Images upon Tables and made Law to distinguish every Mans Propriety from another But those Laws being not able to Bridle them they at last invented there was a Just Eye in secret that observed every Unjust Action That so they might be afraid to steal or commit Fornication Answ That God made Man upright and that Man found out many Inventions part of which was the Languages now extant we acknowledge But withal we affirm That the first Language was a Natural Mental Speech Let such an Atheist read History For he shall find there is no History that shews the Manners of any People but it shews also or gives a hint of their Religion The Voice of every Animal likewise calling to the Lord of Nature when any sudden fear seizeth upon them proves a Superiour Power There was one told his Friend That when he was young he thought there was no Hell in the Conscience but now being old he began to doubt what if there be one Now seeing the Atheist pleads That as the Flame of an Extinguished Candle dissolves and loseth it self in the Circumambient Air even so the Taper of Life vanisheth into pure AEther and is no more when the Law of Union of Body and Soul is violated and broken Second Spira Answ Here some Atheist may perhaps acknowledge as Reason will force any one that hath common Sense that there is a First Mover Which is demonstrated in all things So many Fountains from one Trunk or Bole which is the Ocean So many Branches from one Root So many Members receiving a Radical Life from one Heart so many Stars receiving Light from one Fountain of Light the Sun But seeing he will not acknowledge that God will be so cruel to be the Cause of an Everlasting Hell to the Soul of Man I acknowledge the same thing Yet there is a Hell and that Eternally For if it were not so Man would have destroyed the whole Creation ere this time in which there is such an an excellent Order and sympathetical Harmony between Superiours and Inferiours between Bodies and their Spirits and rifled the Closet of him that sits Eternally upon the Fire the Root of every Being As God made all Visibies of Nothing or rather out of his own invisible Essence So thou O Chymical Atheist makest of the whole nothing § 8. By Religion and Dreams AGain The Atheist asserteth That Pride and Humility are but one thing only they differ a little in Circumstances For Pride looks upon all its desired Accomplishments to be behind i◠Humility expects its Perfections as being before it not yet attained And so Humility is a kind of Pride saying to it self Thou shalt be advanced to Honour some time or other Answ But let him know that right Honour is an Advancement of Love For in Heaven there is not the least defire of Revenge As may be seen in the Son of God himself than whom none is more Honourable yet He is that which helpeth and saveth Nature which is gone out of its Order and becomes a Servant of Servants stooping to Death for the sake of Mankind The Babe is greatest in Heaven But Honour that rigorously ruleth by Force is no Honour He is not long feared that is not always loved It is true God alone by his Power must keep up the Wall and Fence of the Gulf between the two Natures to keep them in Harmony which Harmony he himself is in the Abstract Or else the Fire of Hell would break in and destroy the being of the first Essence in the Love-World which was without beginning But the Atheist yet imagines that because he dreams of frightful things and the Idea's that he hath of them impress afflicting Resentments upon his Spirits as if they were real but when he awakes he saith all vanishes Second Spira Answ We will suppose a Man in a terrible Melancholick Dream and that the said man should Eternally remain in that Condition wherein the Soul is as really disturbed frighted and put out of Harmony as if he had been awake That is The Fright that he is assaulted with is real to the Imagination of the Soul as may be perceived that it many times trembles and continues in a trembling posture after waking a long time Now you will say all vanishes and passeth into Silence when the Soul recovers it self by the outward Senses Answ But suppose it had no such recourse as to seiz upon the Body and wake it when it is so exceedingly affrighted to rid it self out of the supposed imminent Danger Suppose it were then in the Sleep of Death and the Body will not be waked where shall the Body seek shelter then The temporal Sleep being a true figure of Death even the first Death or sleep of the Body in the Grave And as the Soul is sensible of a real Joy or Sorrow in Dreams and Visions So also in Death why may not it feel the same Seeing the Soul by its creative Imagination frames either an Heaven or Hell to it self and is really sensible thereof without the use of the material Organs while the Body is incapable of Sense in sleep or which is all one dead to the Natural Functions of the External Sensoriums So that it is very clear and plain against all Atheistical Deniers of the Souls Immortality even an Eternal Testimony for Gods being and the Souls everlasting abode either in Life or in feeling Deaths Property called Pain or Hell that there is no material thing that can hurt or afflict the Soul either in Sleep or Death but only its own Imagination or Turba which the Worm of the Soul causeth Thus in Dreams the Passion wherewith the Soul is affected seems a Shadow of a Fancy after waking So the matter of this outward World seems and is indeed nothing more than a Shadow in respect of the two Real Substantial Eternal Worlds For when this World was made or rather New-modelled or formed yet there was no new matter under the Eternal Sun §. 9. By Love's Passion AGain The Atheist objecteth The Irrational Animals dream as well as Man And therefore the Phantacy that fancieth Images in sleep is Temporary Answ In the Creation of the World there was no new thing done but what was done in the Eternal Mystery before in the Nonage of Time And all Created Beings will eternally abide in the Figure and Shadow Yet in the Stilness For when we say Beasts have no immortal Souls it must be meant they enter back again or downwards into the Root of their First Constitution That is Though they are now out of their first Order yet the Breach thereof shall not be imputed to them because it was not their Fault but Mans and they sprung forth each according to his kind or Eternal Property in the Seed of their Souls of Life so they shall be manifest Eternally in the same But the Atheist objecteth still That the Conceit of the Soul is very deceitful and as unconstant as Proteus For
thou goest §. 9. Phantasie inverted WHY saith my Objector This is a wonderful thing If this be the only Law and Right of Eternity And if God never eâ—acted any Counter-Law but only as a Penalty upon the breaking of this Law which cannot be altered What would the Soul have Or what would Mortal Man have to give himself rest For the End of all Motion is Rest And the End of all Travail is Refreshment the End of Longing is the Enjoyment of a thing Loved Answer Phantafie sorceth the Soul out of its natural Posture to work against the Hair And as the Ancient Proverb saith Love is Blind and that which is deformed seems fair in the Souls Eye And because God hath forbidden the Tree of Contrariety to be touched therefore Man hath a strong Fancy that there is some great Mystery in it And so like a Fool he comes to be governed by Fancy not considering there is no Smoak without Fire which not prevented his House may be burned But to clear the Mystery of this Subject still plainer to the Understanding It is well known where Fancy is strong the Author chooseth a Laborious Life while he enjoyeth a thing loved or fancied and feels not the Pain And prefers it before a Life of Pleasure without the Society of the Object his Love For he cannot enjoy Pleasure in Pleasure while the one thing fancied is withheld and kept back from him And the best thing being out of sight is out of Mind Now saith my Objector â— apprehend the Matter God who is a true Rest to the Soul offers a bitter Cup to the Soul saying Drink this first and thou shalt enjoy Eternal Pleasure And Lucifer presents Dishes pleasant to the Palate though bitter to the Belly God saith Come to me O all ye that labour and are heavy laden with Vanity and I will give you rest for my Yoke is easie and my Burden is Light But here is a Yoak of Burden of Affliction mentioned §. 