light from the new-birth of Christ in the heart which comforts it in its forsaken condition and helps to nourish and cherish it and tells it that it shall not dye but become a great Nation but not in its innate and inbred heritage viz. in the evill Selfe-will but in Beer-sheba that is in the true Contrition in the wilderness viz. in the valley of teares in the desertion that is the poor nature must work in this forsakenness and in its present banishment and exile from the sensible and full enjoyment of Paradise bring forth much fruit which fruit the Angel brings again into Abrahams Tent to be a sojourner of Christ. 13. That is we must understand when Christ is born in man he rejecteth the vanity of nature with the will which worketh and desireth vanity and maketh the naturall will to be Servant whereas before it was Lord and Master but Nature standeth in the wilderness in the vanity of death encompassed with Sin and now it must work and bring forth fruit and yet it looketh upon it selfe as wholly impotent and as one wholly cast out from the inward spirituall will of Christ and in it selfe it seems as one foolish and contemned of the world and every way beaten off from its own will and then it begins even to sinck and quail in it selfe and to leave off from its own will and all things are of small esteem with it That which before did rejoyce it that now is against it and it stands allwaies as if it should dye it hopeth and doubteth that is it hopeth amendment that it might yet once be delivered from the scornfull contempt and be set again into the honour of its selfehood but it dryeth up also it s well of water and Gods anger appears in its sight that is all its friends depart from it with whom before in its Temporall goods and prosperity it had pleasure respect and honour so that it looks upon it selfe as continually a dying 14. And when this comes to passe then it is right in the way to Beer-sheba and wandreth in the wilderness for it knowes not what it shall do it is every ones scorn whatsoever it lookes upon rebukes it for a fool in that its power is taken from it that it must now forgo the beauty riches and honour of the world and all whatsoever might advance and preferre it in Temporalls and yet it would fain have them but yet it is drawn from them by the inward man in Christs spirit and * * * Blamed or upbraided reproved in these Temporalls for unrighteous and abominable 15. And then indeed it enters right into Beer-sheba viz. into the Contrition of the heart and setts reason by the empty water-pott of Hagar and goeth a stones cast from its Son Ismael viz. from the own desire of nature and stands and compells also the thoughts of nature and will not give any thing any longer to its own children viz. to the Sences and cogitations of the minde but casteth them away as children that now must dye a stones cast that is a while from it selfe that it might not see the death of its children so wholly doth Hagar viz. the nature with its Son give up it selfe to the minde for the mortification of the selfehood of the own will sits also and mournes in it selfe in Beer-sheba viz. in the broken and contrite heart and wholly despairs of its Reason would fain dye that it might be but freed from the miserable forlorn condition 16. And then when it is thus prepared that it quite despairs of its Selfe gives up it selfe wholly into the death of selfehood then cometh the Angel of God to Hagar that is to the poor forsaken and dying nature and saith What aileth thee Hagar God hath heard the voice of the Lad where he lyeth arise take up the Lad and hold him in thy hand for I will make him a great Nation and then God openeth the eyes of Hagar viz. of nature and shee sees a well of water and then filleth her bottle with water and gives the Lad drink who growes in the desart and is a good Archer and dwels even in the wilderness of Paran and must take an Egyptian wife The inward exceeding pretious and worthy figure of this stands thus 17. When man hath put on Christ in Faith and is entered into right true Repentance and hath in his minde forsaken the whole world even all its honour goods and things temporall then the poor nature of man doth thus stand in the mortification of selfe as is above-mentioned concerning Hagar and her Son for it desireth also to dye even to the Senses and cogitations of the minde and to enter wholly into Resignation 18. And when it stands thus in the thoughts of death having given up its will and cogitations into mortification then the inward Voice of Gods Word manifests it selfe in the Minde and * * * Thoughts meditations Senses and even there the divine word heareth the voyce of the childs crying viz. the troubled disconsolate Minde in its * * * Cogitations meditations thoughts for it soundeth therein in the divine voice and saith in the divine voice to nature viz. to Hagar What aileth thee thou troubled and perplexed nature fear not God hath heard the voice of the Lad viz. of thy thoughts which thou hast offered up in the desire to God Arise that is lift up thy selfe to God in this resignation and stand up in the voice which hath gratiously heard thee and looked upon thee and take thy cogitations viz. thy Son by the hand of faith and guide and govern the powers of the Minde they shall not dye but live and go for I will make them a great Nation that is to a great divine understanding and capacity in divine Mysteries and God openeth unto nature the fountain of living water so that it receiveth into the Bottle of its essence in it selfe of Gods well-spring and therewith it gives the Lad viz. the Sences or powers of the minde drink 19. And then God is with this Lad of the Thoughts and he groweth great in the wilderness that is in the corrupt nature the right discreet and intellectuall child groweth great in the Spirit of the Lord and becomes an Archer that is an Archer of the Lord and his brethren who shootes the Birdes of prey and the wild Beasts understand he shooteth down out of his Spirit the evill beasts and birds in his brethren with the holy Spirit he teacheth them and reproveth them with divine Arrowes 20. But he must dwell in the wilderness of Paran viz. in the corrupt flesh and in the wilderness amongst ungodly People and there he must be an Archer of God and his Mother viz. nature gives him an Egyptian woman that is nature layeth a fleshly woman by the noble Minde born in Christs Spirit with which the noble new-born Minde must sit in wedlock and be plagued with this Idolatrous fleshly
spake unto mee and swear also unto mee saying unto thy Seed I will give this Land he shall send his Angel before thee and thou shalt there take a wife unto my Son but if the woman will not follow thee then thou art clear from the Oath onely bring not my Son thither again and then the Servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his Master and sware unto him concerning this matter 9. The inward meaning is thus God saith to his Officer Nature have a care that thou dost not go according to thy Reason and conceive another will and bring my holy Ens again thither from whence it is come for it must dwell in man The God of heaven who hath taken the humane Ens from the Eternall word from his Eternall native Countrey which is the house of the Eternall Father who hath promised man the Land of Canaan according to the Paradisicall property and moreover hath Sworn to him he shall send his Angel before thee that so thou maist take a wife unto my Son there even where the Angel viz. the divine will shall guide and direct thee that is when God will betroth and binde himselfe with his Word and Power in his children with an Eternall Marriage then he sendeth his Angel before viz. his will into the humane Ens that the same doth convert and turn it selfe to God 10. The nature of the minde must not in its will of Reason take upon it to Lord and Master it and doubt at what God will do when the office or charge of a Servant is laid upon it it must not make it selfe its Looking-glasse and doubt when it seeth that the Soul lyeth captivated in the Ens of the Serpent it must not thinke with it selfe I shall not heere arrive with a prosperous success with my divine Message but it must leave that to God and discharge its Message according to Gods command and commit it to God how he will bring the woman viz. the humane spirit and betroth and joyn it with the Son Isaac that is with Christ in the divine Ens. 11. But if the woman will not follow thee then thou art clear of the Oath that is if the humane will when I send my will before thee in man will not follow thee then the Messenger viz. Gods Officer with the Sent heavens-Ens is clear onely bring not my Son thither again that is bring not the heavenly Ens again into that Essence out of which it is come but stand still therewith and hear whereunto God shall direct and incline thee for the Rain from heaven shall not ascend up again empty without fruit so likewise Gods Word and Command shall not return home empty but work and bring forth fruit in its formed wisdome 12. If one man will not then the same word falls upon another which is capable of it therefore nature viz. the Messenger Officer Advocate or Petitioner of the heavenly Message must not bring the word with the divine Ens back again into that place viz. into the inward divine voice for what God once speaketh forth by his Word in Power that shall and must stand in a divine form to the divine Contemplation Nature must go forward as a Messenger his way and declare that the Lord hath given Isaac all his Goods that is he hath given to Christ all his Goods and desires now a wife viz. Man who should give himselfe in marriage with Isaac in Christ. Gen. 24.9 13. And the Servant laid his hand under the thigh of Abraham his Master and sware unto him concerning this matter That is when God * * * Did dive immerse or baptize put his holy word with the heavenly Ens or Essence viz. with the formed wisdome into the naturall Ens of Mary as into Gods Servant and God and Man became One person then the humane nature sware under the thigh of the Fathers Eternall nature * * * Or in God unto God that it would obey God and hence forward go forth and seek the humane wife and marry it to the divine Ens All which is to be understood in Christs person who in his assumed humanity as Abrahams or God his Fathers Servant in the naturall property should go forth with his word and seek this Woman viz. his Bride and Spouse which the Angel of the Lord viz. Gods will should bring unto him Gen. 24.10 14. And the Servant took ten Camels of the Camels of his Master and departed and had with him all sorts of his Masters Goods and arose and went to Mesopotamia the Citie of NAhOr Here now the Spirit looks upon the process of God and intimates how God sent his Angel or Messenger Gabriel with the voice of nature to the humane nature in Nahor viz. to Adams nature in the Ens of Mary in which voice the living holy word was hidden with the heavenly living Ens and gave also the Fathers nature Ten Camels that is the * * * 10 formes Ten formes of the three Principles to the naturall and Supernaturall fire-life viz. * * * 7 formes Seaven formes of the Centre of nature and * * * 3 formes three formes of the three distinctions of the Principles all which are Gods camels whereby he beareth and carrieth all things 15. And the goods of the Lord are the formed wisdome of the great wonders and Powers all these Gods Officer tooke along with him when he had the divine word in himselfe and introduced the same into the humane naturall Ens even into the Ens of Mary or awakened opened or manifested the same therein as a man might expresse the great deeds and works of God whereas indeed the outward compacted bound-up SensVAll tongue cannot give words sufficient enough to the deep Mentall understanding 16. For here the spirit of Moses doth take the Angels message along with Isaac's figure and playeth externally in the figure with Isaac and Rebecca as Christs figure and inwardly he playeth with Mary as Adams Essence and with Christs as the Virginlike divine Ens. 17. And the spirit of Moses saith further Gen. 24.11 And the Servant caused the Camels to kneel down without the Citie by a well of water at evening time even about the time that women use to go out to draw water This signifieth and noteth out internally how the mystery of the nature of the three Principles being the bearers or carriers of the formed wisdome of God hath layd it selfe down by the divine fountain without the Citie the Citie betokens the hidden mysteries of the divine holy Ens of the formed wisdome about which the * * * Or the three Principles of nature nature of the three Principles hath layed it selfe for nature is externall and a Carrier of the mysteries of God it lyeth by the wellspring of God viz. by the birth of the holy Trinity The outward figure is thus explained 18. At Evening that is in the last dayes of
