blinde for the time of the visitation of the hardned Jewes Turks and Heathens cometh now Whosoever will see let them see the Lamps for the Bridegroome are shortly to be kindled he cometh whosoever desireth to be a Guest let him prepare him a Wedding Garment 102. Now saith Reason how could Adam and Eve know what God meant by the
The Second Booke CONCERNING The Three Principles OF The Divine Essence Of the Eternall Dark Light and Temporary VVorld SHEWING What the Soule the Image and the Spirit of the Soule are as also what Angels Heaven and Paradise are How Adam was before the Fall in the Fall and after the Fall AND What the Wrath of God Sinne Death the Devils and Hell are How all things have been now are and how they shall be at the Last Written in the German Language by Jacob Behmen Aliàs Teutonicus Philosophus LONDON Printed by M. S. for H. Blunden at the Castle in Cornhill 1648. ⧠To the READER SInce the Publishing of this Authours forty Questions in English the Mindes of severall Persons have had divers Thoughts concerning his Writings and yet have been of Searching apprehensions I would they were well acquainted with his Writings and then they would not onely be able to finde out the Truth in their own thoughts but also in the written words of him and others as in the Articles and confessions of Faith or any other Writings and it may be those thoughts they have though they be true if rightly understood yet if they may perhaps be misapprehended they may hinder themselves of inestimable Eternall Benefit Some have complained of the Hardnesse to understand his writings and therefore I have endeavoured the Englishing of this Booke of the Three Principles which the Authour saith is the A. B. C. to all his writings and if they reade it carefully they will finde it though hard at first easie at last and then all his other Bookes easie and full of Deep Understanding A Man cannot conceive the wonderfull knowledge before he hath read this Booke throughly and diligently which he will finde to be conteined in it when he is weighing and deliberating upon the Matter as he readeth and that without hard Study for it will rise in the Minde of it selfe with a ravishing sweetnesse and content and he will finde that the Threefold Life is tenfold deeper than this and the forty Questions to be tenfold deeper than that and that to be as deep as a Spirit is in it selfe as the Authour saith then which there can be no greater Depth for God himselfe is a Spirit And accordingly there appeare some Glimpses of the most Deepe Mysticall Orientall Learning heere and there which is not discovered in any Bookes and therefore some of the Learned Men of Europe think it may be past their Reach but they will finde that Ground in him which will make such things easie to be understood for the time of disclosing those Grounds so plainly was not till now that the Mysteries which have been hid since the wotld began should be revealed Those that had the Spirituall Understanding of the Naturall Mysteries were called Wisemen and they that understood the Divine Mysteries were called * Saints Holy Men and they were Prophets Preachers Apostles Evangelists and Beleevers The Wise Men of All Nations did write darkly of their Mysteries not to be understood but by such as were Lovers of those things and so the very Scriptures themselves which conteine all things in them cannot be understood but by such as love to follow practise and endeavour to doe those things which they finde in them ought to be done and those that led their Lives in such a way came to understand those Mysteries from which they were written and in severall Nations their wisdome hath had severall Names which hath caused our Age to take all the Names of the severall parts of wisdome and sort them into Arts among which the Magia and Cabala are accounted the most Mysticall the Magia consisting in the knowing how things have come to be and the Cabala in knowing how the words and formes of Things expresse the Reality of the Inward Mysterie But he that knoweth the Mysterie knoweth both these and all the Branches of the Tree of Wisdome in all Reall Arts and Sciences and the true Signification of every Idea in every Thought and Thing and Sound and Letter in every Language and therefore this Authour having the true knowledge could well expound the Letters of the Names of God and other words and Syllables the signification of which he saith is well understood in the Language of Nature and as one jot or tittle of the word of God shall not passe away till all be fulfilled so there is no tittle of any * As in the Revelations I am Α and Ω the beginning and the end Letter that is proceeded from that Eternall Essentiall Word as all things are but hath its weighty signification in the deepe understanding in that Word from whence it came even in the voices of All Men and sounds of All other Creatures also the Letters and Syllables of a word of some Language doe expresse something of the Mysterie more exquisitely than of another and therefore I conceive the Authour useth sometime to expound words borrowed from the Hebrew Greek and some Latine words and other words of Art as well as German words and not alwayes words of his own Native Language onely according to their signification in the Language of Nature for that Language doth shew in every ones Mother Tongue the Greatest Mysteries that have ever been in the Nature of any thing in the Letters of that word by which it is expressed therefore let every one esteem those expositions of his according to their high worth for the knowledge of that Language is onely taught by the Spirit of the Letter Some think it is unnecessary to know such Mysteries indeed every ones Nature is not fitted with a Capacity for the highest Depths therefore they need not search so farre nor trouble themselves to looke for the understanding of that they desire not to know but that they may see how necessary his writings are let them reade the Authours own Preface to this Booke and there they shall finde the necessity of * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 knowing themselves for else they can never know God and then they cannot know the way to God though they reade it never so plainly set downe in the Scriptures and besides the way to God is in his writings more easie to be understood by those of our Age than in the Scripture because that hath been so vayled by Doubtfull Interpretations Expositions Inferences and Conclusions and therefore it must needs be highly necessary that such a foundation be laid as may assure us of the true meaning of the Scriptures which teach that which is so Absolutely necessary to salvation Moreover his Grounds will teach us the way to Get such understanding that wee shall know and feele as well as they to whom the Apostle John wrote that wee shall not neede any Man to teach us any thing for we shall know and get that Unction which teacheth all things and leadeth into all Truth though it is thought People cannot have that now by such as know not what is in Man
never at all be able to reach it 71. For he is alwayes shut up in the first Principle as in the eternall Death and yet he raiseth himselfe up continually thinking to reach the heart of God and to domineere over it for his bitter sting in the birth climeth up thus eternally in the k Or Roote source of the fire and affordeth him a proud will to have all at his pleasure but he attaineth nothing his food is the l Fountaine of poyson source of water viz. the Brimstone-spirit which is the most aking mother from which the indissoluble band is fed and nourished his refreshing is the eternall m Viz. the cold fire fire an eternall freesing in the harsh mother an eternall hunger in the bitternesse an eternall thirst in the source of the fire his climeing up is his fall the more he climeth up in his will the greater is his fall like one that standing upon a high clift would cast himselfe downe into a bottomlesse pit he looketh still further and he falleth in further and further and yet can finde no ground 72. Thus he is an eternall enemy to the heart of God and all the holy Angels and he cannot frame any other will in himselfe His Angels and Devils are of very many severall sorts all according to the Eternall Birth For at the time of his Creation he stood in the kingdome of Heaven in the point Locus or place where the holy Ghost in the birth of the heart of God in Paradise did open infinite and innumerable Centres in the eternall Birth in this seate or place he was n Or Created bodified and hath his beginning in the opening of the o In the opening of the ground as a building from the Earth Centres in the Eternall Nature 73. Therefore as is mentioned before in the third Chapter when the Birth of life sprung up every Essence had againe a Centre in it selfe according to its owne property or quality and figureth a life according to its Essences viz. Harshnesse bitternesse fire and sound and all further according to the ability of the eternall birth which is p Or established confirmed in the kingdome of Heaven 74. Seeing then that they stood in Heaven in the time of their Creation therefore their quality was also manifold and all should have been and continued Angels if the great fountaine Lucifer from whence they proceeded had not destroyed them and so now also every one in his fall continueth in his own Essences onely the second Principle is extinguished in them and so it is also with the soule of man when the light of God goeth out in it but so long as that shineth therein it is in Paradise and eateth of the word of the Lord whereof shall be clearly spoken in its due place CHAP. V. Of the third Principle or creation of the materiall world with the Starres and Elements wherein the first and second Principle is more clearly understood 1. BEcause I may happen not to be understood clearly enough by the desirous Reader and shall be as one that is altogether dumb to the unenlightned for the eternall and indissoluble band wherein the Essence of all Essences standeth is not easily nor in haste to be understood therefore it is necessary that the desirous Reader do the more earnestly consider himself what he is and from whence his Reason and a Inward senses or thoughts Senses do proceed wherein he findeth the similitude of God especially if he consider and meditate what his Soul is which is an eternall uncorruptible Spirit 2. But if the Reader be b Or be in true resignation born of God there is no neerer way for him to come to the knowledge of the third Principle then by considering the new Birth how the soul is new born by the love of God in the light and how it is translated out of the prison or dungeon of darknesse into the light by a second birth And now if you consider that darknesse wherein it must be without the new birth and consider what the Scripture saith and what every one findeth by experience that falleth into the wrath of God and whereof there are terrible examples that the soul must endure irksome torment in it self in the birth of the life of its own self so long as it is in the wrath of God and then that if it be born again exulting great joy ariseth in it and thus you finde very clearly and plainly two Principles as also God Paradise and the kingdome of Heaven 3. For you finde in the root of the originall of the spirit of the soule in it self in the substance of the eternall birth and uncorruptible eternall band of the soul the most exceeding horrible inimicitious irksome c Or torment or working property source wherein the soul without the light of God is like all Devils wherein their eternall source consisteth being an enmity in it self a will striving against God and goodnesse it desireth nothing that is pleasant or good it is a climbing up of pride in the strength of the fire a bitter fierce odious malice or wrathfulnesse against Paradise against God against the kingdome of heaven also against all creatures in the second and third Principle lifting up themselves alone against all this as the bitternesse d In wrath or anger doth in the fire doth 4. Now the Scripture witnesseth throughout and the new-born man findeth it so that when the soul is new born in the light â—f God then on the contrary it findeth how very humble meek courteous and cheerly it is it readily beareth all manner of crosses and persecution it turneth the body from out of the way of the wicked it regardeth no reproach disgrace or scorn put upon it from the Devill or Man it placeth its confidence refuge and love in the heart of God it is very cheerfull it is fed by the word of God in which there is a Paradisicall exulting and triumph it cannot be hurt or so much as touched by the Devill for it is in its own substance wherein it stands in the first Principle of the indissoluble band enlightned with the light of God and the holy Ghost who goeth forth out of the eternall e Generation begetting or working birth of the Father in the heart and in the light of the heart of God he goeth forth in it and establisheth it the childe of God 5. Therefore all that it doth seeing it liveth in the light of God is done in the love of God the Devill cannot see that soul for the second Principle wherein it liveth and in which God and the kingdom of heaven standeth as also the Angels and Paradise is shut up from him and he cannot get to it 6. In this consideration you may finde what I understand by a Principle For a Principle is nothing else but a new birth a new life besides there is no more than one Principle wherein there
standeth in continuall and in eternall Å¿ Working generating but unchangeably like the minde of Man the thoughts being continually generated out of the minde and the will and desirousnesse out of the thoughts out of the will and desirousnesse is the work generated which is made a substance in the will and then the mouth and hands goe on to performe what was substantiall in the will 36. Thus also is the Eternall Birth wherein the vertue or power is continually generated from eternity and out of the vertue the light and the light causeth and maketh the vertue and the light shineth in the Eternall Darknesse and maketh in the Eternall Minde the defiring attracting will so that the will in the darknesse generateth the thoughts the lust and the desirousnesse and the desirousnesse is the attracting of the vertue and in the attracting of the vertue is the mouth that expresseth the Fiat and the Fiat maketh the Materia or matter and the Spirit seperateth it and formeth it according to the thoughts 37. Thus is the Birth and also the first Originall of all the Creatures and t The creation of the creatures it standeth yet in such a u Or working birth in the Essence and after such a manner it is out of the eternall thoughts viz. the wisdome of God by the Fiat brought out of the Matrix But being come forth out of the Darknesse out of the x Or out of the created substance Out-birth out of the Centre which yet was generated in the Time in the will therefore it is not eternall but corruptible or transitorie like a thought and though it be indeed materiall yet every y Or working property source taketh its own into it selfe againe and maketh it to be nothing againe as it was before the beginning 38. But now nothing corrupteth or is transitory but onely the spirit in the will and z Or the body that subsisteth through the Word its body in the Fiat and the figure remaineth eternally in the shadow and this figure could not thus have been brought to light and to visibility that it might subsist eternally if it had not been in the a Or substance Essence but now it is also uncorruptible for in the figure there is no a Or substance Essence The centre in the b Or working property source is broken asunder and gone into its Ether receptacle or aire and the figure doth neither good nor evill but it continueth eternally to the manifestation of the deeds of wonder and the glory of God and for the joy of the Angels 39. For the third Principle of the materiall world shall passe away and goe into its Ether and then the shadow of all creatures remaine also of all growing things vegetables or fruits and of all that ever came to light as also the shadow and figure of all words and works and that incomprehensibly also without understanding or knowledge like a nothing or shadow in respect of the light 40. This was the unsearchable purpose of God in his will and therefore he thus c Brought them to light in a foure Elementary essence or substance created all things and after this time there will be nothing but onely light and darknesse where the source or property remaineth in each of them as it hath been from eternity where the one shall not comprehend the other as it hath also not been done from eternity 41. Yet whether God will create any thing more after this worlds time that my spirit doth not