10. Soul and Body must Sympathize ANswer I deny the Objection God commands the Soul to enjoy the Pleasure of Temporal as well as Eternal Life For the temperate Man hath a thousand times more Pleasure in Eating and Drinking then the Spewing Sick intoxicated Drunkard And as for the Yoak and Burden mentioned before the upright Soul counteth it no yoak of uneasiness For indeed it is not uneafie to any part but only the corrupted Fancy and the crooked Nature which judgeth the delightful way of Vertue to be irksome because unaccustomed thereunto For the Spirit of the Soul desires only his Right Object which if he obtains he lâ—ts the Soul enjoy Temporal Pleasure as he will out of what hath been said it is clear that it is not God fault that Man attains not the Fruition of his longing Desire and the Rest of his labouring Mind For like a Leech he chooseth to glut himself with the Blood of false Pleasure and then to spue up all again rather than to enjoy the true rest of his Mind in Contentment So Mans Ruine is of himself And the Soul sacrificing the Spirit as being the true Child in the Regeneration there are Drums and loud Musicks sounding to stop his Cries that the Voice of this Divine Complainer cannot be audible As thou knomest not the way of the Spirit or how the Bones do grow in the Womb of the Holy Pregnatress So thou knowest not the Work of God that makes all except thou be born of this Holy Seed And here also ariseth another Question how shall the Soul attain to satisfie his Longing and vehement Desire This is the Lesson which the whole World of Mankind are yet seeking to learn and for the most part learned as well as unlearned are stupid and dull in the comprehending of it because they would learn it the wrong way And God hath set the World in Mans Heart so that Man cannot find out the Work that God maketh from the beginning to the end of his Life without the Assistance and Revelation of the Spirit of the same God For first Man must by the Assistance of this spiritual Physitian cure the Distemper of his Soul and then he will love the thing enjoyned For what is the most pleasant Dainties in the World to an ill-prepared Stomack And also here also ariseth another great Question Is it possible for every Man born of a Woman to reach and attain to this Food or Fewel which he earnestly longs after Answer Though it hath been concluded by some pretended famous Divines that it is not possible for some who have been excluded by Gods predestinate Purpose who according to the Poet Inscripsere Deos sceleri numenque supernum Coede laboriferi credunt gaudere juvenci And though this Doctrine be horrid Blasphemy or Reproaching of God Yet I must be forced now to remit the Answer to another place CHAP. V. The Virgins Suit §. 1. Mans meet Help I The Preacher was Prince over the three Worlds in Eden I Preached the ancient Law in the Throne of Paradice And I gave my 〈◊〉 to seek and to search out by Wisdom concerning all things that are done under the Holy Heaven This sore Travel hath God given to the Sons of Men to be exercised therewith This sealed Book hath he given to Mankind to unclasp and to Read I have seen all the Labour and Travel and Work that are done under the lower Firmament And behold all is Vanity and Vexation of the pure Spirit of the Soul I communed with my own Heart saying Lo I am come to great Estate and have gotten more Wisdom then all the ancient Revolted Princes and â—ord Lucifer whâ— hath been Prince in Eden before me Yea my Heart had great Experience of Wisdom and Knowledge and I gave my Heart to know Wisdom and to know Madness and Folly by Reason whereof Lucifer lost his Throne I perceived also that this is a Vexation of the Holy Spirit For in mach Serpentine Wisdom and Subtilty is much grief And he that increaseth the Knowledge of good and evil in Opposition increaseth Sorrow as not practising what he knows And so all is Vanity whatever is a Vexation to the fair Virgins Spirit And promoteth not the mutual Joy of the Spirit of the Soul and the Divine Virgin or Humane Goddess And here lieth the great mistake of Mankind Folly is the grand Cause or rather a foolish Fancy of setting the Affection upon an Object Loved which cannot easily be withdrawn How is that Man will not love the fair Virgin whom God hath appointed for his Eternal Solace and Pleasure in the pure Paradise of undesiled Love and immaculate Chastity the tâ—ue Cause of Eternal Joy Now what is Joy but the Enjoyment of a thing loved and longed for But here lieth the great Error and here is Mans Misery he chooseth to eat and wipe his Mouth in a corner and to sit sotting over a Cup of Hellish Liquor in Private like a Fool or Self-conceited
Frantick or Parasite not considering that two are better then one Because they have a good Reward of their Labour For if they fall the one will lift up his Fellow But wo to him that is alone when he falleth into Misery For he hath not his Virgin to help him Speaking like a Guilty Sinner and if thou spare to speak thou 'lt spare to speed O Guilty Soul Again if two lye together in the Bed of Purity then they have heat But how can one be warm alone And if one prevail against him two shall withstand him But the threâ—fold Cord of God the Soul and â—is Virgin is not quickly broken Or else rather then Love the Virgin Man often chooseth to fall in love with Jezebel who will not love him again For as he proved cruel hard-hearted and cross to the fair Virgin that loved him for it is a sad thing that true love should ever be lost and it is a most sad thing to love and not to be loved again So he is men with and requited in his kind and shall never attain the thing loved and this is Mans wo There is no other Misery nor any other thing that will be cause of Pain nor any other cause of Anguish Horrour and Eternal Despair but only this which is because he slighted his own potentially-good Fortune whereof he will eternally Repent God never ordained muchless created and sramed Man to Eternal Perdition But Mans Destruction is of himself And observe this for a certain Truth Man hated God before God rejected Man §. 2. Virgin-Vertue HEre some one may Object that this Virgin is meaner and not of so excellent a Beauty as this Harlot is supposed to be Answ In no wise imagine so the sault lies in the blindness of the Lover This fair Virgin is most excellingly Beautiful both by innate Beauty and precious Ornaments wherewith her Mother attired her and dressed her up She is the Daughter of the Deity For an insinite number of Virgins flow from the Fountain of Divine Vertue and have been Eternally in Heaven and intended for Brides to the Humane Offspring There are threescore Queens and fourscore Concubines and Virgins without number but this Divine Virgin is born in Heaven and is in Heaven in perpetual Youth And for Man Souls-sake and to fulfil the Creators Will Woeth him appearing at times unto him with most glorious and serene Smiles and Speeches She is called by the Sirname of Fair Vertue or Divine Form She is far more Rich than the Soul More Fortunate More Potent More Noble More Beautiful More Wise More Sound then the Soul And yet she thinks it no disparagement to be espoused to Him If he would be but willing First she makes her Address to her Virgin-Mother and intreats her that she would grant her the favour of going out to see the Daughters of the Humane Land as rejoycing in the habitable Parts of it her delight also being also with the Sons of Men As one brought up with the Creator his duily delight rejoycing always before him Yes saith her Virgin-Mother Gods Eternal Bride Go I know thou wilt not suffer thy self to be defiled Choose whom thou likest if thou canst gain his Love and be espoused to him And when she hath pitched her Affections upon a Soul she returns back and shews him to her Mother and saith O dear Mother behold is a Child of Adam which pleaseth my Eye shall I have him for my Bridegroom Yes Win his Affections to thy self and be eternally united to him Then she useth all means to compass her ends First she endeavours to draw him by her looks And to ravish his Heart with her Eyes as with one of her Aspects And with one Chain of her Neck which her Virgin-Mother gave her My Beloved is like a Roe or a young Hart skipping upon the Greening Meadows Behold he standeth behind our Wall He looketh forth at the Windows shewing himself through the Casements of the Creation Then was I in his Eyes as one that found favour He looked again on me as if he esteemed my Beauty and counting me all fair as if no Spot were in me O then I was in great Hopes to attain nay Ends I was many times restless for by Night upon my Bed I oft thought upon him I sought him whom my Soul loveth I sought him but I found him not For sometimes I doubted whether he loved me as I loved him §. 