againe and turne it to dust and ashes like all Beasts Trees Plants and all things that grow but wee see not how it is with us afterwards whether all be ended with it or whether wee goe with our Spirit and Conversation into another life and therefore it is most necessary to learne and to seeke the right way 7. Now that is testified to us by the Writings of those who have been regenerated out of this Earthlinesse and at length are entred into a holy and uncorruptible life who have written and taught of an Eternall joyfull Life and also of an Eternall perishing and anguishing Life and have taught us how wee should follow after them and how wee should step into a new Birth where wee should be regenerated out of this Earthlinesse into a new Creature and that wee should doe nothing else about it but follow them and then wee should finde in deed and in truth what they had spoken written and taught yea even in this life wee should see our true Native Countrey in the new Regeneration and know it in the new-borne Man in great Joy whereas then our whole minde would incline to it and in our new knowledge in the new Man true Faith would grow and the hearty defire of the unfeigned love towards the hidden God for which noble knowledge sake many times they have yeelded their earthly body and life to the unregenerated gainsayer according to his Devillish malicious revengefulnesse into Death and have taken it with great Joy and have chosen for themselves the Eternall uncorruptible Life 8. Seeing then there is the greatest and highest Love in the new Birth not onely towards God or ones selfe but also towards Men our brothers and sisters and seeing those that were unregenerated have had their desires and love so carried towards Men that they have very earnestly taught men with meeknesse and reproving and that their love to them in their Teaching hath been so great that they have even willingly yeelded their life up to Death and left their earthly goods and all they had in assured hope in their strong and firme knowledge to receive all againe in great honour and glory 9. And therefore wee also have longed to seeke after that Pearle of which wee write at present and though now the unregenerated in the Kingdome of this world will give no credit to us as it hath happened to our forefathers from the children of this world wee cannot help that but it shall stand for a witnesse against them which shall be a woe to them Eternally that they have so foolishly ventured and lost so great an Eternall Glory and holinesse for a little pleasure of the eye and lust of the flesh 10. And wee know in our deep knowledge that they have rightly taught and written that there is one onely God which is threefold in Personall Distinction as is before-mentioned And wee also know that he is the Creatour of all things that he hath generated all out of his own substance both light darknesse as also the Thrones and Dominions of all things Especially wee know as the holy Scripture witnesseth throughout that he hath created Man to his own Image and similitude that he should Eternally be and live in the Kingdome of Heaven in him 11. And then wee know also that this world wherein wee now are and live was generated out of the Eternall Originall in time through the pure Element in the Fiat and so created and so it is not the substance of the holy pure Element but an issue or out-birth out of the Eternall Limbus of God wherein the Eternall Element consisteth w ch is before the cleere Deity wherin consisteth Paradise the Kingdome of Heaven yet the Limbus together with the pure Element is not the pure Deity which is alone holy in it selfe and hath the vertue of the Eternall Light shining in it but hath no Essences in the light of the Clarity in it for the Essences are generated from the vertue according to the Light as a Desire and the desire attracteth to it from whence the Essences proceede as also the Eternall Darknesse in the source as is before-mentioned 12. Seeing then God is all in all and hath created Man to his Image and similitude to live with him Eternally in his Love Light Joy and Glory therefore wee cannot say that he was meerly created out of the corruptibility of this world for therein is no Eternall perfect Life but Death and perplexity anguish and necessity but as God dwelleth in himselfe and goeth through all his works incomprehensibly to them and is hindred by nothing so was the similitude before him out of the pure Element it was indeed created in this world yet the Kingdome of this world should not comprehend that Image but the similitude Man should mightily and in perfect power or vertue Rule through the Essences with the Essences out of the pure Element of the Paradisicall holy Limbus through the Dominion of this world 13. Therefore he breathed into him the living soule out of the Eternall will of the Father which will goeth thither onely to generate his Eternall Sonne and out of that will he breathed into Man the same is his Eternall soule which must set it s regenerated will in the Eternall will of the Father meerly in the Heart of God and so it receiveth the vertue of the Heart of God and also his holy Eternall Light wherein Paradise the Kingdome of Heaven and also the Eternall Joy springeth up and in this vertue or power it goeth through all things and breaketh none of them and is mighty over all things as God himselfe is for it liveth in the vertue or power of the Heart of God and eateth of the Word that is generated out of God 14. Thus also wee know that the Soule is a Spirit generated out of God the Father in the Throne and entrance out of the recomprehended or reconceived will out of the Darknesse into the Light to the generating of the Heart of God and that soule is free to Elevate it selfe above it in the will or in the Meeknesse in the will of the Father to comprehend and incline it selfe to the Birth of the Heart of God the Father 15. But its body which is the true Image of God which God created standeth before the cleare Deity and is in and out of the holy pure Element and the Limbus of the Element out of which the Essences generate is the Paradise an Habitation of God the holy Trinity Thus was Man an Image and similitude before God wherein God dwelleth in which through his Eternall Wisdome he would manifest his Wonders 16. And now as wee understand that Man with the similitude wherein God dwelleth is not meerly at home in this world much lesse in the stincking Carkesse so it is manifest in that wee are so very blinde as to Paradise that
thus yet the one must be parted from the other viz. the Kingdome of this world which is a Roote or stirrer up of the Roote of the fiercenesse and therefore it was necessary that God should passe with the new Body into the Seperation of the Roote and of the Kingdome of this world as into the Death of the fiercenesse and should destroy Death and spring with its own vertue and power through Death as a flower springeth out of the Earth and so hold the inward fiercenesse captive in his own vertue of the New Body 11. And this wee understand of Christ who is truly entred in such a manner and hath taken the strong Anger and the Devill in it captive and hath sprung with his holy heavenly body through Death and hath destroyed Death so that the Eternall Life springeth forth through Death and thus Death was taken captive by the New Eternall Body and it is an Eternall imprisonment so that an Eternall life is growne in Death and the New Body treadeth upon the Head of Death and of the fiercenesse the property of Death standeth in the Prison of the New Eternall Life 12. And so the Woman in whom the Eternall Life springeth standeth upon the Earthly Moone and despiseth that which is Earthly for that which is Earthly perisheth and then there remaineth of that which is Earthly the hard frozen Death and so now the Word of God as a living fountaine is entred into Death and hath generated the soule in its selfe and springeth forth out of the soule through Death like a new flower and that flower is the new Body in Christ 13. After this manner you may understand how he destroyed Death by the Springing of the Eternall Life in the Deity through Death and you may understand how the new Body in the Love of God holdeth the Eternall source of the Anger captive for the Love is the prison of the Anger for the source of the Anger cannot enter into the Love but continueth onely by it selfe as it was from Eternity and therein the Devils are imprisoned for the Light of God striketh them downe they neither can nor dare behold that Light in Eternity a Principle is between for the Love springeth forth in the Centre of the soule and therein the Holy Trinity appeareth or shineth 14. Thus wee have gotten a Prince of the Eternall Life and wee need doe no more but to presse in to him with a firme trust and strong Beliefe and then our soule receiveth his Love and springeth forth with him through death and standeth upon that which is Earthly viz. upon flesh and bloud and is a fruit in the Kingdome of God in the body of Jesus Christ and triumpheth over the fiercenesse for the Love holdeth that captive and that is a reproach to Death as Paul saith O Death where is thy Sting O Hell where is thy Victory Thanks be to God who hath given us victory 15. And because wee cleerly understand and apprehend it in the Spirit therefore wee are indebted to shew the light to those that apprehend it not and doe lie thus captivated in Reason and continually search into the Circumstances why it happened so in the Passion of Christ For Reason saith If it must needs be so that Christ must enter into Death and destroy Death and spring up through Death and so draw us unto him what is the cause then that he must be so despised and scourged and crowned with a Crowne of Thornes and at last be Crucified between Heaven and Earth Could he not dye some other Death and so spring through Death with his Heavenly Body 16. These hard Points cast downe all Jewes Turkes and Pagans and they keepe them back from the Christian Faith Therefore now wee must write for the sake of the Tree of Pearle and not conceale what appeareth to us in the Great Wonder Behold thou Childe of Man consider what wee set downe here gaze not on the hand of the Penne if you doe you erre and will loose the Jewel which in all Eternity you will be sorry for consider thy selfe onely and thou shalt finde in thy selfe all the causes of the Passion of Christ that are here written downe for there was a Wonderfull Penne in the writing of it and neither thou nor the Hand knoweth him sufficiently that directed it in the writing though indeed the Spirit knoweth him very well yet the naturall Man is blinde in it neither can it be expressed with earthly words Therefore consider thy selfe and if you search into the new-borne-Man then you will finde the Pearle The very horrible wonderfull Gate of Mans Sinnes 17. As wee have in the beginning of this Booke mentioned the Eternall Birth in the Originality so wee have mentioned the Birth of the Essences and the seven Spirits of the Eternall Nature and therein wee shewed how there is a Crosse-Birth in the Eternall Birth in the fourth forme where the Essences in the turning wheele make a Crosse-Birth because they cannot goe out from themselves but that the Eternall Birth is every where so in all things in the Essence of all Essences 18. And wee give you to understand thus much in very exact knowledge at the instant of this Text that all Essences in all qualities at the time of the over-coming of Death when Christ was to overcome death and destroy hell and captivate the Devill were predominant for so it must be he must release the soule from all Essences 19. Now the Crosse-Birth is the middlemost in the Essences yet before the Fire it standeth in the Anxious Death in the fiercenesse of the Hell as you may reade before for from the fierce flash in the Brimston Spirit the fire cometh forth and in the flash the Light and the fiercenesse it selfe maketh the Brimstone-Spirit and out of that in the Light cometh water as is before-mentioned Now then the soule of Man is discovered in the flash as a Spirit and held by the Fiat and so is created or generated and was brought in it selfe into the fift forme of the Birth as into the Love where then it was an Angel in the Light of God 20. But this world being created as a Principle in the fourth forme as an out-Birth and the Paradise being between the fourth and the fifth forme and the Element being in the fift forme and therein the Eternall Light of the Deity having opened another Centre and the soule having reflected back againe into the fourth forme and entered thereinto it made all Essences predominant in it which stood in the fourth forme 21. And now when the body of the soule in the fourth forme was come to be a Masse out of the water with a mixture of the other formes then stuck all Essences out of the fourth forme upon the soule and it was captivated with this body and it had continued in an Eternall Prison if the Eternall Word had not instantly given it selfe into
the same was the second Adam faine to beare upon his shoulders for he was fallen into the Anger of God and now if that must be allayed and reconciled then the second Adam must set himselfe therein and yeeld his outward body with all Essences therein and he must goe through Death into Hell into the Anger of the Father and reconcile it with his Love and so himselfe must undergoe that hard condition wherein wee must have been in Eternity 36. And now when this earnest businesse was taken in hand that the Saviour of the World hung on the Crosse as a curse and wrestled with Earth and Hell he said I thirst O that Great Thirst the fierce wrathfull Kingdome was weary as also the Kingdome of this world they desired strength and the Kingdome of Heaven thirsted after our soules it was a Thirst of all the Three Principles 37. And when he saw John with his Mother under the Crosse he said Behold that is thy Mother and to her he said Behold that is thy Sonne and instantly that Disciple tooke her to him His Mother signifieth his Eternall new Humanity which he had received in his Mother viz. in the holy Ternary which wee should take to us and refresh our selves with his Mother and therefore he shewed her to John of which very much might be written but this shall be expounded in another place 38. And this is as cleere as the Sunne that as the poore soule in us hangeth between two Kingdomes which both keepe it altogether imprisoned so must Christ hang between two Malefactours take this into great consideration and weigh it well it is a most serious matter and wee see the whole terrible earnest severity that when the soule of Christ brake off from the Earthly Body when it passed into the Anger of the Father viz. into Hell then the Earth trembled and the stony Rocks cleft in sunder also the Sunne lost its Light and this wee see cleerly and understand it from the mouth of Christ 39. When he now had undergone all the reproach and sufferings he said on the Crosse It is finished while he yet lived in the Earthly Body he said it was finished understand all that should have remained upon us Eternally and should have sprung up in us with all the ignominie in which wee stood before Hell and the Kingdome of Heaven he had all that laid upon him concerning which Esaiah saith Surely he bare our infirmities and tooke upon him our transgressions yet wee held him as one smitten of God tormented and afflicted but he tooke upon him our diseases and all our miseries were laid upon him and through his wounds wee are healed wee all went astray like sheepe every one hath looked upon his own way and yet wee could not help our selves but wee went as miserable halfe slaine sheepe and wee must let the Devill in the Anger of God doe with us what he will for wee beare on us a monstrous Garment and stand in great ignominie before Heaven and Hell 40. Even as God reproached Adam in the Garden of Eden when he had put the outward Garment upon him saying Behold Adam is become as one of us All this reproach and scorne must the Man Christ take upon him also all torment and misery into which Adam was fallen this Champion in the Battle must beare upon him before his heavenly Father and there was the Lambe of God and he hung upon the Crosse as a Patient Lamb in our stead for wee should have been afflicted Eternally in our Crosse-Birth and therefore there hung in great Patience as an Obedient Lamb for the slaughter the Prince of the Eternall Life and set himselfe before his Father as if he himselfe were the Transgressour The Gate of the Great Secret 41. Heare my beloved Reader if thou art borne of God open the eyes of thy Spirit wide that the King of Glory may enter into thee and open thy understanding consider every syllable for they are of great moment they are not mute neither are they from a blinde Centre brought forth into the Light Behold here hung on the Crosse God and Man there was the Holy Trinity there were all the Three Principles and the Champion stood in the Battle 42. Now which was the Champion in the Battle Behold when Christ had finished he said Father I commend my Spirit into thy hands and he inclined his head and departed Behold his Father is the Kingdome Power and Glory and in him is All and All is his the Love is his Heart and the Anger is his Eternall Strength the Love is his Light and the Anger is the Eternall Darknesse and maketh another Principle wherein the Devils are 43. Now it was the Love that became Man and had put on our humane soule and the soule that was enlightened from the Love and stood with its Roote in the Anger as in the strong Might of the Father and now the New Man in the Love commended the soule to the Father into his Might and yeelded up the Earthly Life which proceeded from the Constellations and Elements viz. the Kingdome of this world and so the soule now stood no more in the Kingdome of this world in the source of Life but it stood in Death for the Kingdome of this world the blower up of Life the Aire was gone 44. And now there was nothing more on the soule but onely that which it selfe is in its own Eternall Roote in the Father And here wee should have remained in the Anger in the dark Hell but the bright Father in his Glory tooke the soule to him into the Trinity Now the soule was cloathed with the Love in the Word which made the Angry Father in the innermost source of the soule pleasant and reconcilable and so in this Moment in the Essences of the soule the lost Paradise sprung up againe whereupon the Earth trembled viz. the Out-Birth out of the Element and the Sunne the King of the Life of the Third Principle lost its Light for there rose up another Sunne in Death understand in the Anger of the Father the Love was shining like a bright Morning Starre 45. And thus the Body of Christ on the soule was the pure Element before God out of which the Sunne of this world is generated and the same Body included the whole world and then the Nature of this world trembled and the Stony Rocks cleft in sunder for the fierce wrathfull Death had in the Fiat congealed and concreted the Stony Rocks together and now the Holy Life went into the fierce wrathfull Death whereupon the Stones did cleave asunder to shew that the life stood up againe in Death and did spring forth through Death 46. And then also the holy Bodies went out of the Graves consider this well those that had put their trust in the Messiah had in the Promise gotten the pure Element for a new Body and now when the Promised
Saviour went through Death into Life and put on that pure Element for a Body then their soules in the Saviour in whom they stood in hope gat the upperhand and put on their new Body in the Body of Christ and lived in him in his power and vertue there were the holy Patriarchs and Prophets who in this world had put on the Treader upon the Serpent in the Word of God wherein they had prophesied of him and wrought Miracles they were now quickened in the vertue of Christ for the vertue of Christ sprung up through Death and reconciled the Father who held the soules captive in the Anger and they now entered with Christ into Life 47. Heere yee beloved Sheepe observe When Christ dyed he did not cast away his Body which he had heere and yeelded it up to the foure Elements to be swallowed up so that he must have wholly a strong Body no but the source or property of this world which is in the Starres and Elements and the Incorruptible swallowed up the Corruptible so that it is a Body which liveth in the vertue of God in God and not in the Spirit of this foure Elementary world and Paul saith concerning the Last Judgement That the Incorruptible viz. the New Man shall over-cloath the Corruptible and shall swallow up the Corruptible so that Death shall be made a scorne according to that saying O Death where is thy Sting O Hell where is thy Victory 48. You must know that Christ while he lived upon the Earth and all wee that are new-borne in him have and carry the heavenly flesh and bloud in the earthly Man and wee carry it also in the New Man in the Body of Christ And when wee die thus in the old Earthly Body then wee live in the New Body in the Body of Jesus Christ and spring up in him out of Death and our springing up is our Paradise where our Essences spring up in God and the Earthly is swallowed up in Death and wee put on our Lord Jesus Christ not onely in the Faith and Spirit but in the vertue and power of the Body in our Heavenly Flesh and Bloud and so wee live to God the Father in Christ his Sonne and the Holy Ghost confirmeth all our Doings for all what wee shall doe it is God doth it in us 49. And thus there will be A Tabernacle of God with Men and the Body of Christ will be Our Temple wherein wee shall know and see the Great Wonders of God and speake of them with rejoycing And that is the Temple the New Jerusalem of which the Prophet Ezckiel writeth 50. And behold I tell you a Mystery as all whatsoever Adam was guilty of must stand yet and be manifested in this world on the Body of Christ and must be seene in this world so also you shall see this Temple before the time that the Incorruptible shall wholly swallow up the Corruptible in the Lilly in the Wonders where the Anger opposeth the Lilly till it be reconciled in Love and till the Driver be put to open shame as was done also in the Death of Christ which the Jewes hope for But their Scepter is broken and the life standeth in the Birth of Christ yet they come from the ends of the World and goe out from Jericho againe into the Holy Jerusalem and eate with the Lamb this is a wonder but the Driver is taken captive and therefore wee speake thus wonderfully and at present wee shall not be understood till the Hunter is destroyed and then our life cometh to us againe and standeth in the valley of Jehosaphat The other Gate of the sufferings of Christ 51. It is cleerly shewed to us wherefore the Man-Christ must thus suffer himselfe to be mocked despised scourged Crowned with Thornes and Crucified also wherefore he must endure to be cryed out upon for one that had a Devill and wherefore he must be so spoken against by the wise and Prudent also wherefore the simple people onely hung to him and but some few of the Honourable and Rich of this world Though indeed wee shall not please every one yet wee speak not our own words but wee speake in our knowledge and driving in the Spirit that which is shewen us of God therefore understand and consider it aright 52. Behold the Guiltlesse Man Christ was set in our stead in the Anger of the Father he must reconcile and satisfie not onely all that which Adam had made himselfe guilty of by his going forth from Paradise into the Kingdome of this world and so fell foulely in the presence of God and was scorned of all the Devils but he must make attonement for all that which was done afterwards and which is still done or will be done by us 53. And this wee set before your eyes in the knowledge of God and in true earnest Sincerity not that wee will despise any Man and exalt our selves wee would rather be banished from this world than that wee should seeke our own Praise in Pride that is but dung and drosse and the Spirit of knowledge would not stay with us this ought well to be considered Therefore wee will write in our knowledge for our selves and leave the event to God 54. Behold when Adam entred into this world Pride wrought in him he would be as God as Moses saith the Serpent the Devill perswaded him to it He Man would have the Third Principle working and flowing in him and thereby he lost God and the Kingdome of Heaven But that it is true that Pride acted in Man looke upon Cain he would be Lord alone he would not that his brother should be accepted before God fearing that he should then get the Dominion and therefore he slew him 55. And so Cain and his Successours have set up a Potent Kingdome from whence Dominion proceedeth whereby one Brother aspireth above another and have made them slaves And thus horrible Tyranny hath been hatched and the Potent have done whatsoever they listed he hath oppressed the needy at his pleasure he hath gotten to him the Kingdome of the Earth and therewith exerciseth Tyranny wickednesse and wrong and yet men must say to him it is right he hath contrived all sorts of Policy and cunning Devices and made Lawes of them and established them for Right and afterwards sold them to others for Rights and hath brought up his Children with wickednesse and falshood He hath beaten downe the Conscience of the simple-hearted in his good meaning he hath invented Rights which in his Lawes serve to promote his decent contrary to the light of Nature all reproach and Blasphemies have subsisted in his strength and authority whereby he hath terrified the simple-hearted that his power might be great 56. Thus falshood is wrought with falshood and the Inferiour is become false also who hath set lyes to sale for truth and so falsly cheated his superiour from whence is growne
had seven seales or seven Spirits of the Birth of God and opened them where the Elders fell down before him and worshipped the Lamb that was slaine and gave praise and honour to him which sate upon the Throne because the Champion of the House of Israel had overcome The seven Golden Candlesticks are his Humanity the seven Starres are his Deity as the Divine Birth in it selfe standeth in a sevenfold forme as it is expounded in the beginning of this Book in the first foure Chapters 43. Thus Moses hath a vayle before his eyes and if thou wouldst see his face then thou must onely set Christ thy Champion before thee that he may lift up his vayle and then thou shalt see that Moses hath no Hornes but that he is a patient Lamb fast bound to the Death of Christ and that his vayle was the Book that was shut so that wee could not be well enough till the Champion came and brake its seven seales with his entring into Death and there the vayle or covering was done away and in that Book there stood the holy Gospel of the Kingdome of God which our worthy Conquerour Jesus Christ hath left us 44. Now when Adam and Eve went out of the Garden they kept together as now married People doe and now would make tryall of their beastiall condition to trie what wonders might proceed from them and the Spirit of the great world did well enough teach them in their Reason what they were to doe And Adam knew his wife Eve and shee conceived and bare a sonne and called him Cain for shee said I have a Man from the Lord These are sealed words which Moses writeth that shee said I have a Man from the Lord for then said the Major Mundus I have the Lord of this world Eve spake no otherwise than as the Apostles thought that Christ was to erect a worldly Kingdome so Eve thought that her sonne as a strong Champion should break the Head of the Devill and set up a Glorious Kingdome from whence instantly a twofold understanding or different conditions followed and two sorts of Churches the one built or relying upon the mercy of God and the other upon their own might authority or power and therefore Cain could not endure his brother because Abel pressed hard upon the mercy of God and Cain relyed upon his own power might and authority He thought himselfe to be the Lord of the whole world as his Mother had instructed him and therefore now he would breake the Head of the Serpent in his own might as a Warriour or Souldier and began with his brother Abel for his Faith relyed not on God but on his own power and here the Serpent did sting the Treader upon the Serpent in the Heele the first time The Gate of the Mysteries or the Exposition of the hidden secrets 45. Reason saith how might that come to passe that the first Man borne of a Woman was so evill a malicious Murtherer Behold thou immodest vile whorish world here thou shalt finde a Glasse behold thy selfe and see what thou art Here againe the great secrets meet us in the light of Nature very cleerly and plainly to be understood For Adam and Eve were entred into the Spirit of this world and the Region of the foure Starres with the infection of the Devill had miserably possessed them and although they did somewhat stick to the word of the promise yet the true longing and love towards God was very much extinguished and on the contrary the longing and desire after this world was kindled in them and besides they gat from the Region of the Starres a Beastiall lust or wanton desire towards one another so that their Tincture thus became a fierce beastiall lust or longing for they had no Law but the Light of Nature which they suppressed and kindled themselves in wanton lust to which the Devill helped them 46. And now when Eve was impregnated her Tincture was wholly murtherous and false for her Spirit in the Love looked not upon God with a totall trust and confidence Also the wisdome of God stood hidden in the Centre of the light of her life Eve did not unite or yeeld her selfe to it with love and confidence but much rather to the lust of this world shee must bring it to passe if any thing were to be done and being her Trust was not in God so also God was not in her but in his own Centre or Principle and the wrath began to flow forth boyle or worke and this is that which Christ said An evill Tree bringeth forth evill fruit and so out of a false Tincture grew a soure evill roote and consequently such a Tree and fruit Also that which goeth forth is as the Tincture in the mixture was and such a childe is generated for the Spirit of the life generateth it selfe out of the Essences 47. And seeing Adam was gone out of Paradise into the Spirit of this world therefore now the strife was already between the two Kingdomes viz. the Kingdome of Heaven and the Kingdome of Hell about the children of Eve and here it is seene that the wrath had the victorie and the Spirit of God complaineth not without cause saying I am as a Grape-gatherer that gleaneth and yet would faine eate of the best fruit 48. But the fault lyeth in Man if he did put his Trust in the love of God then the Kingdome of God would have the victorie but if he put it in his evill lust and wantonnesse in himselfe in his own ability or power then he is captivated by the wrath and his body and soule is in the wrath But when he putteth his minde and confidence in God then he goeth out from the wrath and the Kingdome of God worketh in him to righteousnesse and thus it is seene as cleere as the Sunne what the cause is that the first Man borne of a Woman became a murtherer 49. For as the Tree was so was the fruit and though the Tree was not wholly evill or false yet as to the becoming Man the Tincture by the wrestling of the two Regions became false or evill And besides afterwards Eve his Mother helped him forward very much because shee sought after an Earthly Lord and Treader upon the Serpent and instructed him telling him that he was the Warriour or Souldier to overcome against the Devill he must doe it and so the wrath held him captive and his offering or sacrifice was not acceptable to God because in wrath he built upon himselfe and so his Prayer reached not the Gate of Heaven but the Driver did take it up because it proceeded out of selfe-pride like the proud Pharisee out of an evill or false minde 50. And here thou lascivious Whore in Babell full of immodesty and lechery in such whoredome thou hast a Glosse in thy evill or false Copulation without the feare of