know for it apprehendeth no further than what is in its centre wherein it liveth in which the Paradise and the kingdome of Heaven standeth as you may reade afterwards about the Creation of Man 42. And so now the Angels and blessed men will remaine in the birth of the light and the d The spirits that were turned out of the light into darknesse spirits of alteration out of light into the source or torment together with the spirits of the wicked men will remaine in the eternall Darknesse where no recalling is to be found for their spirits cannot goe into the corruptibility or transitorinesse againe they are created out of the e The divine power and vertue Limbus of God out of the harsh Matrix out of which the light of God existeth from Eternity and not like the Beasts out of the f Or progeneration Out-birth which went forth out of the Limbus of the conceived purpose of God which is finite or taketh an end and hath been or appeared here onely that it might be an eternall shadow and figure 43. The eternall will is incorruptible or intransitory and unchangeable or unalterable for the heart of God is generated out of it which is the end of the nature and of the willing If the g Or the spirits of the working Nature spirits of the source or torment had put their imagination and their desiring will h Into resignation forward into the light of meeknesse into the end of Nature they should have continued Angels but seeing they out of pride would faine be above the meeknesse and above the end of Nature and awakened the centre they found nothing more for from Eternity there had been nothing more than the end of Nature and therefore they awakened the i Or ground of the working properties Centre of the source or torment in themselves the same they now have and they were thrust out of the Light into the Darknesse 44. If you be borne of God then you may thus understand God Paradise the kingdome of Heaven and Hell and the entrance in and end of the Creatures and the creation of this world but if not then the vaile is as well before your eyes as it was upon Moses Therefore saith Christ Seck and you shall finde knock and it shall be opened unto you No sonne asketh his Futher for an egge that he should give him a scorpion Also my Father will give the Holy Ghost to them that aske it 45. Therefore if you doe not understand this writing then doe not as Lucifer did in taking the spirit of pride presently and fall a k Mocking that which you understand not mocking and deriding and ascribe it to the Devill but seeke the humble lowly heart of God and that will bring a small graine of Mustard-seed from the l Or fruit or growth Tree of Paradise into your soule and if you abide in patience then a great Tree will grow out of that seede as you may well thinke that the like hath come to passe with this Author For he is to be esteemed as a very silly person in comparison of the great learned men But Christ saith My power is strong in the weake Yea Father it hath so pleased thee to hide these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them to babes and sucklings and that the wisdome of this world is foolishnesse in thy fight And
the first Principle he conceived that he was now but a meere child of this world when he beheld his corruptibility and also the monstrous image which he c Or carried about him was in and that the Paradisicall d Wit reason or skill understanding delight and joy was departed from him so that his spirit and perfection was driven out of Paradise that is out of the second Principle of God where the Light or the Heart of God is generated from eternity to eternity and where the holy Ghost proceedeth from the Father and the Sonne and that he now lived no more meerly by the word of God but did eat and drink viz the e Preservation or propagation birth of his life henceforward consisted in the third Principle that is in the Region Kingdome or dominion of the Starres and Elements and he must now eat of the vertue and fruit thereof and live thereby and thereupon he then supposed that he was past recovery and that the noble image of God was destroyed And beside the Devill also continually represented his corruptibility and mortality to him and himselfe could see nothing else being he was gone out of paradise that is out of the incorruptible holy f Preservation or protection geniture or operation of God wherein he was Gods holy image and childe in which God created him to continue therein for ever And if the mercifull love of God had not appeared to him again in the center of the birth of his life and comforted him he would have thought that he were wholly departed or quite separated from the eternall Divine birth and that he were no more in God nor God any more in him and that he were no more of Gods essence 5 But the favourable love that is the g Unigenitus onely begotten Sonne of God or that I may set it down so that it may be understood the lovely fountain where the light of God is h Begotten or born or brought forth generated sprung up grew again in Adam in the center of the birth of his life in the fifth form of his birth whereby Adam perceived that he was not broken off from the Divine root but that he was still the childe of God and repented him of his first evill lust and thereupon the Lord shewed him the treader upon the Serpent who should destroy his monstrous birth and so he should from the monstrous birth be regenerated anew in the shape form power and vertue of the treader upon the Serpent and be brought with power again into Paradise into the holy birth and eat of the i Verbum Domini Word of the Lord again and live eternally in spite of all the * Or power gates of the wrathfulnesse wherein the Devil liveth concerning which there shall be further mention made in its due place 6. But mark and consider this well dear Reader and let not your simplicity deceive you the Authour is not greater than others he knoweth no more neither hath he any greater authority than other children of God Do but look upon your self why have you earthly thoughts of your self why will you be mocked by the Devill and be fooled by the world so as to be led to think that you are but a kinde of Figure like God and not generated or begotten of God 7. Your monstrous form or shape indeed is not God nor of his essence or substance but the hidden man k Which the soul is which is the soul l Or out of Gods own essence or substance in a childe is the fathers own substance is the proper essence of God forasmuch as the love in the light of God is sprung up in your own centre out of which the holy Ghost proceedeth wherein the second Principle of God consisteth How then should you not have power and authority to speak of God who is your Father of whose essence you are Behold is not the world Gods and the light of God being in you it must needs be also yours as it is written The Father hath given all things to the Sonne and the Sonne hath given all to you The Father is the eternall power or vertue and the Sonne is the heart and light continuing eternally in the Father and you continue in the Father and the Sonne And now being the holy Ghost proceedeth from the Father and the Sonne and that the eternall power or vertue of the Father is in you and that the eternall light of the Sonne shineth in you why will you be fooled Know you not what Paul said That our conversation is in heaven from whence we expell our Saviour Jesus Christ who will bring us out of this monstrous Image or Birth in the corruption of the third principle of this world in the m Or paradisicall sustenance Paradisicall birth to eat the word of the Lord. 8. Why will you be fooled by Antichrist by his lawes precepts and pratings Where will you seek God In the deep above the starres You will not be able to finde him there Seek him in your heart n Or in the ground or foundation of the beginning and sustaining of mans life in the centre of the birth of your life and there you shall finde him as our father Adam and mother Eve did 9. For it is written You must be born anew through the water and the Spirit or else you shall not see the kingdome of God This birth must be done within you the heart or the Sonne of God must arise in the birth of your life and then the Saviour Christ is your faithfull Shepherd and you are in him and he in you and all that He and his Father hath is yours and none shall pluck you out of his hands and as the Sonne viz. the heart of the Father is one with the Father so also thy new man is one in the Father and the Sonne one vertue or power one light one life one eternall Paradise one eternall heavenly o Or enduring substance birth one Father Sonne and holy Ghost and thou his childe 10. Doth not the Sonne see plainly what the Father doth in his house and now if the Sonne learn to do the same thereby what displeasure will the Father have towards his Sonne for it Nay will not the Father be well pleased that his Sonne is so apt and forward to learn Then why should the heavenly Father be so displeased with his children in this world which depend upon him and enquire after him which would fain learn to know him fain labour in his works and do his will Doth not the Regenerator bid us come to him and whosoever cometh to him he will not reject Why should any p Or withstand the spirit of the manifestation of the hidden things of God resist the spirit of Prophesie which is Gods Look upon Christs Apostles did any other teach them than God who was in them and they in him 11 O dear
the râ—â—der might come to understand what that heaven is which God then created consider what Moses writeth of it God made a Firmament between the waters and separated the water beneath the Firmament from the waters above the Firmament and the Firmament he called Heaven which is very right but hitherto it hath been very ill understood 15. Now observe the Heaven is the whole Deep so farre as the Ethera or Skies have u Expanded or spred given up themselves to the birth of this world and that heaven is the matrix out of which earth stones and the materiall water is generated And there God separated the materiall water from the matrix and here it is very plainly discerned that the materiall water is as it were deaded or hath death in it for it could not abide in the x Viz the Aire moving mother but was created to be upon the globe of the earth and God called it Sea Méér in which word is understood in the language of Nature as it were a springing or growing in death or a life in y The corruptibility corruption z That is the reader wil not understand it although herein I shall be as one that is dumb to the Reader yet I †Or understand know it very well and I am very well satisfied therewith but because the bestiall man is not worthy to know it therefore I will not here cast the Pearle before the Swine but for the children of God which will be benefited by it the Spirit of God will certainly teach and instruct them in it 16. Now when the heaven became cleare or pure and cleansed from the earth and the dark mist or dust in the concretion or driving together then in the matrix of the heaven there was the three Elements Fire Aire and Water which are three in one another in one mother and that mother is here called the Heaven therefore henceforward in my writing I shall use the word Heaven in stead of the word Matrix 17. For the Heaven is the Matrix and is called Heaven because of the separation because the fifth essence of Heaven is severed and set in the higher Heaven where the Matrix is more firery as it is properly understood in the language of Nature and is plain before our eyes But here the quality birth and property of the heaven ought to be described because the foure Elements sprung out of it as out of their mother and beeause the vertue of every life consisteth therein therefore the originall of the foure Elements must be described wherein it will first truly be understood what the Heaven is CHAP. VII Of the Heaven and its eternall Birth and Essence and how the foure Elements are generated wherein the eternall band may be the more and the better understood by meditating and considering the materiall world The Great Depth 1. EVery Spirit seeth no further then into its mother out of which it hath its originall and wherein it standeth for it is impossible for any Spirit in its own naturall power to look into another principle and behold it except it be regenerated therein But the Naturall man who in his fall was captivated by the matrix of this world whose naturall spirit a Wavereth moveth between two principles viz. between the Divine and the Hellish and he standeth in both the gates into which principle he falleth there he cometh to be regenerated whether it be as to the Kingdome of Heaven or the Kingdome of Hell and yet he is not able in this life time to see either of them both 2. He is in his own essence and substance a twofold man For his soule in its own substance is our of the first Principle which from eternity hath no ground nor beginning and in the time of the creation of man in Paradise or the kingdome of heaven the soule was truly b Bodily created or corporized bodified by the Fiat in a spirituall manner but with the first vertue or power which is from eternity in its own first vertue or power it hath remained inseparably in its first root and was illustrated or made shining bright by the second principle viz. by the heart of God and therewith standing in Paradise was there by the moving Spirit of God breathed into the matrix of the third Principle into the starry and Elementary man and now therefore he may understand the ground of heaven as also of the elements and of hell as farre as the light of God shineth in him for if that light be in him he is born in all the three Principles but yet he is onely a spark risen from thence and not the great source or fountain which is God himselfe 3. And therefore it is that Christ sayth If you had faith as a grain of Mustard-seed you might say to the mountain Cast thy selfe into the sea and it shall be done And c Note the power by which the holy men raised the dead in this power men have raised the dead and healed the sick by the word and the vertue and power of the Spirit or else they could not have been able to have done such things if they had not stood in the power of all the three Principles 4 For the created Spirit of man which is out of the matrix of this world that ruleth by the vertue of the second principle in the vertue of the light over and in the vertue of the spirit of the starres and elements very mightily as in that which is its proper own But in the fall of Adam we lost this great power when we left Paradise and went into the third Principle into the matrix of this world which presently held us captive in restraint But yet we have the knowledge of that power by a glance or glimmering and we see as through a dim or dark glasse the eternall d Or operative propagation birth 5 And although we move thus weakly or impotently in all the three births and that the gate of Paradise is so often darkned to us and that the Devill doth so often draw us into the hellish gate and that also the elements do cover the e Or the dominion or influences of the stars sydereall gate and wholly cloud them so that we oftentimes move in the whole matrix as if we were deafe dumb or half dead yet if the Paradisicall light shineth to us we may very well see into the mother of all the three principles for nothing can hinder us the threefold spirit of man seeth every form and quality in its mother 6 Therefore though we speak of the creation of the world as if we had been by at present and had seen it none ought to marvell at it nor hold it for impossible For the Spirit that is in us which one man inherits from the other that was breathed out of the eternity into Adam that same spirit hath seen it all and in the light of