3. The Beginnings of Grace I 'LL rise now said I and go about the Streets and in the Broad-ways and will count no Labour irksome to seek him whom my Soul loveth I sought him I went to Bed again I slept in the Platonick Silence but my Heart waked as in a Divine Dream it seemed as if the Voice of my Beloved knocking at the Door was calling me Saying open to me my Sister Gods Daughter my unspotted Dove For my Head is filled with Dew And my Looks with the drops of the Night of Anguish But me thought I answered in the Vision I have put off my Coat How shall I put it on now in the Cold I have washed my Feet in the pure Fountain how shall I desile them Then me thought my Beloved put his Hand in at the hole of the Door and then my Bowels were moved for him I rose up to open to my Beloved And my Divine Hands being perfumed with Myrrh and my â—ingers with Odours dropped Odoriserous Juice upon the Look of the Door I opened to my Beloved but my Beloved had withdrawn himself and was gore His Voice still me thought sounded in my Ears My Soul failed to think how pleasantly he spake I sought him but I could not find him I called him but he gave me no answer The Watchmen that went about the City met me to whom I said saw ye him whom â—y Soul loveth But instead of giving me an Answer and direâ—â—ing me they smote me and wounded me in the Dark The keepers of the Wall took mâ— Vail from me O! Angelical Daughters of the Coelestial City I charge you if you find my Beloved that ye tell him how I am sick of Love My Heart is filled with Perplexity and Sorrow I expected here no fatal stroke of Mortal Wound or Contagion of Disease In the Blessed Regions whence I came Death is Out lawed and Sin an Exile at least wise a Terrour only heard of by the Ear Pleasures are there boundless because unlimited to the Partakers For Excess and Intemperance are Strangers in our Courts Our Rural Fields are blessed with the beanteous Beams of the Orient Sun of Eternity who shines through the Casement of the New Creation And our Radiant Morning can scarce raise a blush before our Blessed Titan is ready to unvail his splendid Face § 4. The Excellency of Vertue WHy said the Coelestial Daughters art thou so concerned Why wouldâ—st thou leave so blessed an Habitation For whose sake hast thou undertaken this Travail and Trouble What is
and laies up or provides in the Summer against Winter And he is a Fool that will fare above his Purse to day and want to morrow and eats and drinks beyond the Power of Nature and thereby gets a Surfeit or Disease yet there is no need for Man to gather up more then needs seeing there be many things that increase Vanity and Emptiness and meer husks not proper Food for the Soul §. 2. Trust not in Vncertainties SOme may say Wisdom is good with an Inheritance and by it there is profit to them that shall see the Sun after him his Successors For Wisdom is a Desence And Money or Treasures being Price of necessary things is a defence against the Winter and Forreign-Invaders from Lucifers Dominion Answer The Covetous Man nourisheth an old grudge against God belike For he cannot trust God for Maintenance Though the right Frugal Man be a wise Man yet it is a folly for such a Man when he hath gathered sufficiency for himself to live in the right and natural order of Health and true Pleasure to torment himself too much in heaping up and gathering into a Bag with Holes for his supposed Successors Except he knew that his Successor who should enjoy the Fruit of his Labour would be a Wise Man That is One that will know how to manage those Treasures that are provided for him and fulfil the Proverb One Soweth and another Reapeth that both he that Soweth and he that Reapeth may rejoyce together in an holy Sport of Eternal Love in the Lord. But how can he tell that whether his Successor be a Wise Man or a Fool to whom he shall leave all his Labour What tho' Money or Treasures be a Defence yet the Excellency of Knowledge is that true Wisdom which knows how to use them giveth Eternal Life to them that have it that they may Eternally enjoy the Fruit of their Labour §. 3. The Law-givers Example I Was in Paradise chief Regent over the Essences and Animals in Eden when I dressed the fair Flower-producing Garden in the pure springing Odours and delightfulness of the Spiritual Sences When I made me pleasant Gardens I said in my heart Come on I 'll prove thee with Mirth Therefore enjoy Pleasure And behold if not managed with true Wisdom it is also Vanity I said of temporary laughter It is mad And of mutable mirth What doth it but presage a following fit of Sorrow I sought in mine heart to give my self unto the mirth of Coelestial Wine yet acquainting mine Heart with Wisdom and to lay hold on Folly if Folly were therein that I might see what was that Good for the Sons of Men my Brethren which they should do under their own Heaven all the Days of their Immortal Life I made me great Works in Eden I builded me Houses and many pleasant Maâ—sions in the Forest of Paradise I erected fair Bowers and recreative Walks and Galleries I planted me Vineyards where pure Grapes might be produced I made me fair Gardens and Orchards and I planted Trees in them of all kinds of Fruit pleasant to behold and good for the Everlasting Food of Man I made me Pools of Water to water therewith as with Coelestial Dew the Wood that bringeth forth Trees for my fair Building and for Food I gat me Servants Angel-Guardians and Maiden-Virgins And had Maidens born in my Coelestial House Also I had great possessions of all sorts of Animals which were brought to me to receive their Natural Names according to their genuine Nature and to be in Subjection to my Authority above all the Monarchs yea Lucifer himself that were in Eden before me I gathered me also Silver and Gold the Coelestial precious Metals and the peculiar Treasures of Kings and of Angelical Provinces and Hiâ—rarchies I got me Singers Virgin-Siâ—gers with their ravishing Voices â—he Delights of 〈◊〉 Sâ—ns of Men as Musical Instruments and that of all soâ—tâ— For the workmanship of my Tabrets of my Pipes inâ— Hâ—rps and Viols were prepared in me in the Day that I first appeared in Eden All precious Stones were my Covering and Ornament wherewith I walked up and down in Puriâ—y in the midst of the Siones of Fire §. 4. His Wisdom I Was the Anointed Cherub and God had set me so And so I was great and my Grandeur encreased more than all the Princes that were in Pardise in the Throne of the third World before me Also my true Wisdom remained with me And whatsoever my Eyes desired I kept not from them I with held not my Heart from any Joy For my Heart rejoyced in all my Labour And this was my Portion of all my Labour and Sport Then I looked on all the Works that my Hands had wrought and on the Labour that I had laboured to do And behold all seemed Vanity and Vexation of my Spirit and a wracking of the Spirit of my Successor Adam And there was like to be no profit to him under the Sun of his Third Principle And so I turned my self to behold Wisdom and Madness being a deprivation of the Heavenly Senses and Folly For what can the Man do that cometh after the Royal King of Eden Even that which hath already been That which was done by the holy Angels if he continue in my Wisdom Then I saw that Wisdom excelleth Folly as much as the Light of Heaven excelleth the dark and painful Fire of Hell The Wise Mans Eyes are in his Head and walketh by my Light but the Fool walketh in Darkness and will not bring his Deeds to my Light And yet I my self perceived also that one Event happeneth to them all §. 5. Travail appointed to Man THen said I in my Heart As it happeneth to the Fool so it happeneth even to me Then why was I more wise Then said I in my Heart That this is also Vanity Yea it is a miserable Lot that both the Fool and the Wise should become so subject to Vanity that they must both dye the Corporal Death And while they groan to be delivered from the Bondage of Corruption they must either beget a Child that will when this Corporal Death as pangs of a travailing Femaâ—e seizes upon them either comfort them concerning their Work Labour and Travail and the Toil of their Hands which God hath given to all the Sons of Men to be exercised therewith and concerning the Ground which the Lord hath Cursâ—d Or else they will Eternally remain in this Labour and Pangs and dye the Eternal Death with the imperfect Embryo in their Bellies and shall never be disburthened or cast out their Sorrows In the External World there is no remembrance of the Wise more than the Fool for ever Seeing that which is now in respect in the Days to come shall all be forgotten in the other World And all things are mutabâ—e And how dieth the wise Man As the Fool Therefore I hâ—ted the outward Life and the Life of the salse Birth Because the Work that