yoake it drew the power of Nature in the divine power into the heavenly and so was his Masters or Lords viz. the kingdome of Natures goods taken away and the heavenly Man in the Covenant gat them to himselfe with the divine wit and subtilty and returned therewith from his Lord Master viz. the kingdome of the Outward Nature againe into his Fathers house viz. into Paradise as Jacob into his fathers house The Figure is fundamentally thus 20. In Adam the kingdome of Nature lay in the Temperature that is all properties were of equall weight but when the will of the soule went with subtilty into the Seperation then the properties were stirred up and the Temperature was broken and then the Seperation was his Lord and Master and held the will captive as a servant who now must serve this Master 21. But when God spake or inspired againe his Grace with the Covenant of Love thereinto then the inward in spoken or inspired ground of Grace drew the kingdome of Nature with its wonders to it and came away with the Riches and selfe-Might and brought them againe with the inward new Man into Paradise 22. For the Riches of the Naturall Outward Mortall Man in that it bringeth forth the Wonders of God with its Exercise doth not belong to the kingdome of Nature as its proper owne but to the inward spirituall new Man borne of Christ he shall draw these wonders to him and take them with him to be an Eternall Vision and Contemplation of the wonders of God 23. When the Body of the outward Nature falleth a way then shall the works follow the New Man as a Treasure which he hath gotten to himselfe by divine witt and subtilty and put off the Evill Adamicall Natures house of Selfe-rule and Dominion as Jacob who stood in the figure of the New Spirituall Man with whom the Spirit of God alludeth in the prefiguration to the future kingdome of Christ shewing how Christ would obtaine all the Goods of this world and all the Riches of the Power and Might of Nature in the formed * * * Or Outspoken Expressed Word of God under his servitude wherein he yeelded himselfe up to be a servant of God in the kingdome of Nature and so make himselfe Lord and Master over it and bring it with him into his Eternall kingdome in our assumed Humanity and lastly manifest it at the End of the Day of this world and give it us againe in our Fathers first house 24. Thus we should not at all looke upon this Figure in Jacob as if God had bidden Jacob to deceive his Father in Law with subtilty and bereave him of that which was his as if God had pleasure in the Naturall false subtilty of Man No the spirituall subtilty is onely represented in the figure shewing how wee shall obtaine in the kingdome of Christ * * * Luk 16.9.11 the unrighteeus Mammon which wee have not as by a Naturall Right but obtaine it by the divine wit and then †††Mat. 11.12 the kingdome of Heaven suffereth violence and they that use violence ‖ ‖ ‖ Teare and snatch it take it by force with such wit of Divine science knowledg or skill as Jacob did in the figure of Christs kingdome 25. And it is shewen to the Jewes who with this figure helpe themselves in their subtilty and Earthly Fraud and treachery that this subtilty of Jacob prefigureth a Spirituall Type and doth not at all cover their wickednesse and falshood 26. For he that sayth * * * Exod. 20.17 Thou shalt not Covet or lust after that which is thy Neighbours hath forbidden all outward subtilty fraud and deceipt but in the ‖ ‖ ‖ Stam liâ—ien· Geneologies the Spirit of God hath thus with the kingdome of Christ signified and alluded in the figure at the inward Ground of the New Man with an Outward Figure 27. As with Ismael Abrahams first sonne from whom the Goods also were taken away to signifie that they belonged not to Adam in the Corruption and perdition but to Ghrist as the second Adam which he tooke with divine witt subtilty from the kingdome of Gods wrath in Man where he must first be subject to the wrath of God and serve in the assumed humane Nature yet so he obteined the Goods and took away all its Goods and that is it which this Figure of Jacob signifieth 28. The Spirit presenteth heere a Most wonderfull Figure in Jacob shewing how * * * 10 Times Gen. 31.7 Laban changed his wages Ten Times and yet could not hurt him to signifie how it is with the Children of God in this service that under the yoake of Nature they shall acquire the Goods of the kingdome of Nature in the Divine witt in the inward New Man thence happeneth such great alteration to Man in his purposes so that when he hath resolved upon the course that he will take the Devill comes with his Envy and hindereth him of his purpose by evill Men that it goeth not forward As Jacob when he thought the speckled sheepe and Goates shall be my wages then his Master disappointed him of his wages 29. So it is also with the Children of God in their labour and travaile when they thinke now they shall reape the blessing of God now they will apply themselves to the Children of God with whom they may work and bring forth fruit and there they will * * * Doe good effect their good purposes and comprehend this work in their Faiths desire that it ‖ ‖ ‖ Rev. 14.13 may follow after them then will every where all his work and purposes be broken so that it goeth not according to his meaning and will he must now onely trust and rely upon God as Jacob did and so no enemy can hurt him and though it seemes as if it would hurt him and that his work should be in vaine yet thus they work and bear fruit incomprehensible to Reason and in the End that Man departeth with much Goods out of the kingdome of this world and returneth againe into his Native Country as Jacob. 30. For the Scripture sayth * * * Rev. 14.13 the Works of the Children of God follow after their Faith they take them with them they are the Wages of their Faith The Faith taketh Christ into it selfe and Christ taketh the Works of Faith with him and thus a true Christian returneth home againe into his Native Country with much Goods which he hath introduced and layd up in hope with his Faiths desire 31. Which Hope God filleth for him in Christ with the heavenly Ens and taketh also herewith his works of Nature and draweth them to it selfe for an Eternall Wages which is Christ with the * * * Or Outspoken Expressed word viz. the kingdome of Nature wherein lyeth the Wonders and †††Essence and Substance being of Man kept to Gods Great Day
6. But it hath more respect to the Covenant that the children of the Covenant in their Adamicall Nature would be a neere Cohabitation in Hope and that the Outward Man would not apprehend the Kingdome of Christ but would be a neere co-habitation with it where Christ should dwell in the inward Ground viz. in the Spirituall World and Adam in this * * * World or outward Life Time of the Life and yet be a co-habitation 7. For as the Spirit hath by Judah declared Christ in the flesh so now heere he declareth that the outward Man would not be Christ but be a Co-habitation of Christ Christ would possesse the inward Ground as he also sayth My Kingdome is not of this world Therefore the outward mortall Man should not say of it selfe I am Christ for he is onely a Co-habitation of Christ as the outward world is onely a Co habitation or neere neighbourhood to the Kingdome of Christ for Christ is the inward Spirituall world hidden in the outward visible world as the Day is hidden in the night and yet they dwell one by neere and with the other VI. The Testament of Issachar 8. * * * Gen. 49 14 15. Issachar is a strong boned Asse and he lodgeth in valleys between the Borders or Hills of the Country and he saw Rest that it was Good and the Land that it was pleasant and fruitfull but he hath bowed his shoulders to beare and is become a Tribute servant In this Testament of Issachar the Spirit pointeth first at the outward figure of this Tribe or Stock shewing where they should dwell viz. in the midst of the Land in Good ease and Rest but yet be Tributary but the powerfull figure looketh upon the inward Ground viz. upon the humane Nature 9. For when †††Gen. 30.18 Lea bare Issachar shee sayd God hath rewarded mee in that I gave my Mayde to my husband and shee called him Issachar that is a divine wages or reward for shee had given Rachell her Sonnes Mandrakes that shee suffered Jacob to sleepe with her this night upon which shee conceived this sonne therefore shee called him a recompence from God 10. But the Spirit sayth in this figure he would be a boned strong Asse and lodge between the Borders which outwardly in its habitation was just so but in the inward figure he sayth The man which is obteined from God by prayer is indeed a Gift and wages but his Adamicall Nature is onely a Boned strong Asse for the burthen who beareth the Adamicall Sack but he dwelleth with his Minde between the Borders viz. between God and the Kingdome of this world his Minde presseth into the Borders of God and the Body dwelleth in the World 11. Therefore the Minde must be as a Boned servile slavish Asse which though it sitteth at ease and rest in a good habitation in the Borders of God yet it must beare the burthen of sinnes and of Death in the earthly Sack and there is no buying it off with the Mandrakes before the Death of the Earthly Man also no praying to God for it avayleth that thereby the Boned strong Asse might come to divine Liberty It must remaine an Asse till Christ in himselfe bringeth it into the Eternall Rest The Adamicall hurt and losse is so great that the Asse must leave the Sack in the Death of Christ else he will not be rid of it 12. But he addeth the cause why he must remaine a Boned strong Asse for he sayth He saw the Rest that it was good and the Land that it was pleasant that is that the Minde would alwayes desire to rest in the Lust and pleasure of the flesh and would desire to take care of the Earthly Lust and in that regard the Minde must be a servile Asse and servant of Gods Anger and so seperateth the Naturall Adamicall Man from the Seede of the Covenant viz. from the person of Christ so that the Naturall Adamicall Man in its inbred Nature is but this Asse with the Sack till Christ possesseth his Kingdome in him no Covenant or praying availeth but that Adam must in this world remaine an Asse till the Sack be gone and then he is called a new childe in Christ which new childe in this Life is the inward Ground but the boned strong Asse is the new childes instrument upon which the Sack is carried for the servility of Gods Anger continueth so long as the Sack lasteth VII The Testament of Dan. 13. * * * Gen. 49.16 17 18. Dan will be a Judge among his People as any other Generation in Israell Dan will be a Serpent in the way and an Adder on the path and will bite the horse in the Heeles that his rider shall fall back O Lord I waite for thy Salvation This is a powerfull figure of the outward power and authority of humane Officers in the Kingdome of this World and is so strongly prefigured that it is terrible to reade if a man rightly discerne the figure and yet in the presence of God it standeth in its own proper figure thus The Spirit sayth Dan will be a Judge among his people as one of the Generations or Tribes in Israell In the Figure it standeth thus 14. Dan standeth in the figure of all outward Officers from those of highest authority and power even to the * * * Ordering of a Mans own private affaires or employment◠Government of the humane Life it selfe therefore the Spirit fayth of him he shall be in his owne might and power as one Man is to another In the presence of God he is not esteemed greater in his owne Nature then a Servant or Minister for he serveth God in his Office as another servant doth his Lord and Master the Office is Gods wherein he sitteth as a Judge The Office is the Authority and power and he himselfe is before God as another Man 15. But the Spirit sayth Dan will be a Serpent on the way and an Adder on the path that is this Judge in Gods Office would draw poyson out of the power and authority viz. selfe-will and say of himselfe the authority is mine the Office is mine that is called on the way for the way which they should goe is Gods viz. true righteousnes then sayth Dan that Land and Country this Citty that Village those Goods that Money is mine it is my owne I will use it to my owne profit advantage and honour and live in this Office as I will 16. And this very selfehood is the Serpent and venomous Adder on the way for it walketh very dangerous steps upon the paths of righteousnesse it turneth righteousnesse into Selfehood to doe what it will it sayth I am a Lord the Citty Land and Country the Village or Authority and power is mine I may doe with the people what I will they are mine and so sucketh poyson out of Gods Office of a Judge and thereby afflicteth the miserable and
