is he that passeth through it be times in his young years before the Devill buildeth his fort of prey strong he may afterwards prove a Labourer in the Vineyard of Christ and sow his seede in the Garden of Christ he shall reape the fruit in due time This judgement continueth a long while upon many for severall yeares if he doe not earnestly put on the Armour of Christ but stay till the judgement of temptations first exhort him to Repentance But he that commeth of himselfe of his owne earnest purpose and endeavoureth to depart from his evill wayes the temptation will not be so hard for him neither will it continue so long yet hee must stand out valiantly till victory be gotten over the devill for he shall be mightily assisted all shall turne to the best for him so that afterwards when the day breaketh in the soule he turneth it to the great praise and glory of God that the driver is overcome Short Prayers When the noble Sophia kisseth the soule with her love and offereth her love to it O Most gracious and deepest love of God in Christ Jesus I beseech thee grant me thy Pearle impresse it into my soule and take my soule into thy Armes O thou sweete love I confesse I am uncleane before thee take away my uncleanenesie through thy death and carry through the hunger and thrist of my soule through thy Death in thy Resurrection in thy Triumph cast my whole selfe downe to the ground in thy death take it captive and carry my hunger through in thy hunger O highest love hast thou not appeared in me stay in me and inclose me in thee keepe me in thee so that I may not be able to depart from thee fill my hunger with thy love seede my soule with thy heavenly substance give it thy bloud to drinke and water it with thy Fountaine O great love awaken my disappeared Image in me which as to the Kingdome of heaven disappeared in my father Adam by that word which awakened it in the seede of the woman in Mary quicken it I beseech thee O thou Life and Power of the Deity which hast promised us saying wee will come to you and dwell in you O sweete love I bring my desire into this word of thy Promise thou hast promised that thy Father will give the holy Spirit to those that aske him for it therefore I now bring the desire of my soule into thy Promise and I receive thy Word into my hunger increase thou in me my hunger after thee strengthen me O sweete love in thy strength quicken me in thee that my spirit may taste thy sweetnesse O doe thou beleeve by thy power in me for without thee I can doe nothing O sweete Love I beseech thee through that Love wherewith thou didst overcome the Anger of God and didst change it into Love and divine Joy I pray thee also change the anger in my soule by the same great love that I may become obedient unthee and that my soule may love thee therein for ever O change my will into thy Will bring thy Obedience into my disobedience that I may become obedient to thee O great Love of Jesus Christ I humbly flie to thee bring the hunger of my soule into thy wounds from whence thou didst shed thy holy bloud and didst quench the Anger with Love I bring my hunger into open side from whence came forth both water and bloud and throw my selfe wholy into it he thou mine and quicken me in thy life and let me not depart from thee O my Noble Vine I beseech thee give sappe to me thy branch that I may budde and grow in thy strength and sappe in thy Essence beget in me true strength by thy strength O Sweete Love art not thou my Light enlighten thou my poore soule in its close prison in flesh and bloud bring it into the right way destroy the will of the Devill and bring my body through the whole course of this world through the chamber of death into thy death and rest that at the last day it may arise in thee from thy death and live in thee for ever O teach me what I must doe in thee I beseech thee be thou my willing knowing doing and let me goe no whether without thee I yeeld my selfe wholy up to thee Amen A Prayer For the obtaining the Divine Protection and Government shewing how he minde should worke with in God in Christ the Tree of Life O Thou living Fountaine in thee I lift up the desire of my soule and crie with my desire to enter through the life of my Saviour Jesus Christ into thee O thou Life and Power of God awaken thy selfe in the hunger of my soule with thy desire of love through the thirst which Jesus Christ had upon the crosse after us men and carry my weake strength through by thy mighty hand in thy Spirit be thou the working and will in me with thine own strength blossome in the strength of Iesus Christ in me that I may bring forth praise unto thee the true fruite in thy Kingdome O let my heart and desire never depart from thee But i swimme in vanity in this valley of misery in this outward earthly flesh and bloud and my soule and noble Image which is according to thy Similitude is encompassed with enemies on every side viz. with the desire of the Devill against me with the desire of vanity in flesh and bloud also with all the opposition of wicked men who know not thy Name and I swimme with my outward life in the properties of the starres and elements having my enemies lying in waite for me every where inwardly and outwardly together with death the destroyer of this vaine life and therefore I flie to thee O holy strength of God being thou hast manifested thy selfe with thy love in mercy in our humanity through thy holy Name Jesus and hast also given it to be a companion in us therefore I beseech thee let his Angels that minister to him attend upon our soules and encamp themselves about us and defend us from the fiery darts of the desire of that wicked one which shooteth into us dayly by the curse of the Anger of God which is awakened in our earthly flesh keepe backe by thy strength the infectious rayes of the influence of the stars in their opposition into which raves the wicked one mingleth himselfe with his desire to poison us in soule and flesh and to bring us into false desires and also into infirmity and misery Turne away these Rayes of Anger with the holy Name Jesus in our soule and spirit that they may not touch us and let thy good and holy Angel stand by us to turne away these Rayes of Poyson from our bodies O great Love and sweete strength IHSVH thou fountaine of divine sweetnesse flowing out of the great Eternall Name IEHOVAH I crie with the desire of my