my Spice with my Myrrh I have prepared my Honey-comb with my Honey I have mingled my Wine with my Milk I nourish a Cow and two Sheep And for the abundance of pure Nectar that they supply me with I never want Soul-refreshment For Honey and Etherial Cream doth every one Eat that is left in this Land of Rest and such Food that is innocently prepared for the Everlasting health of the Soul I will treat thee with the Arabian Aroma's with the Oriental Gems the Palms of Asia the Wine of Pomegranates the American Pine-Apples the most delicious Cordials and the purest Elixir and Quintessential Vertues of Paradise How fair is thy Love my Sister my Spouse How much better is thy Love than Wine Honey and Milk are under thy Tongue and the smell of thy Garments like the odours of the Holy Groves §. 3. Full Assurance O Thou my Souls Joy my Virgin-Solace The smell of thy Vesture is like a fragrant flowering Meadow which the Lord hath Blessed Thy Lips O my Espoused Lady drop as the Honey-comb and the smell of thy Heavenly Ointment is more fragrant than all Spices Therefore come thou fair Object of my Love we will ascend to the Top of the Holy Mount where we shall have a prospect of the Holy Land There the floriferous Hills look big with innocent Flocks and the Fruit-bearing Vallies with lowing Herds supplying the Babes of the new Birth with sincere Milk The winged Aerials in the Vocal Forrests now turn Serenades And every flower and flourishing blossom in the florid Plains perfume the chast Air with most delicious Odorates The pretty Lambs true Pictures of innocent Recreation poor Animals skip upon the Mountains of Pleasure bleating in the Pastures of Purity But the boggy swamps and marishes are crowded with Amphibious Creatures with whom I care not to converse The Hares fly not here for fear For the ravenous Hound in this Countrey finds other Food suitable to his Palate Thy Plants O Divine Vertue are an Orchard of Pomegranates with pleasant Fruits of the Tree of Everlasting Life Saffron and Cinnamon with Frankincense This Fountain that watereth the knots of Paradise this Well-Spring of living Waters springing up in my Soul to Everlasting Life and the Eternal Satisfaction of my fiery chirst these Silver Streams that glide so softly and with their warbling sound and murmuring mâ—lody recreate my tired Pâ—ssion of Love These Rivulets which bound upon the Banks of Eden strewed with odoriferous Gaâ—lands of Prayers and Praises This Field of fair Flowers even all these shall be shut up and sealed to the use of the Divine Nature Let my Beloved kiss me said she with the kisses of his pure Mouth For his Love is better than the chearing Wine of Pomegranates Thy Lips O my Dear Spouse said he drop as with pure Manna Stay me with Flagons of blessed Nectar said she and comfort my Love passion with Pine-Apples of Eternal Life For I am now sick of Love §. 4. Perfect Liberty THen said he inspire the odours of thy Soul-ravishing Breath into my Mouth and Heart and let it eternally breath upon the Fire of Love in my Soul Yes said she I will be thy Eternal Satisfaction and Everlasting Refreshment to thy late-passionate Spirit Let thy left Hand be under my Head and let thy Right Hand of true Love embrace me for ever I will wipe away from thy Eyes all Tears of Sorrows over which thou didst swim as over an Ocean of despair to seek after me and find me to the Joy of thy Heart in this thy Rural Paradise the Suburbs of Heaven So naturally is Innocency planted here that nothing knows its Enemy because no Enemy to know Unity and Harmony are inseparable Companions And every Individuum knows no Argument but Love whose Law is alike forcible to others as the Law of Harmony is united in it self For nothing doth Sorrow nor can any thing grieve in as much as there is no cause of Suffering or desire of Revenge Of late I wished thou wert as a Brother that sucked my Virgin Mothers pure Breasts And now my wish is fulfilled When I should find thee without thy Shepherds Arbour or if I should light upon thee in thy late-forsaken pleasant walks I would be so familiar with thee that I would kiss thee and fill thy Soul with the Odoriferous Myrrh of my Holy Breath Yea now I know and am Confident I should not be despised I will lead and guide thee by the motions of my pure Spirit and by the Inspiration of my Vocal Gale into my Virgin Mothers House Into the Habitation of Gods Holy Bride She will instruct me how to please thee There I will cause thee in token of gratuity for all thy loving Kindnesses and Courtesies which thou hast shown unto thy endeared and faithful Spouse to drink and be refreshed with the spiced Wine which I prepared for thee and the pleasant Juice of my Pomegranate §. 5. Religious Vows I Remember thee and the kindness of thy Youth and the Love of thine espousal When thou wentest after me into the Wilderness into a Land that was not sown Behold thy Time is a Time of Love Behold O Virgin I will enter into Covenant with thee Then said I I am my beloveds and my beloved is mine and his desire is toward me I will anoint thee with Holy Oil I will cloath thee with broidered Work wrought by the Virgins of Heavens I will gird thee with the Linnen of Innocency and cover thee with the Silk of Sincerity I will deck thee with Angelical Ornaments I will put a beautiful Crown upon thy Head I will deck thee with Gold and Gems I will write thy Injuries upon the Dust And thy Kindnesses upon Eternal Marble Thou shalt eat with me in my Fathers Palace fine Flower Honey and Oil And thou shalt be exceeding beautiful and shalt prosper into a Kingdom and thy renown shall go forth among the Heathen for bravery For it shall be perfect and eminent through my comeliness which I will put on thee O Virgins behold the Shepherd behold the humane King go forth O ye Daughters of the Deity And behold him with the Crown wherewith his Mother Gods Eternal Bride crowned him in the Holy Day of his blessed Espousals and the gladness of his Heart for it is the best work that ever he did to make a Covenant and be betrothed to the Virgin fair Vertue if he do not break it Else it will be his Eternal Horrour and cause of Everlasting Repentance if he prove faithless Better it is he should not Vow unto me then Vow and not perform §. 6. Resolution I Gave my Royal Shepherd a Chariot of the Wood Lebanon i. e. white Moon In the Original it is Lebanah and signifies the white Moon of the Coelestial Forrest The Pillars were of Silver the Bottom of Gold the Canopy of Purple the midst thereof being paved with the Love of fair Vertue or pure Pleasure for the Divine
Daughters of the Holy City Now set me as a seal upon thine Heart As a Divine Stamp upon thine Arm Think upon me and the ways of Vertue as thou walkest in the way and as thou sittest and oestest and as thou risest up For my Love to the is as strong as Death My Jealousie will be cruel as the Grove it will devour the perjured Soul if thou prove false to thy Vow in Eternal Death But O God my Father may that never be For the coals of Jealousie are as coals of Eternal Fire which hath a most cruel Scorching Flame of Torment Many Waters of Sorrows cannot quench my Love to thee Neither can the Floods drown it Neither can the Rivers or Tears of a thousand Suitors and Rivals to thee stop the burning thereof If one should give all Substance of his House for my Love it would be utterly contemned And so if thou abusest me hereafter and runnest gadding in thy Mind after other Lovers though thou shouldst give all that thy Soul and Body are worth and all the Substance of thy House for the enjoyment of me the third time it will be utterly rejected and despised as a vain trifle Take notice of it And be true to me thy Spouse After this Day the Divine Damsels saw me and praised me with this Blessing Be thou Mother of thousands of Millions And the Author of a numberless number to People the Coelestial City by the new Regeneration And let thy Seed effess the Gates of Heaven which Lucifer lost Build thou the House of the Humane Off-spring Thou art our Sister Do thou worthily in Heaven and be thou famous in Paradise And this was the Contract that the Wedding must be solemnized in the preseâ—â—e of the King our Father on the Day of my Tridâ—grooms â—â—tting off his Earthly Tabernacle and Elementary Robe Now Happy is the Man that can arrive to the Haven of so great a Happiness as this so as to find Virgin Vertue God's most Beautiful Daughter called also pure Pleasure or Divine Delight of the Son of Man For her Priâ—e is far â—bove Râ—â—â—es §. 