e e Manifest or come about borne and the beginning hath againe found the End it shall be manifest for a witnesse unto all Nations sheweth the Spirit of Wonders CHAP. IX Of the Fall of Lucifer with his Legions 1. ALbeit selfe-Reason might heere cavill at us and say we were not by when this was done yet we say that we in a Magicall manner according to the Right of Eternity were really there and saw this but not I who am I have seen it for I was not as yet a Creature but we have seene it in the Essence of the Soule which God breathed into Adam 2. Now then if God dwelleth in this same Essence and hath from all Eternity dwelt therein and manifesteth himselfe in his own mirror and looketh back through the Essence of the Soule into the beginning of all Beeings what then hath Reason to doe to taunt and cavill at mee about that wherein it selfe is blinde I must warne Reason that it would once behold it selfe in the Looking-Glasse of the understanding and consider what it selfe is and leave off from the Building of mad Babel it will be time 3. The Fall of Lucifer came not to passe from Gods purpose or Appointment indeed it was known in the wrath of God according to the property of the darke world how it could or would come to passe but in Gods holinesse viz. in the light there was no such desire manifest in any such property otherwise the holy God must have a devillish or hellish wrathfull desire in his Love which is nothing so but in the Centre of the Eternall nature viz. in the formes to fire there is verily such a property in the Darke impression 4. Every good Angell hath the Centre in him and is manifest in a creaturall Property in one degree or other in the Centre what property is f f f Chiefest most predominant or manifest greatest in the Creature according to that it hath its office and Dominion 5. Yet the Angells which were created out of the degrees of the Centre were created for and to the light the light was manifest in All and they had Free will from the Manifested will of Gods will 6. Lucifer had still been an Angell if his owne will had not introduced him into the fires-Might desiring to domineere in the strong fiery-Might above and in all things as an absolute sole God in darknesse and light had he but continued in the Harmony wherein God had created him what would have cast him out of the light 7. Now Reason saith he could not then tell me who compelled him was he not I preethee the most glorious Prince in heaven had he introduced his will into the Divine Meeknesse then he could have been able to stand but if he * * * In his own will which was from the Eternall will was both the possibility and Ability would not then he could not for his owne desire went into the Centre he would himselfe be God He entred with his will into Selfe g g g Selfe-hood or Selfenesse and in Selfe is the Centre of Nature viz. those properties wherein his will would be Lord and Master in the house 8. But God created him for his Harmony to play with his Love-Spirit in him as upon the musicall Instrument of his manifested and formed Word and this the selfe-will would not 9. Now saith reason how came it that he would not did not he know the Judgement of God and the fall yea he knew it well enough but he had no Sensible Perceivance of the fall but onely as a bare h h h Or Noticnall Theory in the Mystery of his minde knowledge the fiery Lubet which was potent in him did egg him on for it would faine be manifest in the Essence of the wrath viz. in the root of fire the darknesse also eagerly desired to be creaturall which drew Lucifer its crafts-Master in the great Potency of fire indeed it drew him not i i i Outwardly from without but in the Property and will of his owne fiery and darke Essence the Originall of the Fall was within the Creature and not without the Creature and so it was in Adam also Selfe-will was the beginning of Pride 10. Thou askest what was that which did cause it in himselfe Answer his great beauty and glory because the will beheld what it selfe was in the fiery mirror this Lustrous glance did move and affect him so that he did eagerly reach after the Properties of the Centre which forth-with began effectually to worke for the Astringent Austere Desire viz. the first forme or property did impresse it selfe and awakened the compunction and the Anxious desire thus this beautifull Star did overshadow its light and made its Essence wholly Astringent rigorous and harsh and its meeknesse and true Angelicall Property was turned into an Essence wholly Austere harsh rigorous and Darke and then this bright Morning Star was undone and as he did so did his Legions and this was his fall 11. He should have been wholly resigned in the holy Power of God and heare what the Lord would speake and play by his owne Spirit in him this Selfe-will would not doe and therefore he must now play in the darke yea his will is yet opposite albeit now after the fall he cannot will viz. to resigne to the divine will of the light for his meeknesse whence the Love-will ariseth is shut up and Entred againe into a Nothing viz. it is retired into its own Originall 12. Now the Creature still remaineth but wholly out of the Centre viz. out of the Eternall Nature the free Lubet of Gods wisdome is departed from him that is it hath hid it selfe in it selfe and letteth the wrathfull fire-will stand as hapned to Adam also when he imagined after Evill and good then the free Lubet of the holy worlds-Essence did disappeare in his Essence 13. This was the very death of which God told him that if he did eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evill he should dye the very same day thus it was in Lucifer he dyed to the holy divine world and arose to the wrathfull world of Gods Anger 14. Thou saist wherefore did not God uphold him and draw him from the evill inclination I preethee tell me wherewith should he have poured in more Love and meeknesse into this fire-Source then had his Stately light been more manifest in him and the Looking-glasse of his owne knowledge had been the greater and his owne fiery Selfe-will the Stronger I pray was not his High light and his own-selfe-knowledge the Cause of his fall 15. Should he then have drawn him with Rebuke was it not his purpose aforehand to rule the magicall ground as an Arstist his Ayme and endeavour was for the Art that he would play with the Centre of the Transmutation of the Properties and would be and doe all whatsoever he alone pleased had he not known this he had
have its power and prevalency 18. And here we are rightly to know how Gods Love and Anger are in continuall contest understand in the manifested Word in the limus of the Earth and in the Ens of the humane property out of the Earth for the Anger Ens is stirred up and driven by the Devill and desireth continually to devoure the Love Ens and possesse this Kingdome in the Anger Ens. 19. The Anger Ens desireth to have man for it hath its King in Lucifer and the Love Ens desireth also to have him for it hath its King in Christ and therefore Christ must bring the humane Love Ens through death and the Anger Ens and open another Principle viz. another Kingdome and leave Prince Lucifer in his own Anger for his free-will had chose it him 20. Thus also the free-will in Cain did chuse the false viz. the Devills-will but thou saist was then the murthering-will wholly rejected it did d d d Reprobate or abandon NOIE reject it selfe but if the free-will had againe conceived in the Love Ens it would have been againe borne anew yea even after the murther which we leave unto the judgement of God whether it were so or no seeing the Text in Moses doth give him so bare a name in despaire for the word out of which the Name Jesus was made manifest was given to call poor lost Sinners to Repentance and not the righteous ones who were apprehended in the Love as Christ said 21. Cain was a type of the first corrupt Adam in Sin and Abell was a type of Christ the second Adam viz. of the virgin-childe for the Tree of evill and good began in Adam and so likewise the fruit did forthwith appeare viz. Christs children and the children of the Devill and the Serpent 22. Now reason saith was Cain then wholly conceived of the Serpents Ens in the Anger of God and predestinated to damnation Answer no He was conceived of the Ens of Adams soule and body and so also of the Seed and Ens of Eve her body but the Monster in the matrix of Eve did environ the sown Seed and it was that which did seduce and beguile him but the marke and Aym of the Covenant lay hidden in the Ens of the Soul and body for the Ens of the Seed of Adam and Eve was out of the heavenly disappeared limbus and then also out of the earthly awakened limus but the will of the Serpent and of the Devill took possession of the house as the like was in the Devill who was an Angell but the will of the darke world took possession of the house in him and got the upperhand so also it was here in Cain 23. But thou askest how this came so to be hear and see thou fair child in the will of Adam and Eve what their desire was before and after the fall they onely desired the Earthly Kingdome as we see that Eve was so wholly and onely minded for when she brought forth Cain she said Gen 4. Verse 1. I have gotten a man who is to be a Lord she thought him to be the bruiser and breaker of the Serpent he should take in and possesse the earthly Kingdome and expell the Devill she did not consider that she should Dye to her false earthly fleshly will and be borne anew e e e Or with in an holy will and such a will she also brought into her Seed and the like did Adam also 24. And hence now the will in the Souls essence did arise the tree brought forth a twig out of or like it selfe for it was Cains desire onely that he might be Lord upon the Earth and being he saw that Abell was more acceptable in Gods Sight then himselfe his free-beastiall will in him did elevate it selfe to slay Abel for Cains Ayme and endeavour was onely about the outward world to domineer and be Lord and master therein but Abel Sought Gods Love 25. Thus there are yet Two such Churches upon the Earth One which onely seeketh worldly pleasure might honour and the outward God Mammon and Mausim and therein it lodgeth the Serpents child the other which seeketh the virgin-child and Gods Kingdome and must suffer it selfe to be persecuted reviled reproached and killed by the Cainicall Church as Cain did to Abel 26. For the Devill will yet be continually a Prince of this world in the Serpents child and if the virgins child which bruiseth the head of the Serpent be not manifest in the Serpents child then the Devill is and remaineth Prince and Host in the house of the Soul as hapned to Cain 27. And doe but understand the ground aright in the birth of this world two Kingdomes lie manifest viz. Gods Love Kingdome in Christ and the Kingdome of Gods Anger in Lucifer these two Kingdomes are in Contest and strife in all creatures for the Originall of all Spirits is in the Contest and in the Combate of the fire the light is made manifest the fire is a cause of the light Gods anger is a cause that God did yet once move himselfe in his deepest Love in the Name Jesus and thereby vanquish the Anger 28. Now what can the Love doe if the free-will espouseth it selfe to the Anger or vvhat can the Anger doe against it if the free-will conceiveth in the Love and destroyeth the Anger must it not hold still and suffer it to be done and though it doth oppose and rage against it yet the Love pierceth quite through it and changeth it into Joy the Anger is the root of Love as the fire is the root of the light but in the Free-will is the understanding which maketh it selfe to what it pleaseth 29. Dost thou not see this in the Earth that the free-will in the Ens of the word hath made it selfe stones metalls and Earth the stones and Earth are not the free-will but the free-will hath introduced it selfe into such an Ens and by its Lubet and motion introduced the Ens into a Compaction or coagulation there was no other maker there but the free-vvill in the formed and manifested word thou mayest indeed see wonders enough 30. Behold the unreasonable Creatures as wormes toads Spiders and other wilde venemous and horrible Beasts and thou shalt see somewhat in very deed if thou beest not dead but thou saist God hath created it so yea Right his desire in Love and anger hath amassed the Ens with the motion and compacted each Ens according to the free-will into a forme there was no other maker there but the free-will in the word 31. The desire in the word was the Fiat which introduced the free-will into an Ens thus the same Manifested Word is yet in all things and hath the Fiat viz. the desire in it selfe As the free-will in every thing introduceth it selfe into a Spirit even so the Fiat formeth and Signeth each thing every Root bringeth forth from it selfe a branch of its own likenesse