on to the soule of Mary as a new Regenerated Man and in that same shee hath conceived the Saviour of all the world and borne him into this world Therefore he said to the Jewes I am from above but you are from beneath and of this world I am not of this world and he said also to Pilate My kingdome is not of this world This ought highly to be Considered 38. You are to know that as Mary did beare the heavenly Image viz. a new Man borne out of the Mercy of God in the old Earthly Man viz. in the kingdome of this world which kingdome shee had in her as her own which yet did not comprehend the New Man so also the Word of God entred into the body of the virgin Mary into the heavenly Matrix into the Eternall virgin of God and that word in that Eternall virgin of God became a heavenly Man out of the Paradisicall holy pure Element in the Person of the new Regenerated Man of the virgin Mary and with his Eternall Deity was together generated in the beginning own soule of Mary and with his entrance of his Deity hath brought the soule of Mary againe into the holy Father so that the soules of Men which were gone out from the Deity were new-borne againe in the soule of Christ and begotten to the Heart of God 39. For Christ brought no strange soule out of Heaven with him into the highly blessed heavenly pure virgin but as all soules are generated so Christ also received his soule in his body though in his undefiled body of holinesse which was become Maries own For wee must say that the pure Element in the Mercy of God became Maries own wherein her new body in her Originall soule consisteth The most precious Gate 40. For no other soule is generated in any Man but a new body but the soule is renewed with the pure Deity and Christ with his entrance into Death where he severed his holy Man from the Kingdome of this world severed it also from the fierceness of the eternall Anger and from the source of the Originality 41. And as the pure Element which is in the presence of God and wherein God dwelleth is truly every where in the whole space of this world and hath attracted to it the Kingdome of this world viz. it s own Out-Birth as a body and yet this very body doth not comprehend the Element no more than the body comprehendeth the soule so Christ also hath truly in the body of the virgin Mary attracted to him or put on our humane Essences and is become our Brother yet these humane Essences cannot comprehend his Eternall Deity onely the new Man borne in Cod comprehendeth the Deity after the same manner as the body doth the soule and no otherwise 42. Therefore the body of Christ is inferiour to the Deity and in these our humane Essences he suffered Death and his Deity of the holy Man in the pure Element entered together also into Death and bereaved Death of its power and did seperate the naturall soule which Christ commended to his Father when he dyed on the Crosse from the Kingdome of this world also from Death from the Devill and from Hell in the strong divine Might or power and opened a Gate for us all who come to him and incline our selves with minde and thoughts to him then the Father draweth our soule which is in him into the pure love of Christ where then it putteth its Imagination againe through Christ forward into the holy Trinity and is fed againe from the Verbum Domini the Word of the Lord where then it is an Angel againe cleane seperated from the Kingdome of the Devill and of this world in the Death of Christ 43. And for this cause God became Man that he might in himselfe new generate the soule of Man againe and might redeeme it from the chaines of the fiercenesse of Anger and not at all for the Beastiall bodies sake which must melt againe into the foure Elements and come to nothing of which nothing will remaine but the shadow in the figure of all its works and matters which he hath wrought at any time 44. But in the New Man which wee attract on to our soules in the bosom of the virgin wee shall spring and flourish againe and therein is no necessity nor Death for the Kingdome of this world passeth away Therefore he that hath not this Image in the new Birth shall in the Restoration of the Spirit of the Eternall Nature have the Image of what his heart and Confidence hath been set upon here put upon him for every Kingdome Imageth or figureth its Creatures according to the Essences which were growne here in their will 45. And that you may rightly and properly understand us wee meane or understand here no strange Christ who is not our Brother as himselfe said at his resurrection Goe to my Brethren and your Brethren and tell them I goe to my God and to your God As indeed the body which wee here carry about us is not the Image of God which God created for the Kingdome of this world put its Image upon us when Adam consented to yeeld to it and wee if wee be regenerated are not at home in this world with our New Man as Christ said to his Disciples I have called you out of this world that you should be where I am and Saint Paul saith Our Conversation as to the New Man is in Heaven Thus wee understand also that our Immanuel who is the most holy of all with his true Image of God wherein also our true Image of God doth consist is not of this world but as the Old Mortall Man from the Kingdome of this world hangeth to us so our Mortall Man also hung to the Image of God in Christ which he drew from his Mother Mary as the pure Element draweth the Kingdome of this world to it 46. But now wee must not think that the holy Man in Christ dyed for that dyeth not but the mortall Man from the Kingdome of this world is that which dyeth that was it which cryed on the Crosse My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee and wee see very cleerly the great Might and power of the holy Man in Christ when the mortall which was taken from this world went into Death how the holy Allmighty Man wrestled with Death in so much that the Elements did shake with it and the Sunne which is the Light of the Nature of this world lost its splendor as if it were then to perish and then the living Champion in Christ fought with the Anger and stood in the Hell of the Anger of God and loosed the soule which he commended into his Fathers hands quite off from the Anger of God also from the source or Torment of Hell and that was it which David said Thou wilt not leave my soule in Hell nor
ground is cold bitter soure and voyde of life 37. And as an Hearb by the pleasant Sun-shine groweth out of the Earth so our new Man in Christ groweth out of the Old soure cold harsh Man of our Earthly flesh and bloud And that is the true Light of the Pearle when wee apprehend it truly and really in the knowledge in the new Man and it is the sword wherewith wee can fight against the Devill onely wee must take the sword of the Death of Christ into our hand which cutteth so sharply that the Devill must she away CHAP. XXV Of the Suffering Dying Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ the Sonne of God Also of his Ascension into Heaven and sitting at the right hand of God his Father The Gate of our Misery and also the strong Gate of the Divine Power in his Love 1. IF wee consider our selves in our right Reason and behold the Kingdome of this world in which wee stand with our flesh and bloud also with our Reason and senses then wee finde very well that wee have the substance and stirring of it in us for wee are its very proper own Now all whatsoever wee thinke doe and purpose in the outward Man that the Spirit of this world doth in us Men for the Body is nothing else but the Instrument thereof wherewith it performeth its work and wee finde that as all other Instruments which are generated from the Spirit of this world decay corrupt and turne to dust so also our earthly Body wherein the Spirit of this world worketh and acteth for a while 2. Therefore none should scorne or despise another though he lead not the same course that he doth himselfe or though he be not of that way in his minde and will which himselfe is or that another cannot learne and follow the same stately Courtly manners and behaviour with himselfe for the Naturall Heaven maketh every one according as its forme in its Influences is at all times and so every Creature getteth its condition forme or shape inclination and will which cannot wholly be taken away from the outward Man till the Naturall Heaven breaketh its Beast Therefore wee ought to consider the great strife in us when wee are regenerated out of the Eternall then the Eternall striveth against the Corruptible against the malice and falshood of the Corruptible 3. And now each Kingdome effecteth its will the inward goeth right forward and consenteth not to the wickednesse of the outward but it runneth to its Mark and the outward also goeth forward with its desire and performeth its work according to the Influence of its Constellation 4. But if it happen that the outward doe not what its desire will that proceedeth not from its wisdome but the Heaven hath altered it by another Conjunction but if it be compelled to leave off that which is evill that is not by the course of the Heavens but the new Regenerated Man who is in strife with the Earthly doth many times overcome but cannot swallow up the Earthly for the Earthly getteth up againe as wee see by our Anger for if my new Man have the upperhand he will have no Anger nor any evill desire but if this worlds Driver assault him then the fire of Anger riseth up in the old Man and his desire is often kindled to doe what he rejected and reproved a little before 5. Now wee cannot say that the Spirit of this world alone consenteth to and doth that which is evill and wrathfull for the whole Man oftentimes runneth with all his thoughts and his whole will after it And heere wee finde our great Misery for the poore soule which lieth yet tied in the Bands of Anger is often kindled that it burneth like a fire and runneth after evill for it is in the Band of Eternity in the Father and reacheth in its most inward Roote the Anger of God and that is even the Birth of its Life and its Originality and the Noble Graine of Mustard-seede that was the new Garment of the soule which was new put upon it in its Repentance is many times destroyed therefore none should be secure though he doe once attaine the Garland of Pearle he may loose it againe for when the soule consenteth to sinne then it goeth forth from Christ into falshood and into the Anger of God 6. Now therefore as wee know that Christ by his entrance into the Incarnation hath opened a Doore into Heaven into his holy Body so that wee through a true Repentance and Confidence may come to him and put the new white Garment of his Innocency in his Love upon our soules so wee know also that the soule standeth yet fast bound with two chaines one is the Birth of its own Life whose most inward roote is poyson and wrathfulnesse and so the soule being sprung out of the Eternall source and having its originality out of the Eternity none can redeeme it in its own roote of Eternity or bring it out of the Anger except there come one who is the Love it selfe and be borne in its own very Birth that so he may bring it out of the Anger and set it in the Love in himselfe as it was done in Christ 7. The other Gate or Chaine is the flesh and bloud with the Region or Dominion of the Starres there the soule is fast bound and swimmeth therein as in a Great Sea which daily so stirreth up the soule that it is kindled 8. Concerning these two chaines wee know in our deepe knowledge and see them in the Ground of the Originality and know very exactly that wee could not be redeemed except the Deity did goe into the soule and bring forth the will of the soule againe out of the fiercenesse in it selfe into the Light of the Meeknesse for the Roote of Life must remaine or else the whole Creature must be dissolved 9. But because the soule stood with its most inward Roote in the Abysse of Hell and according to the Kingdome of this world in the hard frozen Death so that if the flesh and bloud as also the Dominion of the Starres should leave it then it would continue inwardly in a hardnesse wherein there is no source or active property and it selfe in its own property would be but in the fiercenesse of the Originality in great Misery and therefore it was necessary not onely for God to come into the soule and generate it to the Light for there was danger that the soule with its Imagination might goe forth out of the Light againe but also for God to assume a humane soule from our soule and a new heavenly body out of the first Glorious Body before the fall and put it on to the soule with the old earthly body hanging on it not onely as a Garment but really united as one in the Essences so that it must be a Creature that is the whole God with all the Three Principles 10. And
cannot behold him before wee be Glorified especially the wicked But thus all Generations shall see and know him and the unbeleeving shall weep and wayle that they went so out of their flesh and bloud into another source or condition when they should and might in their own Essences have put on God and yet did put on the Kingdome of the fiercenesse of the Anger of God with the Devils and let the same into the Essences of their soules and caused themselves to perish 8. Therefore wee say that in the soule of Christ in its Essences the cleere Deity viz. the Light of God is comprehended which hath quenched the Anger in the source of the soule and thus that Light clarifieth the soule and though the proceeding vertue the Tincture is alwayes generated out of the soule and the Fiat in the Essences maketh it comprehensible and palpable and that is the Ternarius Sanctus or the Holy Earth that is the holy flesh for God enlighteneth in this body all in all 9. Thus his earthly body is swallowed up in God though indeed he never had such an earthly body as wee have for he was not of the Seede of a Man but wee speake onely of the comprehensibility and visibility of it to our eyes according to which he is our Brother and he shall appeare at the Last Judgement-Day in our fleshly forme in the power of God as Lord over all for all power in Heaven and in this world is subjected under him and he is Judge over all A Prince of Life and Lord over Death 10. And so the Kingdome of Heaven is his own body and the whole Princely Throne of his Principle is Paradise wherein the blessed fruit in the vertue of God springeth up for the Holy Ghost is the vertue and power of the fruit as the Aire in this world is so the Holy Ghost is the Aire and Spirit of the soule in Christ and of all his children for there is no other Aire in Heaven in the body of Christ and God the Father is All in All. Thus wee live and are in Christ all in the Father there is no soule that searcheth out to the depth but wee live all in singlenesse of heart and in great humility and love one towards another and rejoyce one with another as children doe before their Parents and to this end God created us 11. Thus my deare soule seeke Christ and incline thy selfe to him and so thou shalt receive the Holy Ghost who will new regenerate thy soule and enlighten drive and leade thee and he will reveale and manifest Christ to thee Leave off all opinions and humane Inventions for the Kingdome of God is neere thee and thou art kept out from God onely by thy own unbeliefe by thy evill works viz. by thy pride covetousnesse envy anger and falshood for thou clothest thy selfe with them so thou art in the Devils cloaths without God 12. But if thou leavest them off and passest with the desire of thy heart into the Mercy of God then thou goest into Heaven into God the Father and thou walkest in the body of Christ in the pure Element and the Holy Ghost goeth forth out of thy soule and leadeth thee into all truth and the old corrupt Man doth but hang to thee which thou shalt destroy in Death and with thy Love in Christ still overcome and captivate the Anger of the Father in thy soule and thou shalt spring up with thy New Man through Death and appeare in the same at the Last Judgement Day The Gate to Babell 13. When wee consider with our selves the many Sects and Controversies in Religion and from whence they come and take their Originall it is as cleere as the Sunne and it manifesteth it selfe indeed and in truth for there are great Warres and Insurrections stirred up for the cause of Religion or Faith and there ariseth great hatred and envy about it and they persecute one another for opinions sakes because another is not of his opinion he sticks not to say he is of the Devill and this is yet the greatest Misery of all that this is done by the Learned in the high Schooles or Universities of this world 14. And I will shew thee simple Man their venome and poyson for behold every one among the Layety looketh upon them and thinketh Sure it must needs be right if our Priest say it he is a Minister of God he sitteth in Gods stead it is the Holy Ghost that speaketh out of him But Saint Paul saith Trie the Spirits for every ones Teaching is not to be beleeved and Christ saith By their works thou shalt know them for a good Tree bringeth forth good fruit and an evill tree bringeth forth evill fruit also he teacheth us plainly that we should not gainsay the Prophesie that is of God but we should learne to try them by their fruits 15. Wee speake not of perfect Works done by the body which is captivated in the Spirit of this World but wee speake of their Doctrines that wee must trie them whether they be generated of God For if that Spirit teacheth blasphemies slanders and persecutions then it is not from God but it proceedeth from the covetousnesse and haughtinesse of the Devill For Christ teacheth us meeknesse and to walk in brotherly Love wherewith wee may overcome the enemy and take away the Might of the Devill and destroy his Kingdome 16. But when any fall to fireing killing with the sword to undoe people ruine Townes and Countreys there is no Christ but the Anger of the Father and it is the Devill that bloweth the fire For the Kingdome of Christ is not found in such a way but in Power as the Examples of the Apostles of Christ declare who taught no revenge but they suffered persecution and prayed to God who gave them signes and great Wonders so that people flocked to them and so the Church of Christ grew mightily so that it overshadowed the Earth Now who is the Destroyer of this Church Open thy eyes wide and behold it is Day-light and it must come to the Light for God would have it so for the sake of the Lilly It is the Pride of the Learned 17. When the Holy Ghost spake in the Saints with power and Miracles and converted people powerfully then they flocked to them they honoured them greatly they respected them and submitted to them as if they had been Gods Now this was well done to the Saints for the honour was given to God and so humility and love grew among them and there was all loving Reverence as becometh the children of God and as it ought to be 18. But when the Saints comprised their Doctrine in Writings that therby in their absence it might be understood what they taught then the World fell upon it and every one desired to be such a Teacher and thought the Art skill and knowledge stuck in the Letter thither they came running old
in a friendly humble loving Spirit together with good sound Reason this will dispell and drive away the smoak of the Devill and flourish in its time Therefore let none thinke that when strife goeth on and he getteth the upper hand now it is well and right and he that is under and subdued let him not thinke sure I am found to be in the wrong I should now goe to the other opinion or side and help that party to prosecute the other no that is not the way such a one is meerely in Babell 33. But let every one enter into himselfe and labour to be a righteous Man and feare God and doe right and consider that this his worke shall appeare in Heaven before God and that he standeth every moment before the face of God and that all his works shall follow after him and then the Lilly of God springeth and groweth and the world standeth in its Seculum AMEN FINIS AN APPENDIX OR Fundamentall and true Description of the Threefold Life in Man First Of the Life of the Spirit of this world in the qualities and Dominion of the Starres and Elements Secondly Of the Life of the Originality of all Essences which standeth in the Eternall indissoluble Band wherein the Roote of Mans soule standeth Thirdly of the Paradisicall Life in Ternario sancto viz the Life in the New Regeneration which is the Life of the Lord Jesus Christ wherein the Angelicall Life is understood as also the Holy Life of the New Regeneration All searched out very fundamentally in the Light of Nature and set downe for the comfort of the poore sick wounded soule that it might seek the holy life in the new Regeneration wherein it goeth forth out of the earthly and passeth into the life of Jesus Christ the Sonne of God By the same Author 1. BEcause in our foregoing Writings there are some words which the Reader may not perhaps apprehend especially where wee have written that in the Resurrection of the Dead we shall be in the Body of Christ in Ternario Sancto where wee call the sernarius sanctus Holy Earth which must not be understood of Earth but of the holy Body out of the holy vertue or power of the Trinity of God d that b y Ternarius sanctus is properly understood in our writings the Gate of God the Father from whence all things proceed as out of one onely substance Therefore wee will instruct the Reader of the Second Booke of our Writings a little more fundamentally that he may not hang so to the bare letter and make a Historicall matter of our Writings but that he may observe the minde and spirit what that Spirit meaneth when it speaketh of the Divine Life and useth not alwayes the same words and names 2. For if wee look into the Creation of God wee finde very wonderfull things which yet in the beginning proceeded out of one onely Fountaine for wee finde evill and good life and death joy and sorrow love and hate weeping and laughing and wee finde that it all sprung out of one onely substance for that may very well be seene in all Creatures especialiy in Man who is the similitude of God as Moses writeth and the Light of Nature convinceth us Therefore wee ought to consider of the Threefold Life in Man which is found so also in the Gate of God the Father 3. If wee consider of the alteration how the minde is changed as it is how suddenly joy is turned into sorrow and sorrow into joy then wee ought well to consider from whence that taketh its Originall For wee finde it all to be in one and the same minde and if one forme property or quality riseth and getteth above the other there then presently something followeth so that the minde collecteth all its thoughts together and sendeth them to the Members of the Body and so the hands the feete the mouth and all goe to worke and doe something according to the desire of the minde and then wee say that forme or property that driveth the work is predominant qualifying and working above other formes wherein yet all other formes of Naturelye yet hidden and are subject to that one forme And yet the minde is such a wonderfull thing that suddenly out of one forme that is now predominant and working more than all other it bringeth forth and raiseth up another and quencheth the forme that was kindled before so that it becometh as it were a nothing as may be seene in joy and sorrow 4. Now therefore when wee consider whence all taketh its Originall wee finde especially three formes in the minde wee speak not heere of the Spirit of this world onely for wee finde that our minde hath also a desire or longing after another minde and that it is anxious for that which the eyes of the body see not and which the mouth tasteth not and the feeling of the earthly body doth not perceive neither doth the earthly eare heare it nor the nose smell it which yet the Noble Minde can see raste feele perceive and heare if the forme of the Divine Kingdome in that minde he predominant or qualifieth more than the other two there then instantly the other two are as it were haise dead and overcome and the Divine forme riseth up alone and then it is in God 5. And wee see also how instantly the Minde raiseth up another forme and maketh it predominant viz. the Spirit of this world in covetousnesse pride in the oppressing of the needy and lifting up it selfe onely and so drawing all to it whereupon then instantly also the third forme breaketh forth out of the Eternall Indissoluble Band as falshood envy anger and malice so that the Image of God is as it were dead and overcome where then the minde in this manner is in the Anger of God in Death in the Jawes of Hell over which Hell in the Anger of God insulteth for hereby its Jawes are set wide open and it becometh predominant but when the Divine forme breaketh forth againe then the Kingdome of Hell is overcome and as it were dead and the Kingdome of Heaven cometh to be predominant and working againe 6. Therefore S t Paul saith To whom you yeeld your selves as servants in obedience his servants you are whether of sinne unto Death or of the obedience of God to righteousnesse and that source or property wee have and in that Kingdome wee live and that Kingdome with the property thereof driveth us seeing then heere in this life all is in the sowing and in the growing therefore the harvest also shall one day follow where then the one Kingdome shall be seperated from the other 7. For there are in the minde of Man Three Principles all which Three in the Time of this foure Elementary Life he may open but when the body is broken then he liveth in one Principle onely and then he hath lost the Key and can open no other
the Life of Christ groweth so that in this world the Earthly Man doth but hang to it Thus the New Man is in God in the Life of Jesus Christ and the Old Man is in this world of which Saint Paul writeth cleerly in his Letter to the Romans that if wee thus live in the New Birth wee live to God but as to the old Adam wee are in this world where then the source of the Eternall Band in the soule is also changed and the soule entreth in it selfe into the Life of Christ into the Holy and Pure Element which in some places of my Second Booke I call the Ternarius Sanctus 17. Not according to the understanding of the Latine Tongue but according to the understanding of the Divine Nature by which words is excellently expressed the Life of Jesus Christ in God the Father as also the Characters or Letters themselves and the Spirit in the syllables doe signifie wherein the Birth unigeniture or Eternall working of the Deity is excellently understood though indeed it is hidden to the Historicall Man of the Schoole of this world yet it is wholly comprehensible to those that are enlightened from God who then also understand the source or working property of the Spirit in the Letter which is not at this time fit to be set downe here and yet it shall be brought to the understanding 18. And there is nothing more profitable for Man for his beginning to the New Birth than true earnest sincere Repentance with great earnest Purpose and Resolution for he must presse into the Kingdome of Heaven into the Life of Christ where then his Regeneratour is ready deepe in his Minde in the Light of Life and with desiring and earnestnesse helpeth to wrestle and so soweth himselfe as a Graine of Mustard seede into the soule of Man as a Roote to a New Creature And if the earnestnesse in the soule of a Man be great then the earnestnesse in his Regeneratour is also great 19. And it is not possible to describe the New Birth in Christ fully for he that cometh into it can finde it onely in himselfe by experience there groweth another Bud in his Minde another Man with other knowledge he is taught of God and he seeth that all the labour in the History without the Spirit of God is but a confused work of Babell from whence strife and contention in selfe Pride cometh for they aime onely at Pride and Advancement to Recreate themselves in the Lusts of the Flesh and in selfe They are no Shepheards or Pastours of Christ but Ministers or Servants of the Antichrist they have set themselves upon Christs Throne but they have erected it in this world 20. Yet the Kingdome of Christ is not of this world but consisteth in Power and there is the true knowledge of God in no Man except he be Regenerated in God out of his corrupted house of sinnes where then the fiercenesse changeth it selfe into Love and he is a Priest of God in the Life of Jesus Christ who alwayes seeketh that which is in Heaven in the Wonders of God and the New Man is hidden in the Old Man and is not of this world but he is in Ternario Sancto in the holy Body of Jesus Christ understand in the vertue of his Body 21. For such also his Covenant with us is both in the Baptisme and the Last Supper He tooke not the flesh of his Creature and gave it to his Disciples but he tooke the Body of the Pure Element that is before God wherein God dwelleth which is present in all Creatures but comprised in another Principle and gave it to his Disciples to eate and to drinke under Earthly Bread and Wine so also he Baptized the Outward Man with Earthly Elementary Water but the inward New Man he Baptiseth with the Water in the holy pure Element of his Body and Spirit which substance appeareth onely in the Second Principle and is present every where yet is hidden to the Third Principle viz. to the Spirit of this world 22. For as wee know that our Minde reacheth all over this world and also into the Kingdome of Heaven to God so also the Life of the Pure Element wherein the Creature Christ and our New Man in Christ standeth reacheth every where all over and it is all over full of the fullnesse of the Life of Jesus Christ but onely in the One Pure Holy Element and not in the foure Elements in the Spirit of the Starres 23. Therefore there needeth not in our Writings much toyle nor hard consideration or study wee write out of another Principle no Reader understandeth us rightly in the Ground except his Minde be borne in God there ought no Historicall skill and knowledge to be sought for in our Writings for as it is not possible to see God with earthly eyes so also it is not possible that an unenlightened Minde in the Earthlinesse can comprehend it Heavenly thoughts and meanings can comprehend it like must be comprehended by like 24. Indeed wee carry the Heavenly Treasure in an Earthly vessell but there must be a Heavenly receptacle hidden in the Earthly else the heavenly Treasure is not comprised nor held None should thinke or desire to finde the Lilly of the Heavenly Bud with deepe searching and studying if he be not entered by earnest Repentance into the New Birth so that it be growne in himselfe for else it is but a Historie where his Minde never findeth the Ground and yet it selfe supposeth it hath comprehended it but his Minde maketh it manifest what Spirits childe it is for it is written They are Taught of God 25. Wee know that every Life is a fire that consumeth and must have somewhat to feede its consuming or else it goeth out so also wee know that there is an Eternall Band of Life where there is a matter whereon the Eternall fire feedeth continually for the Eternall fire maketh that matter for foode to it selfe 26. So also wee know that the Eternall Life is twofold in a twofold source quality or property and each standeth in its own fire The one burneth in the fiercenesse and in the woe and the matter thereof is Pride Envy and Anger its source is like a Brimstone Spirit for the rising up of the Pride in coverousnesse envy and anger maketh together a Brimstone wherein the fire burneth and continually kindleth it selfe with this matter for it is a great Bitternesse wherein the Mobility of the Life consisteth as also the Striker up of the fire 27. Now wee know also that every fire hath a shining and Glance and that Glance goeth in it selfe forth from the source or quality and enlighteneth the matter of the source so that in the source there is a knowledge and understanding of a thing or substance from whence a Minde and the Might taketh its Originall of doing and comprehending a will to somewhat and yet was
