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A28529 Mysterium magnum, or An exposition of the first book of Moses called Genesis. Concerning the manifestation or revelation of the divine word through the three principles of the divine essence; also of the originall of the world and the creation. Wherein the kingdome of nature, & the kingdome of grace are expounded. For the better understanding of the Old and New Testament, and what Adam and Christ are. Also, how man should consider and may know himselfe in the light of nature, where he is, and where his temporall and eternall life, consist; also, where his eternall blessednesse, and damnation, consist. And is an exposition of the essence of all essences for the further consideration of the lovers, in the divine gift. Comprised in three parts: written anno 1623. By Jacob Behm. To which is added, The life of the author. And his Foure tables of divine revelation.; Mysterium magnum. English. Böhme, Jakob, 1575-1624.; Böhme, Jakob, 1575-1624.; Ellistone, John, d. 1652.; Sparrow, John, 1615-1665?; H. B. (Henry Blunden) 1656 (1656) Wing B3411A; ESTC R212985 753,539 662

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it selfe to a body viz. a root or the like from which roote there groweth forth in this hungry desire such a body or hearb as the first Power was thus likewise the manifested Powers of God doe forme themselves into an externall Degree viz. into an Essence or Corporallity to speake in reference to the Spirit whereas we must onely understand a Spirituall Essence but yet Corporeall or Essentiall in reference to the Spirit of the Powers as the water is a thicker substance then the Ayre for the ayre penetrates the water the like is to be understood concerning the divine Powers and Essence 5. The Powers stand manifest in an oyly Property but the oyly is manifest in a watry Property therefore the Essence of the divine Powers consisteth in a Spirituall water viz. in the holy Element whence this world with the foure Elements as a degree more externall was brought forth and created into a Substantiall Forme 6. And in this holy Element or Spirituall water we doe understand holy Paradise in which the manifested Powers of God doe work which holy Element in the beginning of this outward world did Penetrate and pullulate through the foure Elements in which Power there grew such fruit wherein the vanity of the wrath was not manifest which man negligently lost so that the lively buddings of the holy Element through the foure Elements and the Earth did cease for the Curse of vanity was manifest and did effectually worke and spring forth out of the earth 7. Thus by the seventh Forme of the Eternall Nature we understand the Eternall Kingdome of Heaven wherein the Power of God is Essentiall which Essence is tinctured by the Lustre and Power of the fire and light for the Lustre of the Spirituall fire and light is the working life in the Spirituall water viz. in the holy Element for this water being the amassed or congealed Essence of the divine Powers is moving but yet it is as an Essence voide of understanding in reference to the divine Powers for it is a degree more externall as every Substance or body is inferiour to the Spirit the oyly Essence is the Spirit of the water viz. of the watry Spirit and the manifested Powers of God are the Spirit of the oyle or oyly Spirit and the Eternall Vnderstanding of the Word is the beginning of the manifested Powers and one degree goeth forth mutually from another and All r r r Or Beeings or all the Universall created Substance is onely God revealed God manifested God expressed Essence is nothing else but the manifested God 8. When we consider what kinde of life Motion and Dominion was before the times of this outward world in the place of this world and what Eternity is then we finde that it was and is unto Eternity such a life motion and Dominion as is above mentioned 9. The outward world with the foure Elements and Stars is a Figure of the internall Powers of the Spirituall world and was expressed or breathed forth by the motion of God when he moved the internall Spirituall world and amassed by the divine desire of the inward Powers and introduced into a creaturall Beeing both out of the internall spirituall dark-world and also out of the holy light-world 10. This outward world is as a smoake or vaprous steame of the fire-Spirit and water-Spirit breathed forth both out of the holy and then also out of the dark world and therefore it is evill and good and consists in Love and anger and is onely as a smoke or misty exhalation in reference and respect to the spirituall world and hath againe introduced it selfe with its Properties into formes of the Powers to a Pregnatresse as is to be seen in the Stars Elements and creatures and likewise in the growing Trees and hearbs it maketh in it selfe with its birth another Principle or beginning for the Pregnatresse of time is a Modell or plat-forme of the Eternall Pregnatresse and time coucheth in Eternity and it is nothing else but that the Eternity in its wonderfull birth and manifestation in its Powers and strength doth thus behold it selfe in a forme or Time 11. And now as we doe acknowledge that in the Spirituall holy world there is an Essence viz. a comprehensive Essence which consisteth in the Spirituall Sulphur Mercurius and Sal in an oyly and watry Bysse wherein the divine Powers play and worke so likewise in the darke world there is such a Property but altogether adverse odious opposite spitefull envious bitter and compunctive it hath also Essence s s s Or of according to its desire but altogether of a fell raw indigested watry Nature wholly sharp and harsh like to the Property of the rough hard stones or wild earth of a cold and scorching dark and fiery Property all which is a contrarium to Love that so it might be knowne what Love or Sorrow is 12. That the fullness of joy might know it selfe in it selfe the Keen Tartnesse of the Source must be a cause of the joy and the darknesse a manifestation of the light that so the light might be manifestly known which could not be in the ONE 13. But to answer the Readers desire briefly and fully concerning the seven Properties of the Eternall nature which make three Principles or worlds I will out of Love for the sake of the simple yet once more set downe the formes in briefe as an A. B. C. for his further Consideration and meditation I. Forme Astringent Desire 14. LO the Desire of the Eternall Word which is good is the beginning of the Eternall Nature and is the Congealing of the Eternall Nothing into Something it is the Cause of Essences also of cold and heat so likewise of the water and aire and the formation of the Powers and a cause of the taste a mother of all Salts II. Forme bitter Compunctive 15. THe motion of the Desire viz. the attraction is the other Forme of Nature a cause of all life and Stirring so also of the Senses and distinction III. Forme Anguish Perceivance 16. THe Anguish viz. the Sensibility is the the third Forme a Cause of the Minde wherein the Senses are moved and acted IV. Fire Spirit Reason Desire 17. THe fire is a cause of the true Spirituall life wherein the holy Powers of the free Lubet are delivered from the Astringent undigested roughnesse for the fire in its Essence devoureth the darke Substance of the Impression and works it forth out of it selfe out of the light into Spirituall Powers V. Forme Light Love 18. THe holy Spirituall Love-desire where the holy will of God hath exacuated it selfe in the harsh impression and manifested it selfe through the fire with the Power of the Omnipotence that now brings it selfe forth through the fire in the light and so in the Powers it is introduced into life and motion in the desire and herein the Holy Generation and the Triumphant Kingdome of the great Love of God doth consist and is
it the Centre of the Stars it is the Centre of the Powers the Cause that the Powers of the Stars doe Act in the Essence it openeth their Powers and giveth its Power into them as a heart of the Powers and they mutually rejoyce in its Essence that they are moved to act or desire in its Essence 33. And even here lyeth the great Mystery of the Creation viz. that the internall viz. God hath thus manifested himselfe with his Eternall Speaking Word which he is himselfe the externall is a Type of the internall God is not alienate in him all things live and move each in its Principle and degree 34. The outward Properties dwell in themselves in the externall viz. in the expressed Word and are wholly externall they cannot in their owne strength reach the Powers of the holy world onely the holy world penetrates them it dwelleth also in it selfe but in the Punctum of Sol the eighth Number is open viz. the Eternall Nature the Eternall Magicall fire and in the fire the Eternall Tincture which is the ninth Number and in the Tincture the Cross where the Deity manifesteth it selfe which is the tenth Number and m m m Or fr● beyond this manifestation is the Eternall understanding viz. the ONE that is God JEHOVAH viz. the ABYSSE 35. Not That God is divided or a far off onely we speake of his manifestation from what Ability and Power the Sun hath its shining Lustre that the same is immutable so long as time endureth namely from the Lustre of the fiery Tincture of the Eternall Spirituall Magicall fire 36. For its Lustre or shining light hath a degree of a more deep Originall then the externall world hath manifest in it selfe this the wise heathen have observed and Adored it for God seeing the True God who dwelleth without all Nature in himselfe was not konwn unto them CHAP. XII Of the six dayes Workes of the Creation 1. THat God hath created Heaven and earth and all things in six dayes as Moses saith is the greatest Mystery wholly hidden to the externall Reason there is neither night Morning or Evening in the Deep above the Moone but a Continuall Day from the beginning out of the outward world even to the End of the same 2. And albeit the Creation was finished in such a time as in the length of six dayes yet the dayes-workes have a far more Subtle or abstruce meaning for the Seven Properties are also understood therewith Six whereof belong to the Active Dominion to good and Evill and the Seventh viz. the Essence is the rest wherein the other properties rest which God hath expressed and made visible 3. We have in the Dominion of the Planetick Orbe the figure how the six properties of the Active life which rest in the Seventh have in six dayes introduced and manifested themselves out of the inward Spirituall world in an externall visible world of foure Elements for the Planetick Orbe hath its rise from the Punctum of Sol for there was the Royall Place of the Hierarchies of which the whole Circle between the Stars in the internall and externall is a Member or Corpus 4. But seeing the Prince of the Hierarchies when he sate in the Heavenly Essence in the rest did fall and Aspired for the Centre of the Eternall nature he was cast into the darknesse and God by his motion created him another Prince out of this Place but without divine understanding for a Ruler of the Essence and that is the Sun 5. From this Place proceeded in the Divine Motion the Seven Properties of nature understand the Planets which governe the Essentiall Beeing in Good and Evill in which Essence Lucifer sate and whence he was cast and lost his Dominion in the Essence and as the Seven Properties have their Dominion in the beginning of Each day in the weeke even so were the six dayes-workes of the Creation 6. For Lucifer forsooke the Rest of his Hierarchies and entred into the Eternall disquietnesse now God hath created all things of this world in six dayes and rested on the Seventh day from the Creation which is n n n Dies Saturni vel Sabbathi Saturday according to the Scripture that is from the day of Rest understand from the Eternall day of Rest he hath moved himselfe to the Creation and in the first forme of nature he began the first day that is he hath brought it forth out of the Impression and moved himself with his Word this was the most inward motion according to the Speaking Word of Power 7. Then began in the expressed Word Sunday that is the Paradisicall Day where the Powers did mutually worke in each other in great holinesse and glory for on Sunday the Enkindled Sulphur and Salniter of the Earthly Property was created out of the great deep of the whole Hierarchie out of the Spirituall worlds into a o o o Or Lump Masse which is the Terrestriall Globe and put forth out of the Austere Property of the first forme of Nature 8. Even then began the first houre of the first day and the Power of Nature did mutually rule in great joy in the expressed Word out of which Power of joy the Sun was created on the fourth day in the Princely Place so that this Power whereout the Sun was created ruled the first houre of the beginning of the world and so it began its Dominion which continueth even unto the End of the world and therefore the Sun ruleth the first houre on Sunday and the day is rightly so called 9. The words of Moses concerning the Creation are exceeding clear yet unapprehensive to reason for he writeth thus In the beginning God created Heaven and Earth Gen. 1. v. 1 2 3 4. and the Earth was desolate and voide and it was darke upon the deep and the Spirit of God moved upon the water and God said let there be light and there was light and God saw that the light was good and God Severed the light from the darknesse and called the light Day and the Darknesse Night and p p p The Evening and Morning were the first day out of the Evening and morning was the first Day 10. The whole Understanding is coucht in these words for the beginning is the first motion which came to passe when Prince Michael fought with the Dragon when he was spewed out with the Creation of the Earth for even then the Enkindled Essence which with the Enkindling did Coagulate it selfe into Earth and stones was cast out of the internall into the externall 11. And he viz. the Dragon fell from Heaven viz. out of the holy world upon the wrath of the Earth as lightning as it is written I Saw Sathan fall from Heaven as lightning saith Christ moreover it was wholly darke in the deep above the Earth and the Austere enkindled wrath was manifest for Hell was prepared for him whereinto he fell viz. into the Great darknesse of the first Principle
wherein he liveth 12. Here now lyeth the vaile before Reason that it cannot looke into the eyes of Moses for he saith and the Earth was desolate and voide yea Desolate indeed had not the Spirit of God moved upon the internall water which was amassed with the Fiat in the Heaven and had not God said let there be light the Earth should have been yet Desolate and void The first Day 13. WIth the Word when God said Let it be light the Essence of the Ens did powerfully move it selfe in the lights Property not onely in the Earth but also in the whole Deep p p p Out of which Power or vertue in the lights Property whence on the fourth day the Sun was created that is enkindled in its Place and in this word q q q Germ. Schuff Fiat the Earths Masse and also the very Power which is called heaven Amassed it selfe in the Essence all which before was onely a Spirit a Spirituall Essence 14. And with the Speaking as God spake let it be light the holy Power which was amassed in the wrath moved it selfe and became light in the same Essence in the Power and with this comming to be light the devills might and strength was wholly withdrawn from him in the Essence for heere the light shone in the now anew awakened Power in the darknesse r r r Light which the Prince of wrath could not s s s Receive or perceive comprehend it was also of no benefit to him for it was the light of nature which is uselesse to him 15. And Moses said God severed the light from the darknesse which is thus to be understood the darkenesse remained in the wrathfull Property not onely in the Earth but also in the whole Deep but in the lights Essence the light of nature did arise or spring forth from heaven viz. from the quintessence whence the Astrum was created which Essence is Every where in the Earth and above the Earth 16. Thus the darknesse remained in the wraths Property in the Essence of the Earth and also in the whole deep of this world and the naturall light remained in the lights essence as a working life through which the holy Element did operate and worke in which Operation Paradise t t t Sprang budded through the Earth and beare fruit untill the Curse of God and then the holy bloomings or growth ceased and the holy Element remained as an inward heaven stedfast retired in it selfe and yet it doth diffuse its Power through the light of nature yet not so powerfully as in the beginning for the Curse is the cause of its withdrawing indeed there is no totall departing but yet it is nothing so now as before the Sin of the Second created Prince Adam 17. Thus in the first motion of the Verbum Fiat the Heaven that is the Circle so far as the Verbum Fiat reached it selfe forth to the Creation was Amassed or enclosed and the Earth was amassed with the Verbum Fiat and created to the Planetick Orbe Thus by the Separation viz. of the light and darknesse and by the expelling of Prince Lucifer we are to understand the Creation of the first day 18. Now the first day with the manifested word did convey it selfe through the other five dayes-workes even into the day of Rest where the beginning entreth againe into the End and the End againe into the beginning for the first motion of the word where the light of nature hath enkindled it selfe in the Essence is the joy of the Creation or Creature which did open it selfe with the other dayes through all the Properties of nature where each Property may be called a heaven for it hath and bringeth also its Peculiar operation and efficacy along in it selfe into the u u u Understand into the rest of the Properties or dayes rest and each day one Property did move and manifest it selfe wherein a Peculiar Sundry worke was manifested and revealed Of the Second Day 19. THe Second day we call Munday and therefore because the Moone ruleth the first houre of the day and it is very likely that the ancient x x x Philosophers wise men have understood somewhat thereof in the light of nature which they have kept Secret and mysticall rather deciphering it by figures then clearly explaining it and it is to be seen in the Names of the seven Planets that they have for certaine understood the same in that they have given them names according to the Seven Properties of Nature which doe so wholly agree and accord as well with the Creation as Nature that me thinks they have in part understood the ground of the Creation aright seeing the names of the Planets have their rise and derivation so fully and punctually out of the language of Nature but the reason why it hath not been made clear plaine and manifest is as before mentioned because of the false Magick that it might remaine hidden unto the Artists of jugling and Collusion in nature by reason of the Great Abuse wherefore we also shall still let it so remaine and yet hint enough to the understanding of our school-fellowes 20. Now of the Second day Moses writeth thus and God said let there be a firmament between the waters Vers. 6 7 8. and let it divide betweene the waters then God made the firmament and divided the water under the firmament from the water above the firmament and it was so and God called the firmament heaven and out of the Evening and morning was the Second day 21. Moses saith that out of the Evening and morning was the Second day that is out of the manifestation of the first the Second manifestation proceeded and brake forth and saith further that on the Second day God created the firmament of Heaven and Separated the waters the water under the firmament from the water above the firmament heere now lieth the hidden vaile wherein we have hitherto been pointed and directed unto a heaven Scituate a far off above the Stars without the place of this world so very blinde is Reason as to God that it understands nothing of him and doth not consider that the Scripture saith of God am not I he which filleth all things and that time and place cannot divide him much lesse is it understood what the water above the firmament is which they will flatly hold to be a place afar distant viz. above the Stars whither also we have been shewn into heaven 22. But seeing that God out of Grace doth bestow upon us the understanding therefore we will set it downe for our fellow-schollars who are able to apprehend it and yet herein we shall write nothing for the Selfish wiselings of outward Reason for they have it already in the eyes of their reason and they cannot misse they can judge all things what the Spirit of God revealeth that must be a Heresy unto them albeit they doe not understand it so
possibility of Eternity hath in it and what kinde of spirituall play is in the Ens of the inward spirituall world accordingly it came forth into a creaturall beeing out of good and evill into a Time and that through the Divine Motion 13. And hereby the Kingdome and Dominion of the Prince of the place of this world was taken from him for the Ens hath introduced it selfe into another Principle wherein he cannot be for he was not made a creature in this Principle and he hath no life therein save onely in the property of the awakened wrath in the Vanity CHAP. XV. Of the Sixt dayes worke of the Creation 1. THe Sixt day in the Creation is Friday on which Venus ruleth the first houre of the day which doth rightly signifie unto us the order of the degrees how the Eterall-speaking Word hath manifested it selfe with nature through the time how the Spirit hath brought forth the six Properties of nature into six degrees or dayes into a working life and yet hath introduced them all againe into the Seventh viz. into the Rest or into the mansion wherein they should worke denoting that all whatsoever they should worke manifest and produce out of the wonders of the Eternall wisdome should re-enter into the one viz. into the Rest which is the Seventh Property viz. a house of the working life wherein it should stand as a figure to the Contemplation of the Great Glory of God 2. Now when God had educed the five dayes of nature through five properties or degrees into five Constellations all which are not indeed Constellations but a fountaine of an Astrall Property viz. into a Sundry Peculiar heaven as it might be given and expressed to the understanding then he did on the Sixt day educe out of the Joviall property viz. out of the fift Constellation the sixt viz. he produced out of the Joviall Power the fiery Love-desire wherewith the ruleth through all the Constellations whence it is that each life doth long after its likenesse that is it againe desireth such a creature as each life hath in it 3. Each life desireth in this Venus Property to generate againe such a creature as it is in it selfe hence ariseth the strong ardent imagination and fiery desire that the properties doe againe desire into one viz. into the fountaine whence they proceeded for in the same they may generate the Assimulate of themselves 4. Now when God had educed this fiery Love-desire out of the Centre through all the properties then nature was now desirous in this Love-property of the likenesse of God viz. a Similitude according to and in the Generation of the holy Love-desire that so this holy Constellation of the Love-desire might also be creaturized and figurized 5. And being this Love-desire was Educed out of all the properties of nature and the heavens viz. out of the Verbum Fiat wherein all the Creatures lay from Eternity in a Mystery and introduced into a Separation viz. into a sundry distinct Degree therefore now the Property longed to be an Image of all degrees and properties viz. a living rationall and understanding Image according to the manifestation of this manifested property 6. Now said the Speaking Word in the Verbum Fiat Let us make man that is out of the * * * Masse or Mixture Mesh of all Essences out of the Property of all Powers and Constellations the Love-desire desired a Limus out of all Essences for a living Image An Image that may be like and resemble Us and let them have dominion over the fish of the Sea and over the fowle of the aire over the Cattle and over all the Earth and over every worme or creeping thing that creepeth upon the Earth 7. Understand this thus the sixt Property of nature viz. the Love-desire was produced expressed or breathed forth out of all the properties and was the desirous life in the joy viz. in the light of nature this was not it selfe a Limus but it was the desire to the limus for the Speaking Word which God expressed moved therein viz. the intellectuall life God was therein manifest 8. This manifested word of God desired in this Love-desire a limus out of the earth and all the created Essences out of all the Constellations and degrees for a * * * Corpus Body unto it selfe therefore God said an Image that may rule over fish fowle beasts wormes and over the Earth and all the Essences of the Constellations now if it must have dominion therein then it must be thereout for each Spirit ruleth in its mother whence it is arisen and proceeded and eateth of its mother 9. But heere we must rightly understand this Love-desire in the expressed Word the expressed Word had in this Venus-desire the desire of all heavens that is of all entities and properties in it self viz. the properties of the inward Spirituall holy heaven which is the mansion of the power of God and of the outward created heaven with the heavens of all constellations and Elements yet not essentially or in substance but as a Spirituall desire and these properties desired in the Spirituall desire to be essentiall 10. Now the Text in Moses speaketh very clearly and fully where it saith and God created man in his owne Image in the Image of God created hee him by the creating is understood the body which is twofold viz. a Spirituall body and a Corporeall for the Venus-desire is a spirituall body and that which it hath attracted unto it self in the Fiat into the desire of the spirituall body that is a fleshly body the Verbum Fiat it self did figurize and forme it into a Spirituall man out of all the three Principles viz. according to the inward divine world both according to the fiery-light-world and the outward world 11. And the Spirituall body is the Image of God which the Fiat cloathed with the Essence out of all the Essences viz. it cloathed it with the heavenly holy Essence the heavenly holy Corporality of the inward holy Love-desire and from the outward Love-desire it was cloathed with the limus of the Earth and the other Elements together with the visible Constellation of the third Principle 12. The inward holy man was in the heaven of God and the outward man was in the outward heaven a limus of the outward heaven and the inward man a limus of the holy Spirituall heaven therefore saith Moses very right God created man in IN his Image TO ZVM the Image of God for IN betokeneth that he was known by the Spirit of God in this Essence from Eternity in the mystery of wisdome as a Constellation of Magicall Power Into this knowledge God introduced the Essence and created the Essence TO the ZVM Image of the Magicall Image of God 13. Thus understand by the inward creating the true heavenly Image viz. an holy Spirituall man out of all the properties of the Angelicall divine world understand the inward body for the one only