made and if thou losest thy life and commest to have thy own power faint then thy life is in that for whose sake thou forsakest it viz. in God from whence it came into the body The Scholar 8. God hath created man in and for the naturall life to rule over all creatures on Earth and to be a Lord over all things in this world and therefore it is reason he should possesse it for his owne The Master If thou rulest over all creatures outwardly only then thy will and ruling is in a Beastiall kinde and is but * an imaginary transitory ruling and thou bringest also thy Desire into a Beastiall Essence whereby thou becommest infected and captivated and gettest also a Beastiall condition but if thou hast left the imaginary condition then thou art in the super-imaginarinesse and rulest over all Creatures in that ground out of which they are created and nothing on Earth can hurt thee for thou art like All-things and nothing is unlike to thee The Scholar 9. O loving Master pray teach me how I may come the shortest way to be like All-things The Master With all my heart doe but thinke on the words of our Lord Jesus Christ when he said unlesse ye turne and become as children ye shall not see the Kingdome of God now if thou wilt be like All-things thou must forsake All-things and turne thy Desire away from them and not desire them nor extend to possesse that for thy owne which is something For as soone as thou takest something into thy Desire and receivest it into thee for thy own then that something is the same with thy selfe and it worketh with thee in thy will and then thou art bound to protect it and to take care for it as for thy owne Being But if thou receive nothing into thy Desire then thou art free from All-things and rulest over All things at once for thou hast received Nothing for thy own and art Nothing to all things all things are also Nothing to thee thou art as a Child which understandest not what a thing is and though thou dost understand it yet thou understandest it without touching thy perception in that manner which God ruleth and seeth all things in and yet nothing comprehendeth Him Thou didst also desire that I would teach thee how thou mightst attaine it therefore consider the words of Christ who said without me you can do nothing In thy owne power thou canst not come to such rest that no creature should touch thee unlesse thou givest thy selfe wholly up to the Life of our Lord Jesus Christ and resignest thy will and desire wholly to him and willest nothing without him then with thy body thou art in the World in the properties and with thy Reason under the Crosse of our Lord CHRIST but with thy will thou walkest in Heaven and art at the End from whence all creatures are proceeded and to which they go againe and then thou maist behold all things outwardly with Reason and inwardly with the Minde and rule in all things and over all things with Christ to whom all power is given both in Heaven and on Earth The Scholar 10. O Master the creatures that live in me with-hold me that I cannot wholly yeeld and give up my selfe as I willingly would The Master If thy will goeth forth from the Creatures then the creatures are forsaken in thee they are in the world and thy body onely is with the creatures but spiritually thou walkest with God and if thy will leaveth the creatures then the creatures are dead in it and live only in the body in the world and if thy will doe not bring it selfe into them they cannot touch the soule for St. Paul saith Our conversation is in Heaven also you are the Temple of the holy Ghost who dwelleth in you so then the Holy Ghost dwelleth in the will and the creatures dwell in the body The Scholar 11. If the Holy Ghost dwell in the will of the mind how may I keepe my selfe so that hee do not depart from mee The Master Marke the words of our Lord Jesus Christ If you abide in my words then my words abide in you If thou dost abide with thy will in the words of Christ then his word and Spirit abideth in thee but if thy will goeth into the Creatures then thou hast broken off thy selfe from him and then thou canst not any other way keepe thy selfe but by abiding continually in resigned humility and entring into continuall Repentance so that thou art alwayes grieved that creatures live in thee if thou dost thus thou standest in a daily dying from the creatures and in a daily ascending into Heaven in thy will The Scholar 12. O loving Master pray teach mee how I may come into such a continuall Repentance The Master When thou leavest that which loveth thee and lovest that which hateth thee then thou maist abide continually in Repentance The Scholar 13. What is that which I must thus leave The Master Thy creatures in flesh and bloud and all other things that love thee love thee because thy will entertaineth them the will must leave them and account them enemies and the Crosse of our Lord Jesus Christ with the reproach of the world hateth thee which thou must learne to love and take for a daily exercîse of thy Repentance and then thou shalt have continuall cause to hate thy selfe in the creature and to seeke the eternall rest wherein thy will may rest as Christ said in me you have rest but in the world you have Anxiety The Scholar 14. How may I recover in such a Temptation as this The Master If every hour thou dost once throw thy self beyond all Creatures above all sensuall Reason into the meerest mercy of God into the sufferings of our Lord and yieldest thy selfe thereinto then thou shalt receive power to rule over Sinne Death and the Devill over Hell the World and then thou mayst subsist in all Temptations The Scholar 15. Poore man that I am what would become of me if I should attâ—ine with my minde to that where no Creature is The Master His Master said to him very kindly loving Scholar If it were that thy will could breake off it selfe for one houre from all creatures and throw it selfe into that where no creature is it would be over-cloathed with the highest splendor of Gods glory and would tast in it selfe the most sweete love of our Lord Jesus which no man can express and it would finde in it selfe the unspeakable words of our Lord concerning his great mercy It would feele in it selfe that the Crosse of our Lord CHRIST would be very pleasing to it and it would love that more then the Honour and goods of the world The Scholar 16. But what would become of the Body since it must live in the Creature The Master The body would be put into the imitation of our Lord Christ who said his Kingdome was