although now the children of the world are wiser in their generation than the children of light yet their wisdome is but a corruptible substance essence or thing and this wisdome continueth eternally 46. Therefore seeke for the noble Pearle it is much more precious than this whole world it will never more depart from you and where the Pearle is there will your heart be also you need not here aske any further after Paradise joy and the heavenly delightfulnesse seeke but the Pearle and when you finde that then you finde Paradise and the kingdome of Heaven and you will be so taught as being without it you cannot beleeve 47. It may be you will turmoyle your selfe with hard labour and seek for it in Art supposing to finde m This deep and high wisdome it there O no you need not it lieth not therein the Doctor that is without this way knoweth it not But if he also have found this Pearle then he is a n Or a more publick Person or Publicus person greater for the Publick benefit than I as St Paul was above the other Apostles yet in one and the same way of gentle meeknesse as becometh the children of God Whatsoever is wanting here that you long after seek further and you will finde the ground according to the desire or longing of your soule CHAP. X. Of the Creation of Man and of his soule also of Gods a Spiraculum vitae breathing in The Pleasant Gate 1. I Have perused many Master-pieces of writing hoping to finde the b The high and deep wisdome of God Pearle of the ground of Man but I could finde nothing of that which my soule lusted after I have also found very many contrary opinions and partly I have found some who forbid me to search or seeke but I cannot know with what ground or understanding except it be that the blinde doe grutch at the eyes of them that see With all this my soule is become very disquiet within mee and hath been as full of pain and anguish as a woman at her travaile and yet nothing was found in it till I followed the words of Christ when he said You must be borne anew if you will see the kingdome of God Which at first stopped up my heart and I supposed that such a thing could not be done in this world but that it should first be done at my departure out of this world and then my soule first was in anguish to the birth and would very willingly have tasted the Pearle and gave it selfe up in this way more vehemently to the Birth till at last it obtained a Jewel According to which received Jewel I will write for a memoriall to my selfe and for a light to them that seeke For Christ said None lighteth a Candle and putteth it under a Bushell but setteth it upon a Table that all that are in the house may see by the light thereof And to this end he giveth the Pearle to them that seeke that they should impart it to the poore for their health as he hath very earnestly commanded 2. Indeed Moses writeth That God made Man of the dust of the Earth and that is the opinion of very many and I should also not have known how that were to be understood and I should not have learned it out of Moses nor out of the e Expositions or interpretations of it Glosses which are made upon it and the vaile would have continued still before my eyes yet in great trouble But when I found the Pearle then I looked Moses in the face and found that Moses had written very right and that I had not rightly understood it 3. For after the Fall God said also to Adam and Eve Earth thou art and to Earth thou shalt returne againe and if I had not confidered the d The power or the eternall substantiality Limbus out of which the Earth was I should have been so blinde still that Limbus shewed me the Ground of what Adam was before and after the Fall 4. For no such earth or flesh as wee carry about us can subsist in the light of God Therefore also Christ said None goeth to Heaven but the Sonne of Man who is come from Heaven and who is in Heaven Thus our flesh before the Fall was heavenly out of the heavenly Limbus but when disobedience came in the lust of this world to generate it selfe in e That is to seed it selfe and live through the word of God another Centre then it the flesh became earthly for by the biting of the earthly Apple in the Garden of Eden the earthly Dominion or kingdome tooke its beginning and the mother of the great world instantly tooke the f Man little world into its power or vertue and made it to be of a Beastiall g Or property kinde both h Shape in forme and in substance 5. And if the soule had not been i Or in the midst or centre of it within it then Adam should have continued to be an unreasonable Beast but being the soule out of the Limbus had been breathed into Adam by the Holy Ghost therefore now the k Barmhortsigkeit mercifulnesse viz. the heart of God must doe its best againe and bring againe the Centre out of the heavenly Limbus and himselfe become flesh and by the Fiat generate the New Man in the soule which is hidden in the Old for the Old belongeth onely to the corruptibility and goeth into its Ether and the New remaineth for ever But how this came to passe you have the following fundamentall information of it wherein if you be regenerated from God you may see the old and new man into the very heart because you have the Pearle but if not then you shall scarce see here the old Adam and you shall not so much as looke upon the New 6. The vaile of Moses must be done away and you must look Moses in the face if you will behold the New Man and without the Pearle you shall not be able to take away the vayle nor know what Adam was before his Fall for Adam himselfe after the Fall did no more know the first Man and therefore he was ashamed of his monstrous forme or shape and did hide himselfe behinde the Trees in the Garden for he looked on himselfe and saw that he had a beastiall forme and thereupon he gat instantly beastiall members for propagation which the Fiat in the third Principle created on him through the Spirit of the Great world 7. Men must not thinke that Man before his fall had beastiall members to propagate with but heavenly members nor no l Or Gutts entrailes for such a stinck and filthy source or property as man hath in his body doth not belong to the holy Trinity in Paradise but to the Earth it must goe againe into its Ether but Man was created immortall and also holy like the Angels and being he was created
indeed somewhat the wiser but not much They say God tempted Adam to try whether he would continue in his obedience or not and when he became disobedient then God threw mighty anger and wrath upon him and cursed him to Death and that his wrath could not be quenched except he be reconciled in such a manner This Reason of this party maketh God to be a meere unmercifulnesse like an evill man of this world who yet will be reconciled when he hath once revenged himselfe sufficiently and this Reason hath no knowledge at all of God nor of Paradise 25. O beloved soule it is a very i For which the Curse came heavy businesse at which the very Heavens might well stand amazed in this Temptation there is a very great matter hidden in Moses which the unenlightened soule understandeth not God did not regard a bit of an Apple or Peare to punish so faire a Creature for it The punishment cometh not from his hand but from the k Or Macrocosme Spiritus majoris mundi from the Spirit of the great World from the third Principle God intended most mercifully towards Man and therefore he spared not his own heart but let it become Man that he might deliver Man againe You ought not to have such thoughts God is love and the Good in him is no angry thought and Mans punishment was not but from himselfe as you shall finde or reade in its due place The secret Gate of the Temptation of Man 26. Since many Questions fall to be in this place for the minde of Man seeketh after its native Countrey againe out of which it is wandered and would returne againe home to the Eternall Rest and since it is permitted to mee in my knowledge I will therefore set downe the deep Ground of the Fall wherein Men may looke upon the eyes of Moses If you be borne of God then it may well be apprehended by you but the unenlightened minde cannot hit the mark for if the minde desireth to see what is in a house it must then be within that house for from heare say without seeing it ones selfe there is alwaies doubting whether a thing be as is related But what the eye seeth and the minde knoweth that is beleeved perfectly for the eye and the minde apprehendeth it 27. The minde searcheth wherefore man must be tempted whereas God had created him perfect and seeing God is omniscient and knoweth all things the minde therefore alwaies layeth the blame upon God and so doe the Devils also for the minde saith If the Tree of knowledge of Good and Evill had not sprung up then Adam had not fallen 28. O beloved Reason If you understand no more than so then shut up the eyes of your minde quite and search not continue under patience in hope and let God alone he will doe well enough or else you will fall into the greatest unquietnesse and the Devill will drive you into despaire who continually pretendeth or giveth it forth l The Devill saith it in the minde that God did will evill and that he willeth not that all men should be saved and therefore he created the Tree of Anger 29. Beloved Minde put such thoughts away from thee or else thou wilt make of the kinde and loving God an unmercifull and hostile will but leave off such thoughts of God and consider thy selfe what thou art in thy selfe thou shalt finde the Tree of the Temptation and also the will to have it which made it spring up yea the source lust or quality whence it sprung up standeth in thee and not in God this must be understood that when we will speak of the pure Deity which manifesteth it selfe in the second Principle through the heart of God it is thus and not otherwise 30. But when wee consider or meane the originall of the first Principle then wee finde the nature propertie or species of the Tree and also the will to the Tree wee finde there the abysse of Hell and of anger and wrath and moreover wee finde the will of all the Devils we finde the envious will of all the Creatures of this world wherefore they all are the enemies one of another and doe hate bite worry kill and devour one another My beloved Reason here I will shew you the Tree of the Temptation and you shall look Moses in the face keep but your minde m Fixt or upon it stedfast that you may apprehend it 31. I have often given you to understand in this book already what the Essence of all Essences is but because it is most of all highly necessary in this place to know the Ground thereof therefore I will n Or explaine set you it downe all at large and very fundamentally so that you shall know it in your selfe yea you shall understand it in all Creatures and in all things that are or that you look upon or at any time may possibly think on all these shall be witnesse I can bring heaven and earth also the Sunne Starres and Elements for a witnesse and that not in bare words and promises onely but it shall be set before you very convincingly and very powerfully in their vertue and essence and you have no vertue or power or faculty in your body that shall not convince you and witnesse against you doe but not suffer the lying Spirit the old Serpent to darken your minde who is the inventor of a thousand o Or sleights shifts fetches arts tricks 32. When he seeth that he cannot catch or overcome Man by making him p Or Despaire doubtfull of the mercy of God then he maketh him carelesse so that he accounteth all as nothing he maketh his minde very drowsie so that he esteemeth very lightly of himselfe as if all were not worth the looking after let things be as they will he will not break his heart or trouble his head with it Let the q Priest Minister or learned who take upon them cura Animarum Pope looke after it they must answer for it Thus the minde carelesly passeth it over like a whirlwinde or streame of water concerning which Christ said The Devill stealeth the Word out of their hearts that they doe not apprehend it nor beleeve it that they might be saved so that it taketh no roote 33. Or else if the Pearle should grow and the Lilly bud forth r The Devill he should be revealed and then every one would flie from him and he should stand in great shame This Trade he hath driven ever since the beginning of the world and though he resist never so vehemently yet a Lilly shall grow in his supposed Kingdome whose smell reacheth into the Paradise of God in spite of all his raging and tyranny this the Spirit of God doth witnesse 34. Behold thou childe of Man if thou wilt easily draw neere to this knowledge take but thy minde before thee and consider it and therein thou wilt finde all You know
that out of it proceedeth joy and sorrow laughter and weeping hope and doubting wrath and love lust to a thing and hate of the thing you finde therein wrath and malice also love meeknesse and well-doing 35. Now the Question is May not the minde stand in one onely will viz. in meere love like God himselfe Here sticks the mark the ground and the knowledge behold if the will were in one onely Essence then the minde would also have but one quality that could give the will to be so and it should be an immovable thing which should alwayes lie still and should doe no more but that one thing alwaies in it there would be no joy no knowledge also no art or skill of any thing at all and there would be no wisdome in it also if the quality were nor in infinitum it would be altogether a Nothing and there would be no minde nor will to any thing at all 36. Therefore it cannot be said that the totall God in all the three Principles is in one onely will and essence there is a distinction or difference to be observed though indeed the first and the third Principle be not called God neither are they God and yet are his essence or substance out of which from eternity the light and heart of God is alwaies generated and it is one essence or being as body and soule in Man are 37. Therefore now if the Eternall minde were not out of which the Eternall will goeth forth then there would be no God But now therefore there is an Eternall minde which generateth the Eternall will and the Eternall will generateth the Eternall heart of God and the heart generateth the light and the light the vertue and the vertue the Spirit and this is the Almighty God which is one unchangeable will For if the minde did no more generate the will then the will would also not generate the heart and all would be a nothing But seeing now that the minde thus generateth the will and the will the heart and the heart the light and the light the vertue and the vertue the Spirit therefore now the Spirit againe generateth the minde for it hath the vertue and the vertue is the heart and it is an indissoluble Band. The Depth 38. BEhold now the minde is in the Darknesse and it conceiveth its will to the light to generate it or else there would be no will nor yet any Working Birth this minde standeth in anguish and in a longing or is in labour and this longing is the will and the will conceiveth the vertue and the vertue fulfilleth satisfieth or impregnateth the minde thus the kingdome of God consisteth in the vertue or in power which is God the Father and the light maketh the vertue longing to be the will that is God the Sonne for in the vertue the light is continually generated from Eternity and in the light out of the vertue goeth the Holy Ghost forth which generateth againe in the dark minde the will of the Eternall Essence 39. Now behold deare soule that is the Deity and that comprehendeth in it the second or the middlemost Principle Therefore God is onely Good the love the light the vertue or power Now consider if the minde did not stand in the darknesse there would no such eternall wisdome and skill be for the anguish in the will to generate standeth therein and the anguish is the quality and the quality is the t Plurality multiplicity or variety and maketh the minde and the minde againe maketh the multiplicity or plurality 40. Now deare soule see all over round about you in your selfe and in all things what finde you therein you finde nothing else but the anguish and in the anguish the quality and in the quality the minde and in the minde the will to grow and generate and in the will the vertue or u Faculty or ability power and in the vertue the light and in the light its forth-driving Spirit which maketh againe a will to generate a twig bud or branch out of the Tree like it selfe and this I call in my Booke the Centrum the Centre where the generated will becometh an Essence or substance and generateth now againe such another Essence for thus is the Mother of the Genetrix 41. Now the anguish hath the first Principle x under its power in possession seeing it standeth in the Darknesse it is another essence than the essence in the light is where there is nothing else but meere love and meeknesse where no source or torment is discovered and the quality which is generated in the Centre of the Light is now no quality but the eternall skill and wisdome of whatsoever was in the anguish before the Light brake forth this wisdome and skill now alwaies cometh to helpe the conceived will in the anguish and maketh in it selfe againe the Centre to the Birth that so the sprout may generate it selfe in the quality viz. the vertue and out of the vertue the fire and out of the fire the Spirit and the Spirit maketh in the fire the vertue againe that thus there may be an Indissoluble Band and out of this minde which standeth in the darknesse God generated the Angels which are flames of fire yet y Or throughly enlightened shining through and through with the divine light for in this minde a Spirit can and may be generated and not else for before it in the heart and light of God there can no Spirit be generated for the heart of God is the end of Nature and it hath no quality therefore also nothing cometh out of it more but it continueth unchangeably in the Eternity and it shineth in the minde of the quality of the darknesse and the darknesse cannot comprehend it 42. Now therefore in the anguishing minde of the darknesse is the inexpressible or unutterable source quall or rising property from whence the name quality existeth as from many qualls or sources or Wells into one quall or source and out of these many sources running into one source springeth forth the plurality of skill so that there is a multiplicity or variety of it and the Spirit of God out of the light cometh to helpe every skill or science or knowledge and in every skill of the sources or quals in the quality by its kinde z Infusion infecting of the love it maketh againe a centre and in the centre a source or quall or spring is generated againe as a twig out of a Tree where againe there springeth forth a minde in the anguish and the Spirit of Love with its infecting or infusing of kindnesse maketh all every thought in the will and that essentially 43. For the will in the Centre climeth aloft till it generateth the fire and in the fire is the substance and essentiality generated for it is the spirit thereof and the end of the will in the dark minde and there can be nothing higher generated in