Day through the fire from the pure limus of the Earth where the dark world shall devoure it with all its Workes 51. Thus we herein understand very clearly how God out of great Love hath promised the Serpent-bruiser to the fallen man and espoused and betrothed it unto the virgin-like and disappeared Centre and given in it selfe therewith for an help and companion for when they were fallen from God and had made themselves monstrous then the Image out of the limus of the Earth became wholly brutall and lived in opposition in distemper in sicknesse and also in heat and cold as all other Beasts 52. Now therefore God told them what their labour work and employment should be in this world viz. that they should bring forth children in Sorrow with painfull smart in trouble and distress and eat the hearb of the field and now cloath their beastiall Image in turmoile and cumbring care in toile and labour untill the foure Elements man in the beastiall Serpents Image should againe be broken and dissolved and returne unto the earth from whence it was taken and extracted as a limus CHAP. XXIV Of the Cause and rise of the Curse of the Earth and the Body of Sicknesse Gen. 3.17 18. GOds Cursing of the Ground for mans Sins sake that it should bring forth Thornes and Thistles and commanding Man not till after Sin was committed to eat of the hearb of the field and in the sweat of his face to eat his bread doth plainly and sufficiently shew us that this had not been in Paradise the Ground should not have borne Thornes and Thistles and other evill hearbs which are poysonfull but in the Curse all these properties became manifest for as the body was after the fall so likewise its food the halfe-Serpentine man must now eat such food as his desire required or coveted 2. The Curse is nothing else but the Holy Element hiding of it selfe viz. the holy Ens which budded forth through the Earth and bare fruit and held the property of the foure Elements as 't were captive in it self did withdraw or closely conceale it selfe the Heaven in the earth hid it selfe from the Earth the holy Tincture from the awakened vanity viz. the heavenly Part which was from the heavenly Ens did keep Secret from the Part in the Curse viz. in the Ens of the darke world 3. Thus the heavenly part was a mystery unto man and so remained in the Curse between time and Eternity half dead as to the heavenly part yet anew embraced with the promise in the Ayme of the Covenant and as to the earthly part strongly bound to the band of the Stars and foure Elements infected with the distemper of the Serpent and the Devill very hard tyed vvith three strong chaines from which he cannot get free till the totall dissolution of his earthly Body for the Curse of the Earth and the Serpent forced also into the earthly man viz. into the limus of the Earth 4. For God said thou art Earth and unto Earth thou shalt returne Verse 19. for when the desire of the limus of the Extract of the Earth viz. of the outward man did enter againe into the Earth and Imagine after the earthly fruit then the Devill infected this desire by the property of the Serpent and in each desire is the Fiat which doth t t t Or amasse it into fashion forme and figure Impresse and make the desire essentiall thus the earthly hunger became at this instant wholly earthly therefore God said now unto him thou must turne againe to Earth from whence thou wast taken for the heavenly disappeared in the earthly as the Gold is disappeared in Lead 5. Thus an Earthly body is now Sowne into the Earth and the Earth receives it as its owne propriety but the Ens which is from the Eternity which cannot be destroyed lyeth in this earthly u u u Or enterred sowne body nothing is broken or dissolved but the grosse beast viz. the being or Substance of time As a fixt metall is not destroyed or corrupted in the Earth even so also the fixt part of the humane Body and as the Artist brings forth an excellent Gold out of the Earth so likewise the humane Gold lyeth buried in the earth and waiteth onely for the Artist to raise it up 6. And as there is a various and manifold diversity of metalline property in the Earth so likewise of the Ens of humane property therefore all things shall be proved through the Fire what kinde of property every one hath in this Time assumed to himselfe and impressed on his Body viz. with the desire of the Fiat that shall be tryed in the fire whether or no he hath impressed a fixt stedfast property from the divine Ens into himselfe or an hellish beastiall one all this shall be tryed and proved in the Fire of God and as the Ens is in each body such a fire also shall be enkindled in the same Ens. 7. And as Quicksilver doth Evaporate in the fire even so shall all the wicked devillish Serpentine workes which have been x x x Brought forth or formed Impressed out of the dark world and Devills desire 8. Now if a man hath in this life time impressed into himselfe a divine Ens by earnest Faith and divine desire understand by the humane Soul introduced into the mortall part of the limus of the Earth then it lyeth shut up in the mortall part yet as a glimmering incentive which longeth and laboureth to burne and shine or as the pretious Gold lyeth shut up in a grosse drossy Oar or in Lead and waiteth onely for the Artist to come and release it even so likewise shall the delivery and releasment of mans body be out of the Earth 9. Now also we doe herein understand the body of sicknesse and the Physitian or Curer thereof for when the heavenly Ens did disappeare and was captivated with the earthly as the Gold in the Lead then the outward Astrum awakened in the Body and now as the outward Astrum doth mutually destroy and ruine one anothers Ens and change it into another Ens according to the greatest and most predominant power so likewise the humane Minde which is a Magicall Astrum is hereby governed and ruled and the Body also and is thereby brought into Strange desire and lust whereby man doth weaken plague and perplex himselfe and one introduced Ens doth marter weaken and annoy another both through Meat and thoughts or cumbring molesting care 10. As we plainly see that man for the most part doth rack and plague himselfe in the Astrall minde with the desire about that which cannot be his own which stands not open in his Astrum and his Astrum cannot apprehend take or receive it about this the false introduced desire from the strange Astrum doth plague perplex and spend it selfe day and night whence the great Covetousnesse doth arise that man doth desire and introduce
selfehood cannot now any more take any thing of God 72. But this is the processe which the free-will must goe if it will receive the holy Ens it must winde it selfe out of the Serpents desire out of its selfish selfe and somethingnesse and winde it selfe into Gods mercy and become a deadly mortifying Enemy to the fleshly desire in it selfe it must wholly forsake and depart from the selfe-full desire of the flesh and bring its hunger wholly and onely into the mortification of its selfish somethingnesse desiring and endeavouring continually and willingly to dye to its iniquity and false desire which sticketh in the flesh in the Serpents childe and in Christs Ens arise with a new will 73. This desire which departeth from the Serpents Ens and hungreth after Gods mercy receiveth Christs Ens into it selfe whence a new will is borne which bruiseth the head of the Serpent in the flesh for it is the new-birth out of God in Christ Jesus 74. But if thou wilt say thou canst not desire any good that is not true onely thou sufferest the Serpents will in thy right Eternall Souls will to hold thee and with the Soules will dost play the whore with the Serpents will in the flesh from whence ariseth Gods Election 75. God knoweth the false whorish soul which doth onely woe and wantonnise with the Serpent with the Idol Babell and will still live in the lust and will of the flesh and of the Serpent and yet willeth to be an outwardly Adopted child God should forgive it its sins by an outward Word-speaking but it willeth still to hang and cleave to the wanton Love of the Serpent in its false lust this God chuseth to Judgment 76. For the free-will which was inspired into Adam and which * * * The Soule it hath inherited from Adam hangeth on Lucifer and therefore God Confirmes it unto the Kingdome of darknesse with Lucifer but the Gate of grace standeth yet open unto it this time of the outward life CHAP. XXVII Of Cains and Abels offering and of the false and antichristian Church and also of the true Holy Church A Looking-glasse for the World 1. HEere againe the vaile lyeth before the face of Moses in respect of the Offerings of both these brothers wherefore God willed to have them offer whereas the Reconciliation and Attonement consists only in the earnest will toward Gods mercy in prayer and Supplication to God that a man depart and turn away from his evill will and repent and introduce his Faith and Hope into Gods mercy 2. They must verily needs know wherefore they offered Incense what pleasure and delight God took therein which Moses hath not once so much as mentioned and that from Gods purpose and yet it hath not been hidden to the children of the Saints and also not to Moses but he hath a vaile hanging before his Eyes 3. Israel being for the most part they were evill children and also Idolatrous as soon appeared by making them a Golden Calfe might not know it by reason of the false Magick and we also shall write only to those that are of our Tribe and yet plaine and easie enough to be understood Observe and marke it thus 4. The Soules free-will is as * * * Or subtile thin as a nothing and though it be in its body indeed encompassed with the Something yet it s Amassed or conceived Something is in a false distempered Essence by reason of the Originall of Sin 5. Now if the free-will would approach to God with the desire then it must depart out of its false Something and if it now doth so depart then it is bare and impotent for it is again in the first Nothing for if it will come to God then it must dye to its false selfehood and forsake it and if it forsakes the same then it is barely and meerely as a nothing and so it cannot go work or move if it will shew its might then it must be in Something wherein it doth Imaginate and forme it selfe 6. An example hereof we have in Faith if Faith would effectually worke then it must immasse or Imaginate it selfe into Something wherein it may worke Gods free-will hath conceived or immassed it selfe with the inward Spirituall world and worketh through the same and the inward worlds free-will hath conceived it selfe in the outward world and worketh through the same even so the Soules free-will which also hath its Originall out of the Abysse immasseth it selfe in Something that it might be manifest and thereby be able to move and act in Gods Sight 7. Seeing then Adams Body was out of the limus of the Earth and also out of the limus of the holy heaven which limus of heaven in Adam was now disappeared wherein the free-will had power to immasse or conceive it selfe into an holy forme and act worke pray and Supplicate before God therefore they made burnt-offerings of the fruits of the Earth as Cain he brought of the fruit of the ground Genesis IIII. verses 3 4. and Abel also brought of the firstlings of his flock and these they enkindled with fire 8. But understand a magicall fire as that of Moses for Moses declareth so also God looked graciously upon the offering of Abell and not upon Cains that is they brought offerings before God and the free-will of the soul should earnestly presse with its prayer in to God therefore it would have a o o o Subject or meanes Substance when it would goe out of the humane house of corruption into God that it might work in Something therefore the Imagination of the will did Immasse or Imaginate it selfe through the offering and God enkindled the offering of Abell with the holy fire in the Aym of the Covenant which in the fulnesse of time should again enkindle it self in the Soules fire 9. In this the will of Abels Soul did p p p Fashion or Idea enforme it selfe into an holy Substance and pressed with the desire of the Enformed free soules will before and into Gods free-will and this the will of the Devill and the Serpent could not brook and even this the will of the Serpent and Devill in Cain did well understand that the Aym of the Covenant did open it self in the Holy Fire in Abels desire and prayer 10. And therefore he would kill the Body of Abell according to his earthly limus least such children should be begotten of him and so he might loose his Kingdome in man But God would not enkindle the offering of Cain now Moses maketh a vaile here before it and saith God would not look q q q Or have respect to graciously upon Cains offering 11. The Enkindling of the externall offering was a figure of the internall Spirit for the soules Spirit in the free-will as to the Centre of the light was enkindled with Gods Love-fire and the Imagination of the Body also understand of the heavenly part was inkindled in offering with
doth indeed belong onely unto Christ viz. to the true Isaac but as he freely of Grace gave the Covenant to Adam and as Abraham gave Gifts out of Isaac's Right to the Sons of the Concubines so God the Father doth still to this day give Adams and Abrahams naturall children the Covenant and heritage of Christ as a free Gift of Grace 8. And as Abrahams naturall children were not disinherited from the Covenant but onely from his Goods so likewise no man is disinherited from the Covenant of God established in Adam and Abraham Every man receiveth the free given Covenant in the wombe in which his free-given Covenant he hath power to turn in unto Christs goods 9. But he hath not the goods in the Right of nature to take the same at or by his own will but as a free Gift he shall and must resigne himselfe up unto the Covenant as a Servant wholly giving up his own naturall will in the Covenant and forsake the will to the Right of nature and become wholly the Covenants own so that he doth not any longer introduce his own naturall will into the Covenant and free Gift but give up his will to the Covenant and then the free gift standeth in the place of the own will and the nature of Adam liveth in the free gift and also enjoyeth the inheritance but not in the selfe-will but in the true Resignation where the will of the Covenant becomes mans will 10. For the will of the Covenant inheriteth the Son-ship in the right of nature but the will of the naturall Selfeness is cast out from it the same must dye unto the assuming own-hood and when it is brought so to passe it ariseth in the Covenant in Christ and possesseth the free gift in the Right of Grace Christ hath manifested himselfe in the Covenant in Adams freely given gift in the humane nature and is become the life and will of the Covenant and fullfilled the same 11. But now this free-given Covenant which God bestowed on Adam lyeth in all men for as Sin passed as a birth-right from one upon all so also the Covenant and the free gift of grace passeth from one upon all Every man hath Christ in him but the own will doth not apprehend him but it crucifieth him and will not dye to its Selfness that so it might enter into Christs death and arise in the Covenant in the will of Christ. 12. The Own will desireth onely to be an outwardly assumed or adopted Son of Grace and yet it is cast out from the presence of God as Abraham cast out his naturall children from his goods and disinherited them and gave the goods onely to Isaac so likewise the kingdome of God belongs onely to the will of the Covenant 13. Which indeed lyeth in all men but no man can receive or see the Kingdome of God unless he become the child of the Covenant so that he forsake the naturall forth-proceeded will and put on the will of Christ in the Covenant so that his will in the Covenant be born anew in Christ and then he is * * * John 15.5 a branch on the vine of Christ and receiveth Christs spirit will and life and becomes as to the Covenant Christus or one anointed and thus Christ then dwelleth in Adam and Adam in Christ and this is that which the spirit of Moses doth represent in this figure 14. But that Abraham did send the children of his Adamicall nature away out of his house with Gifts and did not keep them with him as Sojourners betokens that the externall man will while it is in this life live in the will of Selfe upon the earth and that it cannot wholly put off the same according to the earthly man but this same earthly Selfe will is cast out of the holiness of God viz. from the Kingdome of heaven 15. And although the free gift of the Covenant lyeth hid in him yet the outward earthly man is cast out from Paradise and the Covenant of God and shall not inherit the kingdome of heaven Joh. 6. but he onely shall inherit it who is born of the free gift of the Covenant not Adam but Christ in his Members not the Serpents Ens and the selfish rebellious Ismalitish scoffing false will but the will of the Covenant in Ismaels circumcision where the mocker is cutt off from the Covenant and Ismael then becomes Isaac's brother 16. The Own selfe-made gross earthly Adam who by his own lust hath made himselfe a Beast and received and taken in the Devills desire and will into the selfly assumed Beast the same cannot be or remain in the Image of Christ he is cast out from thence and walketh in the world of vanity and his own lust so that he is not capable of the free gift in the Covenant 17. But the right Adamicall man which God made out of the matrix of the earth out of which the Earth had its Originall in the same is the Covenant and the free gift even as a tincture in the gross Lead which doth swallow up in it selfe the grossness viz. the gross Saturn in its own desire and mortifieth the Saturnine will and advanceth or sublimeth its own understand the Tinctures will and propriety in the Lead whereby the Lead is changed into Gold 18. Thus likewise we are to understand that the gross Saturnine Selfe-will proceeding from the dark worlds property in man cannot dwell in Gods house 〈◊〉 is without in the corrupt world God hath cast it forth out of Paradise as Abraham cast out his naturall Adamicall children from Isaac's goods so also our earthly man as to it s assumed grossnes● and ownhood is not at all fit for or profitable unto the kingdome of heaven it is onely the Ax wherewith the Carpenter builds in this life time in heaven he hath no need of this Ax for he shall not need build him an house for his propriety but Christ viz. the formed word of God is his house 19. For as Abraham cast out of his house the Sons of his Concubines with gifts so likewise the Adamicall man is cast out from God whom Christ viz. the Fathers free gift receiveth again unto himselfe for when Christ was come into our humanity * God suffered him to be hung upon the Cross and be putt to death but received him again in his free favour * and sett him at the right hand of the Power of God in heaven and our humanity also with and in him but the humane selfe will must dye on the Cross. 20. Thus likewise the spirit of Moses doth here signifie in the figure concerning Abraham and his naturall children that the outward naturall man shall not dwell in the Ens of Christ for he is cast out of Paradise in Adam therefore also he cannot be received according to his Beastiall selfish propriety unto the possession of Isaac's goods that is unto the Ens of faith viz. in Christ and albeit Christ
Wherefore askest thou what is my name that is I am no stranger But am even the Israel in thy selfe I have no other name but thy name and my name shall be one 38. For God without nature and Creature hath no name but is called onely the eternall GOOD viz. the eternal ONE The abysse and * * * Or Ground profundity of all beings There is no place found for him therefore can no creature Rightly name him for all names stand in the formed word of Power But God is himself the root of all power without beginning and names Therefore saith he to Jacob Wherefore askest thou what is my name And blessed him 39. As the creatures and also all vegetables of the earth cannot know how the Sun's power is named but they stand still for the Sun and the Sun giveth them power and warmth and blesseth them that they grow and beare fruit so also heere is to be understood concerning Jacob and all men When Jacob saw and felt the morning or day-break of God in his soule then the Divine Sun in the Name JESUS blessed him through an essential working 40. And this must thereby signifie as it went with Jacob and all the children of God and yet still goeth with them in this Sun-shine When the Sun of grace with it's working power ariseth in the soule then the soule rejoyceth and would alwayes faine behold the countenance of God after a creaturely manner as also Moses desired and alwayes thinketh God is of some forme they looke not yet rightly upon God but will know God in Imagery thus hard lieth the creaturely Imagery upon us in the departed apostate self-will in the minde that we cannot at all understand what God is viz. that he himselfe is the abysse of all nature and creature viz. the eternal ONE that dwelleth in nothing but onely in himselfe and hath no forme nor any thing 41. And it were very well and good that wee were not so lead by the Masters of the Letter in an Imaginary forme when they Teach and speak of the onely God as hath been done hitherto where Men have lead us on in vaine Images † † † Or in of the Essentiall will as if the onely God did will this or that whereas himselfe is the sole will to the being of Nature and Creature and the whole Creation lyeth onely and alone in the formation of his Expressed word and will and the severation of the onely will in the Expression and is understood in the impression * * * of to Nature 42. If the Pride of Lucifer might be torne out of the hearts and eyes of these Masters then Men would soone see the countenance of God But the Babylonish Tower upon which men will climbe and in Opinions climbe up to God into a Severed Heaven where God sitts cooped up this withholdeth the true knowledge and understanding and makes us alwayes ask what is the Name of God where is God what is the will of God Also they say God willeth Good and Evill from which they make a multitude of † † † Or Determinations and Conclusions Decrees in the Divine Purpose as a Prince in his Land makes Lawes and they have as much understanding of God and his will as the Pott understands of the Potter 43. It is to be lamented that wee are so blindly lead and the Truth withheld in * * * Imaginary Conceipts Images for if the Divine Power in the inward Ground of the soule were manifest and working with its lustre and that men did desire to goe forth from their ungodly wayes and give up themselves to God then is the whole Tri-une God present in the Life and Will of the Soule and the Heaven wherein God dwelleth is opened in the soule and there in the soule is the place of God where the Father begetteth his Sonne and where the Holy Ghost proceedeth from the Father and the Sonne 44. For God maketh use of no circumscribed place Hee dwelleth even in the Abysse of the wicked Soule but incomprehensible to it as to his Love but as to his Anger he is manifest and comprehensible in the wicked Soule 45. For the Eternall * * * Or Expression speaking of the Word incomprehensible to Nature and Creature becomes † † † Conceivable or perceptible or getts an Idea Imaged in the will of the Soule of which the Scripture sayth * * * Psal. 18.25 26. With the holy thou art holy and with the perverse thou art perverse Also such as the People is such a God they have 46. For in the Thrones of the Holy Angells God is manifest in his Love and in the Thrones of the Devills he is manifest with his Wrath viz. according to the darknesse and Torment and yet there is but one onely God and not two according to the Tormentive Nature he willeth Torment and according to the Love he willeth Love as a burning fire desireth hard brimston like it selfe and the Light of the Fire desireth onely an open place where it may shine It taketh away nothing but giveth it selfe for the Joy of Life it suffereth it selfe to be taken it hath no other Will in it selfe but to give forth it selfe and work that which is Good so God as to his Holinesse hath no other Will but to Manifest the power of his Love and shining lustre in a Creaturely * * * Or manner Forme as the Sun manifesteth it selfe in an hearb and tinctureth it and maketh it wholsome and good so also is to be understood concerning God 47. Therefore all is but vaine jangling babling and a Creaturely † † † Or Imagery Imagination for men to ask what is God called or what is Gods name or for men to talke much and say God willeth this or that Evill and Good and know not how to say upon good ground how he willeth Evill and Good and how a man shall understand the * * * Or sayings Texts of Scripture to that purpose 48. This Contention and Strife about the Letter is indeed the very confused divided Tongue or Language on the high Tower of the children of Nimrod in Babel for that high Tower is a figure of the † † † Facultaeten Disputations in the High Schooles Exercises in the Universities where the One Divine Language is divided or confounded and wrested into many * * * Perverted in Phrases and expressions Speeches that one People doth not understand another and that Men contend about the onely God in whom we live and subsist and whereby even the kingdome of Nature in its wonders is manifested and † † † Fashioned wonderfully Psal. 139.14 brought into figured wonders 49. But the true ground what God is and how he is what the Beeing of all Beeings is remaines as blinde to them as the visibility of this world is to one that is borne blinde and though they are called Masters of