not of this World it would begin to dye from without and from within from without from the vanity and evill deeds of the world it would be an utter enemie to all Pride and Insolence from within it would dye from all evill Lusts and Envy and would get a minde and will wholly new which would be continually directed to God and Goodness The Scholar 17. But the World would hate and despise it for doing so seeing it must contradict the World and lâ—ve and do otherwise then the World doth The Master It would not take that as any harm done to it but would rejoyce that it is become worthy to be like to the Image of our Lord Christ and be willing to bear that Crosse after our Lord meerely that the Lord might bestow the Influence of his sweete love upon it The Scholar 18. What would become of it when the anger of God from within and the wicked world from without should assault it as happened to our Lord Christ The Master Be that unto it as unto our Lord Christ when he was reproached reviled and crucified by the World and the Priests hee commended his soule into the hands of his Father and so departed from the anguish of this world into the Eternall joy So also it would get forth from the reproach and anguish of all the world and penetrate into it selfe into the great love of God and be sustained and refreshed by the most sweete Name JESUS and see and find in it selfe a new world springing forth through the anger of God then a man should wrap his soul up therein and account all things alike and whether the body be in Hell or on Earth yet his minde is in the greatest love of God The Scholar 19. But how would his body be maintained in the world and how would he maintaine those that are his if he should incur the displeasure of all the world The Master He getteth greater favour then the world is able to bestow for hee hath God and all his Angels for his friends they protect him in all dangers and necessities Also God is his blessing in every thing and though sometime it seem as if God would not bless him it is but for a Tryall to him and the drawing of Gods love that he might the more pray to God and commit all his wayes to him The Scholar 20. But he loseth all his good friends and there will be none to help him in his necessity The Master Yes he getteth the hearts of all his good friends into his possession and loseth none but his enemies who before loved his vanity and wickednesse The Scholar 21. How is it that hee getteth his good friends into his possession The Master He getteth the soules of all those that belong to our Lord Jesus to be his brethren and the members of his own life for the children of God are but one in Christ which one is Christ in all therefore hee getteth them all to be his fellow members in the body of Christ for they have the heavenly goods common and live in one and the same love of God as the branches of a Tree spring from one and the same sap Also he cannot want outward natural friends neither as our Lord Christ did not want such For though the high Priests and Potentates of the would would not love him which belonged not to him nor were his members and brethren yet those loved him that were capable of his words so likewise those that love truth and righteousnesse would love that man and associate themselves to him as Nicodemus did to Christ who came to him by night and in his heart loved Jesus for the truths sake yet outwardly feared the world and thus he shall have many friends that are not known to him The Scholar 22. But it is very grievous to be despised of all the world The Master That which now seemes hard and heavy to thee thou wilt afterwards love it most of all The Scholar 23. How can it be that I should love that which hateth me The Master Though thou lovest the earthly wisdome now yet when thou art over-cloathed with the heavenly wisdome thou wilt see that all the wisdome of the world is but folly and that the world hateth but thy enemy viz. the mortall life and when thou thy selfe comest to hate the will thereof then thou also wilt begin to love that despising of the mortall life The Scholar 24. But how may these two stand together viz. that a man should both love and hate himselfe The Master In loving thy self thou lovest not thy self as thy own but as given from the love of God thou lovest the Divine ground in thee by which thou lovest the Dîvine wisdom Gods works of wonder and thy brethren But in hating thy selfe thou hatest onely that which is thy own wherein evill sticketh close to thee and this thou doest that thou mayest wholly destroy in thee that which thou callest thine when thou sayest I or my selfe doe this or that this thou wouldest wholly destroy in thee that thou mayst become a ground wholly divine Love hareth Self or that which we call I because it is a deadly thing and they two cannot well stand together for love possesseth heaven â—c dwelleth in it self but that which I call I possesseth the world and worldly things and also dwelleth in it selfe and as heaven ruleth the world and as eternity ruleth time so love ruleth over the naturall life The Scholar 25. Loving Master pray tell me wherefore must love and trouble friend and foe be together would not love alone be better The Master If love dwelt not in trouble it could have nothing to love but its substance which it loveth viz. the poore soule being in trouble and pain it hath cause to loue its own substance and to deliver it from pain that it selfe also might be beloved again neither could it be known what love is if it had not something which it might love The Scholar 26. What is the vertue power height and greatnesse of love The Master It s vertue is that nothing whence all things proceed and its power is in and through all things its height is as high as God and its greatnes is greater then God whosoever findeth it findeth nothing all things The Scholar 27. Loving Master pray tell me how I may understand this The Master That I said its vertue is that nothing thou mayst understand thus when thou art gone forth wholly from the creature and art become Nothing to all that is Nature and Creature then thou art in that eternall One which is God himselfe and then thou shalt perceive and feele the highest vertue of Love But that I said its power is in and through all things thou perceivest and findest that in thy own Soul Body when this great love is kindled in thee it will burn more then any fire can doe Thou seest also in all the works of