Principles in one onely Essence so his Spirit also and the will in the Spirit should have stood open or free in one onely Essence viz. in the Paradisicall heavenly essence and his minde and soule should have eaten of the heart of God and his body should have eaten of the heavenly Limbus 12. But seeing the heavenly u Or vertue or power Limbus was manifested through the earthly and was in the fruit in one onely Essence and Adam so too therefore it behoved Adam having received a living soule our of the first Principle and breathed in from the Holy Ghost and enlightened from the light of God standing in the second Principle not to reach after the earthly Matrix 13. Therefore God here also gave him the Command not to lust after the earthly Matrix nor after her fruit which stood in the corruptibility and transitorinesse but the Spirit of Man x Not in the corruptibility not He should eate of the fruit but no otherwise than of the Paradisicall kinde and property and not of the earthly Essences For the Paradisicall Essences had imprinted themselves in all fruits therein they were very good to eate of after an Angelical manner and also pleasant to behold or corporeall as Moses also saith Now it may be asked What then was properly the Tempting in Adam The Gate of Good and Evill 14. Wee have a very powerfull testimony hereof and it is knowne in Nature and in all her children in the Starres and Elements in the Earth Stones and Metalls especially in the living creatures as you see how they are evill and good viz. lovely creatures and also venomous evill beasts as Toads Adders and Serpents or Wormes so also there is poyson and malice in every sort of y Or living thing life of the third Principle and the fiercenesse or strongnesse must be in Nature or else all were a Death and a Nothing The Depth in the Centre 15. As is mentioned before the eternall minde standeth thus z Or unknown in the Darknesse and vexeth it selfe and longeth after the light to generate that and the anguish is the source and the source hath in it many formes till that it reacheth the fire in its substance viz. it hath bitter soure hard cold strong darting forth or flashing in the roote of it selfe sticketh the joy and paine alike viz. when it cometh to the roote of the fite and can reach the light then out of the wrath or sternnesse cometh the great joy for the light putteth the sterne forme into great meeknesse on the contrary that forme which cometh onely to the roote of the fire that continueth in the a Or grimnesse fiercenesse wrath 16. As wee are to know that when God would manifest the Eternall Minde in the Darknesse in the third Principle b Or by with this world then first all formes in the first Principle till fire were manifested and that forme now which comprehended the light that became Angelicall and Paradisicall but that which comprehended not the light that remained to be wrathfull murtherous soure and evill every one in its own forme and essence for every forme desired also to be manifested for it was the will of the Eternall Essence to manifest it selfe But now one forme was not able to manifest it selfe alone in the Eternall Birth for the one is the member of the other and the one without the other would not be 17. Therefore the Eternall Word or heart of God wrought thus in the dark and spirituall Matrix which in it selfe in the Originalnesse without the light would be as it were dumb or senslesse and hath generated a corporeall and palpable or comprehensible similitude of its essence in which all the formes were brought forth out of the Eternall formation and brought into Essence for out of the spirituall forme the corporeall forme is generated and the eternall Word hath created it by the Fiat to stand thus 18. Now then out of these formes out of the Matrix of the earth by the Fiat in the Word went forth all the Creatures of this world also Trees hearbs and grasse every one according to its kinde as also Wormes evill and good as every forme in the Matrix of the Genetrix had their originall and thus it was also with the fruits in the Paradise of this world in the Garden of Eden when the Word was spoken let there come forth all sorts of Trees and hearbs then out of all formes or the Genetrix or womb Trees and hearbs came forth and grew which were altogether good and pleasant for the word in the Fiat had c Imaged or Imagined imprinted it selfe in all the formes 19. But then the Darknesse and Quall source or paine were in the middest in the Centre wherein Death the wrathfulnesse decay and the corruptibility did stick and if that had not been this world would have stood for ever and Adam should not have been tempted d The darknesse and source or paine they also like a e Mors. Death or a corrupting worme of the Quall or source did work together and generated the Tree of Good and Evill in the midst of its seate or place because Death stuck in the midst of the Centre by which this world shall be kindled in the fire at the end of the dayes And this Quall or source is even the anger of God which by the heart or light of God in the Eternall Father is continually put into the meeknesse and therefore the Word or heart of God is called the Eternall Mercifulnesse of the Father 20. Seeing then all the formes of the Eternall Nature were to come forth it is so come to passe as you may see in Toads Adders Wormes and evill Beasts for that is the forme which sticketh in the midst in the birth of all Creatures viz. the poyson venome or Brimstone Spirit as wee see that all Creatures have poyson and gall and the life of the Creatures sticketh in the power or might of it the poyson as you may finde before in this booke in all the Chapters how the Eternall Nature taketh its Originall how it worketh and how or after what manner its Essence being or substance is 21. Now thus the Tree of the strong tartnesse or wrath which is in the midst of Nature grew also in the midst of the Garden of Eden and was according to the ability of its own forme which it hath from the eternall quality in the Originalnesse the greatest and the mightiest Tree And here it may be seene very cleerly that God would have preserved and had Man to be in Paradise for he forbad him this Tree and caused other fruit enough besides to grow in the formes and Essences The Gate of the Tempting 22. St Paul saith God foresaw or elected Man before the ground or foundation of the world was laid Here we finde the ground so very plaine or faire that wee have a delight to write on and
dark and that is shining and bright 42. Then said the Spirit of Nature viz. the young man my faire Pearle and chastity I pray thee let me enjoy thy comfort if thou wilt not copulate with me that I may impregnate in thee yet doe but enclose thy Pearle in my heart that I may have it for my owne art thou not my Golden Crowne how faine would I tast of thy fruit 43. Then the p Or Modest chast Spirit out of God in Adam viz. the virgin said My deare Love and my Companion I plainly see thy lust thou wouldst faine copulate with me but I am a virgin and thou a man thou wouldst defile my Pearle and destroy my Crowne and besides thou wouldst mingle thy sourenesse with my sweetnesse and darken my bright light therefore I will not doe so I will lend thee my Pearle and adorne thee with my Garment but I will not give it q Into thy own disposing to be thy owne 44. And the companion viz. the spirit of the world in Adam said I will not leave thee and if thou wilt not let me copulate with thee then I will take my innermost and strangest r Or Might force and use thee according to my will according to the innermost r Or Might power I will cloath thee with the power of the Sunne Starres and Elements wherein none will know thee and so thou must be mine eternally And although as thou sayst I am unconstant and that my vertue is not like to thine and my light not like thine yet I will keepe thee well enough in my Treasure and thou must be Å¿ At my disposing my owne 45. Then said the Virgin Why wilt thou use t Or force violence Am I not thy Ornament and thy Crowne I am bright and thou art darke behold if thou coverest mee then thou hast no glance or lustre and then thou art a dark dusky or black Worme and then how can I dwell with thee Let me alone I will not give my selfe to be thy own I will give thee my Ornament and thou shalt live in my joy thou shalt eate of my fruit and tast my sweetnesse but thou canst not u Or mingle qualifie with me for the divine vertue is my Essence therein is my faire or Orient Pearle and my bright shining light generated my fountaine is eternall If thou darkenest my light and defilest my Garment then thou wilt have no beauty or lustre and canst not subsist but thy Worme will corrupt or destroy thee and so I shall loose my companion which I had chosen for my Bridegroom with whom I meant to have rejoyced and then my Pearle and beauty would have no x Recreation or delight company seeing I have given my selfe to be thy companion for my joyes sake if thou wilt not enjoy my beauty yet pray continue in my ornament and Excellency and dwell with me in joy I will adorne thee eternally 46. And the young man said thy Ornament is mine already I will use thee according to my will in that thou sayst I shall be broken corrupted or destroyed yet my Worme is eternall I will rule with that and yet I will dwell in thee and cloath thee with my Garments 47. And here the Virgin turned her to the heart of God and said My heart and my beloved thou art my vertue from thee I am cleere and bright from thy roote I am generated from eternity deliver me from the Worme of darknesse which infecteth poysoneth and tempteth my Bridegroom and let me not be darkned in the Obscurity I am thy Ornament And am come that thou shouldst have joy in me wherefore then shall I stand with my Bridegroom in the darke And the divine Answer said The seed of the Woman shall breake the head of the Serpent or Worme and thou shalt c. 48. Behold deare Soule herein lyeth the heavenly Tincture which wee must set downe in a similitude and wee cannot at all expresse it with words indeed if wee had the y Angelicall Tongues tongue of Angels wee could then rightly expresse what the minde apprehendeth but the Pearle is cloathed covered or vayled with a darke cloake or Garment The virgin calleth stedfastly to the z The Sonne of God heart of God that he would deliver her companion from the darke Worme but the divine Answer a Standeth still is The seed of the Woman shall breake the Serpents head that is the darknesse of the Serpent shall be separated from thy Bridegroom the dark Garment wherewith the Serpent cloatheth thy Bridegroom and darkneth thy Pearle and beauteous Crowne shall be broken corrupted or destroyed and turne to Earth and thou shalt rejoyce with thy Bridegroom in mee this was my eternall b Or purpose will it must stand 49. Now then when we consider the high mysteries the Spirit openeth to us the understanding that this afore-mentioned is the true Ground concerning Adam For his Originall Spirit viz. the soule that was the Worme which was generated out of the eternall will of God the Father and in the time of the Creation was by the Fiat after the manner of a Spirit created out of that place where the Father from eternity generateth his heart between the fourth and the fifth forme in the centre of God where the light of God from eternity discovereth it selfe and taketh its beginning and therefore the light of God came thus to helpe him as a faire virgin and tooke the soule to be her Bridegroom and would adorne the soule with her faire heavenly Crowne with the noble vertue of the Pearle and beautifie it with her Garment 50. Then the fourth forme in the Centre of the soule brake forth there where the spirit of the soule was created viz. between the fourth and the fifth forme in the Centre c Next to neere the heart of God and so the fourth forme was in the glance in the darknesse out of which the world was created which in its forme parteth it selfe in its Centre into five parts in its rising till it attaine to the light of the Sunne For the Starres also in their Centre are generated betwixt the fourth and the fifth forme and the Sunne is the d Or fountain spring of the fift forme in the Centre as in the eternall Centre the heart and light of God is which hath no ground but this Centre of the Starres and Elements hath its ground in the fourth forme in the dark minde in the rising up of the awakened or kindled flash of the fire 51. Thus the soule is generated between both the Centres between the Centre of God understand between the Centre of the heart or light of God where it is generated out of an eternall Place and also between the propagated or out-sprung Centre of this world and it the soule hath its beginning from both and qualifieth with both and therefore thus it hath all three Principles and can live in
Gate of our Propagation in the Flesh 37. As I have mentioned above the noble Tincture is now hence-forth generated thus in a manly or masculine and womanly or feminine kinde or sex out of the soule The Tincture is so subtile and mighty powerfull that it can goe or goeth into the heart of another into his Tincture which the devillish bewitching whores well know yet they understand not the noble Art but they use the false Tincture of the Devils and a Or poyson infect many in their marrow and bones by their b Exorcismes Conjuration Adjuration Incantation for which they shall receive their wages with Lucifer who would faine have raised his Tincture to be above God 38. But know that the Tincture is in the menkinde somewhat divers from that in the womenkinde for the Tincture in the menkinde goeth out of the Limbus or Man and the Tincture in the women-kinde goeth out of the Matrix For the vertue of the soule frameth imprinteth fashioneth or Imageth it selfe not onely in the Tincture but in the whole body for the body groweth in the Tincture 39. But thus the Tincture is the longing the great desire after the virgin which belongeth to the Tincture for it is subtile without understanding but it is the divine inclination and continually seeketh the virgin which is its play-fellow the c Manly masculine seeketh her in the d Womanly feminine and the feminine in the masculine especially in the delicate complexion where the Tincture is most noble cleere and vigorous from whence cometh the great desire of the masculine and feminine sex so that they alwayes desire to copulate and the great burning love so that the Tinctures mingle together and try prove or taste one another with their pleasant taste whereas one sex continually supposeth that the other hath the virgin 40. And the Spirit of the great world now supposeth that he hath gotten the virgin he graspeth with his clutches and will mingle his infection with the virgin and he supposeth that he hath the prize it shall not now run away from him he supposeth now he will finde the Pearle well enough But it is with him as with a Theefe driven out of a faire Garden of Delight where he had eaten pleasant fruit who cometh and goeth round about the inclosed Garden and would faine eate some more of the good fruit and yet cannot get in but must reach in with his hand and yet cannot come at the fruit for all that for the Gardiner cometh and taketh away the fruit and thus he must goe away empty and his lust is changed into discontent Thus also it is with him viz. with the spirit of this world he soweth thus in his fiery or burning lust