if the Mind strongly conceits a Heaven to it self the Mystery of the same conceit unknown makes an intension of its Heaven We often see that Love after Marriage grows Languid Whereas the same Love before the Enjoyment of its wished Object was so elevated and wrapt up in the said Object that it counted the same a seeming Heaven But many times two Lovers who have attained to the Blossom of the Tincture of Venus insect one another by their burning Lust so that they become Deadly Enemies even these very same Persons who were ready to impart the Heart within them one to the other if it could be done without Deaâ—h And tho' sometimes the Complexion of others are more Noble and still some Love remains yet it is not always so pure and faithful as the first As may be seen by Experience that many in Wedlock hunt after Whoredom and wandring Beds more than they did when in a single state Answ The Original of Love and Propagation proceedeth from the hiddennefs of the Virgin All things grasp after the Virgin and that made the Spirit of this World grasp and reach after Man because he found the Virgin in Man before the Fall And when a young Man loves a Maid he thinks to find the Virgin in the said Maid but when he Unites with her and toucheth the Tincture of Venus but cannot get the Virgin in his Possession then followeth a less Esteem of the Felicity which he thought to find in her §. 10. By the Seven Properties SAy what you will saith the Atheist He that hath Skill to rule his own Spirit may draw his Affections and Fancy to what Object he pleaseth Answ Ask thy own Mind why will not it give over Imagination and lie in Silence Ask a Mad-man why he will not stop the Wheel of his Mind that rolleth about too violently Ask a Man why he will not in sleep dream of Comedies And enquire whether any of these have power over this Spirit of Phantacy to retain the Spirit by his own Power It is true both in the Light and in the Wrath-World which soever of the Seven Properties are predominant in the seven fold Wheel of the Eternal Mind that will by and by be lowermost But in the Love Kingdom one Property desireth not to expel the rest out of the Harmony or to move and turn the Wheels backward This is demonstrated in all things especially in Musick For tho' there be insinite Varieties of Notes and Tunes according to the Altering and Transposings of the seven Sounds yet tho' the Saturnine or Martial String may be predominant while an Instrument is dexterously handled the rest by a secret sympathy will bind them in a Melodious Harmony And this is also observable That the end of a Tune hath some Resemblance to the beginning there-thereof to shew that when the Harmony of the Sphears or Stars of Time shall find its beginning again then will it be swallowed up in an Eternal Consort of the Properties Excepting those Essences who have spoiled their Materials or rather changed the form of their Breasts according to the Pattern of which the Instrument is to be tuned It may also be seen in the Variety of other Sensibles For in taste there are many thousand Varieties yet if the seven Properties be rightly and artificially mixed tho' the Saturnine property be predominant yet the other Properties will bind it in an equal Accord The like is understood of other qualities too tedions to enumerate Thus by what hath been said it is clear that a terrible Dream comes from the multitude of vain Business and a Fool in his Eternal Melancholly Fit of Angnith snores in a deep sleep of Despair and sees horrid Spectiums that imposeth real Punishment upon his Soul according to his Lot and Degree And to answer the aforesaid Objection it is consest that when a Man is in love with a Maid the Object engaged to his Noblest Passion her Idea being as it were stamped upon his Spirit with the Character of Sympathy Tho' you proser him another Maid far more worthy in Beauty and Nobility than the former yet none will content his Fancy or stop the current of his Passion but the Enjoyment of her to whose Service he was made Votary before or Death Even so the Soul being in love and enamoured with his fair Virgin though you proffer him all the External Joys and Pleasures that the World can afford yet the Soul doth slight all and contemn them in comparison of the Virgins Love Answ Tho' this External Love hath some Analogy if it be pure and Faithful to the love between the Soul and Gods pure Virgin yet there is a difference between the Phantacy and Imagination in its pursuit after divers Objects The Object makes the Difference For if the Soul takes a Shadow for a Substance there 's the Deceit and the great Error And so as one said Ow. Epigr. If chaste true Love be accounted the greatest Terrestrial Happiness what may we suppose Calestial Love to be CHAP. III. The Souls Allegiance §. 1. There is a Divine Law NOw the Question is Whether the Soul be left loose or dissolute to do that which is right in the sight of his own Eyes not subject to a Law not enjoyned to obey his King by an Oath of Allegiance and so left open to hostile Powers who may allure him and draw him to the Traps of headlong Ruine and Destruction And by this means Religion may degenerate into Sceptism Answ It must be confessed There is a Perfect Law of Liberty but it is in subjection to Gods Spirit in Love not by a slavish Fear For instance A little Child before he can go must be under Guardians and not permitted to creep where he will But when he is so educated that he knows how to comply to the beck of his Guardian or Tutor he is let loose to go where he will and yet he will not do what his Tutoâ— hath forbidden him if he be of a pliable Disposition efpecially having had experience of the Crosness of another Tutor or Master Tho' our Ancestor went beyond his Bounds in a like Case Again Here ariseth agreat Question Where lieth the great Mistake that many a Soul must wander at a Fugitive and never find a Lodge of quiet Repose Is there a Counter-Law in Eternity that forbids him to find Ease O no The Antient Law of Eternity doth strictly command the Soul to give the Souls Spirit the thing that he longs after the Object that he earnestly desireth There never was any other Law in Eternity nor ever will any be repugnant to this Feed on the Tree of Eternal Joy and pure pleasant Life Thou mayest eat of all the fair and pleasant Trees in the Garden of Eternal Delight Yea thou must eat of them But touch not the Tree of Pain opposed to Pleasure upon penalty of feeling Pain without end or of entering into the Property of Death that is Thou