out of the first Principle and here the Second Principle viz. the Love-fire came to help it therefore it must enter againe into its owne Root from whence it came to be a creature and be Tinctured in the power of the Love-fire in the divine light and be changed into an excellent pure divine Gold of which this Offring was a Type 23. And that the fowls fell upon the carkasses which Abraham drove away signifieth the hungry essence of the wrathfull property of the Anger of God in man which hungered after the humanity and would devoure the same into it selfe but the word in Abrahams faith drove away the Devourer from thence it should not be devoured but be offered that so one Essence might enter into another and overpower the other 24. The Offring of Christ viz. the humanity of Christ did indeed give it selfe wholly as an offering or Sacrifice into the Fathers Anger into his fires Essence but the Love-Spirit of God hindred the wrathfull Essence of the fire so that the fire could not devoure the humanity of Christ it took onely the Selfe-will of the humanity and brought it againe into the first universall Entire will out of which mans will was given him which had corrupted him and brought him to selfe-hood Here it was again introduced into the fathers will viz. into the first roote for so also Christ said when he in this condition or Tryall on the Mount of Olives Sweat bloud Father Thy will Luke 22.42 not my will be done 25. The divided word of mans property which had turned it selfe away from the universall perfection viz. from the ONE into a self-hood must enter againe into the ALL and be tryed purged and purified through the fire of God and live and move in the One viz. in the fathers onely will 26. The figure of the Servitude in Egypt signifieth that Christ in his members should be onely a pilgrime and stranger in this world and that the outward man which is of this worlds Essence should be subject to the dominion and power of this worlds essence and be plagued and alwayes accounted onely as a Carpenters Axe whereby men doe build the house 27. For a Christian man is even as Gods Hatchet wherewith God builds his house for an Habitation both as to the holy children and also to the Wicked they must build both inwardly from Gods spirit they build Gods Temple and outwardly with their hands they must be in Servitude for the outward Kingdome wherein they dwell is not theirs but the Heathens which have their Heaven therein and work therein in Gods Anger 28. As it was very fully and mystically told to Abraham that he should be subject to servitude in his children untill the iniquity of the Amorites was full so that herein we see very clearly how Gods children must serve the Amorites viz. the Gentiles untill they also obtaine their inheritance in the wrath of God and wholly accomplish their workes also in the Anger of God for a Building of the darke world for God said they should serve the Egyptians and have onely plagues for their reward untill they had accomplished and filled up their measure thus the wicked must wholly finish their workes and the children of God must be * * * Note embroyled also in servitude with them 29. Therefore deare children of God! albeit you oftentimes must serve wicked Lords and people and be accounted as Bond-slaves as it yet at present so falls out yet thinke that yee also serve God therein for as yee in your hearts and mouths doe build Gods Kingdome to your Possession so you must likewise with your hands help your Masters to build their Hellish Seat for yee are Gods instruments fit enough for all kinde of Structure you must not doe it from your choice and well-likeing but from the command of God you must doe it 30. For in that the Potent doe compell the poore and force them into servitude and slavery that he doth from his God viz. from the Kingdome of Nature from the Starres and from Selfehood wherein he buildeth up the house of his wonders to the Kingdome of nature this is his Office whereunto his God useth him and it is also a great Wonder before the Eternity but it ariseth from the divided Tongue where the properties entered into selfehood each in it selfe over which the strongest domineere unto all these viz. to the Kingdome of nature the earthly man I mean the outward man must be Subject else he * * * Note resisteth the Kingdome of Nature viz. the formed Word 31. Now it doth not belong to the children of God to resist or oppose but to doe all for Gods sake whereto onely God will use them they must thinke that they in this world and in the Eternity are Gods Servants will serve him in his Order or Ordinance 32. We doe not hereby judge or condemne the worldly Magistracy and Order but we shew the ground of all Mysteries Dominion and rule ariseth out of the Kingdome of Nature and may indeed enter into Gods Kingdome if it manageth its authority and power as a Servant of God in the Kingdome of Nature and not as a selfe-willed God who will doe what he please if Rulers acknowledge and behave themselves as Gods Stewards and officers in his Kingdome of Nature and transgresse not the Order of nature and doe not advance themselves higher then the office of nature sets them and so make themselves Petty-Gods to command and impose what their will and lust leads them to then well and good but if it be otherwise they shall finde it as God said to Abraham This People whom they must serve I will judge CHAP. XL. Of the Hystory and exceeding wonderfull Typification of Gods Spirit concerning Hagar Sarahs Maid and her Son Ismael and his rejection from the Heir-ship and Inheritance of Isaack WHosoever will read the Acts of Abraham Isaack and Jacob Gen. XVI and rightly understand what the Spirit of God doth signifie and meane by the same he must not looke upon them onely as an Hystory as if nothing else were couched therein then an outward atchievement or relation of an Act or thing done the whole Kingdome of Christ together with the Kingdome of Nature is therein set forth exactly not onely the worke of mans Redemption but also what men how or what in man shall possesse and inherit Gods Kingdome not as the Jewes boast that they alone are Gods people no! It is far otherwise God looketh not upon one Sort or Generation of mankinde but upon the Stem or Root of the Tree 2. In the two bretheren viz. in Isaack and Ismael Both Kingdomes are Typifyed viz. in Ismael the Kingdome of Nature and in Isaac the Kingdome of Grace and thus also in Esau and Jacob for at present two lines went forth out of Abraham viz. Japhets and Sems Ismael was the first as Japhet among Noahs children and so likewise Cain among Adams children
shee might take the seed of Abraham 28. And even therefore God made her barren even to her old age least the beastiall lust should be predominant in her and mix it selfe in Abrahams blessed seed for shee should give all her humane power viz. the womans seed in the Covenant which did move it selfe in her as to the kingdome of Nature into the seed of Abraham not out of the wantonnesse of beastiall lust but out of the desire of the Nature of the formed word and therefore the beastiall lust introduced by Adam in which lust the Devill had made his murthering Den must be first even as quite mortified in her that so the inward nature might yet stand onely in the desire viz. the formed words Ens as to the creature 29. For the promised word in the Covenant with Abraham should give it selfe out of Abrahams seed into Sarahs seed viz. into the womans matrix in Venus's Tincture and take unto it the female Ens out of the Love-Tincture which had parted it selfe from Adam into a Woman indeed not according to the manifest life of the holy heavenly Ens shut up in her which disappeared in Adam and Eve which was first made manifest in Christ but according to the kingdome of the formed word of nature in which the heavenly Ens lay shut up untill the motion of the Covenant in the Ens of Mary where the limit or Eye marck stood at the End of the Covenant 30. Thus Hagar and her Son Ismael who as to the will of selfe viz. as to the Devills introduced desire and his outward Constellation was a mocker of his brethren and did exercise them must be an Instrument of Nature whereby God manifested his Wonders 31. But as God will not for ever cast away the nature from him but thus useth it in time in a contrary to the opening of his wonders of wisdome out of Love and Anger as a Generatress of his wonders in good and evill The like also we are to understand concerning the evill innate property in man which cannot judge the Soul 32. But the free-will which it hath if it therewith continueth in the iniquity in selfehood that condemneth it for it will not enter again into the One viz. into the quiet Rest * * * Note Its condemnation is in it selfe and not without it it maketh its hell in it selfe that is it awakeneth out of the centre of the eternall spirituall nature Gods wrath in it selfe viz. the property of the dark fire-world in which it is not the child of Gods Love but of his Anger of which substance and essence it selfe is 33. For if the soul dyeth to selfe will then it is dead unto hell viz. to the Kingdome of the wrathfull nature now it cannot do this in its own selfe ability No selfe-ability unless God look upon it again as here hapned to Hagar when shee said Thou God seest me and therefore shee called this place or fountain the fountain of the Living and Seeing for the fountain of life did even there manifest it selfe in her and brought her again to Conversion 34. For shee should not be cast out with her Son from the purpose or * * * Note Election of God but God did onely set forth the figure of both Kingdomes in their seed viz. in Ismaels and Isaacs For thus said God afterwards to Abraham Gen. 17. Ch. 20. vers Moreover concerning Ismael I have heard â— hee also behold I have blessed him and will make him fruitfull and multiply him exceedingly Twelve Princes shall he beget and I will make him a great Nation 35. Now what God hath blessed that the Bishop with his Reason shall not unhallow or make execrable * * * God Hee hath set a a a Ismael him up to be a Ruler in the Kingdome of nature that he might manifest the Wonders of Nature and not predestinated him to condemnation as Babel judgeth in whose hand a Shepheards crook were more comely and fitting then to expound the mysteries of the Scripture with earthly eyes or apprehensions and make conclusions therein which indeed serve the Devill and make men lewd and prophane 36. For though Ismael was afterward cast out with his mother Hagar so that he attained not to the Inheritance of Abrahams goods the same hath far another figure then reason seeth in it God set Ismael to be a Prince in the Kingdome of Nature and Isaac to be a Prince in the Kingdome of Grace Ismael must possesse strange or another sort of goods because he was not sprung forth out of the line of the Covenant and Isaac was of the line of the Covenant and therefore God gave Isaac Abrahams goods viz. the blessed Inheritance because he was born of the blessing and out of him the Lord of the goods should come Therefore he in the mean while should be a possessour of the same dominion untill the Lord should come and Ismael must be a servant and minister of the same Lord who was to come after 37. For the children of Nature are Servants in the kingdome of Grace not Lords in selfe-will they must not with the own selfe-will enter upon the inheritance of the kingdome of Christ for * * * Rom. 9.16 it lyeth not in any mans own willing weening running or going to will and take the same in their own selfe-wills ability but it lyeth in Gods mercy it is a kingdome of Grace not a kingdome hereditary to one generation of men onely but God gave it of Grace to Abram in his Seed 38. The mocker Ismael must be cast from the blessed inheritance for he was not born of the line of inheritance viz. out of Gods speciall gift as Isaac was who represented the person of Christ for Christ alone should be the heir of Gods blessing who had the same out of the Right of nature all the rest one with another must be as his Sojourners for Japhet must dwell in Sems Tent not as a Lord and Master of the Tent but as a Servant 39. For the person of Isaack also according to his innate Adamicall Nature was no otherwise therein then as a Servant but that he was chosen to be Heir the same was from God who bestowed it on him as a Vicar or Deputy of his Lord who should spring forth out of him whose property given of God he did carry in himselfe as in the place or Mansion of the Covenant understand he bare Christ in himselfe in the Covenant of God and to him alone the goods did belong out of the Right of nature for he was Gods child by divine nature and an heir of all whatsoever God had created 40. But unto all others the heavenly goods did not belong out of a naturall right for they had lost the Right of nature in Adam and attained thereunto onely by the Free-Gift and gratious Donation of the giver even by the Mercy of God therefore Ismael was cast out