the e Graine or Corne. seede into the Matrix and the Tincture receiveth it with great joy and supposeth that to be the virgin but the soure harsh Fiat cometh thereupon and attracteth the same to it while the Tincture is so well pleased 41. Now then the feminine Tincture cometh in to ayd and striveth for the childe and supposeth that it hath the virgin and the two Tinctures wrestle both of them for the virgin and yet neither of them both hath her and which of the two overcometh according to that the fruit getteth the Mark of distinction of sex But because that the feminine Tincture is weake therefore it taketh the bloud also to it in the Matrix whereby it supposeth it shall retaine the virgin The secret Gate of Women 42. Hence I must shew the ground to them that seek for the Doctor cannot shew it him with his Anatomie and though he should kill a thousand men yet he shall not finde that ground they onely know that ground that have f Or attained it been upon it 43. Therefore I will write from the virgin which knoweth well what is in the Woman shee is as subtile as the Tincture but shee hath a life and the Tincture hath none the Tincture is nothing else but an exulting joyfull mighty will and a house or habitation of the soule and a pleasant Paradise of the soule which is the soules propriety or own portion so long as the soule with its Imagination g Sticketh to God and goodnesse dependeth on God 44. But when it becometh false so that its Essences flatter with the Spirit of the great world and desire the h Or Its fill fulnesse of the world viz. 1. In the soure harshnesse desire much wealth or riches to eate and drinke much and to fill themselves continually 2. In the bitternesse desire great power authority and might to rise high to rule powerfully and extoll themselves above all and put themselves forth to be seene like a proud Bride and 3. in the i In the active stirring of the wrath source of the fire to desire a fierce cruell power and by kindling of the fire of anger supposing in the lustre thereof to be brave and so are much delighted in themselves then cometh the flatterer and lyar and k Imageth or representeth himselfe formeth or figureth himselfe also in the Spirit of the great world as he did in the Garden of Eden and leadeth the soule 1. in covetousnesse to eating and drinking too much and saith continually thou shalt want and not have enough get more for thy selfe how thou canst by hooke or by crooke that thou mayst alwayes have enough to serve thy turne And 2. in the bitter forme he saith thou art rich and hast much aspire and lift up thy selfe thou art greater than other people the inferiour is not like thee or so good a man as thou And 3. in the might or power of the fire he saith Kindle or stirre up thy minde make it implacable and stout yeeld to none terrifie the simple and so thou shalt be dreadfull and make thy authority continue and then thou mayst doe what thou listest and all whatsoever thou desirest will be at thy service and is not this a fine brave Glory Art thou not indeed a Lord on Earth 45. And as soone as this is l That the soule listeneth and yeeldeth to the Devill brought to passe then the Tincture becometh wholly false for as the Spirit in a thing is so is also the Tincture for the Tincture goeth forth from the Spirit and is the habitation thereof Therefore O Man whatsoever you sow here that you shall reape for your soule in the Tincture remaineth eternally and all your fruits stand in the Tincture manifested in the cleere light and follow after you this the virgin saith in sincerity for a warning with great longing after the Lilly 46. And now if wee consider of the Tincture and search how various it is and that it is many times so wholly false then we may be able fundamentally to demonstrate the falshood of the many various Spirits and how they are generated Therefore wee will make a short entrance concerning the propagation of the
and also through the kingdome of Hell and no hurt done us and according to that direction of her's wee write CHAP. XIV Of the Birth and Propagation of Man The very secret Gate 1. IF wee consider now the springing up of the life and in what place of the body it is where the life is generated then we shall rightly finde the whole ground of Man and there is nothing so secret in Man p That may not be found but that it may be found For wee must needs say that the Heart is the place wherein the noble life is generated and the life againe generateth the heart 2. As it is mentioned above so the life in the anguish with the kindling of the light taketh its beginning from the glance of the Sun-shine from the Spirit of the Starres and Elements in the great anguish where death and life wrestle one with the other â—or when man departed from Paradise into another Birth viz. into the Spirit of this world into the quality of the Sunne Starres and Elements then the Paradificall vision or seeing ceased or was extinguished where man seeth from the divine vertue without need of the Son and Starres where the q Or there the life in the Holy Ghost buddeth forth in the place of the foure Elements springing up of the life is in the holy Ghost and the light of God is the glance of the Spirit from whence r Man he seeth which went out for the spirit of the soule went into the Principle of this world 3. You must not so understand it as if it were extinguished in it selfe No but the soule of Adam went out from the Principle of God into the Principle of this world and therein now the Spirit of every soule is thus generated againe by humane propagation as is mentioned before and it cannot be otherwise and therefore if wee would be fit for the kingdome of Heaven wee must be regenerated anew in the Spirit of God or else none can inherite the kingdome of God as Christ taught us faithfully of which I will write hereafter that it may be a fountain for the thirsty and a light to the noble way in the blossome of the Lilly 4. And wee must here know that our life which wee get in our Mothers body or womb standeth meerly and onely in the power of the Sunne Starres and Elements so that they not onely figure or fashion a childe in the Mothers body and give it life but also bring it into this world and nourish it the whole time of its life and bring it up also cause fortune and mis-fortune to it and at last death and corruption and if our Essences out of which our life is generated were not higher in their first degree out of Adam than the Beasts then wee should be wholly like the Beasts 5. But our Å¿ Active essentiall vertues or faculties Essences are generated much higher in the beginning of the life in Adam than the beasts which have their Essences but meerly from the spirit of this world and it must also with the spirit of this world in a corruptible substance goe into its eternall Ether whereas on the contrary the essences of Man are proceeded out of the unchangable eternall mind of God which cannot in eternitie corrupt 6. For wee have a certain ground of this in that our minde can finde and conceive all whatsoever is in the spirit of this world which no beast can do for no creature can t Thinke or imagine conceive further or higher than what is in its own Principle out of which its own Essences are proceeded in the beginning but wee that are Men can certainly u Meditate consider or thinke of conceive of that which is in the Principle of God and also of that which is in the anguishing kingdome of Hell where the Worme of our soule in the beginning in Adam originally is and this no other creature can doe 7. But they thinke consider or imagine onely how to fill themselves and multiply that their life may subsist and wee also receive x Than the beasts doe no more from the Spirit of the Starres and Elements and y Because our Essences have a higher beginning than the beasts therefore also our children are naked and bare with great inability and without understanding and now if the Spirit of this world had full perfect and absolute power over the Essences of the childe then he would easily put his rough garment upon it also viz. a rough hide but he must let that alone and he must leave the Essences in the first and second Principle to Mans own choosing to binde and yeeld himselfe to which Principle he will which man hath undeniably in his full power which I will expound in its own place according to its worth and deeply demonstrate it in spite of all the Gates of the Devill and this world which strive much against it 8. Our life in the Mothers body hath its beginning wholly as is above mentioned and standeth there now in the quality of the Sun and Starres where then with the kindling of the light a Centre springeth up againe where instantly the noble Tincture thus generateth it selfe out of the light out of the joyfull Essences of the soure harsh bitter and fiery kinde or quaâ—â—â—â— and setteth the Spirit of the soule in a great pleasant habitation and the three z Beeings or substances Essences viz. harshnesse bitternesse and fire are in the kindling of the life so very fast bound one to another that they cannot in eternity be separated one from another and the Tincture is their eternall house wherein they dwell which house they themselves generate from the beginning unto eternitie which againe giveth them life joy and lust or delight The strong Gate of the Indissoluble Band of the soule 9. Behold the three Essences viz. sourenesse or harshnesse bitternesse and fire are the Worme or Spirit that dieth not a Or soureness Harshnesse is one Essence and it is in the Fiat of God out of Gods eternall will and the attracting of the soure harshnesse is the sting or prickle of the bitternesse which the soure harshnesse cannot endure but attracteth continually the more forcibly to it from whence the prickle continually groweth greater which yet the soure harshnesse holdeth b Captive prisoner and this together is the great anxiety which was there in the darke minde of God the Father when the darknesse was anxious or longed after the light from whence in the anxiety from the glance of the light it attained the twinckling flash out of which the Angels were created which afterward were enlightened from the light of God c By their longing after or imprinting the heart of God in their thoughts by their Imagination into the heart of God and the other like Lucifer for their haughtinesse or prides sake remained in the flash of fire and anxiety 10. This Birth or
Temptation testifieth so much to mee as also the Temptation of Israel at Mount Sinai by Moses stayings on the Mount both which lasted forty dayes which you mâ—y reade in Moses and concerning the Temptation of Christ and you will finde wonders 27. But when Adam was infected from the lust to eate of the knowledge of good and evill and that the Spirit of this world pressed or swayed Adam where also the subtill Devill which in the Spirit of this world slipt in shot mightily at Adam so that Adam became weary and blinde to the Kingdome of God then said God It is not good for man to be alone for he will not now g Generate or beget bring forth the Paradisicall virgin because he is infected from the Spirit of this world so that the chastity of the modesty is quite h Gone at an end wee will make a help for him to be with him out of whom he may build his Principality and propagate himselfe it cannot be otherwise now and he let a deepe sleep fall upon Man and he slept 28. Here it may be very properly and well understood how the virgin in Adam departed into the Ether into her Principle for the Text saith God let a deep sleepe fall upon Adam now where sleepe is there the vertue or power of God is hidden in the Centre for where that vertue of God groweth there is no sleepe for the Keeper of Israel neither slumbreth nor sleepeth as it is written If thou askest How long Adam slept 29. Then consider Christs Rest in the Grave and thou shalt finde the ground for the second Adam must with his resurrection out of the Grave awaken or raise the first out of his Eternall sleepe of the darknesse of Hell out of the Grave of this world againe 30. And so God in Adam his sleepe made the Woman for him out of himselfe by which he must now generate his kingdome for now it could not otherwise be And when he awaked he saw her and tooke her to him and said This is flesh of my flesh and bone of my bone for Adam was in his sleepe become cleane another Image for God had permitted the Spirit of this world in him to make his Tincture weary unto sleepe 31. Adam was in an Angelicall forme before the sleepe but after the sleepe he had flesh and bloud and he was in his flesh a lump of earth and he saw from a threefold spirit with his eyes he apprehended the light of the Sunne and knew the first Image no more although the foure Elements had not yet fallen upon him nor touched him for he was yet in innocency 32. And there the Devill bestirred him and slipt into the Serpent which he himselfe is in his own proper forme and laid himselfe at the Tree and k Or set the sweet light and pleasantnesse forth strewed Sugar upon it for he saw well the Eve was a Woman and that shee was infected with the foure Elements and although shee did strive a little and objected Gods Command against the Devill yet shee suffered her selfe very easily to be perswaded when the lying Spirit said That the fruit would make her wise and that her eyes should be opened and shee be as God knowing Good and Evill yet he told her not that if shee eate thereof shee must dye but he said shee should be wise and faire which disease desire or lust sticketh still in the braines of the Woman that shee would faine be the fayrest Beast 33. So shee pulled off an Apple and did eate and gave to Adam also and he eate of it likewise That was a bit at which the Heavens might well have blushed and the Paradise have trembled as it was indeed really done as is to be seene at the Death of Christ when he entered into Death and wrestled with Hell that the Earth and the Elements trembled and the light of the Sunne was darkened when this bit of the Apple was to be l Or cured healed up The Gate of the great Affliction and Misery of Man 34. Reason sticketh at the vaile of Moses and seeth not through the Tables that were graven-through which God gave him upon Mount Sinai as also Reason cannot take off the vaile from before m The eyes of Moses his eyes and look him in the face for he hath a brightned clarified or shining countenance in the crack of the fire it Reason is afraid of it that countenance and trembleth at it it saith continually to Moses Speake thou with the Lord for wee are afraid and moreover altogether naked and uncleane 35. It presenteth indeed the wrath of God to it selfe and trembleth at its fall but it knoweth not what hath hapned to it it onely presents the disobedience before it selfe and maketh as if God were an angry malicious Devill that cannot be reconciled having indeed put on the Garment of anger in Adam and Eve on to it selfe in body and soule and hath set it selfe against the will of God in the Bath or Lake of anger on which God took such n Or mercy pitty or compassion that he hath not spared his own Heart to send it into the depth of Anger into the Abysse of Hell as also into the Death and breaking of the foure Elements from the eternall holy Element to help fallen Man and to deliver him out of the anger and Death 36. But since the vaile in the Death of Christ was taken away from the face of Moses in the stead whereof the starres with the foure Elements have yet cast a myst and cloud through the infection of the Devill before Man for the o Or the worldly kingdome Region of this world hath generated the Antichrist and set him before the countenance of Moses in a p Or darkness cloud as if he were Christ so that the countenance of Moses cannot be apprehended or beheld therefore wee have need of the Lilly which groweth through the Tables of Moses that were graven through with its strong smell which reacheth into the Paradise of God from whose vertue the People or Nations shall be so vertuous and strong that they shall forsake the Antichrist and shall runne through the darknesse to the smell of the blossome for the breaker-through the Gates hath planted the Lilly and he hath given it into the hand of the Noble virgin and this Lilly groweth in the Element wonderfully against the horrible storme of Hell and against the q Or dominion kingdome of this world where then many r Or Twigges branches will fall to the ground from whence Antichrist becometh blinde and groweth stark madde and raving in the fogge and mist and stirreth the Å¿ The anger and malice in the four Elements foure Elements in the wrath or grimme fiercenesse and then it is needfull for the children of God to awake from the sleepe of the fogge this the Spirit intimateth in the light of Nature seriously and earnestly 37.
