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A55479 Mundorum explicatio, or, The explanation of an hieroglyphical figure wherein are couched the mysteries of the external, internal, and eternal worlds, shewing the true progress of a soul from the court of Babylon to the city of Jerusalem, from the Adamical fallen state to the regenerate and angelical : being a sacred poems / written by S.P., Armig. Pordage, Samuel, 1633-1691?; Pordage, John, 1607-1681. 1661 (1661) Wing P2974; ESTC R19164 225,779 377

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214. 215 An Hymn of Mortification p. 215. 216 The triumph of Death p. 216. 217 The Olive bough of Peace p. 217. 218 The bloody Garment of Christ The souls Resurrection p. 218. 219 Purga●ory p. 219. 220 221 222 223 224 No Imperfection can enter Heaven p. 222. 223 T●e Heathens s●lvation p. 224. 225 The Pilgrims passage thorough Hell or the dark Kingdom p. 225. 226 227 228 What the Cherub is that God plac'd at the entrance of Paradise p. 229. 2●1 The Devil overcome p. 228. 229 The Partition-wall p. 229. 2●0 231 The Power of Christ extol'd p. 229. 230 Adam's fall the cause of the Partition-wall p. 230. 231 Christ our Saviour's work p. 231 Christ our Saviour only The way to Paradi●e is through Hell and how there 's no redemption from Hell p. 231. 232 Christ's descention into Hell p. 232 How it was typified p. 233. 234 The great work of salvation wrought alone by Iesus Christ that dyed at Jerusalem p. 234 The Paradifical world p. 235 The souls resurrection or the new Birth p. 235. 236 The souls study after Regeneration p. 236 The two Principles explain'd p. 236. 237 What Paradise an● the second Principle are p. 237. 238 Christ possesses the throne of Lucifer p. 238 How Hell came to be And Lucifers fall The waters above the Firmament p. 238. 239 240. The Aeternity of the world The worlds Creation suc●inctly describ'd Adam creat●d in Lucifers stead p. 239 The Earth wh●reof Adam's Body was made p. 240 Adam soul p. 240 Paradise opened in one place of the Earth and why p. 240. 241 What the forbidden tree was p. 241 Of Christs Body after the Resurrection p. 141. 242 Christ gain'd what Adam lost p. 242 The soul prohibited union with the spirit of the outer world p. 242 Paradise p. 243. 244 245 c. The clouds of Paradise p. 243. 244 The I●ea's of all thi●gs in this world in their purity in Paradise p. 244 The Flowers and p. 244. 245 246 247 The ●rees of Paradise The Saints Harmony in variety p. 245 The River of Life p. 245 its virtue 246 The fruit of Paradise p. 248. 249 The perfumes of Paradise p. 247 The tr●● of Life p. 248. 249 Its vir●ue The Graces that inhabit Paradise and p. 249 The S ouls ●wrod● wi●h the Graces p. 250. 251 No● 〈…〉 Paradise p. 251. 252 A● A●gel de●crib'd p. 254 Sophi● promis'd p. 254 The celebration of the mariage feast p. 256 The inner senses feasted p. 257. 258 259 c. The feast describ'd p. 256. 257 258 259 260 261 262 263 264 c. The Epithalamium p. 257. 258 259 The Feast of Love p. 261. 262 263 264 Miracles not ceas'd p. 268. 269 The Fruits and p. 269. 270 271 272 273 c. The Gifts of the tree of Life Gifts of T ongues p. 269 Gifts of Reason p. 369. 270 Gifts of Wisdom p. 270. 271 272 Gifts of Healing p. 272. 273 274 Gifts of Prophesie p. 274 Of interpretation of Scripture p. 274 Of Dreams and p. 274 Of Prayer p. 274. 27● Gifts of Poetry p. 285. 276 277 Gifts of discerning of Spirits p. 277. 278 Gifts of union and Communion with holy Spirits departed p. 278. 279 Of uniou and Communion with holy Angels p. 279. 280 281 Of Miracles p. 281. 282 Gifts of seeing p. 282 Of Hearing p. 282. 283 Of Smelling p. 283 Of T asting p. 283 Of T ouching p. 283 Of divine Magic p. 283. 284 The Abuse of Magic and how the divine Magic comes to be lost p. 284. 285 286 87. 189 290 Why so many lost their labour in search of the S tone p. 290. 291 292 The way to gain ●●e divine Magic p. 292. 223 What a divine Magitian is p. 293. 294 295 His power and knowledge p. 294. 295 Of those skil'd in 〈◊〉 Magic p. 295. 296 The sacred wine of Love p. 297. 298 The Soul drunk with L●ve p. 298 The Daunce of Love p. 299 The Soul 's r●pt of Love p. 299. 300 301 302 The Soul's Hym● The ●oul the Ma●tyr of Love p. 302 303 The Baptism of Fi●e ●●d ●he Holy Ghost The glorious humanity of Christ appears in Paradise p. 303. 304 335 The Soul's ravishment in the Armes of Love p. 305. 306 The Conclusion p. 306. 307 In the third Part. ENtrance and Invocation p. 309. 310 Carpers inveigh's against p. 310 Pearls not to be cast before Swine p. 310. 311 That H●av'n may be attain'd on Earth p. 311. 312 Heaven every where both within and without Man p. 312 Heaven not locally beyond the starres only p. 312 Heaven the C●ntr● of all things p. 313 The Soul sees not without a Body p. 313. 314 The outward Body a prison to the Soul p. 313. 314 The true Body of the Soul p. 314 The true Elements not seen p. 314 Most Visions mentioned in Scripture not seen by the outer Eyes p. 315. 316 A Confession p. 316 Hell and Heaven separated and yet one in another p. 316. 317 A great Happinesse to be the Instrument of Good and converting of Souls p. 317 The Aeternal world p. 317 God not to be known out of Nature p. 318 The Mysterie of the Trinity p. 318 The cause of Heaven and Hell p. 318. 319 And of the torment of Hell and the Ioyes of Heaven p. 318. 319 The Gulf between Heaven and Hell p. 318 How Heaven and Hell are in one another p. 318. 319 The innumerable Wonders of Heaven p. 319. 320 Man the Aepitomy of all worlds p. 320. 321 Christ carries the soul into the Aeternal world p. 321 322 The Gifts of the Graces p. 322. 323. 324 The inexpressable Ioy and ravishment of the Soul p. 324 The entrance into the Eternal World p. 324 Three distinct Mansions or Orbs in the Aeternal World p. 325 The first the still Aeternity p. 325 The farther ascension of the Soul into the Sphear of Angels p. 325. 326 Angels superiority and inferority p. 326 The unexpressable pleasure the Soul receives in this place from the Heart of God p. 326 The Sanctum Sanctorum or fixed Glory p. 327 The Habitation of the Trinity p. 327 The new Jerusalem describ'd p. 327. 328 329 The Soul cloath'd with the new Body p. 330 The Soul's union and G●orifica●ion p. 330 God out of Nature unsearchable p. 331 God not to be figured in the Imagination p. 331 Man prohibited to look into the hidden secrets of God p. 331 Conclusion p. 331. 332. The ERRATA in the First Part. PAge 8 verse 19 read 〈◊〉 p 9 v 9 r one VII r once p 13 v. 35 some p 14 v 3 r his p 16 v 29 r Orpine p 19 v 13 〈◊〉 v 19 r m●nv p 25 ● 4 r or Ameri●● v 37 ● Sathans p 2● v 20 r justling v 38 r ore p 31 in the Margert r p 09 v 1● r ●●●us v 30 r soul v 33 ● so p 32 v 30 r fill p 33 v 18 r Asphaltes v 19 r such p 3●
Soul 's blest tye Sees God beyond Thoughts Intellectually This is the st●te in which SOPHIA will Souls emptied thus with her blest Spirit fill Then is the Soul made fit for to receive Those Bounties which Heav'ns blessed Hand doth give For whilst thoughts do her empty vessels fill Receive she cann't Heav'ns higher Bounties well A Cup fill'd to the brim can hold no more Nor stomach● meat desire if full before Then is the Soul fit to be wrought upon And to receive Heav'ns seal's impression What in this state she doth or hear or see Must needs be true she cann't deceived be Unutterable were those Sweets which here Our Pilgrim felt before his eyes appear The Beauties of the inner Worlds and on His Soul divine irradiation Is pour'd and now his soul with Constant eye Beholds true glances of AEternity Pens are too weak for to expresse the Blisse Which in this silent state enjoyed is Thunders and Whir●winds are not Heav'ns choyce He softly whispers in a silent Voyce The Souls eares then are eyes what Heav'n then shows The Soul both hears sees ●eels and truly knows Deep is the sight when that no thoughts controul For Heav'n then gives eyes to the passive Soul Past reach of Reason then she flyes and there With a new Light sees demonstration clear But on our Pilgrim passes and to ease Himself oft rests in such blest Groves as these Which thick stood in the Way there quiet rest From working thoughts his passive Soul possest And now unto this World he bids adiew The inner World appeareth in his view No new relations he receives who from Spiritual tyes and Heav'ns kind hand doth come Those who do travel in the Way with him By Heav'ns Venter are his Bretheren And Sisters tyed by a neerer Bond Than ever Earth or Nature yet had don'd They are his Brothers be they rich or poor Who in their Hearts his Father's Image bear Those are his Fathers and his Mothers that Into Regeneration begot His Soul Nature's Children do ne'r to their Parents the Love which Heav'ns to theirs do bear Though he Loves all yet there 's degrees in Love Some are more near and some do farther move As in the building of an House you see Some stones do touch while others farther be Some are more near some keep a distance yet All to the Structure are exceeding fit So Spirits joyned are in that divine And heavn'ly building they do thus Combine Some they are nearer knit than others thus Iohn unto Christ the most beloved was Here Spirits signatur'd alike conjoyn And in a mystic union combine Here Spirits be espous'd and here they see That they meet helps unto each other be Some cann't receive from every vessel though Their thirsty souls drink what from others flow One gives another he receives and he Gives to another here 's the harmony Saints thus combin'd are like a Tower that Unshaken stands against the Devils shot He fears such unions therefore all his Art And cunning he still uses them to thwart O blessed union whom God thus doth joyn Let no man venture for to discombine This doth produce a Love implete with Blisse Which far above natural affection is No Man but he that has 't the Virtue knows Of this Love which from pure union flows Words cann't exprest that heart which feels it doth Know certainly that here I speak a Truth The highest love of Friendship which doth shine So bright 's the Image of this Love divine The Stars alone that doth concatinate Nature and Grace bind fast this firmer state He who this Love Possesses would rejoyce And with great joy ' count it an happy choyce To dye and suffer torments for his Brother And loose his blood with joy to free another In this state two are one one cannot smart Feel but it thrilleth th'rough the other's heart One cann't be sad but by a Sympathie The other's sinking Soul doth almost dye Joy never bloometh in the Face of one But gladnesse in the other's eyes doth shine Although ●eas and a thousand Leagues do part Their Bodies yet by sympathetic Art Their Spirits meet and kisse and do declare At the same moment how each other fare In the black lines writ by each others hand● A flowing Fire of constant Love thy find No sooner can their eyes be plac'd on them But th'rough them to their hearts a flaming stream Of sweetest Fire runs and every Line Unto that Fire doth new fewel joyn O blessed Love which from true Union flows Thy sweetnesse none but those that tast thee knows Base Earthly Lust and wanton Love's alloy Is all but d●o●●e and counterfeited joy Is mix'd with them hut here true sweetnesse is True Joy and an unutterable Blisse Our Pilgrim tasted this felicity Whereby he found all earthly Harmony Below this sweetnesse Sweets Affection But far more sweet is heav'nly Union In Bodies joyning is Earth's Lovers bl●sse In Souls uniting Heav'ns true Lovers is Most justly did the Holy Spirit Call The Serpent the most subtle Beast of all And though in subtilty he doth excel His envy runneth with it parallel This sets abroach that this desires the ill That 's the Instrument for to perform it still And where he cann't do what he would to Man He ' l shew his Teeth and do what e'r he can Think you our Pilgrim though so far he be Gon past the reach of his fell Subtilty No Hell must shew his envy still and to The very last try what his power can do When he had try'd all Stratagems in vain The Pilgrim's union with the Saints to strain To burst that League which breaks the Leagues of Hell And their united Forces oft repel To spoil that mariage of Spirits from Whose happy juncture sacred Powers do come Which overthrow those Legions of the Great Prince of Hell and all Impiety To break that true-Loves Knot which only can Bind fast the hands of this fierce foe to Man When he in vain to hinder this had try'd And saw our Pilgrim by an happy Guide Had it attain'd he seeks some other Way In midst of all his Sweets him to betray His envious eye beholds the Pilgrim's Soul Oft to carouse it in Loves sacred Boul Where she whole streams of Nectar gulped down Sweeter than Honey or the Honey-Comb Down to his Stygian Kingdom goes the Foe And there assembles all his Cooks below Makes them to cull the fairest Fruit the Tree Of ills doth bear First then Complacency Then Covetousnesse then Pride then S●lfishnesse Envy and Iealousie and such as these He takes and by a cunning Chymistry Draws out their blacknesse and deformity Extracts their bitternesse and makes them fair Refin'd like Crystal and as pure as ayr But yet the poyson still was left behind Which stronger grew the more they were refin'd From these a juice he drew most fair and clear And up he mounteth to the Pilgrim's Sphear Sculking behind a cloud this Serpent lay And for an
dead the Soul then flyes To Heav'n and not before above the Skie To such whose Breasts are with such thoughts implete I shall and in a word this Answer ●it Paul was alive and yet to Heav'n he flew Where he such wondrous mysteries did view That as they were unutterable so They were not fit ●or to be told below The Patriarch Aenoch walk'd with God and there Is Heaven doubtless where he doth appear In Love and Glory so Aelias went To Heav'n before his mortal Spirits were spent But such whose thoughts are thus do heaven tye Unto a place above the star●y Sky Such don't believe the Scriptures which declare That also they within Man seated are Indeed th' Aeternal Heav'ns are boundless they In Man and out of Man themselves display I say they 're boundless for the God of Blisse Is boundles and they are where e're he is Nay Heav'n though strange it seem is too in Hell And there doth as L●ght doth in darkness dwell As Night cann't Day as Darkness cann't the Light So cann't Hell e'r comprehend the bright Aeternal Heav'n as 't cann't excluded be So not included by Demensity Did Man himself but truly throughly know He 'd find all Wo●lds that are within Him flow Man 's a deep study and who M●n doth see Truly and throughly knows all Worlds that be 'T is very true if Heaven only were Beyond the blew Seas of the starry Sphear Our Souls enchain'd below could never come Thither till they had left their fleshly home For that our Elemental Bodies are Too heavy to be carried so far But Aenoch walk'd with God on Earth and so May Man on Earth be and see Heav'n too O thou that gazeth on the Olympic Court Fancying beyond it the Majestic Port And Restful Haven of departed Souls Whose bredth extendeth unto either Poles Where mighty Mansions for the Saints do lye Spread over the vast and starry Canopye Carnal Conceits of splendid Palaces 〈◊〉 grosly Brain-deluded Images Did'st thou but know the Nature of a Soul Such fancyful Idea's thou'dst controul For nothing is more near than Heav'n to thee Wert thou not blind had'st thou but eyes to see The deeper into thy self dost go The nearer thou still Heav'n approachest to For what 's indeed a Souls departure hence But motion from the Circumference Unto the Centre let it Centre where It will or in the Light or darker Sphear Had'st thou a Po●er granted thee to flye Ten thousand t●mes as far beyond the Skie As it is to 't as far from Heaven thou Might'st be God's Seat I mean as thou art now Heav'n is spiritual yet real too So that our outward carnal Eyes cann't view Its Seat The Soul which is a Spirit may Yea whilst it's pris'ner in this house of Clay Though I confess this Clayie Vail is such That intervening it doth hinder much These outward eyes can nothing view but what Is gross material and Corporate Rather more tru●y they do nothing view No more than the Perspective we look through Is said to see for 't is the eye so 't is The Soul and nothing else that views and sees What sees the Body when the Soul is fled The Organ still remains the same though dead Yet it no visive Power has for why The Soul once gone of no use is the eye So likewise 't is as plainly it appears The Soul that feels that smels that tasts that hears But now the Soul without a Body may Nor see nor hear touch tast or smell I say Mistake me not I pray I mean not now This Flesh and Blood this gross out-garment though For this indeed is as it were a foul Garment unto the Body of the Soul Which is its prison and the fruit which all Men bear of Adam's fell and fatal Fall For this Imagination did indue This Body when he put his mind into This extern Principle which once shall be Int 's Aether swallow'd to Aeternity Suppose you had a Robe of Lead made fit Unto your Body and that put in it Your Face and Hands all parts covered o're Against your eyes thick Glasses as before You could not see how dim the World would show How heavily should you then move and go Could you so nimbly scud across the Plain Or sprightly swim within the silver Main As you before did should a wedg of Steel Fall hard upon you should you not it feel And should your glass eyes stopped be with clay You could not then behold one glimpse of Day But should you freed be from that Prison then How fair and clear would all things show agen Just so 't is with the Soul a heavy foul Garment unto the Body of the Soul This fleshly Case is whilst it fouly decks It she doth labour under its defects And must be subject unto them then she If that the eyes be d'outed cannot see The outward World let any part of this Organic Body be but ought amiss She is afflicted with it by this tye Of flesh she thus endures misery But the Soul's Body is another thing Which in and through this fleshly Case doth spring Not to be seen with fleshly eyes so you May see the Sun but not that Body view Which gives it splendor so you view the flame But not that Body which Lives in the same For the true Elements they are not seen By eyes Corporeal 't is an outer Screen You view the Body of the Soul likewise From the unmixed Element doth rise This is the Body that to Heav'n doth flye Who gains this Body gains the Mysterie For thorow it he Heav'n may view though he In his corporeal Clayie House still be Who fixes this may there for ever dwell For he those Wonders views that Worlds excel 'T is in this Body that the Soul doth see Th' immortal Glories of Aeternity 'T is plain that all or most great Visions that The sacred Scriptures t' us do nominate Not with the outer were beheld but by The Heav'n-beholding and internal eye What outward Eye can see a Sp'rit unlesse He doth himself in t ' form and matter press What outer eye is able then to see The Form or glory of Heav'n's Majesty An Angel's fain to vail his splendid beams With some gross matter when himself it seems He will discover to th' extern eye of Man What extern Eye can see the Heav'n's glories then With what eye did Elisha's Man behold The fiery Host that did them safe enfold With what Eye was it that Eze●iel spy'd That glorious Vision by clear Chebar's side With what Eye did he see Ierusalem When he in Chald● captive did remain With what Eye was it that great Daniel saw Himself though then at Shushan at Aelai By what sight saw he when sleep seal'd his eyes The great Creator in th' Aeternal Skies And how could Steven with his outer eye See Iesus sitting in th' Aemperial Sky At God's right Hand You know the glorious Sun Which round this Orb in twice twelve
hours doth run By three times fifty and sixteen degrees Exceeds the World But who that Planet sees Deems him but smal How far beyond that Star As they account th' Emperial Heav'n's are You may imagine when the space they ' count 'Twixt Earth and the eighth Heav'n to surmount Sev'nteen hundred millions of Miles and more How vast a distance did Steven's eye therefore Behold our Saviour But that eye by which He say no bounds to it can distance pitch Paul's eyes were closed with what eye saw He The Glory then of Heav'n's bright Majesty Peter entranc'd was with what eye Beheld He then the sheet with clean and unclean fill'd And lastly with what Eye and with what Ear did divine Iohn in Patmos see and hear If thus the Eye may Heav'n see also The Body of that Eye may thither go It is not strange to them therefore that are Acquainted with true notions of that Sphear Wherein I●hov●h and the Angels be That Man on Earth th' Aeternal Heav'n's may see For such do know how Souls abstracted may Be from their House of impediting clay And that whilst in their Bodies they remain May Heav'n by Faith not only here attain And be conversant in the highest Sphear Abstracted from the World though they dwell here But least because I here so stifly plead You should suppose I have been there indeed I will confess as ' counting it great shame To be accounted better than I am That I not worthy have accounted been O no I cleans'd am not am enough from Sin I am a Pilgrim and do thither wen Strong is my Faith I shall come there Amen! Assur'd I am although a very few Att●in whilst here on Earth this Court unto That here on Earth it may attained be Though Flesh and Blood impeed its clarity But you that ask me how I come to know Those things of Heaven which I here do show Since as I do confess I have not been There nor those myst'ries that I speak of seen Pray tell me also then how you come by Your knowledge of a Heav'n beyond the sky Were you e're there Yet confidently you Discribe the place affirm your notion true You 'l tell the Joys of everlasting Blisse Describe the Glory that in Heaven is And will you then if you did never see The place you speak of angry be with me For doing what your selves do daily do You say 't is UP to Heav'n and that is true And is 't not also INTO Heav'n you 'l grant That God's the Centre of all things and sha'nt The Centre which is inmost highest be Or Up or In it is all one to me But this I know that Heav'n and also Hell Though separate in every place do dwell Although as I confess I have not been In Heav'n nor there its spendid glories seen Yet I account it grace enough to be The Praec● of his heav'nly Majesty I may the Candle hold and light the way Into the place of everlasting Day I may the Mercury be to guide aright Caelestial Pilgrims with my glimmering sight We may see right unto the Mountain's top And point the way whilst we are getting up Unto our fellow-Travellers that they if faster go they can may see the Way We Joy if by our means aright they move Those that see more may thank us for our Love That upper Globe which you see pourtrai'd there Doth represent the high Eternal Sphear This is the highest Noblest brightest best The Glory Life and Centre of the rest The place of mighty Wonders the divine Seat of the sacred everlasting Trine The habitation of the blessed Saints Where glorious Angels spread their heav'nly Tents Where stands Mount Sion and the glorious Lamb Where is SOPHIA and Ierusalem This is the everlasting place of rest The Heav'n the habitation of the blest This Man may find in the deep Centre and How this through all devolveth understand Here is the spatious glassie Sea and the Crystalline Earth the Ayr of Purity The purest fire which conjoyn'd in one The matter is of the Caelestial Throne Of Everlasting Joyes This place it is The Empyreum and the Seat of Blisse GOD out of Nature Comprehended may Not be a Nothing so to us I say He seemeth but as he Himself doth show In the Eternal Forms of Nature so We apprehend him can The Father then Hath from Eternity begot the Son This Birth 's the Heart of God which ever was And though begot yet 't no beginning has From whence proceeds the sacred Spirit who From both begotten is Eternal too All three distinct in Person yet but One Aeternal GOD in a strict Union This is the Mysterie of the sacred Trine Which in this everlasting Orb doth shine But now the Father with a strong desire Thirsts for the Son from whence springs up a Fire Which Fire not reaching God's most sacred Heart Is full of Anguish Bitternesse and Tart. This is the Fire that inkindleth Hell Where all the damned and the Devils dwell But the same Fire when that sacred LOVE Or Heart of God it self to it doth move Strait blazeth forth into a meek and Bright Joy and desire of Aeternal Light This is the Light of Heav'n and pleasant Joy In which all Blisse is not the least annoy And thus O Reader if thou are not blind Heav'n's Blisse and Joy Hel's pain and torment find Thou wilt to come from one deep Root and even Perceive the true cause both of Hell and Heaven And thus thou seest how they together dwell Hell hid in Heav'n Heav'n in the midst of Hell And yet so great a Gulf between that they In Hell behold not the least glimp●e of Day Nor they in Heaven feel the least of wo Their separation's thus Eternal too Though Similies are too too base to shew This Mystery of Mysteries of Mysteries to you But that our weak and duller eyes may see More clear by them think on this Simile Take thou a lighted Tapor put it out The week thou ' lt see with Fire glow thr'owour From whence a stinking vapour and a Fume Displeasing to thy nosethrils fills the room The stinking glowing weik gives little light And the Fire far doth differ from a bright And burning Tapor Light the same and then Thou 'lt see the former darknesse fled agen Thou 'lt see a blaze which from the weik doth rise With a bright splendid Glory 'fore thine eyes Which Blaze without the Fire could not be made The Fire 's without that blaze a deady shade The Heat and Light distinct and several be Though joyntly they do in the blaze agree Nor can the 〈◊〉 without the Heat have being But joyntly in 〈…〉 agreeing They make that Glory brighter than the Gold Which in a lighted Ta●or we behold But Heav'n's splendr●●● Light doth not contain Such scorching heat as 〈◊〉 such L●gh●● remain The Application's very 〈◊〉 'T is ●ven Thus 'twixt the Fire of ●ell and Light of