the will to the Selfehood or ownhood of this world and although the flesh be disquieted being it must forsake what it fain would have yet the true nature and the Soul must not give heed to it Also it must not take care for the sake of the flesh where that should have its maintenance but commit it to God and go on in his calling as a day-labourer in the Service of his Lord and Master and let God take care for the Ram and give it what he please 33. And the Angel of the Lord called unto Abraham out of Heaven the second time and said by my selfe have I sworn saith the Lord Gen. 22. v. 15. to the 19. because thou hast don this thing and hast not spared thy onely Son that I will bless and multiply thy Seed as 〈◊〉 â—tars of the Heaven and as the Sand that is upon the Sea-shore and thy Seed shall possesse the Gate of his enemies and through thy Seed shall all the Nations of the earth be blessed because thou hast obeyed my voyce and so Abraham returned to his young men and they rose up and went together to Beer-sheba and dwelt there This is now the Seal of Faith when man hath wholly given himselfe up to God then God sweareth unto the humanity by him selfe that he will blesse man that his life's essence shall thence forward spread forth it selfe in his Power and grow unto a great Tree of divine Essence in the wisdome whose fruit and knowledge shall be infinite and innumerable as he sware unto Abraham that out of his body or life's essence many Nations should arise also how his life's essence should possess the Gates of the enemies viz. of the Devill and Death as heere he gives a full and pregnant hint concerning Christ and his Christendome how they should destroy the Devills Kingdome and break down his Gate in man This the faith in Gods children is able to do 34. For so soon as the iudgement of the earthly man hath been held in the penitent man so that the Soul rejecteth the will of the evill flesh viz. the will of the Animal Soul and brings it into judgement to the condemnation of death and resignes it selfe up wholly unto God then God sweareth in Christ Jesus this Oath unto the Soul and setts it to be a Prince over the enemies viz. over the proud and haughty Devills even to judge them and obtains full power over them and drives them out 35. After these things Moses mentioneth how the blessing of Abraham did spread forth it selfe and he maketh a relation of his brother Nahor how Milcah bare unto him eight Sons from whom great Nations did arise viz. the Assyrians who indeed did not spring forth out of the Ens of faith viz. in the line of Christ as Abraham but out of the naturall Adam upon whom also the blessing of Abraham did * * * Passed or went light for the history is so exactly deciphered that a man may see that God hath not onely chosen the naturall line of Christ proceeding from Abraham and Isaac but also the lines of nature in the Adamicall Tree which he would also bring together and manifest himselfe to them and they who would beleeve in God should be engrafted into the line of Christ that is those who should be capable of the divine Ens in the voice of the Lord whose will should direct it selfe to God 36. As wee may see again in this figure how God hath not rejected the Kingdome of nature in man but that he in Christ will deliver it out of the Anguish and Enmity and that a man should and must continue in the Kingdome of nature as Abraham when he had finished this offering he went with his Son and two young men to Beer-sheba and dwelt there by which the Spirit of Moses signifieth that when Abraham had performed this Calling in the figure of Christ before the Lord he returned again unto his naturall affaires viz. unto the doing of this worlds business he went to Beer-sheba that is into the toil and labour whereinto Adam hath brought us where a child of God in the cloven and broken nature viz. in Beer-sheba must work in God with teaching and praying and also in nature with the labour of the hand to maintain the outward man and follow the wonders of the outward world in the formed word and help to form manifest and bring them forth in â—â—â—ure to the Contemplation of the wisdome of God 37. Also hereby is hinted very clearly that a child of God in this worlds being doth not stand daily and hourely in the Operation of the spirituall figure that his Spirit can see and know that onely but also in the naturall where the Spirit of God goes also along working in the work of nature and manifests it selfe in another property in him as it may be seen here in Abraham and all the Saints that God did sometimes manifest himselfe to them in the figure of Christ and sometimes again in the Cross and labour in the Temptation and contrariety of the nature of the corrupt Adam so that they have lived in weakness and infirmities as all Adams children have don and do 38. And we ought not to look upon and consider this figure concerning Abraham in all that the Spirit of Moses and * * * Text. Ezra Note concerning Esdras Esdras hath written down but as a Type of Christ and Adam viz. of the Kingdome of Christ and the Kingdome of nature that hereby God hath represented the figure of Christ and his Christendome how he would again Redeem and deliver them from the Great Toil and Labour 39. Wherewith also the Kingdome of darkness in the Pain and Torment is continually represented and how the same doth pant and reach after man and how man doth stand here in this life as in a field and growes on Whom sometimes the Sun of divine Love doth eglimpse and shine and sometimes again Gods wrath and Anger and how man must be purged tryed and purified and the chiefest and most especiall point herein is this that a man must give up and resigne himselfe to God in faith and full assurance and hold still unto him and let him work in him as he please and how also he must learn to bend and bow his own nature and lead it towards God that it in all things may desire to be Gods instrument and Servant and desire and will to work nothing but what belongs to the divine manifestation in the wonders of nature for the Contemplation of Gods wisdome and on the contrary reject the Own will of the Devill and all desire to Selfehood 40. And we should not look upon the written History of Moses concerning the Patriarchs so blindly as the Jewes and Babel do as if they were onely a meer History no the same is not onely full of the types of Christ and Adam viz. of the old and new man but there are also secret
cometh from the Lord we shall not speak any thing against it behold here is thy place do with me and with my inward ground as thou pleasest Here is Rebecca viz. the formed word of the heavenly property take it and marry it to thy Masters Son viz. to the humanity of Jesus Christ according to thy good-liking as the Lord hath spoken 42. Wee see here very exactly how the spirit of Moses doth speak in the figure for he setts Laban viz. Bethuels Son before the Father viz. the outward Soul before the inward fire-Soul the Air-Soul before the Right fire-Soul albeit they are not two but One yet they are understood in two Principles for the fire-Soul gives answer through the air-Soul the fire-Soul useth the uncompacted tongue but the Air-Soul useth the Compacted formed Language 43. Therefore the spirit of Moses doth set Laban Rebecca's brother first as if the business were don by Laban to signifie that when Gods Officer viz. the will of God in the * Drawing of the Father doth come into man and seeketh a Lodging and the virgin then the outward spirit of man must give its promise for it is turned away from God and the true resignation now it must again give its will wholly and fully into Gods will 44. And when it comes to passe that the outward Soul with the inward fire-Soul doth wholly consent unto this holy Match and give up it selfe to God then the will of God viz. the Officer in the drawing of the Father doth bow himselfe again towards the true deity that is he cometh again unto its seat and place and brings forth out of Abrahams treasure that is out of God the Fathers treasury of his formed wisdome the Silver and Golden jewells and hangeth them on Rebecca viz. the heavenly virginity 45. For these jewells do not belong to Laban or Bethuel understand to the outward or inward fire-Soul while it is here in this earthly life but to the true virgin Rebecca proceeding from the divine Ens of the formed holy word according to the Angelicall worlds property viz. according to the Second Principle viz. the inward spirituall new man which is with Rebecca married to the Right Isaac Christ and therefore the spirit of Moses setts down Gen. 24.53 how Abrahams Servant gave Rebecca the golden ear-ring and brace-letts with silver and golden jewells and Raynient but unto Laban viz. unto Rebecca's brother and her mother also he gave * * * Our Text pretious things Spices 46. O thou wonderfull God! how plainly dost thou sett forth the great mysteries the silver and golden jewells are the Treasure of the divine wisdome in the word of life which treasure the divine word brings along with it to the right virginity which dyed in Adam and is again brought in Christ to its beloved and giveth it wholly and peculiarly for the Ornament of the Banquett and the Raiment is the New humanity wherewith shee cometh before her Bridegroome and the Spices which were given to Laban and the Mother are the power and vertues of the holy Spirit which are freely given to the fire-Soul and the Air-Soul by the Coming in of the tender humanity of Jesus Christ. 47. For the outward Soul is not in this life time being yet the Earthly body adheers unto it cloathed with the new Raiment neither is the Silver and Golden jewell of the humanity of Jesus Christ given in this life time wholly unto the peculiar possession and power of the fire-Soul but the spices onely that iâ— the vertue and pleasant aspect of the holy Spirit for the fire-Soul might become proud and haughty again if it should have this virgin in its Own power as Lucifer and Adam did therefore the fire-Soul must here in this life time remain in its Principle and in the Air-soul viz. in the third Principle where the earthly Evill man liveth it must take on it the Crosse of Christ. 48. But virgin Rebecca or Sophia with her Bridegroom Christ remains in their own viz. in the Second Principle in heaven for Saint Paul saith * Our conversation is in heaven understand the conversation of the virgin Sophia where shee with her beloved Christ stands in wedlock and Christ and virgin Sophia are one person understand the true Manly Virgin of God which Adam was before his Eve when he was man and woman and yet neither of them but a Virgin of God Gen. 24.54 49. And now when these Nuptialls are celebrated then Abrahams Servant with all his Servants sits down with his obtained Bride and with father and brother at the Table and eat together the Marriage-Feast that is when man understand the inward virgin-like spirituall man is married to Christ then God eateth of mans will and words and again man eateth of Gods will and words there they sit at one feast and then t is truely said and applyed * Whosoever heareth you he heareth mee whosoever heareth these men to teach and speak of God he heareth God speak for they speak in the power of the holy Spirits spices and eat together of the great Supper of Christ. 50. O what a very glorious and sumptuous feast is there kept where this wedding-day is celebrated in man which no Cananitish Serpent man is worthy to know or tast of yea he doth not experimentally tast of it to all eternity neither knowes he what Meat or food is there eaten also what internall joy is there where Christ and virgin Sophia are Bride and Bridegroom and the inward and outward Soul sitt by the Bride and eat with her of this feast which we leave to the consideration of the children of Christ who have been at this wedding feast no man else in this world understands it none knowes any thing thereof but the right Laban and Bethuel 51. But this Bridall doth not last continually but when Abrahams Servant had obtained the virgin and celebrated this feast and wedding-day with the Father and Mother and Laban and had continued there all night he arose up early in the Morning and said let me go unto my Master Gen. 24.54 The inward figure stands thus 52. When Christ hath married himselfe with virgin Sophia viz. with the inward humanity soon after the voice of God Soundeth in the Soul and saith I will go away from thee with the virgin and it is continually as if he would force away and depart from man then the poor Soul must make continuall prayers and supplications that he would be pleased to tarry still longer with it but the voice oftentimes sounds hinder mee not I must go or make my journey to my Master thou art vain evill and sinfull I may not tarry with thee any longer 53. And then the poor Soul calleth virgin Rebecca viz. Christ with his Bride and puts him in minde of his pretious word and promise in that * * * Mat. 28.20 He hath promised to remain with us even to the end of the world and