our understanding might be opened and a very Severe Sentence shall he receive who will undertake to be called Master and l l l Sir Rabbi and yet neither knoweth the way of God or walketh therein and that which is yet more heinous m m m Or hindreth forbiddeth those that desire to know and walke therein 5. The Creation of the outward world is a manifestation of the inward Spirituall Mystery viz. of the Centre of the Eternall Nature with the holy Element and was brought forth by the Eternall Speaking Word through the motion of the inward world as a Spiration which Eternall Speaking Word hath expressed the Essence out of the inward Spirituall world and yet there was no such Essence in the Speaking but was onely as a breath or vaprous exhalation in reference to the internall breathed forth both from the property of the darke world and also of the light world and therefore the outward Essence of this world is good and Evill 6. And we are with very entire and punctuall exactnesse to consider of this Motion of the Eternall Mystery of the Spirituall world 1. How it came to passe that such a wrathfull rough grosse and very Compunctive Essence and Dominion was brought forth and made manifest as we see in the outward formes of nature as well in the moving things as in the stones and Earth 2. Whence such a wrath did arise which hath compacted and introduced the Powers of the Properties into such a harsh nature or rude quality as we see in the earth and stones 7. For we are not to thinke that there is the like in Heaven viz. in the Spirituall world in the Spirituall world there are onely the properties of Possibility but not at all manifest in such a harsh property but are as it were swallowed up as the light swalloweth up the darknesse and yet the darknesse doth really dwell in the light but not apprehended 8. Now we are yet to search out how the desire of the darkenesse became manifest in the Power of the light that they both came mutually into the Compaction or Coagulation and yet it affordeth us a far greater and more profound consideration that when man could not stand in the Spirituall Mystery of the Paradisicall property and estate that God cursed this Compaction viz. the Earth and appointed an Earnest judgement to sever the good in this Compaction again from the Evill so that the good must thus stand in the Curse that is in death he that doth heere see nothing is indeed blinde why would God curse his good Essence if something were not come into it which was opposite to the Good or is God at odds with himselfe as reason would be ready to phancy for it is written in Moses that God looked upon all that he had made and behold it was very good 9. Now Man for whose sake the earth was accursed had not introduced any thing into the earth whereby it was now made so Evill as to cause God to curse it save onely the false and faithlesse Imagination of his desire to eat of the evill and good so as to awaken the vanity viz. the Centre of nature in him and to know Evill and Good from which desire the hunger entred into the earth whence the outward body was extracted as a Masse which set the hunger of its desire againe upon its mother and araised the root of vanity out of the dark Impression of the Centre of nature whence the Tree of Temptation viz. Evill and good grew manifest to him and when he did eat thereof the Earth was accursed for his sake 10. Now if man by his Powerfull Desire did awaken the wrath in the Earth what might then Lucifer be able to doe who was likewise an enthroned Prince and moreover had many Legions Lucifer had the will of the Strong Might and Power of the Centre of all Beeings in himselfe as well as Adam Adam was onely one Creature but Lucifer was a King and had a Kingdome in possession viz. an Hierarchy in the Spirituall world viz. in the heavenly Sal-niter in the Generation of the Manifested Word he was an enthroned Prince in the manifested Power of God therefore Christ calleth him a Prince of this world for he sate in the Essence understand in the Spirituall Essence whence this world was breathed forth as a Spiration 11. He it is that by his false desire which he introduced into the Essence did awaken the wrath in the internall as Adam araised the Curse he raised the Centre of nature with his darke wrathfull Property in the like wrathfull properties for he had first awakened the wrath of God in himselfe and then this awakened wrath entred into its mother viz. into the Magicall generation out of which Lucifer was created to a Creature whereupon the Generation was made proud and aspiring contrary to the Right or law of Eternity 12. Also he sate in his Angelicall forme in the good holy Essence as to the Generation of the divine meekenesse and therein exalted himselfe to domineere in the will of his wrath above the meeknesse as an absolute peculiar God contrary to the Right of Eternity 13. But when the Speaking Eternall Word in Love and Anger for his malicious iniquity sake did move it selfe in the Properties viz. in the Essence wherein Lucifer sate to cast this wicked Guest out of his habitation into Eternall darknesse then the Essence was compacted for God would not beteem that he should any longer have these manifested Powers wherein he was a Prince but created them into a Coagulation and spewed him out of them 14. And in this Impression or Conjunction the Powers viz. the watry and oyly Properties were compacted not that Lucifer did compact or Create them but the Speaking Word of God which dwelt in the manifested Powers and properties the same tooke away the disobedient childs Patrimony and cast him out as a perjured wretch out of his inheritance into an Eternall Prison into the house of darknesse and Anger wherein he desired to be Master over the Essence of Gods Love and rule therein as a jugler and Inchanter and mix the holy with unholy to act his jugling feats and proud pranks thereby 15. And we see very clearly with quick-sighted eyes that it is thus for there is nothing in this world so evill but it hath a good in it the Good hath its rise Originally out of the good or heavenly Property and the Evill hath its descent from the property of the darke world for both worlds viz. light and darkenesse are in each other as one 16. And therefore they also went along together into the Compaction or Coagulation and that from the Degrees of the Eternall nature viz. from the properties to the fire-life and also from the properties in the oyly and Spirituall watry lights Essence 17. For the Metalls are in themselves nothing else but a water and oyl which are held by the wrathfull properties viz. by
its Servant thou art pranck and vapour as stately and gloriously in the Suns light as thou wilt hast thou not the Eternall light yet thy fountaine shall be made manifest to thee 47. By the two words Heaven Himmell and und Earth Erden we understand the whole ground of the Creation for the understanding is coucht in the language of Nature in those two words for by the word Heaven Himmell is understood the Spiration of the Verbum Fiat which created that Essence wherein Lucifer was enthroned with the Creative word out of it selfe that is out of the Spirituall holy world into a time or Beginning and by the word Earth Erde is understood the wrath in the Essence that the Essence was amassed in the wrath and reduced out of the Properties of the darke Sulphur Mercury and Salt viz. out of the powers of the Originall of Nature and introduced into a Compaction or Coagulation 48. This Coagulation is the Syllable z Er the other Syllable de or den is the Element for the Earth is not the Element but the Element is the moving viz. the Power whence it was Coagulated this is that Element which is spirituall and taketh its true Originall in the fire where the nature which is a Sencelesse life dyeth in the fire from which dying or mortification then there proceedeth forth a living motion and from that which is mortified in the fire a dead matter viz. Earth and a dead water and also a deadly fire and venomous aire which maketh a dying Source in the Earthly bodies 49. When nature was enkindled the Element did unfold and display it selfe into Foure Properties which yet in it selfe is onely one the reall Element dwelleth in the Essence which is mortified in the fire otherwise the Earth could bring forth no fruit those which now are called the foure Elements are not Elements but onely Properties of the true Element The Element is neither hot nor cold neither dry nor moist it is the motion or life of the inward heaven viz. the true angelicall life as to the Creature it is the first divine manifestation out of the fire through nature when the Properties of the Eternall nature work therein it s called Paradise 50. By the word * * * Himmel Heaven Himmell is understood how the water viz. the Grosnesse in the mortall part was Coagulated and Separated from the holy Crystalline water which is Spirituall where with the materiall time began as an Essence expressed or spirated out of the Spirituall water 51. The Spirituall water is living and the Spirated is livelesse Senselesse void of understanding and is dead in reference to the living water of which Moses saith God hath Separated it from the water above the firmament 52. The Firmament is another Principle viz. another beginning or inchoation of motion the water above the Firmament is the Spirituall water in which the Spirit of God ruleth and worketh for Moses saith also the Spirit of God moveth upon the water for the Spirituall Element moveth in the foure Elements and in the Spirituall Element the Spirit of God moveth on the Spirituall water they are mutually in each other 53. The Heaven wherein God dwelleth is the holy Element and the firmament or Gulfe betweene God and the foure Elements is the death for the inward heaven hath another birth that is another life then the externall Elementary life hath indeed they are in one another but the one doth not apprehend the other as Tin and Silver never mix aright together for each is from another or sundry Principle albeit they resemble each other and have very neere Affinity to each other yet they are as the inward and outward water to one another wherein also they are to be understood for the inward and outward Venus are Step-Sisters they come indeed from one father but they have two mothers the one whereof is a Virgin the other defloured and therefore they are Separated till the judgement of God who will purge away her reproach and shame through the fire 54. Moses writeth that God created the Heaven out of the midst of the waters it is very right the a a a Understand by the word Astrum the whole Starry Heaven with all its powers properties Influences and Constellations internall and externall Astrum is an externall water-Spirit viz. Powers of the outward water and the materiall water is the body wherein the powers worke now the fiery airy and also Earthly Source is in the Astrum the like is also in the materiall water the Superiour Astrum is the life and Dominion of the inferiour it enkindleth the inferiour whereby the inferiour doth act move and worke the inferiour is the body or wife of the Superiour indeed the Superiour is coucht in the inferiour but as weake and impotent 55. And the Superiour were likewise as weake and impotent as the inferiour if it were not enkindled by the light of the Sun the same is the heart of all externall Powers and it is the Open Punctum even to the Tenth Number if we were not so blinde as to contemne all that we see not with our Calves-eyes it were right and requisite to reveale it but seeing God hath hidden the Pearle and also himselfe from the sight of the wicked therefore we 'l let it alone yet hint enough to our School-fellowes we will not give our Pearle unto Beasts 56. Thus we understand what the outward heaven is namely the Powers or Conception of the water the word or Power Fiat which began with the beginning of the world is yet still b b b Or in the creating a Creating it yet continually createth the heaven out of the water and the Spirit of God still moveth upon the water and the holy water is yet continually Separated from the water under the firmament 57. This holy water is that of which Christ told us that he would give us it to drinke that should spring up in Vs to a fountaine of Eternall life the holy heavenly Corporallity doth consist therein it is the body of Christ which he brought from heaven and by the same introduced heavenly Paradisicall Essentiality into our dead or decayed body and quickned ours in his understand in the c c c Mark or limit Ayme of the Covenant in the Essence of Mary as shall be mentioned hereafter 58. In this heavenly Essence the d d d Baptisme and the Supper Testaments of Christ doe consist and this holy Essence of the heavenly holy Virginity with the holy Tincture hath destroyed death and bruised the head of the Serpents Might in the wrath of God for the Divine power is the highest life therein 59. Thus we understand how the holy heaven wherein God dwelleth moveth in the Fiat or the Created heaven and that God is really present in all places and inhabiteth all things but he is comprended of Nothing Hee is manifest in Power in the inward heaven of the holy Essentiality viz. in
Constellation viz. the Magicall Constellation the Great Mystery out of which the outward Constellation was produced and brought into a creaturall Beeing 28. The fire-Spirit viz. the fiery Soul dwelleth in the fiery Spirituall body And in the lights body which is from the holy Element viz. from the true heavenly Image which consisteth in a Spirituall Sulphur Mercurius and Sal dwelleth the holy Soule viz. the true Spirit of the soul which is of a Temple of God and in the outward Body which is a limus of the Earth and the other Elements viz. in the outward Constellation of the five Sences the outward Soule viz. the reall Spirit of the outward world doth dwell 29. Each Property of the Soule hath a Corporeall property in it self which may be called an heaven viz. a Sundry Speciall Magicall Astrum As the fiery Property of the soul hath a body from the inward Constellation of the darke and fire-world which is a Spirituall Body 30. And the c c c Or light Lucid Property of the Soul hath a spirituall oleous and watry Body wherein the two properties of the highest Tincture of the fire and light doth open the Lustre and beauty of the Colours wonders and vertue of the divine wisdome this water is the water above the Firmament of which Moses speaketh and this oyle is the holy Oyle of the divine Powers and this was a usuall Type in the old Testament in that the reall oyly body of the heavenly property did disappeare in Adam in the awaked vanity God ordained the Type of the new Regeneration with an unction of Oyl wherein he powerfully wrought through the promised Covenant as in a Type 31. The Third outward Property of the Soul hath likewise every way such a body of many Constellations in it as the inward properties all which multiplicity of properties may be called heavens for each property of the outward body hath a Magicall Constellation as there is a body of the Sulphurean Constellation of the Earth also a Body or Constellation of the Mercuriall poysonfull life also a body of the Salt-Powers of Bodies also a body of the soul of the outward world viz. of the upper Created Constellation all according as the outward Powers of the outward soul are thus each Power hath a Corporeall property in it and thus also the inward Powers of the Spirituall Property are to be understood with the inward body CHAP. XVI Of the difference of the Heavenly and Earthly Man 1. WHen we consider the Image of God which God created in Paradise unto the Eternall uncorruptible life then we can in no wise say of the grosse fleshy Image that the grosse property of the earthlinesse is the Image of God which can possesse the holy world for it is not of the same Essence and Ens whereof also Christ speaketh John 6. The Spirit is life the flesh profiteth nothing also flesh and bloud shall not inherit the Kingdome of Heaven and yet verily the true Body is coucht in this bestiall grosse property as the Gold in the Oare 2. All that is Earthly on man that is bestiall and corruptible and not man Albeit God created Man an externall body out of the limus of the Earth yet it is not to be considered of us as now it is for the true humane Body according to the inward world is a Spirituall Sulphur a Spirituall Mercurius and a Spirituall Sal each property of the Soul hath a Coporeall or Essentiall quality on it 3. God created such a Body as the Soul was in its Essence viz. in the Spirated Word of the understanding and breathed the Soule thereinto for the Understanding also the outward Sulphurean body is in no wise the Grosse Beast which passeth away and returneth not againe the true reall body which is hidden in the Grosseness is a spirituall body in comparison to the Grossenesse it is created in deed in flesh and bloud but in a fixed stedfast uncorruptible flesh and bloud 4. By the Lust and Imagination of Adam the Grosseness was manifest the True outward body is a Sulphureous Mercuriall and Saltish Property a pure Essentiall Power according to the nature of the Soul That which the Soule is in the Spirit the same is the true humane body in the Essence as a mansion of the Soul 5. All the Properties of the inward holy Body together with the outward were in the first man composed in an equall harmony none lived in selfe-desire but they all gave up their desire unto the Soul in which the divine light was manifest as in the holy heaven the light shone through all the Properties and made an equall Temperature in the properties all the properties gave their desire into the light viz. into the manifested sweetness of God which penetrated all the properties in which Penetration they were all Tinctured with the Sweet Love so that there was nothing but meer pleasing relish Love-desire and delight betwixt them 6. The inward holy Corporallity * * * Of. from the pure Element penetrated through the foure Elements and held the limus of the Earth viz. the outward Sulphureous body as it were swallowed up in it selfe and it was really there but in manner as the darkness dwelleth in the light and yet its darknesse cannot be manifest for the light but if the light extinguisheth then the darknesse is manifest 7. Thus the inward man held the Outward captive in it selfe and penetrated it as a fire through-heats an Iron that it seemes as if it were all fire but when the fire goeth out then the dark swart Iron is manifest 8. Thus likewise was the first man when he stood in Paradise in his fixed condition in manner as time is before God and God in the time and they are distinct but not parted asunder as the time is a play before God so also the outward life of man was a play * * * Before unto the inward holy man which was the reall Image of God 9. The outward Spirit and Body was unto the inward as a wonder of divine manifestation according to the fire-darke-and light world a mirror of the Great Omnipotence and Omniscience of God and the inward was given unto it for a Ruler and Guide 10. As God playeth with the time of this outward world so likewise the inward divine man should play with the outward in the manifested wonders of God in this world and open the divine wisdome in all Creatures each according to his Property so likewise in the Earth in stones and metalls in which also there is a twofold Essence viz. one from the originall of the fire-dark-world and one of the Originall of the holy-light-world 11. All this was given him for his play he had the knowledge of all Tinctures all was subject to him he ruled in heaven and earth and over all the Elements so also over all the Constellations and that because the divine Power was manifest in him no heat nor cold
Word where he educeth himself through the fire in the light in the love-desire viz. in the holy Fiat and resteth Eternally with his manifested Word therein his Rest therein is a Dominion of joy where the Anguish-Source of Gods wrath of the Eternall nature is changed into a divine Kingdome of joy 25. And this Rest is the holy heaven in the Naturall heaven where time worketh in it self and setteth forth its operate for the day of Rest viz. the day of Separation where at the end of the dayes of this world the evill shall be Separated from the good and each thing shall possess its owne heaven viz. the property of its originall or sourcive Spirit whence it was Generated 26. But in this time Gods Love and Anger must mutually work in one another and manifest the Wonders of God both according to the fire and light world and the Verbum Domini resteth in the Seventh manifestation of the properties and shineth with its i i i And vertue power into the operation of the Six dayes viz. into the six properties and affordeth ayd and help to every life 27. In the seventh property all things are brought into their End viz. into the first day of the beginning of all Essences for the Seventh day viz. the Seventh property of the Eternall nature is the transparent Glassy Sea before the throne of the Ancient in the Revelation whence as out of k k k Ex Mysterio Magno the Grand Mystery this world was created into sundry Peculiar heavens and formes and Formed in the Verbum Fiat the Seventh day was from Eternity without and beyond all Time for it is the Formed Word of the Divine understanding in it the Eternall wisdome of God is manifest viz. the Powers and Wonders of the divine understanding in which the Deity worketh CHAP. XVII Of Paradise 1. MOses saith that when God had made man that he planted a Garden in Eden and there he put man to till and keep the same and caused all manner of fruits to grow pleasant for the Sight and good for food and planted the Tree of Life also and the Treee of knowledge of good and evill in the midst 2. Heere lyeth the vaile before the face of Moses in that he had a bright shining Countenance that Sinfull Israell cannot look him in the face for the man of vanity is not worthy to know what Paradise is and albeit it be given us to know it according to the hidden man yet by this description we shall remaine as dumb to the Beast but yet be sufficiently understood by our fellow-schollars 3. The Garden Eden was a place upon the Earth where man was Tempted and the Paradise was in heaven and yet was in the Garden Eden for as Adam before his Eve was made out of him before his sleep was as to his inward man in heaven and as to the outward upon the Earth and as the inward holy man penetrated the outward as a fire through-heats an iron so also the heavenly Power out of the Pure Element penetrated the foure Elements and sprang forth through the Earth and bare fruits which were heavenly and Earthly and were qualifyed sweetly Tempered of the divine Power and the vanity in the fruit was held as it were swallowed up as the day hideth the night and holdeth it captive in it self that it is not knowne and manifest 4. Paradise was nothing else but the Seventh dayes property the heavenly Essentiality of the second Principle is couched or shut up in the Earth the curse of God hath hidden it it budded in the beginning of the world through the Earthly Essentiality as the Eternity is in the time and the divine Power is through all things and yet is neither comprehended or understood of any earthly thing in selfehood 5. But in Paradise the Essence of the divine world penetrated the Essence of time as the Sun penetrates the fruit upon a tree and effectually works it into a pleasantnesse that it is lovely to looke upon and good to eat the like also we are to understand of the Garden in Eden 6. The word ‖ ‖ ‖ Ede expounded according to the Language of Nature Ede is nothing else but what Moses saith of the Earth that it was * * * Void eed and empty that is it should not manifest its Might according to the wrath of vanity it should be still as a mother to bring forth for the internall would rule through the externall as the Spirituall world through time heaven through the Earth the Earth was empty without fruit but the heaven was its husband which made it fruitfull and bare fruit by it untill the Curse where heaven did hide disappeare or withdraw it self from the Earth 7. The whole world would have been a meer Paradise if Lucifer had not corrupted it who was in the beginning of his Creation an Hierarch in the place of this world but seeing God knew well that Adam would fall therefore Paradise sprang forth and budded onely in one certaine Place to introduce and confirme Man therein whom albeit God saw that he would again depart thence he would againe introduce thereinto by Christ and establish him anew in Christ to Eternity in Paradise 8. For Lucifer poysoned the first Paradise with his false and wicked desire therefore God promised to regenerate it anew in Christ for the seventh day which God appointed for Rest is nothing else but Paradise regenerate anew in the Spirit of Christ in the humane property wherein the poore soul shall rest Eternally from the Source of the six dayes-workes viz. of the six properties of the life 9. Also it is the Seventh time or manifestation of God in which the Mystery of Gods Kingdome shall be finished when it shall be againe Pure in the place of this world when heaven shall be again manifest in the world and the Devill driven out with his l l l Text evill Essence wickednesse whereinto no unclean thing shall any more enter for this world in which Adam was before his Eve must againe returne as it was before the Curse in which Righteousnesse shall rule but the vanity shall be purged away through the fire of Gods Anger and given to the dark world 10. But that Moses saith the Tree of life stood in the midst of the Garden and presently next after setteth down and the Tree of Knowledge of good and Evill Heere lieth the vaile before his eyes that the earthly Sinfull man cannot behold him for he is not worthy of it for his earthliness in the Curse of the bestiall vanity shall not inherit Paradise 11. The precious Pearl lieth in the knowledge of the difference of the two Trees and yet it is but onely one but manifest in two Kingdomes for the Tree of life standeth wholly in the midst of the Garden for it standeth in two Principles in the midst viz. in the holy world between the Eternall dark world of Gods
the fire of the holy part of the Earth which lyeth hidden in the Curse and therein the free-will of the Soul and the free-will in the Ens of the heavenly part of the body did Immasse it selfe into a Substance and therewith did presse in before the holinesse of God 12. And heere the Serpents head was first bruised for it was a figure of the nevv birth out of Christ not that Abel had at this time put on Christ in the flesh but indeed the Spirit of Jehova in the Ayme of the Covenant in which the Name of Jesus stood hidden in God as a Regeneratour which would move and manifest it selfe in the fulnesse of time in this Ayme of the Covenant and introduce an heavenly holy Ens into the disappeared Ens of the heavenly part and quicken it to life againe in the opened power of Jesus 13. If a man would rightly and fundamentally understand the r r r Sacrifices Offerings he must consider that whereof the Offering consisted and what severed it selfe with the Enkindling in the fire out of the fire viz. out of the Enkindled offering for in the Enkindling nothing is seen or perceived but 1. the wood to the fire 2 ly The matter of offering 3 dly The fire and light 4 ly The Smoak of the fire which ariseth from the burning wood and matter of the offering all this without the faith and divine desire is as an abomination and indeed Nothing in Gods sight and attaineth not the Gate of God 14. But if Man brings his faiths-desire thereinto then he resigneth the free-will thereinto and vvill thereby as by a meanes in which fire the free-Will of the introduced Sinfull abomination doth burne and consume away presse in to Gods Eternall free-will and now how this is effected and comes to passe understand as followeth 15. Gods Imagination or Lubet meeteth the Free-inspired-will of the humanity and the humane free-will meeteth the deity heere is now the Conjunction 16. But now Mans free-will is become Sinfull and Gods free-will from whence the humane free will did first take its rise in its in-Spiration is holy and pure as yet the humane free-will cannot presse into Gods will unlesse it also become pure before God 17. But being God will out of free-grace receive it into him for the delight and harmony of his praise there is no other way or remedy but that God move himselfe in the Centre of the Eternall nature according to the fire of the Second Principle viz. according to the holy fire and devoure that enkindled Anger and vanity of mans free-will and annihilate it in the mortification of death viz. in the Anger-fire of God that the humane vvill might become pure before Gods will and so might enter into Gods Love-will and therefore Gods Love-desire did it selfe enkindle the offering of Abel and Moses that so the holy-and Love-fire might devoure and swallow up the Turba in the humane free-Soules-will in the Anger-fire of the Eternall nature in the Fathers property 18. But that there must be an Earthly offering thereunto is thus to be understood the Body of man as to one part is a limus of the Earth and as to the other part a limus of heaven and into this Body the free-will was inspired and body and soul is onely one man 19. But being in the fall the earthlinesse and false suttlety of the Serpent by the insinuation of the Devills desire was awakened in the flesh of man and so the earthly beastiall property got the upper-hand in his Ens and devoured the right humane will in the beastiall property that is took it captive thereupon the earthly will which was from the limus of the Earth must also be offered up in the fire 20. For the limus of the Earth shall arise againe out of earth but for to make it an offering it must also be offered in an earthly Elementall fire of its likenesse so that an heavenly fire and an earthly Elementall fire might be in one another and each will in the offring might respectively finde a place for its own comprehension and capacity viz. the will proceeded from the earthly limus of the Earth from the Kingdome of this world and the heavenly will out of the heavenly limus viz. out of the Ens s s s Of the Semina●l and Centrall Love of the word of the Lord. of the Verbum Domini each property of the free-will went into the offring and from the offring into the fire where the Atonement was 21. For the Covenant of the promise touching the Serpent-Stroyer did manifest it selfe by the holy fire which holy fire enkindled the Elementall fire for the holy fire shall awaken and raise up from death the Elementall man out of the limus of the Earth and in the holy fire Man who hath taken his Originall from Time shall be purged and tryed in the Resurrection who verily must first goe through the fire of the Anger but the power and might of the holy fire shall bring him through the Anger-fire and cleanse and purge away his introduced abomination of Sin in the Serpents and Devills Ens in him from the limus of the Earth that the limus of the Earth may be no more earthly but as a fine purified Gold which subsists in the fire 22. Even thus the Earthly man shall be purified in the Resurrection through the fire of which the Offrings were a type and yet they did really subsist in their power as to the Spirit but the Body must dye and the true corporality and Regeneration must come forth or begin to spring afresh in the opened body of Christ who with his Entrance into and manifestation in the humaniry did again open the heavenly disappeared limus in the humane Ens which did disappeare or fade in Adam and Eve 23. Thus understand us aright Abel and Moses offered the fatt of beasts and enkindled that with the holy fire which fire was first enkindled by God for the beastiall property became manifest in the outward earthly man of the limus of the Earth the humane limus of the Earth was turned to a Beast and was moreover sinfull and evill full of the Serpents poyson and Cunning Suttlety 24. The free-will did immasse it selfe in the Serpents craft and Devills desire and formed to it selfe such a figure in the Ens of the flesh as the desire was whereupon the Body was more vaine in Gods sight then a beast 25. But being the heavenly Ens lay hidden and shut up in the earthly property God would not utterly forsake the whole Image which Abel and Moses did understand in the Spirit of God by their offerings and therefore they offered the Fat viz. the oyle of the beasts and other earthly good fruits that so the desire of the true man created out of the limus of the Earth who shall arise from death might in the enkindling of the offring in the fire have a Substance whereinto it