Plenty of Goods and great possessions Here dangles Pleasures here Morality Good Carriage Parts and civil honesty Degrees of State whence Kings and Lords arise Earles Barrons Knights Gentry Nobilities Here Power and Authority and here This Bow innate Concupiscence doth bear On th' other side all manual Arts and Trades In clusters hang among the greener shades Here you may find both Grammer Rhetoric With Logic opticks and A●tl●etic Musick Physicks Metaphysicks too With Geometry hang dangling in your view Astronomy and Geography there Astr●logie and Surgery appear Here nat'ral Magic and Theology Accompan'ed with antique Poetry Here Chimistry Ethicks oeconomicks Phisosophy all sorts and Politicks With many more do grow This is the food Which Man's Soul eats and finds it very good If that you well revolve these in your mind Nor Good nor Bad them in themselves you 'l find Yet may to●poyson be converted or Made wholsome nourishment convenient for Man's soaring Soul Here the two opposite Worlds forces often meet and strongly fight Both would his Cooks be both desire to carve Both willingly would at his Table serve That they their Tinctures might infuse for meats Do operate much in his Soul that eates For Beauty which a pleasant harmony Of Blood and humours is just symmetry Of all the parts no evil is nor is 't A sin to have it or a sin to mist't Yet Sathan this to poyson may convert If thorow it he should elate the heart Make those that it possesse make 't nothing worth By spending precious Time to set it forth Sathan endeavours thorow it to cause Pride and to make them greedy of applause To dresse it forth with highest vanities To make adorers with their wanton eyes Then Lust creeps in with other sins and thus Beauty though good is evil made to us Loves Forces strive if thou hast Beauty to Make it most wholsom and good food for you He 'd make thee Chast and strive his Grace to set As Jewels in so fair a Cabinet Vertue shines brightest in a beauteous frame That graceth Beauty Beauty to the same Adds splendor Oft the Beauty of the Soul Is disregarded in a Face that 's foul Therefore if thou art beautiful thou art More fit to serve God with a purer heart For is't not fit that he who Beauty gave Before all others should thy Beauty have Thus pleadeth Love who 'd make it good and thus It may be made both Good and ill to us To ill the Devil would convert thy Wit And understanding by employing it In vanities or some ill Arts or by Converting it to guile or subtilty Loves power would draw it unto goodnesse and His sacred Mysteries to understand Cause by converting it to Wisdom so Wit may our Friend be or may be our Foe All Arts and Sciences may be abus'd Made Good if rightly Bad if wrongly us'd So nat'ral knowledge us indammage may But do great good if it we well employ So whilst that we inspect Astrology Or the starres motions by Astronomy View we may there Gods Wonders contemplate Which may to Earth our eager Love abate Whilst we in Natural Magic look and see The various Wonders that there hidden be We may with greater ardour praise his Name Who out of nothing thus all things did frame Thus it redound may to God's glory But It by temptation we do solely put Our mindes therein or greater things neglect For them or to the stars an indirect Power ascribe or natural Magic passe To necromancy or Hells arts alas How are we lost thus recreat●ons May help the mind or prove temptations To greater ills Thus Logick may be bent For to maintain Errors by Argument And Syllogisms when the Truth it shou'd Alone maintain Thus bad it proves Thus good So Rhetoric with all its figures may A false cause to Truth 's prejudice display What may do greater good than may the Tongue And yet what is there that doth greater wrong So Eloquence which should to heaven invite By Satans means doth unto Hell excite How good a fruit's divine Theology Yet it by Satan may corrupted be How many Errors Schisms Heresies Strange Fancies Whimsies horrid Blasphemies Hath sprung from those who thus have study'd by Our Adversarie's subtle ingeny Caus'd Musick Satan doth impoyson too And makes more hurt than good by it accrue To most for those whose minds he doth possesle It stirs to Lust provokes to wantonness Allures to riot and to vanity● Thus is't the fruit made of the evil Tree When that it should so minds to Heav'n erect Do find it unto happiness direct Our fleeting thoughts and by those warbling measures Ravish our souls from earth to Heavens pleasures Make us to enter contemplation Of those sweet voices which before the Throne Sing evermore with Halalujahs raise Our duller spirits and make us sing with praise Heav'n's mercies to us and above the poles Divinely carry our harmonious souls Where in a kind of extasie a bliss Not to be spoke they find Thus good it is And now my heart glows with a sacred fire Just is my zeal nor sinful is my ire Gainst those vitiators who in these our times Make Poesie hateful by their wanton rithmes Who feel no sacred glowing heats who prize No flames but what come from their Mistress ' eyes Leave off you looser rithmers cease your pains For shame and trouble shall be all your gains Abuse no longer what in times of old God hath himself made use of to unfold His sacred Mysteries nor let it be Made by you thus fruit of the evil Tree Luxurious wits who feed on Poetry Are thus by subtle Satan drawn awry Whilst they the creame of wit do spend to grace With Eulogies some disproportion'd face Let these low lines you witty ones excite Your ready quills on some such theame to write Then shall mine cede to yours not while you erre And mortal beauties do to heav'n preferre The end of Poesy is the praise of God Us'd to that end it is exceeding good The food of man's soul thus describ'd you see The fruits are of the the good and evil Tree Which may be made or good or bad or so Bring Man to blisse or everlasting woe Therefore take heed to Satans subtle traine That by these fruits thy soul he may not gain For here he shews his cunning and his skill To make thee only feed upon the ill Heav'n's forces strive and if thou wilt obey This Tree shall be the Tree of good and joy And since we must upon it feed we shou'd Eschew the Evil and accept the Good The subtle Serpent our sworn foe with his Vast Troops do use to keep us from our bliss A thousand wayes a thousand stratagems And tricks he ha●● he round about behemms Our yielding 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 about he sets To catch us ●●st his strong and wide spread nets Hel's Troops like Ants do never idle stand But mov● about Earth's mighty Moles and All wayes to gain the So●l of Man to
and pain A Language or some Rhetorick to gain The juice of this fine fruit did Herod lick When he a God was styl'd for 's Rhetorick And that round apple which hangs dangling there Will make you be a cunning Sophister You apple which is so variegate Will make you cunning in mechanicks strait This Apple here which hangs so fair to view With Mathematick cunning will imbue See what Cylindres and Rhamboides What Quadrats D●ag●amms Isoce'les With other lines and ●gures printed in Black red and yellow streakes upon the skin These shew its Nature But yon with a Star So fairly mark'd makes an Astrologer Should'st thou eat this which hangeth over us More cunning then was Aeculapius thou 'ldst be and skilfull too in Chirons art If that which hangeth on that bow a th'wart But yon fair fruit which takes up so much room Will make you know before what is to come Of this did Baalam often f●ed when he Did by our divination Pr●phe●●e In former time this Apple was in use Much when Delphean Priests did suck the juice And on the next they fed when they in verse Their Oracles ●id u●ually reherse But you five Apples which I shew you now And which do triumph on the upper bough Shall be thy food See here I 'le reach them down Make much of them for now they are thine own Well may'st thou prize them Heav'n nor Earth such fruit Can give which may so well thy nature suit These with thee take and feed upon below But first to thee I will their vertues show This purple colour'd one more cold than Ice Or Riphae an snow extinguish in a trice Will that Scintilla Love hath plac'd in thee Then shalt thou wholly from his chaines be free Flouds of temptations nor whole streams of sin Nor pleasures which the World may draw you in Are strong enough to dout that little spark Which closely gloweth in thy hollow ark Well may they cloak it that it may not flame But 't is this fruit that must put out the same This next although more black than pitch it be Will firmly glew together Hell and thee A thousand chaines shall sooner break than this Resolve thee of so strong a nature ' t is With all Hel's Peers and our great Prince you wil By it hold highest Correspondence still By this third snaky-colour'd one below Thou shalt most strange-amazing Wonders do Th' Eternal flames which wend above the sky Unto the Earth thou may'st call by and by The Hyperborean sconce thou mayst command To aestuate the Sea to Mountains and Mayst at thy bidding Taurus rend in twain Or Atlas fling into the Western main This reddish one bespotted thus with jet The lock'd gates of thy sences ope will set Your quicker eyes although on Earth you stand Shall pierce the Centre of our darker Land Then shall you see us when you please and know How that your Prince and we your Brothers do Our shriller voyces shall assault your ear Your nose shall smell the sulphur of our Sphear And our hot breaths feel blowing in your face Our Kingdom 's dainties tast in every place Banquet and deeply drink with us so you May be on Earth and in our Kingdom too By this last teter one all evil Sprites That b'longs to Hell to please you with delights You when you please may call nay if you will Ten thousand Legions shall attend you still All that belongs toth ' Necromancy Art And Conjuration 't will to you impart That at your beck from hence you may adjure The blackest Fiend to be your servitour Iannes and Iambres Simon and Faustus eat Tho not to fill them of this pretious meat See now what power thou' rt indued with By these rare fruits pluck'd from the Tree of Death The gold of In'd nor Peru not the Seas Rich Treasure purchase may such Fruits as these The fabuliz'd Hesperian fruit of old Were durt to these although they were of Gold Come now thou great Magitian thou shalt go Unto the Body which remains below Our Pomp and Power thou hast seen and I To you our Kingdom 's nature did descry You need no conduct hither now for when You please you my come visit us agen This said he strait his body reassumes And thus Hel's great Magitian becomes My Muse returned from the darker Sphear Her garments rank of Sulphur smell I fear Which may offend with those strange sights which late She saw affrighted now shel'd titubate Should she proceed Like one which newly come From long restraint in some dark Dungion Cannot indure the splendid Light nor dares Sol's beams behold so with my Muse it fares Who newly flown out of the house of Night Dares not as yet describe the Orb of Light Till that in Iordan she hath bath'd her eyes And Virgin Limbs that she may brighter rise New modulizing of his Harp again To sing Heaven's Blisses in a higher strain The end of the first Part. THE EXPLANATION OF AN Hieroglyphical Figure SHEWING TH● MYSTERIES OF THE External Internal Eternal WORLDS The second Part. LOng mayst thou Phoebus pull my tender 〈◊〉 E'r I will my exalted notes for ●ear My Muse belongs not to thy mite●'d Hill Nor to thy teachings dos she owe her skill She from the double-top't 〈…〉 Unto the flow'r-spread Hills of Paradise And there inspired by the Angels notes Her self and Musick to their King devotes Who with the verdant Wreath of Love not Bayes Crowns the choice accents of her tender layes Great Prince of LOVE dain but to touch my tongu● With some small coal from off thy Altar flung Inspire my Soul ah let my words bespeak Thy Glory th'row them Hearts assunder break Gla●'d o're with steel Here highest Complement 'T is to become thy happy instrument O so intrance me that in Raptures I May sing the glory of thy Majesty The misty horrors of Eternal Night I 'ave shewn the far surpassing joyes of Light Let 's visit now a sight of much more worth May then my teeming Muse with ease bring forth An happy issue May my Numbers show The way to Heaven from this Earth below How deare's Man's Soul unto the Prince of Light Who all doth to his blessed Home invite Where all the pleasures and blest joyes of Hea'vn To crowned Saints by his own hand are given Who would not Heav'n acquire if 't only were T' avoid the terrors of the darker Spheat Where howling Devils spitting fire and flame In Wrath and fury 'gainst bright Hea●'n blasphe●e Where nought but Sulphur Fire and brimstone hurld About gives light unto that impious World Where pains Eternal in dark cares below With ugly Devils thou must undergo But what allurements hath blest Heav'n to give To Souls that Chastly and divinely Live What Joys what pleasures what true happinesse Do those blest Souls in Paradise possesse One single grain whereof more value holds Than all the pleasures that this World enfolds Ah! these are mix'd with sorrows those have none
did A Dove and Serpent seemed to be hid Her right hand bore a Dove her left did hold A Serpent which i●s tail about her rowl'd Meeting the Pilgrim from his hands she took The slack'ned reines and thus her mind she broke S●●y zeal-sparr'd P●lgrim if thou safe wilt be Thou must commit the Reines of Zeal to me In this rough pa●● and 'tween the Mountains let Me be your guide least that you danger meet Zeal drives so fast that he will quickly crr Unlesse my Dove and Serpent draw the Carr. Those who without me go become forlorne Lose the right Path prove to the World a scorn Cast Pearls before the snowts of Swine and feed The ravenous Dogs with holy Childrens bread● Dangers incur which they might fairly shun Do what they by and by wish were undone Admit of me and I will be your guide I know which Way how where and when to ride ●rust me and I will bear you in my armes Untouched through the Multitude of Harmes That Majesty which beamed in her Face Constrain'd the Pilgrim to consent a place Upon his right hand for her he provides And now he soberly and softly rides Prudence is joyn'd with Ze●l nor does this want It s former hea● but lesse extravagant By that is made He who will rightly move Must first conjoyn the Serpent and the Dove Now safely goes our heav'nly Traveller Nor from this blest though rugged path doth err Nothing appears that may obstruct his● Way But it he even with the Earth doth lay Dame Vigilantia all about doth seek For ●s foes which found Zeal doth their powers break Conquers them quite and by their fall doth raise Trophies of Honour and immortal praise By halves God will not have his work be done Nor must those faulter who this Race do run Clean must the house be swept to find the groat All must be sold before the Pearl be bought No Delilah must shave thy Locks but she Must be o'recome lest that she conquer thee Though thus far thou art gone as yet there may Some Delilah be left for to betray Thee to thy foe let Vigilantia find Her out then let Zeal all her powers bind And cast her from thee whatsome'r it be Thou 'rt loath to part with Delilah's to thee But when she conquer'd is faster thou ' ●t move On wings of speed unto the Gates of Love Thus Vigilantia to our Pilgrim brought His Del●lah the which he little thought For to have parted with and must she dye Cryes he who did within my bosom lye Yes answer'd Zeal God will with none dispence Slain on the Altar of Obedience She must be e'r we farther passe she slain He posteth forward without stop amain With full Carere he runs and full of Joy Leaveth behind him all the rugged Way He enters now a place where all about Light like the Sun from bright Clouds issues ou● By this clear Light he now begins to see What hurtfull rebels all the Passio●s be And how the Sences hurt irregular Affections also how they hurtful are Therefore he these now takes to task and first The Rebel Passions that oppose him durst He conquereth these now his slaves become Who had so often Lorded over him He will not kill them quite● because they may Be useful to him whilst they him obey● Not meerly Stoical in order he Keeps them He 's Lord and they his servants be Then all the Sences he doth Regulate And their excursions wisely moderate Makes them to know that he 's their Lord and they Are forced now his pleasure to obey Carnal affections stoop These Crucifie He doth lest they should draw his mind awry Where he God's Image seeth most he there Doth his affections as in justice share By this same Light he also sees that he Can in the Earth own no propriety All that he hath he offers to the Lord He 's but a Steward and must nothing hoard Contrary to his Master's Will but here P●udence directs him how his Goods to share Else subtle Sathan would step in the while And with his tricks would him of all beguile By this Light also he espies his flesh To be a Case made up of Earthly trash A prison to his Soul now he espies Another Body in that Body lies The inward man which as the outward dies Lives gathers strength and doth in triumph rise This Body now he longeth to attain And by the death of all things it to gain Now every motion opposite must die Flesh and its Members he doth crucifie All things are sacrific'd by Diligence Upon the Altar of Obedience ● The fleshly body every hour dies The sp'ritual doth as fast in triumph rise He 's now diswedded from the World He knows He 's not to be now at his own dispose Therefore his Body Soul and spirit he Doth consecrate to Heav'ns high Majestie All that he has to Heav'n he offers and All he retains comes from its bounteous Hand Now joyes surround him Comfort is the Way Nor Night is seen all is a mystic Day The Sun of Righteousnesse his brighter Beams Displays and th'rough his Heart his sweetest streams Of brightnesse run his spiritual foes stand off And dare not venture for a Counter-buff They tremble now and fear the world's grand tye Will be assunder burst by Chastity For she appears unto the Pilgrim now Who to her feet his humble Head doth bow● Her eyes gave ●lames as pure as those which lye Beyond the blew Seas of the azu●e Skie Her countenance a brighter Light did grace Than that which ●hine●h in Diana's Face But when her virgin Lips she opened Th' incircling ayr with purity was spread Thither their Purple Wings the Turtles move To draw the ay● in of the purest Love The joyning Corals happy Kisses break She did and thus did to the Pilgrim speak Hail happy Pilgrim who thus far art from Earth's durty soyl and foul pollutions come Not far thou art from the blest City but Before thou thither come 't is requisite That thee and I should joyn therefore receive From me the Bounties that I daily give Unlesse thou with my Mantle cover'd be Thou never shalt the heav'nly Salem see Polluted eyes polluted hearts and hands Must not come there Heav'n will admit no stains Flesh must not enter Heav'n nor can you come Cloathed with that into the secret Room Where the grand Mysteries are revealed by Heav'n's gracious Prince the Son of Majesty The fleshes quickly-vanish'd pleasures foul With spots the cloathing of the purest Soul Spread clouds before her eyes so that she may Not see the brightnesse of the purest day And hang a Vail between her ●elmed eyes And the blest Ark of sacred Mysteries 'T is I that must make white the Soul and that Dark Cloud before her dull eyes dissipate 'T is I must draw aside this Vail 't is I That lead the Way to Heav'ns great Mysterie Christ doth all this by me 't is I that am Sent for