Adam hath brought me no creature shall keepe me backe and though thou earthly body shouldest thereby decay and perish yet I will now enter with my will and whole desire into the Garden of Roses of my Redeemer Iesus Christ through his suffering and death into him and in the death of Christ subdue thee thou earthly body which hath swallowed up my Pearle from me which God gave to my Father Adam in Paradise and I will breake the will of thy voluptuousnesse which is in vanity and binde thee as a mad-dogge with the chaine of my earnest purpose and though thereby thou should'st become a foole in the account of all men yet thou must and shalt obey the earnest purpose of my soule none shall unloose thee from this chaine but the temporall death Whereto God and his strength helpe me Amen A short Direction How the poore soule must come before God againe and how it must fight for the noble garland what kinde of weapons it must use if it will goe to warres against Gods Anger against the Devill the World and Sinne against flesh and bloud also against the influence of the stars and elements and all his other enemies BEloved Soule there is earnestnesse required to doe this it must not be a meere commemoration or repeating of words the earnest resolved will must drive this worke else nothing will be attained For if the soule will obtaine the triumphant Garland of Christ from the Noble Sophia it must wooe her for it in great desire of love to get it at her hands it must intreate her in her most holy Name for it and come before her in most modest humility and not like a lustfull Bull or a wanton Venus for so long as any are such they must not desire these things for they shall not obtaine them and though something should be obtained by such in that condition it would be but as a glimpse but a chast and modest minde may well obtaine so much as to have the soule in its noble Image which died in Acam quickened in the heavenly Corporality as to the inward ground and put on the Garland yet if this come to passe it is taken off againe from the soule and layed by as a Crowne useth to be after a King is crowned with it it is layed by and kept so it is also with the soule because it is yet encompassed with the house of sinne that if the soule should fall againe it Crowne might not be defiled This â— spoken plainely enough for the children that know and have tried these things None of the wicked are worthy to know any more of them The Processe A sober minde is there requisite which in an earnest purpose all deepests humility with sorrow for â— sinnes cometh before God in which there is such a resolution that a man will not enter any more into the old footsteps of vanity and though the whole world should account him a foole for it and he should loose both Honour and Goods nay and the temporall life also yet he would abide constant therein If ever he will obtaine the love and marriage of the noble Sophia he must make such a vow as this in his purpose and minde For Christ himselfe sayth He that forsaketh not wife and children brethren and sisters money and goods and all that even he hath and even his earthly life to follow me he is not worthy of me Here Christ meaneth the Mind of the soule so that if there were any thing that would keepe the mind backe from it though it have never so faire and glorious a pretence or shew in this world the minde must not regard it but rather part with it then with the love of the Noble Virgine Sophia in the bud and blossome of Christ in his tender Humanity in us as to the Heavenly Corporality For this is the Flower in Sharon the Rose in the Valley wherewith Solomon delighteth himselfe and termeth it his deare Love his chast Virgine which he loved so much as all other Saints before and after him did whosoever hath obtained her called her his pearle After what manner to pray for it you may â—ee by this short direction following the worke it selfe must be committed to the Holy Ghost in every heart wherein it is sought he â—ormeth and frameth the Prayer for him The Prayer I Poore unworthy person come before thee O Great and Holy God and I lift up mine eyes to thee though I be noâ— worthy yet thy great mercy viz. thy faithfull Promise in thy word hath now encoucouraged me to lift the eyes of the deâ—iâ—e of my soule up to thee for my soule hath now layd hold on the word of thy promise and received it into it and therewith it conâ—eth to thee and though â—t be but a sâ—â—ange childe before thee which was dâ—sâ—â—bedieâ—t unto thee yet now it desireth to be obedient and my soule doth now iâ—fold it selfe with its desire into that word which became man which became flesh and bloud which hath broken 〈◊〉 and death in my humanity which hath changed the Anger of God into love in the soule which hath deprived death of its power and hell of its victory in soule and body which hath opened a gate for my soule to the cleare face of thy strength and power O Great and Most Holy God I have brought the hunger and desire of my soule into this most holy Word and now I come before thee and in my hunger call into thee thou living fountain through thy word which became flesh and bloud thy word being become the life in our flesh therefore I receive it firmely into the desire of my soule as my owne life and I pâ—erce into thee with the desire of my soul through the word in the flesh of Christ viz. through his holy conception in the Virgine Mary his whole Incarnation his holy Nativity his Baptisme in Jordan his temptation in the wilâ—ernene where he overcame the Kingdome of the Devill and of this world in the Humanity through all his powerfull miracles which he did on earth through his reproach and ignominy his innocent death and passion the shedding of his bloud when Gods anger in soule and flesh was drowned through his rest in the Sepulcher when he awaked our father Adam ouâ— of his sleepe who was fallen into a dead sleepe as to the Kingdome of Heaven through his love which pierced through the Anger and destroyed Hell in the soule through his resurrection from the dead his ascention the sending of the holy Spirit into our soule and spirit and through all his words and promises one of which is that thou O God the Father wilt give the holy Spirit to them that aske it in the Name and through the Word which became man O thou life of my flesh and of my soule in Christ my Brother I beseech thee in the hunger of my soule and intreate thee with all my powers though they be