A DESCRIPTION Of the THREE PRINCIPLES of the Divine Essence Viz Of the un-originall Eternall Birth of the Holy Trinity of God and how the Angels the Heavens also the Starres and Elements and every creaturely Beeing and all that live and move proceeded from and were created by it Especially Of Man of what he was Created and to what end and how he fell from his first Glory into the angry Wrathfulnesse and in his first beginning dyed the Death and was helped againe And then what the Anger of God Sinne Death the Devill and Hell are How these stood in the Eternall Rest in Great Joy and how every thing in this worlds Time tooke its Beginning and how it cometh to Act as it doth at present and what it shall come to be againe in the end of all Written in the German Language Anno 1619. by Jacob Beme LONDON Printed by M. S. for H. Blunden at the Caâ—â—le in Cornhill 1648. The Authors Preface to this BOOKE 1. MAN can undertake nothing from the beginning of his youth nor in the whole course of his Time in this world that is more profitable and necessary for him than to learne to know himselfe What he is out of what from whence and for what he is Created and what his Office is In such a serious Consideration he will presently finde that he and all the Creatures that are come all from God he will also finde among all the Creatures that he is the most Noble Creature of them all from whence he will very well perceive how Gods intent is towards him in that he hath made him Lord over all the Creatures of this world and hath endued him with Minde Reason and Vnderstanding above all the rest of the Creatures especially with Speech or Language so that he can distinguish every thing that soundeth stirreth moveth or groweth and judge of every things vertue effect and Originall and that all is put under his hand so that he can bend them use and mannage them according to his will as pleaseth him 2. Moreover God hath given him higher and greater knowledge than this in that he can penetrate into the Heart of every thing and discerne what Essence vertue and property it hath both in the Creatures in Earth Stones Trees Hearbs in all moveable and immoveable things also in the Starres and Elements so that he knoweth what substance and vertue they have and that in their vertue all naturall sensibility vegetation multiplication and life doth consist 3. Above all this God hath given him the understanding and perception to know God his Creatour What and whence Man is how he is and where he is and out of what he proceeded or was created and how he is the Image substance propriety and childe of the Eternall uncreated and infinite God and how he is created out of the substance of God in which God hath his own substance and propriety in whom he liveth and governeth with his Spirit by which God manageth his own work and loveth him dearely as his own Heart and substance for whose sake he created this world with all the Creatures that are therein which for the most part without the Reason and Government of Man could not live in such a Condition as they doe 4. The Divine Wisdome it selfe standeth in such a high Consideration and hath neither number nor end and therein is the Love of God towards Man knowne in that Man knoweth what his Creator is and what he would have him doe and leave undone and it is the most profitable thing for Man in this world that he can search for and seek after for heerein he learneth to know himselfe what matter and substance he is of also from whence his understanding cogitation perceptibility and sensibility is stirred and how he is created out of the Substance of God and as a Mother bringeth forth a Childe out of her own substance and nourisheth it therewith and leaveth all her Goods to it for its own and maketh it the possessour of them so doth God also with Man his Childe he hath created him and preserved him and made him heire to all his Eternall Goods In and by this Consideration the Divine knowledge buddeth and groweth in Man and the Love towards God as of a Childe to its Parents so that Man loveth God his Father for that he knoweth that he is his Father in whom he liveth is and hath his being who nourisheth him preserveth him and provideth for him for thus saith Christ our Brother who is begotten of the Father to be a Saviour and sent into this world This is the Eternall Life that they know thee to be the onely true God and whom thou hast sent Jesus Christ 5. Now seeing wee our selves know that wee are created out of Gods own substance and made his Image substance and peculiar Inheritance it is therefore equall that wee should live in obedience to him and follow him seeing he leadeth us as a Father doth his Children And wee have also his Promise that if wee follow him wee shall obtaine the light of the Eternall Life without such a Consideration as this wee are altogether blinde and have no knowledge of God but we run on as dumb Beasts and wee look upon our selves and upon Gods Creation as Heifers look upon a new Doore made to their Stalls and set our selves against God and his will and so live in opposition and enmity to the perdition of body and soule and of Gods Noble Creatures wee fall into this terrible and abominable Darknesse because wee will not learne to know our selves what wee are of what substance what wee shall be whether wee are Eternall or whether wee are wholy transitory as the body is or whether also wee must give an account of our matters and doings seeing wee are made Lords of all Creatures and of the whole Creation and have all this in our power to manage 6. Even as wee see know and finde undeniably that God will require an account of all our Doings how wee have kept house with his works and that when wee fall from him and his Commandements he will punish us terribly of which wee have fearefull Examples from the beginning of the world and among the Jewes Heathens and Christians especially the Example of the Flood and in Sodome and Gomorrha also in Pharaoh and the Children of Israel in the Wildernesse and ever since till this very Time Therefore it is indeed most necessary that wee learne wisdome and learne to know our selves how great vice and wickednesse we carry about us how horrible Wolves are amongst us which strive against God and his will 7. For there is none that can excuse himselfe and plead ignorance because the will of God is put into and written in our Minds so that wee very well know what wee should doe and all the Creatures beare witnesse against
may wrap up your soule that is the Pearle which no Moath can eat nor Thiefe can steale away therefore seek after it and then you will finde the noble Treasure 2 Our wit skill and understanding is so very hard knit up that we have no more any knowledge of Paradise at all and except we be again born anew by water and the holy Ghost the veile of Moses lyeth continually before our eyes when we read his writings and we suppose that was Paradise whereof Moses sayd GOD placed him in the Garden of Eden which hee had planted that he might till it 3 O beloved Man that is not Paradise neither doth Moses say so but that was the Garden in Eden where they were tempted the exposition whereof you may finde about the fall of Adam The Paradise is the Divine joy and that was in their minde when they were standing in the love of God But when disobedience entred they were driven out and saw that they were naked for at that instant the spirit of the world caught them in which there was meere anguish necessity turmoyle and misery and in the end corruptibility and death Therefore it was of necessity that the eternall World did become flesh and bring them into the Paradisicall rest again whereof you shall finde the exposition in its due place about the fall of Adam 4 Paradise hath another Principle for it is the Divine and Angelicall joy yet not without the place of this world Indeed it is without the vertue and source or active property of it neither can the spirit of this world comprehend it much lesse a creature for it standeth not in the anguishing birth and although it thus taketh its originall yet it consisteth in exact perfection meere love joy and mirth wherein there is no feare neither misery nor death no Devill can touch it nor no beast can reach it 5 But when we will speak of the source or fountain and joy of Paradise and of its highest substance what it is we have no similitude of it in this world we stand in need of Angelicall tongues and knowledge to expresse it and though we had them yet we could not expresse it with this tongue it is well understood in the minde when the soule rideth in the Chariot of the Bride but we cannot expresse it with the tongue yet we will not cast away the A. B. C. but tattle or stammer with the children till another mouth be given us to speak withall 6 When God had created the Beasts he brought them to Adam that he should give them their names every one according to their essence and kinde as they the beasts were qualified or according to the quality and condition they were of Now Adam was in the Garden of Eden in Hebron and also in Paradise at once yet no beast can come into Paradise for it is the Divine joy wherein there is no unclean thing also no death or corruptible or transitory life much lesse is there the knowledge of Good and Evill yet Moses writeth of it that in the Garden of Eden there was the tree of temptation which bare the knowledge of Good and evill which indeed was no other Tree than like the Trees we now eate of in the corruptibility neither was it any other Garden than such as wee now have wherein earthly fruit Good and Evill grow as is before our eyes 7. But the Paradise is somewhat else and yet no other place but another Principle where God and the Angels dwell and where there is perfection where there is meere love joy and knowledge where no misery is which Paradise neither death nor the Devils doe touch neither doe they know it and yet it hath no wall of earth or stones about it but there is a great Gulfe or cliffe between Paradise and this world so that they who will passe from hence thither cannot and they who would come from thence to us cannot neither and the Hell and the kingdome of darknesse is between them and none can come therein but by a new Birth which Christ spake of to Nicodemus The soules of the Saints holy and regenerate must enter into it by the death of Darknesse whom the Arch-Shepherd with the Angels bringeth thereinto upon his Bride-chariot of which you shall finde an exposition in its proper place in order 8. But seeing somewhat is lent mee from the grace of the power or Divine vertue of God that I might know the way to Paradise and seeing it behooveth every one to work the works of God in which he standeth of which God will require an account from every one what he hath done in the labour of his dayes work in this world and will require the work which he gave every one to doe with encrease and will not have them empty or else he will have that unprofitable servant to be bound hand and foot and cast into Darknesse where he must be faine to worke yet in the anguish and in the forgetting of the Day-labour which was given him to doe here or of the Talent which he had received here wherein he was found an unprofitable servant 9. Therefore I will not neglect my Day labour but will labour as much as I can on the way and although I shall scarce be able to tell the Letters in this so high a way yet it shall be so high that many will have enough to learne in it all their life long he that supposeth that he knoweth it very well he hath not yet learnt the first letter of Paradise for no Doctors are to be found on this way in this Schoole but onely schollers or learners 10. Therefore let not my Master of Art in his Hood and Tippet thinke himselfe so cunning in this matter nor powre out his mockings so presumptuously against the children of God for so long as he is a scorner or mocker he knoweth nothing of this he ought not to thinke his cap doth become him so finely nor ought he to boast of his humane calling as if he did sit in his calling by the Ordinance of God whereas he is not set or confirmed therein from God but by the favour of man He ought not so much to prohibit and forbid the way to Paradise which himselfe doth not know He must one day give a heavy account of his Ordination by the favour of man because he boasteth of a Divine calling and yet the Spirit of God is far from him therefore he is a lyar and belyeth the Deity 11. Therefore let every one take care what he doth I say againe that whosoever he be that intrudeth himselfe to be a Pastour or Shepherd without the Divine Calling without the knowledge of God he is a theefe and a murtherer he entreth not through the doore into Paradise but he creepeth in with the dogges and the wolves into the den of theeves and
he doth it but for his bellies sake and his own honour and esteeme he is no Pastour or Shepheard but he dependeth on the great Whore upon Antichrist and yet he supposeth that he is a Pastour or Shepherd but he is not knowne in Paradise 12. Christ teacheth us and warneth us faithfully of the Times that were to come wherein they shall say Loe here is Christ or Loe there he is he is in the wildernesse he is in the chamber goe not forth beleeve it not for as the lightening breaketh forth in the East and shineth to the West so will the coming of the Son of man be 13. Therefore O childe of Man see whether it be not so where the false Pastours or Shepherds without the Divine calling alwayes wrangle strive contend and dispute and every one of them saith Follow me here is Christ there is Christ and they one judge and condemne another and give one another over to the Devill they abandon unity and forsake the love wherein the Spirit of God is generated and cause bitternesse and lead astray the simple plaine people to think that Christ is such a wrangling Shepherd Pastour Priest or Minister and doth so grapple with his Opponents in raising warre and murther as they doe and that the Spirit of God must needs be in such doings which are accounted zeale for God and that this must be the way to Paradise 14. Christ said Love one another thereby shall men know that yee are my Disciples if any smite thee on one cheeke turne to him the other cheeke also if you be persecuted for my Names sake then rejoyce for your reward is great in the Kingdome of Heaven But now there is nothing taught but meere ignominy reproach and revilings they that are dead for many hundred yeares agoe and are in the Judgement of God and some also may be in Paradise these must be judged and condemned and cursed by the wrangling Shepherds or contentious Priests Doth the Holy Ghost speake by them as they cry out and say he doth whereas they are still full of gall and bitternesse and nothing but covetousnesse and vengeance is kindled in them and they are far from the way of Paradise 15. Therefore thou childe of Man take heed let not your eares be tickled When you heare the false Shepherds or Pastours judge and condemne the children of Christ that is not the voice of Christ but of Antichrist the way to Paradise hath cleane another entrance your heart must with all your power and strength be directed to God or Goodnesse and as God desireth that all men should be saved so his will is that we should help to beare one anothers burthen and beare with one another and friendly soberly and modestly meet one another with entreaties in the Holy Ghost and seek with earnestnesse the salvation and welfare of our neighbour in humility and wish heartily that he might be freed from vanity and enter with us into the Garden of Roses 16. The knowledge that is in the infinite God is various and manifold but every one should rejoyce in the gifts and knowledge of another and consider that God will give such superabundant knowledge in the Paradisicall world of which wee have here in the variety and difference of Gifts but a Type Therefore we must not wrangle nor contend about Gifts and knowledge for the Spirit giveth to every one according to his Essence in the wonderfull God to expresse that Gift he hath after his own forme or manner for that forme in the perfection of love in Paradise will be a very inward hearty sport of love where every one shall speake from his knowledge of the great wonders of the holy Birth 17. O what sharp thornes the Devill hath brought into the sport of love that we practise such proud contention in the noble knowledge in so much that men binde up the Holy Ghost with Lawes What are Lawes in the Kingdome of Christ who hath made us free that we should walke in him in the Holy Ghost To what purpose are they invented but for the pleasure of Antichrist who thereby doth strut in might and pomp and is God on Earth O flie from him thou childe of Man the time is come for us to awake from the sleepe of Antichrist Christ cometh with the faire Lilly out of Paradise in the valley of Jehosaphat it is time for them to trim their Lamps that will goe to the Marriage of the Lamb The Gate or the Exposition 18. Paradise consisteth in the power and vertue of God it is not corporeall nor comprehensible but its corporeity or comprehensibility is like the Angels which yet is a bright cleere visible substance as if it were materiall but it is figured meerly from the vertue or power where all is transparent and shining where also the centre of the Birth is in all things and therefore the birth is without measure or end 19. I give you a similitude in the minde of man from which the thoughts are generated which have neither number nor end for every thought hath a centre to generate againe other thoughts and thus is the Paradise from eternity to eternity But being the light of God is eternall and shineth without wavering or hinderance therefore also in the birth there is an unchangeable substance wherein all things spring up in meere perfection in great love 20. For the spirit of knowledge intimateth this that there are fruits and things that grow in Paradise as well as in this world in such a forme or figure but not in such a source or property and palpability For the matter or body of it is power and it groweth in the heavenly Limbus its roote standeth in the Matrix wherein there is neither earth nor stone for it is in another Principle The fire in that Principle is God the Father and the light is God the Sonne and the Aire is God the Holy Ghost and the vertue or power out of which all springeth is Heaven and Paradise 21. As we see that here out of the earth there spring plants hearbs and fruits which receive their vertue from the Sunne and from the Constellation so the Heaven or the heavenly Limbus is in stead of the earth and the light of God in stead of the Sunne and the eternall Father in stead of the vertue of the Starres the depth of this substance is without beginning and end its breadth cannot be reached there is neither yeares nor time no cold nor heate no moving of the Aire no Sunne nor Starres no water nor fire no sight of evill spirits no knowledge nor apprehension of the affliction of this world no stony rock nor earth and yet a figured substance of all the creatures of this world For all the creatures of this world have appeared to this end that they might be an eternall figured similitude not that they continue in this spirit in their substance no not
and the Principle of God is close shut up from him and that even to Eternitie 51. To Conclude God will have no fiery Spirit in Paradise they must remaine in the first Principle in the Eternall Darknesse if they had continued as God had created them when the meeknesse shined or appeared to them and had put the Centre of their mindes into the meeknesse then the light of God should for ever have shined through them and they should have eaten of the Verbum Domini the Word of the Lord and they should with the roote of their Originall have stood in the first Principle like God the Father himselfe and with the will in the minde they should have stood in the second Principle thus they should have had a Paradificall source quality or property and an Angelicall will and they should have been friendly in the Limbus of Heaven and in the love of God CHAP. XI Of all Circumstances of the Temptation 1. NOw the Highest Question is What that is which caused the minde of the Devill so to elevate it selfe and that so great a number of them are fallen in the high mindednesse or pride Behold when God set the Fiat in the will and would create Angels then the Spirit first separated all qualities after that manner as now you see there are many kinds of Starres and so the Fiat created them severall Then there were created the Princely Angels and the Throne-Angels according to every Quality as hard soure bitter cold fierce soft and so forth in the Essences till to the end of Nature out of the source of the fire a similitude whereof you have in the Starres how different they are 2. Now the Thrones and Princely Angels are every one of them a great fountaine as you may perceive the Sunne is in respect of the Starres as also in the blossoming Earth The great fountaine veine or Well-spring in the source was in the time of the Fiat in the dark minde the Prince or Throne-Angel There out of each fountaine came forth againe a Centre in many thousand thousands for the Spirit in the Fiat manifested it selfe in the nature of the Darknesse after the manner of the Eternall Wisdome Thus the manifold various properties that were in the whole nature went forth out of one onely Fountaine according to the ability of the eternall wisdome of God or as I may best render it to be understood by a similitude as if one Princely Angel had generated out of himselfe at one time many Angels whereas yet the Prince doth not generate them but the Essences and the qualities goe forth with the Centre in every Essence from the Princely Angels and the Spirit created them with the Fiat and they continue standing essentially Therefore every Host which proceeded out of one and the same fountaine gat a will in the same fountaine which was their Prince as you see how the Starres give all their will into the vertue or power of the Sun of this much must not be said to my Master in Arts he holdeth it impossible to know such things and yet in God all things are possible and to him a thousand yeares are as one day 3. Now of these Princely Angels One is fallen for he stood in the fourth forme of the Matrix of the Genetrix in the dark minde in that place in the minde where the flash of fire taketh its originall with his whole host that was proceeded from him Thus the fiery kinde condition or property moved him to goe above the end of Nature viz. above the heart of God that kinde stood so hard kindled in him 4. For as God said to the Matrix of the Earth Let there come forth all kinds of Beasts and the Fiat created Beasts out of all the Essences and first divided the Matrix and after that the essences and qualities and then he created them out of the divided Matrix male and female But because the creatures were materiall therefore every kinde species or generation must thus propagate it selfe from every Essence but with the Angels not so but their propagation was sudden and swift as Gods thoughts are so were they 5. But this is the Ground every quality or quall or source would be creaturely and the fiery property elevated it selfe too mightily into which Lucifer had brought his will and so it went with Adam as to the Tempting Tree as it is written And God suffered all sorts of Trees to spring up in the Garden of Eden and in the midst of the Garden the Tree of Life and of the knowledge of Good and Evill 6. Moses saith God suffered to spring up out of the Earth all sorts of Trees pleasant to look upon and good for food But here is the vaile in Moses and yet in the Word it is bright cleere and manifest that the fruits were pleasant to behold and good to eate wherein there was no death wrath or corruptibility but it was Paradificall fruit of which Adam could live in clarity or brightnesse in the will of God and in his love in perfection in Eternity onely the Death stuck in the Tree of knowledge of good aod evill that onely was able to bring man into another Image 7. Now wee must needs cleerely conceive or think that the Paradisicall fruit which was Good was not so very earthly for as Moses himselfe saith they were of two sorts the one good to eate and pleasant to behold and the other had the death and corruptibility in it in the Paradisicall fruit there was no death nor corruptibility for if there had been any death or corruptibility therein then Adam had eaten death in all the fruits but seeing there was no death therein therefore the fruit could not be so altogether earthly though indeed it sprung out of the earth yet the divine vertue of the second Principle was imprinted therein and yet they were truly in the third Principle growne or sprung out of the earth which God cursed as to the earthly food that no Paradisicall fruit did grow any more out of the earth 8. Besides if Adam had eaten earthly fruit he must then have eaten it into his body and have had gut or entrailes and how could such a stinck and dung as wee now carry in the body have been in Paradise in the holinesse of God Moreover he should by eating earthly food have eaten of the fruit of the Starres and Elements which would presently have infected or qualified in him as was done in the fall also so his feare over all the beasts would have ceased For the essences of the Beasts would presently have been like the humane essences in vertue and power and one would have domineered more strongly over the other 9. Therefore it was cleane otherwise with Adam he was a heavenly Paradisicall Man he should have eaten of the heavenly Paradisicall fruit and in the vertue or power of that fruit he should have
he became infected and his vertue or power was overcome here the Paradisicall man was undone and then said the heart of God it is not good that man should be alone wee will make him a help or consort to be with him 41. Here God saw his Fall and that he could not stand because Adams imagination and lust was so eager after the Kingdome of this world and after the earthly fruit and that Adam would not generate a perfect Paradificall Man out of himselfe but an infected poysoned Man according to the lust and would fall into corruptibility And the Text in Moses soundeth further very right thus And God let a deep sleep fall upon Man and he slept or fell asleepe CHAP. XII Of the Opening of the holy Scripture that the Circumstances may be highly considered The Golden Gate which God affordeth to the last world wherein the Lilly shall flourish and blossome 1. LOving Reader I had need have an Angelicall Tongue for this description and thou an Angelicall Minde and then wee should well understand one another But seeing wee have them not therefore wee will expresse the Great Deeds of God with the earthly Tongue according to our received gift and knowledge and open the Scripture to the Reader and give him occasion to consider further whereby the Pearle might be sought and found at last therefore wee will worke in our Day-labour according to our duty till the Pearle of the Lilly be found 2. Reason asketh How long was Adam in Paradise before his Fall and how long did the Temptation last I cannot tell thee that out of Moses description of the Creation for it is for great cause concealed yet I will shew thee the wonders of God and expound them according to the knowledge that is given mee whereby thou mayst the better learne to consider the Temptation and the Fall of Adam 3. Beloved Reason look into the Glasse of the actions and deeds of God When God appeared to Moses in the burning Bush he said Pull off thy shooes for here is a holy place What was that Answer God shewed Moses thereby his earthly Birth For he would give him a Law wherein Man should live if it were possible and attaine salvation But who was it that gave the Law and commanded Man to live therein Answer It was God the Father out of his Centre and therefore it was done with fire and thunder for there is no fire and thunder in the heart of God but kinde love 4. Hereupon Reason will say is not God the Father one and the same Essence with the Sonne Answer Yes they are one essence and will By what meanes then did he give the Law Answer By the Spirit of the great world because Adam after the Fall and all men lived therein therefore it must be tried whether man could live therein in confidence towards God therefore he established it with great wonders or miracles and gave it clarity shining brightnesse or glory as may be seene in Moses who had a glorious bright shining face and when he had chosen to himselfe this people he destroyed the children of unbeliefe and brought them out with wonders into the Wildernesse and there it was tried whether men could live in perfect obedience under this clarity Glory or brightnesse 5. What was done there Answer Moses was called by God out from among the children of Israel up into Mount Sinai and stayed there forty dayes and then he would trie the people whether it were possible for them to put their trust or confidence in God that they might be fed with heavenly Bread that so they might attaine perfection And there now stood the minde Majoris mundi of the great world and on the contrary the eternall minde of God in strife one against another God required obedience and the minde of this world required or desired the pleasure of this transitory life as eating drinking playing dancing therefore they chose them moreover their Belly-God a Golden Calfe that they might be free and live without Law 6. Here you see againe how the three Principles strove one against another about Man The Law that was given to Adam in the Garden of Eden brake forth againe and desired to have obedience in like manner also the Spirit of strong fiercenesse or wrath brake forth againe in the false fruit and voluptuousnesse and sought the corruptible life And this strife now lasted forty dayes before they set up the Calfe and fell wholly like Adam from God so long the strife of the three Principles continued 7. But now when they were fallen away from God as Adam was then came Moses with Josuah and saw the apostacie or falling away and brake the Tables in pieces and led them in the Wildernesse where they must all die except Josua and Caleb for the clarity or brightnesse of the Father in the fire in the first Principle could not bring them into the promised Land and although they did eate Manna yet it did not helpe in the triall onely Josua and at length JESUS must doe it 8. And when the time came that the true Champion or Saviour returned againe out of Paradise and became the childe of the Virgin then the strife of the three Principles came againe For there he was againe set before the tempting Tree and he must endure the hard brunt before the tempting Tree and stand out the temptation of the three Principles which was not possible for the first Adam to doe And there the strife continued forty dayes and forty nights just so long as the strife with Adam in Paradise continued and not an houre longer and then the Champion or Saviour overcame therefore open your eyes aright and look upon the Scripture aright although it be briefe and obscure to reason yet it is very true 9. You finde not in Moses that Adam was driven out of Paradise the first day the temptation of Israel and of Christ informeth us quite otherwise for the temptation of Christ is to a tittle in all Circumstances the same with the temptation of Adam 10. For Adam was tempted forty dayes in Paradise in the Garden of Eden before the tempting Tree and tried whether he could stand whether he could set his inclination on the heart of God and onely eate of the Verbum Domini the Word of the Lord and then if he had stood God would have given him his body the heavenly Limbus to eate that he should eate it in his mouth not into his body he should have brought forth the childe of the Virgin out of himselfe for he was neither Man nor Woman male nor female he had the Matrix and also the Man or masculine nature in him and should have brought forth the Virgin full of modesty and chastity out of the Matrix without rending of his body 11. And here is the strife in the Revelation of John where a Woman brought forth a sonne which