to woo the Soul from flesh to him I speak not now to those that are below But unto such who would desire to know The highest secrets who 'd dull Earth forsake And would a lo●ty flight to Heaven make Who would converse with Angels who would hear The Heav'nly Musick of the inner Sphear Who would the fruits of Paradise enjoy To such I speak such must make me their Way The holy Angels who immortal be Are cloathed with the Robes of Puri●y Pure Chastity doth crown their brows now these A ●pure chast Soul and unpolluted ●ees With such they love for to Conve●se but give Their backs to such as do not chastly Live They cann't endure for to come near to those Chast Souls they Love their Love from likenesse grows But 't is not good that man should be alone Without a Spouse I have provided one For thee therefore therefore the flesh forsake And this into thy armes and bosom take Lo here a draught of that blest Face I spread To whom in time thou shalt be maried It is Sophia she shall be thy Bride The Spouse of Christ and all the Saints beside A Virgin she Eternal is and I From her blest Gift receive all purity From her Arabia doth her sweets receive● She to the Lillies doth their Candor give 'T is she the Roses with those blushes dies The S●n his splendor 〈◊〉 from her eyes The Silver Rivers do their Crystal owe To her from her their purity doth flow ●Tis she that doth the Earth with beauties deck ●'th ' Spring and loads with fruit and sheaves her neck I' th' Autumn she adorns the Trees with Leaves From her the Tulip all her gay receives All the rare Beauties that the World do grace Are the reflected shadows of her Face They fade away but hers do never fade What is AEternal cannot be decaid By Time she still is young no wrinkles dare Upon her everlasting brows appear The variegated Cloud-reflected bow Which doth so many lovely colours show Earth's Gold and Silver and each brighter Gemm Do but adorn her Garments lowest hemm Her beauties are Caelestial mortal eyes Cann't see her who beholds her beauty dies But thou the Picture of thy Spouse shalt see Whom thou enjoy shalt to AEternity She on his shoulders then her mantle throws Whiter than Lilies or the Alpin snows Embrodered with Pu●ity and round About with Modesty and Silence bound APOCALYPSIS who did on her wait She call'd and bid her shew the Image strait Of high Sophia the unspotted Bride An azure Volumn her bright Hands unty'd And then unrouling it the Pilgrim sees Sophia's bright and blest Essigies Go now and travel all Earth's Countries o're From Eastern Ind to the 〈◊〉 ●●ore Pick up the cream of Beauties and from thence Adding those past extract a quintessence Let now conspire in one Alchimechus Apelles Zeux is and Pha●●hasius Let their best skil be by their Pencils known And let the mirror of their Art be shown In the composure of a beauteous Face That may all others living quite d●●grace And let their Brothers with Poetick skill Surpasse their Pencils with their better Quill Let them with Ink their Wonders shew who make Bright Heav'n a lustre from that blacknesse take In setting forth a Beauty when all 's done As rotten-shining Wood unto the Sun His Glorious splendor so their works will be To that rare piece our Pilgrim here did so● I dare not venture here for to depaint The Beauties of that Face the World 's too scant To yield materials and I words should want How can her all-surpassing Form be penn'd When her Idea none can comprehend The soul that sees her feels her and her worth Is better felt than can be spoken forth The fulvid Gold which is esteem'd so rare But the reflection of her golden Hair Is All the Silver did its brightnesse get And silveriz'd was when it touch'd her feet The Chrystal Rivers were like Ink she gave Them clearnesse when she did her finger lave In their dark streams A drop fell from her Hand Which being gave to the clear C●ystals and Th' oriental Pearls She look'd upon the Sun And ever since she with that splendor shon She glanc'd her eye upon the Night 's fair Queen She caught that glance e'r since she fair hath been A spark flew from her Heavn'ly eye it seems Tellus snatch't that which essence gave to Gemms The ayr permitted was to kisse her Hand Who ever since its sweetnesse has ●etain'd Over the Globe stood black triumphing Death Till she but tasted of her sacred breath Prolific strait she was and from her womb Oceans of Heards of Trees of Herbs did come By it still all things live The Pink the Rose And each sweet Flower that on Tellus grows Receive from her their odoriferous Fumes Which emanation from her Body comes Some of her Beauty down she flung below Which all things caught that now do Beauty show Roses and Rubies which do rarely shine Are but umbrella 's to her lips divine Those Seas of Claret in the azure Skies Seen when bright Sol down in the Ocean lies Or Tyrian blushes if you them compare To what buds in her cheeks meer deadnesse are As far below the Beauty and the Blisse Seen there as Earth to th' highest Heav'n is How can a Pen or Pencil then depaint Her without whom all things do beauty want Her own hand 't was that thus her self did limn And by APOCALYPSIS sent it him On this attracting Face our Pilgrim throws His eyes his Soul thorow those windows goes With so much joy that all her ●aculties Intentively assembled in his eyes All other pa●ts left destitute in this Capital City Oculipolis The So●l and all her train are seated by That Beauty drawn into an Ex●asie Whil●t greedily with gazing eyes he ●eeds Upon the Beauties of that Face there speeds Do●n from the Poles a Heav'nly Bow-man who The ●umid AEther all the Way he ●hew Warm'd with a gentle heat His Silver Wings Th'row the calm aequor of the ayr he swings A pleasant spring upon his Face did bud His head was shadow'd with a golden Wood In either Cheek the Roses white and red Scarlet and snows symmetrically spread● His eyes two pleasant stars whose a●●ects were More pleasing than Venus or Iupiter A chain of Saphyrs bound his Ivory neck● A snowy Mantle which gold Stars did deck Hung on his shoulders and inclos'd his wast A gilded Quiver at his back ty'd fast Was one hand with a silver Bow was fill'd He under th' other arm a prisner held Chastity's Cupid 't was who went to fetch At her Command the Spurious C●pria● wretch And catching him dealing his wanton da●ts On spor●ful youths and Courtly Ladies hearts He hither brought him by Commandement Of 's Mistresse to give him his punishment Being he was her chiefest foe and had His bainful poysons on her Virgins shed ●he daigning not on him her eyes to cast Bid her chast Cupid slash
't is not for fear That he to her such reverence doth bear● From Love 't is his Obedience springs and that The slavish fears of Hell doth terminate Now all things easie are no Seas can stop Nor Mountains those he swims and these climbs up Now in his breast a strong attraction he Feels draw'ng him up to Heav'n continually Now constant ardors burn within his Breast And flames of Love give rest in his unrest● He feels most blest Enthean heats surprize His soul which make 't a living sacrifice A pleasing Tincture th'row his Body flows And like a Flower in Paradise he grows All sorrows now are banish'd down to Hell He nothing doth but Joyes and Raptures feel The Seraphims indite some sacred Song Which they decant by his Hymniferous Tongue And modulating too those heavenly Layes His Harp an Angel by his Fingets playes Under the Covert of the Angels Wings By Love inspir'd aloud this Song he sings Go Gnedian Idols spend your darts On all Luxurious pruriant Hearts A nobler shaft has pierced mine Which flames with Fires more divine You may now shoot but shoot in vain Such ●ha●ts my Heart shoots back again My eyes your Venom cann't receive Heav'n's Queen a Remedy did give Her Beauty dwelleth in my eyes I therefore you and yours despise Fair Ladies all your Beauties spare For in my eyes they sullied are I Styx see in a Hellens Face Now I have seen a Deitesse You Cyprian Lovers now no more Your beautious Images adore Cease now your fond Idolatry Speak no more Lovers blasphemy Fling in the Fire your wanton Layes Which blushes in chast Cheeks do raise Cease your Encomiums your blisse Meer mortal dust and ashes is A wrinckled Baucis all the while The glory wears of your high Style Let fairer Souls a Godesse please Whilst Bacca's joyn with Thyrsites Had you but seen my heav'nly Bride Youl 'd count all beauties dung beside A●d cease to idolize a Face Where white and red 's the chiefest Grace But my blest Bride SOPHIA is Both Queen of Beauty and of Blisse Her Face shines clearer than the Sun In his bright Chariot at Noon Her Crystalline eyes are the glass In which themselves the Angels dress The Beams that cometh from her eyes Give Light to Heav'n and Paradise Her eares the Seats of Judgements are Immortal Fortitude her hair Her Brows of highest Majesty High Wisdom in her mouth doth lye 'T is by her words the Angels Live Her Breath doth Life immortal give The beaming glory in her cheeks With splendor Heav'ns high Pallace strike● A Diadem her brows do tye Of Blisse and Immortality Her sacred breasts the Fountains be Of Joy and true Felicity Amb●osia doth thence proceed The Heav'ly Manna Angels bread Water of Life blest Nectar streams Thence clearer than the Crystal ge●ms In which as thorow Heaven it slips The Angels drench their Rosie Lips Her armes the Angels do enfold Her Hands immortal Blessings hold Upon her knees doth Pity sit And Goodnesse cloaths her Legs and F●●t Her Garments are of Light divine Which brighter than the Sun do shine The blew and starry Carpet's spread For her blest Feet upon to tread Whose blessed touches pur●●ie The Body of the Crystal Sky Such is my Bride and now who dare With my Bride's beauty theirs compare Sacred SOPHIA 't is in thee I place all my Felicity Blest with thy sight all things below Do very much deformed show I cast my eyes to thee above Ah I am even sick of Love Comfort me with thy fruit divine Stay me with Flagons of thy Wine Ah let me banquet now with thee And spread thy Banners over me Thou art the Rose of Shar●n thou A Lily in the Vale doth grow Thou a●t more fair than is the Sun Thy Garments smel of Lebanon My eyes unto thy Face I move Ah I am overcome with Love That Fire of Love which flows about My heart whole Seas cannot put out Not the black fear of dreadful Hell To be obedient doth compel Nor now those torments to eschew Enforces me to follow you It is from thee and not from thence That springeth my obedience 'T is Love of thee not Fear of Hell Which me to serve thee doth compel 'T is not Heav'ns blessed Joys that move Or do intice me to this Love It is not Heav'ns high Crown that draws 'T is Love alone a stronger cause Not Heav'ns high Blessings I regard I Love thee not for a Reward Fling me to Hel and if you will Yet will I Love SOPHIA stil. These flames which kindle in my brea●● Shall never out until I rest Within thy bosom and there be Enclosed to AEternity Thus chaunts SOPHIA'S Lover whilst his 〈◊〉 Is warbling forth this Love-inspired Song● Love agitates with flames his noble breast And spreadeth there a most delicious feast The C●ystal Water turns to blushing Wine There banquets PSYCHE and her Love divine Their meat is M●nn● their Wine Nectar is Their Banquets Love and everlasting Blisse Hell never ' frighted him so fast to Heaven Nor ever had Heav'n such attractions given As Love gives now he every day a year Supposes till he doth inhabit where His blest SOPHIA is Nothing can move Him backward now be'ing drawn by force of Love Forwards he runs and to his Love he pray'th That she would make a tryal of his ●a●th All difficulties past account he does As nothing and as things meer frivolous Not to be counted hard so high's his Zeal His Faith he longs with his Heart-blood to seal And now he thinks he A●●as could remove And nothing ' counts impossible with LOVE Sathan indeed this noble Champion In these Love-furies dares not set upon He stands a loof The Pilgrim hasts a pace To gain the end of this Heav'n ●winning Race He be'ing Heav'n's Favourite and that he may Be even lost and swallow'd in a Sea Of divine Pleasures and ●xcessive Blisse APOCALYPSIS she Commission'd is To ope his Sences with her Crystal Key That he aforehand may in Heaven be By her assistance she perform'd it straight And op'd his inner sences five-fold gate No sooner had APOCALYPSIS bright Fingers unlock'd the Ga●es of 's inner sight But he th' internal World beholds and there Myriads of Angels in their proper Sphear The Light World sees whose chiefest rarities Display themselves before his inner eyes Tempean pleasures co●rt his eyes the Blisse Of Edenean garden● present is All Paradise and whatsoever there Grow'th doth before his inner sight appear The Angels in their glorious Robes of Light Compass'd with splendant Rayes appear in sight And things in Heav'n unutterable he In highest pleasure and content doth see The thick gate of his inner ear un●a●●'d No sooner was but he the voyces heard Of the Angelical Core whose sweeter Layes From dunghill Earth to Heav'n his Soul doth raise Th' harmonious sound of Harps his ears doth fill Proceeding from the blest S●onian Hill Which doth his soul with such sweet pleasure smite
things trodden down Under the glorious Lamb who once was slain But now in triumph doth for ay remain Death's and Hel's darts were broke o're whom he stood Incompassed with an illustrous flood Of Light ineffable displaying there His Conquest written in a Banner fair The blessed Crosse in Heav'n's bright Ensign shon With streaming Gold far brighter than the Sun So what was once contemptible and base Now stands in Glory in the highest place There also seen were those who had put on Their new Bodies and gain'd th●ir royal Crown And Scepter whom great Iesus did instal Princes and Kings and mighty Lords of all Sharing his Royal Sc●pter and his Crown Such is his matchlesse Love with every One. Thrice bow'd the Ang●ls thrice the Graces and Took up their places then on either hand Awaiting when they should Commanded be To any Office by his Ma●esty Th' amazed Pilgrim as yet prostrate lay Too weak to view the Godhead's glorious Ray But the same Light which his weak eyes annoys His Soul fil'd with incomparable ●oyes And still the flames of ardent LOVE did roul Upon the Altar of his sacred Soul But by and by his Guardian Angel Came By Iesus first b'ing bid to do the same Who rais'd him up and spread his downy Wing Before his feeble sight and so did bring Him to the Throne of Iesus at whose Seat He fell and ravish'd kiss'd his sacred Feet Th' immortal King●strait took him from the place And honour'd Him with a divine Embrace Seal'd all the Joys the Pleasures Blisses sweets Upon his ravish'd Soul an Angel meets With in his blessed station O high Exalted Pleasures of Aeternity The Pilgrim then to Iesus would have Cry'd 〈◊〉 that the Rapt his Tongue had chain'd and ty'd That he unworthy was of all that Bliss Those favours and that matchlesse Love of his And 〈◊〉 he would have had his Tongue confesse His constant frailty and unworthinesse His Heart confess'd it but his Tongue was mute For Joys and Pleasures would not let him do 't For that Embrace unto his Soul did move Enflaming more and more the Fire of Love Whose heats at last unto that hight did come That he received there a Martyrdom Such matchlesse pleasures now enjoy'd this Saint That neither mine nor Angels Pens depaint Can nor Man think who never felt the same Who ne'r into Love's Armes and bosom came But such they were and of such price to Him That thou●and Worlds should not have purcha'st them Nay such they were he 'd be content to gain Such Pleasures with ten thousand years of pain Therefore O Man be wise and let not this World's pleasures rob thee of Aeternal Blisse Muse breath a while and give me leave to pray That I a Pilgrim too may once enjoy Such happinesse and high exalted Blisse Such Pleasure Rapture and such Joy as this Then shalt thou sing touch'd with Caelestial Fire Of LOVE Divine in sacred Notes much higher Than these low straines Thy Lively measures then Shall quicken up the drowsie Hearts of Men From their Lethargic sleep True Joy and glee Shall sweetly Couched in thy Number● be True Joy's true Peace's Rest's and Blisses King I 'le sigh and mourn ' til thou say'st rise and sing 'Till thou say'st rise and sing I 'le Sigh and Mourn By me the Crosse not yet the Crown is worn Lord when thou pleasest Crown my Soul that I In Joy may Sing thy Prayse Aeternally The end of the Second Part. THE EXPLANATION OF AN Hieroglyphical Figure SHEWING THE MYSTERIES OF THE External Internal Eternal WORLDS The third Part. ONce more my sacred Muse doth take her flight And on the top of glorious SION light Where she beholds those glorious wonders which For ever the Aeternal World enrich Those Wonders and those Miracles of Grace Which beautifie and splendorize the place Those Wonders that are past her Skill to shew Which if she could it were not fit to do For there such glorious Wonders may be read As are not lawful to be uttered But what she may and what she Can express She shews unto you in a homely dress Accept I pray this Offering she brings For Rapt with Wonders all amaz'd she sings O Thou Aeternal Everlasting Day Illuminate my darker Soul I pray O let her eyes be fixed upon thee Thou King of Glories and of Majesty Grant that she may behold those Wonders that Th' Aeternal World thy bless'd Seat decorate O now inspire me with a Power divine Put Life into my Numbers sacred Trin● That whilst Heav'n's beautious Glories here I sing Unto your Throne I Souls may ravish'd bring That whilst my own w●apt in these Hea●s doth see Heav'n's Splendor and thy glorious Beauty she May be united to the Lord so close That nor the World nor Hell the tye may loose That while to others thus I sing I may O Lord not be my self a Cast-away Ho! Mo●us cease to Carp Ho! Zoilus Cease Your scoffs and taunts Ho! Criticks hold your peace And say not now I Miracles reherse Beyond the lof●y Limits of a Verse Say not I write my Brainsick-Whimsies Lies Or Fables or I meerly Po●tize Ye are the Swine who grunting in the mire Would spoyl the musick of the sacred Quire But for your dissonance and grunt'ling noyse The World might often hear a Se●●ph's voyce Piggs think their whining best the jetting Crows Themselves the fairest of Heav'n's Fowls suppose The Owles and Cuccows think their Notes to be 〈◊〉 sweet as Philomel's sweet harmony So you suppose your Canting best and then Like snarling Currs do Carp and snap at Men. You 're Swine indeed whose dull eyes stil below Behold the earth and hunt and scent your trough Your necks are too too short to view the Skye How come you then to judge of things so high Because some Wind-fals on the ground you see Think you no fairer Fruit hangs on the Tree Swine cann't look up it is a Man alone Not slothful Beasts can pull the fair Fruit down Buzzards are blinded by Sol's glorious Rayes Eagles unhurt against his splendor gaze Here then are Pearls but unto wise Men such But wrapt in pitch least Swine such gemms should touch Pearls must not naked be expos'd to Swine So say'd that mouth that wholly was divine Least that they trample and despise the same And Him who so unwisely offer'd them Therefore a wise Man cautiously shrouds Gemms of great value in obscurer Clouds And in the Pitch of Words those Pearls divine Hides from the eyes of such perverting Swine Which in their spendrous beauties otherwise Should Vail-less be exposed to their eyes But now me thinks I hear them Carp and say How come you thus Heav'n's beauties to display And the Arcana's of the Aeternal Sphear When you your self never arrived there If you should tell us that you were we cry We are assured that it is a lye For none to Heav'n ever can attain Whil'st his kept-kept-Soul doth in his Corpse remain For when the Body's
depraved and fallen This world and the things thereof falling under the senses whereby they are busied and the Soul hinder●d from more internal Contemplations is indeed the great Engine whereby the Devil captivates so many that they have not time to consider the nature of their souls or the state of other worlds They have some slight and sup●rficial Notions and Ideas of them which they receive fro● the dictates of others and with which they content themselves and rest satisfie● never understanding the deep mysteries contained in themselves Did man search the profundity of himself he would find a great mysterie and then ●his Hieglyphical Figure would not seem so great a Paradox as I question not but it will do to some There are some things in it which will seem st●a●ge and new and which doth not quadrate wholly with what is generally receiv'd but since there is no difference in any fundamental p●rt of our faith in Christ Iesus all may read it though of different opinions without offence CHRIST the great Exemplar of Holinesse and of Cobriety is here set out to be the Pattern of all Christians to walk after and though it is not to be expected t●at any can arrive to so sublime a pitch which ●e in being both God and man arrived at yet Man may attain to that degree of perfection in this Life as to walk uprigh●ly holily and devoutly before God and justly and blamelesly befor● men Religion is not a m●e● notional knowledge of God but a practical fe●ling of him non magna Ioquimur sed vi●i●ur ●t us live well rat●er than talk well for knowledge without practise will but encrease our cond●mnation in that great day and will but witnesse against us to our prejudice Nor can Ignorance be an excuse to any since God has given and Understanding and Capacity as a tall●nt to every m●n to know and do enough for his own salvation and which ought to be improved more or l●sse according to the value of his Tallent and not sluggi●hly to be cast aside in a Napkin or layed out in f●volous and unprofitable Thing● The great helps Christians have above others for that improvement will call for a greater ●ncrease of their Tallents and greater will their condemnation be for their neglects It is therefore out of that consideration and not ou● of any phantastick desire and itch of writing that I have p●nn'd this following discourse being the explanation of an Hierogliphical Figure of the Worlds which came into my hands another being the Author That I might not stifle that internal motion which prompted me to it though it was done without intention of making it publike But having p●ssed the test of better Iudgements than my own and approv●d I have sent it forth in that rude dr●ss as it fell from my hasty Pen without other Ornaments and flatteries of Rheto●ick and Lang age than what was natural and becoming 〈…〉 more secret parts from rude and profa●e eyes If that my good intention of awakening others to look after those Worlds most still ignore and blindly grope after and seriously to consider the immortality of their souls and of the Eternal fel●cities or everlasting Torments they hereafter m●st enjoy take effect I shall think my self happy if not I have done my duty and my peace will be my Reward Casta placent superis purâ cum mente venite Et manibus puris sumite fontis aquam Tibul. Elg. AN ENCOMIUM On I. B. and his Interperer I. Sparrow Esq wrote in Latine and thus rendred into English GReat Saint tho I not in the Rubric see Thy Name in verse I may remember Thee By whom we profit it is good to own By thee I must confesse I much have known Of God Heav'n Nature we the secrets know By thy choyce works they mystic Wonders show Thy Works do shew the way to Paradise To the blest Kingdoms of Aeternal ●oys The Sons of Wisdom only read thee right By Day the Wise read thee th' unwise by Night Treasures and Gemms are open'd to their mind Whilst these an Abysse of thick d●●knesse find Nor let them blame thee for the faults their own T is their dark minds see not when plainly shown ●●oud Man and Covetous Sophist vain take heed ●ost thou the sacred Works of Behman read 〈…〉 World●ing you The 〈…〉 too The outside of the Book yo● only see N●● B●h●●n's m●nd nor sacred Mysterie O're 〈…〉 hang p●●chy Va●les what there You see to you ou● 〈…〉 B●● when yo● w●se and 〈◊〉 read his mind A 〈…〉 and Ligh● you find For you the p●tchy 〈…〉 ay 〈…〉 God 's Spi●it's the Key th' 〈◊〉 ins●●ration's shew'd D●v●ne he was in humane Science rude Th● s●cred Flame within his Breast did shine When that H● pen'd such mysteries Divine 'T was God himself who d●d his Hand direct Who do●● the Infant and the wise respect God was his Master it was he alone That made to him such mystic Wonders known And the ●●cana's of the Wo●lds did ●he● Bo●● of the Light the Dark and this World too To Him the mystic Tongue of Nature's given Tha● and the true Cabal ●s shew'd from Heav'n Tha mystic Tongue was Known in Paradise And He like A●am Knew those mysteries W●thin the Centre of his Breast d●vine 〈…〉 the Sun of Righteousnesse did shine W●en that he wrote his ch●●st B●east us'd to be Fil'd with the Spirit of the Deity F●e biting Cr●tick and evil ton●ues that Prate ' Gain●t Behman and his Works Calumniate Wo to B●as●●emers To the ●●ting Tongue W●o to the Sa●●ts and all good men do wrong Beca●s● a simple Laick shall he be Mayn't God choose whom he please contemn'd by thee Do not his Works for new-Coyn'd Words d●sp●se Mayn't God who all words made new Words devise Wil● Wise men Gemms in earthen Platters scorn Or Wisdom ' cause her Robes are old and torn Bark on ●ll Tongues that Him bespa●ter so Yet 〈◊〉 ●alm under its ●eight ●hall grow His ●alm ●hall flouri●● and it 〈◊〉 m●y 〈…〉 Shew n●g●t to ill Men and to goo● Men Day To ho●y Men with their 〈◊〉 l●ght They ●hew the ●ay to 〈◊〉 and Heav'n aright I warn the scoff●r 〈…〉 Thou Behman's 〈…〉 no more Now holy Soul thes● 〈…〉 Wh●ch at thy shrine is offer'd by my Love And though these perish may thy N●me shall be A living Monument as well as thee In Heav'n thou liv'st for ever there But here Whilst the World lasts thou in thy works shin'st clear Great Saint we thus si●g forth out thanks below Which are just debt● fo● what thou didst bestow And learned Sparrow we thy praises too Will sing Rewards too small for what is due The gifts of Glory and of Praise we owe The English Behman doth thy T●ophies shew Whilst English men that great Saints praise declare Thy Name shall joyn'd with Hi● receive a share The Time shall come when h●s great Name shall rise Thy Glory also shall ascend the Skies Thou mad'st him