weake to give me what thou hast promised me and freely bestow upon mee in my Saviour Jesus Christ viz. his flesh for food and his bloud for drinke to refresh my poore hungry soule that it may be quickened and strengthened in the Word which became man by which it may long and hunger after thee aright O thou deepest love in the most sweete Name JESUS give thy selfe into the desire of my soule for therefore thou hast moved thy selfe and according to thy great sweetnesse manifested thy selfe in the humane nature and called us to thee us that hunger and thirst after thee and hast promised us that thou wilt refâ—esh us I now open the lips of my soul to thee O thou sweet Truth and though I am not worthy to desire it of thy holines yet I come to thee through thy bitter passion death thou having sprinkled my uncleanesse with thy bloud and sanctified me in thy Humanity and made an open gatefor me through thy death to thy sweete love in thy bloud through thy five holy wounds from which thou did'st shed thy bloud I bring the desire of my soule into thy love O Jesus Christ thou Sonne of God and man I pray thee receive into thy selfe thy purchased inheritance which thy Father hath given thee I crie within me that I may enter thorough thy holy bloud and death into thee Open thy selfe in mee that the Spirit of my soule may reach thee and receive thee into it Lay hold on my thirst in me with thy thirst bring thy thirst after us men which thou haddest upon the Crosse into my thirst and give mee thy bloud to drinke in my thirst that my death in me which holdeth me captive may be drowned in the bloud of thy love and that my extinguished Image which as to the Kingdome of Heaven dis appeared in my father Adam through sinne may b made alive through thy powerfull bloud and cloath my soule with it âgaine as with the new body which dwelleth in heaven in which Image thy holy power and word which became man dwelleth which is the Temple of thy holy Spirit which dwelleth in us as thou hast promised us saying we will come to you and dwell in you O thou great Love of Jesus Christ I can doe no more but sinke my desire into thee thy word which became man is truth since thou hast bidden me come now I come Be it unto me according to thy Word and Will Amen A Warning to the Reader BEloved Reader of love to thee I will not conceale from thee what is here earnestly signified to me If thou lovest the vanity of the flesh still and arâ— not in an earnest purpose on the way to the new birth intending to become a new man then leave the above written words in these Prayers unnamed or else they will turne to a judgement of God in thee Thou must not take the holy names in vaine thou art faithfully warned they belong to the thristy soule if the soule be in earnest it shall finde by experience what words they are A Direction How the soule must meete its beloved when it s beloved knocketh in the Centre in the shut chamber of the soule BEloved soule thou must be earnest without intermission thou shalt certainely obtaine the love of a Kisse from the noble Sophia in the holy Name JESUS for shee standeth however before the doore of the soule knocking warning the sinner of his wicked way Now if he once thus desireth her love she is ready for him and kisseth him with the beames of her sweete love from whence the heart receiveth joy but she doth not presently lay her selfe into the Marriage bed with the soule that is shee doth not presently awaken the extinguished heavenly image in her selfe which disappeared in Adam there is danger to man in it for if Adam and Lucifer fell it may then easily so come to passe with man he being yet so strongly bound in vanity The bond of thy Promise must be faithfull before she will crowne thee thou must be tempted first and tried she taketh the beames of her love from thee againe to see whether thou wilt prove faithfull also she letteth thee stand and answereth thee not so much as with one looke of her love for before she will crowne thee thou must be judged that thou mightest tast the bitter potion which thou hast filled for thy selfe in thine abominations thou must come before the gates of hell first and there shew forth thy victory for her in her love in that strength wherewith she beheld thee in opposition to the devills aspect Christ was tempted in the wildernesse and if thou wilt put on him thou must go through his whole progresse from his Incarnation to his Assention and though thou art not able nor needest to doe that which he hath done yet thou must enter wholly into his processe and therein die continually from the vanity of the soule for the virgin Sophîa espouseth not her selfe to the soule except in this property which springeth up in the soule through the death of Christ as a new plant standing in heaven the earthly body cannot comprehend her in this life for it must first die from vanity but the heavenly Image which disappear'd in Adam viz. the true seede of the woman wherein God became man and into which he brought his living seede the heavenly substantiality is capable of the Pearle after the manner it came to passe in Mary in the limit of the Covenant Therefore take heede what thou dost when thou hast made thy promâ—se keepe it and then shee will crowne thee rather then thou wouldst be crowned but thou must be sure when the Tempter commeth to thee with the pleasure beauty and glory of the world that then thy minde reject it and say I must be a servant and not a master in the Vineyard of Christ I am but a servant of God in and over all that I have and I must doe with it as his Word teacheth me my heart must sit downe with the simple and lowly in the dust and be humble alwayes What state and condition soever thou art in humility must be in the front or else thou wilt not obtain her marriage the free will of thy soule must stand as a champion for it the devill cannot prevaile against the soule with vanity and if the soule will not bite at the baite then hee commeth with the soules nworthinesse and catalogue of sinnes and then thou must fight hard and here the merits of Christ must be set in the front or else the creature cannot prevaile against the devill for in this it goeth so terribly with many that the outward reason thinketh that person to be distracted and poâ—ened with the devill the devill defendeth himselfe so horribly in many especially if he have had a great Fort of prey in him that he must be stoutly assaulted before