language of Nature a Beholding of the Beginning and End In this same Beginning and End viz. in the Eternall Speaking Word of the Father which would manifest and open it selfe again in the humane life Grace was opened and presented to Noah so that God did establish and Confirme the Covenant with him 3. And here we have a very Excellent and an Emphaticall example which is exceedingly worth the mentioning in the Three Sons of Noah which in their Properties were sprung forth from the Stock of Adam in a threefold Line for we see that three Nations Severall Sorts of People did arise from them and that God did include them all Three with their wives in the Covenant of Grace and commanded them also to goe into the Ark into the Second Monarchy and did not exclude the fleshly Ham. 4. This is first highly to be considered that a Gate of Grace standeth open to all men and that God hath not Set any Election or Predestination in nature but the Election or choyce doth arise out of the free-will when it turneth it selfe from the Good into the Evill 5. Secondly it is a Type of the Three Principles viz. Sem is a type of the Spirituall light-world in the Covenant and Japhet of the fire-world which should be a Sojourner of the light-world and a Mirror of the great Joy in the light-world and Ham is a figure of the Limus of the Earth to which the Curse and the Anger of God doth hang all these Three God took into the Covenant with Noah and brought them into the Arke 6. For Every man hath these three worlds upon him and in him and the Covenant in the word was therefore given that the whole man should be Redeemed 7. For Japhet Signifieth the fire-Soule and Sem the Image of God out of the light-world viz. the spirit out of the Holy word and Ham betokeneth the Limus of the Earth with the outward Dominion or Region of the Air and of the magicall Etheriall Constellations together with the Body which shall be freed by the Covenant from the Curse and arise again out of the Earth The three Brothers were a type of these three Principles 8. Not that One did wholly arise out of one Principle alone No! Sem and Japhet had likewise Hams property in them as did plainly manifest it selfe afterwards in the Jewes who became so wicked and vile a people Onely we speak here of the Superiour Dominion or predominant property of which Principle the Creature hath had in the outward life in its figure 9. Ham had the outward earthly Elementall Kingdome in the figure which stood in the Curse therefore his Image or person was also Cursed of his father in the spirit for the earthly Image shall not inherit the Kingdome of God but he also had a Soul from Adam which stood in the Covenant but the free-will doth very Seldome work any Good thing in such a Lodging and very easily attains the Curse upon the soul as we see that the Curse did afterwards come upon this Generation that Israel must destroy them by their Entrance into the Land of Promise albeit they did not wholly destroy them all yet the Curse was come upon them 10. There is a very great Mystery in the Ark of Noah which the Lord commanded him to build after that manner and shewed him how High How Long and how Broad it should be and directed also that it should have Three Severall stories also concerning the Creatures which he commanded him to bring thereinto which is such a Mystery that the wicked malicious man is not worthy to know it and we also shall not mention it in the ground or depth of its meaning for it hath its Time wherein it shall be opened viz. in the Lilly-time when Babel hath its End but yet to set downe somewhat for a furtherance and direction to our fellow-Branches to whom in its due time it shall break forth and grow out of Our Ens of this Lilly which also shall be a Rose in the lilly-time we will set it downe in an hidden Exposition 11. The Mystery of the holy Trinity also the Three Principles also the Three Sons of Noah also the Three men that appeared to Abraham in the Plain of Mamre also the Vision of the Great Temple in Ezekiel and the whole Revelation of John belongeth unto this figure also the Temple of Jerusalem 12. Set before thee the figure of the Arke with its Three Stories with its height length and breadth and place it in the Three Principles and in the three Principles open the Mysteries of the * * * Or Hierarchies Hierarchy of Christ in the Three distinctions of Heavens which yet are onely One but in three properties as Fire Light and Air are Three and yet but One Place in these distinctions or Severall differences the Three Sons of Noah and go out of their properties into their Monarchy in the world which continueth to the End of dayes also set before thee the formed Word according to all the Three Principles and so you will finde the Ground of all especially Set before thee Moses Elias and Christ in their appearance and Transfiguration upon the Mount the Ark of Noah is the first Type of all these figures and the Hierarchy of Christ is the fulfilling of them at the End of dayes enough to ours 13. And the Lord said come thou and thy whole house into the Ark Gen. VII 1 for thee have I seen Righteous before me at this * * * Or Generation time The Scripture saith elsewhere Before thee none living is righteous if thou wilt impute sin but here God saith I have Seen thee righteous before me at this time the Creature was not the Righteous One without Evill but HE who at this time did in Noah open and manifest himselfe out of the Covenant who grieved at the evill of this time and introduced his Sorrow into Gods Love and Mercy and so brought the Righteousnesse of the mercy into the Sorrow and manifested the Grieving mournfull Spirit in the Ens of the Covenant in the creature thus Noah was righteous before God at this time when the Covenant did move it selfe in him 14. This time is or signifieth the motion of the Covenant which made Noah righteous for this was the time When Noah received Life in the womb the spirit looked with his first glimps of life out of the Divine Ens of the formed word into the Beginning whence the life was come and into the End which was the Kingdome of Christ in this Aspect or Divine glimps the life of Noah receives the Righteousnesse in the Mark of the Covenant at this time for that was the time in him wherein he was found Righteous 15. God brought Eight persons into the Arke and of the clean Beasts * * * Or Seven paire Seven and Seven the male and its female The Seven persons point at the seven properties of the naturall
the Angelicall Spirituall world and the woman was taken out of him and both were in this Turba * * * Text figured formed unto the outward naturall life 25. This Turba is that wherein God did also set the Curse which with Noah was first at the End when God said the End of all flesh is come up before mee and out of this forty-dayes-produced Turba the fountaines of the deep did arise in the water-Source and drowned the Turba in the flesh of these Sexes 26. For from the Sin of Adam came the Deluge over the world and this forty-dayes-produced Turba was the Sin in the flesh otherwise if the water-fountaine had not opened it selfe the fire-fountain had proceeded forth out of the Turba in the wrath of God Therefore God said it repented him that he had made the creatures and his Sorrow went into the Turba and drowned it 27. And let the Reader be put in minde that so often as he findeth the number forty in the holy Scripture that it altogether in the Beginning pointeth at the forty dayes produced Turba viz. the forty Dayes of Moses upon mount Sinai Item the forty yeares in the wilderness also the forty houres of Christ in the Grave also the forty dayes after his resurrection before his Ascention doe all belong unto this and all the numbers forty in the Secret and mysticall propheticall sayings of the Prophets for out of this Turba the Prophet is arisen with his Prophecie 28. But in that I say that if the water-fountaine had not been opened the fire-fountaine would have broken forth is also true for the children in the Turba would have also burnt Noah in the Arke with fire if the most high had not hindred and prevented them with the water for the fires Turba was moved in them this was the worlds end or the end of all flesh for at the End all shall be purifyed and purged in the fires Turba for it will enkindle it selfe 29. There is a very great Mystery in that which the Spirit saith in Moses Noah was five hundred yeares old when he begat Sem Ham and Japhet which otherwise is against the ordinary Course of nature to beget children in such a naturall Age also there is a very great mystery in that God said that he would give the world an hundred and twenty years respit and yet the Deluge came in the Six hundreth year of Noah viz. in the hundreth yeare after the warning or notice thereof and it signifieth the abbreviation of time in its naturall course and also the End of the world hovv that there shall be an abbreviation or shortning of time in the Circle of the conclusion of all Beeings Quere this Treatise by it selfe of which we will mention something in a Treatise by it selfe if the same be permitted us 30. When Noah entred into the Ark Moses saith Vers. 16. the Lord shut him in the intimate signification of the Spirit heere is He shut up the Second time or Age of the world which was at the End being the fire would faine have moved it selfe therefore the Lord shut it up with water and herewith also he opened the Gate of his Entrance to goe forth in the Third time and begin the Second Monarchy in the outward world for the first time was in Paradise the Second under Seths manifestation in the third Enos's manifestation should be opened and set forth 31. And Moses saith further Chap. VIII vers 3.1.2 and the waters stood upon the Earth one hundred and fifty dayes then God remembred Noah and every living thing and all the cattle that was with him in the Arke and God caused a winde to passe over the Earth and the waters asswaged and the fountaines of the deep and the windowes also of heaven were stopped Moses saith God Remembred Noah now reason thinketh had he then forgotten him whereas he is present to all things and is himselfe through all and in all things the Spirit in Moses doth here hang a vaile before the Mystery that the naturall man doth not understand it 32. Gods Remembrance here is the beginning of the Third Time even the Beginning of the Second Monarchy in the foure Elements with the creatures for in the Covenant made with Noah the Second Monarchy was comprehended which went forth out of the Centre of the Generatresse through the divine wisdome in Nature 33. And Moses speaketh further Vers. 4. when the waters were abated the Arke set it selfe down upon the Mount Ararat This Name ARARAT doth plainly hint unto us in the language of nature a mountaine or a Compacting and an Amassing of an Essence out of the Centre of nature even out of the wrathfulnesse being the Anger of God had then reposed it selfe there the Arke stood upon the Allayed Anger but the last Syllable in this word Ara-RAT doth signifie that the wrath of the eternall nature proceeding from the Centre hath betooke or formed it selfe into an active Dominion and would thence forward ride through nature as a warriour and mightily exercise its Power and violence in the humane property whereby they would undertake warres and advance themselves in Pride Pompe and Power and butcher and slay one another Eagerly Contending about this mountaine of the wrath's Might or Severe humane Authority 34. This Mountain Ararat denotes the Houses of the Great ones or domineering Potentates upon the Earth viz. the Great Castles Forts and Bulwarkes the mighty mountaines of the Power violence and strength of the Rich and also the high Nobility sprung up from the mystery of the Great world upon which Kingdome the Arke of Noah hath set down it selfe but the Covenant with Noah I meane the Kingdome of Christ hath set it selfe to be an Eternall Lord over this mountaine of the warlike might and force of Armes sprung up from the Anger of God which dominion and Reigning Power of Christ shall abolish and take away the Kingdome of this Mountaine and quite suppresse it and it denoteth unto us truely fundamentally and exactly that this Power and Authority would take upon it in its own Power the Arke of Noah viz. the Divine Covenant and carry it yea put it on as a Garment and proudly perch up it selfe therein as if it had the Kingdome of Christ in its own Power 35. And also it shewes and denotes unto us how that this mountaine of the wrathfull Anger of God in the humane property or in mans Nature would beautifie trim up and adorne it selfe with the Arke of Noah and would proclaime it to be the holy Arke of Christ and yet it would be onely founded upon the wrathfull Anger and be onely an Antichristian Kingdome which indeed would Carry the Ark viz. the Name of divine holinesse in the mouth but its Heart would be onely this Mountaine A Vessell and Confused heap of Gods wrath and yet it would make devout shewes of holiness and glory in having the Ark upon it selfe but the Aym
Adoption 37. This Ham hath now the dominion in Christendome he hath flattered with Japhet so that he hath set him up by the light of nature an externall specious divine worship as a Titular God This Titular God hath covered Ham in his beastiall Sodomiticall spirit with a very fair and glorious covering under the purple mantle of Christ and laid under his Head great * * * Or Sachells full Sacks full of the light of Grace and these the beastiall mouth-spirit of Ham must take along with it and when it must indeed dye then it hath whole sacks full of the light of Grace 38. But the light of Grace remaineth onely in the Sacks and Hams spirit remaineth in it selfe an Evill Beast and cannot truly open the Sacks and take out the light of Grace this Hams spirit is accursed and shall not inherit Gods Kingdome unlesse it be really born againe out of the light of Grace or else the sacks and coverings availe him not at all 39 For a Beast goeth into the Sanctuary or to holy Service of God and remaines a Beast when he comes thence Thy seeming Holinesse and Devotion thy comforting flattering and soothing up thy Selfe availes nothing unless thou returne again into thy first mother from whence man is originally proceeded and become as a little new-borne childe and let Ham and Japhet goe with all their Arts and Pratings 40. For Japhet obtaines it not in his specious glistering Kingdome unless he enter into Sems tent viz. into the light of Grace so that the same may be born in him outward adopted children availe not in Gods account but innate children born anew of the heavenly Ens in Christ Spirit and whosoever hath not the same is already judged Joh. chap. 3. The Second Part. THE SECOND PART OF THE Mysterium Magnum Beginneth with the Propagation of the Humane Tree through Noahs Children AND The building of the Tower of Babel and Confusion of the Speeches and their Division into Severall Nations This is The other Tree Wherein the Powers of the Properties unfold and forme themselves into the Languages even out of One into many Languages Tongues and Speeches Beginning with the X Chapter of Genesis and the 35 th Chapter of the Mysterium Magnum and ending with the XXXV Chapter of Genesis and the 64. Chapter of the Mysterium Magnum at the 5 th verse Written by JACOB BEHM Teutonicus LONDON Printed by M. Simmons for H. Blunden and are to be sold at the Castle in Corn-hill 1654. CHAPTER XXXV Shewes how the * * * Or Tree of Mankinde Humane Tree hath spread forth it selfe in its properties by the children of Noah and how they were divided and Severed at the Towre of Babel in their properties by the confusion of the Tongues into distinct Nations EVERY tree groweth first after that it shooteth out of its pregnant * * * Grain Kernell pippin Seed into a Stock Gen. X. afterwards into Branches and Boughes and bringeth forth further out of its Ens the Blossome and Fruit thus also we are to understand of the Humane Tree according to its vertue and manifestation of its hidden wonders of the divine wisdome which lay hid in the humane Ens and put it selfe forth in time out of each Degree of the properties 2. Adam was the first Ens to the Grain or pregnant fruitfull seed of mankinde and this same Ens which produced the humane life was in the divine wisdome in the word of the divine power of the divine understanding The Spirit of God brought this holy Ens out of the divine wisdome and lubet into the Verbum Fiat viz. into the desire of the forming word viz. into Nature and therein the Spirit of God figured the Ens of divine wisdome through the Speaking Word into a formall life and the nature of the three Principles into a Body into which body understand the Ens of nature the Spirit of God breathed this same figured shaped creatural life of Divine Vnderstanding 3. And hence man had his rise and became a living Soule both out of the heavenly spirituall Ens and out of the temporall Ens of the Earth and foure Elements both out of the constellation or Astrum of the divine Magick and naturall Magick a compleat perfect likenesse of God a delightfull Tree of the life of divine wisdome and Contemplation ingrafted into the Paradise of God viz. into heaven and into the Time of this world standing in both fit to * * * Generate again or propagate regenerate and forme his like out of himselfe like as out of one Tree many twiggs broughs branches and fruits doe grow where every fruit hath a Grain Kernell or Pippin in it fit to produce a new Stock and tree the like we are also to understand concerning the tree of mankinde 4. The inward spirituall Ens grew in its power in Adams life untill the outward earthly naturall one overcame him by the infectious perswasion of the Devill and then the naturall Ens put it selfe forcibly forth in the powers of the wonders of Nature and brought forth its branches and boughes out of the essence of nature 5. And though the holy Ens of the heavenly worlds Essence and being did disappeare in Adam by his infection and poysonfull Imagination yet the word of divine power did give is selfe againe thereinto by Covenant so that this Ens of the heavenly world was propagated all along in this tree untill the time of its now springing forth in the Ens of Mary where the Covenant was accomplished stood at its ayme and limit 6. Adms spirituall holy Stem grew untill his fall and there it stood still and then the word freely gave it selfe by the Covenant thereinto as into a disappeared expired Ens to regenerate it againe in its true Entity and the outward naturall Stem obtained the power and the selfe-growing life in the fall where then the Elements each of them in its property became sensible and full of its own selfefull power and operation and grew so unto the floud especially before the floud in its boughes and branches and did shew it selfe as a full grown Tree according to all the properties in Evill and Good 7. But the Powers had not as yet unfolded and explicated themselves therein for all men had onely one Language the Languages were made manifest out of the properties before the floud 8. They indeed understood the Language of Nature viz. the formed word in its difference but this difference or distinct variety was not as yet formed and framed into Tongues untill the Stock of the Humane Tree did after the floud bring its power into the Branches whereupon the tree of mankinde began to bloome and bloossme forth out of the properties of the powers of the formed Naturall Word viz. out of the Blessing wherewith God blessed Noah and his children viz. the branches of the tree and bad them be fruitfull and fill and replenish the Earth
which all People are as yet blinde 61. But the time is neare and the morning Star is appeared if any be able to see but the Babilonicall whore hath blindfolded all so that all Nations walk in the Night her Abominable whoredome is come before the most High who will blot out her shame which hath defiled the heaven This thou shalt soon finde by Experience in thy Drunkenness saith the Spirit of Wonders from its own Root CHAP. XXXVIII A cleare manifestation of the beginning of the heathenish war how Abraham delivered Lot his brothers Son and of the Royall Priest Melchisedeck of Salem to whom Abraham gave Tithes HEre we see very clearly Gen. XIV what the Imaginations purposes intentions and undertakings of men have been even from their youth upward how they have brought themselves out of the Image of God into halfe beastiall and halfe devillish properties viz. into Pride Coveteousnesse and selfefull domination in like manner as the Devill desired the same and therefore was cast out from his Kingdome 2. For here the Gentiles and the children of Ham at Sodom and Gomorrah and in the whole Region thereabouts did now begin to exercise their domineering Power among whom Abraham was onely a stranger and dwelt in the Plaine of Mamre as in a wildernesse where he kept Cattle but the Gentiles did tear and rend for the Kingdome of this world and for the externall might and power striving how one people might rule over another whose will and Dominion hath continued even to this day and hath received its beginning from the heathens and the children of Ham viz. from Babel from the divided tongues 3. When the Powers of the formed word viz. the properties of Nature did divide themselves and each introduced it selfe into a Selfishnesse then Strife and enmity did arise among them for the Centre of the nature of the darke world hath obtained his Dominion in the fallen property of man for men were as dead to the Kingdome of God viz. in the Love and humility and lived at present to the outward Stars and the four Elements 4. Also the Devill had built his strong hold in the Serpents Ens in man therefore they sought onely after that which made them Great and Potent in the world and yet we may see how the Devill did onely foole and Ape them in the wrath of God so that they s●ew one another and esteemed Temporall pleasure higher then their life which is the greatest folly under the Sun that man should bring his life into deaths danger for a poor silly pride sake whereas yet he knowes not whether he shall hold and possesse that for which he murthereth killeth and slayes 5. And we see how soone the Devill in his envy and pride ruled in them for though they had the whole Earth before them to possesse and many Countries and Islands were un-inhabited yet they undertake warre that so they might but domineere over one another and rob and plunder one another thus the Devill as mans Enemy brought them into his pride that they might serve him 6. T is not in vaine that Christ calls him a Prince of this world he is a Prince according to the property of the wrath of the darke world in and according to the same property he ruleth man in body and Soul in will and minde 7. For all war and contention doth arise out of the nature and property of the dark world viz. from the four Elements of the Anger of God which produceth in the creatue Pride Coveteousnesse Envy and Anger these are the four Elements of the darke world wherein the Devills and all evill creatures live and from these four Elements ariseth warre 8. For although God bad the people of Israel drive out the heathen and wage warre yet the Command was wholly from the Angry zealous God viz. from the fires property for the heathen had stirred up the wrath and indignation which would devoure them but God so far as he is called God desireth no warre yea he cannot desire any thing that is evill or destructive for he is according to the Second Principle onely Good and giving and giveth himselfe to all things 9. But according to the darke worlds nature he is an Angry zealous God and a consuming fire if his wrath be awakened according to this property he desireth to consume all that moveth and enkindleth it selfe therein and from this property God bad Israel fight and Smite the heathen for his Anger was set on fire in them and they were as wood cast into the fire which the fire desireth to consume 10. Therefore the wrath of God bad one Nation slay another that it might even out of his wrath be taken away otherwise the fire of his Anger would have Enkindled it selfe as hapned to the five Kingdomes of Sodom and Gomorrah thus the wrath of God did satiate it selfe in the life of the wicked which it devoured into it selfe in that they slew one another 11. As it yet now adayes so comes to passe that oftentimes men cry unto God for to give them Successe and Victory against their Enemies that they might murther them but God giveth them not victory therein but the Sword of his Anger which they awaken with their prayers fierce desires and will were they true men and children of God they would need no war for the holy Spirit doth not wage war but he onely loveth and giveth but according to the property of the Anger he consumeth all un-godlinesse and wicked doings and is thereby more blown and stirred up in indignation 12. For the more a man addeth wood to the fire and stirs it the more it doth elevate and enflame it selfe untill it devoureth whatsoever it can reach the like also is to be understood concerning the zeale of God this Enkindled Anger-zeale of God was set on fire in Adam and it did devoure his Image of the holy world and passed from Adam upon all men 13. For they which were in the line of the Covenant had the Enkindled zeale according to the first Principle viz. according to the Soul and body also in them the one not better then the other the Serpents Ens lay as well in Abraham and his children according to the Enkindled Soule and according to the grosse beastiall property of the mortall as in the Gentiles except the Line of Christ in them which was not the Sinfull mans Selfehood but it stood in Gods power as the heaven standeth in the world and yet the one is not the other and as the heaven stands in hell and hell in heaven and yet the one doth neither confound or comprehend the other or as the night is in the day and the day in the night or as the light of nature dwelleth and shineth in the darkness 14. Thus we are to understand how the children of the Saints have waged war against the crew of wicked men and drove them out viz. in the Anger 's property which managed