of such Worlds as these For I confesse I do believe there 's four And never was and never shall be more Three of these Worlds are infinite but this Grosse World both visible and finite is It matters not unto Salvation Whether there be a thousand Worlds or one Such Worlds as this I mean but it is meet That we should know those Worlds of which I treat For to be ignorant of these is to Ignore the blisses that we ought to know How vain is Man for fancy'd worlds to hunt And of himself be wholly ignorant These Worlds of which we treat no fancies be For to deny them is plain Blasphemy And of them to be ignorant no lesse Then to be ignorant of Happinesse These World 's not disputable are for we Do by experience know such Worlds there be Therefore no longer will I prologize But clearly set them forth before your eyes Pray cast your eye upon the Figure and The order see in which the Worlds do stand See here four Globes So stand the Worlds but yet Not in this order as you see these set But to man's sense these figures do I guesse Their place and order best of all expresse Though once be higher than another plac't We call that highest which is inner most Who can at one expose to perfect view Whole and compleat Shell Skin and Kernel too As in an Egg you see the outer shell In that the white i' th white the yolk doth dwell As in an Onion first the outer skin Then several others folded are within Its strict enfolding which do presse upon The heart or centre of the Onion As several Circles one within another Drawn some are farther some more near than th' other Unto the Centre So these Worlds display Unto your understandings best you may So are they plac'd The Centre of them all We highest the Circumference lowest call So see in Man his outward case doth hide A noble Soul Which doth more inward bide This outward World is as the crust or shell In which the other Light and Dark Wo●lds dwell This outward World is the Circumference And farthest from the Centre Life from whence It doth receive for from the inward this Produced was Most plain the punction is Before the circle and the Yolke before The white or shell But then you●l say this more Containeth than those Worlds that brought it forth So this is greater than what gave it birth Those suffer no dimention can nor lye So comprehended As the Sun the Skie Contains you see his rays and influence Howbe't no bounds can close they 'r so immense As God's in heaven we say yet every where So th' inward worlds in this world closed are Life floweth to the finger from the heart Man 's soul 's in man and yet in ev'ry part Alas How blinded are the souls of men Whilst here inclosed in their fleshly pen Whilst here in prison fetter'd fast they lye Whilst they all things judge by their outward eye They see this earth wherein they live and so That there 's an earthly world they surely know Now other worlds some do believe there are The natures of these worlds or how or where They be most men ignore for of the same They several fancies in their heads do frame For speak of heav'n strait way they cast their eyes Towards the blew seas of the Chrystal skies Beyond the same a most Majestick Court Whose bliss doth pass the bounds of all report Where all the Saints in brightnesse like the Sun Seated on Thrones where every one a Crown Possessing praise and Hallelujahs sing To God who there sits on the Throne as King They think there is and that their souls must fly Thorow the Welkin to it when they dye But speak of Hell strait way their thoughts do go Unto the Centre of the earth below Where they in their imaginations frame A Realm of Sulphur Darknesse Fume and Flame Where great BEELZEBUB as a King commands The smooky Devils and sulphurian bands Mistake me not I do not here deny Nor Hell's nor Heav'ns true locality But here in reference to those I speak Who carnally both hell and heav'n do seek And who know nothing nor of Heav'n nor Hell But by report as they hear others tell Accounting it impossible to know Or Hell or Heaven while they dwell below Such of themselves be wholly ignorant And the true sight of Hell or Heav'n they want How they two several Principles be and How different they do not understand How they in one another dwell and yet A gulf eternal how betwixt them set Tho Summit of their knowledge is to know The nature of terrestrial things below They are content the other worlds should rest Till they of this by death are dispossest But all such may miss of the blessed sphere Who know it not nor be assur'd of 't here Therefore we first will with this world begin Best known to man this which he dwelleth in From whence we step by step at last ascend Shall to th' Eternal world the farthest end Man must from this the lowest world get up By the Internal worlds unto the top And summit of his joyes the way shall be Shewn in this book with perspicuity But man a while my purpose here supplants The chiefest of the earths inhabitants Of whom a word for he 's the principal And should be Prince and King and Lord of all The Microcosm little world or Man Containeth all the outward great world can Is it not strange and wonderfull that such A little thing as Man should hold so much Man is a wonder and Gods image divine If truly Man within his breast doth shine It is not head arms body members fair That maketh Man he rather may compare Himself unto some beast in painted dress Except the inward do him Man express What difference is there 'twixt a man and beast None sure at all or little to be guest If 't wan't for Reason and an immortal spark Which hides it self within his hollow Ark This makes him Man and like a man to act Which gon he 's like a beast in shew and fact A man hath sense he eats he drinks he sleeps Wallows in pleasure seldome measure keeps Subject to hunger thirst to heat and cold Sicknesse Diseases and converts to th'Mould Of which he 's fram'd and like to other creatures There perisheth his beauteous forms and features All this the Beast doth then we thus may say The fairest Beast is made upright of clay Men that we see within the great Creation Lie wallowing in all abomination In filthy Lusts contagious pleasures foul As if they never never had a soul Are not such Beasts yea perfect Beasts or worse For Beasts most commonly follow natures course Their beastial actions acting in sobriety When men fulfil their Lusts in all Impiety Acting most beastly in all foul inormity And worser then the brutes in their deformity That were it not for this their outward
World's Spirits injuries To Man did do has them restrained so That they appear not as they 're wont to do To him they bow'd where e're he came their heads And ever since where his bright Gospel spreads They 're not so frequent for the glorious Rayes Of it with splendor doth them much amaze In ●ormer time the Heathen swallow'd were More into th' Spirit of this outer Sphear Then men are now and yet more wickednesse Abounds now in the World I do confesse Because Hell's Centre now is open'd more Within this World than e'r it was before Because the wrath of God's more irritated Because through Light our sinnes are aggravated Therefore these Spirits were more frequent then Appear'd to and conversed more with Men. Men now more near conjoyn to Hell therefore They Men frequent not as they did before Not now by Vice-Roy●s but now Hell commands In person and in the● Hearts Centre stands The Devil like a subtle Captain deals Who from 's Foe 's actions still advantage steals And strives to make his Foe 's brave Policies Prove helps to him to himself injuries Sathan perceiving the high hand of Heaven For to restrain the power it had given To Spirits and that now they in this Sphear Did not as they did formerly appear He strait suggests to Man that there are none And so to think a vain opinion Makes him believe it is Through which sad Evil He might induc'd be to believe no Devil And so no Hell nor Heav'n for by this mean He hopes Atheism to bring in again That he Mens souls might get But who believe This great Impostor do themselves deceive Laugh not at Fairies Pigmies Gnomies Sylfes M●losinae Sylvestres Syrens Elfes At Lemures Neuferan● Diamae At Nymphs Penates Durdal●s Und●nae For name them what you will or as you please Baptize them there such Spirits are as these As likewise Planetary Spirits and Such as do Places and the Winds command With thousand other mundane Spirits that God did when he did this great World create But who their Power and Mysteries would know May to Agrippa and Trithemius go But ah how many scoff at Spirits and Deride the things they do not understand For more then ever Hell in this Prevailes That Truth 's are ' counted old-Wives idle Tales You self-conceited who so slyly jere 'T is happy for you Spirits disappear That God for to convince you don 't affright You with the horrors of Aeternal Night With those black ●hades sprung from the Stygi●● Sphear Which are tho' unseen by you conversant here You ignorants it is a sign you know Scarce what belongs unto this world below Much less to those which from your blinder eye In vails of Pitch and night enfolded lye Had I the Key that could your eyes unloc Had I the art to pull those Curtains back Or rub those scales off which before them be You Truth and Hell 's black swarms at once should see You 'd startle then into belief and cry W●'l never more that Spirits are deny Beside the numberless spiritual throng Which do unto this outer world belong Within the Region of this world there are Vast troops which come from the internal sphere Both from the dark Tartarean Centre and From that Orb where doth Loves great Prince command Being this world of good and bad 's compos'd Spirits both good and bad are here disclos'd For as these seek the hurt of man so those Their vertue to their venom do oppose Innumerable are the Sulph●y swarms Hell belches forth to cause poor mortal harms Vast teter Troops continually from thence Are sent to fight the battles of their Prince Who ranging thorow out the world contrive How they may man of bliss and rest deprive Go count the motes that in the Sun-shine fly Go count the sands that on the shore do lye Go count the rol●ing billows of the sea Go count the stars that in the heavens be Number me those and thou perhaps mayst tell The Legions which do hither come from Hell Scarce is a place throughout this world so wide But where ten Millions of these spirits ' bide But now to match these evil spirits come There do as many from the sacred womb Of the Light-world which sacred spirits do Equal their numbers and their powers too So that the world divided is betwixt Them both and of them good and bad is mixt These seek to spill kill hurt and destroy man Those comfort please ease help him all they can Nay gaze not round so with thine outer eye As if thou mean'st to give this truth the lie And 'cause thou blinded can'st not spirits see T' affirm and boldly ●wear that none there ●e You Linccus tell me canst thou see the wind If not a spirit how that 's more refin'd Winds blasts thou feelest if not made of steel So spirits dire effects I 'm sure most feel Although they ignorant may be from whence Proceeds their felt tho unseen influence Nay spread not so thine hands and arms abroad Thinking to feel and catch them 'cause I said They every where did stand forbear forbear Open thine hand and see how much of air Thou ho●dst spirits can pass thy body thorow Lye in thy bosome yet not felt by you Nay gape not so not snap at every blast As if thou spirits hadst a mind to taste For they into thy mouth themselves can put Its ruby gates and strong porcullis shut Nor snuff the wind as if thou meanest to smell Them out if near thee by the stink of hell To find them out thou surely now dost think By their sulphurious smell and Stygian stink They can deceive thee with the sweeter air Or fume themselves in thy perfumed hair But hell and all its stinks lye round about Thee yet thou sensless canst not smeel them out Nay prick not up thy ears to hear the noises They make in going nor to hear the voices Of those that talk they softly whisper so That thou not hear them canst on wool they go They talk can by thee yet thou ne're the near And never move the air unto thine ear We by our outer senses understand Nothing but what 's compos'd of matter and Form and what is corporal and what Not of a simple essence is but that Which of a mixture doth partake I wis Each Spirit of a simple nature is And therefore not t' our outer sences subject Except connexed to some outer object Where there is Matter Form or co●po●eity Which not in Spirits nor the sacred Deity Are simply Spirits to our outer eye And th' other sences then do subject lye Mistake me not that Spirits bodies have I 'le not deny but these I do believe Spiritual and incorporeal are And of their Nature● very much do share These also to our outward sences be Not Subject As I said the Deity No form nor matter has a body tho It has for Christ God's Body is we know Spirits not made of
This seen they further passe not far from this Was Tartarus within his huge Abysse ● He look'd and saw nothing but horrid dark Obnigrous clouds heard Wolves and Dogges to bark Lions and Tygers roar men shreech and wail Others Blaspheme and others Curse and rail 'Gainst Heav'n a strange confused noyse He smelt Most horrid stinks and cold damp vapours felt Srait wayes huge fires appear'd below whereby He might the Souls tormented there descry All sorts of torments that you can devise With all the plagues and all the Miseries You can imagin he inflicted saw Upon those miserable Souls below Some torn with wheels some with hot Tongs their tongues Pul'd out and some with scalding flames their Lungs Wash'd were and others in the fire hung From whence they into f●ozen Rivers flung Were by and by and others whip't with steel Others on Gridirons brent whilst others feel The smart of Salt and Vin●ger which laid Is on their tender flesh be'ing newly flead With divers other sorts of torments then From this deep pit of Hell they farther wen. Now far they were not gon from Tartarus When in this sort spake Hel's mystag●gus Whilest we proceed t' our Kingdoms Centre where Our mighty King his Court doth keep declare I will our Kingdom 's first original When we came first into this ●●ery Ball For do not think that ignorant we be Of our beginning and high pedegree Or that we have no memory of what We once enjoy'd no more then Souls forget What they in Earth have done when they come here For all their deeds Eternal forms do b●ar Which here remain and which torments them more Than in cold Styx for to be plunged o're Ah! Could but Souls in Lethe drenched be How little would they feel of misery But this a favour is which now I shew And should be granted unto none but you Know then there is a God and this although We tremble at it we assur'dly know Yet that there 's none we of●entimes suggest Unto the misbelieving Atheist This God or mighty Power which all World● fill Unsearchable he is we to his Will Obedient are he fills our World his Might And Power 's as great here as in th' O●b of Light By it this World consists and it shall be Thou't had beginning to Aeternity 'T is not against this Power that we ●ear And rend and fight and so opposing are Ne'r to be reconcil'd Our foe is Love The second P●inciple 'gainst that we move In Wrath and bitternesse and natural It is for us to fight against that Ball. As fire cann't but tend upwards so cann't we But to that Orb perpetual Enmity Bear That to us has an Antipathy Think not that God in Wrath did us create Or that for damned Souls he made this state For to torment them in He did not Will That there a Hell should be or any ill Thus then it came God from Aeternity Did generate two Principles which be Contrary to each other God alone Cannot but by these Principles be known These generate he did Aeternally Both in and by himself a mysterie Not to be comprehended Neither tho Is God yet he 's the Root from whence they flow This Principle in which we make abode Is call'd the first An ang'●y zealous God And full of Wrath Vengeance and Ire here To mortal Men and us he doth appear In th' other Principle of Love and Light To men he doth appear quite opposite The nature of our Principle is this It full of raging anxious prickling is An harsh sowr tart fell ●ager essence and Of bitternesse and stinging full we stand In this The other Principle is quite An other nature to this opposite We know no more of that this I can tell That accidentally is the cause of Hell Proceeding still they now were come upon The entrance to Hel's inmost Region A vast huge Globe of sad dark glowing Fire He saw and in it thousand Devils nigher He fears to go which seen thus said the Fiend What now affraid what is the matter Friend You do forget you have no body on Your Spirit 's here and Spirits cannot burn With this you must be cloath'd in this we dwell And so must you This is the fire of Hell Which never can go out don't you admire What fuel 't is maintains so great a fire Come e'r we farther go I will explain Its cause and nature in a word or twain This Principle of Wrath of which I spake Ev'n now God ne'● intended to awake For it recluded was he did not will It should be open nor that so much ill Should happen Now before your lower Sphear Had birth or being we created were Our mighty Prince King Lucifer was then Created of such stuff as Souls of Men Created are and we his servants true Caelestial Forms at that time did indue Our Prince more bright than your light-giving Sun In glorious Rayes of Heavn'ly Light out-shon All other Angels sat upon the Throne Of God and like a God himself did reign Out of both Principles compos'd we were As Man's Soul is and other Angels are The first recluded was and we were made ● I' th second there we should for aye have stay'd But our brave Prince I must commend him for 't Did bravely Lord it in a Kingly sort Over the heart of God that meeknesse scorn'd Did higher flye and his high Spirit turn'd Into the fiery property that Rage And fiery flash which Love could not asswage He there begat We as our Master did Raged as he and so defiance bid To Love and Meeknesse and those Angels that With no aspiring Spirits kept their state Thus we deserted with our Prince that Throne Of Light and Love and gain'd this fiery one Where we are potent and with that strong might 'Gainst Mic●●●● our adversary fight Now those bright Rayes which our brave Prince had on Before with courage high he lef● that Throne As scorning to adorn his Princely grace With ought that did belong unto that place He left behind with that fine form which he There had now in the fiery property We other forms have got which we can change Into all sorts of shapes and Figures strange In that great r●ge and burning of the Wrath This fire you see we live in then h●rst forth Which from our selves proceeds and which is made By that strong enmity which doth invade Us 'gainst the ●●verse Orb of Light and know This Fire doth from bitter harssinesse grow As when you rub your f●int upon a wheel Which turneth round and is compos'd of Steel You see from bitter grating Fires proceed So our harsh grating Spirits Fire breed Which is the same you see This is the pain That we and all the damned in remain For all those torments that I shew'd you were But Images the better to declare The nature of this one and yet alass This doth all them a thousand times surpasse Spirits alasse though
Those are Aeternal these are quickly gon When that Earth's vainer Pleasures I behold To Heav'n's they seem like dung to mounts of Gold Or like a pibble to rich Diadems Beset with Diamonds and more costly gem●● Ah let me woo you from this Sphear to move Unto that glorious Orb of Light and Love What tho the way be thither somewhat strait The end ten thousand times will Compen●at● All Labour 'T is unwilling minds alone Find so much trouble others they find none Thine Eyes turn to the Hieroglyphic see On the right hand the Orb of Majesty Of Light of Love this Paradise is call'd Which is with flameing Sword 's of Cherubs wall'd Which none can enter but those flames must passe Which cleanse the soul This manifested was Once in the Earth and here another Day Its Royal Beauties shall again display It has a being and the Heav'nly wise Vpon his Earth yet fire in Paradise Where they like Angels tho in flesh they move Enjoy the pleasures of Eternal Love Here is the second Principle here is The Orb of Light of Love of Heav'nly blisse Here is the Sun to New Ierusalem Which is the Light of it the brighter gemm Whereof it is compos'd this is the Day Which th'row the Eternal Mansions display Doth its Caelestial Light Heav'n's King he is As are the Saints and Angels cloath'd with this Long'st thou to dwell in this Caelestial place The way I 'le shew help'd by the Spirit of Grace Which if thou follow'st certainly arrive Thou wilt where Christ as King doth Reign and Live That we may shew more plain unt● your eyes This milky way that leads to Paradise We will suppose as in the darker Sphear We did so now we will exhibit here One as a Pattern by whose foot-steps y● May view the way unto A●ternity An Angel's task it is an Angel shall Conduct him therefore to the highest 〈◊〉 And to that highest Pitch tho reach'd by few That on this Earth may be attained to One then who doth in Truth desire to leave This mortal World and to th' immortal cleave Desireth Heav'n unfaignedly but yet Knows not which way his seeking face to ●et Like one who lost upon a wild Heath ●ees A hundred wayes and yet among all these He knows not which to chuse nor whether they May bring him home or cause him farther stray Now this he treads but by and by retreads The same again when that he sees it ●eads Him false now this he tries now that but when He sees them false retreads them back agen Thus labours still in vain but his desire To home doth not although his 〈◊〉 do tire Night now approaches now no 〈◊〉 he spie● Quite lost he grieveth 〈◊〉 down and ●ries So 't fares with him he ●ain his Soul convei●h Would unto Heav'n but cannot find the way Benighted he 's with sins and errors 〈◊〉 So that no way appeareth in his view To lead him home all Sects h' has tryd his e●e More blinded is by ●heir formality Thus lost he is yet will not he give over Seeking desire 〈◊〉 it self discover His heart and 〈◊〉 still running 〈◊〉 His mind to Heav'n he thus 〈…〉 O glorious Prince of Light in whom there is Aeternal Comfort and 〈…〉 By whom alone all World's consist my cryes Lord hear ac●ept my Heart 's 〈…〉 Hast thou not promis●● 〈…〉 I truly seek thee Lord although I 'm blind Out of the mid'st of h●rrid darknesse I To thee eternal Light it self do cry Lord I desire t' appr●ath the Throne of Grace To view the brightnesse of thy glorious fac● All wayes 〈◊〉 but all wayes me deceive And short of what I do desire me leave Dark clouds 〈…〉 Earth weight 〈◊〉 down so that I cannot 〈◊〉 But in this black obscurity I grop● Having still with me my Companion Hope Lord from thy splendor send one 〈…〉 Which from this 〈…〉 Unto the Orb of Light My 〈◊〉 hear Send one to guide me to this happy Sphear What ever thou requirest 〈◊〉 obey I come O Lord did I but know the way A Heavenly 〈◊〉 strait comes 〈…〉 Joy in his eyes Love in his looks 〈◊〉 seen His sudden coming 〈◊〉 him his ●ight Soon fear expels and bring extreme delight About his Head a 〈◊〉 Glory flyes Enough to dazzle more than 〈…〉 His own fair Orbs like 〈…〉 Under two fair 〈…〉 Pierch'd doth in 〈…〉 A thousand arrows into 〈◊〉 Hearts Which tip'd with sacred 〈…〉 Of Love to Heav'n and Hate to Earth beget His yellow locks like 〈…〉 Upon his 〈…〉 From whence each 〈…〉 Than all the Odor that ●sapn● Upon his lovely Front the 〈…〉 Who admoration in all 〈…〉 The new-fall'n Snow 〈…〉 As his soft flesh 〈…〉 Compare with 〈…〉 His whiter Hand 〈…〉 Two downy Wings upon his 〈…〉 And which more colours than the 〈…〉 His Body was 〈…〉 Which as he went the 〈…〉 With hasty steps 〈…〉 The Ruby 〈…〉 Unlock'd from whence these sweet words issued O man Thy wing'd 〈◊〉 have sped Before the Throne of Grace Heav'n's Majesty Hath sent me to thee on his Embasie Heav'n's King hath made thee a free Deniso● Of the Caelestial Ierusalem Where all wear Crowne Therefore prepare to go And I the way that thither leads will show Narrow and strait at first appear it will And flesh will such asperities take ill It will both tedious and unpleasing seem To flesh but yet a Will resolv'd will deem It nothing for the way to Heav'n is After some time both full of Joy and Blisse Such happinesse deserves some pains yet set Great price on what you do with danger yet This Earth alone doth make the way seem hard Therefore resolve this first to disregard If thou resolv'd art come procrastinate Not now thy Time next day may be too late The then resolv'd cries out I 'le not defer The Time I 'm ready sacred Messenger Under the Covert of his downy Wing He takes him up and th'row the ayr doth fling Unto a Valley which high Rocks surround Here he discharges him upon the ground A pleasant Tempe did it seem to be Here grew the Olive and the Cedar Tree The shady Beach under whose Canopy Banks cushen'd with the verdant grasse did lie Adorn'd with flowers and sweeter herbs he though● The first flight him to Paradise had brought But thus the Angel cries You now are in The natural condition of sin This place the World doth represent and these Fine things you see its Fonder vanities From hence a way you must find out which found Proceed be sure and do not lose your ground Nor make a stay I at your greatest need Unseen will help you now I hence must speed This sai'd fanning the gentle ayr his flight He takes and quickly passeth out of sight The left alone a while the place doth view But by and by upon a Bank he threw Himself supinely in the grasse doth creep And e'r he was aware falls fast asleep Whilst thus he sleeps a