and in quality also 31. But if it put its will forward into meeknesse viz. into the obedience of God then it is in the source or of the quality and property of the heart of God and receiveth divine vertue and then all its rough Essences become Angelicall and joyfull and then its rough Essences are very serviceable to it and are better and more profitable to it than that it were altogether sweet in the Originality in which being sweet there would be no strength nor such mighty power as in the harsh bitter and fiery Essences 32. For the fire in the Essence cometh to be a soft meeke light and is nothing else but a zealous or eagar kindling of the Tincture and the harsh essence causeth that the divine vertue can draw it to it selfe and taste it for in the soure or harsh essence the taste doth consist in nature in like manner the bitter essence serveth to make the moving rising joy fragrancy and growing and out of these formes the Tincture goeth forth and it is the house of the soule as the Holy Ghost goeth forth from the Father and the Sonne so also the Tincture goeth forth from the light of the fiery soule and then also from its vertuous or powerfull Essences and so it resembleth the Holy Ghost but yet the Holy Ghost of God is a degree higher for he goeth forth from the Centre of the light wholly in the fift forme from the heart of God at the end of Nature 33. Therefore there is a difference between the Tincture in Man and the Holy Ghost and the bestowed virgin of the divine vertue or power dwelleth in the Tincture of the soule that is if it be true and faithfull but if the soule be not faithfull then shee departeth into her Centre which is not wholly shut up for there is but halfe a Birth between except the soule passe into the stocke of harshnesse and malice evill or wickednesse and then there is a whole birth between For the harshnesse standeth in the fourth forme of the Darknesse and the bitternesse in the fire between the fourth and fift forme as is mentioned before 34. Now Reason's question is How hath Eve received the soule from Adam Behold when Gods harsh Fiat took the Rib out of Adam then it attracted out of all Essences also to it and the Fiat Imaged formed imagined or impressed it selfe together therein that it might continually and eternally stay therein But now the Tincture in Adam was not yet extinguished but the soule of Adam sate yet wholly with might and vertue or power in the Tincture onely the virgin was departed and therefore now the Fiat took the Tincture and the soure harsh Essences mingled or qualified with the soure harsh Fiat for it viz. the Fiat and the sourenesse or harshnesse in the Essences are one kinde of Essence 35. Thus the Fiat inclined it selfe now to the heart of God and the Essences received the divine vertue or power and there sprung up the blossome in the fire and out of the blossome sprung againe the own proper Tincture and thus Eve was a living soule and the Tincture filled it selfe in the growth even as it is a cause of all growing so that instantly there was a whole body in the Tincture For that was possible they were not yet fallen into sinne neither were there yet any hard grissles and bones 36. You must understand or conceive it aright Eve gat not Adams soule nor Adams body but one onely Rib but shee was extracted from the Essences and gat her soule in her Essences that were given her in the Tincture and the body grew for or to her in her own sprung up Tincture yet in vertue or power but the Fiat had already formed or made her a Woman indeed shee was not deformed but altogether lovely for shee was of a heavenly kinde in Paradise yet the Marks were already also set upon her by the Fiat of the Great world and it could not otherwise be shee must be a Woman for Adam indeed they were in Paradise and if they had not eaten of the Tree and if they had returned againe to God then they should have continued in Paradise but the propagation must now needs have been after a womanly manner and should not have stood Eternally for Satan had brought it too farre although he had not yet suffered himselfe to be seene onely he strewed sugar abroad in the spirit of this world till at length the lovely beast did lay it selfe forth upon the Tree as a flatterer and lyar The Gate of our Propagation in the Flesh 37. As I have mentioned above the noble Tincture is now hence-forth generated thus in a manly or masculine and womanly or feminine kinde or sex out of the soule The Tincture is so subtile and mighty powerfull that it can goe or goeth into the heart of another into his Tincture which the devillish bewitching whores well know yet they understand not the noble Art but they use the false Tincture of the Devils and infect many in their marrow and bones by their Incantation for which they shall receive their wages with Lucifer who would faine have raised his Tincture to be above God 38. But know that the Tincture is in the menkinde somewhat divers from that in the womenkinde for the Tincture in the menkinde goeth out of the Limbus or Man and the Tincture in the women-kinde goeth out of the Matrix For the vertue of the soule frameth imprinteth fashioneth or Imageth it selfe not onely in the Tincture but in the whole body for the body groweth in the Tincture 39. But thus the Tincture is the longing the great desire after the virgin which belongeth to the Tincture for it is subtile without understanding but it is the divine inclination and continually seeketh the virgin which is its play-fellow the masculine seeketh her in the feminine and the feminine in the masculine especially in the delicate complexion where the Tincture is most noble cleere and vigorous from whence cometh the great desire of the masculine and feminine sex so that they alwayes desire to copulate and the great burning love so that the Tinctures mingle together and try prove or taste one another with their pleasant taste whereas one sex continually supposeth that the other hath the virgin 40. And the Spirit of the great world now supposeth that he hath gotten the virgin he graspeth with his clutches and will mingle his infection with the virgin and he supposeth that he hath the prize it shall not now run away from him he supposeth now he will finde the Pearle well enough But it is with him as with a Theefe driven out of a faire Garden of Delight where he had eaten pleasant fruit who cometh and goeth round about the inclosed Garden and would faine eate some more of the good fruit and yet cannot get in
Abysse of Death and so the inward Materia or matter is filled from the Essences of the vertue or power and in the inward there riseth up another will out of the sterne vertue of the essences that it might lift it selfe up into the Light of the meeknesse and in the outward standeth the desire to be severed the impure from the pure for that the outward Fiat doth 30. Wee must consider in the vertue or power of the virgin that the will first is threefold and each in its Centre is fix stedfast or perfect and pure for it proceedeth out of the Tincture In the first Centre there springeth up between the Parents of the childe the inclination or lust and the beastiall desire to copulate this is the outward Elementary Centre and it is fix in it selfe Secondly there springeth up in the second Centre the inclinable love to the copulation and although they were at the first sight angry and odious one to another yet in the copulating the Centre of love springeth up and that onely in the copulating for the one pure Tincture receiveth or catcheth the other and in the copulating the Masse receiveth them both 31. Now thus the love qualifieth or mixeth with the inward one Element and the Element with the Paradise and the Paradise is before or in the presence of God and the outward seede hath its Essences which qualifie first with the outward Elements and the outward Elements qualifie with the outward Starres and the outward Starres qualifie with the outward sternnesse grimnesse fiercenesse frowardnesse wrath and malice and the wrath and malice in the fiercenesse severity or austernesse qualifieth with the Originall of the first fiercenesse of the Abysse of Hell and the Abysse qualifieth with the Devills 32. Therefore O Man Consider what thou hast received with thy beastiall body to eate and to drinke of evill and good which God did forbid Look here into the ground of the Essences and say not with Reason It was meerly for disobedience which God was so very angry at that his anger could not be quenched thou art deceived for if the cleere Deity were angry it would not have become Man for thy sake to help thee look but upon the mark in the Eternity and then thou wilt finde all 33. Thus also the Kingdome of Darknesse and of the Devill is sowne together in the copulating and the third Centre of the great desire springeth up along with it out of which the fiercenesse grimnesse or wrath and the house of flesh is generated for the pure love which reacheth the Element and consequently the Paradise hath a wholly modest and chast Centre and it is fix in it selfe of which I here give you a true Example Diligently and deeply to be considered 34. Behold two young people who have attained unto the blossome of the noble Tincture in the Matrix and Limbus so that it be kindled how very hearty faithfull and pure love they beare one towards another where one is ready to impart the very heart within them to the other if it could be done without death this now is the true Paradisicall blossome and this blossome qualifieth with the one Element and Paradise but as soone as ever they take one another and copulate they infect one another with their inflamation or burning lust which is generated out of the outward Elements and Starres and that reacheth the Abysse and so they are many times at deadly enmity or have venomous spitefull hatred one against another and though it happen that their Complexions were noble so that still some love remaineth yet it is not so pure and faithfull as the first before copulation which is fiery and that in the burning or burnt lust is earthly and cold for that must indeed keepe faithfull while it cannot be otherwise as is seene by experience in many how afterwards in wedlock they hunt after whoredome and seek after the Devils Sugar which he stroweth in the noble Tincture if Man will let him 35. Whereby then you see here that God hath not willed the earthly Copulation Man should have continued in the fiery love which was in Paradise and generate out of himselfe But the Woman was in this world in the outward Elementary Kingdome in the inflamation of the forbidden fruit of which Adam should not have eaten And although now he hath eaten and thus destroyed us therefore it is now with him the Adamicall Man as with a Theefe that hath been in a pleasant Garden and went out of it to steale and cometh againe and would faine goe into the Garden and the Gardiner will not let him in he must but reach into the Garden with his hand for the fruit and then cometh the Gardiner and snatcheth the fruit out of his hand and he must goe away in his burning lust and anger and cometh no more into the Garden and in stead of the fruit there remaineth his desirous burning lust with him and that he hath gotten in stead of the Paradisicall Fruit of that wee must now eate and live in the Woman 36. Thus I give you accurately to understand what Man is and what Man soweth and what groweth in the seede viz. Three Kingdomes as is above-mentioned and seeing the three Kingdomes are thus sowen so are they in like manner before the Tree of Temptation and there beginneth the strugling and great strife there stand the three Kingdomes in one another the Element in Paradise will keep the pure minde and will which standeth in the love in the Tincture of the seede and the outward Elements viz. that which went forth from the Element will have the Element and mix it selfe therewith and then cometh the outward fiercenesse of the Starres and draweth it together with the outward Fiat and setteth it selfe in the rule or dominion whereby the inward will in the love together with the Element and the Paradise becometh darkened and the love in the Paradise goeth into its Ether and is extinguished in the Tincture of the seede and the heavenly Centre goeth under for it passeth into its Principle 37. And then cometh the Woman with her stopped or congealed bloud with the Starres and Elements and setteth her selfe in the Dominion And here is the Paradisicall Death where Adam in the living body dyed that is he dyed as to Paradise and the Element and lived to the Sunne Starres and the outward Elements concerning which God said to him That day thou entest of good and evill thou shalt dye the Death and this is the Gate of the first Death in the Paradise in which now Man liveth in the Elementary Woman of this world in the corruptibility 38. And it highly concerneth us to know and apprehend that when the seede is sowne in the Matrix and that it be drawne together by the Fiat when the Starres and the outward Elements set themselves in the dominion and that the love
and meeknesse is extinguished for there cometh to be a fierce substance in the stopping or congealing of the Tincture that before the kindling of the light of life in the childe there is no heavenly Creature and although it be figured or shaped with all the formes or parts of the body yet for all that the heavenly Image is not therein but the beastiall and if that body perish corrupt or breake before the kindling of the Spirit of the soule in the springing up of the life then nothing of this figure appeareth before God on the day of the Restitution but its shadow and shape for it hath yet had no Spirit 39. This figure doth not as many judge goe into the Abysse but as the Parents were so is also their figure for this figure is the Parents till the kindling of its life and then it is no more the Parents but it s own The Mother affordeth but a lodge and the nutriment and therefore if shee destroyeth it willingly in her body shee is a murtheresse and the Divine Law judgeth her to the Temporall Death 40. Thus now the Starres and the Elements after the withdrawing of the love in the Tincture take the house into possession and fill it the first Moneth and in the second they sever the Members or parts by the soure Fiat as is mentioned before and in the third the strife beginneth about the Regions of the Starres and Elements where then they separate and every Element maketh its own house and Region for it selfe viz. the Heart Liver Lungs Bladder and Stomack as also the Head to be the house of the Starres where they have their Region or dominion and their Princely Throne as it followeth further 41. And now after that the Starres and Elements as is mentioned before have gotten their Region and the house to dwell in then beginneth the mighty strife in great anxiety about the King of the life for the chamber of the building or fabrick standeth in very great anguish and here wee must consider the Originall of the Essence of all Essences the Eternall Birth and the Roote of all things as that there is in the house of the Anguish first one onely Essence or Beeing and that Essence is the mixing of all Essences and it hath first a will to generate the light and that will is attractive astringent or soure 42. For the desiring is the attracting of whatsoever the will desireth and that will is first pure neither darknesse nor light for it dwelleth in it selfe and it is even the Gate of the divine vertue that silleth all things And thus the attracting filleth the will with the things which the will desireth and although it be pure and desireth nothing but the light yet there is no light in the dark anxiety that it can attract but it draweth the Spirit of the Essences of the Starres and Elements into it selfe and therewith the will of the divine vertue is filled and the same is all rough and dark And thus the will is set in the Darknesse and this is done also in the heart 43. The will now standing thus in the dark anxiety it getteth another will to fly out of the anxiety again and to generate the light and this other will is the minde out of which proceed the senses or thoughts not to continue in the anxiety and the will appeareth discovereth it selfe in the Essences of the sourenesse as in the fierce hardnesse of Death and the glimps or glance breaketh through the Essences of the soure hardnesse as a swift or sudden flash and sharpeneth it selfe in the soure hardnesse that it becometh pale white or glimmering like a flash of fire and in its sudden flight breaketh the soure darknesse and there standeth the hardnesse and the harsh sourenesse of Death like a broken turning wheele which with the flash of the breaking flyeth swiftly as a thought as also then the re-conceived will which is the minde appeareth so very suddenly and seeing it cannot flie forward out of the Essences it must goe into the turning wheele for it cannot get from that place and so it breaketh the darknesse and when the darknesse is thus broken then the sharp glance discovereth it selfe in the pleasant joy without or beyond the darknesse in the sharpnesse of the will viz. in the minde and findeth it selfe habitable therein from whence the flash or glance is terrified and flieth up with strong might through the broken essences out of the heart and would out at the mouth and raiseth it selfe farre from the heart and yet is held by the soure or harsh Fiat and yet then maketh it selfe a severall Region viz. the Tongue wherein then standeth the skreeke or the crack of the broken Essences and seeing then it reflecteth or recoileth back againe into the heart as into its first dwelling house and findeth it selfe so very habitable and pleasant because the Gates of the darknesse are broken then it kindleth it selfe so highly in the loving will by reason of the meeknesse and goeth no more like a sterne or fierce flash through all Essences but it goeth trembling with great joy and the might of the joy is now many hundred times stronger than first the flash or glance was which yeelded or discovered it selfe through the soure harsh Essences of the Death and goeth with strong might out of the heart into the head in the will or purpose to possesse the heavenly Region 44. For it is Paradisicall and it hath its most inward roote therein when Adam in sinne dyed the first Death then said God The seed of the Woman shall breake the Serpents head the same word imprinted it selfe in Adam in the centre of the springing up of his life and so forth with the Creation of Eve in the springing up of her life and so forth in all Men so that wee can in our first minde through the word and vertue of God in the Treader upon the Serpent who in the time became man or was incarnate trample upon or breake the Head and will of the Devill and if this might or power were not in this place then wee were in the eternall Death Thus the minde is its own in the free will and moveth in the vertue or power of God and in his promise in the Free substance or beeing 45. Seeing then that the skreek of joy in the vertue of God which breaketh the doores of the deep Darknesse thus springeth up in the heart and flieth with its glimpse or sparkling into the Head then the vertue of the joy setteth it selfe above as being the strongest and the flash or glance beneath as being the weakest and so when the flash or glance cometh into the Head into its seate then it maketh it selfe two open Gates for it hath broken the doores of the deep Darknesse and therefore it continueth no more in the Darknesse but it must be free as a
Nativity 22. And now if the glance out of this minde out of this or any other forme not here mentioned glance or dart through the eyes then it catcheth up its own forme out of every thing as its starry kingdome is most potent at all times of the Heaven in the good or in the bad in falshood or in truth And this is brought before the King and there must the five Counsellours try it which yet are unrighteous knaves themselves being infected from the Starres and Elements and so set in their Region or Dominion and now those Counsellours desire nothing more than the Kingdome of this world and to which sort the starry house of the braines and of the heart is most of all inclined for that the five Counsellours also give their advice and will have it be it for pomp pride statelinesse riches beauty or voluptuous life also for art and excellency of earthly things and for poore Lazarus there is no thought there the five Counsellours are very soone agreed for in their own forme they are all unrighteous before God but according to the Region of this world they are very firme Thus they counsell the King and the King giveth it to the Spirit of the soule which gathereth up the Essences and falleth too with hands and mouth But if they be words that are to be expressed then it bringeth them to the roofe of the mouth and there the five Counsellours distinguish or separate them according to the will of the minde and further the Spirit bringeth them upon the Tongue and there the senses divide or distinguish them in the flash Glance or in a Moment 23. And there stand the three Principles in strife The first Principle viz. the kingdome of sternnesse or wrathfull fiercenesse saith goe forth in the midst of the strong might of the fire it must be so then saith the second Principle in the minde stay and consider God is here with the virgin feare the Abysse of Hell and the third Principle viz. the kingdome of this world saith here wee are at home wee must have it so that wee may adorne and sustaine the body it must be so and it taketh the Region of the aire viz. it s own Spirit and bringeth that Region out at the mouth and keepeth the distinction according to the kingdome of this world 24. And thus there goeth forth out of the earthly senses and minde lyes and folly deceit and falshood also meere subtilty with lust and desire to be elevated many to be elevated in the might of the fire as by force and anger and many by humane art and policy of this world which is but a knave in the sight of God yet wrestleth or holdeth fast till it hath prevailed many in the forme of a tame and gentle Beast very cunningly alluring and drawing to it selfe under a faire pretence many in pride and statelinesse of body in carriage and manners which is a right diabolicall Beast who contemneth all that doth not please him and elevateth himselfe above all meeknesse and humility and over the Image of God yea there is so very much of false untowardnesse that I may not mention it every one followeth the Region Rule or Dominion of the Starres even that which serveth most to the voluptuousnesse of the earthly life 25. In briefe the Regiment of the Starres or starry Region maketh not a holy Man and although men may converse under a holy shew yet they are but hypocrites and desire to get honour and esteeme thereby their minde sticketh neverthelesse in covetousnesse and pride and in fleshly pleasure in meere base lechery and lust and they are in the sight of God according to the desire of this world no other than meere knaves proud wilfull selfe conceited theeves robbers and murtherers There is not one who as to the Spirit of this world is righteous wee are altogether children of deceit and falshood and according to this Image which wee have received from the Spirit of this world wee belong to eternall Death but not to Paradise except it be that we become regenerated anew out of the Centre of the precious virgin who with her rayes averteth the minde from the ungodly wayes of sinne and wickednesse 26. And if the love of God which so deerly loved the Image of Man that it selfe is become Man did not stand in the Centre of the minde in the midst or point of seperation then man had been a living Devill and he is indeed such a one when he despiseth the Regeneration and goeth on according to the in-bred nature of the first and third Principle 27. For there remaine no more than two Principles eternally the third Principle wherein he liveth here perisheth and if he desireth not now the second Principle then he must remaine in the first Originall eternally with the Devills for after this time it will be no otherwise there is no source which can come to helpe him hereafter for the kingdome of God goeth not back into the Abysse but it riseth up forward in the light of meeknesse this wee speak seriously and in earnest as it is highly knowne in the light of Nature in the Ray of the Noble virgin The Gate of the Difference between Man and Beast 28. My deare and loving Reason bring thy five senses hither and consider thy selfe according to the things above-mentioned what thou art how thou wert created the Image of God and how thou in Adam by the infection of the Devill didst let thy Spirit of this world take possession of thy Paradise which now sitteth in the roome of Paradise Wilt thou say that thou wert created thus as to this world in Adam at the beginning then behold and consider thy selfe and thou shalt finde another Image in thy minde and speech 29. Every Beast hath a minde having a will and the five senses therein so that it can distinguish therein what is good or ill for it But where remaine the senses in the will that come out of the Gates of the Deepe where the will discovereth it selfe or glimmereth in the first Principle in infinitum infinitely out of which the understanding proceedeth so that Man can see into all things into their Essences how high they are graduated whereupon followeth the distinction or different articulation of the Tongue for if a Beast had them then it could also speake and distinguish voices and speake of the things that are in substance or beeing and search into the Originality But because it is not out of the eternall therefore it hath no understanding in the light of Nature be it never so nimble and crafty neither doth its strength and force availe to the lifting it up into understanding no it is all in vaine 30. Man onely hath understanding and his senses reach into the Essences and qualities of the Starres and Elements and search out the Ground of all things
Wonders must stand before him eternally although no beastiall figure or shaddow suffereth or doth any thing but is as a shaddow or painted figure or limmed Picture 41. Therefore in this world all things are given into Mans power because he is an Eternall Spirit and all other creatures are no other than a figure in the Wonders of God and therefore Man ought well to consider himselfe what he speaketh doth and purposeth in this world for all his works follow after him and he hath them eternally before his eyes and liveth in them except it be that he is againe new regenerated out of evill and falshood through the bloud and Death of Christ in the water and the Holy Ghost and then he breaketh forth out of the hellish and earthly Image into an Angelicall Image and cometh into another kingdome into which its untowardnesse or vices cannot follow and that untowardnesse waywardnesse or vice is drowned in the bloud of Christ and the Image of God is renewed out of the earthly and hellish 42. Thus wee are to consider and highly to know in the light of Nature the ground of the Kingdome of Heaven and of Hell as also the ground of the kingdome of this world and how Man in the Mothers body inheriteth three kingdomes and how Man in this life beareth a threefold Image which our first Parents by the first sinne inherited for us therefore wee have need of the Treader upon the Serpent to bring us againe into the Angelicall Image and it is needfull for Man to tame his body and minde or bring them under subjection with great earnestnesse and labour and to submit himselfe under the Crosse and not to hunt so eagarly after pleasure riches and the bravery of this world for therein sticketh perdition 43. Therefore said Christ A rich man shall bâ—rdly enter into the kingdome of Heaven because they take such delight in pride haughtinesse and fleshly voluptuousnesse and the noble minde is dead to the kingdome of God and continueth in the Eternall Darknesse For the Image of the spirit of the soule sticketh in the minde and to whatsoever the minde inclineth and giveth up it selfe in that is the Spirit of the soule figured by the Eternall Fiat 44. Now if the spirit of the soule remaine unregenerated in its first Principle which it hath inherited out of the Eternity with the beginning of its life then also at the breaking or deceasing of its body there proceedeth out of its Eternall Minde such a creature as its continuall will hath been here in this life 45. Now if thou hast had an envious spitefull dogged minde and hast grutched every thing to others as a Dog doth with a bone which himselfe cannot eate then there appeareth such a doggish minde and according to that source or property is its Worme of the soule figured and such a will it keepeth in the Eternity in the first Principle and there is no revoking all thy envious wicked proud works appeare in thy source in thy own Tincture of the Worme of the soule and thou must live eternally therein nay thou canst not conceive or apprehend any desire or will to abstinence or forbearance of it but thou art Gods and the holy soules eternall enemy 46. For the doore of the Deepe to the light of God appeareth to thee no more for thou art now a perfect creature in the first Principle and now though thou dost elevate thy selfe and wouldst breake open the doore of the Deepe yet that cannot be done for thou art a whole Spirit and not meerly in the will onely wherein the doore of the Deepe can be broken open but thou fliest out aloft over the kingdome of God and canst not enter in and the higher thou fliest the deeper thou art in the Abysse and thou seest not God yet who is so neere thee 47. Therefore it can onely be done here in this life while thy soule sticketh in the will of the minde so that thou breakest open the Gate of the Deepe and pressest in to God through a New Birth for here thou hast the highly worthy noble virgin of the Divine Love for thy assistance who leadeth thee in through the Gate of the Noble Bridegroom who standeth in the Centre in the parting mark between the kingdome of Heaven and the kingdome of Hell and generateth thee in the water and life of his bloud and Death and therein drowneth and washeth away thy false or evill works so that they follow thee not in such a source and property that thy soule be not infected therein but according to the first Image in Man before the Fall as a new chast and pure noble virgins Image without any knowledge of thy untowardnesse or vices which thou hadst here 48. Thou wilt aske What is the New Regeneration or how is that done in Man Heare and see stop not thy minde let not thy minde be filled by the Spirit of this world with its might and pompe Take thy minde and breake through the Spirit of this world quite incline thy minde into the kinde love of God make thy purpose earnest and strong to breake through the pleasure of this world with thy minde and not to regard it consider that thou art not at home in this world but that thou art a strange Guest captivated in a close Prison Cry and call to him who hath the key of the Prison yeeld thy selfe up to him in obedience righteousnesse modesty chastity and truth and seeke not so eagarly after the kingdome of this world it will stick close enough to thee without that and then the chast virgin will meet thee in thy minde highly and deeply and will leade thee to thy Bridegroom who hath the key to the Gate of the Deepe thou must stand before him who will give thee to eate of the heavenly Manna which will refresh thee and thou wilt be strong and struggle with the Gate of the Deepe and thou wilt break through as the Day-breake and though thou liest captive here in the night yet the rayes of the breake of Day will appeare to thee in the Paradise in which place thy chast virgin standeth waiting for thee with the joy of the Angels who will very kindly receive thee in thy new-borne minde and Spirit 49. And though indeed thou must walke here with thy Body in the dark night among thornes and thistles so that the Devill and also this world doth rend and teare thee and not onely busset despise deride and vilifie thee outwardly but also many times stop thy deare minde and leade it captive in the lust of this world into the Bath or Lake of swines yet then the Noble virgin will help thee still and will call upon thee to desist from thy ungodly wayes 50. Look well to it stop not thy minde and understanding when thy minde saith Turne doe it not then know that thou art so called by