Abraham in a vision and established the Covenant with him in his Seed and how Abrahams faith laid hold of the Covenant which God accounted unto him for Righteousnesse and how God commanded him to offer Sacrifice and what is thereby to be understood MOses saith After these things it came to passe that the word of the Lord came to Abraham in a vision and said Gen. XV. Vers. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7. feare not Abram I am thy Shield and exceeding great reward but Abram said Lord God what wilt thou give me seeing I goe childlesse and the steward of my house hath a Son this Eliezer of Damascus and Abraham said further To me thou hast given no Seed and lo this son of my servant will be mine heir and behold the Lord said unto him he shall not be thine heir but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowells shall be thine heir and he commanded him to goe forth and said looke towards the Heaven and number the Stars canst thou number them and he said unto him even so shall thy Seed be Abraham beleeved God and that was counted to him for Righteousnesse 2. In this portion of Scripture lieth the Root of the Christian Faith for God said to Abraham that he was his Shield and Reward that he would give him the seed out of his loins God would be Abrahams reward and give him a Son of his own whose Seed should be as the Stars in heaven which are innumerable and his Stewards son should not be heir viz. the Animall humane Seed full of the Serpents Ens shall not inherit but Gods Reward Gods Ens He would give in his Reward into his Seed viz. into the Power of his loines which should be a Seed like unto the Stars of Heaven he looked upon the Seed in the Covenant viz. upon the Eternall Kingdome which should be as the Stars in Heaven so pure bright clear and innumerable and this Abraham beleeved and it was imputed to him for Righteousnesse 3. Beleeving here is this much viz. he received and laid hold of the word he tooke it into his desire viz. into the humane Ens the Aym in the Covenant in the formed Compounded word viz. in Abrahams nature and property Received the Speaking word of God viz. the Promise and both these were formed into One and in this One Abrahams faith was Right for God counted the word which Abraham received into his faiths desire unto him for Righteousnesse for propriety and for Justification 4. For thus received or in-taken word justified the creaturall word viz. the expressed created word understand that word which had formed it selfe in the humane property and brought it selfe into a creature and put it selfe forth out of the Three Principles into an Image in which Image the Selfe-will had through desire and lust elevated it selfe with the darke worlds property viz. in the fire of Gods Anger and introduced it selfe into an Earthly grossenesse into which Grosse Image the Devill also had introduced by the Serpent his Ens will and desire 5. Now the living Eternall-Speaking holy word came forth out of the Light 's and divine Love's property to help this Ens this compacted Word and created Image and became its Reward this same Abrahams naturall word and power received into it selfe and this same Word of God intaken and fixed in the desire justified Abrahams Corrupted word it was his Righteousnesse the same destroyed the Anger and ruinated the Devills desire and will understand in mans Ens viz. in the formed word this was effected 6. For there is no Faith without Gods word and power therefore Abraham did now take Gods power and promise into his Ens in him and formed or conceived the same into a Substance of his Spirit this was the Faith of Justification that Gods word and the humane will and desire came into one spirituall Substance Thus God accounted the Received or in-spoken Apprehended Word unto Abraham for Righteousnesse viz. for propriety and this is the ground and root of faith that he tooke in or imprinted Gods promise into his desire as his very own and let not the same passe from him in Doubt as Jacob did who tooke the word of promise into him and said I will not let thee goe untill thou dost blesse me and wrestled the whole night with the word of Power untill he obtained victory so that the promised word gave in it selfe to him for propriety viz. to a blessing or a great Reward as here in Abraham 7. Thus understand us very accurately the Incorporated word of the Covenant in Paradise which God promised to Adam concerning the bruiser of the Serpents head did here at present wrestle through Jacobs formed word of the humane property with the new promised word viz. with the living word which did at present move it selfe in him and would that the corrupt humane Ens might be blessed with Gods Love that the wound might be healed and it did long and pant after the fulfilling of the Covenant that God would be pleased forthwith to introduce the holy Ens of his heavenly essentiality into mans Essence that Christ might be born out of Gods and mans Essence therefore Let Christendome know that Faith is not onely an hystory or knowledge but a reall Substance 8. Faith is nothing else but the uniting of ones will to God and the receiving of Gods word and power into the will that so both these viz. Gods will and mans will become both one Substance and Essence that the humane will be even Gods will and even then Christ in his Suffering death and Resurrection is accounted unto his own humanity for Righteousnesse so that man becomes e e e Viz. Christ· Christus or the Anointed understand according to the spirituall man and thus we put on Christ in Abrahams faith and are twiggs shoots and branches in his vine and the Temple of God he that teacheth and beleeveth otherwise is yet in the compacted un-contrite or un-cloven Tongue of unbeleefe in the whoredome of Babylon 9. This is the true reall ground of our Christian faith that as Abraham put on Christ in the faith so we also at present doe receive and in our heavenly part of the humanity put on Christ in his humanity according to the heavenly worlds Essence in the same flesh and bloud which Melchisedech represented and brought to Abraham in the heavenly bread and wine viz. in the Type thereof yea wholly receive it into our Ens of the heavenly worlds Essence which dyed in Adam and become alive therein and arise from death in Christ and dwell very essentially with our spirituall man in him and even then he is our own Righteousnesse we in him and he in us Onely One Christ One God One Faith One Tree in the Paradise of God in the Stem which is God and in the Power and vertue thereof which is Christ and in the branches of the tree which are we Christians wholly One Tree
For in Abraham the inheritance of the true Sonship was again manifested but Ismael was not born of the inheritance of the Sonship but of the rejected Seed but now God offered again out of free-Grace his holy inheritance in Abraham that he would generate the rejected Seed in this new Mother which gave in it selfe into Abrahams Seed again in himselfe to a childlike Seed 57. Not that the rebellious Runagate Adamicall will in the Selfe-hood in Ismael should be received into this Mother no the same is wholly cast out with Ismael in all respects from the filial Inheritance he cannot be born anew unless he dye to his selfe and own willing and come in a converted will to God in Christ as the lost Son who neither wills nor desires any thing from a naturall proper Right but onely that the Lord of the Goods would have Mercy on him and receive him again to be a Day-labourer This converted will God doth * * * Text. Engraft or in-linage take in to his gratious free-given inheritance viz. into the goods of Abraham in Christ and maketh it to be Heir in Isaac's goods viz. in Isaacks freely given Inheritance in Christ. 58. Ismael was cast out from Abrahams viz. from Gods goods that he might come unto his Son to whom he gave the whole inheritance and entreat him for the filial inheritance for the naturall Adamicall man had lost it and that which was lost was again freely given to the Covenant of Abraham viz. to the blessed Seed that is to the man Christ and he now doth freely give it unto them who come unto him 59. All men who come unto God the Father and pray unto him for the Eternall * * * Or Sonship Adoption unto all them he giveth the Adoption in his Son Christ unto whom he hath freely granted the whole inheritance viz. the Hierarchie of mankinde viz. the possession of the Throne of the Angelicall World even in the place of this world and given unto him all the power of rule and dominion as he said Matth. 28.18 all power in Heaven and in Earth is given to mee of my Father 60. For God the Father ruleth the place of this world in his Son Christ and all men who now come unto God they come to him in Christ who is the Lord viz. the mouth of his Father 61. Christ is the Staffe wherewith he guides and feeds his sheep in Christs voyce all poor Sinners who turn to God are born to a new will and life and in the filial birth in Christs voyce they dye wholly unto the own will of selfehood in Christs death 62. For Christ is dead to the humane Selfehood in the Fathers Anger and buried with the will of Selfe in the eternall death and is risen again in his Fathers will and liveth and ruleth to all eternity in his Fathers will 63. God the Father introduced his Voyce and Word viz. his manifestation into the Seed of Abraham viz. into mans will of Selfe and brought that will of the humane Selfehood with his own introduced voyce into the death and into hell which death and hell were manifest in the Selfehood of mans own will and in the Power of his manifested voyce He did destroy the death and hell in the Voyce and Word of mans Selfehood so that man should not any more will to himselfe but what he now willeth the same he must will in the manifested voyce of God 64. So long as Ismael * * * Or would take the inheritance willed in the voyce of his scorning contemning Selfe he could not be heir of these introduced free-given goods but when he hath turned to God and forsaken the will of Selfe then God also sendeth the Angel to him even while he is in his Mothers Wombe and saith * * * Gen. 16.9 Return again to the free and humble thy selfe under her hand and thou shalt live 65. For Ismael was run away from God in the wombe which signifies the fugitive runagate nature of man in Selfehood and in the Mothers wombe God sent him an Angel to recall him noting that * * * Note all wicked men are called inwardly by the voyce of God while they are yet in the wombe and also the time of their whole life in their own essence and beeing Onely the naturall will of Selfehood stoppeth its hearing so that the voyce of God is not manifest therein 66. That is like as the Sun shineth all the day long and giveth it selfe unto every Essence which will but receive its power so likewise the voyce of God soundeth through all men to recall and reclaim them the whole time of their life so soon as the Seed is sown in the wombe the voyce of God is sounding or working therein to a good fruit but on the contrary also the voyce of Gods Anger soundeth in the Essence of mans Selfehood there is a continuall combate betwixt them as with heat and cold that which gets victory of that is the fruit this strife continueth as long as man liveth in this world 67. Therefore we declare with good ground that men ought not to make conclusions concerning the children of Gods Saints as if God had so out of his purpose begotten one to condemnation and hardned him that he could not come to the Adoption and chosen in himselfe another that he could not be lost it is a meer groundlesse fiction There is no footing or foundation at all for it either in the book of Nature or in the holy Scripture it proceeds from the Abyss and bottomless smoaky pit of darkness and hypocrisie 68. By the * * * Or the Stems Tribes of the Saints in whom the divine Covenant hath opened it selfe viz. by the Patriarchs as Adam Noah Abraham Isaac and Jacob there are alwayes two figures represented viz. Christ and Adam a good and an evill man 69. Cain Ham Ismael and Esau were types of the corrupt man and Abel Sem Isaac and Jacob were types of Christ who opened himselfe in this line and set himselfe forth before the corrupt children of Adam as a light and Preacher to convert them 70. For * * * Joh. 3.17 God hath not sent his Son to condemn the world viz. the poor corrupt man but he hath therefore sent him into the world among the Godless crew of evill men to teach and call them and those who have a willing desire to hear he will save even those that have but a sparkle of the divine Ens which is capable of hearing in them The quickning and renewing voyce of Christ doth cry and call in that little spark which is in all these that is it bloweth up that little spark that it may become a divine fire 71. And that we may open wide the eyes of the blind Selfe-named Christendome and also of the Jewes in their boasting that they may not so brag and stand upon their knowledge as if they onely were
confirmed the Covenant of Righteousness he then sent these two Angels viz. Gods truth and judgement to Sodom to blott out and destroy the children of Ham viz. the malicious vile rebellious halfe-Devills men that so the Devills Kingdome might be lesned and not grow so great upon the earth and hinder his Kingdome The inward Figure stands thus 24. It rained brimstone and fire from the Lord from Heaven saith Moses This was not the inward hellish fire which at the End of dayes shall purge the Floar otherwise the foure Elements would have been changed it was onely a figure of the future The Originall of the brimstone and fire was generated in Turba magna in the third Principle it was onely a Sword of vengeance The inward fire consumes earth and stones and all Elements but this was onely a fire as is generated in the * * * Thunder-clap Tempest in Turba magna in the * * * Or Excrement Egest which the Constellation casteth forth from it selfe which is a materia thereunto although it be no palpable matter or substance yet it is a spirituall substance in which Mercurius doth enkindle it selfe in the Salniter viz. in the fire crack where then also the flagratt or fire crack doth fix it selfe into a Substance or Essence which is Brimstone 25. For the Three first properties viz. Sulphur Mercurius and the Salt-sharpnesse are in the Originall as they are yet a spirit onely one Thing but when Mercurius viz. the Sound of the formed word doth move it selfe in the Principle viz. in its first Originall by an Opposition or Contrary Aspect then he is terrified in himselfe that is the motion stirreth the Originall of the heat and cold viz. the Originall of the first Principle according to the cold and hott fire which is the beginning of the Contrariety and horror from whence the fire-flash or Salnitrall flagratt doth arise where also the Three first viz. the heat the cold and the Sound do each impresse and introduce it selfe into a peculiar substance in the Flagrat viz. the heat into Brimstone and the cold into a saltish property and Mercurius into a watry property and yet they were not wholly separated and each of them of another or sundry substance by it selfe but fixt together according to one property 26. The like also we are here to understand concerning the Brimstone-fire the wrath of the first Principle viz. Gods Anger according to the eternall nature did behold the outward nature in the third Principle with an * * * Or Dar●ing flash Aspect which is called Turba magna being a Turba in the Soul of the outward world in the spirit of nature whence the outward nature doth enflame and enkindle it selfe and the * * * The prime Ternary of nature three first properties do fix themselves into a Substance viz. into Brimstone Salt and into a Mercuriall poysonfull water in which the flagrat or flash of the fire did enkindle and impress it selfe and so being enkindled did rain upon Sodom and Gomorrah and upon the Plain of the Countrey and destroyed all this is it which is said The Lord rained brimstone and fire from the Lord out of Heaven 27. Not that this matter of the Brimstone and fire came from the inward heaven but the wrath came forth from the inward into the outward Principle so that the outward in the Might of the inward did impress and enkindle it selfe out of the properties of the inward and this is a reall Type of the inward dark world if the same nature doth move it selfe then it is even so in spirituall property which God calleth his wrath and Anger and a consuming fire for if this inward spirituall dark World did move it selfe the outward World with the four Elements would forth with be swallowed up in this same spirit-fire which shall come to passe at the End of Dayes 28. And here we have a figure of this in Lots wife who was turned to a Pillar of Salt that the three First properties had moved themselves for she after that she had looked back into the Turba was apprehended or taken in the Salts-spirit in its Impression which denoteth that she was * * * Or that property was most predominant in her most of that very property viz. Covetous in the desire in which she also was taken and apprehended in the sifting Probation of the Angel 29. And though the Angel had defended her from the fire-wrath yet she was taken in the wrath of nature of her own peculiar property viz. the Turba magna laid hold of the Body viz. the substance of the third Principle and changed it into its own peculiar property viz. into the might of the first which was chiefly predominant in her Body according to which property also she was apprehended in the Turba 30. And we ought not to account this a strange thing for we have very much hereof in the Scripture Let us look upon Vzza who was apprehended and smitten by the Ark of the Covenant when he did onely touch the same when the wrath of God was moved but in the * * * That is awakened and stirred up and not atoned Sound Let us see also how it seized on the Philistins when they had the Ark of the Covenant with them also how it devoured Chorah Dathan and Abiram by Moses in the Wildernesse all these have but one Originall but each is peculiarly manifest in its own matter and manner according as the Turba is enkindled among the Three First properties 31. But if Lots wife had apprehended and laid hold of the word of Truth and Mercy in the Message of the Angel it had well protected her but shee did not beleeve what the Angel said and very like shee loved her Temporall goods all which shee must forsake and looked back again and earnestly longed after the Temporall and the Turba of Time did also apprehend her so that she according to the substance of the Body must remain in the first matter out of which God had extracted the Limus of the earth and formed it into a spirituall living Image untill the Lord shall again transmute the same substance into a spirituall Essence 32. And it was don to the End that man should yet see what he is according to the outward Body if God withdraweth his Spirit therefrom and that he requireth the ground of the heart and not onely a mouth-hypocrisie and flatteries of a seeming holy devout lip-labour that a man should onely comfort himselfe with the Grace tendered feeding himselfe with an outward apprehension or application thereof and receive the same onely as a free gift of grace from without and yet remain an Evill Beast in the spirit and will 33. As the present Babylonicall Christendome doth which also with Lots wife receiveth the grace onely externally or by a strange Imaginary Imputation and comforts it selfe with the grace but remaineth in the heart in selfehood and the lust
the will to the Selfehood or ownhood of this world and although the flesh be disquieted being it must forsake what it fain would have yet the true nature and the Soul must not give heed to it Also it must not take care for the sake of the flesh where that should have its maintenance but commit it to God and go on in his calling as a day-labourer in the Service of his Lord and Master and let God take care for the Ram and give it what he please 33. And the Angel of the Lord called unto Abraham out of Heaven the second time and said by my selfe have I sworn saith the Lord Gen. 22. v. 15. to the 19. because thou hast don this thing and hast not spared thy onely Son that I will bless and multiply thy Seed as 〈◊〉 ●tars of the Heaven and as the Sand that is upon the Sea-shore and thy Seed shall possesse the Gate of his enemies and through thy Seed shall all the Nations of the earth be blessed because thou hast obeyed my voyce and so Abraham returned to his young men and they rose up and went together to Beer-sheba and dwelt there This is now the Seal of Faith when man hath wholly given himselfe up to God then God sweareth unto the humanity by him selfe that he will blesse man that his life's essence shall thence forward spread forth it selfe in his Power and grow unto a great Tree of divine Essence in the wisdome whose fruit and knowledge shall be infinite and innumerable as he sware unto Abraham that out of his body or life's essence many Nations should arise also how his life's essence should possess the Gates of the enemies viz. of the Devill and Death as heere he gives a full and pregnant hint concerning Christ and his Christendome how they should destroy the Devills Kingdome and break down his Gate in man This the faith in Gods children is able to do 34. For so soon as the iudgement of the earthly man hath been held in the penitent man so that the Soul rejecteth the will of the evill flesh viz. the will of the Animal Soul and brings it into judgement to the condemnation of death and resignes it selfe up wholly unto God then God sweareth in Christ Jesus this Oath unto the Soul and setts it to be a Prince over the enemies viz. over the proud and haughty Devills even to judge them and obtains full power over them and drives them out 35. After these things Moses mentioneth how the blessing of Abraham did spread forth it selfe and he maketh a relation of his brother Nahor how Milcah bare unto him eight Sons from whom great Nations did arise viz. the Assyrians who indeed did not spring forth out of the Ens of faith viz. in the line of Christ as Abraham but out of the naturall Adam upon whom also the blessing of Abraham did * * * Passed or went light for the history is so exactly deciphered that a man may see that God hath not onely chosen the naturall line of Christ proceeding from Abraham and Isaac but also the lines of nature in the Adamicall Tree which he would also bring together and manifest himselfe to them and they who would beleeve in God should be engrafted into the line of Christ that is those who should be capable of the divine Ens in the voice of the Lord whose will should direct it selfe to God 36. As wee may see again in this figure how God hath not rejected the Kingdome of nature in man but that he in Christ will deliver it out of the Anguish and Enmity and that a man should and must continue in the Kingdome of nature as Abraham when he had finished this offering he went with his Son and two young men to Beer-sheba and dwelt there by which the Spirit of Moses signifieth that when Abraham had performed this Calling in the figure of Christ before the Lord he returned again unto his naturall affaires viz. unto the doing of this worlds business he went to Beer-sheba that is into the toil and labour whereinto Adam hath brought us where a child of God in the cloven and broken nature viz. in Beer-sheba must work in God with teaching and praying and also in nature with the labour of the hand to maintain the outward man and follow the wonders of the outward world in the formed word and help to form manifest and bring them forth in ●●●ure to the Contemplation of the wisdome of God 37. Also hereby is hinted very clearly that a child of God in this worlds being doth not stand daily and hourely in the Operation of the spirituall figure that his Spirit can see and know that onely but also in the naturall where the Spirit of God goes also along working in the work of nature and manifests it selfe in another property in him as it may be seen here in Abraham and all the Saints that God did sometimes manifest himselfe to them in the figure of Christ and sometimes again in the Cross and labour in the Temptation and contrariety of the nature of the corrupt Adam so that they have lived in weakness and infirmities as all Adams children have don and do 38. And we ought not to look upon and consider this figure concerning Abraham in all that the Spirit of Moses and * * * Text. Ezra Note concerning Esdras Esdras hath written down but as a Type of Christ and Adam viz. of the Kingdome of Christ and the Kingdome of nature that hereby God hath represented the figure of Christ and his Christendome how he would again Redeem and deliver them from the Great Toil and Labour 39. Wherewith also the Kingdome of darkness in the Pain and Torment is continually represented and how the same doth pant and reach after man and how man doth stand here in this life as in a field and growes on Whom sometimes the Sun of divine Love doth eglimpse and shine and sometimes again Gods wrath and Anger and how man must be purged tryed and purified and the chiefest and most especiall point herein is this that a man must give up and resigne himselfe to God in faith and full assurance and hold still unto him and let him work in him as he please and how also he must learn to bend and bow his own nature and lead it towards God that it in all things may desire to be Gods instrument and Servant and desire and will to work nothing but what belongs to the divine manifestation in the wonders of nature for the Contemplation of Gods wisdome and on the contrary reject the Own will of the Devill and all desire to Selfehood 40. And we should not look upon the written History of Moses concerning the Patriarchs so blindly as the Jewes and Babel do as if they were onely a meer History no the same is not onely full of the types of Christ and Adam viz. of the old and new man but there are also secret