troop of Fa●●ies come Which round him dance triumphingly while some Anoint his eyes with Poppy-Juice and other With Soperiferous fumes his nosethrills smother And out of Bottles some pour down his throat Somniferous liquor from black L●th● brought Long mayst thou sleep Long mayst thou sleep they cry And never wake out of this Lethargy But now the Time is come that all these Charmes Must be dissolv'd rap'd out of Sathans armes His Soul must be A mighty clap of Thunder As if the Heav'n's and Earth were rent assunder He hears affrighted up he heaves his head And as if newly risen from the dead He looks about rubbing his scarce-op'd eyes When in a flash of light'ning from the skies An Angel with an angry Countenance Descends his hasty steps he doth advance Unto this supine Soul one hand a goad Held in the other a sharp-scourging Rod. With a loud voyce I CONSCIENCE am cries he Who must awake thee from this Lethargy The pointed Goad into his flesh he ●lirks Whilst with the other hand he soundly jerks His naked Breast This sleepy Soul at first Scarce feels the stripes he then doth farther thrust The pricking Acus of his tort'ring Goad And with his Scourge lays on a heavier load Till that the blood from 's flesh begins to spin And still the Angel cries awake from sin Throughly awak'd he now begins to feel The tort'ring anguish of the pricking Steel He now cryes out What shall I do Oh! I Cann't bear this pain and up he starts to flye But round about a Mist as dark as Night Fills all the place only a little Light About the Angel shines by which he sees His sad condition and his miseries But up he starts and in the dark doth run Here up and down but yet he cannot shun The Angels strokes who where some e'r he goes Renews his torments with reitterate blows And now all 's former sins take shapes and do Where e'r he goes appear unto his view Against his face they flye Tormented he Cryes LORD from this sad HEL deliver me Whilst thus tormented up and down he flyes At length a little shining Light he spies On his right hand to that he runs and there He finds a passage from this Valley where When he had enter'd by that Light he saw His former sins ty'd on both sides the way In black and ugly shapes he loathes them now And fain would shun their sight could he tell how Amaz'd he stands What did by bosom dain Cryes he such ugly shapes to entertain Where were my eyes that their deformity And blacker shapes I could no sooner see O wretch that I did ever these commit Hel's sharpest torments I deserve for it O I am in the Wrath of God! my eyes Pour forth your teares How didst Apostarize My Soul In this deplorable estate● Expect no Mercy but Gods deepest Hate Oh with what anger the severer Judge Beholds me now I cannot go nor budge Where shall I flye O! which way shall I run Or where can I God's sharper Justice shun I won't go back Nor can I further go And in this place I am as loath to stay Drove to these straits what shall I do too weak Frail flesh and blood and frequent sins bespeak Me to perform those things the Law requi●es O sad condition O tormenting fires Of Wrath O which way which way shall I turn Hel's scorching flames within my bosom burn He thus perplext a little farther goes When that a Silver torrent doth oppose His hasty steps No other way there was If he 'l proceed but th'row those streams to passe Must I no farther go cryes he Constrain Me not O B●ook for to return again No rather here I 'le dye upon the brink Thereof the lets his feeble body sink Here shall my brinish tears encrease your tide And shall as fast as your dull waters glide My eyes shall be your springs you need not fear A want of waters whilst that I am here If cold your streams with frosty fetters chain My warmer sighs them soon shall melt again Eyes ope your sluces Cataracts of Tears Fall down preserv'd you have these many years Your sullen waters 'gainst this time of need For to bewail my sad estate O speed Into this gentle River furrows make Upon my cheeks where you your Currents take Ah! Sins 't is ye that cause these Tears to flow Ye only are the cause of all my wo. 'T is ye who brought me to this sad estate I now repent me tho I fear too late My blubber'd eyes now turn from you I will I hate you all and flye you Eyes your fill Now take of Teares encrease this River so That 's streams may bigger than his Channel grow Whilst he for 's former sins a Ransom payes In Pearly Tears and'spanting Heart doth raise Within his Breast a tempest with his sighs A Man he in the gliding River ' spies When to the Wast the greedy waters had Devour'd his upper part was meanly clad With a rough jacket made of Camels hair Which with a leathern Zone upon his bare And tender skin was girt By this he knew 'T was Iohn the Baptist the Brook Iordan too Whilst with his vest the sporting waters play'd Two Crimson leaves disclosing thus he said Art thou a Pilgrim to the holy Land In which the New Ierusalem doth stand This then 's the Way no other way there is But th'row this River to Eternal Blisse Here in these waters must thou oftentimes Thy Body lave from all thy former crimes Here wash thy Soul from all the stains of sin If thou intendest Heav'n's high Race to win This Baptism by me thou first must prove E'r thou attainest that of Fire and Love This doth prepare thee for the other this Will cool that Fire which now raging is Within thy Bosom for thy former sin Here thou 'lt ●ind Peace and Rest Step quickly in His lips scarce clos'd were when the penitent Leap'd in and gladly to the Baptist went Who there immerg'd him in the Christal Tide A many times when on the other side Which melting Chrystal in round bulla's fall From 's hair and garments placing him he all Alone there leaves him But within his mind He far lesse trouble and more ease doth find As if disloaded from a heavy weight Of gives and fetters which he bore of late He feels himself and like a Porter now Discharg'd of what his back did underbow Himself doth stretch for ease But by and by A winged Post down from the Skie doth flye In 's Hand a sealed Parchment this he doth To him present th' outside a while he view'th But opening it these words he written finds We whose right Hand at pleasure all things binds And loses both in Heav'n and Earth Great King Of all the Worlds who unto Hell can fling All Mortals and thence raise again We do For our Son's sake who fupplicates for you Remit and Pardon all those
sins to thee Thou hast committed 'gainst our Majesty And ou● most dear Son Granted from ABOVE Sent by Belief and sealed by gracious LOVE Down on his knees he falls his eyes directs To Heav'n and both his clasped Hands erects On high Dear Saviour cries he out O how My prostrate Soul doth to thy Mercy bow Lord what am I that thou should'st supplicate For me poor worm and from my sad estate Into a Blisse not thought on ravish me O Iesu Thy Love is immense I see O how I feel the blest Effects of thy Blest Mediation To thy wounds I flye Those sacred wounds from which a Crimson tide Of Sanctifying healing Blood did glide By which thou hast appeas'd the Wrath of God From me averted his chastizing Rod And gain'd this Pardon for my sins Oh! how I o're my soul do feel it gliding now How sweet it is my melting Soul now could Dissolve and Die a thousand Deaths it would For thee my Saviour That I ever sinn'd It me repents against so sure a Friend Oh now I see how I resisted have Against those motions that desir'd to save Me from my sins how sensible I am Of my defaults and now how full of shame Am I but thou hast pardon'd all On fire My heart is now to dye I long Require Now what thou wilt I ready am and will What e'r it be tho ne'r so hard fulfill Ah Monsters sins on you my eyes I wink Oh! how I loath you when I on you think I now abhor you and as monsters do Lest ye devour my Soul shun all of you But Christ has pardon'd what I did commit Now Eyes pour forth your Tears of Joy for it Break up new springs and from your watry Cel Rivers and Seas of joyful tears expel These are not bitter like your other cryes If He priz'd them he these will better prize Those flow'd from Grief but these from Joy do flow By 〈◊〉 returns of Love these greater grow These not from sin but from blest Ioy●s do spring Tho' signes of ●rief yet gales of Comfort bring When barren grow of lympid Tears my eyes Their want O breast supply with gro●ns and sighs Caus'd y the drawing in of what I long For P●a●ses ever sit upon my tongue All my Soul's faculties to him still move Who so immensly hath and doth thee Love Whilst thus he chaunts upon his bended knees The song of Praise he at a distance sees T●o striving with an equal pace to gain The place where he was Wings the one sustain With which she cuts the gentle ayr her feet Scarce touch'd the Earth th' other with garments light As ay● painted with Anchors was ador●●d And 's swiftly ran and both os if they scorn'd To be out-vy'd by Eurus swimming came Unto the place where he was Crimson shame Perch'd on his che●ks when he perceiv'd they were Two Heav'nly Nymphs and that they both did share Their free embraces 'bout his neck The Dames Perceiving it discovered their Na●es VVe are two Sisters FAITH and HOPE they cry'd VVho from th' Imperial Towr's are sent to guide And to support thee in this way should'st thou Selfly adventure here without us two Thou 't quickly languish Hope will thy desire Nurse up and keep thee that thou maist not tires Faith will support thee and by her thou tast Shalt Heaven 's Joys before thou them enjoyst Under both armes they take him up and so Fast link't together in the way they go Swif● 〈◊〉 seems to loiter in the ayr A new-shot dait nor swifter wind compare May with their pace He by those Nymphs so born That scarce his feet upon the Earth doth spurn The ruder way they left behind and now Enter a kind of Paradise they do Continual verdure still adorns the place Which called was they told him GOD'S FREE-GRACE The Sun a lively splendor there did show Warming with gentle heat sweet flow'rs did grow On both sides as they went the grassy floor With a Smaragdine Carpet covered o're Did court their eyes and in its lively green The sparsed flowers like pretty starrs were seen All sorts o' th' best Autumnal Fruits did sue With their o're-loaded-bending armes unto His Hand to cull their profer'd store delight And plenty both unto the Feast invite Since here he enter'd a new vigor seas'd Upon his Heart he feels it strangely eas'd New streams of gentle oyl fall down upon His Soul he longs now after union With Christ his Saviour his still warbling tongue Sings Praise and Halelujah is his Song Now from those everlasting streams of Love Which on his Soul do flow he thus doth move His lips and tongve creating in the ayr Such vocal sounds as these VVhat may compare O God! with thy free Grace The Sun the Light Nor springs their streames nor the aerial bright Aura's their cool refrigera's so free Do give as thou this liberal Grace to me Not my deserts but thine own Love doth cause These streames of Comforts and these gales of Joyes These beams of Grace of Grace so freely given Purcha'st by LOVE by Love sent down from Heav'n These may obedience to thy Laws require Obedient to be is my desire It is my meat for 't is Obedience can Conveigh the Nectar of the Gods to Man O how I 'm rapt my eyes perstring'd before Did thee beyond the fleeting Clouds adore At what a distance did I comprehend Thee sitting at thy Father's dexter-Hand But now I see those eyes too thou hast given That thou hast da●ed from the highest Heaven For to descend and my poor worthlesse heart 〈◊〉 Glorious Temple to Convert Now need I not to da●t my weaker eyes Against the hol●●● of the vaster Skies Now need I not seek to the deeps below Now need I not beyond the Mountains go To find thee out it is enough if I Thee in my inward Temple seated ' spy Ah there thou art Thy Beams of Light and Love Thy streams of Glory do thy presence prove Thy gales of Comfort Peace and Joy shew clear That it is Thee and I hee alone dwells there A Malefactor when condemn'd to dye Having no other Hopes immediatly Before his execution a Reprieve Comes from the Judge How joyfully receive The welcome news he doth when he doth know His 〈◊〉 he to the Iudge his Son doth owe Who not his pardon only gains but feasts Him at a Banquet with his noble guests How hearty then are his acknowledgements How strongly to his Service his intents Are fixt how he to every one doth praise His Mercy and his Bounty and alwayes Obedient aud officious is glad If he occasions has to serve him sad If he has none but by degrees these heats By Time and Pleasures vanquish'd he forgets The dangers past and what he ows to him That sav'd his life at least the sence of them Is not so fresh nor his desire as Strong for to serve him as at first it was So our Caelestial Pilgrim for a while
at any time deny If they sincerely ask my Company I Queen am of that place of such delight Whose heav'nly Beauty recreates the sight Of all that enter there and now I come To let you see unto Ierusalem The heav'nly the true Way such guides I 'le leave That if you 'l follow none can you deceive With false illusions nor draw aside But be you sure to follow still your Guide Although you able are to comprehend The whole World in a thought yet if you bend Yo●r whole Imagination to conceive The Glory of Ierusalem bereave The Earth the Seas the Skies of all what e're May glorious or beautifull appear And with them frame a glory all shall seem Unto the glory of Ierusalem But as a grain of dust to mighty Gemms Or as a Candle to the Sun 's bright beams That I may give thee some small glimpse of that Most glorious House I have a Picture brought With me of it and that I may invite Thee with its beauty to attain't a sight Thou shalt have of 't APOCALYPSIS then She call'd a Nymph that 's much desir'd of Men. Her tresses hung like waves of gold upon Her shoulders her transparent garments shon With far more lustrous beauty than a gemm Diaphanous Earth's Beauties were in them With Heav'n's intermixt a curious Hand Had here the Sea and there the stable Land With Groves and Rivers Gardens Founts and Springs With all Earth's pleasures and all living things Express'd The Sun the Moon and Stars he might With all the Beauty of the Heav'n's delight Fully behold wrought with Stones highly priz'd The Heavens and Earth were there Epitomiz'd So that she shon like the bright Evening Star Or Phoebus mounted in his high-noon Carr. A Chrystal Key with which the inward sight She did unlock her left hand held her right A scroul of Paper This GRACE did unfold That he might there Ierusalem behold His greedy eyes fix'd on the Scroul did wait VVhen her blest hands would ope the picture straight● VVayes the unfolding it more dazling beams Than could proceed o●t of a masse of g●mms Flew thence and like the agill Lightning strook His eyes perst●ng'd them and his Body shook Prostrate he fell not being able to Bear all those Beauties which together Flew From thence This splendor is too great he cries For to be look'd upon by mortal eyes Heav'n's Eaglets only can behold this Sun And without striking blind their eyes upon It gaze How wil't perform thy word to me Unlesse thou giv'st new eyes I cannot see If that a shadow of its glory does Perstring thine eyes says Grace and ' maze thee thus VVhat will the full fruition of it do VVhen in its h●ghest lustre it by you Shall be beheld An Alabaster box Her snowy Hands with a cold Key unlocks From whence she drew a Sov'raign eye-salve made Of Purity upon his eyes she lai'd The same and bid him boldly view the Light For that pure Salve from hurt would guard his sight At her Command his baulmed eyes he now Erec'ts and doth that glorious splendor view VVhich doth proceed from the bright radiant gemm Of which is made the new Ierusalem A glorious City there he saw the Pen Nor Heav'nly Tongues of Angels nor of Men Can it expresse or half its Glory tell Its beauties other beauties all excell More than the brightest gemm dark glasse or far More than Gold durt or Sol the meanest star Rap't in a kind of extasie he moves In that bright splendor round the City roves He with his eyes taken with so much blisse His Soul out of his body wrapped is Himself among the Thornes he sees and there Views what his tongue to utter doth not dare O glorious Beauty cries he out one gra●● Of thee will more than recompence all pain And trouble that we on the Eard endure For to possesse thee O bless't Light immure My Soul for ever here where reigns true Blisse Where is true Joy and where true pleasure is Adiew vain Earth and all thy foolish pleasure Worser than Dung compared to this Treasure And Joys I find Ah what are Crowns to thee Least particle of true Felicity Lighter than chaff of lesse esteem they are Than dung if they with heav'n's bright Crowns compare O how I 'am rapt O how I now esteem The glorious Vision of Ierusalem Grace smiling at his Rapture warbled forth These words This sight of such esteem and worth Is that to very few it granted is The favour to behold this sight of Blisse Amongst those very few thou seest thou art For ever then record it on thine heart And let this Beauteous sight attract thee 〈◊〉 That thou astray mayst not hereafter go Nor think that thou already art in Blisse This but a sight and at a distance is Of fut●re happinesse which gain you may If you persever in the stricter way But if backslide and in your sins remain This Heav'nly City you shall ne'r attain How vain the choysest of Earth's pleasures are If with the least of these you them compare Let this consideration beget A fire of constant sacred Love to it So that thou mayst with greater ease presse on Till thou the harder way hast overcome For if thou dost heav'n's Beauties contemplate Earth's in compa●ison to them thou'lt hate Whilst to this sight thine Eyes are married The way thou se'st not that doth thither lead It s glorious Beams o'te-shadow it but I By vailing them exhibit to thine eye The way that leads unto this City will A thick mist strait doth her command fulfill Which like a Vail hid those illustrous Beams And now the way pourtray'd he sees it seems To lye here over Rocks th'row Vallies there Here dark black Caves there Seas of Blood appear Here precipices thick here thornes here steep And stony places there strong Watchmen keep The passages a thousand dangers show Themselves along the way that he must go If he to Salem will attain His eye About he cast no other way espy He could so that necessity compells He that wayes must when there is no way else Nor Rocks not precipices nor cries he Sanguineous Seas now shall discourage me Since I have seen those Beauties which do Court My Soul for which all dangers seem a sport Will for 't is fitting that Aeternitie With fleshe's hazzard should attained be Come I'm resolv'd and ready am to tread This narrow Path which doth to Sion lead I 'le leave this World and for my future good Fly over Rocks swim thorow Seas of blood This said APOCALYPSIS then withdrew And GRACE her hand did to the Pilgrim shew A hearty Kisse on which he straight inferr'd Unto the path from which he lately err'd She him conducted where stood HOPE and FAITH Who ran to him assoon as in the Path He came To whom themselves the' excused thus For your deviating pray blame not us 'T was your own fault for whilst we with you kept We know not how into a