thou goest §. 9. Phantasie inverted WHY saith my Objector This is a wonderful thing If this be the only Law and Right of Eternity And if God never eâ—acted any Counter-Law but only as a Penalty upon the breaking of this Law which cannot be altered What would the Soul have Or what would Mortal Man have to give himself rest For the End of all Motion is Rest And the End of all Travail is Refreshment the End of Longing is the Enjoyment of a thing Loved Answer Phantafie sorceth the Soul out of its natural Posture to work against the Hair And as the Ancient Proverb saith Love is Blind and that which is deformed seems fair in the Souls Eye And because God hath forbidden the Tree of Contrariety to be touched therefore Man hath a strong Fancy that there is some great Mystery in it And so like a Fool he comes to be governed by Fancy not considering there is no Smoak without Fire which not prevented his House may be burned But to clear the Mystery of this Subject still plainer to the Understanding It is well known where Fancy is strong the Author chooseth a Laborious Life while he enjoyeth a thing loved or fancied and feels not the Pain And prefers it before a Life of Pleasure without the Society of the Object his Love For he cannot enjoy Pleasure in Pleasure while the one thing fancied is withheld and kept back from him And the best thing being out of sight is out of Mind Now saith my Objector â— apprehend the Matter God who is a true Rest to the Soul offers a bitter Cup to the Soul saying Drink this first and thou shalt enjoy Eternal Pleasure And Lucifer presents Dishes pleasant to the Palate though bitter to the Belly God saith Come to me O all ye that labour and are heavy laden with Vanity and I will give you rest for my Yoke is easie and my Burden is Light But here is a Yoak of Burden of Affliction mentioned §. 10. Soul and Body must Sympathize ANswer I deny the Objection God commands the Soul to enjoy the Pleasure of Temporal as well as Eternal Life For the temperate Man hath a thousand times more Pleasure in Eating and Drinking then the Spewing Sick intoxicated Drunkard And as for the Yoak and Burden mentioned before the upright Soul counteth it no yoak of uneasiness For indeed it is not uneafie to any part but only the corrupted Fancy and the crooked Nature which judgeth the delightful way of Vertue to be irksome because unaccustomed thereunto For the Spirit of the Soul desires only his Right Object which if he obtains he lâ—ts the Soul enjoy Temporal Pleasure as he will out of what hath been said it is clear that it is not God fault that Man attains not the Fruition of his longing Desire and the Rest of his labouring Mind For like a Leech he chooseth to glut himself with the Blood of false Pleasure and then to spue up all again rather than to enjoy the true rest of his Mind in Contentment So Mans Ruine is of himself And the Soul sacrificing the Spirit as being the true Child in the Regeneration there are Drums and loud Musicks sounding to stop his Cries that the Voice of this Divine Complainer cannot be audible As thou knomest not the way of the Spirit or how the Bones do grow in the Womb of the Holy Pregnatress So thou knowest not the Work of God that makes all except thou be born of this Holy Seed And here also ariseth another Question how shall the Soul attain to satisfie his Longing and vehement Desire This is the Lesson which the whole World of Mankind are yet seeking to learn and for the most part learned as well as unlearned are stupid and dull in the comprehending of it because they would learn it the wrong way And God hath set the World in Mans Heart so that Man cannot find out the Work that God maketh from the beginning to the end of his Life without the Assistance and Revelation of the Spirit of the same God For first Man must by the Assistance of this spiritual Physitian cure the Distemper of his Soul and then he will love the thing enjoyned For what is the most pleasant Dainties in the World to an ill-prepared Stomack And also here also ariseth another great Question Is it possible for every Man born of a Woman to reach and attain to this Food or Fewel which he earnestly longs after Answer Though it hath been concluded by some pretended famous Divines that it is not possible for some who have been excluded by Gods predestinate Purpose who according to the Poet Inscripsere Deos sceleri numenque supernum Coede laboriferi credunt gaudere juvenci And though this Doctrine be horrid Blasphemy or Reproaching of God Yet I must be forced now to remit the Answer to another place CHAP. V. The Virgins Suit §. 1. Mans meet Help I The Preacher was Prince over the three Worlds in Eden I Preached the ancient Law in the Throne of Paradice And I gave my 〈◊〉 to seek and to search out by Wisdom concerning all things that are done under the Holy Heaven This sore Travel hath God given to the Sons of Men to be exercised therewith This sealed Book hath he given to Mankind to unclasp and to Read I have seen all the Labour and Travel and Work that are done under the lower Firmament And behold all is Vanity and Vexation of the pure Spirit of the Soul I communed with my own Heart saying Lo I am come to great Estate and have gotten more Wisdom then all the ancient Revolted Princes and â—ord Lucifer whâ— hath been Prince in Eden before me Yea my Heart had great Experience of Wisdom and Knowledge and I gave my Heart to know Wisdom and to know Madness and Folly by Reason whereof Lucifer lost his Throne I perceived also that this is a Vexation of the Holy Spirit For in mach Serpentine Wisdom and Subtilty is much grief And he that increaseth the Knowledge of good and evil in Opposition increaseth Sorrow as not practising what he knows And so all is Vanity whatever is a Vexation to the fair Virgins Spirit And promoteth not the mutual Joy of the Spirit of the Soul and the Divine Virgin or Humane Goddess And here lieth the great mistake of Mankind Folly is the grand Cause or rather a foolish Fancy of setting the Affection upon an Object Loved which cannot easily be withdrawn How is that Man will not love the fair Virgin whom God hath appointed for his Eternal Solace and Pleasure in the pure Paradise of undesiled Love and immaculate Chastity the tâ—ue Cause of Eternal Joy Now what is Joy but the Enjoyment of a thing loved and longed for But here lieth the great Error and here is Mans Misery he chooseth to eat and wipe his Mouth in a corner and to sit sotting over a Cup of Hellish Liquor in Private like a Fool or Self-conceited