Letters of the word proceed from and stand all in one Root which is the spirit of God as the many flowers stand all in the earth and grow by one another None of them fight with the other about their colours smell and taste they suffer the Earth the Sun the Raine the Wind the heate cold to doe with them as they please and yet every one of them grow in their own Essence and property 167. And so it is with the children of God they have various gifts and knowledge yet all from one Spirit They all rejoyce at the great wonders of God and give thankes to the most High in his wisdome why should they long contend about him in whom they live and have their being and of whose substance they themselves are 168. It is the greatest folly that is in Babel for people to strive about Religion as the Devill hath made the World to doe so that they contend about Opinions of their owne forging viz. about the Letter though the Kingdome of God consisteth in no Opinion but in Power and Love 169. As Christ said to his Disciples and left it to them at the last saying Love one another as I have loved you For thereby men shall know that you are my Disciples If men would as fervently seeke after Love and righteousnesse as after Opinions there would be no strife on Earth and wee should live as children in our Father and should need no Law or Ordinance 170. For God is not served by any Law but only by Obedience Lawes are for the wicked which will not embrace Love and Righteousnesse they are compelled and forced by Laws 171. We all have but one only order which is to stand stil to the Lord of all Beings resign our wil up to him and suffer his Spirit to play what musick he will and work and make in us what he will and wee give to him againe as his own fruits that which he worketh and manifesteth in us 172. Now if we did not contend about the various fruits gifts and knowledge but did acknowledg them in one another like children of the Spirit of God what could judge us For the Kingdome of God consisteth not in our knowing and supposing but in power 173. If wee did not know halfe so much and were more like children and had but a Brotherly minde or good will towards one another and did live like children of one and the same mother and as branches of one tree taking our sap all from one root we should be far more holy then we are 174. Knowledge serves only to this end to learne to know wee having lost the Divine power in Adam and so now are inclined to evill that wee have evill properties in us and that doing of evill pleaseth not God so that with our knowledge wee might learne to do right Now if we have the power of God in us and desire with all our powers to doe and to live aright then our knowledge is but our sport wherein we rejoyce 175. For true knowledge is the Manifestation of the Spirit of God through the eternall wisedome Hee knoweth what he will in his children He powreth forth his wisedome and wonders by his children as the Earth produceth its various flowers 176. Now if we dwell one with another like humble children in the spirit of Christ one rejoycing at the Gifts and knowledge of another who would judge or condemne us who judgeth or condemneth the birds in the woods that praise the Lord of all Beings with various voyces every one in its owne Essence Doth the Spirit of God reprove them for not bringing their voyces into one harmonie doth not the sound of them all proceed from his power and they sport before him 177. Those men therefore that strive and wrangle about knowledge and the will of God and despise one another for that are more foolish then the birds in the woods and the wild beasts that have no true understanding they are more unprofitable in the sight of the Holy God then the flowers of the field which stand still quietly submitting to the Spirit of God and suffering him to manifest the Divine Wisedome and power through them yes those men are worse then Thistles and Thornes that grow among faire flowers for they stand still indeed those men are like the ravenous Beasts and Birds of prey which fright the other birds from singing and praising God 178. In summe they are the growth of the Devill in the anger of God which must by their paine yet serve the Lord for by their plaguing and persecuting they presse out the sappe through the Essence of the children of God so that they move and stir themselves in the Spirit of God with praying and continuall sighing in which the Spirit of God moveth himselfe in them 179. For thereby the Desire is exercised and so the Children of God grow greene flourish and bring forth fruit for the children of God are manifested in Tribulation as the Scripture saith when thou chastiâ—est them they cry fervently to Thee CHAP. VIII Wherein Christian Religion consisteth and how men should serve God and their Brethren 180. ALL Christian Religion wholly consisteth in this To learn to know our selves First what we are and whence we are come how we are gone forth from the Unity into dissention wickednesse and unrighteousnesse how we have awakened and stirred up these things in us 181. Secondly how we were in the Unity when we were the children of God in Adam before he fell Thirdly how we are now in dissention and disunion in strife contrariety Fourthly whither we goe when we passe out of this corruptible Being whither we goe with the immortall and whither with the mortall part 182. In these foure poynts our whole Religion consisteth viz. to learn to come forth from disunion vanity and to enter again into that one Tree Christ in us out of which we are all sprung in Adam 183. We need not strive about any thing we have no contention Let every one exercise himselfe in learning how he may enter again into the love of God and his Brother 184. The Testaments of Christ are nothing else but a loving Boâ—d or brotherly covenant wherewith God in Christ bindeth himselfe to us and * us to him All teaching willing living and doing must aim at that All teaching and doing otherwise whatsoever is Babel and a fiction also a meer graven Image of pride in unprofitable judgings a disturbing of the world and an hypocrifie of the Devil wherewith he blindeth simplicity 185. Every one whatsoever that teacheth without the Spirit of God and hath no divine knowledge and yet setteth himselfe up for a Teacher in the Kingdome of God and will serve God with teaching that teaching is false and doth but serve the belly his Idoll and his own proud and insolent mind in desiring to be honored and accounted holy he beareth an office to which he