Wrath of God Then sweat he drops of Blood this agony Endured was so that you all might be Sav'd from the Wrath he underwent for M●n Unto the Fathers Justice was he then A Sacrifice his Soul for you abode In Hell and there quenched the Wrath of God Through it a Way he made for every one That after him to Paradise shall come So long as Adam slept when Eve was made So long he in the Grave and Anger staid But then that Body pure angelical That Earth of which Adam was made the fall Not having yet Cloath'd him with such as you And other Mortals sprung from him indue This Body Christ assum'd the which did straight His Crucified Body penetrate And wholly swallow'd up so that it then Could passe th'row Walls and walk unseen by men But when he pleas'd to shew himself so all Bodies shall rise this flesh and blood and all Such flesh and blood shall enter heav'n Now four Times ten dayes he remain'd just and no more In Paradise there tempted he withstood VVhat flung down Adam like a rushing flood Confirmed now to Heav'n he ascends In his Disciples sights and there remains See where they gazing stand see where a Cloud His Body from their mortal eyes doth shroud Now he to Glory goes in 's Company The Patriarchs and holy Prophets be And all those who before him dy'd who on The promis'd seed did trust which was to come Abraham the Father of the faithfull Band Dischargeth now his holy Bosom and Close follows Iesus with his blessed train And so th' Imperial Court of Heav'n they gain And thus Angelical Bodies getting rise With joy and with him enter Paradise VVhere they in Heav'n remain In Heav'n he is The cause o● joys of happinesse of blisse 'T is he makes Heav'n and there where he doth stand Is Paradise which is at God's right Hand O mount not now beyond the clouds for where The second Principle remains 't is there That Heav'n is nor can it be confin'd Nor comprehended in thy darker mind So that a local place thou in thy head Imaginest when that its Court doth spread Th'row out the World a way to Paradise And Heav'n there is and yet not th'row the Skies T●●s Path ●ill lead thee th●●●er thou shalt know The Way not out but into Heav'n doth go 'T is to the Centre thou must presse for there Heav'n and the glorious Angels will appear There Iesus is and when he comes again Not as before shall he in flesh remain No more be Crucifi'd but then ●e shall VVith his bright Glory swallow up this Ball. Then Paradise shall manifested be This is the Day all Saints do long to see Keep safe this Picture and be sure that thou Continually do this bright Pattern view Him only imitate see now if that These things which here are offer'd by Deceit Are worth a grain of Dust compar'd unto Those Riches that in Paradise do grow Kick down Dec●it and all her toyes despise Follow thou Me I 'le shew thee Paradise Thus Alat●ia ends the while his eyes The Pilgrim to the perfect Pattern ties On it they dwell where they such sweetnesse found That to a meditation so profound And deep as may be they his soul attract That Life so spotlesse and so pure to act He now desires Christ now his Pattern is And in his steps he seeketh after Blisse Whilst thus his busie eyes 〈◊〉 to and f●o On that which Ala●●●a did bestow Upon him all the circumambient ayr Began to glow and seemed all on fire The Pilgrim 'gan to feel the glowing heat His Cheeks grew red his Face and Temples sweat About he looks to see from whence it came When that he spies a Chariot all on flame Which two swift Coursers drew their flaming breath Threatning to all that should oppose them Death VVith a Iehuan pace on wheels of speed Down the next Rock Horses and Chariot slide And up another ran e'n to the top Before hot Zelus could 's swift Coursers stop Doubling their sturdy necks he back again Inforces them with much ado refrain At last he did his furious Steeds and from His Chariot did unto the Pilgrim come His Robes were flames of fire pouder'd with Hearts Winged with flames struck th'rough with flaming Darts His eyes a piercing ardor sent his Hand Bore both a steeled Lance and flaming brand● The Pilgrim he accosts and easily got VVith him to mount his flaming Chariot Now glows his heart and now a Champion For God he is with sury he upon Deceit doth set against the Mountain flings His Spear tramples upon her siner things Scatters her Gold and silver doth despise Her Honours Dainties Pleasures Braveries Under his feet he tramples that at last His flaming Brand amongst them all he cast The fire takes hold consuming them to nought The Mount it to a heap of ashes brought VVhat cryes the Pilgrim shall a mount of dust To stop my passage unto Heav'n thrust It self between me and my God so shall This brand what e'r opposes cause to fall Nought stand 'tween me and Heav'n shall if it do This Spear this Brand this hand shall make it ●ow The World and all things I 'le forsake and I Father and Mother also will deny And hate them too if they opposers be And stand betwixt blest Paradise and me Heav'n 's in my eye its Beauties are my prize Heav'n 's a Reward for him that Earth denyes My Way I am resolved to make Good Although I stand up to the chin in blood A fire agitates my Limbs and now Both World and all things Zeal shall make to bow This said he hurries up and down the Way His furious Steeds cannot stand still nor stay What e'r appears the hot-spur'd Pilgrim now Without examination makes to bow The furious Steeds over the Mountains flye Feeling the Reines loose on their necks to lye And ready to praecipitate their Guide Down the steep ridges of the Rocks they slide Sometimes they 're in the Way sometimes they 're out Some●imes they backward run sometimes about And o're the Rocks their heady co●●se they take Th'rough fire and water they their voyage make The next Way that appears he takes and what He thinks is Good others must bow to that This furious Course makes him to lose the Way And up and down at every turn to stray What e'r he sees under his Censure comes As well in Iudg●m●●ts as in Zeal he fumes But whilst with Zeal he runneth up and down A Matron met him on whose awfull frown Sat a most comely Gravity Serene And free from tempests her clear face was seen Her eyes something of Majesty did bear And over hearts did sweetly domineer Her face enough of Beauty had and she In all her make bore a just symmetrie Her cloaths were grave and decent neither were They cut to all modes nor yet singular Her pace was grave in every thing she
his want●n wast Binding his Hands that oft had prisners made With his own Sca●● he to a Tree him ty'd Robbing a 〈◊〉 of its boughs a Rod He ●●de● and soundly whipt this wanton God He flea'd his back and with his wanron blood Dy'd all the grasse in ' Crimson where he stood Then broke his bow and arrows His fine Quiver And Crown of Roses flung into the River This done he let him loose since which disgrace He ne'r was seen to come anear this place Lost in the Face which he did contemplate O●r P●lgrim was nor would he extricate Himself and if he could He ne'r did prize ●nough before the blessing of his eyes Ravish'd he was but blessed CHASTITY Spake to her CUPID with her speaking eye He understood the Dialect and drew A Golden arrow from his Quiver Blew The Feathers were the point was living flame This notch'd in 's silver Bow he took his aym Like a good Archer of the Pilgrim's heart And th'rough the same he shot the flaming dart A gentle Fire and sweetly glowing heat The Pilgrim feels his quicker pulses beat Th'row his Limbs the living flames do spread With pleasures joyn'd not to be uttered No blood ran from the Wound he feels no smart Although the shaft had cleft in two his Heart Those flames made Wounds of Joy heal'd those of pain Dispel'd all ills did Life and Health retain A constant ardor now burns in his Breast Being with th' immortal fire of Love possest And wholly swallow'd up in them he fryes In pleasing Flames becomes Heav'ns Sacrifice He lives in Flames but they 'r chast flames of blisse He is in Love but with SOPHIA ' t is Is not it madnesse to indulge a Foe Do men cry when they from their prisons go Do men love chaines and fetters to suppresse Their eager flight unto their Happinesse Yea sure they do all this who here do move In chaines of flesh and do such prisons love The free-born soul were it not chain'd below Above the Stars its nimble Fires would throw See all the World at once and swiftly run About the Heav'ns and clearer than the Sun Had not the Pilgrim had a fleshly case He longer might have seen SOPHIA'S Face Alasse our Souls enchain'd to Dust and Nigh● Cannot behold the splendors of that Light Too strong for flesh and blood Whose flames will be To flesh as ●ove prov'd once to Semele Our eyes without apparent hurt cann't gaze Against the Sun Nor can those heav'nly Rayes Of high Beatitude the Soul see here Maried to flesh long 'cause that cannot bear The Soul 's high flight but that she suffers so She holds the Soul lest she should from her go Apocalypsis well man's frailty knew Therefore she blest Sophia's Face withdrew And vail'd it from the Pilgrim's eyes To whom Thus Chastity whose words flew in perfume Is not one glimpse of thy Caelestial Bride More glorious than all the World beside Didst ever tast in those dull stream● of Blisse The World affords a pleasure like to this Thou hast received by a Vision then How far more great wil 't be how ample when Thou full fruition shalt enjoy and be Blest with her Blisses to AEternity When that thy Soul cloath'd with immortal Day Has shaken off these shackling Robes of clay In Vailes she now is forced to appear 'Cause Flesh c●nnot her ample Beauty bear See that she only Mistresse of thy Heart Remain for she ' l not be content with part Thou must not share it 'tween Mortality and Her she ' l bear no such indignity If ever Mistresse Hearts intire deserv'd If ever to be punctually serv'd 'T is she see then although thou canst not merit One grain of what thou shalt by her inherit That thou prove faithful to her Love and she Hers with Heav'ns Kingdom will return to thee Down bows the Pilgrim to the ground his Breast And in these Words his constancy exprest I know my frailty and my weaknesse and That I alone and of my self can stand Not one poor moment By the help of Grace Supported First the Sun shall change his Face And glorious splendor into pitchy Night Flames first shall cease for to ascend upright The brinish Seas shall over Atlas flow The Vine and Olive in Asphaltes grow First Sol shall rise out of the Western main And in the Iapon Sea his flaming Wain At evening drench December shall be May And Trees in Iune shall sheets of snows d'splay Noon shall be Night Nature inverted be Before I yield unto Inconstancy Before I leave her whom my Soul hath chose And her forgetting to another close Those ardent flames which now surround my Heart Will so dispose me that I ne'r shall start From her to whom whilst in this flesh I breath I do my Life Heart Acts thoughts all bequeath O noble Resolution which doth move From those bright flames of Zeal and ardent Love Hell trembles when he hears th' inspired tongue Of valiant Souls resolv'd to speak such strong Hel-battering Words such sounds do quickly go Both to the Angels and the Devils too Piercing both Worlds sound quickly in their ears Fill those with Joy these with disturbing Fears If the dull flames of the Idalian brat In tired Souls most strangely operate Making them bow unto their Idol-toy That from her presence they receive no Joy And ' count the pleasures of a Crown lesse bli●●e Than those they gain when they her Lips do kisse If they so strangely Man can alter so As for to make him all the World forego For this one Idol never feeling ease Longer then while he doth his Mistresse please Doth she but frown Hell nor AEternal Night In their worst shapes could scarce so much affright The trembling Lover for her wrinkled brow More terrible than doth Avernus show 'T is not her power he fears But yet he can Not disobey Love's a Magician If by his power men dare to undertake The hardest things and nothing of them make If for their Loves their Lives they 'l venture and Be proud to spill their blood at their Command Dye if they bid them if such Love can cause So great obedience to his giddy Lawes If by his hidden and abstrucer Art Knowledge he doth to ignorants impart Make Clowns prove Eloquent nay Po●ts too If thus and much more this blind-God can do What shall that Love do unto which this seems As the worst Pibbles to the best of Gemms That Love divine whose fires immortal be Whose constant Pleasures never changes see That Love immense which filleth to the brim Capacious Souls where may whole Oceans swim Of Joyes divine unutterable then Shall not this draw Obed●ence from Men Shall not this sweeten whatsoe'r may seem Bitter make easie what is hard to them Fear can do much but Love much more can do Fear false obedience gives Love just and true Heav'n's Pilgrim now with these diviner flames Possess'd h' alone to please Sophia aimes Love regulates him now
That she is overwhelm'd with the delight Earth's duller Musick or that of the Sphears ●o this would be discordant in his ears If they mens souls chear with their melody How more exceeding shall Heav'ns Harmony Th' inner AEthmoides being open'd wide Whole clouds of Musk strait th'rough the passage slide Paradysaical Odors the Perfumes Which from the Body of our Saviour comes Presse in sweet Amber-greece perfuming Myrth Which fills the inner World doth enter there Pinks Violets Roses are lesse odorate Than these sweet Odors which assault the Gate The Gust unlock'd the dews of Sion Hill And Paradise upon his Tongue distil The Heav'nly Manna the Caelestial Cates Of Blisse more sweet than Honey fare he eats Nectar glides th'rough his Lips where more sweets reign Than the Hymetian Honey-dews contain Haphe unlock'd the heav'nly touch of Love Like gentle fire over his heart doth move Th' Anoynted's Hand which doth distempers heal Upon him lay'd he sensibly doth feel The Tincture which doth from Christ's Body flow With great delight he feels on his to grow Thus he in his five sences ravish'd is He sees hears smells tas●eth and toucheth Bli●●e Ravish'd with the excesse of his delight In Seas of pleasures he 's immerged quite His soul drinks in the sweets too much upon These Cates feeds his Imagination But whilst he banquets at his fuller feast His Angel to him from the Heavens preit Taking Sophia's servant by the Hand His mind by these he let him understand Blest Pilgrim and Sophia's servant thou Must not rest here but farther still must go These are but streams and Rivulets of Blisse Sophia she the only Fountain is Here thou mayst bath thy self but canst not swim Untill thou comest to the Fountains brim There are vast Oceans there thou mayst remain These are but easements for your griefs and pain These are but objects at a distance these Are but refreshments and to give you ease To make thy Way the sweeter till thou art Hid in the Closet of Sophia's Heart Take not thou then too much complacency In these which only but the Conducts be To greater happinesse and do but shew The tythe of Blisse which thou art going to Presse on therefore ' count every thing but ●elf To the enjoyment of Sophia's self Rous'd by his Angel thus the Pilgrim hies And t'wards the perfect mark he faster flies But far he had not gone before he meets An adversary who upon him sets VERTUMNUS 't was lesse constant than the Wind In every shape seeks to disturb the mind A slye Ulysses cunning to deceive Leading to error if you him believe His cloathes were of all sorts of Feathers made With Windinesse and swiftnesse under-laid About his wast hung certain Looking-glasses Which represented strange disguised faces Upon his left arm certain Pictures hung In which those things which to the World belong Were pictured there Beauty was display'd There Castles Forts Rivers and Seas were made There Cities Towns Countreys Villages Wars Battails Peace and such like things as these What e'r Imagination's Pencil cou'd Expresse in lively figures there were shew'd On his right arm Caelestial Pictures hung And whatsomever did to Heav'n belong There pourtray'd was There Angels Seraphims There Thrones there Saints and fie●y Cherubims ● There Paradise there Light Stars Suns were seen And all Caelestial Forms and Bodies drawn Accouter'd thus he meets our Pilgrim and To stop his passage stretch'd out his left hand This sight was not like to his other foes No valour this but shifts and cunning knows He is no Champion but o'recomes by guile And e'r his foe thinks on him gives the foil Like to the wicked Pontic Bithiae that Children and Beasts with their looks facinate He doth bewitch skil'd in Cyrcean arts From every Picture he his charmes imparts And whilst they strangely draw our Pilgrim's eyes He in the mean time makes of him a prize Our Pilgrim meeting this fine fellow thought The Weaponlesse could have no mischief wrought He takes great pleasure to behold the charmes Which dangling hung at both his feather'd armes Those Pictures yield content his wandering mind Treads in those Mazes and no end can find Thus he delayes his Journey and this let His hasty Voyage maketh him forget But his good Angel putting him in mind Of 's Journey bid him this Deceiver bind For that he was a Foe and sought to keep Him back by causing him awake to sleep On him he set but a hard task he found This Proteus would not be so quickly bound Stoutly they wrestle but if on his armes He cast his eyes ●e's taken with those charmes He varies shapes and do he what he can No sooner bound but he is loos'd agen A Champion who hath often won the field By Custom knows not how at last to yield Each Conquest adds new Life and courage to His animated Soul and makes him do More than can be hop'd for Our Pilgrim so Oft Victor now will not faint-hearted grow Here Faith assists him and Perseverance Upon his Foes arms doth Ir'n chaines advance At last they bind his left arm when his right He stretched out before the Pilgrim's sight Those heav'nly Pictures now he dotes upon And brave Chimera's in his thoughts do run They 're all Caelestial cryes he who can chuse But on such heav'nly Subjects alwayes muse These are but shadows sayes his Angel thou Unto the very substance must presse to And therefore first of all thou must o'recome 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 IMAGINATION The Pilgrim seeing that he stop'd his Way And longing still SOPHIA to enjoy After much strugling flung him on the ground And with Perseverances chaines him bound This Adversary being cast he bent His course to Paradise and forward went Not far from thence his has●y steps did move Under the shadow of a silent Grove The place was sacred to a Deity Who with still silence would adored be No babling Echo in that Grove did dwell No whistling Blackbi●d no sweet Nightingal No Bird at all came near those sacred boughs The grasse nor bleating Sheep nor mowing Cows Did feed no living Creature did that blest Place enter to disturb its quiet rest No ●●bble chiding-Brook ran murmering there No Wind to move those silent Leaves did dare About the middle of this silent place P●tch'd on a mossie Hill a Couch there was To this the Pilgrim went and gently hurl'd Himself on it As if another World He enter'd had he found himself a rest Seiz'd on his working mind both bad and best● Thoughts banish'd were disturbing fancy or Imagination did not there discur Asleep he was not nor yet did he dream Alive he was but yet he dead did seem His mind work'd not on this nor that but he Rap'd was into a heav'nly Lethargy This is the Silent passive state in which God with his Finger Souls doth often touch This is the sleep of Iacob this the Trance Of Paul when he did to the Heav'ns advance This is the state in which the
opportunity did stay To poyson him and VIGILANTIA did No sooner turn her back and step aside But to the Boul he stept for she alasse The noble Pilgrim's chief Pincerna was And in he pour'd that Hellish juyce among Heav'ns blest Nectar mixing that poyson strong Th' unawary Pilgrim by and by the Cup Takes and in 's Nectar drinks Hell's poyson up Anon the several poysons 'gin to work Whilst Sathan laughing in his sleeve doth lurk Unseen to see the sport Oh! how he smil'd At the conceit of Man's being thus beguil'd The Pilgrim did not feel that he was ill Or that Hel's poyson did his Nectar spill But now it 'gan to work he did not cast His eyes unto the Fountain but embrac'd Too much the streams Too much Complacency He took in the fruition of those high Gifts of the Spirit too much dotes upon Visions Voyces Spirits union He fears to lose them and cannot resign To Heav'n his Nectar or his gifts divine Now to himself all Spirits he 'd engrosse He Covets gifts and ' counts no greater crosse Than for to lose them thus doth Co●etousnesse Spring in his Soul in its refined dresse Pride started up and though spiritualiz'd A curious cloathing for his Soul devis'd Wherein he prides himself he 's not content Except that others know he 's eminent In all the Gifts and graces of the Spirit He loves to be sought after for his merit Cloath'd with Heav'ns Pride of gifts and graces he Aspires and would accounted something be Next Selfishnesse did operate and that Self-Int'rest and Propriety begat In Spirits Gifts and Graces This doth seem For to belong to him and none but him Then Envy work'd and he is not content To see another be more eminent In Visions Raptures or the like or that Others enjoy them and he go without Then Iealousie spread thorow every vein It s virulent poyson fuming in his Brain He every one suspects and jealous is Left others rob him of what he Calls his He fears to lose a Spirit that another His gifts or Graces shining Light should smother He jealous is lost his Lights be out-shon Or that another's should eclipse his own This Hell 's refining poyson spreading through His Breast e'r he aware was brought him to And thus the noble Stone was almost spoil'd When for't the Pilgrim had long stoutly tovl'd That eye whose Rayes pierce the Earth's Centre and Sees to the bottom of the Stygian strand Which spite of Night and Hell 's calliginous Mantle beholds what ever Satan does That Eye which every secret thought betrays And to its self hid actions open layes That Eye behel'd the spight of Hell and saw Upon the Pilgrim's heart his poyson gnaw Nothing so soon as th' objects of the eye Pity attracts for others misery The ear so soon doth not affect the Heart With generous pity as the Optic part He that 's all Eye and every thing doth see Can he w'hout pity view man's misery No he 's all pity and his Bowels roul At every pang of an afflicted Soul Poyson i' th' Pilgrim's Breast no sooner flows But he his pity and his mercy shows His Angel-guardian is Commission'd strait To shew to him the Stygian Prince 's hate And 'gainst that poyson which so strongly wrough● In 's breast to offer him an Antidote Glad of the message down the Angel flies Whilst sparkling Joy beam'd from his sacred eyes Glad to do service to Heav'ns Servitour He shews himself clad with refulgent ayr In 's hand he brought a Crystal Glasse which ●●ll'd Was with pure Light from Heav'ns Alimbeck still'd This he unto the Pilgrim gave and bid Him drink it up The which he strait wayes did No sooner had he gulp'd it down but he Beheld his Error and Hell's treachery He saw the infestous poyson though 't was clear By this draught now his eyes far purer are And can behold all its impurities Which had caus'd all irregularities This draught the Vail pull'd off and he espies Where Hell 's strong poyson in Heav'ns Nectar lies So had he seen a noxious Serpent dwell I' th' green grasse and Toads in a Crystal Well Startl'd at this sight seal my eyes again He cryes or else from me this poyson drain 'T is better I were blind and could not see Then to behold an helplesse misery It is a double pain hard haps to bear And seeing them remedilesse to fear An unseen harm lesse d●ead doth cause I pray Or take my eyes or this foul Ill away It is thy self the Angel doth reply That to thy self must give the remedy There is a pill will do 't I 'le shew it thee If thou wilt take it freely follow me The willing Pilgrim soon consents they go Strait forward without turning in Heav'ns Way Now far they had not gone e'r they came to A pleasant Green whose lust●ous verdant hew Cheered the Pilgrim's Sp'rite and in the midst Thereof he saw a flaming Altar plac'd And coming nearer fairly wrote upon The sides he saw TRUE RESIGNATION 'T was to this Altar that blest Abraham The Angel said to offer Isaac came And here it is and in th●se flames divine And on this Altar thou must offer thine Here what somever thou dost dearly prize To Heav'n must prove a pleasing sacrifice 'T is true thou didst pleasures and sins once bring Unto the Fire A fairer offering Now must th' Oblation be As Earth by you Was offer'd up so offer Heav'n too Not only Earth's but Heav'ns fair gifts divine Thou on this Altar must to God resign Amongst those Flames which were Aetherial The Angel put his hand and cull'd a coal A Carbuncle set in a Ring of Gold Glow'd as the Coal between his fingers hold Lo here a Pill sayes he that doth contain An Antidote against that deadly Bain Thou hast drunk down in this one Pill there are The Lemnian Earth and precious Bezoar Treacle and Metridate lock'd up This pure Pill will effect not an Ac●sian Cure Not all the drugs of A●sculapius Or Galen can do half so much as this The joyful Pilgrim takes the flaming Pill Which from his mouth down to his heart did thrill No sooner was it ●in his Breast but straight He Hel's soul Poyson did Evacuate That glowing Pill fir'd from his heart 's fast hold And utterly destroy'd Hel's bainful Cold. Thus by the Heav'nly Therap●utick he Receives by Heat for cold a Remedy Now bas●el'd Sathan with an hideous roar To Hell flyes vex'd more than he joy'd before Shall Servants grumble to repay their Lord His own or not be willing to afford Him back what he lends them Shall Stewards grieve When their Lords at their hands their own receive Why then doth man so often shrug and pine When God bids him his lendings to resign A carefull Father that hath sent unto His Son some sums honestly to employ Is it not requisite he should be still Exactly subject to his Fathers Will And that the money back be paid again