a true time therefore the misery of Man 〈…〉 upon him Now here lies the Great Mâ—â—stery because of Ignorance in the Souls Original and Nobility many a Man becomes a wretched Mâ—screant Nay may some say It is by Gods predestinate purpose that Man is to know and seel pain Yes this is the predestinate purpose of God and the Antient Law of Eternity That whoever would be greater than God and oppose his own Lumour and self-will to Gods will must feel Eternal Pain that proceeds from this chiefly He will gnash his Teeth and eat his own Flesh yea from his own Center shall stream Flashes of burning Brimstone because he will think how he hath fooled himself away by his own Folly when he might have been a Royal Prince So that Ignorance is the cause of Mans Wretchedness Man shuts his Eyes and seeth not how God the Root of Man cannot by any Skill or Device be plucked up And so Man comes to be subject to an evil time and ill chance by breaking himself off from his true Eternal Root § 6. The Soul's Circle THe words of the Preacher the Prophetical Sound the Son of God King of Heaven Prince of Order and Ruler of the seven Worlds One Humane or Angelical Spirit passeth away into its own Place and Lot and another brood cometh into this World in his stead But the Mansion of the Spirit abideth unmoved for ever The Humane Sun ariseth and seems to set out of sight and so Immortal Man seems to be Mortal but he hasteth to the place of Eternity where he arose and wheeleth from one Tropick to another by an uncessant Labor and Eternal Motion The Wind of the Soul goeth towards the South and turneth to the opposite side it whirleth about continually as upon seven Wheels whether moved backward with Lucifer and so remaining still Or returning again according to its Circuits as moved forward by the Divine Motion and Breath All Humane Rivers run into the Ocean of Eternity yet Eternity is never fill'd Vnto the place from whence the Rivers of Generation came thither they return again Some flowing hiddenly to the springing Fountain and some abiding in the restless and tossed State in the Abyss The Son of Man before his External Birth was as it were taking his Rest or a sweet Nap of Repose upon the Brests of the Virgin his dear Mother the holy Bride of God who cometh down from God out of Heaven And there the Eternal Soul was at Rest until his Natural Parents waked him and disturbed his Beatifical Visions His Natural Parents sent for him into this outward Region to see the Beauty of this fair World and to receive the Salutation of a Joyful Welcome thereinto Who as a Birth of Time out of the Matrice of Eternity came very mean simple and helpless into this lower Country even as a most vile sprâ—wling Worm not bearing the least malice to the Creator or any other Creature of the Creation And lived a year ten years or more or perhaps a hundred years and then leaves all in great longing after some New Friends or Beloveds which he had chosen to his Solace in this strange Land § 7. Fatal Necessity of the Soul 's Being BY reason hereof he goes back with an ill will towards his Antient home and parts in great anguish and pain and perhaps in that anguish and despair he Eternally abides and that for following some Lusts and pursuing some Pleasures which he would fain solace his Mind with for a few years in this World and never so much as considered that he must endure a thousand millions of painful years in lieu of that little short pleasure till the hour of Death or rather the time of taking his leave of his Friends being too late And tho' truly the Light of the World be sweet and tho' it be a pleasant thing for the Eyes to behold the Sun of Time yet if a Man live many years and rejoyce in them all let him remember the Days of Darkness for they shall be many All that cometh is Vanity Now then where lies the fault here Here ariseth a great Question Is it any promoting of Gods Honour Joy or Profit that Man must know Pain opposed to Pleasure or be sensible of and really feel in the Practick what Anguish and Torment is I say Doth this increase Gods Joy or Beatitude and as it were perfect the Perfection of the perfect God Some may answer No. But it was God's Will that it should be so Well! Then there must be some Cause wherefore God willed this Evil The Objector may reply He doth all for his Glory If so He confesseth God torments his own Child for his own Glory § 8. Gods Repentance BUt this is a Belying of the Deity and of his Love to the Children of his own Loyns and making of God an unnatural cruel fierce wrathful Judge or Executioner yea crueler than the Savages of the Desert which love their own Issue nay than the very Devils of Hell For alas It is no Glory nor ' Pleasure at all to God to hear that his own dear Children are imprisoned in an Eternal Wilderness where they can never find the way to their Journey 's End their Creator But he counts it a great Loss and Dishonour and cause of Rpentance if we may use that Metaphor that God repenteth that when he views his Brides Room and finds that his Children each one with his Mate are not returned to the Great and Solemn Wedding of his Son He will say Where are all my Children but these It will be answered They have listed themselves Soldiers under another Power and would not come Here again we must be forced to frame another Metaphor to speak or utter these high Mysteries with a humane Tongue For no Grief can ever enter into God nor the loss whereof may vex him if we speak properly God perceiving that his Children took not his Sons Counsel will as it were mourn for them a few days and when the mourning Days shall be ended He will consider that there is no Redemption out of the Jaws of Eternal Death and and so he will for ever forget them And so I considered in mine Heart even to declare all this that tho' Mankind go forth from one Root or Fountain Ocean yet the greatest part comes not back to the same Door or Gate of Enterance into their Antient Resting Place but enter in at a false Door by a gross mistake And being once entred there there is no Recovery because they would not hearken to the Voice of Divine Wisdom and Skill Therefore in a humane sense it is an Addition to God's Glory to see his dear Children returning to Heaven Oh! what hearty and kind Embracing and Welcoming is here Their Ships laden with Divine Treasures and carved with the Story of the Afflictions which happened to them in a strange Land § 9. The same Event to all by allowance of God's Ballance THe Righteous and