* * * Or quenched putt out among them untill they at last also ‖ ‖ ‖ Esdras wrote the Book of the Law and Histories again after they were lost lost the Book of the Law with the holy Histories and Esdras wrote for them again the figure and History in the spirit of God and that very short brief and exactly according to the spirituall figure in which they were more blind then seing as to this day their eyes are blinded and that because they abused the knowledge of the true God and served the nature of this world and honored their Evill will above God therefore also God hath withdrawn himselfe from them with his Mysteries and hath suffered them to run up and downe as children full of ignorance with the figure untill the Gentiles time in the manifestation of Grace in which they also have onely abused the time of Grace and the open Seal in their evill nature doth also come to its end and limitt and then the figure shall be fully manifest in the * * * Substantially Declaring the very thing it selfe unclothing it of its figures and parables Essence ‖ ‖ ‖ Mat 24.14 for a witness to all Nations and after that the Judgement 53. And the spirit of Moses saith further * * * Gen. 25.27 Jacob was a plain man and dwelt in tents and Rebecca loved Jacob Reason understands this figure of a woman-like motherly naturall love but the spirit hath not written this figure for that for Rebecca pressed earnestly that Jacob might receive the blessing of Abraham and Isaac she loved Jacob as to his Originall which although she might not so well understand externally and rationally yet the spirit in the Covenant understood it in her which moved her also to bear such a Love towards Jacob for there was also a conjunction between the Mother and Son 54. For Rebecca was shutt up and barren but when Isaac did bring his prayer and earnest desire to God for her then the Ens in the Covenant gave it selfe into his faith in his desire and so forth in the opening of Rebecca into the Conception for herewith also the barren or shutt up mother was opened so that her fruit viz. Jacob and shee came into one degree of nature and received one and the same Love from Isaacs desire for the Ens of faith was conceived in the Tincture of Venus in Rebecca and as it is said of Mary Christs mother after the humanity that * she was blessed among all women so also Rebecca did here receive the blessing from the divine Ens indeed not in the high degree as Mary but yet according to the property of the Covenant and hence it was that the love of the Covenant was manifest in her as the Ens of faith was also in Jacob wherein the Love of God burned so that shee loved Jacob more then Esau for the Love-desire in the Mother and Son was from one Originall and therefore her desire inclined it selfe more towards Jacob then Esau and also because that the heavenly holy matrix disappeared in Adam was moved in her Image disappeared or dead as to the heavenly worlds Essence which matrix afterwards was wholly opened in Mary now this matrix did long to receive the Ens of Christ which was manifest in Jacob which first was to be effected in Mary and yet the spirit in the Covenant did take its Love-sport and delight herewith 55. But that the spirit of Moses saith Jacob was a plain honest man and remained in Tents he understands thereby that the true Jacob in the Ens of faith remained in the Tents of the outward nature that the Ens of faith remained in his nature which is onely a Tent thereto that he did not give himselfe wholly to the Tent as Adam did but he remained therein in his principle till God in the fullness of time brought him forth in Christs humanity through the Tents of nature CHAP. LIII How Esau contemned his birth-right and sold it for a Mess of Lentil-Pottage what we are to understand by this figure WHen the spirit of Moses had set down the birth of Esau and Jacob Gen. XXV vers 29. he proceeds to relate presently how the naturall Adamicall man would but little or nothing regard this High gift in the Covenant and would onely seek after the Belly-filling of the earthly life as Esau who gave his birth-right for Pottage of Lentil that he might but serve his belly The figure of Moses stands thus 2. And Jacob sod Pottage and Esau came from the field and he was faint Gen. 25.29 to the 34. and Esau said to Jacob feed me I pray thee with that same red Pottage for I am faint and hence his name was called Edom but Jacob said Sell mee this day thy birth-right and Esau answered Lo I must even dye and what profit will this birth-right be to mee And Jacob said swear to me this day and he sware unto him and so he sold his birth-right to Jacob then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of Lentils and he did eat and drink and rose up and went his way thus Esau despised his birth-right This figure externally hath but a plain and child-like semblance but yet it is a figure of the greatest mysteries for Esau betokens the first power of the naturall created Adam and Jacob betokens the power of the other Adam Christ thus doth the spirit here play with the figure 3. For Adams nature came from the field and was faint and longed to eat of the Pottage which Jacob had Adam was a Limus of the earth and a Limus of heaven but being he dyed to the Limus of heaven the earthly nature had wearied him in its strife and in this figure of faint Adam ●sau stood here 4. The red Lentil pottage which Jacob had after which the faint Adam in Esau longed was the Ens of faith viz. the Ens of Christ the Adamicall nature in Esau in its Anguish and toilsome labour in its corruption and misery longed after this Pottage which was in Jacob yet the Earthly nature of Esau understood it not but the Soules nature which also longed after Christs Ens which was strange or a far off hidden to Reason 5. Esaus soulish nature said in its Longing to Jacob let me I pray thee tast of the red pottage for I am weary and faint by reason of the Driver or fomenter of the Anxious birth and from this longing or lust he was called EDOM which signifieth in the compaction of the word in the formation of the Tongue of Sence as much as a dipping or immersing of the captivate Angelicall property into the pottage as if there the Soules longing or lubet in which the Angels Character did yet stand although captivated did dip or plunge it selfe with the desire into the holy Ens and would take the holy Ens in the divine Pottage viz. the heavenly essentiality into the lust of
blessing belonged so God the Father reached into the Essence of his Son Christ and felt whether the humanity of Christ were the first Image created in Adam * * * Note the cause of the Bloudy-sweat whence the Agony seised on him in the Mount of Olivet that he sweat bloody sweat of which Esaias speaketh plainly He took on him our grief 26. And as Isaac found outwardly onely Esaus skin on Jacob and inwardly heard Jacobs voice and yet blessed him in stead of Esau as if he were Esau so likewise God the Father found our rugged humane property on Christ and yet inwardly he heard that the voice of God sounded in him that the divine heavenly Ens was within under his assumed humanity therefore also his voice did in his Baptisme in Jordan rest upon him when he blessed our humanity in that he said This is my beloved Son hear yee him 27. So likewise Isaac heard indeed the voice of Jacob under the hairy skin and understood that it was not Esau but the spirit in his blessing did yet forcibly passe upon him for he proved in him the incorporated ground of the Covenant viz. the Line of the new humanity for he said * * * Gen. 27.22 The voice is Jacobs voice but the hands are the hands of Esau in which the spirit intimates that in Jacob and all the children of God in flesh and bloud there is even the first depraved beastiall Adamicall man with his hairy skin which God doth not look upon but only the divine voice which is one spirit with God doth inhabit in the inward Soulish-Man 28. And then we see in this figure that our beasts skin in flesh and bloud wherewith we do so pride our selves and make devout shewes before God is onely a deceit as Jacob in this beasts hide stood as a deceiver before his father and would blinde his father with the beasts skin so likewise the earthly man cometh in his beastiall property before God and desireth Gods blessing but he may not obtain it unless he hath Jacobs viz. Christs voice in him under this beasts skin 29. For as Jacob was smooth and pure under this beasts skin so must we be smooth pure and holy in our inward ground * * * Of the heart and soule under this our beasts skin if we will have the Blessing of God to light and rest upon us for we see very well in this figure that the blessing would not rest upon Esau who had by nature a rugged hairy beasts skin in his essence although he was the first-born to whom the blessing belonged by right of Inheritance for the first Man was become depraved in his nature and had lost the inheritance of God the blessing and the filial inheritance resteth onely upon the Second new Adam 30. Further this figure denotes that the new man in Christ should take away the scepter and might from the Devill and also from the Man of Sin and in this blessing rule over him in power as Jacob was made Lord over his Enemies this figure points wholly at Christ. 31. For as Jacob took a strange form on him and came in strange attire before his father and desired the blessing of him and also obtained it so Christ viz. the Eternall word took on him also a strange form viz. our humanity and brought the same before his father to bless it 32. And as * * * Gen. 27.28 Isaac blessed his Son Jacob with the dew of heaven and the fatness of the earth with Corn and wine even so God the Father blessed our humanity in Christ for our humanity was also in its originall out of the limus of the Earth and was nourished and brought up by the dew of heaven even by corn and wine this God blessed to the new birth and Resurrection of the dead upon the life to come 33. And as Isaac set Jacob to * * * Gen. 27.29 be Lord over his brethren of the naturall property so God hath set the new birth in the blessing of Christ to be Lord over the Adamicall nature in flesh and bloud so that the new man born of Gods Blessing must rule over all the members of his naturall body and they must be subject to the new man 34. And as Isaac set the curse between them * * * Gen. 27.29 That whosoever should curse Jacob he should be accursed and whosoever should bless him he should also be blessed so God hath set the curse upon the corrupt Adamicall kingdome that whosoever should not be found in the blessing of Christ he must be Eternally in the curse of God but whosoever should bring his minde and will into this Jacobs viz. Christs blessing he should be for Ever in the blessing 35. Further we see in this type how it goeth with the children of God for * * * Gen. 27.30 31 32 33. when Isaac had blessed Jacob then came Esau with his venison and his father Isaac was astonished and said why who art thou and he was dismayed at it that he had unknowingly blessed Jacob which typifieth how that the Adamicall man understands nothing at all of Gods wayes and how God doth oftentimes wonderfully leade him according to the inward ground and that although he be carried on in the way of God yet he looketh much at the outward Reason and often stumbleth at externall Rationall things at Temporall orders and goods and suffereth fear to surprize him and would fain that the will of his Reason be done as here Isaac trembled exceedingly when he saw that the will of his reason was broken 36. And herein we acknowledge the misery and ignorance of the children of God in that reason entereth into its own dominion and will not wholly leave it selfe to God and is astonished when it goeth otherwise then it hath imagined to it selfe 37. And then we see how God at last doth break forth with his light in the understanding and sheweth man his way that he is satisfied as he did here to Isaac in that he said * * * Gen. 27.33 This Jacob is blessed and he shall also remain blessed for now he understood Gods will 38. Further we see in this history how * * * Gen 27.34 to the 34. Esau weepeth lamentably before his father for the blessing and saith to his father bless me also my father hast thou but one blessing hast thou not reserved one blessing for me but his father said I have made him thy Lord and all his brethren I have given to him for Servants with corn and wine I have enriched him What shall I doe now unto thee my Son This typifieth out the kingdome of Christ shewing how God hath made it Lord over the kingdome of nature as Christ said * * * Matth. 28.18 All power both in heaven and upon earth is given to mee of my Father 39. Furthermore it denotes that the corrupt Adamicall nature in Esau and
all men cannot receive the blessing unless they first dye unto their own selfe-Right and will as Esau could not be blessed of his father with the holy blessing for he was the type of the corrupt Adam according to the kingdome of nature so likewise the earthly nature cannot be capable of the holy Spirit in its Essence of which Christ John 6 Chap. said * Flesh and bloud shall not inheritt the kingdome of God unless it fals into the earth and enter again into its first wombe as Grain that is sown and resigne its nature to the first mother 40. And then we see here how Isaac giveth his Son Esau a temporall blessing and intimates to him that the naturall man is lead by the spirit of this world for to Jacob he said * * * Gen. 27.28 God give thee of the dew of heaven and of the fatnesse of the earth and of corn and wine abundance but to Esau he said onely * * * Gen. 27.28 Behold thou wilt have a fatt dwelling upon the earth and of the dew of heaven from above thou wilt live by thy sword and serve thy brethren and it will come to passe when thou shalt have the dominion that thou wilt break his yoke from off thy Neck 41. And hereby he signifyeth in what dominion the outward naturall man is lead driven and nourished and what his desire and endeavour should be namely he would be in his Minde onely a Robber Murtherer and an evill malicious beast that should desire to bear down all under it with power force and murther 42. For Isaac doth not say Live thou by thy sword but thou wilt do it viz. Gods wrath in the kingdome of the corrupt nature with the devills will will move thee thereunto that thou wilt draw the fatness of the earth unto thy selfe and wilt be ruled and driven by the Stars above and wilt in thy naturall power drive away from thee the children of God who rule in Gods power that is when the holy Spirit in Gods children doth Reprove them by reason of their Tyranny they then kill and slay them and tear the sword of the holy Ghost from off their Neck as here Isaac said thou wilt do it 43. As indeed Esau soon did and would have killed Jacob so that Jacob in Gods blessing was fain to slie from him and here he pulled off the yoke of the holy Spirit from his neck and this prophecy of the Patriarch is a figure how the Esauites and Tyrants viz. the fleshly brethren of the Christians would dwell among the Christians and be born as to their naturall brotherhood of the same Parents as Esau and Jacob and yet they would persecute them with sword and torments and thrust them away and yet stand themselves as if they were the onely true Christians and desire the blessing of God as Esau stood and wept bitterly for the blessing and he did not minde the kingdome of God but that he might be a Lord upon the earth over his brethren and other men and might have riches and fullness of the Belly 44. This Esau in his blessing is a true type of Antichrist who draweth neer to God with the lips and gives himselfe to an externall seeming service and worship of Christ and sets himselfe forth as if he did it to God and stands and makes mighty holy shewes in his hypocrisie and glistering verballities setts forth himselfe with zeal and devotion that so he might be honored of man and that his God Mammon and Maozim may be fat and doth even mourn and lament for malice when men will not do that for him which he will have when he cannot get enough of the Belly-blessing according to the will of his God Maozim and whosoever doth but reprove or touch him and speakes to him of the Blessing of God him he will slay and cannot endure a true Servant of Christ under him 45. Reason supposeth that being Isaac said to Esau Thou shalt live by thy sword that God hath commanded him so to do and here it props up its murthering malice and bloud-thirsty villany but it is far otherwise God wills not any warre but the kingdome of nature in Gods Anger willeth it and whosoever is born onely of the kingdome of nature he liveth also to the same 46. Therefore said Isaac thou wilt do it as if he should have said thou through thy Anger wilt serve the Anger of God and wilt be a Lord in the kingdome of nature in this world even as the rich and wealthy ones do bring themselves into power and authority and do it through the kingdome of nature in the wrath 47. And we see further how that * * * Gen. 27. ●1 Esau did deadly hate his brother Jacob for the blessings sake of which notwithstanding he was not capable as to the kingdome of nature to signifie that the true children of Christ should for this blessings sake be hated persecuted and slain of the children in the kingdome of nature and that because the kingdome of Grace * * * Note when Grace shall rule shall rule over the kingdome of nature and destroy the same at the end of dayes and change it into its might and therefore there is strife between both Kingdomes 48. For the children of Christ in this life time as to the outward man live in the kingdome of the depraved humane nature viz. in the kingdome of the Esauites and are as to the spirit onely strangers and pilgrims therein as Christ said My kingdome is not of this world and therefore the children of this world are Enemies to them persecute them as Esau his brother Jacob. 49. For where the kingdome of Christ begins to flourish there presently the kingdome of the Devill begins to storm and rage and therefore because the kingdome of Christ shall and will take away and ruin his might and Princely throne hence is the strife in this world between the children of Jacob and Esau. 50. For as soon as Jacob had obtained the blessing * * * Gen. 27.41 Esau purposed in his minde to kill Jacob which is a figure of Christ shewing how that Gods anger would kill Him in this blessing in our assumed humanity as to the kingdome of nature and that the children of God also should be killed in Gods Anger as to the kingdome of nature and shed their bloud into this murthering spirit that thereby Gods Anger might be blotted out and changed into Love CHAP. LVI How Isaac and Rebecca sent away Jacob because of Esau into another Countrey and how the Lord appeared to him in a Vision upon the Ladder which reached even into heaven and how Esau carried himselfe afterwards towards his Parents Vpon the 28 Chapter of Genesis Gen. XXVIII WHen Jacob had received the blessing then he must depart from his native home from father and mother and flie from the wrath of Esau this is now a figure of Christ shewing
how that he after that he had assumed and anointed our humanity should flee with our humanity out of its fathers Adamicall house again into the first Paradisicall house 2. And it further denotes that the children of Christ after they have received the Vnction and Blessing and the new birth begins to spring forth in them in the blessing shall and must forth-with flee with their thoughts and minde from their father Adams house of the depraved nature and it shews that the Devill and the world do soon hate them and they must forthwith give themselves to the pilgrims-path of Christ and live under the worlds slavish yoke in misery and oppression in disfavour and disrespect for God brings them forth with their thoughts and minde out of their fathers house viz. out of the desire in flesh and bloud so that they do nothing at all regard the pleasure of the world and flee from it as Jacob from his fathers house 3. And then we see how wonderfully God guideth his children and defends them from their Enemies that the Devill in Gods Anger cannot kill them unless it be Gods will as he defended Jacob from the fury of Esau and lead him away from him and we have here an excellent example on Jacob in that he forsook his native home also father and mother for this blessings sake and loved God more then all temporall goods and willingly left all to Esau that so he might but be the blessed of God 4. And we see that when he had left the riches of the world in his fathers house the Lord appeared to him with the Eternall goods and shewed him a Ladder Gen. 28.12 whereupon he could ascend into Gods Eternall Kingdome which ladder was no other then Christ whom he had put on in the line of the Covenant and here now the type was represented to him shewing him what Person Christ should be 5. For this * * * Gen. 28.12 Ladder as to his apprehension was upon the earth and the top of it reached into heaven and thereon the Angels of God did ascend and descend which signifyeth that Gods eternall word with the power of heaven viz. with the Angelicall divine worlds Essence should descend or immerse it selfe into our Essence departed from God and blind as to God and assume our humanity and so unite the heaven with the world in man that the humanity through this entrance of the Deity into the humanity might have a Ladder unto God 6. And it shewes that mankinde should come through Christs humanity into the Society of the Angels Matth. 13. v. 22. And this is clearly signifyed here in that the Angels of God do ascend and descend on this ladder also that the heaven in man should be againe opened through this entrance of the divine essence into the humanity and that the children of God should have the Angels for companions in this world which God shewed to Jacob in that the Angels came up and down to him on this ladder 7. Which shall be a very great comfort to the children of God who turn themselves from their fathers house viz. from this worlds vanity to this Jacobs Ladder for they shall certainly know that Gods Angels do come unto them upon this ladder to which they have turned themselves and are willingly about them to serve them 8. For this ladder signifyeth properly the pilgrims path of Christ through this world into Gods kingdome in that the kingdome of the corrupt Adamicall nature doth alwayes yet cleave unto the children of God and hinders them in flesh and bloud in the spirit of this world and therefore they must according to the inward man in Christs spirit continually ascend up in much crosses and tribulation on this ladder and follow Christ under his Cross and Red-Banner 9. On the contrary the world liveth in the pleasure of their father Adams house in scorn jeering and mocking in envy spite and malice whatsoever they can do to cross and vex these Jacobs children that they joy and take delight in and laugh and fleer at them as we have an example of it in Esau how that he tooke in contempt disdain and spite to his father and mother Ismaelitish wives who were of the Line of mockery or reviling which were meer bitterness of spirit and grief of heart both to Isaac and Rebecca 10. Where we clearly see that the Devill hath his power in the kingdome of this world in the corrupt humane property and doth continually resist Gods children and vexeth and plagueth them and fights with them for his kingdome which he hath lost and doth not willingly beteem it them 11. And we see very finely how the Lord standeth above upon this Ladder of the Pilgrimage of Christ as with Jacob and without ceasing calleth the Children of Christ and comforteth them that they should cheerfully ascend upon it He will not leave them but come to them and blesse them so that their * * * Gen. 28 14. Seede and fruit shall grow encrease and be as the Dust upon the Earth that is that they in their Toyle Labour and Anxiety shall spring up and flourish in the Inward divine Kingdome 12. For so much as the Children of Christ goe out from this world and forsake it in their Minde so much they spring up in the Inward kingdome of Christ where then God standeth above upon this Ladder and continually inspireth or inspeaketh his Blessing power into them so that they grow as * * * Joh. 15.5 Branches on his Vine ‖ ‖ ‖ Psal 80.15 which he hath planted againe in our Humanity in this Jacobs Blessing in Christ. 13. And wee hereby cleerely see that this whole type from Abraham to Jacob containes meere figures of the Kingdome and Person of Christ and his Children for here God reneweth the Promised Covenant of Abraham concerning the seede of the Woman with Jacob also that * * * Gen. 28.14 out of his seede as out of the Line of the Covenant Hee should come who should Blesse all Nations for which cause also Jacob was led from his Fathers House God having set before him outwardly the kingdome of Christ in the figure for whose sake he caused his wrath to cease from the children of unbeleefe and did not destroy them but afforded them time to Repent and so appeased his wrath in this Type which pointed at the fulfilling which was to come 14. Wee have here also a firme Ground and assurance that Christ hath truly taken upon him our Adamicall Soule and Humanity in the Body of Mary and hath destroyed Death Hell and the Anger of God in our Humanity which he assumed and hath set up this Ladder of Jacob for God said to Jacob * * * Gen. 28.14 Through thee and thy seede shall all the Generations of the Earth be Blessed through Thee Jacob through thine owne seede which is God and Man viz. the Heavenly divine Ens and substance and