body in Christ and thou helpest the necessity or want of thy fellow-member and to bring him into God it is the pleasure and will of God that one help to beare the burthen of another and to be saved in one brotherly Love and in one body 101. Thou blinde Minister to the Kingdome of Antichrist when thou sayest Masse for soules How is it that sometimes thou takest upon thee to ransome a soule which is in Heaven or altogether in the Abysse with the Devill Doest thou not think that the Devill mocketh thee Or how canst thou help them that are in Heaven Thou criest out and sayest they are in paine and torment and thou art a lyar in the presence of God and how then will that holy soule blesse thee and give thee thanks How is it when thou thy selfe art in the Abysse with all Devills that thou standest and wilt ransom others out of Purgatory and that for money which thou afterwards spendest with Whores O fie upon thee thou great Whore or Harlot how hast thou made for thy selfe a heavenly kingdome upon Earth for thy voluptuousnesse and deceivest the poore soule of Man thou must either turne or goe into the Eternall Purgatory 102. And now seeing there is somewhat in Purgatory and that all is not so dead b Or the Wolfe of the Beast giveth it forth as the Wolfe of the Beast feigneth whereby he may devour the Beast and the Woman that sitteth thereon and he is himselfe a Wolfe and there hangeth a Fox behinde him and in the Fox there groweth up an other Antichrist againe never a whit better than the first he goeth flattering with his c Or Foxes Tayle Foxes skin smelling about and the Wolfe sticketh therein till he getteth the kingdome or Dominion if he should come to be old enough how would he devour the poore peoples Hennes in the fierce cruelty therefore the Lilly in the Wonder destroyeth him which groweth towards the North or midnight in the bitter or fierce storme 103. Seeing the world forgeth so much concerning Purgatory therefore I will also set downe the Ground of it in the Light of Nature and see how it will be endured and whether wee can search it out or no for wee must looke upon Life and Death and upon the Gate where the soule entereth through Death into Life and upon all the three Principles because the Roote the Pith or Kernell lyeth therein CHAP. XIX Of the Entring of the soules to God and of the wicked soules Entring into Perdition The Gate of the Bodies breaking off or Parting from the Soule 1. IF wee consider now in the light of Nature of Man the Image of God of his beginning and of his Eternall enduring being or substance and then of the breaking of his body how body and soule part asunder and whither the soules goe when the Spirit of their breath doth breake or dissolve in them and the springing or moving in the Tincture of this world doth cease then wee finde the ground of the unquietnesse of the soule when it is severed from the body being unregenerated from whence lamentation and desiring ariseth from whence then the Babell of Confusion hath arisen so that very many things have therefore been invented to Ransom soules out of Distresse 2. Many of which things have no foundation in the light of Nature nor can be found therein But were rather invented for Covetousnesse and for d For Livings filling of the Belly and for deceit upon which the Antichristian kingdome is founded and thereout is a right Babell of Confusion come to be out of which then also the Grimme fierce cruell enmity and hatred is arisen from whence Babell is broken in her selfe and Enmity is generated out of e Wrangling dissention and warring Babell and it is the fierce wrath of God which appeareth in the breaking or destruction of Babell because shee is generated in the Deceit 3. But now that the wrath devoureth all and wholly darkneth the Mysteria Mysteries or hidden secrets and maketh the source or quality of the Eternall Birth to be a Darknesse onely that it may exalt its wrath and seeth nothing in the Birth of Eternity but bringeth all things that are therein to nothing that is a very great Babell for it not onely devoureth it selfe but maketh it selfe f Or Stock-blinde stark blinde in Nature and it maketh of Mans Image meere evill wolvish Beasts which think that they are gone out from Babell and yet are begotten in Babell and are in the body of the evill devouring Beast and so devour the house of their Mother and manifest it to be a vile stincking Lake and yet themselves will not goe out from it and it is altogether a Kingdome which continually generateth it selfe in its own voluptuousnesse and pride and also continually manifesteth its own shame and devoureth it selfe in the wrath of its own sinnes and is rightly called Babell 4. But if wee goe out from Babell into the New Regeneration and consider our corruption wherein the poore soule lyeth captive and also consider our Regeneration in Christ Jesus how wee are regenerated out of God and then how Man must enter into this new Regeneration and be regenerated in the Birth of Christ then wee shall well finde what the unquietnesse of the soule is after the departure or breaking off of the body 5. For the soule which is out of the first Principle out of the Band of the Eternity was breathed into the Element of the body to be the Image of God out of the strong Might of God and enlightened from the Divine Light so that it hath received an Angelicall source or quality but when it went forth out of the Light of God into the Spirit of this world then there sprung up in it the source of the first Principle and it neither saw nor felt the kingdome of God any more till that the Heart of God set it selfe in the midst againe into that the soule must enter againe and be borne anew 6. And that it might doe this therefore the Heart of God became a humane g One Copie hath humane body soule and slew by his entring into Death the Spirit of this world and brought the fulnesse of the Deity againe into his humane soule so that wee also may altogether in his as in our own humane soule through him presse into the holy Element before God and now there is nothing to hinder us but our own vile sluggish drowsinesse that wee suffer our selves to be so wholly and altogether lead by the Spirit of this world with pride exalting of our selves to honour and esteeme and greedy filling of the Belly with plenty and wee look no further to consider that wee are but Pilgrims and that as soone as the Spirit of this world hath laid hold of us in the Mothers body or womb wee are then Pilgrims and must travaile with our soules into another Countrey where the earthly body is not
whole substance and an Essence of a thing 77. Now Abel is the first Christian Church in Patience which God established that the Cainish Church should be converted by Abel he hath not therefore so rejected the Cainish Church that he would have no member out of it Understand it thus the true Christian Church standeth like a sheepe among Wolves though indeed wee are Men and not Wolves but in Minde and in Figure p The Abellish Church It teacheth the wicked and if he be converted then it hath gained him and he is figured into an Image of God and thereby Joy is caused among the Angels of God that the Kingdome of Heaven hath the victory 78. Or doest thou suppose that the word in Daniel is nothing Chap. 10. concerning the Angel Gabriel who said that the Prince in Persia withstood him one and twenty dayes and that our Prince Michael came to helpe him Thereby it may be seene how the Princes and Throne-Angells strive against the Kingdome of the fierce wrath and assist Men the cause whereof is this The Devill awakeneth the Anger against Men and the Angels of God viz. the Throne-Princes keepe it back because God q For all the Devils stirring up or awakening of his Anger yet willeth not Evill 79. Wee are especially to observe in Cain and Abel what their purpose was Cain was a Plowman or Tiller of the Ground and Abel was a Shepheard or keeper of sheepe Abel relyed upon the blessing of God towards his flock to maintaine himselfe by the blessing of God Cain relyed upon his own labour to maintaine himselfe by his own skill and industry Eve tooke part with Cain and Adam with Abel for Eve counted him to be the Prince on Earth to whom the Kingdome did belong and supposed that he as a Champion would chase and hunt away the Devill although shee knew r The Devill him not 80. But if Men search very Deepe this that followeth they will finde is the very Ground Eve was the Childe in the Matrix of Adam which Adam if he had not been overcome should have generated out of himselfe in great modesty purity and holinesse but because Adams Matrix was impregnated from the Spirit of this world therefore God must frame a fleshly woman out of it which afterwards in her first fruit became lustfull and infected from the Devill as well as the Limbus in Adam 81. And therefore they also generated such a towardly childe as looked onely after covetousnesse as Eve also did who would be like God and surely Adam had some minde that way or else he should not have entred into the spirit of this world 82. And such also now was their Sonne Cain he supposed that he was Lord on Earth and therefore he grutched that his Brother should have any thing especially when he saw that he was accepted before God that vexed him and he thought that Abel should come to be Lord on Earth in his sacrifice he regarded not the feare of God though he as an appearing holy Man or hypocrite sacrificed also but he regarded onely the Å¿ The highest place of Earthly Dominion Region 83. And here the Antichristian Kingdome tooke its beginning where Men t Or speake good words before God give God good words and their heart is possessed with covetousnesse and seek after nothing but power and authority to domineere over the needy and miserable who trust and relie upon God Therefore Antichrist hath his God in his Chist and in the strength of his power and behinde his cloake there hangeth a Fox He prayeth yet he desireth nothing else but the Kingdome of this world his heart doth not leave off to persecute and to hunt poore Abel But Abel prayeth to the Lord and his heart inclineth it selfe to the Love of God in the true Image for he desireth the Kingdome of Heaven and the Blessing of God here for his u Necessitie or subsistence of the body maintenance 84. Now the Devill cannot endure that a holy Church should grow up in his Dominions he will murther Abel still as he did then because Cain feared not God therefore the Devill gat an accesse to him and stirred up the inbred wrath in Cain against Abel that he slew him Here surely all the Devills danced at it and thought now is the Kingdome ours againe whereat Adam and Eve were much amazed and affrighted when they saw that he whom they accounted for a Prince became a murtherer and as the History saith they copulated or knew one another no more in seaventy yeares after 85. Now it being thus therefore they sought for quite another Treader upon the Serpent also now they inclined their heart to God so that seventy yeares after this murther they begat a very upright vertuous holy Sonne that feared God who established againe the pure Church of the feare of God and promised seede of the Woman whose name was Seth who also begat a very upright vertuous Sonne whose name was Eâ—os and then Men began to preach openly or plainly of God and the Christian Church alwayes rose up like a small flock in spite of all the Ragings of the Devills 86. But Cain exalted himselfe to be a Lord over his kindred from whence arose the Dominion and Rule or Government of this world all according to the influence of the Starres generated per Spiritum Majoris Mundi by the Spirit of the x Or Macrocosme Great world and is not as Cain supposed so ordained by the cleere Deity 87. It is true indeed when the world became so evill malicious and murtherous then there must needs be Judges and Magistrates that the fierce wrath might be stopped by punishment and feare but if thou haddest continued in Love then thou shouldst have had no Lords but loving Brothers and Sisters O Cain thy potent Kingdome cometh not from God but hath its influence from the starry Heaven in Anger which domineereth over thee and many times giveth thee Tyrants who consume thy sweat in Pride and this thou hast for thy Paradise 88. Saint Paul writeth very well that there is no power authority or Magistracy but of God but he saith it is an y Or for the punishment of evill doers avenger of the wicked and beareth not the sword in vaine herein thou hast ground enough that God useth the worldly Government and the sword thereof for the wicked's sake under which thou must now for the sake of sinne beare thy yoake because thou art a continuall devourer and murtherer doe but behold thy selfe together with the avenging sword perhaps thou wilt see thy selfe 89. But if any say that God doth abhorre or loath the Great Tyranny and Oppression when they domineere and take away the sweat of the poore and needy and consume it in pride and statelinesse that Cain cannot endure if the terrible Example of the Floud or Deluge did not stand there then Tyranny would be accounted holinesse but thy z The