Mundos OAvarice for Gold and Silver 's prize The golden Truth thou ' ast turn'd to drossy Lyes Best things corrupted prove the worst of all By Rome's false Limbo doth true LIMBO fall The Christian Churches first blest Founders sure Their Streams delated from the Fountain pure Heav'n put that breath into their mouths which they Inspired thus to others did conveigh The holy Ghost upon them breath'd nor was Their Words corrupted by an humane glosse Then flourish'd Truth and all our Hyerarchie Rejoy●'d so pure a Church on Earth to see No pitchy clouds of error then did presse 'Twixt their eyes and the Sun of Righteousnesse The Truth shon then as clear as doth the Sun Mounted in 's golden Chariot at noon Christs Church sees clearly still where e'r it be Scatter'd through others and the Head is he But envious Sathan when he saw Truth so Extreamly spread and o're the World to grow He sew'd his Tares of Errors and did blind With clouds of darknesse Man's true eye the Mind These faster than the true Wheat grew this crop Of evil weeds did soon the Wheat o're-top Darknesse grew on apace anon the Day Could not its Light but here and there display Th'rough the small cranies of dark clouds then 't was Pride and Ambition in Rome's Church took place Then crept in all those Ceremonies then The Truth gave place unto the wiles of Men. Then Avarice with her hook'd Talons made Such Laws which turn'd Religion to a Trade And for the Love of Money did disguise Fair Truth and cloath'd her with a pack of Lies Something of precious Truth something of Day Under disguise under the clouds there lay Your Silver ISIS about Chelsy's not The same as where his bubling springs do put First forth their Crystal Heads near Thorlton for Churne's wondrushe's and Cherwell's waters there And Tame's Coln's Brents with his clear streams do run So on the other side he entertain Doth Ock Lad K●nn●t Surrie's Rivers too Whose severe Waters with his mingle do Yet with these may at Ch●lsy run the same Pure waters which from his clear sp●ing-head came So pure Religion's streams by this time had With many of Hel's Stygian stream lets spread Which were polluted with their Waters yet Amongst them Truth 's pure Crystal streams did ●●i● But so bemudded that they scarce were seen But by those clear eyes who did dive for them The snowy flow'r is mixed with the Bran The chaff with Wheat one sift the other fa● We must not ●●ing them both away and make Th' ●ne uselesse for us for the other's sako We must beware when that the Tares we cull Lest we with them the wheat up also pull Fifteen Cent'ries and two decades of years After Christ's death from Isleben appears A Light by which Rome's muddy streams were seen By which the Truth men strove to c●ll between Error 's black clouds But Zeal them so possest They her rejected 'cause by Rome's hands drest So fearful were they of a Romish dresse That Truth they ' ad rather leave than her possesse In that false Habit many Truth 's despis'd Were thus because by Rome they were disguis'd Among the rest and not the least this place This Region which thou now behold'st one was And 'cause Rome's fopperies had obscur'd the Light Of it forsooth they it discarded quite And by the ears it from existence whorry For fear of entertaining Purgatory The Truth of it now testifie thou mayst To others now thy self thou seen it hast It is not such thou seest as Rome doth fain For th' all-corrupting Gold and Silver 's gain This is the middle Region and doth hide It self between four Worlds on every side They bound this place Would'st thou know who those be Who yonder up and down you wandering see They are departed Souls who had begun The holy Race to Sion's Hill to run Who had Hel's broad Rode left and who in this Heav'ns Path some progress made had towards Blisse But e'r their Natures purified were E'r they attain'd had to that happy Sphear Which unto Paradise immediate leads Pa●ca assunder cut their vital thread Their parted souls then to this Region flew Where they must perfect what they had to do VVhere they 'till purified must remain E'r they to Paradise admittance gain Th'rough Hel's deep Centre must the Soul first pass And th'rough a Sea of Fire to that of Glass Th'rough the first Principle as thou anon Shalt see Now if the Soul 's not cloath'd upon With Christ's sanguinous Robe the second and Most holy Principle she cannot stand But there is captivate or beaten back Unto the Crosse t' endure the holy Rack By putting off the first that so she may With th' second Principle her self array Then may the passe and not before Those who In flesh this holy Robe do not indue But dying hold by Faith 's strong clue are brought Hither to finish what remains unwrought The Way to Heav'n is not so easie as By poor beguiled Man imagin'd was Straight is that Ga●e and narrow is that Way Which Mortals doth conduct to perfect Day He that to presse th'row this straight Gate would se●k Must fling the World and flesh from off his neck They cannot enter Heav'n with him nor can Some Notions prove a Saviour unto Man The Work must somewhere finish'd be if on The Earth to Heav'n they go if not 'till done It fully be they here remain But those Wend straight to Hell who Hel's high-way had chose Man calls God merciful yet makes the same God the third part of all mankind to damn Hard-hearted Man dost thou not know there is An armed Cherub 'fore the Gate of Blisse Dost thou not know that Paradise is kept By Armes unwearied Eyes that never slept By a bright flaming Fauchon which enough Of terrour strikes to keep the wicked off Or tell me Man hast thou yet never heard That Imperfection cannot passe this Guard Nor flesh nor blood can enter Heav'n nor can Ever come there the least imperfect man No Imperfections enter Paradise If Man 's not perfect then before he dyes A some by no means grant where shall he then Be perfect made but in this Region 'T is true degrees ●ere in perfection are None throughly perfect still he comes where Mortality of immortality Is swal ow'd up where he beholds the Eye And Face of God without a Screen to this None can attain whilst in the flesh he is How few are there that to a perfect State Arrive before Death Life doth terminate To such a State I mean in which they may To Paradise go and make here no stay When their Souls fly their Bodies Souls must clear Be purg'd on Earth from what they drunk in there It is not Notions that the Work must do It must be real and done throughly too This Work not in t●e Head but Heart doth lye That 's most regarded by th' all-seeing Eye If they with Christ are truly risen
the Devil rejoyc'd to see this Ba● To Blisse Mine own he cry'd all Mortals are None can break this I'm sure none now shall see Nor into Paradise admitted be Was it not sure enough what Man could pass Thorow this Fire and o're this Wall of Brass And thus was Man excluded Paradise But less obscure and trulier thus it is After that Unity had broken been And Discord introduced by the sin Of Adam strait the second Principle Drew from the Third and in its Aether fell To its own Centre fled the VVorld bereft Of 't was as well as Ad●m naked left Then the first Principle of Wrath was seen VVhich strait the third and second stept between Th'rough which till Christ no man could ever pass This is the Cherub and the wall of Brass This is the flaming Sword which turns about To keep of Paradise all Mortals out And thus excluded they had ever been If Christ had not in Mercy entrance giv'n In fulness then of Time down from above To take an humane Soul came mighty LOVE The second Person in the Trinity O sacred and thrice sacred Mysterie To make a way for poor excluded Man Th'rough Hell to Heaven for this end he came This none but mighty He could do and this Had ●e not done Man ne'r had tasted Blisse VVhen he therefore the Cup of Wrath had drunk Upon the Crosse and into Death was sunk Into these deeps he came and that Way too By which from earth we hither came but now The common Road to Hell this is not still None this Way go but against Sathan's will This is the private path th'rough Hell to Heav'n By Christ to those who his steps follow given This is the Path by his blest death made Good Gained with pain purchas'd with so much blood This is the Path which Hell still strives to hide Least Mortals by 't to Paradise should slide This is the Path which shews Christ's Power It is The Path which leads from miseries to Blisse A spacious Road leads unto Pluto's Court On the left hand where Mortals much resort Paved with pleasures and external Blisse With Riches honours and such baites it is This Road brings to a Gate of Aebony Whose lofty portals mounted are on high Whose wide-leav'd Gates by Pluto's strict command Both Night and Day for ever open stand So wide they are a World at once may in Get but a m●te cannot return ag'in Such is the Hospitality of Hell Gratis all Men may there for ever dwell This is the Gehenna this the Lions Den From whence there can be no Redemption This Road Christ's sheep do shun for that Way is The way to Torment not the Path to Blisse 'Till Christ this Way made there no other was Therefore when first he came into this place Hell was amaz'd and its foundation shook Its mighty Pi●lars all assunder broke Great LUCIFER fell from his Aebon Seat And 's neck subjected unto Iesu's feet The trembling Devils roar'd and with a Yell Upon their faces before Iesus fell Then with ten thousand chaines of Adamant He loaded them and them of Room did scant Ty'ng them move strictly to their Centre and Enforcing them to yield to his Command He broke the Power Hell had over Man That by his might he might triumph ag'en His eyes tormented Hell his very breath Assunder broke the cruel jawes of Death The damned yelled and his sacred Sight That cursed crew put in t ' an horrid fright Then he the Dev'ls restrain'd so that they could Not hurt tho●e who this path trod if they would Then th'rough the Cherub's flaming Sword he went Unhurt to whom his Head the Angel bent Down to his Feet the flaming Fire no power Had the least hair of his Head to devour Scarce was there any thing that Iesus did For Man's Salvation but 't was typifi'd Long e'r he came in flesh and all before Of Note some shadow of this Substance bore And it was fit that Heav'n's high Majesty Should into Earth by Prod●ums usher'd be How did the Priestly Ceremonies too His Office and his Acts exactly shew How did the Prophets prophesie of Him How was his acts praeacted e'r he came But all in shadows He the Substance was And they all vanish'd when he came in place So did the brazen Serpent shew that he For Soul and Body should Physitian be So did the scape-Goat to the Iews declare That he theirs and the whole Worlds Sins should bear So Ioshua who to Canaan led the Jews That Christ his lead shall to his Kingdom shews So Dav●d who Saul's fury did remove Shews that Christ should Wrath overcome by Love So Isaac offered did typifie That offer'd Iesus for the World should dye So Ionas buried in the Whale did tell The World that Christ descend should into Hell And that he should arise again And so Were Shadrach Mesheck and Abednego When in the seaven-times heated Furnace they W'thout hurt or singing of their hair did stay A Type of Iesu's walking th'rough this flame Of Wrath th'rough which help'd by his Pow'r we came So Sampson's strength did Iesu's typifie Who at his feet bow'd Hel's great Majesty And when on his broad shoulders he did lay Strong Gaza's Gates and bear them quite away Of Christ's great power and mighty strength He was A Type who bore away these Gates of Brasse VVhen Hell thought to imprison him Alone He by his strength pul'd this Brass Fortress down For when that he came near he put his Hand Unto this Wall which as a Bar did stand Between the World and Paradise straight shook Its strong Foundations when his hold he took On it strait trembled every part and down To Iesu's feet fell his high-crested Crown Then was this breach made which you see and then A way was made to Paradise ag'en VVhich had so long denyed been to all The progeny of Adam since his fall O glorious yea thrice glorious happy Breach By which fall'n Man again to Heav'n may reach O Noble Work O mighty strength of the Blest Son of God's glorious Humanity 'T was his Humanity this work did do Or else no passage here had been for you Nor for an' humane Soul O David's Stemm O Iesus who dy'd at Ierusalem Can any Man speak such fell Blasphemy To say that all that 's sav'd not 's sav'd by thee Dear Pilgrim 't was none but that Christ alone That for Man hath wrought this Salvation But ' count it not a vain Tautologie If I once more relate it unto thee Thus in a word it was The blessed Love Upon the Wrath its gentle self did move Both Principles were reconcil'd In one VVere joyned in an happy union The first and second Principles arise Immediatly from them did Paradise Thus Wrath and Love by Christ we reconcil'd Who brought forth Paradise an happy child Unto which place thou now shalt go and th'rough This happy breach which Christ has made for you Mundus Luminosus vel
bear That mortal Man could never better hear O I 'm unworthy of the Dignity But yet I da●e not Heav'n's high Gifts deny Since 't is his pleasure that it should be so To him I passive bow my Head full low Who can deny the blessed Gifts of Heav'n When Crowns and Thrones and blisse Aeternal's given O Lord thou knowest what is hest for me Since thou ' lt exalt me I le exalted be As thou my joyes O Lord dost higher frame So greater strength grant me to prayse thy Name More would the Pilgrim there have said but that The Angel rais'd him up to Celebrate Love's glorious Banquet which blest Banquet was The Confarreation 'twixt him and his Spouse Under the Covert of Life's blessed Tree Upon the Leek-green grass this Company Sat down each blade its top doth bow to them Each flower seeks to kiss their garments hemm There 't was as if the flowers conspired had To starr the place or with their bravery clad This little spot above the rest for here M●y's Iune's and Augusts flowers together were An hundred teeming Springs seem'd here their flowers To have brought forth help'd by the Midwife-showers Their bowing Heads which did in clusters 〈◊〉 Their gallant tufts to purple Cushions fit Heav'n's Paranymphus first sat down and the● The Pilgrim and his Loving Guardian The Paradysical Bevy in a Ring Upon the inviting flowers themselves did fling Making a circle in whose midst was seen A round spot cover'd with Smaragdine green Which Carpet garnish'd was with flowers which 〈◊〉 Into true True Loves Knots conspired were A thousand Crystal drops of dew the grass Lading did silver Gemm and P●●●l the place More pleasing Objects far our Pilgrim's sight To feast and Banquet to the full invite A Troop of Heav'nly Dapifers they were Surcharg'd with Chargers who the Feast infer And with Caelestial art the Dishes plac'd The Pilgrim they with their attendance grace'd The Pilgrim's greedy eyes now on the meat They brought now on the bringers ravish'd eat Sometimes to that sometimes to these he tost Them and them in Beauties Meandres lost By 's feeding eyes his Soul took her first tast Of the rare Sweets of this delicious Feast Where the five Sences altogether dine And filled are at once with meat divine These were a Chore of Angels of that Sphear Who in their brightest Robes to day appear To grace Love's Banquet and themselves they clad With all the glories the Aelisium had Yellow Electrum hung upon their hair Whose aubourn threads conspir'd in t ' Circles were Amongst whose gold-Rings silver spangles lay Whose Star-like twinkling made a kind of day And rais'd an Halos round about their Heads Which Cynthian lustres gave to those bright threads Whose golden Woods whilst the Zephyrian shocks Ruffle the Volumns of their Amber-locks Yield such a fragor that all Arabie With all her sweets cann't reach the tenth degree Chaplets of Roses mixt with Lillies fair And purple Violets bound their gold●n Hair Under whose blushing shades the Day did rise From the bright beamings of their sparkling eyes But in their cheeks Roses and Lillies be Wedded together in just Harmony And 'cause the Lily reigned in their hands In their sweet Lips the Rose as Mistress stands Upon their Fronts dwelt the all-charming Graces An everlasting Hebe in their Faces Their youth and beauty strove but by their strife As friends not foes they gave each other Life But the fair Robes with which they then were clad Of Paradises silver Clouds were made Garnish'd with divers colours less the bow O● fair Thaumant is to the World doth show And far less Beauties doth it give than those Which sweetly triumph'd in their splendid cloaths In these fair Mazes lost our Pilgrim was And to draw thence his eyes no power he has But whilst in Beauties Labyrinth his eyes Do tread melodious sounds his eares surprize Which prove a cliew to lead him from his gaze And out of that into another Maze His Soul but now did issue at his eye Out of both eyes and eares she now doth flye For th' Angel having ta'ne their Cue by pairs The Hymenaeum sung in sweetest ayres The Waters Groves and birds do all agree Ecchoing their Melos to their Symphonie The sweet Symplones with the Angels joyn Marying their voyces in a Tune divine They sing this Hillulim mortals below Did ne'r such sweet Harmonious Voyces know The schreeking Sphears were silent at that time And by their musick learn'd a better Chime THE EPITHALAMIUM AFter sad Winter springs the Spring The Day thrusts out the Night Storm past the pretty Birds do sing The Skies their musfling Mantles fling Away and cheer Earth with their sight After the floating Ship hath past A thousand dangers she Thorow the surging Waves at last Doth Anchor in the Haven cast And there rests in Security So after an hard Pilgrimage Th'row Earth and Hell there is Joyes that the Travellers engage For to forget their Earthly stage And evermore remain in Blisse This is the Day the Sun doth rise The cheering Morn appears And Light springs from SOPHIA'S eyes Which blesseth all our Paradise And joyes unto this mariage bears This is the Time of Joys and Prayse True Laud therefore be given To Him who is the Light of Dayes Who to himself the Soul doth raise And Earth despised Wed to Heav'n SOPHIA is the Queen of Love Her Joyes Aeternal be Bless'd Souls within her bosom move For ever tast the Blisse above Enjoying all Felicity This is the mariage of the Lamb The Lamb of Purity Who from the highest Heavens came Brought forth Aeternity in Time That Souls this Wedding day might see Fears are for ever wip'd away Sighs from their Breasts are fled And happy evermore are they Who can attain this mariage Day And are unto SOPHIA Wed. All happinesse attends on thee No sorrows shall annoy Sophia's Armes thy Comforts be Her Breast thy true Felicity And in her eyes rests all thy joy Blest be this Day thrice blessed is This hour this mariage Feast For thou shalt Live in Paradise In everlasting Joyes and Bliss And be by thy Love ever blest Prayse to SOPHIA then we give And Hallalujah's sing By whom we in this Sphear do Live Who Souls from Earth to Heav'n reprieve And deignes them to her home to bring Let Hallalujah's be our Song O may Sophia deigne With her all-quick'ning Breath among Us now to cast her odors strong And on us her spic'd shewers rain Hallalujah's to the bless'd Name For evermore we sing May it our warbling Tongues inflame● O thou who didst this mariage frame Accept these offerings that we bring Hallalujah Hallalujah Hallalujah we cry Hallalujah Hallalujah Our Tongues for ever warble may Thus unto all Aeternity Their Heav'nly voyces charm'd the Pilgrim's ea●es With such like Songs and animated ayres But now they double their sweet melody And wrap him in t ' an higher extasie For every one takes his caelestial Lyre And runs divisions