him living with his power and draweth him with Joseph out of the Pit and Grave of Death and bringeth him into his service as Joseph into the service of Pharaohs Captaine of the Guard and then all goeth prosperously in and with him for the Divine power ruleth him and now he attaineth Divine understanding and wisdome and knowes how to mannage his Masters Goods that in the Christian figure is as much as to say 9. When a man is thus a Christian in such a processe and way then he hath given up all whatsoever he hath of Temporall Goods or is able to doe as also his own will to God who bringeth him first into Christs Image and maketh him conformable to Christ and taketh nothing away from him of that which he had before of naturall right viz. the disposall of Temporary Goods but he taketh away the authority and power of his owne Nature viz. his evill selfe will which Adam had brought away from God and introduced into a Creaturely selfenesse of his owne willing and working in earthly things whereby Adam bereaved God his Lord of the Government in him and made the Essence and things of this world his owne as if he had made it and would not be Gods servant therein and be his fellow-Branches Guardian and Nourisher and give them his vertue will Essence and substance but sayth it is Mine that is it is mine owne I will keepe it onely for my selfe and it shall remaine with mee and would not work therewith in the Life of his brethren and give them also of his life and power and bereave them also through that appropriation of it to be Mine of the power in the Kingdome of Nature viz. of the growth and fruits of the Earth which God gave in Common and would onely fill his owne Body and thereby be accounted Great and a Lord of his miserable despised fellow-branches whom he wickedly bereaveth of the sap wherewith they should strengthen their life and bringeth it into a propriety calling it Mine this authority God taketh away from a Christian and maketh him a Guardian and Nourisher of his brethren againe viz. a Steward of his Lord Hee lets him possesse the Temporary Goods which he had so far as he possessed them in a Naturall right with righteousnesse and Truth and maketh him a Joseph therein 10. This Joseph now sayth not this is Mine that Village Citie Country Principality Kingdome Empire Also that House Land Feild Money those Goods those Cattell that Woman that Childe is mine but he sayth with his whole heart Conscience from a New good Christian will it is all my Gods and his Childrens he hath set mee as a Ruler disposer and Steward of it that I should manage it to that purpose which he will have mee I should sustein my selfe and his children the needy with it and I should be their Curatour or Guardian and give them also my power vertue and understanding of the Divine Gift and instruct tutour or take care of them for their good and as God Governeth mee with his Spirit so also should I that am his Officer in this world with my understanding and Office governe my fellow-members in such power and vertue and take care of them for all that I rule over is not mine but Gods and theirs but I should doe to them as God doth to mee 11. To such a one God giveth Josephs understanding and wisdome and governeth the house of this world by him be he in what state and condition soever therein he sits in the Office of God he is onely a servant or Minister of the Office and a Guardian over Divine Creatures For the right Christian Government of his will is in Heaven his conversation is alike in Heaven and on Earth as the Scripture sayth * * * Phil. 3.20 Our conversation is in heaven for according to the inward ground of his Soule and Spirit he is in Christ in God viz. in the Eternall Speaking Word from which Adams will had turned it selfe away and turned it selfe out into this world which will Christ hath turned in againe into the Eternall Word and so now he governeth with that re-inturned will through and in the outward Substance and Matters of this world viz. in the formed outspoken or expressed Word as a Servant Minister and Instrument of the Eternall Speaking Word in its secret Mysterie of wisdome viz. in the visible Creaturely Word 12. Therefore to thee O thou Governour in the Office of the Joseph of this world in every state condition and degree this is told thee and set before thy Eyes that though thou callest thy selfe a Joseph thou dost not yet Governe as a Joseph that is not as a Christian but as a childe of the Starres and Elements thou governest no otherwise then the brethren of Joseph who will not that God should choose Joseph for a Governour they will be Governours themselves and will rather kill Joseph then waite to try what God would doe with Josephs Dreame or Vision they would not suffer that Joseph should tell their injurie to his father but would doe what they thought fit for they sayd among themselves wee are the Eldest and should Governe what will the least and youngest perswade us to wee possesse the Government in a just way by the right of Nature the power and authority is ours wee will dispatch Joseph out of the way and cast him into the Pit and then wee shall doe what wee will 13. Thus doest thou also thou governest Christendom in all states degrees The Starres the Evill averted Adam in his own will governeth through thee in Gods Office in the Kingdome of this world thou hast onely cast the Mantle of Christ over it that men should not know thee that thou art the Evill Adam and Governest with the Starry Witt and Ingenuity and through the Subtlety and Policy of the Devill in meere selfe-willed wayes of thine owne to advance thy owne Ostentation Pomp Might Authority and stately proud Glory 14. O hearken art thou ● Christian then art thou dead with Christ to the wicked false will of Adam and of the Devills Pride but if thy Will and Life be heathenish why doest thou then boast thy selfe to be a Christian why doest thou make Warres for Lands Countries Cities and Villages If thou beest not with Joseph called and instituted of God to be a Governour Why doest thou in Christs Kingdome enslave the Country if thou art a Prince and Minister in Gods Office and servest him 15. Art thou thy Owne Lord upon Earth and doest what thy owne will listeth then thou doest not what God will also thou Governest not from Heaven but from the world and with the worlds Might but whence hast thou that in Christs Kingdome and from what Power and Authority that thou in Gods Office drawest to thy selfe the sweate of the poore and miserable and takest away his strength and vertue and lettest him starve in want Also that thou
it were sinne which all of them one and other understand as much of the Ground of sinne as the Pott doth of the Potter 26. When they should tell how sinne is sinne and how Man doth cause God to be Angry and in wrath then they have no other way to turne themselves to evade it but Images or conceits of Opinions which shutt up the Conscience in such Images and Conceits so that the Conscience is affraid of their Images and the Ground of sinne according to the seaven Properties of Nature how their fatt Kine are made leane and drie they know not 27. O ye Makers of Images how doth the Anger of God in the inward Ground of your owne Nature threaten you with the seaven barren Kine and Eares Joseph is out of Prison and declareth the Councell of God to Pharaoh 28. The time is even at hand wherein the figure of Pharaoh shall be brought to Effect your Images of false and wicked Magick shall be manifested to the whole world by Josephs Exposition of the Vision break off from the Images and pray to God that he would give you the understanding of Pharaohs visions and then you may be partakers of the seaven good Kine and Eares within you 29. If not then must all your Images of false and wicked Magick be turned into such Barren Kine and Eares as they are indeed for the most part already in the inward ground and outwardly at present are devouring and alwayes devoure the Good times and yeares for they have almost quite devoured and swallowed up into the Abysse all Love Faith Truth Righteousnesse Humility and feare of God and at present also they devoure all outward food and sustenance they have devoured the Silver and there is nothing left but meager and base Copper and yet they are so hungry and greedy that they lye gnawing at the Copper as a Dog at a hard Bone and would faine have more to devour and yet there is no more for them 30. Therefore they are so hungry that they themselves worry and devour one another for hunger and bring their Land and Country into dearth and famine But heereby they are made Bondslaves to the Anger of God in the seaven properties of Nature as the whole Land of Aegypt was made King Pharaohs owne in the Deare time of Joseph 31. This Anger of God will heereafter give you seede that you must sow Images and Idolls and devour them againe your selves as you have cleerly done for a long time and must be its boneslave servants as Aegypt was to Pharaoh 32. Let this be told thee O Aegypt of Christendome by Josephs interpretation in the Spirit of Wonder of the sixt Number of the Seales it concernes thee awake and behold the great famine of body and soule is at hand or else thou must be famished 33. Thou standest at present in no other * * * Or Resemblance figure in the sight of God but that of the seaven ill-favoured hungry withered leane Kine and Eares the Blessing of God in Body and Soule is departed from thee that now thou huntest after Good things and temporall sustenance and yet art not satisfied with it and the more that thou dost hunger and suck upon bones thou wilt be still the more hungry till thou hast devoured all thy good Kine in Conscience both in Body and Soule as also Land and People and thy forme and feature is so ill-favoured that the Princes of the inward and the outward Heaven cannot endure to behold thee but helpe to judge thee to the damnation of Death sayth the Spirit of Wonders in Josephs interpretation 34. Behold thy selfe now aright art thou not thus ill-favoured and hungry consider all thy † † † Powers vertues and abilities faculties thou art raving blinde with great hunger for thou hast swallowed that up into the Abysse which should blesse thee and make thee happy and set up the Hypocrisie of thy Idoll Ministers in stead thereof Righteousness Truth Love Faith Humility Chastity the feare of God were thy Blessing by which thou wouldest become fatt againe but thou hast swallowed up all these properties and sett thine Idolls in their stead and covered them with Christs purple Mantle and now the Evill hungry forme feature and properties of a Devourer are awakened in thee 35. The first devouring Property Covered with Christs Mantle is Pride viz. a Desire of Selfe-Might under the lowly humble Mantle of Christ resolving to be potent and splendid as Lucifer under his black Hood who yet alwayes supposeth he is the most potent when yet in the presence of God he is but a Lord in Phantasie 36. The second property of thy hunger Covered with Christs Mantle is Covetousnesse viz. the Devourer who devoureth himselfe and getteth from others their sweate and flesh from their bones and devoureth it and yet hath nothing but alwayes lyeth like Poyson sucking out it selfe this hath devoured all Truth Righteousnesse Patience Love Hope Faith and the feare of God and yet is but a meere hunger at present it hath eaten all Silver from the Copper and yet looketh as if it had devoured nothing for nothing is to be seene in it but that it is hungryer then before it hath devoured all good times into it selfe and still alwayes devoureth all provisions which God of his Grace bestoweth and yet is every day hungryer with devouring and though he could devoure Heaven he would devoure Hell also and yet remaineth a meere hunger still 37. The Third property of this Hunger Covered with Christs Mantle is Envy viz. the sonne of Covetousnesse and Pride is his Grand-father this stingeth and pricketh and rageth in the hunger as poyson in the flesh it stingeth in words and works and poysoneth all it lyeth and cheateth and is never quiet the more greedy Covetousness is to devoure the greater is this its sonne Envy it will possesse all alone to it selfe and yet hath no place of rest either in Heaven this world or Hell It can remaine neither in Heaven nor in Hell it standeth onely in the hunger of Covetousnesse and is the life of Covetousnesse 38. The Fourth property of Hunger Covered under Christs Mantle is Anger which is the sonne of Envy and Covetousness is its Grand-father what Envy cannot sting to death that will Anger strike and fell to death It is so evill and wicked that it breaks and shatters the Bones to pieces It alwayes thirsteth after Murther onely that its Father and Grand-father viz. Covetousnesse Envy and Pride may have roome enough it destroyeth body and soule in their kinde of fattnes and wasteth Country and Citie and is further so wicked that it would destroy Heaven and Hell and yet hath no where any rest 39. These are the foure Elements of Hunger which devoure and swallow up the seaven fatt Kine and Eares of Pharaoh and yet are as they were before and at present Joseph hath seene and manifested them in Pharaohs Dreame so that they are become
soule might thus move it selfe in all the Three Principles and stirre up the most inward ground viz. Josephs Brother viz. the incorporated Gate of Grace together with all outward Essences or faculties of the outward soule and bring them along into the work of Repentance into the presence of the right Joseph or Jesus 10. For the fiery Soule is threatned by Joseph that is by Jesus that if in its drawing neere it bring not along with it the most inward ground viz. the brother of Joseph or Christ which in its Manifestation becometh the Temple of Christ then shall its Band of Gods Anger not be loosed its brother Simeon shall remaine in Prison till it also stirre up and bring with it Josephs Brother viz. the most inward Ground 11. Neither shall its Sack be filled with * * * Rev. 2.17 Heavenly Manna for its food that is its Faiths desire shall remaine hungry and Empty and not be filled with divine power and vertue unlesse it bring the Temple of Christ viz. the right Sack with it whereinto the heavenly Joseph filleth his Food 12. This now in the Text stands in a figure shewing how the Old Adamicall Man viz. the Old Jacob thinketh it to be very hard that he should let all the powers of his Life be carried along into Aegypt that is into Repentance into the presence of Joseph or Jesus especially when he seeth that he must breake his will and part with all temporall things for it as Old Jacob must part with all his children for this foode 13. It went hard with him and yet the famine and hunger did so presse upon him that in the end he must yeeld and be willing that all his sonnes should goe into Aegypt and his youngest sonne went along and he was alone as one who had no children so wholly must the Outward Nature leave whatsoever it hath or is in it selfe as having no more power and ability as to Earthly things and give up the selfehood of its inward soule which standeth in the Drawing of God that the inward soule may take the outward soules will along with it into Conversion and then the Old Jacob that is the Old earthly Adamicall Body remaineth alone in its house of Sorrow and knoweth not now what will become of it when its Spirit must goe along into conversion then thinketh the Earthly Lucifer in it viz. the fleshly desire heereby thou wilt loose temporall honour and good things and be the foole of the world this will not serve thy turne and Lust. 14. But the Great Famine viz. Sinne presseth the poore life in all the Three Principles that it must make ready and goe into Aegypt that is into Repentance and seeke divine foode and pray for it and desire it from the true householder Joseph or JESUS and in such Prayer and desire fall on his face of great humility before Joseph or Jesus and desire foode of him 15. But that Jacobs sonnes must goe twice into Egypt for Corne and at the first time receive Corne Enough and yet they came into danger thereby * * * Were kept in pawne or Custody and were kept as a pledge hath inwardly this figure when Man at first turneth into repentance then first the terrible figure or aspect of his sinnes standeth before him for they rouse him up and the Conscience standeth in the Anger of God 16. As the Brethren of Joseph stood the first time before Joseph when he held them for Spies so also Man standeth before God as a Spie of Divine Grace for he thinketh he will this once enter into Repentance that his old sinnes may be forgiven him but he hath not yet so strongly tamed his will that the will should think all dayes of its life while the body lasteth to remaine in such begun Repentance but it thinketh onely for once thus to destroy Sinne in the Conscience and to drowne the old sinnes in Repentance and Sorrow 17. And it cometh also to that passe that his Conscience though perhaps at first it be terrified is in the End appeased and divine foode is given to him from the heavenly Joseph into the Sack of his desire so that the Anger of God letteth him goe But the Anger of God in his righteousnesse taketh a ‖ ‖ ‖ Or Pawne Pledge from the Conscience and keepeth it to see whether Man would continue to rest satisfied with this burthen of food if not then the Anger of God hath its first right in soule and body 18. As it happeneth to us poore Men that wee very slightly and lavishly spend the first foode which the heavenly Joseph giveth us in Repentance and come againe with great hunger want and misery of Conscience and must come to be poore againe and even therefore because we did not the first time bring along with us our Benjamin viz. the most inward Ground in that our will was not quite broken and that wee suppose wee shall continue till our End in Repentance and divine Resignation But if it were done in the first Repentance then could not Gods righteousnesse in the Anger take any pledge but must leave us quite free 19. This figure now that Jacobs children must goe downe into Egypt for foode twice and at the second time Joseph was first manifested unto them and the third time they tooke along with them their wives and children and all that they had together with their father prefigureth that when Man through sinne hath spent and consumed the first divine food that he must hunger againe and be in want in his Conscience so that his conscience presseth him complaineth as a hungry Belly complaineth for food then he thinketh on the first repentance againe how Grace happened to him before 20. But his most inward Ground viz. the Band of Gods Anger complaineth against him condemneth him that he did not preserve Grace it blameth him for an unfaithfull perjured Man who hath tasted Gods Grace and how it was bestowed on him of meere Mercy and that he hath for the Lusts sake of the flesh spoyled and lost all againe and then he standeth as one that is not worthy of any thing so much as to look up to Heaven or that the Earth should beare him that he hath for such base Lusts sake of the flesh squandred so precious a thing againe and thinketh yet with the poore Publican and sinner and with the lost sonne the keeper of swine he will turne againe and come to the salvation of God and then first it is in right true Earnest and then goeth Jacobs sonnes all one and other the second time into Egypt into Repentance to buy heavenly Corne and then must the Old Adamicall Jacob viz. the Body stay at home in Calamity 21. In this Earnest it is that Benjamin viz. the inward Ground is first taken along and now the first will is broken and goeth no more in and with such a purpose as at the first time and they come
with his Guilt of Eternall Death into his innocent Death and is dead from the sinnes and wickednesse in himselfe and in this dying of Christ Gods righteousnesse in the Anger requireth a Christian Man to be 47. But if he walke out of this path and not in it then sayth righteousnesse thou art a Theefe and hast wrongfully got this Cup of Christ in thy Sack I will sett thee before my Judgement and Sentence as Joseph did to his brethren when he caused them to be fetched back to the sentence of his Judgement 48. Therefore hath a Christian who walketh under the Banner of Christs Crosse no Excuse when God by his Steward viz. by the Children of this world causeth him to be layd hold on in the righteousnesse of his Anger and chargeth him for a Theefe and an unrighteous person also for a Stranger Innovator * * * Novice Novellist Enthusiast Foole and the like when Men loade him with all his faults and the infirmities of naturall sinfull flesh and without ceasing blame him as wicked and unrighteous and condemne him to the damnation of the temporall and Eternall Death and though he is not in the sight of the world nor as to the world Guilty yet he is lyable to beare the scorne suffering and death of Christ after him as a Christian is lyable to take upon him the whole processe in the footsteps of Christ and to follow Christ therein and to suffer all in Christ and wholly to put on Christ in his derision contempt suffering and death and to beare his Crosse and scorne after him that he may enter into Christs Kingdome as a Member of the body of Christ that hath suffered with him and hath dayly dyed to the Anger of God in the Death of Christ from his actuall sinnes 49. For All Sinnes Blasphemies and untruths which are imputed to him wrongfully from the world which he is not outwardly Guilty of in the fact that he suffereth in the processe of Christ as a Christian and therein drinketh out of the Cup of Christs Crosse who hath innocently suffered for his sinnes 50. For if he be not guilty of them in his Life yet he is guilty of them in the inherited sinne and hath inherited them also in the seede out of which he is proceeded they lye in his * * * Ground of his Nature and Heart Ground he cannot excuse himselfe before God in the processe of Christ he is guilty of all Adamicall sinnes 51. But this is his Comfort that God manifesteth them by the children of his Anger in this world and so as a Curse by the Children of Anger fastneth them to the Crosse of Christ and in this Manifestation drowneth them in him in the Bloud and Death of Christ in that he still cleaveth to God as Christ to his Father and suffered himselfe to be accused of sinnes which he had not committed but had onely inherited them and so they were taken from him and given to the Anger of God in his Judgement that he might condemne them 52. For thus also Joseph in this figure appeased his just Anger towards his Brethren they were all Guilty towards him but he charged them not with their Guilt but charged them onely with his Cup for he had cleerly forgiven them all their Trespasses but onely concerning the Cup he would not hold them Guiltlesse and yet of right they were not Guilty of it but he had layd it in as his bounty and made them guilty of it 53. Thus also hath God given us his Grace of meere Love after that wee were cleerly guilty of Eternall Judgement and hath layd Christ and Grace in the Sack of our Life with his Suffering Death with his Cup of the Crosse concerning which he doth not hold us Guiltlesse wee are all Guilty thereof and have not this by a Naturall right but it is layd into us without our knowledge therefore wee cannot release our selves of it except wee cast Christ wholly from us and give our selves againe to the Anger of God and then Death Hell and the Anger of God make us Guilty and hold us captive in them but at present Man may lay hold on which he will 54. But that Joseph caused the Cup to be thrust into his Brother Benjamins Sack it hath this figure that Christ dwelleth in the inward Man viz. in his Paradisicall brother and hath this Cup of the Crosse in his Hand out of which the guilty soule and the Body must drink he thrusteth it into his brothers sack for that inward ground is his Brother but the other brethren must drink of it this brother of Christ holdeth it in him for he is Christs Member and habitation 55. Therefore sayth Josephs Steward by whomsoever the Cup is found he shall be my servant but ye shall be quitt viz. the inward ground the true Josephs viz. Christs brother hee is Christs servant who serveth his Lord and brother and must hold the Cup in his Sack the other * * * Conditions or qualities formes of Life of Nature are free and cannot hold the Cup for Christ. 56. For they are not the right Sack to put it in but the Ground of the Heavenly Worlds Substance is the Sack to which the Holy Cup of Christ doth belong which powreth the Ground of Nature out of it therefore must Josephs Brother be made guilty of the Cup because he stood in the figure of the inward Man wherein Christ would manifest himselfe with his Cup of the Crosse and so the other brethren viz. the poore soule together with the body be quitt and released from the Guilt 57. Therefore sayth Josephs Steward he is my servant who hath the Cup he shall serve mee but ye shall be quitt that is Christ is in this inward Benjamin Josephs Brother and serveth God with overcoming of Death and the Anger of God in Man and so all the other brethren viz. the Naturall Life shall be quitt from Guilt and Paine and it standeth excellently in the Figure 58. Moses sayth further * * * Gen. 44.11 12 13. And they hastened and layd every one his sack off on to the Earth and every one tooke his Sack off and searched and began at the Eldest and so to the youngest and there they found the Cup in Benjamins Sack and then they rent their Cloaths and loaded every one his Asse and went againe into the Citie 59. When Adam was fallen into sinne then the Law and Command fetched him back againe charged him with the sinne and Theft that he had eaten of the wrong fruit with a wicked mouth therefore must he returne againe into the Citie viz. into the Earth out of which the body was proceeded and there lay downe his Sack into the Earth and there Gods righteousnes searcheth into all the naturall Properties viz. Truth and righteousnes which availeth before God viz. the Image of Heaven and began from the first forme of Nature and so on
cometh his † † † Or finest of flower fat Bread and he will act to please Kings when Zilpa Leahs Mayd-servant had borne Gad viz. the prepared subtile crafty alwayes ready at every suttle assault against the right Justice and Judgement of Dan then sayth Moses shee ‖ ‖ ‖ Gen. 30.12 13. bare Jacob the second sonne and then sayd Lea it is well with mee for the daughters will praise mee and call mee blessed and shee called him Asher and Jacob sayd in the Testament from Asher cometh his fatt Bread and he will live to please Kings heere Jacob viz. the Spirit in the Covenant compriseth these two brethren together in a figure for Gad hath the agility and Asher taketh his fat bread from the King and Lea sayth at his Birth the Daughters will praise mee and call mee blessed 30. Heere now standeth the figure but what explanation may this have Gad Ordereth his wayes with suttlety and Asher with flattery and hypocrisie among the Kings and Potentates in Authority and power whereby he attaineth prosperous fatt dayes of plenty pleasure and voluptuousnesse and such are every one that shall sit in Offices and as Judges and Magistrates they doe all to please their Lord and King that they may be reputed honoured applauded and rewarded by him and that they may have their fatt bread from him and the Spirit by these three sonnes signifieth powerfully what kinde of people would rule the world viz. by Dan the Serpent viz. selfe-will and by Gad suttlety treachery and undermining deceipt and by Asher false and wicked flattery and sychophatising hypocrisie who alwayes sitt in the Courts of Kings and serve them for their fatt bread and onely hunt after the applause and honour of Men. 31. Therefore sayth the Spirit from Asher cometh his fat Bread from whom cometh the fat Bread answer from the nimble suttle heads who make the cause of flatterers and hypocrites seeme right The flatterers sitt neere Kings and applaud him in his selfe-hood and say doe what thou wilt it is all good and right and when the King would faine have it in the appearance of right that it also may be applauded then cometh Gad with his nimble suttle perverted far fetched argumentative prerogative right and setteth the Kings owne selfe-will in the right of Nature so that it seemeth to be right to these Asher giveth the Kings fat bread thus they all Three live in the Serpent and so it biteth the horse in the heeles and they are all three the Mayd-servants children viz. Ministers and Servants of selfe-will 32. Dan is the manager of the † † † Or supreme superiour Office Gad is his Councellour at Law in matters of Right Justice and Judgement such as the * * * Advocates Procters Pleaders and Attorneys Lawyers and Jurists are and Asher is the Nobility and Councellours of State these the Spirit hath foreseene in their Testament in these things which they would hereafter practise for the Testator sayth not ye shall be such but ye will be such and sheweth excellently what the Government on Earth in the selfe-will of the humane Nature would be X. The Testament of Naphtali 33. † † † Gen. 49.21 Naphtali is a swift Hinde and giveth faire words Naphtali is the second sonne of Bilha Rachells Mayd-servant which shee bare after Dan and is a right brother of Dan These brethren of Naphtali are now among Kings Judges and denote the Earthly wisdome from the ‖ ‖ ‖ Or Configuration Constellation or Starres which with Eloquent faire speeches adorn the Office of Judicature so that Dan Gad Asher are called able wise understanding and learned Lords and Masters 34. But he also proceedeth only from the Strife between Rachell and Jacob for Rachell sayd when Bilha her mayd-servant bare him * * * Gen. 30.8 God hath decided between mee and my sister and I shall prevaile over her this signifieth in the figure that these wise and learned speeches of Naphtali in this Office of Judicature would be able to bow bend and turne about all Causes so that selfe-will would remaine still a Judge in all causes so that none would be able to object any thing in the least against these fower Rulers the sonnes of the Mayd-servants but they would have the Government in Israell and rule the world and prevaile over all Men. 35. But they are all fower the sonnes of the Mayd servants And Sarah sayd to Abraham thrust out the sonne of the Mayd servant for he shall not inherit with my sonne Isaack and God was pleased with it and commanded Abraham to doe it to signifie that these Offices shall not inherit nor possesse the Kingdome of Heaven but shall have an End when Christ the sonne of the free woman shall receive the Kingdome all these States and Governments shall be thrust out and he alone in his children and Members shall governe 36. Behold your selves in this Looking-Glasse ye politick cunning very wise and understanding World in thy suttle policy eloquence of speech favour might potency and honour and see where it is thou sittest and whom thou servest behold thy fatt bread also the applause from the King whom thou servest and what thou purposest designest and doest and how thou standest in thy figure before God the Kingdome of Christ thy Eloquence avayleth nothing in the presence of God thy prudence policy suttlety and cunning avayleth nothing if thou wilt not give right Counsell and say and doe according to Truth and perswade and informe thy superiour Lord and Master rightly then thou helpest to generate this Adder and Serpent in the Testament of Dan for thy superiour and thou thy selfe art that Adder and Serpent who biteth Judgement Justice and right in the Heele and therefore thou also shalt attaine the End wages and recompence of the Serpent in Hell-fire for it XI The Testament of Joseph 37. * * * Gen. 49.22 23 24 25 26. Joseph will spring forth Hee will spring as by a fountaine the sprouts or daughters passe on to the Government and although the Archers be angry and fight against him and persecute him yet his Bow holdeth strong and his Arme and hand in strength through the hand of the Mighty in Jacob from whom have proceeded the Shepheards and Stone in Israell thou art helped by thy fathers God and from the Almighty thou art blessed with blessings from heaven above and with blessings from the deepe that lieth beneath with blessings of the Breasts and Womb the blessings of thy father have prevailed more then the blessings of my Auncestours according to the desire of the lofty in the world and shall come upon the head of Joseph and upon the Crowne of his head that was seperate from his brethren 38. In this Testament of Joseph the Spirit in the Covenant represents the figure of a right divine Governour in whom the Spirit of God ruleth who is not the sonne of the Mayd