7. Seven-fold Vertue NOW these Coelestial Virgins are of different Degrees for some Vertues are predominant in these which are weak in those And yet all cloathed with the Garments of Unity 1. One is a good House-keeper and diligent as the Bee The Heart of her espoused doth safely trust in her So that he need fear no spoil She seeketh Flax and Wool she worketh willingly with her Hands She is like the Merchants Ships She bringeth her Food from a far She considereth a Field in fair Eden and buys it With the Fruit of her Hands she planteth a Vineyard of Refreshing Bowers She lays her Hands to the Distaff and her Candle goes not out in the Eternal Night She reacheth forth her Hands to the needy And all her houshold are cloathed with Scarlet She makes her self coverings of Tapestry Her Garments are Silk and Purple 2. Another is skilled by Divine Wisdom in playing upon Instruments of Musick She inventeth means for the Recreation of Humane Life She maketh Songs in the Praise of her Creator and Father The Workmanship of her Tabrets were prepared in her in the Day that she was Created whereby she chaseth the evil Spirit that troubleth the Humane Mind 3. A third by her Politick skill in Martial Discipline delivereth a besieged Microcosmical City surrounded by Lucifer and his Souldiers by causing one Man the Offender to dye whose Head shall be thrown over the Wall that the whole City perish not This is the anoynted Virago 4. Another is more beautiful and amiable in her Divine Form as cloathed with the Shape of God and bearing the very Picture of her Virgin-Mother in her Lovely Visage as they indeed all do but this in an especial Manner She is most meek and courteous in Carriage and Communication therefore the froward and grudge-bearing Sycophant shall never partake of her Love 5. Another is wise in true Wisdom and foretelleth of Evils which are like to befal a Humane Soul that is espoused to her if he observe the Divine Motion of her pure Gale in the â—ool of the blessed Day She reveals hidden Mysteries to the Humane Spirit that loveth her Thus though also she be acute and eloquent yet she is intirely Sincere This is the Angelical Philosopher and Prophetess 6. Another is sound and healthy and by that means hath skill in the Plant of Life and the Vertue thereof for the healing of Maladies in Humane Body and Soul This is the Coelestial Physitianess §. 8. Seven-fold Reward LAstly The most Noble is she whose Cloathing is Divine Honour and Magnanimity Majesty and an Heroick Greatness of Spirit is in her Countenance She is adorned with a generous Brightness and she shall rejoyce in time to come in Eternity and shine as the Celestial Star in the Holy World as being brighter than the rest as partaking more of the solar property She openeth her Mouth as one speaking with Authority yet in Modesty and Wisdom yea in her Tongue is the Law of Kindness Her Children in the new Birth arise up and call her Blessed Her Husband also he praiseth her Many Daughters have done Vertuously but thou excellest them all Tho' not equal with the Bride of the Anointed Champion the Sister and Friend of the Great Messias Fawning Favour is deceitful and counterfeit Beauty is vain but this Divine Virgin that obeyeth her Father shall be praised Give her of the Fruits of her Hands and let her own Works praise her in the Gates of Heaven Thus in particular Fair Vertue which is pure Pleasure of the Soul gives to the Soul that accepts of her according to the capacity of the Receiver 1. Treasures of Eternal Life 2. A Clue of Thread to direct Man out of the Labyrinth of false Pleasures and Sports 3. An Armour to resist Lucifer 4. Jewels and Ornaments 5. A Book of Prophecy compiled by the Prince of Philosophers and a new Name written therein 6. Food Bread and Wine without end proceeding from the Tree of Eternal Life 7. A Golden Scepter to rule over the adverse party Thus Man by accepting of a good Fortune proffered to him doth become Rich Sound Prosperous Wise Potent Fair and Noble and so preferred to an Heavenly Dignity and Office §. 9. Grace turned into Wantonness O Man therefore be not so self-conceited and obstinate Be not Osor Mulierum one that Disregards God and the Desire of Women Dan. 11.37 An Hater of the fair Virgin Be willing to enter into the holy Estate of Matrimony for to this thou art purposely born Else thy Soul if thou refuse will be left to be tormented by the Demons and thou wilt die the Eternal Death for Love of a Harlot whose Love thou shalt never enjoy If thou art in love with the fair Virgin have a care of abusing her and offering Violence to her by deflowring her Tho' thou indeed shalt never be able to
all for his good and everlasting welfare Oh saith she How long thou simple one wilt thou hate me and neglect thy own Mercy How long O scorner wilt thou scorn me Yea He was the first occasion which moved her to set her Affections upon him But it seems with an intent to mock and deceive her and make a May-game and Derision of her before his Jezebelish Companions Yet when she sees there is no Hope or Remedy for she resolves never to leave or forsake him while the least Oil capable of receiving the flame of Love remained in him And when she finds that his Mind is resolved another way then she considers with her self And mutteâ—ring saith Why do I pine and waste thus I do not profit at all to my self nor promote the means of regaining his Affections towards me I will again return to Paradise to my Mothers House even where I was raised up under the Tree of Life by the Fountains of Eden and where I was snatched away while I was securely gathering Flowers by the upper Springs of the Coelestial Groves and hurried away into this fair World There in Paradise I shall see my dear and heavenly Mother again and I will complain to her of my hard Fortune and dismal Fate the result of the unkindness of my late Lover There I will open my Mind in Sincerity to her Perhaps she will afford me some comfortable Advice Being come home her Virgin-Mother perceives by her looks that she has not sped well and saith unto her What 's the Matter with my sweet and dear Daughter Is this she who I thought was lost whose lovely Face I almost despaired ever to see again What have not things occurred well with thee Hast thou no Fellow-Traveller No Recreator of thy tedious long Journey What Come through such a terrible Wilderness alone What are those wounds on thy late beautiful Face How is thy fair Visage more marred than thy Sisters and thy form seems more disfigured than pretended Maids Oh dear Mother saith Virgin-Vertue many have been astonished at me My Virgin-Play-fellows did not know me It seems I have no Form nor Comeliness which Mans Soul can see in me no Beauty that he should desire me I am despised and rejected of my Companion I am a Virgin of sorrows and acquainted with Grief my Mate hath hid his Face from me I was dispised and be esteemed me not He looked on me as stricken smitten and forsaken of God And now who shall declare my Generation and the Children of my Womb Yet I have done no Violence neither was deceit found in my Mouth I was true to my Lover But he proved false to his late Companion in Tribulation I was deceived and inveigled into his Wiles by his fair Speeches He seemed to prosess great kindness at the first and drew me into his Nâ—t with smooth but deceitful Promises But now he hath utterly slighted me I received these Marks on the Palms of my Hands by the Malice and Treachery of his false Companions who drew my Lovers Heart from me and the Watchmen of the Night did smite and wound me Then do thou saith her Virgin-Mother slight him as much If he suffer his Eyes to be so blinded that he cannot see his own Good forsaking his own Mercy and the Day of his tender Visitations let him thank himself Choose another and let him go Be not so concerned my blessed Daughter the Child of my Womb Take Heart and raise thy drooping Mind out of the Grave of Despair §. 6. The Talent given to another WHY dost thou take on so Why art thou so affected with thy Sorrow Leave thy Sobbing Sigh no more Stay with me in thy Mothers House as a desolate Widow and she shall cherish thee with the Oil of Joy again And thou shalt again rejoyce in Eternity Come take a drop of this Coelestial Wine into thy fair Mouth it will chear thy dejected Heart and comfort thy pure and sincere Spirit And thou shalt have a sweet nap of refreshment upon my Breasts And when thou awakest this hard-hearted Beloved of thine will be cast out of the Church of thy Affections and committed to the Hell of Oblivion But saith Virgin-Vertue where are my dear Sisters Oh! saith God's Bride they all sympathize with thee and bemoan thy hard Hap and yet congratulate thy safe return from wandring in the wide Wilderness among wild Beasts Blessed art thou my Daughter that hast found thy Native Haven of the Holy Heaven again When she hath had the enjoyment of the sweet Society and Communication of her heavenly Friends a small Season she gradually receives Comfort and a Refreshment of pure rejoycing with a Divine Hallelâ—jah praising the Creator with Songs of Trinâ—ph in her Mouth that he hath delivered her from the Fury and Cruelty of her envious Rivals who laid wait for her Halting and looked for her Ruine Now I being weather beaten and having swum over an Ocean of bitter briny tears am now arrived at my fold of Everlasting Rest Her Virgin Mother saith O my Virgin-Danâ—hter thou shalt be yet in Love with a faithful Companion and divinely inamoured with one who will equally love thee again as thy loveliness deserves The next true Friend whom thou shalt shew kâ—nâ—ness to in a real Commiseration of their ruireable Condition shall resalute thee with an Answer of 〈◊〉 kindness neither will it ever enter into his Heart to receive thee when he shall be espoused to thee with whom thou shalt Eternall abide in the and undefiled â—â—ed of Eternal Joy At this her Virgin Sisters come forth out of a retired Room or Closet in Heaven saying O is this our Sister marked with the Scars of an unfortunate War in the Fields of crossed and unfaithful Love Alas for thee our dear Sister I am black O ye Daughters of the Holy City and Swarthy and my former Comeliness can scarce be perceived Look not upon me because I am Black because my Skin was become Tawny in the parched Wilderness Because the scorching Sun of deceitful Lust and false Love hath looked upon me and sought to infect me My Mothers Stepsons were angry with me They made me the Keeper of their Vineyards I waited upon them in their Superfluiâ—ies and Pleasures and would faintaste of the Gleanings and the Grapes that they refused And so mine own Vineyard I have not kest and now you see my beautiful Flowers are laid in the Dust Alas for thee say they Alas and well a day We have a little Sister and she hath no Breasts she seems to be Eternally Barren and incapable of propagating her Divine Species according to the Creators Law O what shall we do for our Sister in the Day that she shall be spoken for and invited to the great Wedding-Dinner If she be a Wall of Defence against impure Loâ—ers we will build upon her a Palace of Silver which shall be as a Golden Temple of Gladness to entertain her Noble Beloved And