created thee then in the breaking of thy body when thy minde in the Spirit of the soule shall stand naked without a body thou shalt be ashamed before all creatures this wee speake according to its high worth as it is highly knowne in the will of God 46. Thus it is highly necessary for us to know the miserable Fall of our first Parents wherefore it was so with God that his anger is in us and that wee must dye and if wee apprehend not the Treader upon the Serpent must also perish eternally But that wee may set downe a short Summary of the Fall because of our simple cold dull and dark minde for the Readers understanding who it may be doth not yet apprehend our sense and knowledge therefore wee will explaine it briefly and clearly and also readily impart our knowledge and minde to him as indeed according to the Divine Image wee ought to doe 47. Adam stood forty dayes in an Angelicall Image before his sleepe and there was neither day nor night in him also no time though indeed he was not as an Angel a meere Spirit for his body was out of the Element which is no understanding Spirit but is the attraction concretion or congelation in the will of God or the Limbus which standeth before God wherein the chast virgin the Divine Wisdome dwelleth which discovered and created the Image out of the Element by the Fiat 48. And out of this Limbus at the time when the Earth was corporised went forth the foure Elements as out of a fountaine and that which was discovered or manifested by the virgin the wisdome of God in the innumerablenesse were the Starres as a vertue power or procreation out of the Limbus and they are the Quintessence of the foure Elements not severed from the foure Elements but qualifying or mixing vertues one with another and yet extracted from the foure issues with their sharp Essences and they are the seeking longing or hunger of the foure Elements or as I may expresse it by a similitude they are the Man and the Elements are the Woman and the heart of these things is the Element in one onely substance and the Essences in that one Element are the vertues or powers of the Wonders of the Wisdome of God and are called Paradise an exulting Joy 49. And the Spirit of the Eternall Essences which hath understanding and knowledge and also the triall and proving of every thing in which the source or active property or quality which is in Man consisteth that was breathed into him by the wisdome of God through the driving will which goeth forward out of the Eternall Minde out of the opened Gates of the Deepe through the Word together with the moving Spirit of God and he had the Touch of the Centre of the Abysse viz. the Eternall source behinde him as a Band and before him the heart and light of God as a Glance of the joy and kindling of Paradise which springeth up in the Essences with the light of the joy and beneath him he had the foure Elements in the budding out of the Limbus which was in him 50. And as long as he set his Imagination in the Heart of God the Paradise was in him and he in the Paradise and the Band of the Abysse in him in the source was a Paradise of transcendent Joy and the Kingdome of this world held him from beneath also in the Band because it goeth forth from the Element but so long as he set his minde in the Heart of God it the kingdome of the foure Elements could not lay hold on him or master him and it was impotent as to him as this world is impotent as to God 51. And thus the Spirit and soule of Adam stood in the midst in the joyfull Paradise forty dayes as one onely day and all inclined to him one whereof was the kingdome of Hell of the Eternall Originality out of the dark Minde out of which his Worme of the soule in the opened Gate was gone forth and secondly there inclined to him the Deity of the Kingdome of Heaven in the opened Gate in the pleasant Lustre and thirdly the Spirit of the Starres and Elements inclined to him drawing him to their Bands and heartily desiring him 52. And thus Adam stood upright in the Temptation for his angry minde out of the Originality of the first Principle stood in Joy being enlightened from the light of God and the source of the fierce wrath made the rising joy for the light made all meeke and friendly that he might incline himselfe to love and thereby he stood on earth rightly in the Paradise 53. The foure Elements of this world together with the Sunne and Starres they could not qualifie or mix with him he drew no Aire into him but the Spirit of God in the virgin was his breathing and his kindling of the fire in the Spirit 54. But while he thus stood between the kingdome of Hell and the kingdome of this world in the Paradise bound with Bands and yet also wholly free in the might of God he reflected himselfe into or discovered himselfe in the great Deepe of the kingdome of this world in which the great wonders also stand hidden in the Centre as wee see that Man hath by his Eternall Minde discovered it and brought it to Light as is seene before our eyes and in his discovering or reflecting he imagined and fell into lust for the Spirit of the world took hold of him and as a Mother maketh a mark upon a childe in the Mothers womb and he became in the lust impregnated from the Spirit of this world and then was blinde as to God and saw neither God nor the virgin any more in his minde And thus the Kingdome of Heaven continued in the opened Gate of the Omnipotence or Almightinesse in the Paradise in its own Principle to it selfe and the virgin in it hidden in the Centre and was in Adam and yet Adam with his minde was not in God but in the Spirit of this world and he became seeble as to the kingdome of Gods and so fell downe and slept 55. And then God by the Spirit of this world through the Fiat built or formed out of him the Woman of this world by whom he increased his Kingdome The Woman was out of the Matrix which before the infection was a chast virgin which Adam should have brought forth out of himselfe but when the modesty of the wisdome and ability or potency departed from him when he passed into the Spirit of this world he could not then bring forth or generate for in his sleepe the Spirit of this world cloathed him with flesh and bloud and figured formed or shaped him into a Beast as wee now see by very wofull experience and know our selves to be blinde and naked as to the kingdome of God being without any vertue or strength
which had made them pittied them and it did look whether there were any remedy or counsell that might help poor Man and redeeme or deliver him from the Bands of the Eternall fiercenesse or wrath and from the mortall body of this world but there was nothing found neither in Heaven nor in this world that could make them free there was no Principality or Throne-Angel which had the ability to doe it all was lost they were in the Eternall Judgement of the Temporall and Eternall Death For the first Principle had captivated them in the Spirit of the soule and qualified or mingled with the soule the Kingdome of Heaven in the Light was shut up and there was a firme enclosure of a whole Principle between and it could not reach the kingdome of Heaven againe except that it were borne of God againe otherwise there was no counsell nor help nor refuge in any thing at all 96. Then the Devill mocked the Image and Hell opened its jawes wide and had the bridle in their Essences and continually drew them therewith towards the hellish fire of the fierce wrath and then there was trembling and horrour in the minde and they could not reach the love of God Heaven was their Enemy no Angel came neere them but the horrible Devills they shewed themselves and hooped crying Ho ho wee have gotten the Game wee are Princes over Men wee will torment them soundly because they would have possessed our Throne wee should have been their footstoole and now wee are their Judges what care wee for God he dwelleth not in our kingdome wherefore hath he thrust us out wee will be sure to wreake our spleene upon his Image The most pleasant and most lovely Gate or Exposition of the promise of the Treader upon the Serpent highly to be considered 97. Now when no counsell or remedy was found and that Man was sunk downe into Hell to the great Triumph of the Devills then said God to the Serpent the Devill Because thou hast done thus be thou cursed and the seede of the Woman shall tread upon or break thy Head and thou shalt bruise or wound his Heele at which the Abysse of Hell did quake and tremble but the Devill understood not wholly what that should be onely he saw that the word imagined or represented it selfe in Adam and in Eve in the Centre of Life and that it opposed the fiercenesse of the kingdome of Hell of which he stood in feare and his jollity was lessened for he did nor relish that 98. Moses writeth here as if the Serpent had beguiled Eve because God cursed it and said That it should eate Earth and creepe upon its belly but Moses here putteth the vayle before our eyes that he cannot be looked in the Face for all Prophecies stand in dark words that the Devill may not know nor apprehend them and learne the Times and that he may not strow his false seede before the wonders of God appeare as may be seene in all the Prophets who prophesied of the Treader upon the Serpent 99. Wee know that the Devill slipt into the Serpent and spake out of the Serpent for God did not meane by it that the Treader upon the Serpent should tread upon the head of the beastiall Serpent but that he should destroy the Devill and the Abysse of Hell But that was the Punishment of the Beastiall Serpent that it should remaine a poysonous Worme without feete and eate Earth and have communion with the Devill for so all Evill Spirits in Hell appeare in their own forme according to their source or quality as Serpents Dragons horrible Wormes and evill Beasts 100. This now the Devill did not understand because God spake of the Serpent and cursed it to be a horrible Worme and he supposed that it did not concerne him neither doth he yet know his own judgement he knoweth onely what he learneth from Men that doe declare things in the Spirit of God yet the Spirit of God doth not wholly intimate his Judgement to him but all in the Depth afarre off so that he cannot wholly understand it For to the enlightened Men all Prophesies even concerning the wickednesse of Men are thus given and they dare not set them downe clearer that the Devill may not wholly learne the Counsell of God and strow his Sugar upon it though in this place there are very excellent things that ought not to be revealed to the world for they remaine till the Judgement of God that the Devill may bring no new sects into it and lead men into doubt and therefore they shall be passed over till the time of the Lilly 101. So now when wee consider the great love and mercifulnesse in that he hath turned to Man wee finde cause enough to write and teach these things for it concerneth our eternall Salvation and Redemption out of the Jawes of Hell therefore I will set downe the ground of the promised Messiah that the following writings may be the better understood especially Moses in his Booke of the Law where there is need of it now he that will see nothing God help he must needs be blinde for the time of the visitation of the hardned Jewes Turks and Heathens cometh now Whosoever will see let them see the Lamps for the Bridegroome are shortly to be kindled he cometh whosoever desireth to be a Guest let him prepare him a Wedding-Garment 102. Now saith Reason how could Adam and Eve know what God meant by the Treader upon the Serpent Indeed they did not wholly altogether know onely they saw that the Devill must depart from them and not shew himselfe outwardly any more but the minde in the Centre of the breaking through of the life into the Element into the presence of the chast and modest virgin the wisdome of God that understood it well for he lodged a precious and worthy Guest for the Word which God the Father spake concerning the Treader upon the Serpent went out of the Heart and out of the Mouth of God and that was the sparke of Love proceeding out of the Heart of God which was from Eternity in the Heart of God wherein God the Father had knowne and elected Mankinde before the foundations of the World were laid that they should live therein and that the same spark or promise should stand in the rising up of the life and Adam also in his Creation stood therein 103. And this is it which Saint Paul said That Man is elected in Christ before the foundation of the world and not those dregges of despaire that are now taught about the Election of Grace they are not the right understanding I will shew thee Pauls meaning about his Election of Grace in its due place when I shall write of the beastiall wolvish and doggish mindes of Men that will not give way that the Treader upon the Serpent may enter into them so that the heavenly Father in his Sonne Jesus
in the Gate of the Heaven and their departure from the body is a very pleasant entring into the Element before God into a still Rest expecting their bodies without irksom longing where then the Paradise shall flourish againe which the soule tasteth very well but effecteth no source or worke till the first Adam as he was before the Fall be againe upon it 26. These holy soules works also follow them in their Tincture of the Spirit of the soule in the holy Element so that they see and know how much good they have wrought here and their highest delight and desire is still continually in their Love to doe more good although without the Paradisicall body which they shall then first attaine at the Restoration they worke nothing but their source qualitie or property is meere delight and soft welfare 27. Yet you are to know that the holy soules are not so voyde of ability or power for their Essences are out of the strong Might of God out of the first Principle although because of their great humility towards God they doe not use that might whereas they continually expect their bodies in that still rest with great humility and yet their love and delight is so very great that at severall times they have wrought great Wonders or Miracles among the faithfull upon Earth which faithfull People so vigorously set their love and desire in them that one holy Tincture took hold of the other and so through the Faith of the Living wonders are thus done for there is nothing impossible to Faith 28. And it is not hard for the holy soules which are departed from the body to appeare to a strong Faith of one that is Living for the firme faith of the living if it be borne of God reacheth also unto the kingdome of Heaven into the holy Element where the seperated soules have their Rest 29. And now if the deceased or seperated soule was here in this world a Candlestick and a declarer of the Name of God and that it hath turned many unto Righteousnesse then it appeareth also to the Living Saints which incline their Faith so strongly to them and it is not a jot harder now than in former times when in the times of the Saints great Wonders were done for the Faith of the Living and the Love of the seperated soules towards the Beleeving Saints hath wrought them in the strong Might of God and God hath permitted it for the conversion of People that they might see the great Might of those that were deceased in God and that they are and live in another kingdome that so they might be assured of the Resurrection of the Dead by the great Miracles of the deceased soules All which in generall were put to Death for the witnesse of Jesus that the Heathen and all People might thereby see what manner of Reward the holy People had when they laid downe their life for the Testimony of Christ by whose example many People also were converted 30. But now that a Babell of confusion is come out of this in that it is come so farre that the Saints departed are invocated or worshipped as Intercessours to God and that Divine honour is done them this the holy soules departed are not guilty of neither here they desired any such thing neither doe they present the miseries and necessities of Men before God But the fault lyeth in the forged Superstition of the wicked deceitfull Antichrist who hath founded his Stoole of Pride thereon not as a living Saint which with the holy inclineth himselfe to God but as an earthly God he thereby arrogateth Divine Omnipotence to himselfe and yet hath none but is the greedy covetous proud Anti-christ riding upon the strong Beast of this world 31. The soules departed doe not present our wants before God for God is neerer to us than the soules departed are and besides if they should doe so then they must have bodies as also Paradisicall sources or flowing properties springing up and working whereas they are in the still humility and meeke Rest and doe not suffer our soure miseries to enter into them but one holy Tincture taketh hold of another to increase the love and delight But they make not of Christ their Great Prince a Deafe Hearer as if he did neither heare feele nor see any thing himselfe who stretcheth out his armes and himselfe without ceasing calleth with his holy Spirit and inviteth all the children of Men to the wedding he will readily accept all if they would but come 32. How then should a soule come before Christ and pray for a Living Invocatour whereas Christ himselfe doth stand and invite Men and is himselfe the atonement of the anger in the Father For the Father hath given Men to the Sonne as himselfe witnesseth They were thine and thou hast given them to mee and I will that they be with mee and see my Glory which thou hast given mee 33. O thou confounded Babell goe out from Antichrist and come with a penitent heart and minde before thy mercifull Brother and Saviour of all Men he will more readily heare thee than thou come to him Step onely out of this wicked Babell into a new Birth and be not so much in love with the kingdome of this world thou art but a meere Guest and stranger in it what availeth thee thy transitory honour from men which scarce lasteth one moment Thou shalt indeed get much greater surpassing joy and honour in the new Regeneration where the holy soules in the Heaven and the Angels will rejoyce with thee Consider what joy and gladnesse thou wilt stirre up thereby in the Heart of Jesus Christ where then instantly the precious Talent the Holy Ghost will be given thee and thou wilt get the Keys of the Kingdome of Heaven that thou thy selfe mayst open it or dost thou think it is not true doe but seek and try with an earnest minde and thou wilt finde wonders indeed thou thy selfe shalt know understand and without any doubt at all assuredly see in thy minde out of what Schoole this is written 34. Now the minde thinketh that if all the workes of a soule which it wrought here shall follow it in the figure then how shall it be if a soule here hath for a long time committed great abominations then they will be great shame to it if they must stand in the figure before its eyes This is a great stumbling block of the Devills which plagueth the poore soule and usually forceth it thereby into despaire so that it selfe continually presenteth its sinnes before it and despaireth of the Grace of God 35. Now behold thou beloved soule who art dearly redeemed by thy Saviour Jesus Christ with his entrance into the humanity and with his entrance into the Abysse of Hell and plucked off from the Kingdome of the Devill in the Might of the Father and sealed with his bloud and Death and covered with his
Ensigne of Triumph all thy works both the evill and the good which thou hast done follow thee in the shadow but not in the substance nor in the source or in the working property Yet they will not be any prejudice in the Heaven to the holy soules which have turned into the Regeneration in Christ but they shall have their highest joy concerning them in that they have stuck in such hard misery and sinnes and have been plucked out of them by their Saviour Christ and from thence will arise meere joy and rejoycing that they are redeemed from the Driver of their sinnes and from great misery and that the Driver is captivated which tormented them day and night in such sinnes 36. And there all the holy soules and Angells in one Love will highly rejoyce that the poore soule is delivered from such great necessitie or misery and the great Joy then taketh its beginning from thence of which Christ said That there is more joy for one sinner that repenteth than for ninety and nine righteous that need no repentance And the soule will praise God that he hath redeemed it out of these great sinnes and herewith the praise of Christ in his merit passion and dying for the poore soule springeth up in Eternity and it is the right Song of the redeemed Bride which riseth up in the Father where the soules so highly rejoyce that the Driver is captivated and his confederates or followers 37. And here is fulfilled that which King David descanteth upon Thou shalt rejoyce to see how the wicked are recompenced how the wicked Driver Hunter or oppressour and Incendiary of malice and wickednesse is tormented in his Prison for the sinnes that are washed away shall not appeare in Heaven as in the Abysse of Hell in the forme of fire but as Isaias said Though thy sinnes were as red as bloud or scarlet if thou turne they shall be like wooll white as snow they shall stand in a heavenly figure for Men to sing of in a Hymne of Praise and a Psalme of Thankesgiving for their deliverance from the Driver 38. And now seeing the departure of soules is various so also their source quality or condition after their departure is various so that many of the soules departed are indeed for a long time in Purgatory if the soule had been defiled with grosse sinnes and have not rightly stepped into the true earnest Regeneration and yet doe hang a little to it as it useth to be with those that have been laden with temporall honour and might or authority and power where many times their own power and profit prevaileth over right where wickednesse or malice and not wisdome is the Judge and here a great burthen is laid upon the poore soule and that poore soule also would faine be saved 39. Here cometh Man and prayeth before God for forgivenesse of sinnes and the Fox hangeth behinde his cloake he would be justified and his unrighteousnesse sticketh in the Abysse and that will not suffer him to enter into the New Regeneration his covetousnesse hath taken too much hold of him his wicked Babell of Antichrists opinions will not let him come to the true earnest conversion they barre up the Gate of Love and the Spirit of this world in the lust of the flesh continueth alwayes predominant or chiefe 40. And yet how ever when the point or houre of Death cometh that the Conscience is rouzed and that the poore soule beginneth to tremble for great feare at the Torment or source of Hell then these also would faine be saved though there is very little saith in them onely meere unrighteousnesse falshood and pleasure of the Earthly life the groanings and teares of the poore stand hard before it and the Devill readeth the Book of Conscience to the minde and there standeth also before the minde the pleasure of the world and the party would faine live somewhat longer and promiseth to lead a life in forbearance of evill or abstinence and the minde inclineth a little towards God or Goodnesse but the sinnes beate that inclination downe againe and then there ariseth great doubt in unquietnesse yet neverthelesse many of them lay hold on the Saviour by a Threed 41. And now when Death cometh and severeth the body and soule asunder then the poore soule hangeth by a Threed or Faith and will not let goe and yet its Essences stick fast in the anger of God the source or paine of the grosse sinnes torment it the Threed of Faith in the New Regeneration is very weake and here therefore now they must presse through the Gate of the Deepe through the passion and through the Death of Christ through the kingdome of Hell to God and Hell hath yet a strong Band about the soule the falshood is not yet washed off 42. There then saith the Bridegroome Come on the other side saith the poore soule I cannot yet my Lamp is not yet trimmed neverthelesse it holdeth the Saviour fast by the Threed of Faith and setteth its Imagination or Desire through the Threed of Faith and confidence further into the Heart of God where then at last it is Ransomed out of the Putrefaction through the Passion of Christ 43. But what its Putrefaction is my soule doth not desire to try by participating with them for it is their abominable sinnes which are kindled in the anger of God there must the poore soule Bath till it come into the Rest through the small faith where its Clarification or Glorification shall not in Eternity be like the true-borne Saints Although indeed they are Redeemed out of Hell and have fruition of the heavenly Joy yet the greatest Joy standeth in the earnest Regeneration wherein there springeth up Paradisicall vertue or power and wonders 44. And thy worldly Bravery Glory Beauty and Riches will not exalt thee before God as thou supposest nor yet thy Office which thou didst beare here be it the Kingly or Priestly Office if thou desirest to be in Heaven then thou must through thy Saviour be new borne thou must endeavour to bring thy Subjects unto righteousnesse and then thou wilt shine with thy Office as bright as the lustre of Heaven and thy works will follow thee O Man consider thy selfe in this 45. But thou earthly Babell what shall I write much of thee for Indeed I must shew thee the ground that thy hypocrisie may be brought to light and that the Devill may not continue in such a manner to stand in an Angelicall forme and in the voluptuous kingdome of this world in Man be a God which is his highest endeavour 46. Behold thou callest thy selfe a Christian and thou boastest that thou art a childe of God this thou confessest with thy mouth but thy heart is a theefe and a murtherer thou endeavourest after nothing else but honour and riches and thy Conscience regardeth little by what meanes thou attainest them whether by hooke or
seeketh nothing but the Thornes and loveth to strike with them therefore wee will give the Driver no cause to doe so but rather let these Mysteries stand for the children of the Lilly Rose they are wise and have the Noble Tincture in the light the lustre of the Driver will be no more so esteemed for the Guests of this world have that Government in hand 15. Thy proud Horse or Beast thou shamefull Whore shall ride no longer alone over the bended knees in that time it will no more be said The power might or Authority sticketh in my Chist of money that Minerall or Metall becometh a blossome in the light and the Tincture standeth in the blossome of the Lilly stones are of as much worth as that mettall is the clothing of the virgin is brighter than thy pride how finely doth the ornament of this world stand on modesty and the feare of God if the heart be humble How doe thy silken and golden cloaths adorne thee Doest thou not appeare in Gods deeds of Wonder Who will call thee a false Woman if thou beest so very chast Doest thou not stand to the honour of the Great God Art thou not his work of Wonder Is there not a friendly laughter before thee Who can say that thou art a wrathfull Woman Thy modest countenance shineth over mountaines and valleys Art thou not at the end of the world and will not thy Glance or lustre be espied in Paradise Wherefore standeth thy Mother in Babell and is so very malicious O! thou shamefull Whore Get thee out for Babell is on fire or else thou wilt be burnt thy selfe 16. Or doest thou suppose that wee are mad If wee did not see thee wee would be silent thou boastest now by thy flatterers of a Golden Time but they are most of them Wolves of Babell when the Day breaketh then they will be knowne Or should I not tell thee this thou proud Whore Behold when thou with Adam and Eve wentest out of Paradise into the Spirit of this world then thou wert as a God in the Spirit of this world thou mightest seek all Mysteries and use them for thy Ornament If thou haddest alwayes gone cloathed in silk and purple or scarlet yet thou haddest not thereby offended God but thou haddest gone in them to the honour of the Great God in his Deeds of Wonder Wherefore hast thou forsaken the Love and art become a Murtherer Was not covetousnesse thy sinne in that thou affordest not thy Members so much as thy selfe thou desirest to be onely fine thy selfe alone thy way onely should be holy Wherfore was the fratricide between Abel and Cain The selfe-honouring pride brought it about so that Cain envied Abels uprightnesse for the sake of which he was so much beloved of God wherefore was not Cain also humble and pious 17. Wilt thou say the Devill beguiled him Yes indeed and he beguileth thee too so that thou enviest the comelinesse and beauty of others Hath God made thee a degree higher art thou not a childe of Eve Prethee tell mee the truth art thou not the Antichrist which under a cloake of being counted the Minister and servant of God ridest upon the Devils Horse Mee thinkes I see thee Hearken When thou wentest out of Paradise into this world wherefore didst thou not continue in one onely Love Wherefore didst thou not rejoyce in thy Neighbour Wherefore didst thou not love the members of thy body Why doest thou not adorne thy brother with thy ornament Didst thou not see him plainly Was not the Earth thy own thou mightest have made what thou wouldest of it who did hinder thee in it Why didst thou not eate with thy Brother thou mightest have had fully enough there would never have been any want if thy humility towards thy brother had continued then his also had continued towards thee and then what a fine habitation and dwelling had there been upon Earth what need had there been for thee to have coyned silver and gold if unity had continued thou mightest have made thy ornaments of it well enough if thou haddest adorned thy Brother and Sister then they would have adorned thee againe with their ready serviceable Love doest thou think it had been a sinne if thou hadst gone in pure silk and gold for the benefit of thy Brother and to the honour of the Great God 18. O thou blinde Babell I must tell thee how thou becamest thus mad thou hast suffered thy selfe to be possessed by the Region of the Starres and to be lead by the abominable Devill and art become a perjured or forsworne whore to God and neverthelesse thou hast built thy selfe a Kingdome upon Earth as they lead their Region thou leadest thine as they generate by the Elements and consume it againe so doest thou with thy children also thou generatest them and killest them againe thou makest warre and art a murtherer for thy pride and covetousnesse sake so that thou hast no roome at all upon the Earth 19. Doest thou suppose that God taketh pleasure in it Yes Sir the Spirit of the Great World is pleased with it and through that Spirit the fierce anger of God is also pleased because they qualifie or mingle one with another and out of one and the same roote 20. Doest thou suppose that all the Prophets have spoken from the pleasant kinde love of God from the Heart of God when they said to the Kings of Israel Enter into Battell thou shalt overcome God shall give you victory Indeed they spake from God but from his fierce wrath against sinnes through the Spirit of the Great World which would devoure againe what it hath made because the Love was extinguished 21. Or doest thou suppose that God sent Moses to slay the Kings of the Heathens in the Promised Land and that he is so well pleased with murtherings No friend look under the vayle of Moses and thou shalt finde it cleane otherwise 22. Why did God keep Israel forty yeares in the Wildernesse and fed them with Heavenly Bread that they should be a people full of love such as love one another and should depend on God in one Love and therefore he gave their Lawes brightnesse or clarity to see if they could live in the Love of the Father and then he would have sent them among the Heathens to turne them with their wonders as was done at the time of the Apostles and in that he fed them from the Heaven and that none of them which gathered much or little had any want thereby they ought to have knowne that the Kingdome the power and all is Gods and that they were in him they ought to have left their covetousnesse and to converse among one another with brotherly Love none ought to look after covetousnesse because he horribly punished it 23. Also when the Heathens should heare that God would send this People