Ch. 29. VVhat Lamech is in the Language of Nature verse 37 38. Ch 31. vers 2. Ch. 29. Of Lamechs two wives and their children verse 39. to the 46. 49. Ch. 29. VVhat the Man and the young Man is which he slew verse 48. Ch. 29. VVhat as to Lamech shall be avenged 77 times verse 59. to the 64. Land Ch. 75. Of the peece of Land that Jacob gave to Joseph severally from the rest of his children and the signification thereof verse 31. c. Language Ch. 35. Of the Ground of the Head Language when all people spake but one Language verse from 54. to the 59. Ch. 35. VVhat Language the Spirits use verse 60. Ch. 37. How long the undivided Language continued verse 4. c. Life Ch. 11. VVhence the true Rationall Life in the Elements is verse 27. Ch. 35. The cause of the long Life of the Patriarchs before the Floud verse 11. c. Light Ch. 3. The Eternall Light and the Eternall Darknes is not Created verse 2. to the 5. Ch. 10. Without Light the Elements had been unmoveable verse 44 45. Logick Ch. 77. When the accute Logick came up verse 69. Lord. Ch. 33. How a Lord Prince or Magistrate hath no authority to shed bloud verse 15. c Lott Ch. 43. Why the two Angells lingred in going in to Lott verse 34. c. Ch. 43. VVhat is signified by Lotts wife verse 37. Ch. 43. The figure of Lott in that he would give his two daughters to the Sodomies verse 53. c. Ch. 43. VVhy Lotts Kinsfolks would not follow him verse 65 66. Ch. 44. How Lott went out of Sodom and of the terrible destruction of that whole Country of Hams generations and what happened upon it also how it was done verse from 1. to the 47. Ch. 44. Why Lotts daughters made their father drunk with Wine verse 3. Ch. 44. To what End Lotts wife was turned into a Pillar of Salt verse 28. c. Ch. 44. Lotts wife is a figure of the present Babylonish Christendome verse 33. c. Ch. 44. Why Lotts daughters did lye with their father verse 36. to the 47. Love Ch. 71. How Gods Love cometh onely to helpe the weake verse 19. Lucifer Ch. 12. Wherefore and from what Lucifer wa● thrust out verse 4. Ch. 12. Where Lucifer lyeth captive verse 35. Ch. 22. Wher●fore Lucifer was swallowed up into ●h● wrath verse 30 31 Ch. 25 VVhere Lucifer sate before the Creation of the Earth verse 18. Ch. 44. How Lucifer d●sired to see the wrath of Nature verse ●7 Ch. 60. How the pride of Lucifer by the M●sters of the Letter doth shut God up into a peculiar heaven apart verse 41 42. M. Magistrate Ch. 22. How the Magistrate is Good and how not verse 74 75. Magus Magia Ch. 11. The Reader is admonished not to 〈◊〉 the Magia or Magick verse 8. Ch. 11. How Man is hurt by the wicked Magus or Magician verse 12. c. Ch. 68. Of the Magi or Magicians which Titulary Christendome is full of verse 4. c. Ch. 68. Of the Magia or Magick art among the Egyptians and Heathens till the Kingdome of Christ. verse 3. Ch. 68. How Man is a true divine Magus or Magician verse 23. c. Mahalaleel Ch. 30. VVhat Mahalaleel is in the Language of Nature verse 18. Maydservant Ch. 40. What it is that the sonne of the Mayd-servant shall not inherite with the sonne of the Free-woman verse 16. to the 70. Man Ch. 15. Man is Threefold verse 27. c. Ch. 16. Of the distinction between the Heavenly and the Earthly Man verse from 1. to the 15. Ch. 16. How Man was while he stood in Paradise verse 7. c. Ch. 18. How Man shall be after the Resurrection verse 3. Ch. 19. How Man was ordained to the outward Naturall Life verse from 1 to the 16. Ch. 21. Why God created Man of the Heavenly Essence verse ●6 Ch. 22. How Man deceived hims●lfe verse 27. Ch. 23. How the Word in 〈…〉 Eve was propagated from Man to Man verse 31. Ch. 24. How Man hath a Cure and the Devill not verse 13 c. Ch. 24. How a Divine Man must have ●nmity in himselfe verse 31 32. Ch. 2● How Man 〈…〉 God verse 14 15. Ch. 29. How 〈…〉 in his 〈◊〉 verse ●2 13. Ch. 29. How 〈…〉 Dominion verse 14. Mary Ch. 37. How Ma●y 〈…〉 M●ther that hath 〈…〉 verse ●7 c. Ch. 56. What 〈◊〉 the ●l●ssing ●elonging to Mary verse 29 30. M●usim Ch. ●● What that God M●usim is verse 32. Mea●● Ch. 42. What the th●ee Measures of fine Meale sign●fie verse 17 18. Melchisedech Ch. 38. What Melchisedech was verse 19 c. Ch. 38. Why Melchisedech blessed Abraham verse 2● Mercurius Ch. 17. What Mercurius is verse 18 Mercifullnes Ch. 70. How Mercifullnes hideth its countenance from the repenting soule Metalls Ch. 10. What the Metalls are verse 17. Ch. 10. Of the seaven Properties in the Metalls verse from 18 to the 29. Ch. 16. How in the Earth Stones and Metalls lyeth a twofold substance verse 10. Methusael Ch. 29. What Methusael is in the Language of Nature verse 35 36. Methuselah Ch. 12. What Methuselah is in the Language of Nature verse 10. Michael Ch. 12. When Michael strove with the Dragon verse 10. Midianites Ch. 64. How the Midianites will bring Joseph with them to Pharaoh the time is neere verse 29. c. Money Ch. 70. The figure of the wrong Money that Jacob commanded them to take with them againe verse 36. c. 48 49. Moone Ch. 23. What the Moone and the Woman in the Apocalyps signifie verse 35. Moses Ch. 11. The time is Borne that Moses casteth away his vayle verse 4. Ch. 30. VVhen Moses will keepe the sheepe verse 52. c. Motion Ch. 29. Of Gods Eternall Motion Moving and forming verse 4. Mouth Ch. 29. VVhat the Mouth of the Eternall understanding is verse 3. Murtherour Ch. 19. Why Eve brought forth a Murtherour the first time verse 10. Ch. 62. The figure of Simeon and Levi's Murthour verse 31. to the 42. N. Naëma Ch. 29. Of Naëma verse 43. c. Ch. 29. How Naëma shall be manifested to all People verse 68. Names Ch. 17. What the Great Names are that God called Abraham by verse 23. c Naphtali Ch. 77. The Testament of Naphtali and the signification thereof verse 33. c. Nature Ch. 3. The description of the Eternall Nature verse 1. to the 26. Ch. 35. How the Language of Nature is extinguished verse 12. c. Ch. 40. Whereto God useth the Temporary Nature verse 31. Ch. 40. What the Condemnation of the Temporary Nature is verse 32. Night Ch. 12. Where there is no Night verse 1. Nimrod Ch. 35. Of the Name Nimrod verse 29. c. Noah Ch. 31. VVhat Noah is in the Language of Nature verse 3. 32.2 Ch. 32. Why Noah was accounted righteous before God verse 13 14. Ch. 34 What Noahs drunkennes
unlearned Tradesman and gifted him with such a noble endowment of the Universal Knowledge of God and Nature and shewn him the Centre of all Beings How all things arise from God Originally consist in God and again return and flow into him c. thereby to call man to the knowledge of God of himself and all things That he might turn from the corrupt Dark being of this World to Christ the only Light c. This high rare and pretious Gift which hath not been manifested in the like manner and Degree Height and Depth Breadth and Length before these times our Jacob Behmen learned in God hath employed in all faithfulness and simplicity and lay'd it forth as it was given and imparted to him And in all his writings hath lay'd his ground in God and hath reared up his whole Building very deeply founded from Him As Christ speaketh of the wise Master-Builder that he digged deep and layd his foundation on a Rock whereupon he built his Tow'r on High As it is clearly to be seen how he doth all along drive and press at God Christ and his Spirit at Faith and Love at the mortifying of the old and the renovation of the new-man And in brief at the Restauration in Christ of God's Image in us which did disappear in Adam Also he shew●th the Order Harmony and Birth of all things and how they subsist by the power of the yet uncessantly working word of Gods FIAT and hold their Analogy and orderly proportion in the wisdom of Gods wonders But he doth not set it forth with words of Scholastick knowledg and contrived Art of VVisdom in Babel and of her Builders but as it was given him according to the knowledge of Nature in his own Gift And though such Tearms and Phrases as he uses seem hard and harsh at first yet the diligence of an observant Reader that earnestly desireth knowledge for his Edification will by the indwelling Grace of God so bring him into a right apprehension thereof that what before seem'd difficult and dark will at length be plain clear and easy as it hath hapned to my self Thus far his own Country-man and Accquaintance Moreover he had the knowledge of that wonderfull Mystery containing the Secrets of the whole Creation The language of Nature and that in his Native tongue whereby the very name of every thing gave him clear Inspection into the Nature of it This Knowledge had Adam in his Innocency but by his Fall lost it Else it had been understood as our Author affirmeth in the Language of every Nation Now to the incredulous if they could but fathom his depths I should only bid them ask themselves this Question VVhether Art or Nature ever did or can produce such sublime Knowledge such pure and distinct knowledge of the highest Mysteries knowing that upon debate with their serious Thoughts they must speak the Negative But there is a malicious Ignorance possesseth many by which they condemn all things above their Sphear and cry down that excellency in others which exceeds the fathom of their own Comprehensions I need not travail for Proof or Instance Istorum plena sunt omnia They are no where not to be found Concerning the following Tractate it contains Four Tables with their Explication wherein may be seen by a spiritual eye the Ground and Foundation of all the Authors Works and profound Mysteries Yea there is also clearly decypher'd that so much sought and so rarely found Secret Cabal of the antient Rabbies These Tables indeed contain the Summe of all the Authors writings of all his Knowledge of all in Heaven and Earth yea of all the highest Mysteries that Man in this life is capable of knowing The First Table as the Radix briefly includes the rest The other three are Branches of the First and all together are properly termed an A.B.C. to all that the Author hath written which when I perceiv'd I could not but much desire their publication and not knowing when or by whom that might be done I furnish'd my self with all necessaries thereunto and so by God's enablement perform'd it with that care and diligence which the Majesty of the matter requires And though I know it a general Expect that the skill of a Translator should illustrate his Author yet that in this and some other of his Writings can not well be done for whoever not perfectly baptised into his Spirit shall render them in the genuine phrase of other language and not punctually verbatim will force his Reader to a double loss both in the significancie of expression and in the mind of the Mystery In a word this following Tractate I have annexed to the Author's Life and both not unfitly to his Mysterium Magnum For the first ten Chapters of that Book are not only introductory to the following Commentary but likewise an excellent illustration of these Tables wherein the pious Reader by a due search may happily find pulsanti dabitur a greater Treasure than the VVorld can afford and that to his infinite satisfaction which I heartily wish him together with the Life Light and Love of Jesus Christ In whom I rest His Servant H. BLUNDEN 1 Table What GOD is without Nature Creature What God without Nature and Creature is and what the Mysterium Magnum is How God by his breathing forth or speaking hath introduced himself into Nature and Creature   Abyss   1 NOTHING ALL   Father 2 VVill of the Abyss JE Sonn 3 Delight or impression of the VVill. HO Spirit 4 Science or Motion VA 5 GOD in Trinitie Thus is GOD without Nature and Creature considered 6 VVORD in GOD. 7 VVisdom   Begining of Mysterii Magni of the Eternal NATURE Here begineth Mysterium Magnum as distinction in speaking the WORD where the WORD by Wisdom is made distinct Natural Sensible Comprehensible and Invenible The Eternal begining of the Principles is here also understood with Gods Love and Anger in Light and Darkness GOD in LOVE GOD in WRATH   9. The First principle Spiri 8 The second Principle   Moving Thinking tual Dark Feeling M●nd Nature V II Angel Light Love-fire 10 Tincture or speaking of the Trinity I Desire II. Prick or Science III Angush IV Fire Angelical World Root of the four Elements VI Sound or Distinction VII Essence or essential wisdom Austere Cause of Enmity Fire root of heat   Hard Hellish-life Hell Sub Growing or Greening in the Spiritual World 12 Pure Element 13 Paradise Sharpness cold fire Root Devill stan SAL MERCURIUS SULPHUR tial 14 Begining of the external World Here begineth the external visible World as the out-spoken visible WORD 1 Is understood the good Life of the creature which stands in the Quint-Essence 2 The poison and grossness of the Earth and Earthy Life 3 The Reader understanding these all Doubts and Queries cease in him and Babel is left in Ignominie The third Principle     15 Heaven   Starrs 16 Quint-Essence Good Powers The 17
the head-spring of the false minde but if it perceiveth Light in it self then is it the spring and ground of the sensible mind and the right root of fire as appeareth in number 3. downwards The fourth Form numb 4. is the Fire of the Eternal Nature understand spiritual Life-fire and that existeth from a continual conjunction or conjoyning of Hardness and Motion Understand that thence ariseth the Painfulness but the Splendor existeth from the Delight of the Free-will where the Unity of the Delight good pleasure is acuated in the properties then like a flash of lightning it shineth through the continued Conjunction of the great meekness of the Unity and the Fierceness and Motion of the three first Properties for then it is in the Essence of the Conjunction as if Steel and Stone were rubb'd together whence the flash ariseth Such a Flash is the true Natural Life of the Eternal for it is the Revelation of Divine Motion and hath the properties of Nature and also the Revelation of the Unity of Gods effluence in it self Now which of these two getteth predominancy in that standeth the Life The splendor of the Fire is the Light from the effluence of Gods Unity and the Essence of the Fire is the out-flown will which hath brought it self with the desire into such Properties Thus in the out-flown firy will we understand Angels and Souls and in the sensible sharpned Lights power from the Unitie we understand the Spirit wherein God is revealed and understood in the spiritual essence and in the Fire two Kingdomes separate themselves as the Kingdom of Glory from the efflux of Gods Unity and the Kingdom of the properties of Nature and yet these two Kingdoms dwell in one another as one The Kingdom of Nature is in it self that great Eternal Darkness but the Light is the Kingdom of God of which S John saith The Light shineth in darkness but the darkness comprehendeth it not As day and night dwell in one another and yet the one is not the other Thus from the Fires own propertie comes the painful life if it break it self off from the Eternal Light and doth as in the propertie of selfhood enter the object then is it only fantastick and foolish even such as the Devills were and the Souls of the Damned are as appears Numb 4. downwards In the fift Propertie of Nature is the second Principle with its foundation understood as the Essence of the Unity in the Light-power where in the out-flown Unity is a fire-flaming-love understood whence existeth the true understanding-Spirit with the five Senses The first three Forms are only the property to Life and the fourth is the Life it self but the fift is the true Spirit When the fift property is revealed out of the Fire then she dwelleth in all the rest and changeth them all into her sweet love that no more painfulness nor Enmity is discerned but even as the day changeth the night In the first 4. Properties is that life like the Devills but when the Lights-power as the second Principle is revealed in the property then is it an Angel liveth in divine power holiness as appeareth in the Num. 5. downwards The sixt Property is the Understanding as the Sound where the properties in the Light stand all in an equality then they rejoyce and the power of the five Senses is manifest and all the properties rejoyce in one another and thus the love of the Unity leadeth it self into working willing sensibility finding and (n) Highness Pochkeit celsitude Thus is there a contrary in the Eternal Nature that the Properties existing therein the love is known and that there might be something to be beloved wherein the Eternal Love of Gods Unity may work and God may be praised For if the properties of life be penetrated with the Divine love-flame then they praise the great love of God yield themselves all again into the Unity of God Such rejoycing knowledge could not be revealed in the Unity did not the Eternal will bring it self into painfull moving properties The Seaventh Property is that Essence wherein all the other are essential wherein they all act as the Soul doth in the Body wherein the Natural Essential Eternal Wisdom of God as the Mysterium Magnum is understood out of which the visible World with its Essence and Creatures did arise Thus by this Table is understood the hidden Spiritual world as the Eternal manifestation of God from whence the Angels and Souls of Men received their existence therefore may they turn themselves to evill or good for both lie in their Center This Spiritual world is no other than Gods revealed Word and hath its being from Eternity to Eternity for therein is Heaven and Hell understood III. TABLE The seven Properties of the visible World or external Nature MACROCOSMUS In this Table is signified how the hidden Spiritual Eternal Word as the Mysterium magnum by the motion of Gods Word issued forth and became visible manifest and Material And how the inward Powers through Gods working have comprehended and fashioned themselves how good and bad in every thing is to be understood and yet there was no evill in Mysterium magnum but existed through the sensibility and assumption of self-desire Here also is shewed what in the working issued forth from every property and which have the predominancy according to which every thing is formed and governed 1 Ground 2 of 3 Nature 4 Pure 5 Element 6 Para 7 dise Cold Earth Snow Original of Air Fire of Essence Heaven Light of Nature Starrs Water Saturn Mercury the planet Mars Sol Venus Soft Jupiter Luna Sal Mercury thunder Sulphur Flash Sal-niter Oyl Power Body Black Gray Mixt-colours Red Yellow Green and white within Blew White without within Red and Green Melancholy Collerick Sanguin Phlegmatick Grossness of Stone Metal Stone Rust Growing Pearls Jewels Menstruum Lead Quick silver Iron St●el Gold Copper Tinn Silver Bone Wood Herbs Resin Tincture in the Earth Sweet Bitter Grass Sour Poyson Woes Opening Healing Sren●thning Flesh Stopping Smelling Feeling Seeing Tasting Hearing Loathing of Nature Dying Lying Wrath War Richess Noble Reason Own possession Lord Craft Force Justi●e Faithfull Truth Simplicitie Stealing Deceiving Losing Finding Earthly Love being friendly Lightminded Obstinate Sad Confounded Senses Careless Constant Pure Jo●full Ignorant Earthly Beast'y Evill Heavenly Modest Sensible Low olfe Fox Dogg Lyon Bird Ape Great Beasts Worms Venemous Wormes Evill Beasts Good Beasts Flying Beasts Tame Beasts Fish An Explanation of the third Table MACROCOSMUS IN this Table is understood how the hidden spiritual world hath made it self visible and with its own breathing forth hath made it (a) Gegenwurff an object where the Eternal Principles are out-flown and the powers therein became co-material For the External Nature is no other than an efflux or object of the Eternal Nature The 4. Elements exist from the first 4 Properties of the Eternal Nature as the Earth and
to make his Abode in us and thus one day upon another it is delayed and yet Christ goeth with his Bride into his native Countrey viz. into the Second Principle but the marriage is celebrated in all the three Principles 54. A very excellent figure we have in this also Gen. 24.61 to the 67. That when Rebecca went home with Abrahams servant and Isaac mett her in the field and shee asked him what man that was and Abrahams servant told her that it was his Master Isaac how shee lighted off the Camell and putt a vail before her eyes and was ashamed and how Isaac took her and carried her into his Mothers Tent. The inward figure is this 55. When the inward disappeared humanity doth again obtain the pretious Jewell and is quickned in the spirit of Christ and discovers its beloved Christ in it selfe then it falls down into the deepest humility before the holiness of God and is ashamed that it hath lyen so long captive in the beastiall man and that it was a Queen but hath lost its Kingdome in Adam then it vaileth its own face before Gods glorious Clarity and humbleth it selfe but Christ taketh her into his Armes and leads her into his Mothers Tent viz. into the heavenly worlds Essence from whence he is come with his heavenly essence and there shee becomes his wife and thus Isaac is truely comforted for his Mother viz. for the disappeared Matrix in the Tincture of Venus which dyed in Adam and which he again doth now obtain in virgin-like chastity for his Spouse as here the history concerning Isaac soundeth 56. And we seriously admonish the Reader not to contem scorn or deride at our exposition it is the true ground for when Isaac mett his Bride Gen. 24.62 he came from the well Lahai-roi from the fountain of the living and Seing One as Moses saith if any desire to understand our meaning and knowledge he must then make towards this fountain that so he may be received with Rebecca and then he will see from what spirit this pen hath written and in what * * * Seal Viall or Trumpett Number and Voice it is arisen 57. If any here see nothing he may well blame himselfe for blinde and no man else the Jewes and Turckes and also Babel may here open their eyes wide and look upon the figures of the old Testament aright they will even finde them so CHAP. LI. How Abraham took another wife of whom he begat six Sons to which he gave gifts and unto his Son Isaac he gave all his goods but the other he sent away from his Son Isaac while he yet lived and also how he dyed and was buried by his Sons Ismael and Isaac what hereby is signified unto us Gen. XXV 1 2. MOses saith Abraham took a wife and her name was Keturah and shee bare unto him Zimran Jochshan Medan Midian Ishback Shuah from whom sprang forth six generations but of Sarah Abraham begat onely one Son at which the whole history pointeth but of Keturah he begatt six Sons concerning whom no peculiar or especiall thing is mentioned but onely their families or generations This is thus to be understood in the inward figure Abraham and his Sarah must be first old before he begatt Isaac to signifie that Christ should be manifested in the flesh in the Old Age of the world 2. Isaac was begotten and conceived of Abrahams nature and of the Ens of faith in an old and almost dead Matrix as to the humane nature that so the divine Ens might have the preheminence but when Sarah dyed Abraham took unto him Keturah and soon begatt of her Six Sons Kethurah doth in its Name expresse the Centre of nature when we form the SensVAl un-compacted spirits of the letters in this word Keturah then we understand that KETVRAH is a formed matrix of nature which signifieth to us that Abraham after he had begotten the Type of Christ in the Ens of faith should now begett his own likenesse as to Adams nature out of the Six properties of the naturall spirits life and also set forth and represent his own naturall likeness and therefore he must also have such a vessell thereunto 3. Sarah must bring forth but One Son to signifie that the kingdome of mankinde is given but to one and that they all do belong to this one and should in him become the same onely one as branches on one tree which one should be Christ in All. 4. But here Abraham did now with Keturah begett Six Sons according to the Six properties of the formed nature of the operation of the Six dayes workes and Isaac that is Christ is the Seventh viz. the day of rest or Sabbath wherein the Six Sons should enter into Rest even as the six dayes of the creation understand the six properties of the Centre of nature viz. the working Spirit-life do rest in the Seventh thus the Spirit of God doth represent the figure in Abraham 5. And we have here a very excellent figure against the Reason-wise who say that whosoever is not born by nature in the Ens of faith that is naturally as it were begotten of the Seed of the woman which workes onely by a particular election of God as they feign the same is hardned and cannot attain to the Adoption of God he is not drawn by God that he should come to the new-birth this figure quite strikes down their fiction and shewes the true ground and first it setts forth Isaac viz. Christ and declareth plainly that to him alone the kingdome of God is hereditary and peculiar and that no man can have it any more for or from the Right of nature and how we are altogether cast out from thence with Adam and have lost the same as the children of Keturah were all cast out from the inheritance of Abrahams goods and Isaac onely did inheritt them 6. And he setts down hereby how Adams children were also begotten of Abraham and how he gave them Gifts of his goods betokening how free gifts were given to Adams naturall children Gen. 25.6 out of God the Fathers and Christs Goods as Abrahams goods were given them of grace as a free gift 7. For Abraham did not cast out his naturall children from him without gifts so likewise God did not cast Adam out of Paradise without his * * * Note where the Free Grace of God was given to Mankinde free Gift he first gave him the bruiser of the Serpent in the word of the Covenant and afterwards he cast Adam from the childlike inheritance of the naturall Right and yet he received him again in the free Donation as Abraham also did not here reject his children and cast them out from the child-ship but from the naturall Right of his goods yet they were dear unto him in the child-ship therefore he freely gave them gifts of his goods and thereby he signifieth to us that the Kingdome of heaven