it another dwelling house for thy soule that it may not send thee so naked away from it 117. And then thirdly that he hath brought thy soule out of Heaven into the pleasures of this world and now leaveth it in its misery wholly naked and bare fitting in its filthinesse and goeth away and regardeth no more where the soule is or how it is with it if it c Or should goe into Hell were in the Abysse of Hell it were all one to the spirit of this world this thou hast to expect for thy recompence from the spirit of this world because thou hast so truly served it 118. Therefore O Cain fly away from the Spirit of this world there is a fire out of the Roote of the Originality from the Lord of Heaven in it thy swelled secret Kingdome is kindled that Men may see or know thee in every place thou shalt stand quite open or naked with all thy d Or Mysteries secresies for the Spiritus Majoris Mundi or Spirit of the Greater World hath found the Tincture and its Roses blossome in the Wonders CHAP. XXI Of the Cainish and of the Abellish Kingdome how they are both in one another Also of their Beginning Rise Essence and drift and then of their last Exit Also Of the Cainish Antichristian Church and then of the Abellish true Christian Church how they are both in one another and are very hard to be knowne asunder Also Of the variety of Arts a Conditions and Courses States and Orders of this World Also Of the Office of Rulers or Magistrates and their Subjects how there is a Good and Divine b Or Order Ordinance in them all as also a false Evill and Devillish Where the providence of God is seene in all things and the Devils deceit subtilty and malice is seene also in all things 1. WEE finde by the Divine Providence in all things as also in Arts and c Or Conditions of things States that the things of this world are all good and profitable and that onely the Devills poyson brought into them is evill and so wee finde also all States or conditions high and low come out of one d Or spring onely Tree and one alwayes proceedeth out of the other so that the Divine Providence cometh to help all things and so the Eternall Wonders in ail the three Principles are e Or discovered manifested to which end God brought to light the Creation of all things which from Eternity in themselves stood onely in the flowing budding or f As the thoughts in the minde flow or spring up springing up but by the Creation of this world are put into the Wonders 2. Therefore now wee can speak or write of nothing else but of his Wonders for wee have a great Example of them in Cain when the Kingdome of the fierce wrath after his murther awaked in him and would have g By making him despaire in God devoured him that God came to help him when the Divine Justice in his Conscience sentenced him to Death then the Divine Answer spake against it saying No Whosoever slayeth Cain it shall be avenged sevenfold by which speech the fierce vengeance of the Abysse of Hell was driven away from him so that Cain did not despaire and though he were gone forth from God yet the Kingdome of Heaven stood towards him he might turne and enter into Repentance God had not yet quite rejected him but his malicious murtherous and his false confidence he accursed and would not h Or consent thereto be therein 3. For God departed not from Cain but Cain went himselfe from God if he had been strong in Faith and Confidence in God then he might have been able to enter into God again even as he thought before the fall into the murther that he would break the head of the Serpent but there it was seene what Mans ability was If he had laid hold on the true Treader upon the Serpent then he might have gone instantly in the vertue of the Treader upon the Serpent into God againe 4. But Cain i Or was had flesh and bloud and understood not the meaning of the Eternall Death yet when he was assured from God that none should slay him he became cheerly againe for the k His faculties that were in doubt were againe assured of Gods grace Essences of his soule were refreshed againe by Gods recalling him for the Doore of Grace stood open towards him he should returne for God would not the Death of a Sinner 5. And here may be seene very exactly who was the accuser of Cain viz. the bloud of Abel which cryed to God from the Earth and awakened the fierce Anger against Cain where the Essences of the soule of Abel through the deep Gate of Anger pressed in to God through the Treader upon the Serpent and so stirred the Roote of the fire in Cain whereby the Anger was awakened Here consider what the sighings of the righteous and their pressing into God in their unequall being oppressed can doe how it kindleth the Anger of God as in Cain whereas then fiery Coales are heaped upon the Drivers or oppressours head 6. But when l The wrath or the gnawing Worme of his Conscience it was allayed againe by the voyce of God then Cain did not know how that came to passe and set his murther at Rest like one who hath a secret gnawing Dogge sitting in the Darke yet he proceeded and built his powerfull Earthly Kingdome and did not wholly put his trust in God for when he saw that he must seeke for his Bread out of the Earth and must take his cloathing from the m The Beasts and that which groweth out of the Earth children of the Earth therefore all his businesse lay in the Art of Seeking how and which way he might finde and how to possesse the treasure of that which was found that he might alwayes have enough because he saw God no more therefore he did like Israel who were brought out of Egypt by Moses and when they saw him not because he was on the Mount then they began their dancing and false worship of God and asked after Moses no more 7. Thus Cain now built his earthly Kingdome and began to search all manner of Arts not onely in n Husbandry plowing or Tilling of the ground Agriculture but also in Mettalls and further all Arts according to the seven Spirits of Nature which in the o In the Name of Cain and the other Circumstances Letter is well to be seene wherein our Schooles or Universities will now be Masters but they are not yet Schollars in the Ground 8. And it is excellently shewen that they had p That is in Cains time they had the Tincture in their power the light of the Tincture in their hands wherein they found their Inventions though it was not wholly knowne for sinnes were not then in such multiplicity
Darknesse and of Death out of the anxious source or property and blossometh out of the Darknesse in the broken Gate of the darknesse in it as a pleasant habitation and so generateth its light out of the anxious fierenesse out of it selfe where then in the Light there goeth forth againe the endlesse source of the thoughts or senses which make a Throne and Region of Reason which governeth the whole house and desireth to enter into the Region of the Heaven out of which it proceeded not And therefore now this is not the Originall will which there desireth to enter into the Region of the Heaven but it is the k Or recomprehended or re-taken will out of the property reconceived will out of the source of the anxiety which will is in a desire to enter through the deep Gate of God 18. Now seeing it was impossible for the humane Spirit how much soever it was attempted tryed or sought therefore God must enter againe into the humanity and help the humane Spirit to breake the Gate of l Or of Death Darknesse that so it might be able to enter into the Divine power or vertue 19. And thus he dwelleth in two properties both which draw him and desire to have him viz. one fierce property or source whose Originall is the Darknesse of the Abysse and the other is the Divine power or vertue whose source or active property is the Light and the Divine Joy in the broken Gate of Heaven as the word Hâ—mmel Heaven in the Language of Nature hath its proper acute m Meaning or signification understanding from the pressing through and entring in and then with its Roote continuing to fit in the stock of Eternity wherein the Omnipotency is rightly understood which my n The Learned in their own Conceit or Reason Master in Arts will scarce give any credit to for he hath no knowledge therein it belongeth to the Lilly 20. Thus Man is drawen and held of both but the Centre standeth in him and he hath the o Ballance of the Scales or the Weights Ballance between the two wills viz. between the Originall and the re-conceived will to the Kingdome of Heaven and in each scale there is a Maker who formeth what he letteth into his minde for the minde is the Centre of the Ballance the senses or thoughts are the p Or Hindges weights that passe out of one scale into the other for the one scale is the Kingdome of the fiercenesse and of Anger and the other is the Regeneration in the vertue or power of God in the Heaven 21. Now behold O Man how thou art both Earthly and also Heavenly as it were mixt in one onely Person and thou bearest the Earthly and also the Heavenly Image in one onely Person and thou art also the fierce wrathfull property or source and thou bearest the Hellish Image which q Or groweth springeth in the Anger of God out of the source of the Eternity thus is thy minde and the minde holdeth the Ballance and the r Or thoughts senâ—es put weight into the scales 22. Therefore consider what weight thou puttest in by the r Or thoughts senses thou hast the Kingdome of Heaven in thy power for the Word of the Divine vertue or power In Christ hath given it selfe to thee to be thy own and so also thou hast the Kingdome of Hell in a Bridle in the Roote and thou hast it for thy own by the right of Nature and thou hast the Kingdome of this world also according to thy Humanity received from Adam for thy own 23. Now consider what thou letâ—est into thy minde by thy senses for thou hast in each Kingdome a Maker which these Å¿ Formeth fashioneth or Createth an Image maketh an Image of whatsoever thou layest into the scales by the senses for all lyeth in the making or formation and thou art in this body a field Ground or soyle thy Minde is the sower and the three Principles are the seede what thy Minde soweth the body of that groweth and that thou shalt reape to thy selfe and so when the earthly field or soyle doth breake then the new growen Body standeth in its perfection whether it be t Or figured growen in the Kingdome of Heaven or in the Kingdome of Hell 24. By this now you might finde and understand the Ground how the Kingdome of this world is generated and how one Kingdome is in the other and how one is the Chist and receptacle of the other where yet there is no captivating at all but all is free in it selfe and Man standeth manifested in all three Principles and yet knoweth neither of them in the Ground except he be generated out of the Darknesse into the Light and then that u Or property source knoweth the fierce Eternity as also the x The third Principle or the created world Out Birth or Issue of the Eternity but he is not able to search out the Light for he is environed therewith and it is his dwelling house whereas yet he is with this body in this world and with the Originality of the soule in the ground of the Eternall source and with the Noble blossome of the soule in the Kingdome of Heaven with God and is thus rightly a Prince in the Heaven over Hell and Earth for the fierce source or torment toucheth it not but the blossome maketh out of the fierce source or quality Paradise viz. the high exulting Joy in the springing up 25. And thus thou Earthly Man mayest see how thou livest here in three Principles if thy minde incline it selfe to God but if it give up it selfe to the y Kingdome or course source of this world then thou standest z Or without before Heaven and thou sowest two Principles viz. the spirit of this world and the fierce source of Eternity The Well-spring or fountaine of the Antichristian Kingdome 26. Man possesseth this world and hath built him a glorious Kingdome for his own Glory as is plaine before our eyes yet he is not to be condemned therein though indeed that is cause of sinnes because God of his Grace hath sent his beloved Heart into the Flesh that Man might thereby goe out from the Flesh againe and enter into the Kingdome of Heaven But now his Earthly body must have sustenance that it may live and propagate and all the Governments and Arts of this world stand in this necessity for the earthly body cannot want them and they are a Or permitted borne withall by Divine Patience that the great Wonders may thereby be manifested 27. But this is Mans condemnation that he soweth onely the earthly and the Hellish seede and letteth the Heavenly stay in his Barne he stayeth without before Heaven and entereth not in for the Noble seede but he giveth God good words that he may be gracious to him and receive him into his Kingdome and soweth nothing but the Devils weeds in
figure of all u His or Mans works its works and x Or substance things or businesse matters which he hath wrought at any time 44. But in the New Man which wee attract on to our soules in the bosom of the virgin wee shall spring and flourish againe and therein is no necessity nor Death for the Kingdome of this world passeth away Therefore he that hath not this Image in the new Birth shall in the Restoration of the Spirit of the Eternall Nature have the Image of what his heart and Confidence hath been set upon here put upon him for every Kingdome Imageth or figureth its Creatures according to the Essences which were groyne here in their will 45. And that you may rightly and properly understand us wee meane or understand here no strange Christ who is not our Brother as himselfe said at his resurrection Goe to my Brethren and your Brethren and tyll them I goe to my God and to your God As indeed the body which wee here carry about us is not the Image of God which God created for the Kingdome of this world put its Image upon us when Adam consented to yeeld to it and wee if wee be regenerated are not at home in this world with our New Man as Christ said to his Disciples I have called you out of this world that you should be where I am and Saint Paul saith Our Conversation as to the New Man is in Heaven Thus wee understand also that our Immanuel who is the most holy of all with his true Image of God wherein also our true Image of God doth consist is not of this world but as the Old Mortall Man from the Kingdome of this world hangeth to us so our Mortall Man also hung to the Image of God in Christ which he drew from his Mother Mary as the pure Element draweth the Kingdome of this world to it 46. But now wee must not think that the holy Man in Christ dyed for that dyeth not but the mortall Man from the Kingdome of this world is that which dyeth that was it which cryed on the Crosse My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee and wee see very cleerly the great Might and power of the holy Man in Christ when the mortall which was taken from this world went into Death how the holy Allmighty Man wrestled with Death in so much that the Elements did shake with it and the Sunne which is the Light of the Nature of this world lost its splendor as if it were then to perish and then the living Champion in Christ fought with the Anger and stood in the Hell of the Anger of God and loosed the soule which he commended into his Fathers hands quite off from the Anger of God also from the source or Torment of Hell and that was it which David said Thou wilt not leave my soule in Hell nor permit thy holy one to y Rot consume or corrupt perish 47. The Deity was in the humane soule and here it brake the sword of the Cherubine so that as Adam had brought his soule into the Prison of Anger and so afterwards all soules from Adam are generated such and are all of them as in one Roote imprisoned in the Anger of Death till Christ so the Noble Champion Christ here destroyed Death in the humane soule and brought the soule through Death into his eternall New Humanity and put it into an Eternall z Contract Espousall or Marriage Covenant 48. And as Adam had opened the Gate of the Anger so hath the Deity of Christ opened the Gate of the Eternall Life so that all men can presse in to God in this opened Gate For the third Principle is broken here and Judgement passed upon the Prince of Darknesse which so long held us prisoners in Death 49. But since Man is so slow of apprehension it may be wee shall not sufficiently be understood aod therefore wee will once more set it downe briefly and accurately how these great Mysteries are for wee know what Adversary wee have viz. the Prince of this world he will not sleepe but try what he can to suppresse this Noble Graine of Mustard-seede 50. Behold thou Noble Minde thou who desirest the Kingdome of God to thee wee speake and not to the Antichrist in Babell who desireth nothing else but the Kingdome of this world take notice of it the time of sleepe is past the Bridegroom cometh for the Bride saith Come be in earnest gaze not at the hand that used this Pen it is another Pen that hath written this which neither thou nor I doe know for the Minde if it be faithfull apprehendeth the Deity and doe not so slight thy selfe if thou art borne in God then thou art greater and more than all this world 51. Observe it the Angel said to Mary Thou shalt conceive and beare a Sonne and shalt call his Name Jesus he shall be great and be called a sonne of the most High and God the Lord shall give him the Throne of his Father David and he shall be a King over the house of Jacob Eternally and of his Kingdome there shall be no end 52. You must understand Mary was to conceive in the body viz. in her own body not in a strange assumed body as the unenlightened who apprehend not the Kingdome of God might interpret our Writings to meane Besides it is not the ground neither which the Ancients and those heretofore have set downe which yet went very high as if Mary from Eternity had been hidden in Ternaris sancto the holy Ternary or Trinity and that shee entered at that time onely into Anna as into a Case or house and were not of the seede of Joachim and bloud of Anna. They say shee was an Eternall virgin out of the Trinity of whom Christ was borne because he came not out of the flesh and bloud of any Man and as himselfe witnesseth that he was not of this world bur was come from Heaven he saith That he came forth from God and must returne againe to God and to Nicodemus he said None goeth into Heaven but the Son of Man which is come from Heaven and who is in Heaven 53. And there he spake cleerly of the Son of Man of his humanity and not of his Deity meerly for he saith plainly The Sonne to Man But God from Eternity was not the sonne of Man and therefore no sonne of Man can proceed from the Trinity therefore wee must look upon it aright If Mary had proceeded out of the Trinity where should our poore captivated soules have been If Christ had brought a strange soule from Heaven how should wee have been delivered Had it been possible to redeem Man without it what needed God to come into our forme and be crucified If it could have been so then God should instantly have seperated or freed Adam from Death when he fell or doest thou suppose that God is so maliciously zealous as to be so