which he had brought out of Egypt with great Wonders or Miracles among them to destroy them that they should turne to God and depart from covetousnesse and enter into brotherly love therefore he gave them a long time of respite as also to Israel whom he fed from Heaven for an Example that one people should be an Example to the other that there is a God that is Allmightie But they being earthly both of them and onely evill and being they did live in the Fathers fierce anger therefore the anger and severity of God lusted also to devoure them because they continually kindled it 24. Therefore he said to Joshua Passe over Jordan and destroy that people and leave none of them among you that you be not polluted This saying of his proceeded not out of his Love when he did bid him to kill the Heathens as also the Prophets did not all speak from his Love but from his Anger which was awakened by the wickednesse of Man so also he speaketh many times through the Spirit of the Prophets in the Great World in the Prophets and in Moses in the fire or in other terrors in an angry Zeale 25. And should wee therefore say that God is well pleased with anger and strife No the Prophets complained often in the Holy Ghost or Spirit of God that this evill people offended their God when they moved him to anger so that accordingly his severe wrath went forth and devoured them David saith in the fift Psalme Thou art not a God that are pleased with wicked wayes 26. Now if Man awaken sinne then the fierce anger or severity of God is stirred in himselfe viz. in Man which otherwise if Man did stand in humility would rest and be turned into great Joy as was often mentioned before But now when he burneth in wrath then one people devoureth the other and one sinne destroyeth another if Israel had been upright they had not been put to make warre but they should have entred in with Wonders and have converted the People Moses should have lead them into the promised Land with his Miracles or Deeds of Wonder but because they were wicked they could not enter in with the brightnesse of Moses with deeds of wonder in the lustre or glance of the Father to convert the Heathens but Moses with his deeds of wonder must stay in the Wildernesse and the whole People was consumed and devoured in the wrath and Joshua must warre with the Heathens and destroy them for one wrath devoured the other 27. Whereas Joshua was an Image and similitude that Israel because they could not subsist in the Fathers clarity and love should be led by the second Joshua or Jesus out of the wrath into the Love through the breaking of his body and entring into Death Moses must enter through Death into life and bring his clarity through Death into life even as he appeared with Elias on mount Thabor to the second Joshua or Jesus in the claritie of the Father and shewed him the pleasure of the Father viz. that he the second Joshua should bring Israel through his Death and clarity into the Promised Land of Paradise 28. Yet it could not be how vigorously soever it was sought after that Man in his own power could enter into Paradise and therefore poore captive Man must sit in this world in the Devils murthering Denne where now the Devill hath built his Chappell close by the Christian Church and hath quite destroyed the love of Paradise and hath in the stead thereof set up meere covetous proud selfe-willed or selfe-conceited faithlesse sturdy malicious Blasphemers Theeves and Murtherers which lift themselves up against Heaven and Paradise and have built themselves a Kingdome according to the Dominion of the fierce soure Starres or Constellations wherein they domineere with silver and gold and consume the sweat one of another whosoever is but able oppresseth the other to the ground And though he flie before him yet then he onely putteth forth his Dragons tongue and spitteth fire upon him he terrifieth him with his harsh voyce and plagueth him day and night 29. What can he said of thee O Cain doest thou suppose that God doth not see thee Thou Monstrous Beast thou shalt stand naked as the Spirit in the Wonders doth signifie that thy Ornament may be made knowne How art thou become thus O Eve are not all thy children which thou hast brought forth all come out of thy loynes Was it then the purpose of God that the evill should domineere among the Good and one plague another 30. O no But the Devill who is a cause of the wrathfulnesse Adam was made good out of the pure Element but the longing desire or lust of the Devill deceived him so that he went into the Spirit of this world 31. And now it cannot be otherwise the two Kingdomes wrestle one with another in the children of Men the one is the Kingdome of Christ Generated through the New Birth into Paradise that in this world is miserable and contemned there are not many that desire it for it hath meere scorne and contempt from the Devill and his followers it consisteth in righteousnesse and truth and that is not valued in this world and therefore it must lie at the Rich Mans doore with poore Lazarus and at his feete if any doe but let it appeare that they are the childe of God then the Devill will away with them presently or else will put them to such scorne and disgrace that they cannot be knowne that so the Devill may continue to be the Great Prince upon Earth and that the world may not learne to know him 32. The other Kingdome is that of Antichrist with a Golden Splendour or Glance Prancing in state Glistering on every side every one saith it is a happy thing for it adorneth it selfe most sumptuously and setteth its seate over the Hills and Mountaines every one saluteth it or doth it reverence it draweth the Tincture of the Earth to it selfe that it may glister alone it bereaveth the Kingdome of Christ of its temporall food livelihood or bread it devoureth the sweat of the needy and saith to him You are mine I am your God I will set you where I please you are the dogge that lieth at my feete If I had a minde to it I could hunt you out of my house you must doe what I will and the needy Worme must say I am your poore servant doe but spare my life and if he squeeze out the sweat of his browes so that it smarteth which his Master consumeth or spendeth then he groweth impatient with his Master and curseth him and seeketh out wayes of lying and deceit and by what way he might make his heavy burthen lighter 33. And then if he finde his Master so unjust he riseth up against him and taketh away his unrighteous Bread which he thinketh to eate under a soft yoake and worrieth him to
or boyling of the Father and the Father is God indeed and generateth his deare Heart and Love in the breaking of the Gate in the Habitation out of himselfe should he then be at oddes with himselfe because his anger is under the roote of his Love Should he be at Enmity against himselfe his Anger is his Strength and Omnipotence or Allmightinesse and Consuming fire and his heart in the Love is his meeknesse and so now that which approacheth and entereth into his Anger is captivated in the Anger 61. But it is possible to goe out from the Anger as his deare heart is generated out of the Anger which cooleth pacifieth or stilleth the Anger and is rightly called the Paradise or the Kingdome of Heaven And his Anger is not knowne in the Heaven and so there also his Election goeth alwayes over the children of Love which belong to the Kingdome of Heaven and S t Paul speaketh no otherwise of his Election but meaneth it of them that draw neere to him and enter into his Covenant and give up themselves to him and these the Father draweth with the Holy Ghost through the Death of Christ into the pure Element that is before the Father Isa 44. 2. Feare not thou O my servant Jacob and thou upright one whom I have chosen 62. But that God out of his purpose should harden the will of any and make it darke that is not true the Spirit of God is withdrawen from the wicked who onely wrestle for the might or power of the fire for he himselfe goeth out from God and desireth not to enjoy God God withdraweth himselfe from none Man hath a free will he may lay hold on what he will but he is held by two by Heaven and by Hell to which he yeeldeth he is in that 63. Cain was not rejected in the Mothers womb or body though it be plaine that God doth not love such a false or evill seede yet it standeth free it may presse into the Love or into the Anger and the one as well as the other will receive it as Paul also saith To whom you yeeld your selves servants in obedience his servants you are whom you obey whether it be in the obedience of God to righteousnesse or of sinne unto Death 64. Now God have no malicious soule to be in the Love but in the Anger and he is the Searcher of the Hearts and knoweth well what is in Man and what he will doe even while Man is in the seede and will not cast the Pearle before swine and yet the false or evill seede is not come out of his will and purpose else he must also have willed the Devill to be a Devill 65. And know you not that the band of the Eternity standeth free and maketh it selfe but that which inclineth to him is also generated in God And yet the Love presseth not into the Anger but the Love is generated out of the Anger and is wholly free and therefore the Heart of God in the Love is another Person than the Father and the issue or going forth from them is the Holy Ghost who goeth not back againe into the Anger 66. Then wherefore doth not the soule of Man goe also therewith out of the Anger into the Love and so it should be generated to be another creature in the Love Saint Paul saith Whom he hath foreseene those he hath sanctified that they may be like his Image the foreseeing is in his Election he alwayes electeth or chooseth his Sheepe Those who come to him he assureth them the Eternall Life But that he hardeneth those that desire earnestly to come to him and will not foresee Predestinate or elect them that is not so His will is to helpe all Men and Christ himselfe saith Come yee all to mee that are weary and heavy laden here it is those that are laden with sinnes I will refresh you that is certainly foresee or Elect and draw them to mee and there wanteth but to Come 67. What is it now that lyeth in the way of the wicked that he cannot come It is the Angry-Sword of the Angel or Cherubine which he will not breake the faire glistering hypocriticall dainty world in his bosom malice or wickednesse in flesh and bloud pleaseth him too well he will not breake his minde which yet he is able to doe and if he doe breake it then he is drawne of God by Christ to the Father and instantly is chosen to be a childe of God and out of the Image of the Serpent there cometh to be the Image of an Angel 68. For so long as the Image standeth in the Anger it is the Image of the Serpent but if it goe forth from the lust of sinne or desire of evill into the breaking or destroying thereof then a Heavenly Image is figured by the Treader upon the Serpent and the Serpents Head is broken the two Kingdomes fight or wrestle one with another and that which overcometh figureth the Image 69. Whereby it is seene how great the Anger was in Adam and Eve in that the wrathfull Kingdome sooner overcame than the Kingdome of Heaven and the scorner is sooner generated than the upright But yet the fault of this was in the Parents had they not sinned and let the Anger into them then it had not been so as at this Day 70. Although indeed Nature taketh hold of the childe in the Mothers body or womb and shapeth figureth or Imageth it yet the Region of the Starres hath no other than the Image in the foure Elements and not that in the Holy Element And although indeed it Image or frame a Man in the outward Beastiall Minde with a little understanding many times yet that is no matter the outward Man is the Beast of the Starres but the inward in the one Element is the Image of God and the divine framing figuring or Imaging is not performed in the outward but in the inward Element 71. For a Man is many times in the outward so very evill natured or malicious froward conditioned from the Starres that he becometh loathsome to himselfe but when he considereth himselfe then he entereth into himselfe into the inward Man and reacheth after Abstinence or for bearance of evill and yet cannot be quite loosed from or rid off the outward wicked malicious Man but must continually with the inward breake the head of the outward the Serpent 72. For the Serpent stingeth many in the outward but if it get the Inward Man then the Image of God is gone The evillnesse or malice of the Starres driveth many strongly to murther steale lye and deceive till they come to the Gallowes and sword or block and yet have not wholly captivated the inward he is yet in the Gate and is able through Repentance to goe into another Image which is not like the outward Man cannot judge the inward Man so
onely in Agriculture but also in Mettalls and further all Arts according to the seven Spirits of Nature which in the Letter is well to be seene wherein our Schooles or Universities will now be Masters but they are not yet Schollars in the Ground 8. And it is excellently shewen that they had the light of the Tincture in their hands wherein they found their Inventions though it was not wholly knowne for sinnes were not then in such multiplicity upon the Earth and therefore the Mysteries were not so very hard and close hidden to them but all was found out very easily especially by Adam who had the Mysteries in his hands and was but entered out of the Wonders of Paradise into the Wonders of this world who knew not onely the Essences Natures and properties of all the Beasts but also of all Plants and Mettalls he knew also the ground of the seven liberall Arts arising out of the seven formes of Nature yet not so altogether out of the Ground or fundamentally But he was the Tree out of which afterwards all the rootes and branches grew 9. But the Depth in the Centre of the Birth he knew much better than wee in our Schooles or Universities which is shewed by that saying That he gave names to all things to every thing according to its Essence Nature and property as if he had stuck or dwelt in every thing and tryed all Essences whereas he had the knowledge of them only from their sound also from their forme and aspect smell and tast the Metalls he knew in the Glance of the Tincture and in the fire as it may yet well be knowne 10. For Adam was the Heart of every thing in this world created out of the Originality of all things his soule was out of the first Principle throughly illustrated with the second Principle and his body was out of the one Element out of the Barm or Birth out of the Divine vertue which is before God which body was entered into the out-Birth of the one Element viz. into the foure Elements and wholly gone into the Spirit of this world viz. into the third Principle And therefore he had the Tincture of every thing in him by which he reached into all Essences and proved or searched all things in the Heaven Earth fire aire and water and all whatsoever is generated from thence 11. And so one Tincture took hold of the other and the stronger hath proved or tried the weaker and given names to all things according to their Essences and that is the true ground of Adams fall that he went out of the Eternall being into the Out-birth of the corruptible being and hath put on the corruptible Image which God forbad him 12. And here the two strong Kingdomes of the Eternity are to be seene which have been in strife with one another and are alwaies so and the strife continueth to Eternity for it is also from Eternity viz. between the fiercenesse and the meeknesse If the fiercenesse were not there would be no mobility but it overcometh in this world onely according to the Kingdome of Hell and in the Heaven it maketh the ascending Joy and the Meeknesse 13. And it is highly to be found and considered by us in the light of Nature how the fiercenesse or wrath is the Roote of all things and moreover the Originality of the Life therein onely consisteth the Might and the Power and from thence onely proceed the Wonders and without the fiercenesse or wrath there would be no enmity but all would be as it were a nothing as is formerly mentioned 14. And then wee finde also how the Meeknesse is the vertue and the Spirit so that where the meeknesse is not there the fiercenesse in it selfe is nothing but a Darknesse and a Death where no growing can spring up and it cannot generate nor discover its wonders and thus wee finde that the fiercenesse wrath or sourenesse is a cause of the Essences and that the Meeknesse is a cause of the joy and a cause of the rising and budding oâ— growing forth of the Essences and then that the Spirit is generated by the flowing working springing and rising up out of the Essences and that the fiercenesse so becometh the Roote of the Spirit and the Meeknesse is its Life 15. Now there can be no meeknesse without Light for the Light maketh the Meeknesse and there can be no fiercenesse without the light for the light maketh a Longing in the darknesse and yet there is no darknesse there but the longing maketh the darknesse in the will so that the will attracteth to it selfe and impregnateth the longing so that it becometh thick and dark for it is thicker than the will and therefore it shadoweth the will and is the darknesse of the will 16. And if the will be thus in darknesse then it is in anguish for it desireth to be out of the darknesse and that desiring is the flowing or working and the attracting in it selfe where yet nothing is attained but a fierce source in it selfe which by its attraction maketh hardnesse and roughnesse which the will cannot endure and thus it stirreth up the Roote of the fire in the flash as is afore-mentioned whereupon the re-comprehended will goeth forth from the flash into its selfe and breaketh the darknesse and dwelleth in the broken darknesse in the light in a pleasant joy or habitation in it selfe after which joy or habitation the will in the darknesse continually lusteth from whence longing ariseth and thus it is an Eternall Band which can never be loosed and thus the will now laboureth in the broken Gate that it may manifest or discover his wonders out of himselfe as may be seene well enough in the Creation of the world and all Creatures 17. But wee should not here againe wholly set downe the Ground of the Deity so farre as it is meete and knowne by us wee account that needlesse here for you may finde it before the incarnation of a Childe in the Mothers womb or body Wee set downe thus much here to the end that the Region of this world may be understood and thus wee give the Reader exactly to understand and know how the Region of Good and Evill are in one another and how it is an unfadable thing or substance so that one is generated out of the other and that also the one goeth forth out of the other into another substance or being which it was not in the beginning as you may learne to understand this in Man who in his beginning in the will of Man and Woman viz. in the Limbus and in the Matrix is conceived in the Tincture and sowen in an Earthly soyle where then the first Tincture in the will breaketh and his own Tincture springeth forth out of the anxious or aking chamber of Darknesse and of Death out of the anxious source
of Ruling was most profitable that the wicked Driver might be stopped by power and authority 40. And so it is seene how the Providence of God is come to the help of the Kingdome of this world and hath by the Spirit of this world stirred up Rulers who have inflicted punishment yet the Spirit of God complaineth of them that they are turned Tyrants who suppresse all with their power and the Abellish Church in love consist not therein but the strong might of God for the suppressing of evill Doers 41. It is true indeed the Judges and Kings as also Princes and Rulers or Magistrates are the Officers of God in the house of this foure Elementary world whom God because of sinne hath set to punish secretly that thereby the wicked drivers and oppressours might be stopped 42. And their state condition Jurisdiction or authoritie is founded in the Originality of the Essence of all Essences where God in the beginning created the Thrones according to his Eternall Wisdome where then both in Heaven and also in Hell there are Thrones and Principalities and also a Region or Dominion according to the seven Spirits of the Eternall Nature of which here much ought not to be said for the World holdeth it impossible to know such things whereas yet a Spirit borne in God searcheth into the Kingdome of Heaven 43. But a true Judge who judgeth according to righteousnesse he is Gods Steward viceroy or vicegerent in the Kingdome of this world and that it might not be needfull that God should alwayes powre forth his wrath upon the people and Nations therefore he hath put the sword into their hands to protect and defend the righteous and to punish the Evill and if any doe so in earnest uprightnesse in the feare of God and nothing partially for favour then he is Great in the Kingdome of Heaven for he beareth the sword for righteousnesse and he shineth as the Sunne and Moone exceeding the Starres 44. But if he turne tyrant and doth nothing but devour the bread of his subjects and onely adometh his state and dignity in pride to the oppression of the needy and hunteth after nothing but covetousnesse accounting the needy to be but his dogges and placeth his Office onely in voluptuousnesse and will not heare the oppressed then he is an insulting tormenting Prince and Ruler in the Kingdome of Antichrist and is of the number of the Tyrants and he rideth upon Antichrists Horse 45. And wee are to consider how the true Christian Church is environed with the Cainish Antichristian Church and how they live in one onely Kingdome in this world As the first Principle incloseth all and yet can comprehend or hold nothing but the Kingdome of Heaven is from Eternity brought forth out of the Anger as a faire sweet smelling flower out of the Earth so also the holy Church standeth in the Antichristian where they both together goe to pray before God and one is accepted by God and the other is accepted by the Spirit of this world each Image goeth into its own Region or Kingdome 46. There is nothing more secret in this world than the Kingdome of Christ and also nothing more manifest than the kingdome of Christ And it is often so that he who supposeth he hath it and liveth therein hath it not but hath the Kingdome of Antichrist and he is an hypocrite and scorner and hath the Serpents figure and his heart also is but the heart of a greedy Wolfe and he standeth not in the Angelicall Figure 47. On the contrary many a one is in great anguish and longeth after it and generateth very painfully he would faine have it but then the Devill rusheth upon him and after stirreth up irksomnesse vexation and discontent and also overwhelmeth him with great sinnes so that he knoweth not himselfe and then dejecteth him with impatience and doubting and his heart standeth continually in anguish it would faine get out of Evill and endeavoureth continually for abstinence or for bearance many times with groanes sighing and longing But then the Devill holdeth his sinnes before him and barreth up the doore of the Grace of God that he might despaire 48. Yet he soweth the Pearle in his afflicting anguish and the Devill covereth it in him that he may not know it neither doth he know himselfe he soweth into the Kingdome of God and knoweth not his own seede but the seede of Sinne and of the Hunter And so he consenteth not to the sins which he committeth but the Devill with his followers or associates over powre him so that the Adamicall Man in the Anger doth that which the new borne Man in the holy Element willeth not now though he doth it yet the new Man in the Image doth it not but the old Man in the Anger And therefore there is in him a continuall strife and he runneth continually to repentance where yet the hidden Man in the Anger cannot reach the Lilly but the hidden Man doth it 49. Therefore he standeth often in doubt and impatience and in such a Man there is great strife he knoweth not himselfe he seeth and knoweth nothing else but his wickednesse and yet is borne in God for his Spirit continually breaketh the gate of the Darknesse but then the Anger in him doth hold him back that he cannot enter in but yet sometimes he reacheth a Glimpse from whence the soule is cheared and the Pearle is sowen in a very dark valley 50. And then when he considereth the sweet fore tast of the Pearle which he had then the soule would faine goe through and it seeketh the Pearle but then cometh the Black Spirit and covereth it from him and then the storme and strife about the Pearle beginneth each would have its right the soule would have it and then the Devill covereth it and casteth the wrath and sinne before it that the soule should behold it selfe therein then there falleth to be weaknesse and neglect so that the poore soule becometh weary faint and timorous and so sitteth still and thinketh continually of some other way to Abstinence or Amendment how it might best get the Pearle 51. But the Hunter is a cunning Artist which cometh then with the Region of this world with worldly lusts of the flesh with temporall honour and riches and holdeth them before the poore soule that it might bite at his Swines-Apples thus he leadeth many a one for a long while with his Chaines captive in the Anger of God 52. But if the Noble Graine of Mustard-seede be sowen then the Noble virgin of God preserveth it and maketh the poore soule continually carefull to endeavour for Abstinence and to enter into fight with the Devill O what a wonderfull way is it the Children of God goe in this miserable house of flesh which the Reason of the Hypocrites neither comprehendeth nor can beleeve onely they that have tryed it
know it 53. Though indeed the high precious knowledge is not attained except one hath overcome in the storme and hath vanquished the Devill so that the soule hath once attained the heavenly Gate and gotten the Garland of Victory which the lovely virgin of chastity setteth up as a triumphant Ensigne of its conquest in its deare Champion Christ and there riseth up the wonderfull knowledge yet not in perfection 54. For the old Enemy is subtile and strong who still assaulteth the soule againe to trie how he may afflict and deceive it if he cannot over whelme it with sinnes then he beginneth an outward warre with it and stirreth up the children of malice against it so that they contemne mock deride and vilifie it and doe all manner of evill to it and so they lay waite for its body and goods they jeere reproach and scorne it and account it as the of-scouring of the world they upbraid it for its infirmities if it doe but reprove their faults and unrighteousnesse then it must be an hypocrite with them 55. Not onely the Children of malice doe thus but the Devill many times bringeth the Children of God by his snares to be against it so that in their blindnesse they grow furious and raging as Saul at Jerusalem did against Stephen Thus the poore soule must be afflicted among Thornes and Thistles and continually expect when the evill world shall teare away the body The victorious Gate of the poore soule 56. Now saith Reason What is the best Counsell and Remedy for the poore soule What shall it doe in this Bath of Thornes and Thistles Behold wee will shew thee the counsell of the virgin as it is given us for a victorious comfort and wee will write it for a firme Memoriall to our selves for it may come that wee our selves may stand in need of it as wee have already for a tedious while sweltered in this Bath of Thornes and Thistles wherein wee also attained this Garland and therefore wee must not be silent but set forth the gift of the virgin which helpeth against all the Gates of the Devill 57. Behold thou poore soule in thy Bath of Thornes where is thy home Art thou at home in this world Wherefore then doest thou not seek the favour and friendship of the world Wherefore doest thou not hunt after temporall honour after pleasure and riches that it may goe well with thee in this world Why doest thou make thy selfe a foole to the world and art every ones Owle and footstoole Wherefore doest thou suffer thy selfe to be despised and abused by those that are inferiour to thee and know lesse than thou Why shouldest thou not be stately and brave with those appearing holy hypocrites and then thou wouldst be beloved and no body would abuse thee and thou wouldst be more safe and secure in thy body and goods than in this way wherein thou art but the worlds Owle and foole 58. But my loving virgin saith O thou my beloved Companion whom I have chosen goe with mee I am not of this world I will bring thee out of this world into my Kingdome there is meere pleasant rest and wellfare in my Kingdome is meere joy honour and glory there is no Driver in it I will adorne thee with the glory of God and put thee on my bright Ornament I will make thee a Lord in Heaven and a Judge over this world thou shalt help to judge the Driver in his wickednesse he shall be laid at thy feete for a footstoole and he shall not open his iawes against thee but he shall be barred up for ever in his fierce Gate thou shalt eate at my Table there shall be no grudging nor want my fruit is sweeter pleasanter than the fruit of this world thou shalt never have any woe arise from it all thy doings shall be pleasant cheerfulnesse and amiable discourse meere humility in great love shall shine before thee All thy Companions are so very beautifull thou shalt have joy in them all wherefore doest thou esteeme thy corruptible life thou shalt enter into an Incorruptible Life that shall endure Eternally 59. But I have a little against thee I have drawen thee out of the thorny Bath wherein thou wert a wilde Beast and have figured thee for my Image and yet thy wilde Beast standeth in the Thorny Bath which I will not take into my bosom thou standest yet in thy wilde Beast now when the world taketh its wilde Beast which belongeth thereto then I will take thee and so every one shall have its own 60. Wherefore doest thou love that wilde Beast so much which doth but afflict thee And besides thou canst not take it with thee neither doth it belong to thee but to the world let the world doe what it will with it stay thou with mee it is but a little while before thy Beast breaketh and then thou art unbound and abidest with mee 61. But I also have a Law in my Love viz. I not onely desire to have thee but also thy brothers and sisters which are in the world who are yet in part unregenerated whom the Driver holdeth captive thou must not hide nor bury thy Pearle but shew the same to them that they also may come into my Armes thy mouth must not be shut thou shalt walke in my Law and declare the Truth 62. And although the Driver compasseth thee about and will fetch thee away yet there is a limit set for thy Beast how farre it shall goe the Hunter cannot breake or destroy it sooner than the limited time and then if he doe breake it it is done onely for the manifesting of Gods deeds of wonder and for thy best good all thy stripes in the Thorny Bath shall stand in my Kingdome for a faire ensigne of thy victory and moreover thou shalt have great joy in it before the Angels of God in that thou hast despised the Hunter and art gone out of a wilde Birth into an Angelicall one O how thou wilt rejoyce when thou shalt think upon thy wilde Beast which plagued thee day and night in that thou art loosed from it 63. Then thou hast great honour for thy great shame and therefore why art thou so sad lift up thy selfe out of thy wilde Beast as a faire flower springeth out of the Earth or doest thou suppose thou wilde Beast that my Spirit is mad that it so little esteemeth thee Thou sayest I am indeed thy Beast yet thou art borne out of mee if I had not growen forth thou hadst not been neither Hearken thou my Beast I am greater than thou when thou wert to be there I was thy Master-framer my Essences are out of the Roote of the Eternity but thou art from this world and thou breakest or corruptest but I live in my source or quality Eternally therefore am I much nobler than thou thou livest in the fierce wrathfull source but I will
fiercenesse is changed into joy so also if it trade in the Kingdome of Wrath then that is predominant and the Kingdome of Heaven is as it were dead although indeed in it selfe it doth not vanish yet the soule is not in it 91. Thus also the Temptation was to try which Kingdome in the soule might overcome and therefore the food and drinke was withdrawne from the earthly Body and the Kingdome of Heaven was predominant in him in the holy Ternary and in his Deity and the Kingdome of Wrath and the Kingdome of the Devill was against him And there the new-washed and halfe regenerated soule stood in the midst and was pulled at by both Kingdomes as Adam in Paradise 92. The Deity in Christ in the holy Ternary said Eate of the Word of the Lord and goe forth from the outward Man rest in the Kingdome of Heaven and live in the new Man and then the old Man is dead for the new Mans sake on the contrary the Devill said to the soule Thy earthly Body doth hunger because there is no Bread for it therefore make Bread of stones that thou mayest live and the strong soule in Christ as a Champion stood and said Man liveth not by Bread alone but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God And he rejected the earthly Bread and life and put his Imagination into the Word of God and did eate of the Word of the Lord and then the soule in the Kingdome of Heaven was predominant and the earthly Body was as it were dead for the Kingdome of Heavens sake whereas yet it was not dead but it became the servant of the heavenly Body and lost its potent Dominion 93. And now when the Kingdome of Hell had this mighty blow and was thus overcome then the Devill lost his right in the soule yet he said in himselfe thou hast a right in the earthly Body and somewhat was permitted to him and then he took the body with the soule and set them upon the Pinnacle of the Temple and said Cast thy selfe downe for thou art powerfull and canst doe all things and then the People shall see that thou art God and hast overcome this is the right fluttering Spirit wherewith the Devill would faine alwayes flie above the Thrones over the Deity and yet goeth but in himselfe into the Hellish fire and apprehendeth not the Deity 94. And here also was Adam tempted to try whether he would stedfastly put his Imagination into the Heart of God and then he should have continued in Paradise but when he turned away his Minde from the Heart of God into the Spirit of this world and would flie out beyond the humility and would be like God then he went forth beyond the Throne of God in the Spirit of the fiercenesse of the Anger Therefore here the soule of Christ must be accuratly tempted to try whether it would seeing it had retained the heavenly Bread flie out also in Pride in the might of the fire or whether it would in humility look onely upon the Heart of God and give it selfe up to that that it might be carried onely in the will of God and become an Angel in humility and not relie onely upon it selfe to flie in its own might or power 95. And here the Devils Master piece is seene in that he useth the Scripture and saith The Angels will beare thee up whereas here the matter was not about the body but about the soule which he would bring into Pride that it might teare it selfe off from the love of God and relie upon the Angels bearing it up and that it should break it selfe off againe from the new body which can flie well enough with that and leap down in the old Body and relie upon the Angels and so should flie out from God into the Spirit of this world againe 96. But here his valour is seene though he stood with his earthly Body upon the pinnacle of the Temple yet he committed his Earthly Body to God and trusted in him and that he was every where in God and said to the Devill It is written thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God Here the Devils Pride in the Kingdome of wrath was rightly overcome and the humility the strength and the might remained to be our Christs and the soule of Christ is entered into the holy Ternary as into the humble Love and espoused it selfe with the humble chast virgin of the Divine Wisdome 97. Now when the Devill had lost twice then he came at last with his last powerfull Temptation as he did also to Adam he would give him the whole world if he would fall downe and worship him The businesse with Adam also was about this world he would draw this world to him and so be like God with it that as God had drawne this world to him to manifest his great Wonders therewith so the soule in Adam thought with it selfe thou art the similitude of God thou wilt doe so too and so thou shalt be like God but thereby he went forth from God into the Spirit of this world Now therefore the second Adam must hold out the standing of the first Adam whereby it was tempted or tried whether the soule would continue in the new holy heavenly Man and live in the Barmhertzigkeit the Mercifulnesse of God or in the Spirit of this world 98. And thus stood the soule as a valiant Champion and said to Satan Get thee hence Satan thou shouldst worship the Lord thy God and serve him onely I have no more to doe with thee there the Devill Hell and the Kingdome of this world was commanded to be gone and the valiant Champion hath gotten the victory and the Devill faine to get him gone and the earthly part was overcome And here now the Noble Champion standeth upon the Moon and receiveth all might in Heaven Hell on Earth into his power and ruleth with his soule in the holy Ternary in this outward body over Death and life and here this world is become Christs owne for he had overcome it he could live in God and needed not the earthly food nor drink 99. And the Reader must know that the Combat with the Temptation was held in body and soule and that this Temptation concerneth us also he hath overcome for us if wee put our whole trust in him then wee have victory in him over sinnes Death Hell and the Devill and also over this world for he held the last victory in his Death when he brake the sword of the Cherubine and destroyed the Hell of the Devill and hath led captivity captive that thereby thou mightst live by the Death of Christ 100. And wee see that all is true as is above-mentioned for when he had overcome in the Temptation and had stood forty dayes then he had wholly overcome till the last victory in Death for so long Adam was in the Temptation in the