soule departed from it The distressed soules course This distressed soul began its course now under the patient suffering of Christ and entred into hope in Divine confidence and from day to day grew stronger and stronger and its evill inclinations dyed moâ—e and more in it so that it came to be set in a great dominion or kingdome of grace and the gates of the divine revelation and the kingdome of heaven were opened and manifested in it viz. in the soule And thus the soule in faith returned to its true rest and became a child of God again to which God help us all Amen The end THis foregoing Discourse concerning Illumination is called by the Authour A Dialogue between the enlightned and the unenlightned Soule as it is set down in the Catalogue of his works AN APPENDIX to a large treatise of ELECTION Which Treatise is dated February 9. 1623. This Appendix is A Compendium of Repentance OR A short Description of the Key which openeth the Divine Mysteries and leadeth to the knowledge of them Dated also February 9. 1623. Written in the German Language Anno 1624 By JACOB BEHMEN LONDON Printed by M. S. for H. Blunden at the Castle in Corne-hill 1648. To the Reader IN The Authors Treatise of Election the ground of all doubts in any Soule about Election is laid down which wil resolve them all that they may see their condition and find the way to attain the election if they have not yet atained it And in this short Treatise is the practise of every soule in repentance set down which will lead to the understanding of Divine mysteries in such a way as that the soule may get so much of the heavâ—ly divine treasure hidden in them as it shall perceive it standeth in need of To that end this labour is taken for thee by J. S. A Compendium of Repentance Whosoever will attain to divine vision in himself and speak with God in Christ let him follow this course and he shall attain in 1. LET him gather all his thoughts and reason together and all his mind into this one imagination take a strong purpose and resolution in himselfe to consider what he is being the Scripture calleth him the the Image of God the Temple of the holy Ghost who dwelleth in him and a member of Christ and offereth the flesh and bloud of Christ to him to be his meat and drink 2. He must consider himselfe in his life whether he be capable of so great grace and worthy of so high a Title as that of a Christian and begin to examine his whole life and think with himself what he hath done and how he hath spent all his time and examine whether he findeth himselfe to be in Christ whether he hath a godly will or holy desires in him or no or to what he is inclined or whether he find at any time in himselfe a will or desire heartily panting after God and goodnesse and so would fain bee saved 3 And if he find in himselfe a will never so weak deeply hidden which would fain turn to the grace of God if it could let him know that that will is the ingrafted incorporated and in-spoken word of God in Paradise after sinne was committed and that the God JEHOVAH viz. the Father doth draw him thereby still to Christ for in selfe we have no will at all to obedience 4. But that drawing of the Father viz. the ingrafted incorporated inspoken word draweth all eveu the most ungodly if he be not altogether a Thistle if hee will but stand stil froÌ„ his evil working for a moment 5 So that none have cause to doubt of the grace of God if at any time he once find in himselfe a desire or inclination to turn 6. And let that party not defer his turning one moment but as it is written To day when you shall heare the voyce of the Lord harden not your eares and hearts 7 For that desire or inclination once to turn is the voyce of God in man which the Devill covereth and shutteth up by the Species representations or Images which he bringeth into the mind whereby turning is delayed and put off from one day to another and from one yeare to another till at length the soule commeth to be a very Thistle and can reach grace no more 8 But let him that findeth a desire to turn take it into his heâ—rty confideration to examine his whole course of life and lay it to the ten commandements and to the love which is required by the Gospel which commandeth him to love his neighbour as himselfe and consider that he is a child of grace onely in Christs love and see how farre he is departed from it and what his daily practIce desire and inclination is and then that drawing of the Father will bring him into the righteousnesse of God and shew him the Images that are imprinted in his heart which he hath loved in stead of God and still accounteth them to be his best treasure 9 Which Images he shall find to be 1. Pride in liking and loving himselfe and desiring to be honored by all others also an image inclining him to get power and dominion in his pride that he might be honoured above all others 2. An Image of a Swine Covetousnesse which would have all to it selfe onely and if it had the whole world and heaven too yet it would have the dominion in hell also desiring more then this temporall life hath need of and hath no faith towards God in it but is a defiled Swine that desireth to swallow all things into it selfe 3. An Image of Envie stinging the hearts of all others envying and grudging that any other should have more temporall goods and honour then it selfe hath 4. An Image of anger which when envy as a poyson dwelleth in it will upon any very little or frivolous occasion storm fight wrangle and be furious and will revenge it selfe Also there will be found a multitude yea thousands of earthly beasts to be in him which he loveth and fostereth sor he loveth every thing that is in the world and hath set it in the stead of Christ and honoureth it more then he doth God Let him but observe the words of his mouth and see how his lips slander upbraid and speak evill of others secrerly and setteth them forth in the worst sense and giving others the worst character to their fellows associats and familiar friends and often back bite without any sure ground or cause rejoycing at his neighbours mishap or the evill that commeth upon him and wishing it to him All which are the pawes and ginnes slights or tricks of the Devill and the Image of the Serpent which man beareth in him 10. And let him compare all this with the word in the Law and in the Gospel and he shall find that hee is more a beast and a Devill then a man and shall clearly see how these here ditary imprinted ingraved or