the Wise and their Works are in the hand of God and weighed in the Ballance of Equity No Man knoweth either Love or Hatred Joy or Sorrow and how it will be in the other World by all that is before him in this World All things come alike to all There is one Event to the Righteous and to the Wicked God maketh the Sun and Rain to come upon the Just and Unjust His Divine Sun enlightens every one that comes into this World both the Clean and the Vnclean Him that sacrificeth his Lusts and him that sacrificeth not Him that sweareth to Gods Covenant and him that fears the Oath of Divine Allegiance and him that forswearâ—s it This seems an evil among all things that are done under the Sun that there is one Event unto all Yea also the Heart of the Sons of Men is full of Evil and Madness is in their Heart while they live and after that they go to the Dead For to him that is joyned to all the Living in the holy World there is hope in this Life-time for a living Dog which may be cultivated by degrees is better than a dead Lion And the Living know that they shall dye the Eternal Death if they cut themselves off from the Root But the Dead who die the second death know not anything at all but only pain neither have they any more a reward from God for the memory of them when the Days of Mourning shall be past is for ever forgotten Also their Love and their Hatred and their Envy is so perished that it can never hurt any of the Celestial Incolists Neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the Sun of their Eternity in the dark Center of their Abyss §. 10. All alike Relieved by a Poor Wise Man SO I returned and saw under the clear Sun of Divine Light that the Race is not always to the Swift nor the Battel to the Strong nor yet Bread to the Skilful Tiller of the harsh Earth nor yet Favour to Men of Skill But Time and Chance happeneth to them all and a wise Man discerneth both Time and Judgment But a wise Man also knows not his time As the Fishes that are taken in an evil Net and as the Birds that are caught in the Snare so are the Sons of Men snared in an evil time or Unlucky Hour of the Enemies temptation when it falleth suddenly upon them and that for want of Divine Skill and Wisdom with which whoever is endued he cannot be cheated This wisdom also have I seen under the Sun and it seemed great unto me There was a little Microcosmick City and few skilful Soldiers within it And there came a great King against it and by Authority from Luciscer besieged it and built great Bulwarks against it Now there was found in it a poor contemptible wise Man and he by his Wisdom delivered the City by giving his Life for the Inhabitants Yet no Man remembred that same poor servile Man Then said I Wisdom is better than strength nevertheless the poor Mans Wisdom is despised and his words are not heard The Words of the Wise are heard in quiet as a still pure Voice more than the cry of a King that ruleth among Fools and his losty loud words in the streets of Confusion Wisdom is better than Weapons of War But one sin ful Affection destroyeth much Good and by its jarring spoils the still Harmony in the Humane Harp even as one scabbed Sheep infects the whole Flock CHAP. II. The Souls Longing § 1. Crying Give Give VAnity of Vanities faith the Soul's Spirit All extern Objects are a vexation of my Spirit Now O Man saith the Eternal Preacher of the holy Gospel Knowest thou what thy Soul and what the Spirit of thy Soul is The Soul is a dry Hunger It is a longing Anguish It is a Fire without Fewel Lay thy hand upon thy Brest and feel thy own Root the Heart and then tell me dost thou feel no panting there No Breathing or Longing there No Hungring nor Thirsting there Art thou sensible of no Labour and Travail there No restless and incessant Crying there Crying Give give O give me that which I labour for O give me that which I seek after Even as every thing would fain live so would I Thou wilt say That 's the throboing and motion of the Heart and Pulses proceeding from the Vital Spirit Tho' that be true yet Life and Sense in Man are rooted in the Abyss of the Source of Eternal Joy and Delightful Affection of a thing Loved And that is the Soul who cries in the Gate of Mans Pallace Give me some Food true Food for me § 2. Seven-fold Craving O Saith the Spirit of the Soul Pity me my dear Soul O pity a poor Prisoner Bring me out of this Dungeon of Confinement enlarge my Habitation that I may find my late home again and solace my hankering eager Mind with my own dear Family and Relations Oh have pity upon a poor Beggar Give me a little Food to satisfie a hungry craving Soul O give me a little Water out of the Living Fountain to quench the great thirst and furious fire of my Passion O have compassion upon a poor Pilgrim shew me the way to a quiet lodge of Repose I want the shadow of a great Rock in this weary Land I cannot take a Nap of sweet sleep and refreshment in this parched Heath Here is no spreading Elm nor Beech nor Fountain of Chrystal Streams no warbling River beside which I may take my rest to recreate my languishing and tired Spirits O come dear Shepherd to seek thy roving Sheep Call me again with thy Melodious Shepherds Pipe I listen at times to hear it but cannot I dare not bleat my self lest the Wolves hear me O come blessed Shepherd and stand upon a high place where thy Voice may be audible Come skipping upon these Mountains and leaping upon the Hills of my wandring Mind For I am quite â—â—â—ed in this tedious Wilderness O give Rest to my travailing weary Spirit O this is not my Rest O somebody have mercy upon a distracted Innocent condemned by false Witnesses to be confined as in Bedlam I cannot set my heart at rest because of a pannick Fear that seizeth upon me Oppression makes a wise Man mad and besides himself O some Skilful Musician come and refresh my Senses and self-afflicting Conscience with the Har mony of the holy Gospel and the Melody of the blessed Tidings of Everlasting Serenity O who will pity a poor wounded and sick Person Give me some heavenly Balm or Cordial to heal my heavy heart and to slop the raging of my Sore and the swelling of my furious Agony Break the sence that separates me from my desired Object O shew mercy to a poor naked Person O I have been stripped naked in a Wilderness by Thieves and Murderers they have whipped me and smote me with sore Boils all over As