Body was not dead but the Earthly onely the soule sprung up in the Heavenly through Death and stood forty houres in Rest these were the forty houres in which Adam was asleepe when his wife was taken out of him as also the forty dayes when Moses was on the Mount and Israel was tempted to try whether it were possible to live in the vertue or power of the Father in the Kingdome of Heaven But when it was found to be impossible then presently the people fell away from the Law of the Father viz. from the Law of Nature and worshipped a Calfe that they had made to be instead of God and Moses brake the Tables of the Law 74. And God spake further to Israel in the fire that they should see that it was not possible to enter into the Land of Promise into Paradise till the right Joshua or Jesus came who should bring them through Death into Life consider this further I will set it downe very cleerly in the other Bookes concerning the Tables of Moses search for it and you will finde the whole ground of whatsoever Moses hath spoken and done Of Christs Resurrection out of the Grave 75. As Adam went out of the cleere Light of God into the dark Kingdome of this world and the soule of Adam stood between two dark Principles as between Death and Hell and grew up in the body so also would Christ in his growing body rise up from the dead at midnight and make the night in his holy body to be a cleere Eternall Day whereinto no night ever came but the Light of God the Father and of the Lamb shone therein 76. Thou shouldst not think that the soule of Christ these fortie houres was in any other place than in the Father g As fire goeth out in the Iron by the waters quenching or killing of it and yet remaineth in the Iron in its own Principle and in his body where it sprung up in great meeknesse upon the persecution it had as a Rose or faire flower out of the Earth as also our soules in our Rest in the Body of Jesus Christ at the Last Judgement-day in the destruction of this world shall in the new body breake forth againe out of the Old and in the meane while the soule groweth up in the Holy Element in the body of Christ till h Our appointed time our forty houres also come about and not one houre longer than the appointed time is Thus is the body of Christ in the power or vertue of the Father through the soule risen againe and gone forth and hath in it the Light of the Holy Trinity 77. It was not needfull that the Stone should be rowled away from the Grave but to convince the blinde Jewes that they might see it was but folly in them to goe about to detaine or shut up God also because of the Disciples weake Reason that they might see that he was risen for certain for when the Stone was rowled away they could goe into the Grave and see it themselves 78. Also the Angel appeared to them there and comforted them Thus will Christ comfort his afflicted ones who are afflicted for his sake yea he is present with them as he was with Mary Magdalene and with the two Disciples going to Emaus 79. Thou must know that no Stone or Rock can keepe or retaine his body he pierceth and penetrateth through all things and breaketh nothing he comprehendeth all things and the thing comprehendeth not him he comprehendeth this world and the world comprehendeth not him he is hurt by nothihg the whole fulnesse of the Deity is in him and is not included in any thing i Note he appeareth a Creature in our Humane forme in the same k Circumscription and bignesse dimensions that our bodies have and yet his body hath no end or limit he is the whole Princely Throne of the whole Principle 80. When he was here upon Earth in the earthly Man his outward body was circumscribed and limited as our Bodies are but the Inward body is unlimited for wee also in the Resurrection in the Body of Jesus Christ are unlimited yet visible and palpable or comprehensible in the heavenly flesh and bloud as the Prince of life himselfe is l Note wee can in the heavenly figure or shape be great or little and yet nothing be hurt or wanting in us there is no need of compressing the parts of that body 81. O deare Christians leave off your Contentions about the body of Jesus Christ he is every where in all places m Note yet in the Heaven and the Heaven wherein God dwelleth is also every where God dwelleth in the body of Jesus Christ and in all holy soules of Men even when they depart from this outward body and if they be regenerated then they are in the body of Jesus Christ even while they are in this Earthly body A soule here in our body upon Earth hath not the body of Christ in a palpable substance but in the word of power or vertue which comprehendeth all things in Christ indeed body and power is one thing but wee must not understand this of the foure Elementary Creature which is in this world 82. And the Spirit n Or witnesseth signifieth that if you doe not leave off this Contention you shall have no other signe given you then the o When the fire devoured the unbeleeving Captaines and their fifties signe of Elias in fire in zeale the zeale shall devoure you and your contention must devoure your selves you must consume your selves therefore are you not madd Are yee not all Brethren are yee not all in Christ If you did converse in Love what should you need to strive about your Native Countrey wherein you dwell O leave off your cause is evill in the sight of God and yee are all found to be in Babell be advised the day breaketh how long will yee keepe Company with that adulterous Whore Arise your noble Virgin is adorned in her Orient Garland of Pearle shee weâ—reth a Lilly which is most delightsome be brotherly and shee will adorne you indeed p Note wee have seene her really and in her Name wee write this 83. There is no need of Contention about the Cup of Jesus Christ his body is really received in the Testament by the faithfull as also his Heavenly Bloud and the Baptisme is a Bath or Laver in the water of the Eternall Life hidden in the outward Baptisme with water in the Word of the Body of Christ Therefore all Contention or Disputation is in vaine be in Brotherly Love and forsake the Spirit of Pride and then yee are all in Christ 84. These very deepe and difficult matters are not profitable for you you ought not to looke after them wee must onely set them downe that you may see what the ground is and what the Errour is For wee are not the cause of these Writings but you
work of Babell from whence strife and contention in selfe-Pride cometh for they aime onely at Pride and Advancement to Recreate themselves in the Lusts of the Flesh and in selfe They are no Shepheards or Pastours of Christ but Ministers of Servants of the Antichrist they have set themselves upon Christs Throne but they have erected it in this world 20. Yet the Kingdome of Christ is not of this world but consisteth in Power and there is the true knowledge of God in no Man except he be Regenerated in God out of his corrupted house of sinnes where then the fiercenesse changeth it selfe into Love and he is a Priest of God in the Life of Jesus Christ who alwayes seeketh that which is in Heaven in the Wonders of God and the New Man is hidden in the Old Man and is not of this world but he is in Ternario Sancto in the holy Body of Jesus Christ understand in the vertue of his Body 21. For such also his Covenant with us is both in the Baptisme and the Last Supper He tooke not the flesh of his Creature and gave it to his Disciples but he tooke the Body of the Pure Element that is before God wherein God dwelleth which is present in all Creatures but comprised in another Principle and gave it to his Disciples to eate and to drinke under Earthly Bread and Wine so also he Baptized the Outward Man with Earthly Elementary Water but the inward New Man he Baptiseth with the Water in the holy pure Element of his Body and Spirit which substance appeareth onely in the Second Principle and is present every where yet is hidden to the Third Principle viz. to the Spirit of this world 22. For as wee know that our Minde reacheth all over this world and also into the Kingdome of Heaven to God so also the Life of the Pure Element wherein the Creature Christ and our New Man is Christ standeth reacheth every where all over and it is all over full of the fullnesse of the Life of Jesus Christ but onely in the One Pure Holy Element and not in the foure Elements in the Spirit of the Starres 23. Therefore there needeth not in our Writings much toyle nor hard consideration or study wee write out of another Principle no Reader understandeth us rightly in the Ground except his Minde be borne in God there ought no Historicall skill and knowledge to be sought for in our Writings for as it is not possible to see God with earthly eyes so also it is not possible that an unenlightened Minde in the Earthlinesse can comprehend The Ground of our Writings it Heavenly thoughts and meanings â—n comprehend The Ground of our Writings it like must be comprehended by like 24. Indeed wee carry the Heavenly Treasure in an Earthly Or receptacle vessell but there must be a Heavenly Or vessell receptacle hidden in the Earthly else the heavenly Treasure is not comprised nor held None should thinke or desire to finde the Lilly of the Heavenly Bud with deepe searching and studying if he be not entered by earnest Repentance into the New Birth so that it be growne in himselfe for else it is but a Historie where his Minde never findeth the Ground and yet it selfe supposeth it hath comprehended it but his Minde maketh it manifest Of what Spirit it is generated what Spirits childe it is for it is written They are Taught of God 25. Wee know that every Life is a fire that consumeth and must have somewhat to feede its consuming or else it goeth out so also wee know that there is an Eternall Band of Life where there is a matter whereon the Eternall fire feedeth continually for the Eternall fire maketh that matter for foode to it selfe 26. So also wee know that the Eternall Life is twofold in a twofold source quality or property and each standeth in its own fire The one burneth in the fiercenesse and in the woe and the matter thereof is Pride Envy and Anger its source is like a Brimstone Spirit for the rising up of the Pride in covetousnesse envy and anger maketh together a Brimstone wherein the fire burneth and continually kindleth it selfe with this Materia or Materiall matter for it is a great L ke Gall. Bitternesse wherein the Mobility of the Life confisteth as also the Or Vulcan Striker up of the fire 27. Now wee know also that every fire hath a shining and Glance and that Glance goeth in it selfe forth from the source or quality and enlighteneth the matter of the source so that in the source there is a knowledge and understanding of a thing or substance from whence a Minde and the Might taketh its Originall of doing and comprehending a will to somewhat and yet was not there in the Originality and that will in it selfe in the source goeth forth and maketh a liberty for it selfe in the source and the will desireth the liberty that it might stand therein and hath its life from the will in the Light and in it selfe in the habitation liveth without source and yet there it standeth in the Originality in the Ground of the source 28. Thus my Beloved worthy seeking Or friend Minde know and observe that every Life standeth upon the Abysse of the fiercenesse for God calleth himselfe A Consuming fire and also A God of Love and his Name GOD hath its Originall in the Love where he goeth forth out of the source in himselfe and maketh it in himselfe Joy Paradise and the Kingdome of Heaven 29. Wee all in the Originality of our Life have the source of the Anger and of the fiercenesse or else wee should not be alive but wee must looke to it and in our selves goe forth out of the source of the fiercenesse with God and Generate the Love in us and then our Life shall be a joyfull and pleasant habitation to us and then it standeth rightly in the Paradise of God But if our Life stay in the fiercenesse viz. in covetousnesse envy anger and malice and goeth not forth into another will then it standeth in the Anguishing source as all Devills doe wherein no one good thought or will can be but a meere enmity in it selfe 30. Therefore these two Lives viz. the Life in the Loving Regeneration and the Life in the Originality of the source or property are one against another and because the Life in the Love is not Enimicitious therefore it must suffer it selfe to be pinched pierced-through and wounded and upon it the Crosse is laid to be borne with Patience of Meeknesse and in this Bud in this Ground soyle or field a childe of God must be a bearer of the Crosse and for this end hath God appointed in himselfe a Day of Judgement and of Seperation where then he will reape what is growne in every Life and herewith shall all formes of the Eternall Life be manifested and all must stand to the manifesting of Gods Deeds of Wonder 31. Therefore O Man looke to it