which in the Kingdome of Christ attaineth the Marriage of the Line of Christ in the manner of a servant 6. For Adam hath negligently forfeited the Line the Right of Nature in the kingdome of God was lost in Adam and attaineth in the manner of a servant to the Marriage as Jacobs wives Maydes did whereby we then see that Rachell viz. the right selfe Nature could not work or bring forth fruit till the Line of servitude under the yoke of the Adamicall Nature of selfe-Love did first become fruitfull to signifie that the humane Nature must give it selfe up to be a servant under the Line of Christ if it will be married in the Line of Christ and be ingrafted as an heire of God 7. And then first springeth forth the kingdome of Nature in the kingdome of God and in the blessing becometh fruitfull as Rachell was first fruitfull when her Mayd had brought forth to signifie that Rachell also must be an handmayd to the Covenant of God and the Line of Christ and that the Line of Christ in her also be her Lord so that shee also attaineth the Marriage of Christs Line in the manner of a handmayd and that shee had not the Line of Christ in her in selfe-Power by the Light of Nature but as a Gift bestowed of Grace that standeth in another Principle 8. And signifieth under it that the Line of Christ was not propagated in humane selfe-ability but that it selfe doth presse into their Branches and that the Great or high Name or * * * Stock Familie or Genealogy stock or Tribe of Men is not respected but it presseth as soone upon the meanest and most miserable in the world which are but servants and handmayds as upon the most high and Noble 9. As we have a powerfull example of this in Jacob who must be in a servile condition Twenty yeares as a servant till the Twelve Stocks of the Tribes of Israel were begotten by him to signifie That a Christian must be borne under the servile yoake of the corrupt Domineering selfe-willed Adamicall Nature but if any should as a Christian be borne of the Line of Christ then must the †††Mother Parent be given up as a servant to God and be in the kingdome of Nature onely as a servant of God who in his heart forsaketh all temporall things and accompts nothing his owne and in his condition and employment esteemeth himselfe but as a servant who serveth his Lord therein 10. As Jacob who under this service of his begatt the Stocks or Tribes of Israel signifieth that they should be strange Guests in this world and serve God their Lord in the kingdome of Nature therein who himselfe would * * * Promise or appoint vote them their Wages that they should with Great Riches goe out of this world and enter into the Kingdome of Christ viz. into their first Adamicall Paradisicall Native Country as Jacob in his service got his stepfathers Goods with great Blessing The Inward Spirituall Figure standeth thus 12. When Adam was fallen he must goe forth out of Paradise and yeeld up himselfe to be a servant under the Spirit of the world in the Kingdome of this world and be subject to the Starres and the foure Elements and serve them in their Dominion and provide for and take care of their children viz. the Creatures of this world as we see before our Eyes 13. But when he was to goe out of Paradise as Jacob out of his Fathers house the Lord meets him sheweth him the Entrance in againe into Paradise through the seed of the woman and destroyer of the Serpent as he shewed the same also to Jacob by * * * Gen. 28.12 the Ladder which reached to Heaven 14. And when Adam was gone out of Paradise then he must submit himselfe to be a servant under a strange yoake and serve the kingdome of Nature in its wonders and provide for or take care of the Children of Nature which kingdome of Nature in the Fall became strange to him in that it now holds him by constraint and vexeth him with heate and cold sicknesse and misery and holdeth him Captive in it selfe and useth him in its service which before was his best friend and * * * Grand-Father Patron 15. And as Jacob in this Figure must flie to his friend his Mothers brother and serve him whom he kept as a servant and yet also in respect of his Daughter as a sonne in Law so also must Adam serve under the servile yoake of his Great †††Grand-Father· Father viz. the kingdome of Nature which kingdome gave him its daughter to wife of whom under this yoake he begat the children of God in the Blessing of God and also placeth his children as ministring servants in his Fathers house viz in the kingdome of this world 16. And as Jacob obteined Great Riches in the Blessing of God and acquired the Goods of his Master with subtilty * * * Gen. 30 37 38 39 c. in that he subtilly used the halfe peeled streaked sticks before the drinking Troughs where the sheepe drank upon which they conceived and brought forth †††Pied or spâ—tted ring-straked sheepe particoloured so also when Adam was come under the servile yoake of the kingdome of Nature wherein also the Envie and subtilty of the Devill domineered according to the kingdome of Wrath God shewed him that he should with suttlety acquire to himselfe the kingdome of Nature viz. the working of Nature with its wonders and procure the Power of Nature for an Eternall propriety that his works which he Operates in the kingdome of Nature must follow him into his Eternall Native Country and be his owne 17. Which subtilty was that which God shewed him viz. the Destroyer of the Serpent which Adam put on in the Covenant which put on the kingdome of Nature assumed from us Men and with divine subtilty tooke away the strength and power of our Lord and Master viz. of the kingdome of Gods wrath which held us captive under its yoake and put on all humane power and tooke away our Lord and Masters owne Power viz. the kingdome of Natures owne power as Jacob tooke his Lord and Masters Goods 18. And as the Spirit of * * * Gen. 31.10 God shewed Jacob in the vision that the Hee-Goates and Rams that leaped upon the Goates and Sheepe were ring-straked speckled and grisled so was Adam also shewed in the Spirit of the Covenant of Promise how the Spirit of Grace in the Covenant came upon the streaked particoloured humane Nature and blessed it so that it became pregnant of the spirit of the Covenant 19. Which Humane streaked or particoloured Nature is no other than the halfe earthy corrupt and againe in the Covenant Newborne Heavenly Nature upon this came the Spirit of God as to the heavenly part and made it fruitfull so that under the earthly
with the eternal one and becometh one substance therewith for it goeth into its nothing Must not the false will or desire for a worldly Law 's sake for feare of punishment forbeare or stand still from unrighteous works Wherefore then not also for the sake of the commandement of God Can it be obedient to a worldly Lord and Master and for that end stand still for which he would have him wherefore not also to God especially when the ability is as soone given as a Man doth but incline his will to stand still 59. But the cause why the total false wicked will doth not stand still and incline it self to Grace is this that it is clearely a Thistle borne wherein Grace lyeth too deeply hidden and the wrath of God is too strong in nature Grace draweth it and sheweth to it it s own falshood and wickednesse but it contemneth Grace and worketh as a Thistle doth in the power of the Sun Such a one is to God †††2 Cor. 2.15 16. a good savour of death to the damnation in hell that Grace may be severed from the false and wicked will 60. But the conclusions of reason which pronounceth that God in himself so farr as he is called God hath determined that one part of men and indeed the greatest number shall and must be damn'd and that of his own purposed will he hardeneth them is false and hath no ground either in the Scripture or in the light of nature If a man but rightly consider the Scripture and doth not blindly looke upon it 61. For in God so farr as he is called God there is no purpose nor beginning to will he is himself the will of the profundity viz. one alone and himself willeth nothing but good and therefore is himself also that same good will or willing of good For the good that he willeth is the birth of his power viz. his Sonne 62. God willeth in himself nothing but to manifest his owne good that himself is and that could not be done if the only good power did not introduce it self with the exhalation into the desire to nature and in a severation viz. into the science for if the good did remaine alone there would be no knowledge or skill 63. But now the good viz. God in himself maketh not evil or separation but the science viz. the Fiat or the desire to severation bringeth it self into nature and creature and from the science springeth evill and good and not from God or in God in his Trinity 64. For there is no decree but there is a consultation therein and then there must also be a cause of that consultation therein and then againe there must be a cause of that also and so there must be somthing before God or after God wherefore he so consults and determines 65. But he is himself the profundity and the one and is one only will that is himself and that is only goâ—d for one only thing cannot be opposite to it self for it is but one and hath no quarrel with any thing 66. Therefore it is the folly of Reason that they speake of compulsion and inevitable necessity and understand not the * * * The Great Mystery Mysterium Magnum Or that they say God of his purpose willeth the evil desire or will which he hath hardned that it should not attaine the Grace 67. I shew to this blind Reason a Thistle to consider of which the Sun for a whole day toucheth and giveth it light and power yet it remaines a Thistle so also the wicked will The Divine Sun shineth to it the day of its whole life but its ground is an Ens of a Thistle 68. Otherwise it God did of purpose harden it the righteousness could have no judgement therein for that which doeth what it must doe liveth according to the will of its Lord but if †††Psal. 5.4 God willeth not that which is wicked as in Psal 5. then the evil cometh out of the roote And in the roote of knowledge out of natures ground to the creature and by accident And for that cause hath God manifested his will and given his Law and Gospel that is hath manifested his threatenings and his grace that a day of separation might be kept with righteousness and that no creature might have Excuse 69. And the History saith further * * * Gen. 33.12 13 14. After Esaw had received the Present of Jacob he spake unto his brother Jacob saying Let us take our journey and goe forward I will goe with thee but Jacob said to him My Lord thou knowest that I have with mee tender children and moreover cattel that are great with yong and sucking Caâ—ves if they be over-driven for one day the whole flock would dye Let my Lord pass over before his servant and I will follow on softly as the cattel and the children are able to goe until I come to my Lord into Seir. This Text appeareth to be only an outward History but the Spirit hath also its inward figure under it for Jacob stands in that figure of Christ. And the figure is thus 70. When Christ through his suffering and death appeased his Fathers anger in the kingdome of nature thus said the appeased anger Now will we arise and take our journey together understand in the life of man but the Love said man is too tender feeble and impotent and can scarce goe in Gods wayes * * * Mat. 28.20 I will remain with them even to the end of the world Mat. 28. And lead them †††Gently and moderately slowly as they are able to goe least they fall into temptation and error and be blinde as to Grace Goe thou before my Lord I will lead them on softly under my yoke of the Crosse that they die not for if they should now presently be led in the Fathers severe righteousness they would not be able to goe though they are indeed redeemed yet they live still in flesh and bloud I will come after with them to thee into Seir that is into Gods righteousness 71. †††Gen. 33.15 And Esaw said Let me now leave with thee some of the folke that are with mee He answered what needeth it let mee but finde Grace in the sight of my Lord that is God the Father said let me leave some of my severe righteousness commandements and Lawes with thee but Christ said What needeth it Let me with these redeemed children onely finde Grace with thee for they cannot fulfill the Law 72. * * * Gen. 33.16 Thus Esaw went his way again that day towards Seir that is thus God's righteousness pressed into it's own principle †††17. And Jacob went to Succoth and built him an house from whence the place is called Succoth This in the figure is as much as to say Christ led his Christendome viz. his children not to Seir that is into