Garden of Eden and there he began his Priestly Kingdome as a King over Heaven and this world with signes and wonders and in his first Miracle turned water into good wine he also healed the sick made the blinde to see the lame to goe and cleansed the Lepers also he raised the dead and shewed himselfe to be the true King over the quick and dead and sate upon Davids Throne of Promise and was the true Priest in the Order of Melchisedech All whatsoever Aaron was in the Fathers might in a Type that this high Priest was in vertue and power with deeds and wonders which wee will cleerly describe in the other Book following this if wee live and God shall give us leave to doe it CHAP. XXIII Of the highly precious Testaments of Christ viz. Baptisme and his last Supper which he held in the Evening of Mandy Thursday with his Disciples which he left us for his Last Will as a Farewell for a Remembrance The most Noble Gate of Christianitie 1. IT is apparent how they have hitherto in Babell danced or contended about the Cup of Jesus Christ and about his holy Testaments for which they have caused many warres and bloud-sheddings but what kinde of knowledge concerning those Testaments they in Babell have appeareth by their works of Love among one another which their Councels have brought to passe where Men have stopt the mouth of the Holy Ghost and have made a worldly Dominion out of the Priesthood of Christ 2. O you high Priests and Scribes what answer will you make to Christ when you shall be found thus at his comming Or doe you suppose you stand in the dark No you stand in the presence of the cleere countenance of Jesus Christ who is Judge of the quick and dead doe but open your eyes and rightly feed the flock of Jesus Christ he cometh and demandeth them of you You are not all Shepheards or Pastours but intruded covetous Wolves you relie on your Schoole-Art or University Learning and Schollership O that avayleth nothing in the presence of God the Holy Ghost speaketh not from that he will not be bound up if you will be Pastours then you must hold out in the Temptation and put on the Garment of the Lamb in your heart you must not take the wooll of the sheepe onely from them but you must give them the food of the Holy Ghost in true Love and be practisers of it your selves But how will you give it if you be in the Wildernesse still and have chosen the Kingdome of this world to your selves in the Last Temptation What shall be said of you Is not the Anger broke out and burning carry fuell to it for Babell is on fire the water is dried up or what have I to doe with thee that I must write thus 3. Wee have shewed in few words the Incarnation and Birth of Jesus Christ the Sonne of God and yet wee are so very earthly and cannot apprehend it but are continually asking where is Christ with his body where shall wee seek for him and therefore our soule longeth to write of his Omni-presence and that notwithstanding all the raging and fury of the Devill and of Antichrist 4. Wee having cleerly described how God out of his love and mercifulnesse of Grace hath turned his beloved heart to us againe and how he hath opened the Gate to the Kingdome of Heaven for our soules therefore now wee are further to consider of the Body of Christ for reason saith continually the body of Christ is gone up into Heaven he is farre from us wee must erect a Kingdome that wee may serve him in his absence as Jeroboam did with the Calves and so that Kingdome is rightly called Babell 5. Doest thou boast thy selfe to be a Christian why doest thou not then beleeve his Word when he said He would be with us to the end of the world and said moreover He would give us his body for meate and his bloud for drinke Also his body is meate indeed and his bloud is drink indeed What doe you understand by this an absent Christ O thou poore sick Adam Wherefore art thou gone againe out of Paradise Hath not Christ brought thee in againe wherefore then didst thou not stay there Doest thou not see that the Apostles of Christ and their Successours who dwelt in the Paradise of Christ with their soules and did great Wonders Wherefore art thou againe entered into the Spirit of this World Doest thou suppose that thou shalt finde the Paradise with thy Reason in thy Art Doest thou not think it hath another Principle and that thou shalt not finde it except thou beest borne anew 6. Thou sayest Christ is ascended into Heaven how then can he be in this world and when thou reachest farthest thou thinkest that he is present onely with his holy Spirit here in his Testaments and that the Testaments are onely signes of his Merits What sayest thou then of thy New Man When indeed the soule is fed with the Holy Ghost What food hath thy new Man then for each life feedeth upon its Mother 7. Now if the Soule eateth of the cleere Deity what food hath the body then For thou knowest that the soule and the body are not one and the same thing it is indeed a very body but the soule is a Spirit and must have spirituall food and the body must have bodily food Or wilt thou give the new Man earthly food If thou meanest so thou art yet farre from the Kingdome of God The heavenly body of Christ did eate no earthly food but the outward body onely did eate that Is not Christs body now in the holy Ternary and eateth Paradisicall food Wherefore then shall not our new Man doe so did he not eate heavenly food forty dayes in the Wildernesse and alwayes afterwards and did he not tell his Disciples at Jacobs Well I have meate to eate that yee know not of and further It is my meate to doe the will of my Father which is in Heaven Is the will of God his food why then is it not ours if we live in him Hath not the Deity of Christ put on the Kingdome of Heaven for a Body is not the pure Element wherein the Deity dwelleth his body 8. But reason saith the Body of Christ is but in one place how can he then be every where He is indeed a Creature and a Creature cannot be in all places at once Hearken beloved Reason when the Word became Man in the body of Mary was he not at that time also alost above the Starres When he was at Nazareth was he not then also at Jerusalem and every where in all the Thrones of Heaven Or doest thou suppose when God became Man that he was shut up and consined within the Humanity and was not every where Doest thou suppose that the Deity in Christs becoming Man divided it selfe O no he
soule of Christ is my brother and that the Holy Trinity is the foode and vertue or strength of my soule Who can judge mee lay hold of mee and destroy mee when I am in my true Man in God When as I am Immortall in my new Man wherefore should I be much afraid in the Earthly Man which belongeth to the Earth Let every thing take its own and then my soule will be freed from the Driver 26. Or what shall I say Must I not in this Body which I here in the Earthlinesse carry about mee through the New Man reveale the Wonders of God that so his Wonders might be manifested I speake not onely concerning my selfe but concerning all Men good and bad every one must manifest the Great Wonders wherein he standeth in his Kingdome whether it be in Love or Anger after the breaking or dissolution of this world it must all stand in the Figure For at present this world standeth in the Creating and in the Sowing and is like a field which beareth fruit 27. Thus wee every one of us labour and finish our dayes-worke every one in his own field and in the Harvest every one shall stand by his Labour and enjoy his fruit which he hath sowen therefore my hand shall not be weary of digging this wee speake seriously according to its high worth in the Wonders of God knowne in the Counsell of the Noble Virgin Of the use of the highly Precious Testaments of Christ the Sonne of God 28. Christ began the use of the Baptisme by John who was his forerunner and John was borne into this world before Christ which hath its signification therefore open thy eyes As the water is in the Originality and a cause and beginning of the life and then in the water by the Tincture the Sulphur is first generated wherein the life becometh stirring and the Tincture generateth againe the Sulphur and the water wherein afterwards the bloud in the Tincture cometh to be And thus now as the beginning of the life is so must also the Order in the Regeneration be that the poore soule first receive the water of Eternall Life and be Baptized therein and then God giveth it the Graine of Mustard-seed of the Pearle that so if it receive the same it may become a new fruit in God 29. And therefore he sent his Angel hither before him that he should baptize with the water of the Eternall Life for so can the Eternall Body into which the soule must enter and in its Tincture in its bloud be new borne againe be translated into the body of Christ to describe which a great space is requisite But I will finish here briefly and mention it more in another Booke and now wee will handle the matter of the use or Celebration for it is very hard to be apprehended by the simple And therefore wee will deale with him after a childish manner to try whether he may come to see and finde the Pearle for all shall not finde what wee in the Love of God have found though indeed wee could earnestly wish that all might have it yet there is a great matter between it viz. the swelled puft up Kingdome of this world and the Devill will set themselves against it as raging Dogs but the smell of the Lilly will make him faint and so now wee will speake as a childe 30. The Minister in a Brotherly Christian office of the Covenant and Testament of Christ taketh water and upon the Commandement of Christ in his Covenant and Testament sprinkleth or powreth it upon the Head of the Infant in the name of the Covenant and in the name of the Holy Trinity of the Father of the Sonne and of the Holy Ghost this was the Command of Christ and therewith he hath set up his Covenant with us and it is a Testament which he afterwards confirmed with his Death and wee must doe it also and not leave it undone it is not in the liberty of a Christians will to doe it or leave it undone but if he will be a Christian he must doe it or else he contemneth his Testament and will not come to him 31. For the Testatour standeth in the Covenant and saith Come and whosoever doth not desire to Come goeth not in to him Therefore it lyeth not in our high knowledge for he standeth in his Covenant and the childe that is newly Borne is as acceptable to him as an old sinfull Man that repenteth and steppeth into his Covenant For it lay not in us that he became Man and received us into his Love but it lay in his Love in his Mercy for wee knew nothing of him nor did we know whether wee could be helped or no but he alone chose us and came to us out of Grace in our Humanity and took pitty on us and so also the Covenant of his Promise was a Covenant of Grace and not out of our foreknowing or merit And therefore whosoever teacheth otherwise is in Babell and confoundeth the Covenant of Christ 32. For Christ said also Let little Children come to mee for to such belongeth the Kingdome of God Say not What doth Baptisme availe a childe which understandeth it not The matter lyeth not in our understanding wee are altogether ignorant concerning the Kingdome of God If the childe be a bud growen in thy Tree and that thou standest in the Covenant wherefore bringest thou not also thy bud into the Covenant Thy Faith is its Faith and thy confidence towards God in the Covenant is its confidence It is indeed thy Essences and generated from thy soule And thou art to know according to its exceeding worth if thou art a true Christian in the Covenant of Jesus Christ that thy childe also in the kindling of its life pisseth into the Covenant of Christ and though it should die in the Mothers womb it would be found in the Covenant of Christ For the Deity standeth in the Centre of the Light of Life and so now if the Tree stand in the Covenant then the Branch may well doe so 33. But thou must not omit Baptisme for all that for when the childe is borne into the world then it is severed from its Tree and is in this world and then it selfe must passe into the Covenant and thou must with thy Faith present it and with thy Prayer give it to God in his Covenant there needeth no pomp about it that doth dishonour the Covenant it is an earnest thing 34. Theâ—e are three Witnesses to this Covenant the one is called God the Father the other God the Sonne and the third is God the Holy Ghost these are the work masters who doe the office they Baptise or Administer Baptisme But if thou filthy trimmed whore now comest thus stately and bringest the poore soule to the Covenant of Christ and doest but stand
scornings despisings and mocking of Christ and that all was done by the instigation of the Great ones and that commonly they were the poore silly people that followed him except some few that were wealthy wee then cleerly finde that which Christ said That a rich man will hardly enter into the Kingdome of Heaven This is not meant concerning their riches but concerning their vaine glorious proud and covetous life whereby they consume the sweat of the needy in Pride and forget God O how hard it is for one that is proud to humble himselfe before God and Man and the Kingdome of Heaven consisteth onely in the vertue and power of Humility 66. Yet it is seene that some wealthy people did draw neere to Christ whereby it may be perceived that the Kingdome of Heaven consisteth not in misery onely but in Joy in the Holy Ghost and none ought to esteeme himselfe happy because he is poore and miserable he is in the Kingdome of the Devill neverthelesse if he be faithlesse and wicked Also none that is rich ought therefore to cast his goods and wealth away or give them to be spent lavishly in hope to be saved in so doing no friend the Kingdome of God consisteth in Truth in Righteousnesse and in Love towards the needy to be rich damneth none that use it aright thou needest not to lay downe thy Scepter and run into a Corner crying that is but hypocrisie thou mayest doe righteousnesse and better service to the Kingdome of God in holding thy Scepter by helping the oppressed protecting the Innocent and granting Right and Justice not according to thy Covetousnesse but in Love and in the feare of God and then thou art also a Brother to Joseph of Arimathea and shalt shine brighter than others as the Sunne and Moone compared with the Starres It is onely the pride covetousnesse envie falshood and anger that is the Crowne of the Devill therefore conceive it aright Of Christs Rest in the Grave or Sepulchre 67. Wee know that the Body without the Spirit is a thing that lyeth still for though the body of Christ the Holy Element generated in the Mercy is from God yet the mobility and life standeth onely in the Deity and in us Men in the Spirit of the soule and in the Spirit of the Great World which are unsevered in this Body upon Earth 68. Therefore now the question is Where the soule of Christ was all the time that the body did Rest in the Grave Beloved Reason doe not like those that are blinde concerning God who say the soule of Christ went away from the Body downe into Hell into the Earth and during that time in the Divine power and vertue assaulted the Devils in Hell and bound them with chaines and destroyed Hell O it is cleane another thing The Saints rising out of the Graves at the houre of the Death of Christ declareth otherwise 69. Reason knoweth nothing at all of God and if it be not possible to attaine further from the Gift of God doe not descend downe into that Deepe but in singlenesse of heart stay on the Article it will not endanger thy happinesse God looketh onely upon the will of the Heart Thou must not search so deepe into every thing if it be not given thee as it is to this Pen this Pen writeth in the Counsell of God that which the hand knoweth not and scarce understandeth the least spark of it and yet very deeply as thou seest that the things to come are shewen in a very difficult depth which God alone will discover in due time which is unknowne to us 70. Thou knowest that God himselfe is all and there are but Three Principles viz. Three Births of distinction in his Essence or else all things would be one thing and all were meerely God and if it were so then all would be in a sweet meeknesse but where would be the Mobility Kingdome Power and Glory Therefore wee have often said the Anger is the Roote of Life and if it be without the Light then it is not God but Hell fire but if the Light shine therein it becometh Paradise and fulnesse of Joy 71. Therefore wee can say no otherwise of the soule of Christ but that he commended it into his Fathers hands and the Father took it into his Divine power it stood with its Roote therein before but it s own Roote was without the Light of God in the Anger And now the soule of Christ came with the Light of God into the Anger and then the Devils trembled for the Light tooke the Anger captive and the Father understand his Anger in the Kingdome of Heaven was Paradise and in Hell remained to be Anger still For the Light shut up the Principle of Hell so to be understood that no Devill dareth to take one glimpse of light in thither he is blinde before the Light and the Light is his terrour and shame 72. And so thou must not think that the soule of Christ was then gone a great way from his Body for all the Three Principles were on the Crosse why also not in the Grave at that very moment when Christ laid off the Kingdome of this world the soule of Christ pressed into Death and into the Anger of God and in that very moment the Anger was reconciled in the Love in the Light and became Paradise and the Devils were captivated in the Anger in themselves together with all wicked soules and so instantly the life did spring up through Death and Death was destroyed and made a scorne yet to the wicked which remaine in the Anger it is a Death but in Christ it is a Life 73. Thus the soule of Christ rested in the Grave in the Father forty houres present with its body for the Heavenly Body was not dead but the Earthly onely the soule sprung up in the Heavenly through Death and stood forty houres in Rest these were the forty houres in which Adam was asleepe when his wife was taken out of him as also the forty dayes when Moses was on the Mount and Israel was tempted to try whether it were possible to live in the vertue or power of the Father in the Kingdome of Heaven But when it was found to be impossible then presently the people fell away from the Law of the Father viz. from the Law of Nature and worshipped a Calfe that they had made to be instead of God and Moses brake the Tables of the Law 74. And God spake further to Israel in the fire that they should see that it was not possible to enter into the Land of Promise into Paradise till the right Joshua or Jesus came who should bring them through Death into Life consider this further I will set it downe very cleerly in the other Bookes concerning the Tables of Moses search for it and you will finde the whole ground of whatsoever Moses hath spoken and done Of Christs Resurrection out of the
hand of God the Father 107. The right hand of God is where the Love quencheth the Anger and generateth the Paradise that must needs be the Right hand of God where the Angry Father is called God in the Love and Light of his Heart which is his Sonne and this bodily Throne viz. the whole body of Christ is wholly at the Right hand of God but when it is said at the right hand of God then understand the most inward Roote of the sharpe Might of the Father wherein the Omnipotence consisteth where the Father himselfe goeth forth into the re-conceived will into the meeknesse and openeth the Gate in the dispelling of the Darknesse in himselfe thus Christ is set therein and sitteth thus at the Right hand of the vertue or power and Omnipotence in such a manner as wee cannot more highly expresse it with our Tongue wee understand it well in the Spirit therefore it is not needfull for you to search any further into it but onely looke that you attaine the Body of Christ and then you have God and the Kingdome of Heaven but wee must write thus because of the Errours in the world and for their longings sake that are therein 108. But when you aske Doth Christ sit or stand or lye along then you aske as if an Asse should aske about his sack he carrieth how the Taylor made it yet the Asse must have provender given him that he may carry the burthen the longer Behold Christ fitteth in himselfe and standeth in himselfe he needeth no chaire nor footstoole his power is his stoole there is neither above nor beneath there And as you see in the vision of Esaias that was full of eyes behinde and before above and beneath so the body of Christ the holy Trinity shineth in the whole Body and needeth no Sunne nor day-light CHAP. XXVI Of the Feast of Pentecost Of the sending of the Holy Ghost to his Apostles and the Beleevers The Holy Gate of the Divine Power 1. NOw saith Reason if Christ ascended thus with his body which he offered up on the Crosse when was he Glorified in his body Or how is his body now is it now as his Disciples saw him ascend into Heaven My beloved Reason my Earthly eyes see it not but the spirituall eyes in Christ see it very well The Scripture saith He is Glorified and Lord over all but wee will open to you the Gate of the Great Wonders that you may see what wee see 2. Behold when God the Father had brought Israel into the Wildernesse to Mount Sinai and would give them Lawes in which they should live then he commanded Moses to come up the Mountaine to the Lord and the rest of the Elders must stay a farre off and the people below the Mountaine and Moses went up the Mountaine alone to the Lord and there appeared the brightnesse or Glory of the Lord and on the seventh Day he called Moses and spake with him concerning all the Lawes And the countenance of Moses was Glorified from the Lord so that he could stand before him and speake with him Thus also the Man-Christ in Ternario sancto in the Holy Ternary when he was ascended into his Throne was Glorified on the ninth Day in the Holy Trinity 3. Understand it right his soule in the Creature was not first Glorified but his whole Body or Princely Throne there went forth out of the Centre of the Holy Trinity the Holy Ghost as you see cleerly that those who had put on the Spirit of Christ were highly enlightened for the Holy Ghost went forth from the Centre of the Trinity into the whole holy Element and did flow into the Mercy of God and as he Triumphed in the Body of Jesus Christ so also in his Disciples and in the Beleevers 4. There were opened all the Doores of the Great Wonders and the Apostles spake with the Languages of all Nations and so it may be seene cleerly that the Spirit of God had opened all the Centres of all Essences and spake out of them all for Christ was the Lord and the Heart of all Essences and therefore the Holy Ghost went out of all Essences and filled the Essences of all Men which turned their eares with a desire to it and in that he pressed into all and every one heard out of his own Essences and Language the Spirit of God spake out of the Disciples and the Holy Ghost was borne in the bodies of all their hearers which had but an earnest desire to it and they were all filled for the Spirit of God pierced through into their hearts as he pressed forth out of the Centre of the Trinity into the whole body and Plincely Throne of Jesus Christ and filled all outwardly in the Clarity or Glory 5. Thus all the holy soules were filled so that their whole body in all Essences was made stirring from the exceeding pretious vertue or power which went forth in the Wonders in power and in Deeds that were done there And here is set before us the vertue or power of the Father in the Fire in his severe Omnipotency on Mount Sinai also the Still Loving vertue of the Sonne of God in the Love and Mercy for wee see that wee could not at all live in the Father in the source of the Fire and therefore Moses brake the Tables and the people fell away from God 6. But now when the Meeknesse was in the Father then the Love held the Anger captive and the Love went out of the source of the Father and that was the Holy Ghost in the Wonders There stood the highly worthy heavenly Virgin of the Wisdome of God in her highest Ornament with her Garland of Pearles there stood Mary in Ternario Sancto of which the Spirit in the Antients hath spoken wonderfully And here Adam was brought into Paradise againe 7. And now if wee will speake of the Glorification of Christ and of his body which he visibly and in that forme in which he had conversed upon Earth ascended withall then wee must say that as the Love of the Heart of God hath reconciled the Anger of the Father and holdeth it as it were captive in it so also the Holy Ternary hath comprehended the hard palpable body of Christ viz. the Kingdome of this world as if it were wholly swallowed up whereas it is not swallowed up but the source of this world is destroyed in Death and the holy Ternary hath put on the body of Christ not as a Garment but virtually or powerfully in the Essences and he is as it were swallowed up to our apprehension and sight and yet is really and shall come againe at the Last Judgement-Day and manifest himselfe in his own body which he had here that all may see him be they good or bad and he shall also come in the same forme to keepe the Judgement of the Separation for in his Divine Glorified forme wee
and new who for the most part onely stuck in the Old Man and had no knowledge of God and so taught according to their own conceits from the written words and expounded them according to their own meanings 19. And when they saw that great respect and honour was given to the Teachers they fell to ambition pride and greedinesse of money for the simple people brought them presents or gifts and they thought that the Holy Ghost dwelt in the Teachers whereas the Devill of Pride lodged in them and it came to that passe that every one called himselfe after his Masters name whose Doctrine he prized most one would be of Paul another of Apollo another of Peter and so forth And because the Saints used not the same kinde of words and expressions in their Teaching and Writings though they spake from one and the same Spirit therefore the Naturall Man which being without the Spirit of God knoweth nothing of God began all manner of strife and Disputations and to make Sects and Schismes and they set themselves up for Teachers among all sorts of People not for Gods sake but for temporall honour riches and pleasure sake that they might live brave lives For it was no very hard labour and worke to hang to the bare Letter and such strife and contention arose amongst them that they became the most bitter enemies and haters one of another and none of them were borne of God but their Parents held them close to the Scripture that they might come to be Teachers that so they might be honoured in and for their children and that their children might live bravely 20. And so it fell out that every one would get the greatest conflux of people he could that he might be esteemed by most people and these Lip-Christians did so multiply that the sincere hearty desire to God was left and they onely looked upon the Lip-Priests who did nothing but cause strife and contentions and they all vapoured and boasted of their own Art and skill which they had learned in the Schooles and Universities and cryed loe here is Christ come running hither thus and thus hath Paul written and another saith come hither here is Christ thus and thus hath Peter written he was the Disciple of Christ and had the keyes of the Kingdome of Heaven this cannot be amisse they doe but deceive you follow after mee 21. Thus the poore ignorant people looked upon the Mouth-Apes those greedy covetous Men which were no other than vizard-Priests and so lost their deare Immanuel for Christ in them from whence the Holy Ghost goeth forth which driveth and leadeth Men and who at first had begotten them with power and Miracles must now be nothing but a History and they became but History-Christians yet so long as the Apostles and their true Disciples lived they stopped and reproved such things and shewed them the right way but where they were not there the History Priests mis-led them as may be cleerly seene in the Ephesians 22. And so the Kingdome of Christ grew not in Power onely but for the most part in the History the Saints borne in Christ they confirme that many times with great Wonders or Miracles and the History-Priests of Baal they alwayes built upon those Miracles of the Saints same that which was good for the promoting vertue and good manners many brought forth thistles and thornes that they might make strife and warres many sought onely great honour dignity and glory that it should be conferred upon the Church of Christ and her Ministers as it may be seene in Popery out of what Roote it is growne And it came so farre that they mingled the Jewish Ceremonies in their Doings as if the Justification of a poore sinner didlye in them because they were of Divine appointment for which cause the Apostles held the First Councell at Jerusalem where the Holy Ghost concluded that they should onely cleave to Christ in true Love one to another and that was the onely Justification before God 23. But it availed not Pride would erect its Throne and set it above Christ the Devill would be God and they made Glosses that they might bring it to passe in such a way that the simple people might not take notice of it there the Keys of Peter must govern the Citie and they drew together with the Keys Divine Authority to them and so could use the Divine Power in deeds and wonders no more for they desired to be rich and wealthy upon Earth and not to be Poore with Christ who in this world as himselfe witnesseth had not whereon to lay his head they would not be such Christians in power and wonders As Adam who would not live in the Power but in a great Heape of Earth that he might have something to take hold of And heere may be rightly seene our Misery which Adam brought us into that our Essences alwayes reach after the Spirit of this world and desire onely to fill themselves with a great Heape from whence Adam and wee all have gotten such a swelled grosse untoward body full of sicknesses contrariety and contentious desires 24. Now when the Historicall Christendome and the true Christians grew together the Scepter was alwayes among the Learned who exalted themselves and made themselves potent and great and the simple Church yeelded to it as right and yet there was a desire after the Kingdome of God found in Men v. z. the Noble Word of God which had imprinted it selfe in the Promise in Paradise in the Light of Life and which was made stirring by Christ that drave them indeed to the feare of God And then they built great Houses of Stone and called every one thither and they said that the Holy Ghost was powerfull there and they must come thither besides they durst be so impudent to say when they were found to be so wicked and malitious that the Holy Ghost was powerfully in the mouth of the wicked 25. But thou Hypocrite thou lyest if thou art ungodly thou canst not raise the Dead thou canst convert none that in this world lyeth drowned in finnes thou mayest stirre the heart of the Beleever indeed through thy voyce which is a work of the Spirit but thou bringest forth none out of Death into life it is an impossible thing For if thou wilt convert a poore sinner which is drowned in sinne and lyeth captive in the Anger then the Holy Ghost must be in thy mouth and thy Essences must take hold of his and then thy Light will shine in him and thou shalt raise him out of the Death of sinnes and with thy Love in thy Tincture catch him and then he will come to thee with a hearty desire longing after the Kingdome of Heaven and then thou art his Confessour and hast the Keys of Peter and if thou art voyde of that thou hast no Keyes 26. As the Confession is so is the