if she be a Door of Invitation we will enclose her with boards of Coelestial Caedar to receive her saithful Shepherd in her Holy Habitation and Tent of Contentment under the Trees of Eternal Life §. 7. The Soul's Anguish THus as it happened to the Fool that is in Labour and Travail to obtain his false Delilah So it happened to this fair Virgin But they shall not have the same Catastrophe in the end of the Act or Play For they shall dye in a different manner which when they shall have sacrificed their Souls devoted to the service of their Lovers The one shall dye to his Condemnation The other to the Resurrection of Everlasting Life and Joy Now the Soul that slighted this fair Virgin being deceived by a blind Fancy of false Passion forsakes her for ever and falls in love with an unworthy Harlot far inferiour to himself and his nobility whereby he degenerates into a bestial State by a Soul-Transmigration Verifying the Proverb Pares cum paribus facillimè Congregantur And this Delilah only plays the Fool with him to sport her self and make a Mock play of him with her Companions and her fellow-Harlots And will not Love him again as he Loves her It is hard to rob a Thieves House And so he becomes a Vagabond and Fugitive upon the Earth and Eternally seeks after her but can never obtain her Love And though perhaps he may so far prevail with her as to have the favour of defiling her in the Bed of obscene wantonness yet that is only to give him a Taint of her Infection which will Eternally burn in and wast his griping Bowels And this is a Description of Mans Hell almost without a Metephor viz. A Separation of the Soul from God his desired Object in his dying Hour and last Minutes when he finds himself by Reason of a wilful and continued course in deadly Sins excluded the Enjoyment of Heaven nor can he lay any claim to the Benefit of the Sacrifice having shut himself out by false Lust falling in Love and being inamoured with a blind Passion A false Delilah having had the Flower of his youthful Love he is no more for her turn And so to speak in a similitude Mans Soul shall be confined to an Eternal Wilderness So that it is very clearly understood how the labour of the foolish Souls will weary every one of them because they know not the way to go to the City of mutual Love and Solace All which ways leads him to endless Sorrow and Miseries being the effects of Sin which confine him to an un-openable Prison in which he shall feel within him a Fire of Eternal Pain and aking of his Mind whereby his Heart shall burst in pieces and yet remain whole by renewing it to endure a fresh wracking Torment in the Grim Life §. 8. The Soul's Despair ANd all this because he would not allow the right Spirit of the Soul the thing that he earnestly begged and cryed after Yea he shall as through a Goal-Grate at times behold this Harlor who was the occasion of his Misery mocking him and saying O Fool now pay Eternally for thy Folly in believing me Now eat thy sower Sawce after thy sweet Meat Also he shall see Heaven above him by looking at times beyond the great Gulf and he shall to his Repentance ever to be repented and to his Grief never to be expiated at times espy his once fair Virgin whom he might have Eternally enjoyed to his unspeakable Solace and mutual Refreshment for she was if he had not undone the knot of true Love his own proper Right by the Law of Eternity And because he refused her there must be a Transmigration of Souls and out of his Ashes must spring another who will gladly step into his Throne and Love his Virgin who never was defiled And this his Rival-Successor he shall look at with an envious Eye embracing his Virgin who is now become his Rivals own by the unalterable Law of the Deity Thus this spiritual Adulterer shall see his Late Virgin in the dear Arms of another but he shall never in Eternity receive so much as one smile nor so much as one of her looks to refresh him wherewith his Heart used lately to be ravished Instead of this he shall Conceit she frowns upon him tho' indeed her Nature is ignorant of the manner of frowning And so shall feel intolerable Pain and Griping in his Conscience which is a difference or Combustion between the Soul and Spirit of the Soul because he hath foolishly squandred away his fair Virgious Gifts and scorned or refused a good or blessed Fortune which the Creator had appointed him And upon the Monument set over his Hâ—llish Grave shall be this Epitaph engraved Here lies the cursed Ashes the Object of Scorn once the Seat of the Fire of pure Love who deceived his own Soul like a Fool and now suffers the Punishment of his own procuring and burns in the Fire of his own kindling Therefore O Man have a Care defraud not the pure Mind of the true Pleasure it earnestly cryeth longeth and panteth after or of the Virgin it laboureth and travails for think not that it will be put off with Foperies and shammed with Toys of Vanity or lusled asleep by a Song of Vanity If it be cast by some Soporiferous Poyson into Sleep yet it will again awake to thy Condemnation And will never cease craving for the right Food that is proper for his Eternaâ— Health and Life and will by his Officer Scourge and Torment thee till he obtain his Desire §. 9. Late Repentance THerefore spend not thy Money for that which is not Right Bread nor thy Labour for that which profiteth not the Spirit of the Soul For I say again he will not be cheated For when the Body comes to drop as a Leaf from the Tree of the Soul to the Grave Death will by no means in the World by no fair Speeches be bribed to put off the time when the forcible Wind is sent to blow it down When the guilty Sinner sees that Death will not be put off then he endeavours to bribe the Souls Spirit and to speak him fair saying O be reconciled to me in my extremity The Soul's Spirit saith Fly hence thy House doth Crack it falls Get under Ground for safer Walls The Soul answers Oh but give me a token of thy savour before the thread of my Life be cut off by the Sword of the Cherub I have done brave Exploits for thee in former days O saith the Spirit so Lucifer's Cities were once famous where Satyrs now dance and doleful Birds howl No I will never be reconciled in Eternity to thee The time is past Where was this desire of Reconcilement before when I was willing to keep peace with thee on condition I should have my will and the end of my longing which once was easily attainable But now thou art wise too late O but saith the Soul
the Wise and their Works are in the hand of God and weighed in the Ballance of Equity No Man knoweth either Love or Hatred Joy or Sorrow and how it will be in the other World by all that is before him in this World All things come alike to all There is one Event to the Righteous and to the Wicked God maketh the Sun and Rain to come upon the Just and Unjust His Divine Sun enlightens every one that comes into this World both the Clean and the Vnclean Him that sacrificeth his Lusts and him that sacrificeth not Him that sweareth to Gods Covenant and him that fears the Oath of Divine Allegiance and him that forswearâ—s it This seems an evil among all things that are done under the Sun that there is one Event unto all Yea also the Heart of the Sons of Men is full of Evil and Madness is in their Heart while they live and after that they go to the Dead For to him that is joyned to all the Living in the holy World there is hope in this Life-time for a living Dog which may be cultivated by degrees is better than a dead Lion And the Living know that they shall dye the Eternal Death if they cut themselves off from the Root But the Dead who die the second death know not anything at all but only pain neither have they any more a reward from God for the memory of them when the Days of Mourning shall be past is for ever forgotten Also their Love and their Hatred and their Envy is so perished that it can never hurt any of the Celestial Incolists Neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the Sun of their Eternity in the dark Center of their Abyss §. 