he was a prosperous Man and was in his Masters the Aegyptians house and his Master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord made all that he did to prosper in his hand so that he found Grace and favour in the sight of his Master and was his Servant which he set over his house and all that he had he put under his hand and from the time that he set him over his house and over all his Goods the Lord blessed the Aegyptians house for Josephs sake and the blessing of the Lord was every way upon all that he had in the house and in the field therefore he left all that he had under the hands of Joseph and he medled with nothing while he had him but what he did eate and drinke and Joseph was a goodly person and faire of feature 2. The History prefigureth to us a true Christian Man what he is and how he is in this world and what his Office is that is when Christ is manifested in him he is no more his owne to doe what he will also in this world he hath nothing for his owne of which he can in truth say this is mine or I I am he that hath it I possesse it it is mine own I may doe therewith what my flesh and my owne will listeth I may use it for my honour and pleasure that I may thereby be * * * Or high aloft in the world No a true Christian hath none of that in his power 3. He indeed ruleth of right over that which he hath and possesseth with truth and righteousnesse but yet as a servant of his Lord Christ. For a Christian is a Christian in Christ and is bought to a Christian Life and to the obedience of Faith by the bloud of Christ with Christs †††Thirty pieces of silver thirty pieces of silver whereof his Lord Christ hath committed to him Josephs * * * Twenty pieces of silver twenty pieces of silver and set him as a Steward over it that he may trade therewith and employ it till he make it come to thirty pieces of silver which he should weare in him and about him as a Mark or Badg of his Lord Christ as a Treasure of his Christianity 4. But seing his Lord Christ was sold and betrayed to Death for thirty pieces of silver and Joseph was sold by his Brethren to be a †††Over whom the Master hath power of Life and all he hath Bondslave for twenty pieces of silver in both these numbers standeth the figure of a Christian viz. Christ when he is manifested in a Man sheweth him the thirty pieces of silver for which he was sold to Suffering and Death and this his suffering and Death he putteth upon him in which is founded the figure of the thirty pieces of silver viz. that he was sold and betrayed and therein man becomes such a Christian as is founded implanted †††Eingeatzed Etching of plates with Aqua fortis ingraven upon and into Christs sufferings and Death and therein a Man becometh a Christian in Christs sufferings and Death and standeth in the figure of Christ and looseth the right of his naturall selfe-will as also the kingdome of this world 5. For in Christs Death as to his inward spirituall Man he dieth from this world and according to that inward Man is no more in this world but in Christ in God viz. in the Kingdome of God as it is written * * * Luk. 17.21 The Kingdome of God is inwardly within you Also †††Gal. 4.19 Examine your selves whether Christ have gotten a forme in you Also ‖ ‖ ‖ 1 Cor. 3.16 Ye are the Temple of the Holy Ghost who dwelleth in you Also * * * Col. 4.12 Ye are the servants of Christ and †††Joh. 6 53. should eate the flesh of the Son of Man and so * * * Joh. 15.7 he abideth in you and you in him and †††Joh. 6.53 without him ye have no Life as an hearb or grasse and all earthly things without the power and vertue of the Sunne have no life growth or vegetation and operation in them so Man without the Divine Sunne which through Christ hath manifested it selfe in his Christians hath no life or happinesse or salvation without Christ in him 6. And as Christ was sold for thirty pieces of silver to suffering and death which thirty pieces of silver signifie the †††Luk 3.23 thirty yeares of Christ before his Baptisme ere he entred into his Office and divine Government according to the humanity when he gave up his humane Will to God and the Creaturely selfe-will ceased in him so also must a Christian when he is in truth in his owne naturall will sold for twenty pieces of the thirty pieces of silver to be a servant of God in Christ to be a Minister or Officer and Obedient to his Lord who liveth in him then his by past yeares of the Adamicall Naturall time of this world are sold in and with Christ for twenty pieces of silver and so the Adamicall time of his naturall will in this being sold ceaseth in Christs suffering Death and he is by his Lord who is arisen from Death in him and ruleth and raigneth over Death set to be an Officer over Christs Goods to dispose of them through the Spirit of Christ viz. in the power and vertue of his Lord who is in him in this world * * * As to the Dominiō of Christ. according to the Kingdome of Christ. 7. As Joseph was taken away from his Fathers house and was first cast into the Pit wherein he should have perished and was afterwards sold by his brethren for twenty pieces of silver to serve as a Bondslave so also a Christian is first taken away from his Fathers house viz. from the Adamicall Nature and is cast into the Pit viz. into Christs suffering and Death and then looseth the Adamicall inheritance of the Kingdome of this world and is with his Will and Minde brought away from it then he must yeeld up his Fathers house viz. all his selfehood together with his naturall Life to his brethren in his fathers house that is to the power of God in the Government of this world and suffer himselfe to be cast into the Pit of the Death of his Naturall will and therein give up himselfe to the Death of Christ and willingly die to the will of this world viz. to his owne Adamicall house and willingly suffer all whatsoever his brethren of this world doe to him 8. And then if he thus lye in the Pit or Grave of Christ and hath given himselfe up to the Death of Christ that he willingly would forsake all for Christs sake and dye the death of his owne will then Christ his Lord putteth on him his resurrection from the Dead and maketh
then the Devill comes and stirreth up the fleshly whore in flesh and bloud and all false and wicked desires and Imaginations and then injecteth and frameth in this whore the Honour and Glory of the world also Riches and the pleasure of this Life also he modelleth and represents the Great misery and desolation wherein the poore soule in this world must stand in shame and scorne also the great unworthinesse of the soule also he represents Covetousnesse to think all temporall good things and necessaries will fayle and so it should come into great Misery 37. To the Potent and Rich the Devill modelleth and represents in this their fleshly Serpentine whore their Nobility and Highnesse their Great Honour Might and Power also voluptuous eating and drinking of dainty fare and how they may acquire it with power and suttle policy also he represents unchastity and wantonnesse and to think that if they should walke in humility and lowlinesse they should loose the respect and reputation of the world for who would feare and honour them if they did not put themselves forward with ostentation 38. All these are the words of Potiphars whore in flesh and bloud which the Devill stirreth up in the Serpents insinuated poyson with his Imagination wherewith he plagueth the poore imprisoned soule in flesh and bloud and provoketh it to such and the like unchastity and sinnes and this whore in the flesh sayth continually to the soule lye with mee copulate with mee thou wilt be blessed happy and saved well enough use thy lust with mee and this shee doth dayly that shee might bring Joseph into Lust viz. the New childe that the soule might bite at that bait and defile the New childe and its faire Crowne 39. For this whore is ashamed before this New childe shee resembleth a dirty Swine compared with the Sunne when shee heareth mention made of the wantonnesse of the world shee rejoyceth at it but when Men speak of such chastity and purity shee is ashamed of it and then bespattereth or sullyeth the Speech of the holy childe with the abovesaid abominations and despiseth it for shee knoweth that if Joseph holdeth the Government shee must dye 40. But honest vertuous and chast Joseph viz. the inward New Man sayth to this whore behold my Lord and Master hath trusted mee with all his Eternall Goods and the whole Kingdome of Christ how shall I then doe so evilly before him I will not lye with thee thou art thy Lords wife viz. the wife of the Spirit of this world I will not lye with thee nor be neere thee 41. And Moses sayth further * * * Gen. 39.11 12 13 14 15. It came to passe on a Day that Joseph went into the House to doe his employment and there was none of the people in the House and shee caught him by his Garment and sayd lye with mee but he left the Garment in her hand and fled and ran forth out of the House but when shee perceived that he left his Garment in her hand and was fled forth shee called the People of the House and sayd behold he hath brought in an Hebrew Man to us to defame us he came in unto mee and would have lyen with mee but I cryed with a lowd voyce and when he heard that I cryed out and called he left his Garment with mee and fled and ran forth This now is the figure shewing how the Devill through this whorish Woman strongly sets upon the soule especially when the Devill observeth that the soule is alone that the Spirit of God stirreth not in it then he falls a storming of it and layeth hold of it in its lifes Essence and will force it in such whoredome that the Pretious Virgin-childe might be defiled and that shee might with the Serpents power copulate with the soule 42. This also is a powerfull figure of the whorish and unchast world shewing how the faire Daughters of Eve in the instigation of the Devill run after the tender Youths and allure them with flattering hypocriticall behaviour with wicked burning Lust which trimme and adorne themselves as if an Angell sate under their dresse and have drawne many an honest vertuous childe that never desired it to themselves and bound them with the Devills chaines and have bereaved them of their honour and chastity 43. And if there were an honest and chast Joseph who would not goe into these Hogsstyes and Jakes of the Devill they cry out against such a one and accuse him of unchastity as willing to betray him and rob him of his honour and yet are even the lustfull Panders which strow sugar and give Gall to Eate which strange people strow sugar so long as he hath money in his Purse till they bereave him of his livelyhood honour and Goods that he have no more to give them and then they scorne him and leave him without a Garment as Potiphars wife did Joseph as he was going out of the house so the Devill hath the soule and the whore the Garment for a Pledge in which whore nothing else governeth but the Serpent with its brood of young ones and he that joynes himselfe unto them is poysoned by the Serpent for the Serpent sheds its spawne into body and soule and poysoneth him so exceedingly that his heart cleaveth to the whore and runneth after her as if he were fast tied to her 44. At present the world is full of these vermine among high and low and therefore also at present the Serpent it selfe is pregnant and will shed forth its spawne which the Zeale of God will consume for Joseph with his Governing-Office lyeth as yet in Prison and Potiphars wife governeth in her burning Lust which shee bare to Joseph but since shee could not betray Joseph shee set her selfe in Josephs Government and governeth the house of this world and accordingly hath generated many Bastards which now governe in her stead and therefore the Judgement cometh upon her whoredome and breaketh her to pieces that men will say †Shee is fallen shee is fallen Babell the Mother of the Great Whoredome and is become a habitation of all Devills and uncleane Spirits shee is for Ever sealed up in the Abysse 45. On the Contrary wee heere see in this Image and Type also the great Chastity and Purity of Joseph who when he was drawne and held with power yet fled from this whore and had rather leave his Garment and good Name at Stake that he might but keepe a good Conscience The Holy Figure standeth thus 46. When this chast New virgin childe in the Spirit of Christ seeth this whore in flesh and bloud draw neere it that her desire layeth hold on this Chastity then it flyeth out of the house that is this virgin childe hideth it selfe in its owne Principle and may not come neere the soule seeing the soule is defiled by this whores Poyson so that it is brought into Lust thus strongly the divine purity shields it selfe from the