his crosse so that the Devill seeth it not Therefore bee alwayes sober and watchfull and resist the crafty and subtill Devill that yee may live for ever Amen A Letter or Epistle FROM IACOB BEHMEN to a good friend of his Our Salvation or Redemption consisteth in the working of the love of JESVS CHRIST that is in us 1. MY very loving and Christian Friend I wish you the highest peace with the hearty love of a fellow-member of CHRIST working in the desire that the true Sunne of the effectuall love of JESUS CHRIST may continually rise and shine in your Soule Spirit and Body 2 Your letter dated the 24 of January I received 14. dayes after Easter rejoycing to see in it that you are a thirsty fervent and desirous searcher and lover of the true ground of the knowledge of Divine mysteries which I perceive you have sought and searched for with diligence 3 But that my writings are come to your hands and please you is certainly caused by the appointment of GOD who bringeth lovers to that which they love and often useth strange meanes whereby he satisfieth the desire of them that love a thing and feedeth them with his gifts and graces and putteth an Ens or Substance of the true fire into their love that it may burn aright and you may rest assured if you continue your constancy in love to truth that it will open reveale and manifest it self to you in its flaming love and make it self certainly known but the searching of it must be begnn aright for we attain not the true ground of divine knowledge by the sharp searthing of our reason froÌ„ without but the searching must begin from within in the Hunger of the soule for Reason peâ—etrateth no further then its own Aâ—rum or Constellation of the outâ—ard world from whence Reason haâ—h â—ts originall 4 But the soul searcheth in its own Astrum or Constellation viz. in the â—nward spirituall world from whence â—his visible world hath proceeded and â—own forth and was produced and wherein its ground or Root standeth 5. But then if the soule would search its own Astrum or Spirituall Constellation viz. the Mysterium Magnum or the eternall Divine Nature it must first wholly yeeld up all its power its wil to the divine love and grace within it and become a childe and turn it selfe to â—ts Center by Repentance and desire to doe nothing but that onely which the Spirit of God desireth to search by it 6 And when it hath yeelded and resigned it selfe thus seeking nothing but goodnesse and the glory of God and its own salvation and also how it may serve and love its neighbour and doth then find in it selfe a desire to have divine and also Naturall knowledge then it may know or be sure that it is drawn or inclined to it by GOD and then it may well search that deep ground which is mentioned in my Writings 7 For the Spirit of GOD searcheth by that soule and bringeth it at length into the deepes of the Deitie as Saint Paul faith The Spirit searcheth all things yea the deep things of God 8 Loving Sir it is a simple childish way that leadeth to the highest wisdome the world knoweth it not You need not travell into far Countries to seek for wisdome in remote places she standeth at the doore of your soule and knocketh and if shee shall find an empty resigned free place in the soule she will there reveale her selfe indeed and rejoyce therein more then the Sunne in the Elements If the soule yeeld it selfe up to wisdome for a full possession then she penetrateth through it with her flaming fire of love and unlocketh all mysteries to the soule 9 Sir you may perhaps wonder how a plain Lay-man could come to understand such high things having ever read them nor heard them â—om any man But loving Sir I tell â—ou that which you have seen in my â—ritings is but a glimpse of the myâ—eries for a man cannot write them God shall account you worthy to â—e the light kindled in your soule â—u would see taste smell feele and â—eare unspeakable words of GOD â—oncerning this knowledge And â—ere is the true Theosophicall Schoole â— Pentecost where the soule is taught of God 10 After this there is no more need â— searching and painfull toyling aâ—out it for all doores or gates and open a very simple silly man â—ay attaine it if he doe not hinder â—imselfe by his own willing and runâ—â—ng For it lieth in man beforeâ—nd and needeth onely to be awaâ—ned stirred up hatched or quickâ—d by the Spirit of GOD. 11 In my Talent or Writings â—s in my simplicity I was able to deâ—ribe it you shall easily â—ind the way â— it especially in this foregoing book which also is of my Talent and but for few weeks agoe published in print which Sir I present to you in love as to my Christian fellow-member and exhort you to read it over often for its vertue is the more the better liked In this Book you will see a true short ground and it is a sure ground For the Authour in his practice hath found it so by experience 12 But for the ground of the high Naturall Mysteries which you and Mr. Walter and Mr. Leonhart Elverne desire a further and a clearer explanation of be pleased to enquire of Mr. Walter for it for I have sent to you and him an explanation and other new writings if you shall like them you may cause them to be copied out you will find very great knowledge in them I ould that all of you might truly understand it I would fain have made it more plain but in respect of the great depth and also in regard of the unworthy it may not be done Christ sayth Matth. 7. 7. Seek and you shall find knock and it shall be opened unto you None can give it to another every one must get it himselfe of GOD One may well give a manuduction or direction to another but he cannot give him the understanding of it 13 Yet know this That a Lilly blossometh to you yee Northerne Countreys If you doe not destroy it with the Sectarian contention of your learned Men it will grow to be a very flourishing or great Tree among you But if you rather choose to contend dispute and wrangle then to know the true God the Ray or Influence will passe over you and touch but some few and then afterwards you will be forced to fetch water from strangers for the thirst of your soules 14 If you shall rightly observe it my writings will give you great furtherance in it and the Signat-Starre above your Pole will help you for its time born or begun 15 I will freely and readily give you what the Lord hath given me but look to it and bestow it aright it will be a witnesse for you against the Mockers Scorners or Despisers None ought to look upon my person it is the