10. All alike Relieved by a Poor Wise Man SO I returned and saw under the clear Sun of Divine Light that the Race is not always to the Swift nor the Battel to the Strong nor yet Bread to the Skilful Tiller of the harsh Earth nor yet Favour to Men of Skill But Time and Chance happeneth to them all and a wise Man discerneth both Time and Judgment But a wise Man also knows not his time As the Fishes that are taken in an evil Net and as the Birds that are caught in the Snare so are the Sons of Men snared in an evil time or Unlucky Hour of the Enemies temptation when it falleth suddenly upon them and that for want of Divine Skill and Wisdom with which whoever is endued he cannot be cheated This wisdom also have I seen under the Sun and it seemed great unto me There was a little Microcosmick City and few skilful Soldiers within it And there came a great King against it and by Authority from Luciscer besieged it and built great Bulwarks against it Now there was found in it a poor contemptible wise Man and he by his Wisdom delivered the City by giving his Life for the Inhabitants Yet no Man remembred that same poor servile Man Then said I Wisdom is better than strength nevertheless the poor Mans Wisdom is despised and his words are not heard The Words of the Wise are heard in quiet as a still pure Voice more than the cry of a King that ruleth among Fools and his losty loud words in the streets of Confusion Wisdom is better than Weapons of War But one sin ful Affection destroyeth much Good and by its jarring spoils the still Harmony in the Humane Harp even as one scabbed Sheep infects the whole Flock CHAP. II. The Souls Longing § 1. Crying Give Give VAnity of Vanities faith the Soul's Spirit All extern Objects are a vexation of my Spirit Now O Man saith the Eternal Preacher of the holy Gospel Knowest thou what thy Soul and what the Spirit of thy Soul is The Soul is a dry Hunger It is a longing Anguish It is a Fire without Fewel Lay thy hand upon thy Brest and feel thy own Root the Heart and then tell me dost thou feel no panting there No Breathing or Longing there No Hungring nor Thirsting there Art thou sensible of no Labour and Travail there No restless and incessant Crying there Crying Give give O give me that which I labour for O give me that which I seek after Even as every thing would fain live so would I Thou wilt say That 's the throboing and motion of the Heart and Pulses proceeding from the Vital Spirit Tho' that be true yet Life and Sense in Man are rooted in the Abyss of the Source of Eternal Joy and Delightful Affection of a thing Loved And that is the Soul who cries in the Gate of Mans Pallace Give me some Food true Food for me § 2. Seven-fold Craving O Saith the Spirit of the Soul Pity me my dear Soul O pity a poor Prisoner Bring me out of this Dungeon of Confinement enlarge my Habitation that I may find my late home again and solace my hankering eager Mind with my own dear Family and Relations Oh have pity upon a poor Beggar Give me a little Food to satisfie a hungry craving Soul O give me a little Water out of the Living Fountain to quench the great thirst and furious fire of my Passion O have compassion upon a poor Pilgrim shew me the way to a quiet lodge of Repose I want the shadow of a great Rock in this weary Land I cannot take a Nap of sweet sleep and refreshment in this parched Heath Here is no spreading Elm nor Beech nor Fountain of Chrystal Streams no warbling River beside which I may take my rest to recreate my languishing and tired Spirits O come dear Shepherd to seek thy roving Sheep Call me again with thy Melodious Shepherds Pipe I listen at times to hear it but cannot I dare not bleat my self lest the Wolves hear me O come blessed Shepherd and stand upon a high place where thy Voice may be audible Come skipping upon these Mountains and leaping upon the Hills of my wandring Mind For I am quite â—â—â—ed in this tedious Wilderness O give Rest to my travailing weary Spirit O this is not my Rest O somebody have mercy upon a distracted Innocent condemned by false Witnesses to be confined as in Bedlam I cannot set my heart at rest because of a pannick Fear that seizeth upon me Oppression makes a wise Man mad and besides himself O some Skilful Musician come and refresh my Senses and self-afflicting Conscience with the Har mony of the holy Gospel and the Melody of the blessed Tidings of Everlasting Serenity O who will pity a poor wounded and sick Person Give me some heavenly Balm or Cordial to heal my heavy heart and to slop the raging of my Sore and the swelling of my furious Agony Break the sence that separates me from my desired Object O shew mercy to a poor naked Person O I have been stripped naked in a Wilderness by Thieves and Murderers they have whipped me and smote me with sore Boils all over As
is wrought under the Sun of Vanity is grievous unto me For all is Vanity and Vexation of the pure Spirit of the Soul Yea I hated all my Labour which I had taken under the Tempoâ—al Sun because I should leave it unto the External Man who shall supply my Place in Eden And who knows whether he shall be a Wise Man or a Fool â—â—t shall he have Rule over all my Labour wherein I have laboured and wherein I have shewed my self wise under both Suns This is also the Vanity of mutable and fading things §. 6. Christs Sorrows THerefore I went about to despair of all the Labour which I took under the Sun of Muâ—ability For there is a Divine Man whose Labour is in Wisdom and in Knowledge and in Equity Yet to an Earthly Man that hath not laboured therein shall he leave it for his Portion This is also Vanity and a great Evil Yea it is a great piece of Injustice and Abuse of the Kindness of the Divine Man who undertâ—ok all this Travail for the sake of the Earthly For what hath the Divine Mâ—n of all hit Labour and of the Vexation of his Hearâ— wherein he hath laboured under the Sun For all his Days are Sorrows and his Travel Grief And he is a Man of Afflictiâ—ns and acquainted with Vexaâ—ions yea his Heart taketh not Rest in the Night of his Anguish which he feeleth in his continual waiting upon his Companion for his Companions sake And what Thanks hath he What return of an Acknowledgment of his Love hath he from many a Man but to add Affliction to his Sorrow This is also Vanity or rather a great Cruelty which will be imputed to such ingrateful Men. The time will come that all the Days of their Eternity shall be Sorow and their Travail endless Grief weeping and gnashing of Teeth Their Hearts shall never take a sweet Repose and Rest in the Night of their Wo because of their Worm which will Everlastingly gnaw them like a Fury in the Conscience §. 7. Mans Ignorance NAy Let such cruel Men use all the Skill they can in this World yet they shall not prosper The Race is not to them be they never so Swift The Battel is not to them be they never so Strong But they will be taken at last by more subtile Powers in an evil time as Animals in a Snare And so become subject to Fate or Fortune as passing by and slighting the good Fortune which God hath appointed for them And Fortune being now their Goddess Ruleth and Governeth them making Sport with them just as rude Boys make sport with any thing that they can master when they go about to kill it and put it to as much pain as they can Thus we see a good or bad Fortune happens to all Good Fortune is called the Mind or Astrum of the Deity And according as Mans Manners be here such a God he will have to sport with him either in anger or in Love in the other World O Man heware here Thus for want of Divine Skill in the super-coelâ—stial Astrology of discerning the true Time and good Fortune which God hath appointed for every Man that comes into this World the Misery of many a Man is great upon him and he becomes most wretched and cast into an Eternal Hell Hell What 's that An inward â—iâ—e and I orment in the Bowels puâ—â—ing him to an unspeakable Pain because a good Foâ—tâ—â—e oâ— Conciâ—ion of Serenity and Satisfaction once proferâ—d unto Man was neglected or slighted Fâ—r if the 〈◊〉 Liâ—â—t or Candle had not come to direct them iâ—to tâ—e â—ay out of Blindness and Ignoraâ—ce theâ—e could â—e no Hell And if a good Foâ—tune had not been appointed for every Man there could be no Vexation of Spirit or Torment for the loss of that which was impossible to be obtained But now because his place in Heaven stands empty there 's his Hell and there 's his Wo. Man also by his wilful Blindness stands in his own Light and becometh more ignorant still while he will not use his Wit and Skill with all his Might to do whatever the hand of his Power sinds to do by Divine Assistance and the helping hand of God reached forth in mercy to him in order to his future well-being and everlasting happy Estate For also he loseth his Senses and Reason and knows not so much as how to distinguish the true Form of Propâ—rties from the false by the Skill of Divine Logick which is infused into every Man if he be a Man Nay he knows not the FORM of his own Soul viz. God He understands not what God in the Abstract is viz The Pure Nature shining in the Soul But he seeks to find him in the Concrete and cannot reach him As the Philosopher said Whoever seeth God seeth nothing diverse or heterogeneous from himself Further Ignorant Man knows not how to give a Species its right Genus He makes Fleshly Pleasure to depend on the pure Nature And therein the grosly Mistakes as in many other things too tedious here to enumerate §. 