cometh his †††Or finest of flower fat Bread and he will act to please Kings when Zilpa Leahs Mayd-servant had borne Gad viz. the prepared subtile crafty alwayes ready at every suttle assault against the right Justice and Judgement of Dan then sayth Moses shee ‖ ‖ ‖ Gen. 30.12 13. bare Jacob the second sonne and then sayd Lea it is well with mee for the daughters will praise mee and call mee blessed and shee called him Asher and Jacob sayd in the Testament from Asher cometh his fatt Bread and he will live to please Kings heere Jacob viz. the Spirit in the Covenant compriseth these two brethren together in a figure for Gad hath the agility and Asher taketh his fat bread from the King and Lea sayth at his Birth the Daughters will praise mee and call mee blessed 30. Heere now standeth the figure but what explanation may this have Gad Ordereth his wayes with suttlety and Asher with flattery and hypocrisie among the Kings and Potentates in Authority and power whereby he attaineth prosperous fatt dayes of plenty pleasure and voluptuousnesse and such are every one that shall sit in Offices and as Judges and Magistrates they doe all to please their Lord and King that they may be reputed honoured applauded and rewarded by him and that they may have their fatt bread from him and the Spirit by these three sonnes signifieth powerfully what kinde of people would rule the world viz. by Dan the Serpent viz. selfe-will and by Gad suttlety treachery and undermining deceipt and by Asher false and wicked flattery and sychophatising hypocrisie who alwayes sitt in the Courts of Kings and serve them for their fatt bread and onely hunt after the applause and honour of Men. 31. Therefore sayth the Spirit from Asher cometh his fat Bread from whom cometh the fat Bread answer from the nimble suttle heads who make the cause of flatterers and hypocrites seeme right The flatterers sitt neere Kings and applaud him in his selfe-hood and say doe what thou wilt it is all good and right and when the King would faine have it in the appearance of right that it also may be applauded then cometh Gad with his nimble suttle perverted far fetched argumentative prerogative right and setteth the Kings owne selfe-will in the right of Nature so that it seemeth to be right to these Asher giveth the Kings fat bread thus they all Three live in the Serpent and so it biteth the horse in the heeles and they are all three the Mayd-servants children viz. Ministers and Servants of selfe-will 32. Dan is the manager of the †††Or supreme superiour Office Gad is his Councellour at Law in matters of Right Justice and Judgement such as the * * * Advocates Procters Pleaders and Attorneys Lawyers and Jurists are and Asher is the Nobility and Councellours of State these the Spirit hath foreseene in their Testament in these things which they would hereafter practise for the Testator sayth not ye shall be such but ye will be such and sheweth excellently what the Government on Earth in the selfe-will of the humane Nature would be X. The Testament of Naphtali 33. †††Gen. 49.21 Naphtali is a swift Hinde and giveth faire words Naphtali is the second sonne of Bilha Rachells Mayd-servant which shee bare after Dan and is a right brother of Dan These brethren of Naphtali are now among Kings Judges and denote the Earthly wisdome from the ‖ ‖ ‖ Or Configuration Constellation or Starres which with Eloquent faire speeches adorn the Office of Judicature so that Dan Gad Asher are called able wise understanding and learned Lords and Masters 34. But he also proceedeth only from the Strife between Rachell and Jacob for Rachell sayd when Bilha her mayd-servant bare him * * * Gen. 30.8 God hath decided between mee and my sister and I shall prevaile over her this signifieth in the figure that these wise and learned speeches of Naphtali in this Office of Judicature would be able to bow bend and turne about all Causes so that selfe-will would remaine still a Judge in all causes so that none would be able to object any thing in the least against these fower Rulers the sonnes of the Mayd-servants but they would have the Government in Israell and rule the world and prevaile over all Men. 35. But they are all fower the sonnes of the Mayd servants And Sarah sayd to Abraham thrust out the sonne of the Mayd servant for he shall not inherit with my sonne Isaack and God was pleased with it and commanded Abraham to doe it to signifie that these Offices shall not inherit nor possesse the Kingdome of Heaven but shall have an End when Christ the sonne of the free woman shall receive the Kingdome all these States and Governments shall be thrust out and he alone in his children and Members shall governe 36. Behold your selves in this Looking-Glasse ye politick cunning very wise and understanding World in thy suttle policy eloquence of speech favour might potency and honour and see where it is thou sittest and whom thou servest behold thy fatt bread also the applause from the King whom thou servest and what thou purposest designest and doest and how thou standest in thy figure before God the Kingdome of Christ thy Eloquence avayleth nothing in the presence of God thy prudence policy suttlety and cunning avayleth nothing if thou wilt not give right Counsell and say and doe according to Truth and perswade and informe thy superiour Lord and Master rightly then thou helpest to generate this Adder and Serpent in the Testament of Dan for thy superiour and thou thy selfe art that Adder and Serpent who biteth Judgement Justice and right in the Heele and therefore thou also shalt attaine the End wages and recompence of the Serpent in Hell-fire for it XI The Testament of Joseph 37. * * * Gen. 49.22 23 24 25 26. Joseph will spring forth Hee will spring as by a fountaine the sprouts or daughters passe on to the Government and although the Archers be angry and fight against him and persecute him yet his Bow holdeth strong and his Arme and hand in strength through the hand of the Mighty in Jacob from whom have proceeded the Shepheards and Stone in Israell thou art helped by thy fathers God and from the Almighty thou art blessed with blessings from heaven above and with blessings from the deepe that lieth beneath with blessings of the Breasts and Womb the blessings of thy father have prevailed more then the blessings of my Auncestours according to the desire of the lofty in the world and shall come upon the head of Joseph and upon the Crowne of his head that was seperate from his brethren 38. In this Testament of Joseph the Spirit in the Covenant represents the figure of a right divine Governour in whom the Spirit of God ruleth who is not the sonne of the Mayd
Adams impurity that he is become earthly and hath committed whoredome before me and I have not given Selah for a husband to the New Eve that is I have not given the Word of the New Regeneration by and in the Law therefore hath Thamar that is the New Eve under the time of the Law layne and Copulated with Judah and his children for and about the soulish or animale and humane Nature and left Selah viz. the Law standing in the figure and the Grace of the New Eve in the Covenant hath alwayes joyned and mixed it selfe with Gods children as is to be seene in the Saints especially in the Prophets who outwardly lived under the Law and exercised themselves therein and yet alwayes joyned and mixed themselves with the New Eve in the Grace and yet lived not to the Law but to Grace 56. And this is the powerfull figure in this place shewing how the Covenant of Promise in Judah and the awakening of the Covenant in the Womans seede stand alwayes set one opposite to the other and lye and Copulate one with the other in the Love pointing at the future manifestation in the flesh in Christ. 57. For this figure of Judah and Thamar in the inward Ground is nothing else but this that outwardly the adulterous evill Adam with his fleshly Eve is represented in the figure viz. outwardly the Man of sinne with a sinfull figure and inwardly the betrothing of the New Eve in Regeneration 58. And the Spirit speaketh further in Moses and sayth * * * Gen. 38.27 28 29 30. And when Thamar was about to bring forth behold Twinnes were found in her womb and as shee was upon the Birth one of them put forth a hand then the Midwife tooke a Red Thrid and tied about it and sayd This is the first that cometh forth but when he pulled back his hand his brother came forth and shee sayd Wherefore hast thou for thy will made this breach and his name was called †††Pharez Perez Afterwards his brother came forth who had the Red Thrid about his hand and his Name was called ‖ ‖ ‖ Zarah Serah 59. O thou wonderfull great God who art so high and deep how simply and to the capacity of a childe dost thou modellize thy wisdome to us What is all Art and Witt of humane Greatnesse before thee who dost so very much condescend bow downe and humble thy selfe and presentest thy deepest wisdome and highest profundity in a childish simplicity which may justly shame all humane State and selfe-wit when they see so great Mysteries of God stand in such Childishnesse 60. O World how foolish art thou that thou Elevatest thy selfe in a blinde life and still cleavest to the husk and seest not what thou art and understandest not the Divine Simplicity and then how wilt thou apprehend the Divine Depth O leave off thy witt and cleave to simplicity that thou mayst yet obtein a childes understanding and be not accounted in the sight of God more unwise then the Beasts which remaine in their cloathing and condition as God hath Created them O thou World why sleepest thou in the Devills Armes who succles and dandles thee in himselfe and bringeth thee to his will and life by his might O doe but see it 61. This potent figure in these Twinnes one of which put forth the hand which the Midwife bound a red Thrid about and thought it would be the first but it drew the hand back againe and his brother came forth prefigureth this to us how Christ in this Line of the Covenant assumed the humane Nature and so the humane Nature according to Adams right and selfe-will in this world first puts forth and manifests it selfe about which Adamicall Nature in the humanity of Christ must this red Thrid with the shedding of his Bloud be bound 62. When this is done then must the humane Nature with its right draw back againe that is Adams will that was gone forth must againe returne into the Mothers womb viz. be turned in to the Word and then cometh the inward New Adam forth after which followeth the Adamicall Nature with the Red Thrid then sayth the Mother to the New Adam in Christ why hast thou for thy will made this Breach for thy will sayth the Mother not for thy will sake but for the sake of that which driveth thy will forth and Adams will goes back thus hath the will in the Covenant of Grace powerfully broken through the strong Barre enclosure of the first Principle viz. of the Kingdome of Gods Anger for the Good Will in Adam was shut up in Death and in Hell and in Christ he rent that powerfull Rent and brake through Death and Hell back againe into the Kingdome of the Eternall Nature and turned it selfe forth againe into the Naturall Life so that the Kingdome of God was againe manifested in the Humane Life 63. This the Spirit represents by Thamar in the Line of the Covenant and modelizeth Christs breach through Death and Hell how that should be and by this premodelling was the whorish will of Thamar and Judah healed and their children of whoredome in the Line of Christ were Espoused into the Covenant of Grace 64. In Esaw and Jacob stood the figure how according to Nature Adam had the right of the Kingdome and how he squandered it and is therefore in his Naturall Will thrust out from the Kingdome of God and how Christ came to help him Here now stands the figure shewing how Christ hath gotten the Kingdome and turned Adam back againe and in Adam turned himselfe forth so that now Adam is called Christ and presents himselfe very excellently in the figure of Joseph and this standeth fitly and rightly between in the intervale of Josephs history 65. For Joseph is the figure of a Christian and this of Judah and Thamar is a figure shewing how a Christian springeth out of Adams Nature and how Adams Nature is turned in againe and Christ turned forth and how this Image of a Christian Man in this world is covered outwardly with the Earthly Adam so that men cannot know it also how thus Christ in Adam tooke his Guilt upon him and how Adam must be marked with this Red Thrid which Mark is rightly the Pledge that Judah gave to Thamar And I would have the Reader of this admonished in Love not to reject our Exposition of this Text but to consider it and looke narrowly and perspicuously into it and then he will well perceive who was the Expositour if he be worthy of it CHAP. LXVI The Most Excellent History of Joseph how he was sold to Potiphar what befell Joseph and of Josephs Chastity and feare of God Vpon the 39 Chapter of Genesis JOseph was brought downe into Aegypt and Potiphar an Aegyptian Gen. XXXIX 1 2 3 4 5 6. Pharaohs Officer Captaine of his Guard bought him of the Ismaelites who brought him thither and the Lord was with Joseph and