Principle more he must continue Eternally in that source or quality which he hath kindled heere For wee know that Adam with his going out of Paradise into this world brought us into Death And Hell in the Anger of God groweth from Death and so our soule is capable of going into the Kingdome of Hell and standeth in the Anger of God where the Jawes of Hell then stand wide open against us continually to devoure us and wee have made a Covenant with Death and wholly yeelded our selves up to it in the sting of the Anger in the first Principle 8. Wee not onely know this but wee know also that God hath regenerated us in the life of his Sonne Jesus Christ to a living Creature to live in him And as he is entered into Death and againe through Death into Eternall Life so must wee enter into the Death of Christ and in the life of Jesus Christ goe forth out of Death and live in God his Father and then our life and also our flesh is no more earthly but holy in the power of God and wee live rightly in Ternario Sancto in the Holy Trinity of the Deity For then wee beare the holy flesh which is out of the holy Element in the presence of God which our loving Brother and Saviour or Immanuel hath brought into our flesh and he hath brought us in and with himselfe out of Death into God his Father and then the Holy Trinity of the Deity is substantially or really working in us 9. And as the Eternall Word in the Father is become true Man and hath the Eternall Light shining in him and hath humbled and abased himselfe in the Humanity and hath put upon the Image which wee heere beare in this Life the Image which is out of the pure unspotted Element in the presence of God which wee lâ—st in Adam which standeth in the Mercy of God as is cleerly mentioned in our second Booke with all the Circumstances of it so must wee also put on to us that Image which is out of the pure Element out of the body of Jesus Christ and live in that bodily substance and in that source condition and vertue wherein he diveth 10. Wee doe not heere meane his Creature that wee must enter into that but wee understand his source for the depth and breadth of his life in his source is unmeasurable and as God his Father is unmeasurable so also is the Life of Christ so for the pure Element in the source of God the Father in his Mercy is the Body of Christ and as our Earthly Body standeth in the foure Elements so the new Man standeth in a pure Element out of which this world with the foure Elements is generated and the source of the pure Element is the source of the Heaven and of Paradise and so also it is the source of our Body in the New Regeneration 11. Now that Element is in the whole Principle of God every where in all places and so is unmeasurable and infinite and therein is the Body of Christ and his quality and in that is the Trinity of the Deity so that the Father dwelleth in the Sonne viz. in the Body of Jesus Christ and the Sonne in the Father as one onely God and thus the Holy Ghost goeth forth from the Father in the Sonne and is given to us to regenerate us to a new life in God in the life of Jesus Christ and the Earthly Man in his Image and source or quality and property hangeth but to us in this Life time which is well understood if wee be borne of God with our Minde 12. For as God the Father in his own substance comprehendeth all the Three Principles and is himselfe the substance of all substances wherein both joy and sorrow is comprehended and yet goeth forth in it selfe out of the source of the Anguish and maketh the Kingdome of Joy to himselfe unconceivable to the sorrow and incomprehensible to the source of his Anger in the Anguish and Generateth to himselfe his Heart in the Love wherein the Name of God taketh originall So also the Minde hath in it all the Three Principles and therein the soule is comprized viz. in the Band of Life which must enter againe into its selfe and create a will in the Life of Jesus Christ and endeavour after it desiring it with a strong will and purpose and not stay meerly in the History or in the knowledge of it and being able to speake of it and suppose the words and discourse make a sufficient Christian when the Minde is still in meere doubt in Babell no that is not the Regeneration but it must be an Earnest Resolution the Minde must in it selfe goe forth into the humility towards God and enter into the will of God in Righteousnesse Truth and Love 13. And though indeed the Minde is not able to doe this in its own abilitie because it is captivated with the Spirit of this world yet it hath the Purpose in its power and God is presented with and in the Purpose and receiveth it in his Love and soweth therein the seede of Love in his vertue or power out of which the New Man in the Life of Jesus Christ groweth Therefore all lyeth in the true Earnest Purpose which is called True Repentance for the Receiving of the Word of God in the obedience of Love groweth not in the Earthly Life but in the New borne in the Life of Jesus Christ 14. Therefore the Kingdome of Heaven is a bestowed Bounty of Grace for all those that earnestly desire it not that it is enough to say to ones selfe I have indeed a will to yeeld my selfe earnestly to God but I have need to have this world for a while and afterwards I will enter into the obedience of God and that continueth from one time to another and from one day to another and in the meane while the evill Man groweth if you deferre it to the end and then desire and think to be a Heavenly fruit or Birth when all the Time of your life you have growne in the anger of God in the Abysse of Hell no that is deceit thou deceivest thy selfe 15. The Priests in Babell have after that no Key to open the Kingdome of Heaven for thee thou must enter in thy selfe and be new-borne or else there is no remedy for thee in this world nor in Heaven thou standest heere in this life time in the Ground and art a Plant but when Death cometh and cutteth downe the stock then thou art no more in the growing but art a fruit and then if thou art not foode for God thou doest not belong to his Table and then God will not dwell in thee 16. For wee know that the Deity onely is the vertue to the New Birth which vertue if thou longest for it and desirest it with earnestnesse soweth it selfe in thy minde and in thy soule out of which the New Man in
againe k Or Well-doing l Or upon m Chaire or Throne n The Arme of the Civill power o Or corruptible p Or wrought great crimes sinnes and blasphemies q Detraction shame or disgrace r Hunter or the Devill r Hunter or the Devill Å¿ Sinfulnesse t Dependents Complices u Occasioner or stirrer up of evill x Or torment y Or have a Purgatory for a tedious while z Or unrighteousnesse a Budded essentiall vertues b Boyle up in it c Or swimme d One sinne bringeth forth another e Slander f Doest pranok thy selfe so demurely and devoutly g Or Intercession h Pope or Ministers i Or is founded k In thy unrepentant Garment of sinnes l Or between Time and Eternity m Princely Potentates n Pope or Minister n Pope or Minister o Eternall Element or mercy of God p Or understand it q To be opened r Or at home s Or at Babell t Or to thinke of some farre distant place u Or Every where x Or refreshment y Or property is felt z Or the one Eternall a The Spirit of this world b Beyond c Or Aking property a Or in the hidden Mysteries b Or in great wondering c The blossome of the sweet smelling Purity d Or be known e Or by f Or privities g The dung h Or lost i Or from the creatures of the foure Elements k The Spirit of this world k The Spirit of this world l The Spirit of this world m Or laboureth n Or discovereth o Figure of the world p Or brought to light q Or knowne r Man Å¿ The cloathing of the skinnes of Beasts t Many Arts and Sciences or Trades u Or snares of the Hunter x Hunter or oppressour y Or reserve these mysteries z Or understanding a Or in their knowledge b Or the humility of the Divine Wisdome c Mirth or cheerfulnesse d High and low e Or in confused jangling f With wrath or with the devouring sword g Or God and Goodnesse h Or must i Honesty k The Starres order their government l With Manna m Covetousnes n The Heathens o His wrath p Honest vertuous or had feared the Lord. q Or one sinne r From the grimme wrath the Devill or Weeds or Tares are sowen among the Wheate s Lord or Superiour t Or false u Or Plagueth x Evill or false x Evill or false y Or Exhort z Grifted or inoculated a Or fatnesse b Kine Calves Sheep Lambs c. c Or warning flaming sword d Darkened chilled shut up or frozen so hard e Into his power or jurisdiction f Shut barred or closed g Generation or operation h Working or revelation i No harsh Law k Evangelium l Instead of the Law or read or declared it to us m The great world or Macrocosme n Nor began to be conceived with childe o Or incline p Or Copulation q Or incarnation r Or Kingdoms Å¿ Cain t The Hunter the Devill u In Eve's fruit x Or destroyest y Or play a trick of youth z The Love a Or into the world b Or the sentence of the Law concerning it c Mother or Roote c Mother or Roote d Or their burning unchastity e Or in f Or every way g Then that which is mentioned a little before h Or imperfection i Or humility k Honest sincere obedient faithfull one l Or both will receive it m Or knower of the hearts n Or borne of God o As the light is generated out of the burning of the fire and is free from the fire p As the light is another thing than the fire q As the Aire goeth forth from the fire and the light r Sincerely or unfeinedly Å¿ The Evill is overcome with Good t Honest or Innocent u Or Dominion x Or the foure Elementary Image in the Holy Element y Foure Elements but in the one holy Element z Or angry or vexed with and abborreth himselfe a Or overcome the inward b Or cheate c Or no Image of God d Or for him to attaine the Image of God e Between Time and Eternitie see more Chap. 19. f Or forgivenes g The Eternall hellish or heavenly life g The Eternall hellish or heavenly life h Innocent i The Heaven k Or voyde of understanding l Note what Free-will is m Or of n The kindling is not brought into the issuing Essentiall powers o Or Body p The Abellish Church q For all the Devils stirring up or awakening of his Anger r The Devill Å¿ The highest place of Earthly Dominion t Or speake good words before God u Necessitie or subsistence of the body x Or Macrocosme y Or for the punishment of evill doers z The time will not beare the Exposition of this let every one finde it with their own eyes a Gods Anger b Or Before c Or meeteth d This concerneth Christendome to consider it e Or sheweth f The wickednesse or fiercenesse g The wonders of the fierce wrath h Or that i Or was k Dissolution l Schollership m Or was severed n With his sword o Or put p Or above his power q Seperated r Or be known s This speech of Moses t Or the strife contention wrangling disputations u In the agreeing love and unity x Or Example y The wolfe z Or a great claffe or gulfe before Paradise a They that have spoken and written in the Spirit of God b When they speak write in this world c Or strife d Defile them with siding divisions e In selfe f Rule or Government g Or tooke no pleasure in the Kingdome of this world h The first and the third i Or awakened the gnawing worme k Or wickednesse l Or no comfort m Tricks devices or deceit n Regenerated o Or enjoynest him as Orthodox p Or stately Dominion q Or must esteem your artificiall teaching as the meanes of salvation r Plaguest or tormentest Å¿ Kingdome vengeance or rage t Contempt and scorne u Or Spirit x Use all the might and authority he can as thou doest y Dragon or Serpent z His own Elected God Mausim a As the dust under their seate b With all manner of standers and lyes c Or should goe into Hell d Or Mysteries a Conditions and Courses b Or Order c Or Conditions of things d Or spring e Or discovered f As the thoughts in the minde flow or spring up g By making him despaire in God h Or consent thereto i Or was k His faculties that were in doubt were againe assured of Gods grace l The wrath or the gnawing Worme of his Conscience m The Beasts and that which groweth out of the Earth n Husbandry plowing or Tilling of the ground o In the Name of Cain and the other Circumstances p That is in Cains time they had the Tincture in their power q The mysteries were
not so dark to them r Or naked open and plaine Å¿ Or kinds t Speech or word u Or kinde x Or beeings y Or shining or enlightened z Or warme batching a Or transitory b The wrath and the Love c The wrath ruleth in all that is evill in the foure Elements and in that which is good it maketh the exalting joy d Working fruit or bringing forth e A desiring or attracting f Dispelleth g Or Dissolved h Field or Ground i Or Life k Or recomprehended or re-taken will out of the property l Or of Death m Meaning or signification n The Learned in their own Conceit or Reason o Ballance of the Scales or the Weights p Or Hindges q Or groweth r Or thoughts r Or thoughts s Formeth fashioneth or Createth an Image t Or figured u Or property x The third Principle or the created world y Kingdome or course x Or without a Or permitted b Colledges churches or Monasteries c Or thy subtile cunning seeming holinesse d Or against Christ e Cannons Ordinances and Orders e Cannons Ordinances and Orders e Cannons Ordinances and Orders f Or Kingdome g Or stirre up h Rest forgivenesse or comfort i Closet Cell or in secret k Or Torment of fire l Hunter persecutour or oppressour m Or Throne-Princes n Or hath knowledge of o Or for by-respects p Or Image p Or Image q The kingdome of Christ q The kingdome of Christ r Forgivenesse comfort or rest s Sect. t Or in the striving foure Elements t Or in the striving foure Elements u Or infirmities in the way to the Pearle x Comfort or Rest y Driver or Persecutour the Devill z Husks or Crabbs a Or the knowledge in the wonders w ch neither eye hath seene nor eare heard nor ever entered into the heart to conceive b Or Iniquity c Or Wisdome of God d Or power e Hunter persecutour or oppressour e Hunter persecutour or oppressour f In the foure Elements in flesh bloud g Hunter or persecutour h Or Tell the Truth i Vexed and tormented k Or Released l Or Leave thee m Or fled from thee n Or ingrafted o Or leader p Wrath malice or sinnes and wickednesse a Man b Understand or comprehend c Or Starres d Or transitorinesse e Or really f uunder stand or apprehend g Holy people h The holy forefathers i Essence or Beeing k Or Regiments l The world of foure Elements m Or of n Or Sonne of God o Or power p Hurteth or moveth q Above the Heart of God as Lucifer did r Cadaver Corps Å¿ Or averted t Or bring to passe u Or Mercy x Or bringeth that which is hidden to Essence y Or Mercy y Or Mercy z Or Predestinated a Heavenly Man a Heavenly Man b Or in c Brought it into the soule againe d Or in an Earthly but heavenly manner e Or teach f In studying the literall wisedome of Reason and be excellent therein g In Mary's beginning to be a humane Creature or her becoming Man h The wisdome of God i Mercifulnes k Or of Nature l Barmhertzigkeit Mercifulnesse m Barmhertzigkeit Mercifulnesse n Or belonging to o New or strange p Or by q The soule r Or working property s The pure one Elements own Out-birth t Or in true Resignation u His or Mans works x Or substance things or businesse y Rot consume or corrupt z Contract Espousall or Marriage a Selfe-will or free-will b Or Sonne c One Eternall Element d Or Water-Spirit e Findable or palpable f Formerly g The Image of God h Or corruptibility i Or its death The death of the death of our body k Or freed l Pastours Priests Presbyters or Ministers m In or into n Or Fanne o The outward Tongue cannot expresse the secret of this Name p Zebaoth q The Schooles and universities r Or heresie r Or heresie Å¿ In the contentious wrangling t Or wrath of God u As a Mediatour or Arbitratour x tyed or knit y Or impregnated z In true Resignation a In Ternario Sancto b In true Resignation c In selfe d Or be predominant e Pinne of the Ballance f The Kingdome of Heaven and the Kingdome of Hell g Imagineth is inclined or yeeldeth it selfe to or converseth with h Text. Res. h Text. Res. i Regiment or Government k Or jurisdiction over the Earthly Body l Or herein m Or submit to it n Alleadgeth Scripture o Or Mercy p Viz. after the Temptation q Over the living and the dead a Rule or Government b Or the learned in the Scripture c Note this d Humility and Love e Government Discipline or forme of Religion f Symboles of his satisfaction g The new Man feedeth upon the pure Element and the outward Man eateth of the foure Elements h Corpus And they differ as body and spirit i The pure holy substantiality viz. the Angelicall world the holy earth k Or Sonne l Sonne or word m Geniture or working n Barmhertzigkeit Mercy n Barmhertzigkeit Mercy o Joshua and King p One Copie hath Prophet q Uniteth or contracteth * Wherein the presence of the Trinity is every where manifest r Barmhertzigkeit Mercifulnesse Å¿ Sparkled beheld or appeared t Or Extract u Agreement or compact x Barmhertzigkeit y Fruit. z Or upon it as by an Example a Or seede b Or Celebration c Spoyle or hurt mee d Or rid of the Driver e Or from corruption f Gods g Or seed time h Or be in his employment i Diving or searching k The wisdome of God l Celebration or Participation m Or beginning of the body n Beginning of the life o Or Ordinance p Or Messenger q Came or began r The vapouring foure-Elementary Life in the Learned Å¿ The Devill t Or servant of Christ u Arbitrium or free-will x Barmhertzigkeit Mercifulnesse y Or into z Or in a Or Children are thy Branches b Bravery sumptuousnesse or solemâ—â—â—y c And not a shew or scene to be acted d Or Bath e Mock Christ and yet be accounted Christians f The heape or multitude g Or perceiveth or discerneth h Wickednesse or malice i The soule k Case shell or Cabinet k Case shell or Cabinet l Or in his own way m Or Divine Light n Or He that made the Testament o God p Ein schalck q Hunter persecutor or the Devill a The way how I attained to it b Other thing than my selfe have tryed c Or to write lyes of my selfe d Or Corrupt Nature e Or Park f Company or Army g In or of the world h Or stroyed i Regall or Kingly k Or Dip it l Or Massacring m Trap snare or pit-fall n Or Order o The Devill p Livings Pay or Hire for it q Or Cabinet r Barmhertzigkeit Mercifulnesse
us Moreover wee have Gods Law and Commandements so that there is no excuse but onely our drowsie lazie negligence and carelesnesse and so wee are found to be sloathfull unprofitable servants in the Lords Vineyard 8. Lastly it is in the highest measure most needfull for us to learne to know our selves because the Devill dwelleth with us in this world who is both Gods Enemy and ours and daily misleadeth us and entrappeth us as he hath done from the beginning that wee might fall away from our God and Father that so he might enlarge his Kingdome and bereave us of our Eternall Salvation as it is written He goeth about as a roaring Lyon and seeketh whom he may devour 9. Seeing therefore wee are in such horrible danger in this world that wee are environed with enemies on every side and have a very unsafe Pilgrimage or Journey to walke and above all wee carry our worst Enemy within us which wee our selves hide and desire not to learne to know it though it be the most horrible Guest of all which casteth us headlong into the Anger of God yea it selfe is the very Anger of God which throweth us into the Eternall Fire of Wrath into the Eternall unquenchable torment therefore it is most needfull for us to learne to know this Enemy what he is who he is and whence he is how be cometh into us and what in us is his proper own also what right the Devill hath to us and what accesse of entrance into us how he is allyed with our own Enemy that dwelleth in us how they favour and helpe one another how both of them are Gods Enemies and continually lay wait for us to murther us and bring us to perdition 10. Further wee must consider the great Reasons why it is very necessary to learne to know our selves because wee see and know that wee must die and perish for our own Enemies sake which is Gods Enemy and ours which dwelleth in us and is the very halfe of Man and if he grow so strong in us that he get the upperhand and be predominant then he throweth us into the Abysse to all Devills to dwell there with them Eternally in an Eternall unquenchable paine and torment into an Eternall Darknesse into a loathsome house and into an Eternall forgetting of all Good yea into Gods contending will where our God and all the Creatures are our Enemies for ever 11. Wee have yet greater Reasons to learne to know our selves because wee are in Good and Evill and have the promise of Eternall Life that if wee overcome our own Enemy and the Devill wee shall be the children of God and live in his Kingdome with and in him among his holy Angels in Eternall joy brightnesse Glory and welfare in meeknesse and favour with him without any touch of Evill and without any knowledge of it in God Eternally Besides we have the Promise that if wee overcome and burie our Enemy in the Earth wee shall rise againe at the Last Day in a new Body which shall be without evill and paine and live with God in perfect joy lovelinesse and blisse 12. Also wee know and apprehend that wee have in us a Reasonable Soule which is in Gods Love and is Immortall and that if it be not vanquished by its adversary but fighteth as a spirituall Champion against its Enemy God will assist it with his holy Spirit and will enlighten and make it powerfull and able to overcome all its Enemies he will fight for it and at the Overcoming of the evill will Glorifie it as a faithfull Champion and Crowne it with the brightest Crowne of Heaven 13. Now seeing Man knoweth that he is such a twofold Man in the Capacity of Good and Evill and that they are both his own and that he himselfe is that Onely Man which is both good and evill and that he shall have the reward of either of them and to which of them he inclineth in this life to that his soule goeth when he dieth and that he shall arise at the Last Day in power in his Labour and Works which he exercised heere and live therein Eternally and also be Glorified therein and that shall be his Eternall foode and subsistence therefore it is very necessary for him to learne to know himselfe how it is with him and whence the impulsion to Good and to Evill cometh and what indeed the Good and Evill meerly are in himselfe and whence they are stirred and what properly is the Originall of all the Good and of all the Evill from whence and by what means Evill is come to be in the Devills and in Men and in all Creatures seeing the Devill was a holy Angel and Man also Created Good and that also such untowardnesse is found to be in all Creatures biting tearing worrying and hurting one another and such Enmity strife and hatred in all Creatures and that every thing is so at oddes with it selfe as wee see it to be not onely in the Living Creatures but also in the Starres Elements Earth Stones Mettalls in Wood Leaves and Grasse there is a Poyson and Malignity in all things and it is found that it must be so or else there would be no life nor mobility nor would there be any colour or vertue neither thicknesse nor thinnesse nor any perceptibility or sensibility but all would be as Nothing 14. In this high Consideration it is found that all is through and from God Himselfe and that it is his own substance which is himselfe and he hath created it out of himselfe and that the Evill belongeth to the forming and mobility and the Good to the Love and the austere severe or contrary will belongeth to the joy so far as the Creature is in the Light of God so far the wrathfull and contrary will maketh the rising Eternall Joy but if the Light of God be extinguished it maketh the rising painfull Torment and the Hellish Fire 15. That it may be understood how all this is I will describe the Three Divine Principles that therein all may be declared What God is what Nature is what the Creatures are what the Love and Meeknesse of God is what Gods desiring or will is what the wrath of God and the Devill is and in conclusion what joy and sorrow is and how all took a beginning and endureth Eternally with the true difference between the Eternall and transitory Creatures Especially of Man and of his soule what it is and how it is an Eternall Creature and what Heaven is wherein God and the Holy Angels and holy Men dwell and what Hell is wherein the Devils dwell and how all things originally were created and had their beeing In summe what the Essence of all Essences is 16. Seeing the Love of God hath favoured mee with this knowledge I will set it downe in Writing for a Memoriall or remembrance to my selfe because we live in this
world in so great danger between Heaven and Hell and must continually wrestle with the Devill if perhaps through weaknesse I might fall into the Anger of God and thereby the Light of my knowledge might be withdrawne from mee that it may serve mee to recall it to memory and raise it up againe for God willeth that all Men should be helped and will not the Death of a sinner but that he return come to him live in him Eternally for whose sake he hath suffered his own Heart that is his Sonne to become Man that we might cleave to him and rise againe in him and departing from our sinnes and Enmity or contrary will be new-borne in him 17. Therefore there is nothing more profitable to Man in this world while he dwelleth in this miserable corrupted house of flesh than to learne to know himselfe now when he knoweth himselfe aright he knoweth also his Creator and all the Creatures too also he knoweth how God entendeth towards him and this knowledge is the most acceptable and pleasant to me that ever I found 18. But if it should happen that these Writings should come to be read and perhaps the Sodomitish world the fatted swine thereof may light upon them and roote in my Garden of Pleasure who cannot know or understand any thing but to scorne scandalize reproach and Cavill in a proud haughty way and so doe know neither themselves nor God much lesse his children I entend not my writing for them but I shut and lock up my Book with a strong Boult or Barre from such Ideots and wilde Heifers of the Devill who lye over head and eares in the Devils murthering Denne and know not themselves they doe the same which their Teacher the Devill doth and remaine children of the severe Anger of God But I will heere write plainly and clearly enough for the children of God the world and the Devill may roare and rage till they come into the Abysse for their Houre-Glasse is set up when every one shall reape what he hath sowen and the Hellish Fire will sting many sufficiently for his proud spitefull and despising haughtinesse which he had no beliefe of while he was heere in this life 19. Besides I cannot well neglect to set this downe in writing because God will require an account of every ones Gifts how they have employed them for he will demand the Talent which he hath bestowed with the encrease or use and give it to him that hath gained much but seeing I can doe no more in it I commit it to his will and so goe on to write according to my knowledge 20. As to the Children of God they shall perceive and comprehend this my writing what it is for it hath a very convincing Testimony it may be proved by all the Creatures yea in all things especially in Man who is an Image and Similitude of God but it continueth hidden and obscure to the Children of Malignity or Iniquity and there is a fast Seale before it and though the Devill dis-relish the smell and savour and raise a storme from the East to the North yet there will then in the wrathfull or Crabbed soure Tree grow a Lilly with a roote as broad as the Tree spreadeth with its branches and bring its sent and smell even into Paradise 21. There is a Wonderfull Time coming but because it beginneth in the Night there are many that shall not see it by reason of their sleepe and great drunkennesse yet the Sunne will shine to the Children at Midnight Thus I commit the Reader to the Meeke Love of God Amen The First Chapter Of the First Principle of the Divine Essence BEing we are now to speak of God what he is and where he is we must say that God himselfe is the Essence of all Essences for all is Generated or borne Created and proceeded from him and all things take their first beginning out of God as the Scripture witnesseth saying Through him and in him are all things Also the Heaven and the Heaven of Heavens are not able to contain him also Heaven is my Throne and the Earth is my footstoole and in Our Father is mentioned thine is the Kingdome and the Power understand All Power 2. But that there is yet this difference to be observed that Evill neither is nor is called God this is understood in the first Principle where it is the Earnest fountaine of the Wrathfulnesse according to which God calleth himselfe an Angry Wrathfull and Zealous God for the Originall of Life and of all Mobilitie consisteth in the wrathfulnesse yet if the tartnesse be kindled with the Light of God it is then no more tartnesse but the severe wrathfulnesse is changed into Great Joy 3. Now when God was to Create the world and all things therein he had no other Matter to make it of but his own Beeing out of himselfe But now God is a Spirit that is incomprehensible which hath neither beginning nor end and his Greatnesse and Depth is All yet a Spirit doth nothing but ascend flow move and continually generate it selfe and in it selfe hath chiefly a threefold manner of forme in its Generating or Birth viz. Bitternesse harshnesse and heate and these three manner of forms are neither of them the first second nor third for all these three are but one and each of them Generateth the second and third For between Harshnesse and Bitternesse Fire is Generated and the wrath of the Fire is the bitternesse or sting it selfe and the harshnesse is the stock or father of both these and yet is generated of them both for a Spirit is like a will fence or thought which riseth up and in its rising beholdeth perfecteth and generateth it selfe 4. Now this cannot be expressed or described nor brought to the understanding by the Tongue of Man for God hath no beginning but I will set it down so as if he had a beginning that it might be understood what is in the first Principle whereby the difference between-the first and second Principle may be understood and what God or Spirit is Indeed there is no difference in God onely when it is enquired from whence evill and good proceed it is to be known what is the first and originall fountaine of Anger and also of Love since they both proceed from one the same original out of one mother and are one thing thus we must speak after a creaturely manner as if it took a beginning that it might be brought to be understood 5. For it cannot be said that Fire bitternesse or harshnesse is in God much lesse that aire water or earth are in him onely it is plain that all things have proceeded out of that Originall neither can it be said that Death Hell-fire or sorrowfulnesse is in God but it is known that these things have come out of that Originall For God hath made no