8. And Mortaliâ—y ANother Folly is to do that first which should be done last To do that to Excess which should be confined to a Mean For in Musick the Mean is the sweetest Note To take care for a temporal before an Eternal Inheritance is a like folly For Pleasure I mean temporal Joy is not Sin but the manner of using it in a wrong way and manner makes it a sin and a breach of the Antient Order Then let us not rank the Excess of Vertue in the Predicament of Vice Thus Man because he will not give to his Soul the thing that he craves after makes his Soul an Eternal Beggar or Craver and yet shall never procure the thing craved Here 's the Wo Here is the Misery Here 's the Hell Wo to thee O Humane Land when thy King is a Beggar and an ignorant Child And thy Princes eating in the Morning of their Eternity devour all and are in want when the time of Hunger comes But blessed art thou O Microcâ—smical City when thy King is the Son of the Noble Deity and thy Princes eat of the Tree of Life in due Season for their Eternal Health and Joy of their Everlasting Lives Blessed art thou O Immortal Man that Livest for ever in this pure Life But cursed for ever art thou O Immortal Man that choosest to dâ—e or to be for ever feeling Death's Property which is Eternal Pain This therefore in short is the sum of this Eternal Law Eat not of Poyson where Two Properties strive for Mastery Lut feed on the Tree of the Joyous Life O Man King live for ever Eat drink and make thy self morry in the Divine Sport And satisfie thy Mind 〈◊〉 Eternal Delights for there is no Pleasure after the 〈◊〉 Death which is a Living Death and an Eternally Dying-Life No Wisdom nor Skill to sind this Life in the Crave of Anguish whither
make her comply to thy false Will Yet thy evil attempt before the Wedding which is the Day of the Fall of the outward Body will make thee guilty of her departure and the fault shall Eternally lie at thy Door Do not thou like a Vagabond combine to put a trick upon the Virgin thy Spouse and to murder thy dear Companioness If thou dost be sure the Murder will come to light for she will rise again to judge you both Be not hasâ—y in thy Choice lest thou do that in a day or unlucky hour which cannot be undone in an Age of Eternity But some may say Nature seems cruel in this That a fair young Man the Soul cannot dart his Eyes upon a supposed Beauty without great peril of being wounded himself Answ Leave the Cross and lose the Crown The youthful Soul who formerly took pleasure in Exploits and brave Actions is now turned devout and become a Zealous and Religious Votary to some Feminine Beauty O humane Soul beware of Idolatry As Christ descended into Hell so must the Soul of Man too That is if he finds himself unworthy of all comfort in this World and if things should fall cross with him in outward things and iâ— he should become the scorn of Devils yet he esteems it all just and according to his Desâ—rts so he obtains the Favour of God and the Virgin again He must deâ—cond into the Infernal Shadows to seek and fetch her home again §. 10. By Double-Heartedness HE that keeps not the Virgins Love for Love-sake but supposeâ—h he hath it for a Reward to him it is most grievous and he desires to be soon rid of it and this is the Property of every Hireling to desire and wish an End of his Toil. Whereas a true Lover thinks no Pains Labour or Time too much and grievous so he may but retain his love If Vertue could be seen by Men in her own Natural Beauty Naked said the Philosopher Men would be wonderfully in love with her But the Soul suspects the Virgins Purity thinking to find the same impure lasciviousness in her which he finds in himself Another would willingly enjoâ— both He loves the Virgin a little and Jezebel a little But the Virgin never appears in the Society of the incestuous Strumpet And that is the Reason that the Soul often longs after her and fetcheth many a deep sigh for her when in the midst of vain Mirth and Laughter the Heart is sad and heavy Tho'at long run the Soul becomes tinctured by a false Ferment bâ— the Whores Society Also if the Virgin should appear in the House of this Trull all the Ravenous Birds would have a peck at her And that is the Reason when any goes to the House of Feasting on vain and counterfeit Food he cannot hear the Voice of Wisdom as Christs Voice could not Eccho forth to the Questions of them that envied him at his Examination For two Contraries cannot be of equal Authority at one and the same time in the same Subject CHAP. VIII The Virgins Farewel §. 1. Beware of Falling from Grace GIve not thy Honour thy honourable Soul to another Nor thy Eternal years unto the Cruel Lest Strangers be filled with thy Wealth and thy Labours be in the House of thine Enemies And lest the Jewels of the Virgin which she gave thee be ridiculed by them that emulate her happiness And thou mourn at the last when thy flesh is consumed in the Grave of Despair and say O now I wonder that I could not esteem her How was I such a Fool as to despise the Instruction of my Virgin Ah! What did I call her MY Virgin She is not mine but she was mine O that I could say she never was so now But there is my Eternal Hell Because I crossed the Mind of my Creator who appointed her to be mine But I appointed her Enemy for my everlasting Companion who will not lead a loving Life with me but torment me with the Snake-like Scourges of her Scorpion Furies Now observe here is the crossing of the Eternal Fancy of the Soul if thou call it a Phantasie the Spirit of the Soul must have his Will his desired Object the Virgin Or he will die and that Eternally And the false Mind will enjoy Jezabel the Object of his Love or he will also dye the Eternal Death And so Man lies in a great strait as compassed about with Nets on every side And there is no way to escape the Gulf but by being faithful to his Virgin For tho' Man prove faithful to the said Humane Sorceress yet she will not be true to him but will play the Harlot and defile his Bed in Eternity Therefore O Man poor Wretch consider thy self here Drink Water out of thine own Cistern And running Waters of Eternal Pleasures out of thine own undefiled Virgin Well Let thy Holy Fountain be blessed everlastingly and Rejoyce with the beautiful Maid ef thy ever-flourishing Youth Let her be as the loving Hind and pleasant Roe and let her Breasts satisfie and refresh thee at all times And be thou ravished world without end with her chaste love And why wilt thou be ravished with a strange Woman and embrace the Bosom of a Whore that is common to the evil Demons who will not love the again in truth Go then thy way from this Trull Eat thy Bread of Life in Joy and drink thy heart-chearing Wine of eternal Beatitude with a merry heart For God now if thou art true to his Virgin-Daughter accepteth thy Works For this is the Antepast of Heaven Let thy Garments be always pure clean and white and let thy Head blessed by thy Virgin-Mother lack no Ointment of heavenly Oyl Live joyfully with thy Espoused Virgin whom thou lovest all the days of the Life of thy Vanity which God hath given under the Sun all the days of thy temporal Vanity for that is thy Portion in this Life to thy Labour which thou takest under the Sun of Time and that only is the end of thy Travail and the final Cause of thy Journey which to perform necessity is laid upon thee by the Creator He sets thee upon this Work and Labour to see whether thou wilt love his Virgin-Daughter by the Light of the Sun and not suffer thy self to be blinded by not looking for true Light in the Virgins Face and so be dazled and struck blind for love of an unworthy Guest at her seeming Beauty §. 2. Or there is no third Recovery SIn not against the Virgins holy Spirit for thy Sin will never be forgiven If thou prove faithful to the Virgin here under the Sun of her Light which is pure thou shalt Eternally enjoy her pleasant Aspects and Smiles and loving Communications under the Sun of an ever-shining Light in Heaven Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do in reference to the Nods and Pointings of the Virgin do it with thy might For there is no Work nor Device nor Knowledge nor