is known Here could our Heav'nly Joys permit us grieve I could Threnoda's sing 'cause Men deceive Themselves to think its any's Fault but their Own that we do not now so oft appear As we have done in former Ages No The fault 's not Ours but theirs we do not so The Reason why so oft we do not presse From Heav'n to Earth is Man's unworthinesse What else can Mortals think that it should be Cann't we be cloath'd with visibility With as much ease as then think they or now Grown old with Time do also lasie grow Think they the space 'twixt Earth and Heav'n more Large and wide drawn than in times before Or do they think our Love diminished Or that they of our helps now have no need Or do th●y on our Maker lay the blame That he to former Ages than to them More Love did shew think they him partial that We did on those and not on them do wait Or do they think our King has more to do In Heav'n for us that he cann't spare us now What is 't that peevish Mo●tals think what e're They think it is their sins that keep us here Seal'd from their eyes which hide this blessed Fruit So that they know not which way to come to 't For could they eat of it they often would With ●leasure us familiarly behold In Ages past when we so frequent were With Men and did in Humane shapes appear Simplicity and Innocency reign Did amon● M●n they knew not how to gain By lying Miracles their Natures all Most like to ouers were Angelical But after Sathan broach'd his vanities Which men suck'd in he under our disguise Of them deceiv'd so his delicious food They fed upon supposing it was good So as their sins encreas'd we disappear'd Whilst Sathan of his Conquests Trophies rear'd Which he by feigning Angels shapes did gain Whereby we did to Man obscure remain This now continues so man thought at last Our dispensat'on of Appearing past And now he boldly if we do appear As we were wont averrs we Devils are But blinded he is ignorant that this Fruit God's most sacred Fruit and blessing is Which still is free as e'r it was for Man Were he but worthy to obtain the same Of this fruit 't was those holy Men did tast With whom we had in all the ages past Communion for who do eat of it We are for them and they for us made fit We then to such shall not as strangers be But much frequent each others company That Royal Fruit which in that Dish doth lye Whose very looks with Wonders maze the eye In beauty and in virtue shall give way To none which fed thy blessed eyes to day See but what charmes are spread upon their cheek Their hew and make their wondrous virtue speaks This fruit indeed a faithlesse Faith expels And giveth one of working Miracles The Eater shall nothing too hard suppose To be effected by him for by those Mountains may be remov'd Seas made a Plain And all the Champain floated with the Main All living Creatures and inanimate Obey his Word who of this Fruit have eat He miracles shall truly do although Beelzebub's servants will not own them so Or if they do with belching Mouthes outright They cry they 're done by their own Master's might When by this Fruit they 're down which you behold As also were true miracles of old By this great Moses Power had to divide The blushing Seas by this was Iordan dry'd Twice by Elisha's Mantle The Command Of Ioshua still enforc'd the Sun to stand By this Fruit also great Amozides Repel'd the Dayes great Giant ten degrees Of this Fruit also blessed Iesus eat When he so many Wonders did Compleat That many Volumns cannot comprehend The tythe of them his Wonders have no end By this the bless'd Apostles did effect Their Miracles Wonders with Wonders backt Great Thaumaturgus when the VVord he spake By this Fruits Virtue dryed up a Lake By this the latter ●ges not a few Have Wonders done and VVonders more shall do For time draws nigh wherein this Fruit shall then Not such a stranger be to Mortal Men. The next Dish holds five glorious Apples that Man's five internal Sences animate The first whose beauties are so excellent That plunge Spectators into ravishment Unlocks the crystal pyla's of the eye Permitting it Heav'n's Beauties to descry By that the inner eye hath oft a sight In sacred Visions of Aeternal Light Of this bless'd place and of the Throne of blisse Where our great King 's immortal Splendor is By that we may be seen by that the eyes Behold the inner-VVorld's varieties And all the Spirits that created be In all the World 's perspicuously see By this Elisha's servant's eyes unbarr'd Were when he saw his Master's fiery guard Iohn's Iame's and Peter's when th' on Tabor saw Elias Christ the Giver of the Law The second that in yellow Ornaments Doth ravish with a thousand blandishments Continually a golden Key doth bear VVhich opes the Portals of the inner ear Through which the Sounds of Paradise do go And the caelestial Harpers musique flow Th'row which the inner World's sweet Harmony And all the Angels mystic voyces fly By this young Samuel's tender eares were bor'd When he the voyce heard of our Soveraign Lord. And divine Ioha's when he did hear the voyce Like to the rushing of enraged Seas The third which doth the Indian Nard excel Or all the spice of Arabie in smell The inner smelling Sence's gates doth wide Set ope th'row which Caelestial Odors slide Th'row which the sweet Perfume of Paradise To cheer the Brain and Spirits sweetly flyes The fourth whose sweetnesse Honey far exceeds With dews of Paradise the Eater feeds By that the Manna of Ierusalem To tast is often granted unto him By that his tongue on food divine doth tast And 's inner Palat on Heav'n's sweets doth feast The last whose slicknesse far exceeds the silk Whose snowy whitenesse far the purest milk Gives to the Eater sensibility Of the Contactions of Divinity By it he feels those pleasant thrillings which His Soul with the extreamest Joyes enrich Those burning tinctures of the deepest Love Which round his Heart with matchlesse pleasures move Of these three last the holy Saints did feed Be'ing granted to them in the time of need When persecution's mouth with all its power Sought them with cruel torments to devour Those then were Cordials to support the Hearts 'Gainst persecution's cruel Flames and Darts The lowest Dish which doth conclude the Feast Though it comes last yet is it not the least The Fruit it holds is of such price and Worth That it will lose much by my setting forth Not all the Rhetoric an Angel has Sufficient is this pretious Fruit to praise This is the Fruit that maketh Mortal Man To be Iehovah's great Magitian Art Magic this doth to the Eater shew And him with Heav'nly
the true seekers of the noble Stone Have golden Spurs to spurious such unknown These be the Reasons why so many misse The STON● and their investigated Blisse To thee dear Pilgrim need I not to shew The way to Magic 't is the Way which you Have come and there 's no other Path which guides To this Caelestial Art of Arts besides 'T is not the selfish Wise man this can gain 'T is not the Covetous shall this attain 'T is not the thirsty after Glory shall Be able once to touch this Magical And happy Fruit from such it 's safely kept By an huge Dragon whose eyes never slept Those who this Fruit will gain must first outright O're-come this Dragon in a single Fight O man thou must Regenerated be Before thine eyes this happy Fruit can see Fo● none but Children gain this Diadem Children of Love it is preserv'd for them Ch●ldren of Innocence who washed are In bl●st Regeneration's Lavar fair This happy Fruit by the free Hand of Heav'n To such Regenerated Babes is given By which from Babes to an exalted pitch They ' ● rais'd and so become Men wise and Rich Rich in those Treasures whose most simple Gemm The World doth and its richest Riches shame Th●s gift is Free and yet it must be sought Yet by true Resignation 't is bought God gives a portion small at first but so As it Man uses shall his Talent grow But never let Man hope for this estate ' Til 's heart is pure and Regenerate You know great Riches and high Honours are The Devil's strongest unresisted snare By which oft-times he Souls doth overthrow Who pious were e'r they those B●●ts did know Think you that God th●n in t ' Man 's hands will put So sharp a Weapon his own Throat to Cut Think you he will to him the Stone disclose ' Til how to use it for his good he knows Nor knows Man how to use it 'till that he First truly Dead Regenerated be Then let all who this Art investigate In Soul and Body be regenerate Then if they ask they shall receive the prize If Knock the sealed Door assunder flyes If seek they find if pray they 'r heard Thus I Have shew'd the true way to Felicity The way whereby this Fruit may be attain'd Whereby the much desired STONE is gain'd He then who pure is and Regenerate And blessed so that he may freely eat Of this beatifying Fruit he then Becomes Heav'n's SOPHUS or Magitian O those bless'd Bonds which fast together tye God and the Soul Man and the Deity Nothing 's impossible for him to do Who this blessed state and pitch attain'd has to For if to him to God it must be so His Will is God's they are no longer two He willeth nothing but by Heav'n's own Will Then what shall dare not his Command fulfill He now is Soveraign over the World and all Things that therein are shall obey his Call For by this Art of divine Magic he May shroud him in invisibility Walk on the Clouds stand in a flame of Fire And th'row the walls if dores be shut retire May walk upon the s●●liest Seas while they Smoothing their rugged Fronts his feet obey To him diseases bow their eager heads And at his touch they leave their nasty beds And fly to Hell from whence they came for by His touch and Word restor'd is Purity Of Vegitables the true use he knows The poyson in each herb away he throws And perfect Chymist by Spagyric Art Hell from Heav'n's Essence Drosse from Gold can part Both A●●mals and Minerals also He not by guesse but perfectly doth know As Man may in a Mirrour see his Face So he their virtues through their outward Case No thing 's unknown to him all Arts that be Unmask'd are and he views their Verity Metals he may transmu●e the Stone by which They are exalted to the●r highest pitch Of persectnesse he has which will unfold The way to change all Mettals into Gold Not only Bodies are at his Command But all created Spirits also stand To do his Will The sneeking Devils are If he Commands enforced to appear VVith louting Heads and trailing Tails and eyes Dejected to behold themselves made prize To see that Man whom they triumph'd upon Now to have Rule and be a Lord o're them O they had rather to the darkest place Of Hell run than behold their own disgrace For if he cometh where they be they run Into the lowest darknesse headlong down For they his eyes as much now hate to see As the bright splendor of Aeternity For they behold him with that glory clad As once themselves before they lapsed had All Earthly Spirits also prest do stand Ready to do what he shall them Command Those in the Fire yield a joynt consent To wait upon him in their Element Those in the Water and the deepest Sea All his Commands are ready to obay Those in the Ayr and Astral Regions too Their constant service at his beck do shew The holy Angels also do rejoyce And pleasure Him who is the Highest's choyce Thus all conspire to be his servants and VVith speed obay what he shall them Command Besides all these to him permitted 't is To enter Gods own Treasury of Blisse In which he doth Arcana's deep behold Not fit unto the World for to be told The great Archaeus of all things that be He doth in ev'ry World and Astra see Divinely taught divinely learn'd indeed He Heav'n's Ca●al and mysteries doth read And thus is Heav'n's Magitian a King Upon the Earth to whom all Creatures bring Their homage due unto that Image that In him appears of the Incorporat And increated Deity And thus Man is co-equal with nay more than us What Adam lost he gains by this new Birth And is new-Crowned King and God on Earth And such a Godlike King was Adam All So should have been but for his fatal Fall But few and very few attain to this Great Pearl of Wisdom Fruit of matchlesse Blisse Now in these latter dayes But Mortals may E're long behold the mighty lustrous Ray Of this fair Fruit which I may call the Best For in it is contained all the rest Heav'n's great Magitian mighty Moses had Upon this Fruit by God's donation fed When ●e those VVonders in the Name of God Did do in Aegypt with his Magic Rod That Rod which to a S●rpent changed was And which again into a Rod did passe By this Fruit he God's MAGUS did become Performing VVonders in his mighty Name By this on Pha●oh and all Aegypt too He sev'n fold Plagues and seav'n-fold Wonders threw By this the Seas he parts which Crystal wa●ls Become the Israclites by this with Qualos And Manna bright he feeds By this a knock Opens the Springlets in the solid Rock By this he Gold makes potabl● his face With royal Rayes by this incircled was Mos●'s successor by this Magic too The strong-built walls of Ierico
o'rethrew By it Ierubaal did overthrow The Midians mighty Host without a blow Iesus with Heav'nly Magic also fed Four thousand people with sev'n Loaves of bread By it he fasted fourty dayes he by The same did with invisibility Adorn himself and 'mong a Multitude Of foes unseen he passed th'row the Croud By it he walked on the Seas and yet His soles the brinish Waters did not wet By it although the Doors fast locked were He could when e'r it pleased him appear So Paul by the Caelestial Magi●'s might Depriv'd the Sorcerer Elymas of sight So Peter when Hel's Magus S●mon flew Thorow the Ayr him from the Clouds he threw Unto the Earth by Heav'n's true Magi●'s Skil Which Fall did both his Life and Magic spill For Hel's dark Magic unto Heav'n's must yield Nor dar●s that come when this is in the Field With great-attention all this while attended The Pilgrim 'till the Angel thus had ended But rav●sh'd with the Knowledge of that Fruit Leave 〈◊〉 given he wi●h joy fell to 't Fell to that Feast which was more excellent Than twenty thousand out-worlds Complement That Feast which by Heav'n's proper Hand was dress'd That Feast which by Heav'n's sacred Breath was bless'd That sacred ●●nquet which instal'd the man Heav'n's divine and Arch-Magitian O with what pleasure and delight he eat On that Caelestial and thrice sacred meat But yet with humble reverence he fed Bowing to Iesus for those gifts his Head Confessing still his own unworthinesse Of that Felicity He did expresse But seeing Iesus by the Angel had Granted him leave to eat he freely fed Whilst thus the Pilgrim with a full content Of ●oy and Blis●e and highest ravishment Feeds on those blessed Fruits an Angel from Th' Aeternal Throne doth to the Banquet come The presence of this unexpected Guest Star●l'd the Pilgrim and rejoyc'd the rest Such Crowns of Glory sat upon his Head Such beams of Light about his Garments spread Such Heav'nly Splendor flashed from his Eye That made him seem Heav'n's fair Aepitomy With a fair speed he came whilst the sweet ayr Wav'd the soft streamlets of his golden Hair And ruffling his white Gown rub'd flame-tip'd darts Against the tender Wounds of bleeding Hearts For his fair Garment pouder'd was all o're With flaming Arrows whose sharp points still bore Themselves against fresh bleeding Hearts the Wind At every puff seem'd cruel and unkind For those by clashing seem'd to wound indeed And these afresh to be inflam'd and bleed These were the Ensigns of the Sacred'st Love At whose Command this Messenger did move But in his right Hand all of shining Gold Thick set with Rubies he a Cup did hold Immortal Amaranthu●'s made up Into a Purple Garland Crown'd the Cup. But in the Mazure's golden Concave lay Of Wine of Love divine a blushing Sea A deep drought of that Heav'nly Nectar which Is broach'd for those who gain the highest pitch The Purple streams which fruitful Tmolus yields Th' exuberant Vines which crown the Massic Fields The Purple Grapes that on the R●ene do grow The scarlet Liquor that in Creet doth flow Spains sprightly Nectar Greece's pleasant wine Should they compared be to this divine Ambrosiac Liquor all of them would prove But Gall and Wormwood to this Wine of LOVE Approaching those who feasting were on the Choyce Fruits excerp'd from Life's thrice sacred Tree The Angel on the Pilgrim pitch'd his Eye In which was plac'd a Throne of swavity And reaching to him that Wine-filled Boul From ●s fluent Tongue these melting words did roul Take here said he a Cup of sacred VVine Squeez'd from the Grapes which grew on Iesu's Vine That Vine which spreads her spacious Branches even O're all the fair walls of the Court of Heav'n This is the new Wine which our Hearts doth chear Which bringeth gladnesse and expelleth fear This is Lov●'s sacred Wine in it doth move The very Spirit of the King of Love Which is not flitting but for ever fixed For he himself is with this Liquor mixed Our royal King himself commanded me For to present this Present unto thee This said the Pilgrim three times bowed and The Goblet took out of the Angels Hand And putting to his Ruby Lips the Cup With ravishment he drunk the Liquor up Not all the Honey streams of Hybla may Such gusts of sweetnesse to a Tongue display As what the Pilgrim tasted in that Boul As the Heav'n-nectarized VVine did roul Into the Breast He never yet did meet With any Wine so ravishingly sweet So that the pleasure did beguile his draught For e'r he was aware he deeply quafft The Boul was big but had it bigger b●en He would the bottom questionlesse have seen For here he knew he might drink in excesse And without sin drink unto drunkennesse For who can blame those holy Saints this Odd Expression pardon who are drunk with God No sooner had the Pilgrim drunk of this But Living Flames of everlasting Blisse Surround his Heart whose clipings without measure Yield Raptures and unutterable pleasure The Wine 's quick Spirits move in every part And corner of his Head his Breast and Heart And piercing th'row each Limb do cause them move In sweet Tr●pudiations of Love Up starts he all inflamed with that Flame Which drove from David's breast Love stifling shame When he in an ecstatic Rapture danc'd Before the Ark of God as it advanc'd Th'row all the Streets of fair Ierusalem Taking the Graces all he danc'd with them The holy Dance of Love Nor can exprest Be that sweet prickling Joy raigned in his Breast His sence of feeling feasted to the hight And as the rest were swallow'd in delight Unusual Gestures forced him to rear That he the better Love's excesse might bear For Nature 's weak and strives to Congregate Those Spirits which extream Joyes dissipate For Her own safety lest by flying out Too much she should be quite left destitute Thus Flesh and Blood the Soul's Crosse alwayes is Depriving Her of Joys of Sweets of Blisse Not all the Joys and Pleasures the Dull VVorld On the most sensual Mortals e'r has hurl'd Not all the Fleshes various pleasures nor Foul Cyprian delights themselves compare May with the smallest part of that delight And pleasue which the Saints poor Souls ●●cite Vain are the World's Joy momentany too Heav'n's everlasting undefil'd and true O what Tongue able is to tell the pleasure The Pilgrim felt Not all the Earthly Treasure Can purchase such delight for the true God Himself descended in a flaming flood Of Love upon his Soul Iesu's divine And sacred Body couched in the Wine It self in pieces brake upon his Soul The sacred Spirit too without controul Descending filled all his Soul about With Rayes of Light and Love which nought could d' out Whole streams of Love upon his Soul was poured Festatic pleasures through the same were showred Seas of delight unutterably sweet Love-Extasies his Soul together greet So that he was quite overcome of
which doth imbue The sacred VVall with more than scarlet hew Blessed Saint ANDRE●'S holy name doth own A splendid place upon that blushing Stone The seav'nth a CRYSOLITE whose Croseam beams Paint all the side with thousand golden streams Saint MATTHEW'S Name most glorious to behold Shines there engrav'd and wrapt in purest Gold The eighth a BERIL of a glorious hew Which paints the VVall at once both green and blew The name of SIMON doth it self display There graven deep which shall remain for aye The ninth a TOPAZ which with Lustrous Rayes And verdant streams its beauty there displays Saint BARTHOLOME●'S bless'd name doth also stand Engraven there by an Almighty Hand The tenth a CRYSOPRASUS which is seen To paint the Wall at once with Gold and green Shining in Heav'nly Lustre THOMAS his Illust'rous Name on it engraven is Th' Eleventh is a HYACINTH whose flame The golden splendor of the Sun doth shame VVith bless'd Saint PHILLIP'S name engrav'd thereon VVhich glowing there seems written in the Sun The twelfth an AMETHIST whose blushing shine Out-braves the Rosie hew of Cretian VVine VVhereon the glorious name of blessed IUDE By God engrav'd in triumph there is shew'd Her everlasting Gates were three times four One entire Pearl doth serve for every door On which in most resplendent Glory dwell The names of the twelve Tribes of Israel The dainty streets pure Crystal doth enfold And the whole City is of massy Gold But yet transparent as the brightest Gemm Unto Spectators blessed eyes doth seem Thorow the middle doth Life's River flow Upon whose banks the Tree of Life doth grow The glorious Splendor of the blessed Lamb Is Sun and Moon unto IERUSALEM The Glory of the Lord doth alwayes sit There to embrighten and o're-shadow it Night 's banish'd thence the Lamb 's resplendant Ray Indues it with an everlasting Day The Lamb the only stately Temple is Of this great City of everlasting Bliss O here remains the everliving Word O here remains the Glory of the Lord Lo there the Lamb upon mount Sion's top Triumphant stands with all his Virgin Troop There all the Elders with their glorious Crowns To Judge the world sit in their splendid Thrones Lo there the everlasting SON of GOD Cloath'd with immortal Rayes makes his abode Lo there the blessed Saints and Angels be Cloathed with Robes of Immortality VVhose glittering brows are Crown'd with Diadems Chas'd with e'rlasting and Caelestial Gemms Here Glory Prayse and Hallalujah's be Sung to the LAMB to all A●ternity Here is the Book of Life the Heav'nly Stone The glorified Mame th' immortal Th●one Of Blisse and everlasting Ioyes And here The new and glorified Bodies are This is the secret Sacred Place this is The glorious Kingdom of everlasting Bliss This is the Mansion House and the abode Of IESUS and of all the Sonnes of GOD O here 's the Rock of Wonders and here is The hidden Treasure of Aeternal Blisse O here the Saints and Angels shall for aye The blessed Name of GOD resound with Joy Ioy everlasting and a Ioy that can Not comprehended be by sensual Man VVhilst thus with Joy implete and Wonder too Our happy Pilgrim doth intently view The glorious beauties of this sacred place He 's now disrob'd of his poluted Case For no defilement or polution Can enter into new IERUSALEM A Body clear as Crystal Light as Ayr VVhere the true Elements all mixed were In a just harmony he now indues His other body now no f●ces shews But swallow'd up by a blest Union Is made more bright and glorious than the Sun Arrayed thus th' Aeternal Gate of Blisse Straitway unto our Pilgrim open'd is Through which he enters to that sacred place VVhere without Vails he sees GOD face to face VVonders of Wonders there he sees which none Beholds til they as he approach the Throne That Throne of Glory and Aeternal Bliss VVhere our thrice happy Pilgrim seated is Thus ends his Iorney here for ever blest He doth implete with Joyes and Blisses rest And here I too should end I do confess VVith admiration of his happinesse And with Addresses to Heav'n's Majesty That my poor Soul at last enthron'd might be And that she might for ever blessed move In Joyes and Blisses in the Sphear of LOVE But that my thinks I see your noting eye That Clouded Glory o're this Orb doth spye And speaking in its silent Language now The meaning of it me commands to shew That represents GOD past the reach of Creature Beyond the Forms of the Eternal Nature GOD in himself GOD in the Abstract where VVe may say what He is not but we dare Not say here what He is for neither He Can Good or evil or Light or Darknesse be Nor this nor that here in this place nor Can Nor ought to be search'd into by Man Here as a Nothing He to us doth seem Nor Can Man further knowledge have on ●im Nor Man or Angel a Commission has To dive into this abstruce secret Place Therefore thine eyes withdraw and be Content To know GOD as He will nor represent Thou to thy mind or in thy fantasie An Image of the glorious Deity For never ought we Heav'n's high Majesty To Form or Figure whatsoever tye Therefore O man destroy all Images Of God that in thy fantasie shall rise This is the increated ENS of God And an immense unfathomable flood Where lest we loose our selves we shall withdraw Into this secret place no man e'r saw Therefore O Reader I admonish thee That thou no farther search what God may be For if thou dost distracted in the end Thou wilt confess Man cann't GOD comprehend VVithdraw thy Thoughts then cease thouhere to pry Into the secrets of the Deity GOD will not here be known but yet he is And will be known upon the Throne of bliss He will be known in NATURE increate His VVonders there Man ought to meditate VVhere He the Arcana's of Heav'n's Majesty VVith eyes of Truth and with true eyes may see O Reader therefore to the Orb ●f Love Your eyes and meditations now remove VVhere thou by constant Prayer mayst obtain A sight of what here under Clouds remain And with clear eyes must see those things of worth VVhich by my Pen are darkly shadow'd forth But yet accept my Labour and my Pains My Heart examine not my duller strains For if they any shall with Light befriend I joy for that of Writing is THE END Deo soli Gloria Qui Nobis haec otia fecit FINIS Books printed for Lodowick Loyd and sold at his Shop next the Castle Tavern in Cornhill BUrt●ns Anatomy of Melancholy fo Pintos Travails to the East-Indies fo Goodwins Redemption-Redeemed fo Authority of the Scriptures 40. 3 Disputations with Mr. Powel and Mr. Simpso● 40. An Exposition on Romans 9. in 40. Of Infant-Baptis●● A Vindication of Infants Baptism in 40. B●hmes Misterium 〈◊〉 being an Exposition of 〈◊〉 in fo His 3 Principles of the divi●e Essence in 40.