Images upon Tables and made Law to distinguish every Mans Propriety from another But those Laws being not able to Bridle them they at last invented there was a Just Eye in secret that observed every Unjust Action That so they might be afraid to steal or commit Fornication Answ That God made Man upright and that Man found out many Inventions part of which was the Languages now extant we acknowledge But withal we affirm That the first Language was a Natural Mental Speech Let such an Atheist read History For he shall find there is no History that shews the Manners of any People but it shews also or gives a hint of their Religion The Voice of every Animal likewise calling to the Lord of Nature when any sudden fear seizeth upon them proves a Superiour Power There was one told his Friend That when he was young he thought there was no Hell in the Conscience but now being old he began to doubt what if there be one Now seeing the Atheist pleads That as the Flame of an Extinguished Candle dissolves and loseth it self in the Circumambient Air even so the Taper of Life vanisheth into pure AEther and is no more when the Law of Union of Body and Soul is violated and broken Second Spira Answ Here some Atheist may perhaps acknowledge as Reason will force any one that hath common Sense that there is a First Mover Which is demonstrated in all things So many Fountains from one Trunk or Bole which is the Ocean So many Branches from one Root So many Members receiving a Radical Life from one Heart so many Stars receiving Light from one Fountain of Light the Sun But seeing he will not acknowledge that God will be so cruel to be the Cause of an Everlasting Hell to the Soul of Man I acknowledge the same thing Yet there is a Hell and that Eternally For if it were not so Man would have destroyed the whole Creation ere this time in which there is such an an excellent Order and sympathetical Harmony between Superiours and Inferiours between Bodies and their Spirits and rifled the Closet of him that sits Eternally upon the Fire the Root of every Being As God made all Visibies of Nothing or rather out of his own invisible Essence So thou O Chymical Atheist makest of the whole nothing § 8. By Religion and Dreams AGain The Atheist asserteth That Pride and Humility are but one thing only they differ a little in Circumstances For Pride looks upon all its desired Accomplishments to be behind i◠Humility expects its Perfections as being before it not yet attained And so Humility is a kind of Pride saying to it self Thou shalt be advanced to Honour some time or other Answ But let him know that right Honour is an Advancement of Love For in Heaven there is not the least defire of Revenge As may be seen in the Son of God himself than whom none is more Honourable yet He is that which helpeth and saveth Nature which is gone out of its Order and becomes a Servant of Servants stooping to Death for the sake of Mankind The Babe is greatest in Heaven But Honour that rigorously ruleth by Force is no Honour He is not long feared that is not always loved It is true God alone by his Power must keep up the Wall and Fence of the Gulf between the two Natures to keep them in Harmony which Harmony he himself is in the Abstract Or else the Fire of Hell would break in and destroy the being of the first Essence in the Love-World which was without beginning But the Atheist yet imagines that because he dreams of frightful things and the Idea's that he hath of them impress afflicting Resentments upon his Spirits as if they were real but when he awakes he saith all vanishes Second Spira Answ We will suppose a Man in a terrible Melancholick Dream and that the said man should Eternally remain in that Condition wherein the Soul is as really disturbed frighted and put out of Harmony as if he had been awake That is The Fright that he is assaulted with is real to the Imagination of the Soul as may be perceived that it many times trembles and continues in a trembling posture after waking a long time Now you will say all vanishes and passeth into Silence when the Soul recovers it self by the outward Senses Answ But suppose it had no such recourse as to seiz upon the Body and wake it when it is so exceedingly affrighted to rid it self out of the supposed imminent Danger Suppose it were then in the Sleep of Death and the Body will not be waked where shall the Body seek shelter then The temporal Sleep being a true figure of Death even the first Death or sleep of the Body in the Grave And as the Soul is sensible of a real Joy or Sorrow in Dreams and Visions So also in Death why may not it feel the same Seeing the Soul by its creative Imagination frames either an Heaven or Hell to it self and is really sensible thereof without the use of the material Organs while the Body is incapable of Sense in sleep or which is all one dead to the Natural Functions of the External Sensoriums So that it is very clear and plain against all Atheistical Deniers of the Souls Immortality even an Eternal Testimony for Gods being and the Souls everlasting abode either in Life or in feeling Deaths Property called Pain or Hell that there is no material thing that can hurt or afflict the Soul either in Sleep or Death but only its own Imagination or Turba which the Worm of the Soul causeth Thus in Dreams the Passion wherewith the Soul is affected seems a Shadow of a Fancy after waking So the matter of this outward World seems and is indeed nothing more than a Shadow in respect of the two Real Substantial Eternal Worlds For when this World was made or rather New-modelled or formed yet there was no new matter under the Eternal Sun §. 9. By Love's Passion AGain The Atheist objecteth The Irrational Animals dream as well as Man And therefore the Phantacy that fancieth Images in sleep is Temporary Answ In the Creation of the World there was no new thing done but what was done in the Eternal Mystery before in the Nonage of Time And all Created Beings will eternally abide in the Figure and Shadow Yet in the Stilness For when we say Beasts have no immortal Souls it must be meant they enter back again or downwards into the Root of their First Constitution That is Though they are now out of their first Order yet the Breach thereof shall not be imputed to them because it was not their Fault but Mans and they sprung forth each according to his kind or Eternal Property in the Seed of their Souls of Life so they shall be manifest Eternally in the same But the Atheist objecteth still That the Conceit of the Soul is very deceitful and as unconstant as Proteus For
is wrought under the Sun of Vanity is grievous unto me For all is Vanity and Vexation of the pure Spirit of the Soul Yea I hated all my Labour which I had taken under the Tempoâ—al Sun because I should leave it unto the External Man who shall supply my Place in Eden And who knows whether he shall be a Wise Man or a Fool â—â—t shall he have Rule over all my Labour wherein I have laboured and wherein I have shewed my self wise under both Suns This is also the Vanity of mutable and fading things §. 6. Christs Sorrows THerefore I went about to despair of all the Labour which I took under the Sun of Muâ—ability For there is a Divine Man whose Labour is in Wisdom and in Knowledge and in Equity Yet to an Earthly Man that hath not laboured therein shall he leave it for his Portion This is also Vanity and a great Evil Yea it is a great piece of Injustice and Abuse of the Kindness of the Divine Man who undertâ—ok all this Travail for the sake of the Earthly For what hath the Divine Mâ—n of all hit Labour and of the Vexation of his Hearâ— wherein he hath laboured under the Sun For all his Days are Sorrows and his Travel Grief And he is a Man of Afflictiâ—ns and acquainted with Vexaâ—ions yea his Heart taketh not Rest in the Night of his Anguish which he feeleth in his continual waiting upon his Companion for his Companions sake And what Thanks hath he What return of an Acknowledgment of his Love hath he from many a Man but to add Affliction to his Sorrow This is also Vanity or rather a great Cruelty which will be imputed to such ingrateful Men. The time will come that all the Days of their Eternity shall be Sorow and their Travail endless Grief weeping and gnashing of Teeth Their Hearts shall never take a sweet Repose and Rest in the Night of their Wo because of their Worm which will Everlastingly gnaw them like a Fury in the Conscience §. 7. Mans Ignorance NAy Let such cruel Men use all the Skill they can in this World yet they shall not prosper The Race is not to them be they never so Swift The Battel is not to them be they never so Strong But they will be taken at last by more subtile Powers in an evil time as Animals in a Snare And so become subject to Fate or Fortune as passing by and slighting the good Fortune which God hath appointed for them And Fortune being now their Goddess Ruleth and Governeth them making Sport with them just as rude Boys make sport with any thing that they can master when they go about to kill it and put it to as much pain as they can Thus we see a good or bad Fortune happens to all Good Fortune is called the Mind or Astrum of the Deity And according as Mans Manners be here such a God he will have to sport with him either in anger or in Love in the other World O Man heware here Thus for want of Divine Skill in the super-coelâ—stial Astrology of discerning the true Time and good Fortune which God hath appointed for every Man that comes into this World the Misery of many a Man is great upon him and he becomes most wretched and cast into an Eternal Hell Hell What 's that An inward â—iâ—e and I orment in the Bowels puâ—â—ing him to an unspeakable Pain because a good Foâ—tâ—â—e oâ— Conciâ—ion of Serenity and Satisfaction once proferâ—d unto Man was neglected or slighted Fâ—r if the 〈◊〉 Liâ—â—t or Candle had not come to direct them iâ—to tâ—e â—ay out of Blindness and Ignoraâ—ce theâ—e could â—e no Hell And if a good Foâ—tune had not been appointed for every Man there could be no Vexation of Spirit or Torment for the loss of that which was impossible to be obtained But now because his place in Heaven stands empty there 's his Hell and there 's his Wo. Man also by his wilful Blindness stands in his own Light and becometh more ignorant still while he will not use his Wit and Skill with all his Might to do whatever the hand of his Power sinds to do by Divine Assistance and the helping hand of God reached forth in mercy to him in order to his future well-being and everlasting happy Estate For also he loseth his Senses and Reason and knows not so much as how to distinguish the true Form of Propâ—rties from the false by the Skill of Divine Logick which is infused into every Man if he be a Man Nay he knows not the FORM of his own Soul viz. God He understands not what God in the Abstract is viz The Pure Nature shining in the Soul But he seeks to find him in the Concrete and cannot reach him As the Philosopher said Whoever seeth God seeth nothing diverse or heterogeneous from himself Further Ignorant Man knows not how to give a Species its right Genus He makes Fleshly Pleasure to depend on the pure Nature And therein the grosly Mistakes as in many other things too tedious here to enumerate §. 8. And Mortaliâ—y ANother Folly is to do that first which should be done last To do that to Excess which should be confined to a Mean For in Musick the Mean is the sweetest Note To take care for a temporal before an Eternal Inheritance is a like folly For Pleasure I mean temporal Joy is not Sin but the manner of using it in a wrong way and manner makes it a sin and a breach of the Antient Order Then let us not rank the Excess of Vertue in the Predicament of Vice Thus Man because he will not give to his Soul the thing that he craves after makes his Soul an Eternal Beggar or Craver and yet shall never procure the thing craved Here 's the Wo Here is the Misery Here 's the Hell Wo to thee O Humane Land when thy King is a Beggar and an ignorant Child And thy Princes eating in the Morning of their Eternity devour all and are in want when the time of Hunger comes But blessed art thou O Microcâ—smical City when thy King is the Son of the Noble Deity and thy Princes eat of the Tree of Life in due Season for their Eternal Health and Joy of their Everlasting Lives Blessed art thou O Immortal Man that Livest for ever in this pure Life But cursed for ever art thou O Immortal Man that choosest to dâ—e or to be for ever feeling Death's Property which is Eternal Pain This therefore in short is the sum of this Eternal Law Eat not of Poyson where Two Properties strive for Mastery Lut feed on the Tree of the Joyous Life O Man King live for ever Eat drink and make thy self morry in the Divine Sport And satisfie thy Mind 〈◊〉 Eternal Delights for there is no Pleasure after the 〈◊〉 Death which is a Living Death and an Eternally Dying-Life No Wisdom nor Skill to sind this Life in the Crave of Anguish whither
others Societies and Embraces as previous to their future Felicity the Soul oftentimes shews the inconstancy of Lovers and as a rolling Stone that gathers no Moss cuts of the increase of Love in the Bud and so playing fast and loose does and undoes gives the slip to the Virgin though she remains faithful and constant on her part For the Soul hankers after other Lovers and dissembling as the Proverb saith Holds with Hounds and runs with the Hare And thus hunting after other Lovers is never satisfied but Conceits there is more Pleasure hidden in other pretended Virgins of the Land after whom he gazeth and by whose forged Beauty he is smitten though they have no real Beauty their Faces being painted with Artificial â—olours to deceive and so the Soul imagines the Enjoyment of one of these is a Heaven of an higher Degree than the Virgins Paradise And so Heaven as the Atheist saith though falsly were not Heaven if its Mystery were known I say the Soul often nourisheth foolish Fancies in it self and because he finds the Virgin or Pleasant Vertue too easie to be attained according to the false Epicure Meus est amor huic similis Nam Transvolat in medio posita fugentia captat Therefore he aims at those who seem more rare and harder to be attained in his Judgment Dis-esteems her Gifts and undervalues her Graces But here his Judgment is blinded For he seeth no form or comeliness in the Virgin nor any thing in her that might make her worthy to be desired And becomes gradually infected with false Love He seeth and looketh upon another pretended Delilah or Maid far more fair then God's Daughter and endued in his Opinion with rarer and nober Qualities Thus the higher the Souls attainments and enjoyments of the pure Virgin hath been the more basely he becomes degenerated For as dead Flyes cause the most precious Ointment of the Apothecary to cast forth a most nauseous smell So doth a little Folly him that was in a high Degree of Reputation for Wisdom and honourable Enjoyment of God's Virgin-Child §. 2. The Baits of Sin A Wise Mans Heart is at his Right Hand toward Heaven but a Fools Heart is at his Left whose Rumb is Hed-wards Yea also when he that is a Fool walketh in this way his Wisdom which he once had faileth him and he saith to every one he is a Fool for adds he I am deepty in Love with such and such a Delilah But O thou immortal Man wake not a sleeping Lioness let the Hellish Properties rest still O Son of Man look before thou leapest For the Abâ—s is deep which is the Womb of the false Whoâ—e Keep thou the Covenant and live for ever and the Law of Wisdom as the Apple of thine Eye which suffers not thee to be bewitched by gazing after Vanity Bind her Vows upon thy Fingers and write them upon the Tables of thine Heart say unto fair Wisdom Thou art my Sister and my Spouse And call pleasant Vertue thy near Kinâ—â—â—oman That she may keep thee from the Whore and the Stranger Who is not Kin to thee in the Divine Linage even from her that can flatter with her Serpents Tongue She is the Serpents Daughter An â—vil Crow an evil Egg. For at the Windows of my House I looked through the Casement of the Creation And I behold among the humane Fools there was a young Soul void of Wisdom passing through the Street near the Angle where two ways lead to the Eternal Life and Death he went on the Left Hand the way to the Whores House In the Twilight in the Evening When the black and dark Night at last covered him and thus he began to be blinded And there met him a Woman in the attire of an Harlot suâ—tiller than this Fool She is a Stranger at home but overmuch acquainted in the Streets of Deceit Her loud Words are heard in the broad-ways She never wears her Eyes but when she goes abroad Now she is without now she is in the Street and lies in wait in every turning So she is a Saint abroad and a Devil at home She caught him invergled him and bâ—ssed him and impudently spake to him I have Peace-offerings with me to appease the Justice of God and to stifle the secret Convictions of thy Conscience This day have I paid my Vows and have vowed to love Thee Therefore came I forth to meet thee and have found thee unexpected I have decked my Bed with coverings of Tapestry With carved Works according to thy enlarged Phancy and with fine Linnen of seeming Innocency I have persumed my Nest with Myrrh Aloes and Cinnamon Come and let us take our fill of Love until the Morning dawn upon us if ever Let us selace our selves with Pleasures until the Eternal Aurora appears though perhaps never For the Man of the Family is not at home The Spirit of this World my Husband is gone a long Journey This Husband she hath married only as a Cloak for her filthy Lust He hath taken a Bag of Treasures with him to wait upon the Creator his Master whose Embassadour he is and wilâ— come home at the day appointed With her much fair Speech she caused him to yield with the flattering of her Lips she forced him He goes after Her straightway as an Ox to the slanghter or a Feel to the Correction of the Stocks Till a Dart strike through his Heart as a Bird that is caught in the snare and is taken in an evil Net not knowing that it is for his Eternal Life §. 3. Seven-fold Vice BUT O Son of Man consider let not thy Heart be taken with her incline not towards her Paths For she hath cast down many wounded Yea many Valiant Heroes who came from Heaven have been slain by her Her House is a Cave leading to Hell going down to the dark Chambers of Eternal Death And as this Pestilent Whore bawleth in every Corner to watch and inveigle Souls So also the fair Virgin cryeth in the Gates of every Humane City Though with a far different Voice for her Voice is a still small Voice and yet it is heard in quiet by the Wise more than the cry of him that ruleth among Fools She hath erected a House in Heaven to entertain her Bridegroom she hath hewen out seven Pillars whereon are engraven the seven Rewards of Vertue or the Goods of Fortune She hath sent forth Maidens the five senses Virgins to invite Souls She cryeth upon the high Places of Mans City Yet being despised she for the Souls sake invites him Whoso is simple let him come in hither how long O scorner wilt thou scorn me who wish thee well O Fool how long wilt thou hate that which is for thy good Because I have called and thou wouldst not answer though thou didst hear my Voice in thy Conscience Because I have piped to thee and thou wouldst not Dance And I mourned for thee and thou hast not sympathized
Wisdom in the Grave of Eternal Death whither thou goest if thou break her Law Neither can any one help thee out of that Grave for out of the Eternal Hell there is no Redemption Nay if Angels and Saints did all joyn their Skill and Device and Wisdom together they can afford thee no help from thence Besides if thou do'st not now use all thy Skill and do thy best endeavour to forsake Vice and Sin the form of this Jezabel in the Abstract and to do good with all thy might and love God or Vertue which is God and the fair Virgin in the Abstract with all thy strength and Soul thou wilt never have space granted thee to mend thy work in the succeeding World or to rectifie and make straight that which is made crooked in this World or to fill up the measure or number or weight in Gods Ballance For that which is wâ—nting here cannot be numbred hereafter And two cannot be substracted out of one For by Slothfulness the Building decayeth and through Idleness of the Hands in this World the House of the humane World will drop thorow and be swallowed in the Abyss And while I was passing by the Soulish Field of the Sluggard I looked and behold it was all grown over with Thorns It became a Wilderness wherein the Owner was intangled and knew not which way to turn to find Ease and Refreshment I went by the Vineyard of the lazy Labourer and Lo Nettles had covered the Face thereof And the Stone-Wall thereof was broken down Then I saw and considered it well I looked upon it and set it forth for an Example that he that sleepeth in the Summer shall starve in the Eternal Winter So shall his Poverty come as a fugitive Beggar who travaileth in the boundless Wilderness and his want as an armed Souldier in Lucisers Camp O Man repent in time §. 3. Vertue Rare TAke no heed to all Words or Affronts that are cast at thee lest thou hear the Servile Handmaid or else the Whorish Woman curse her legal Mistress For oft times also thine own Conscience knows that thou thy self hast cursed thy Rivals All this saith the Great Prophet have I proved by Philosophy I said I will be wise But Wisdom is not easily attainable For that which is far off and exceeding deep who can find it out without heavenly Skill in Theosophy And by Mans Churlishness the Virgin oft removes far from him I applied my heart to know and to search and to seek out by Wisdom the reason of things and the deep Cause of Causes and the Wickedness of Folly even of Foolishness and Madness And I find more bitter than Death the Woman whose false Heart is a Snare and whose Fingers are Nets and Bands to bind the humane Soul Whoso pleaseth God and loves the Virgin shall escape from her but the Sinner against Gods Law of Obedience shall be caught in her trap as a Woodcock in a Snare or Fishes in an evil Net Behold this have I found saith the Preacher of Truth Counting one by one to find out the Account by Mathematical Calculation Which yet my Mind seeketh but I find not clearly One humane Soul among a thousand have I found but scarce a Virgin can be found now a days among a Thousand Handmaids and false Women for the Earth being stained with humane Blood hath forced the Divine Spouses of Mankind to disappear and enter into their own Principle The way that leads to the Whores lodging is broad Yea even the blind finds it without a Guide And the path of Vertue is narrow yet it is easie and straight to him whose Eyes are in his Head But when the Virgin is lost as the Epigrammist said so may the Soul say to the Virgin thou hast given me a Looking-glass as a token of thy Love wherein I may see my own shape and if I had not been a Fool might have learnt by it to know my own self I had rather thou wouldest now send me one wherein I might see thee and the Signs of thy Favour and Acceptance and thy most beautiful Aspect once more attracting my longing Mind But it is too late I may indeed see my own ugâ—y Form infected by the Whore of false Lust The Fire of this Harlot is like the Fire of Hell which burns another but gives no Light whereby her Lover may find her §. 4. Christs proffered Service slighted FOR three things the Earth is disquieted And for four which it cannot bear For a Servant the Worm of the Soul when he reigneth over the noble Mind And a Fool the false Affection or Delight when he is filled with Meat which is not the true Food of the Soul and so cannot relish Food by a longing hunger which is the best Sawce For an Odious Strumpet when she is married to her Superiour the Soul And for the Virgins Hand-maid who is Heir to her Mistress But Virgin-Vertue cries to the Spirit of Man Oh canst thou be cruel Canst thou be so hard-hearted Wilt thou now forsake and dispise me after all thy pretended kindnesses Must I now be a Bond maid to thy Concubines who was born a Princess Thou hast not brought me any Gifts thou hast not sent me any tokens I have not caused thee to serve and wait upon me with an Offering of thy devoted Soul nor wearied thee with the Sacrifices of thy vowed self Neither hast thou honoured me with the Incense of thy promised Service But thou hast made me to serve with thy Sins Thou hast wearied me waiting upon thee in thy Debauchery And the Jewels I gave thee thou hast bestowed upon Harlots Many take occasion to blame the Virgin for a small seeming Offence when they wink at this Jezebels Impudence yea though the sincere Virgin do but whisper a Word to one of her Companions it must be judged to be Treason If thou wouldst be wise and retain thy Jewels not bestowing them upon thy unworthy Harlot thou shouldest soon see how she would pack away to her own Companions Now therefore see thy Folly at last thy entrusting of thy Jewels with her believe her not reject her fair Promises for she waites to deceive and intrap thee §. 5. A seared Conscience THen bethought her self when the valedictory parting Kiss was given her O this Wedding Song is become a Threnetick Song When the Virgin fair-Vertue perceives the Soul continues obstinate and will not commiserate her woful Condition whereunto she hath plunged her self for his sake by letting her Affections of true Love after him he being unworthy thereof and slighting her kindness then she goes into a solitary Wilderness to bewail her doleful fate And now saith she I have piped unto thee but thou hast not danced I have Sung an Elegiack farewel to thee but thou hast not sympathized with my Griefs And it grieves her to think how she hath been trampled upon and causlesly kicked out of his Society though she wished him well and did