Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
mercy_n	good_a	lord_n	verse_n	5,169	5	7.6397	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A69597	Jacob Behmen's theosophick philosophy unfolded in divers considerations and demonstrations, shewing the verity and utility of the several doctrines or propositions contained in the writings of that divinely instructed author : also, the principal treatises of the said author abridged, and answers given to the remainder of the 177 theosophick questions, propounded by the said Jacob Behmen, which were left unanswered by him at the time of his death : as a help towards the better understanding the Old and New Testament : also what man is with respect to time and eternity, being an open gate to the great mysteries / by Edward Taylor ; with a short account of the life of Jacob Behmen.; Selections. English. 1691	Böhme, Jakob, 1575-1624.; Taylor, Edward, fl. 1691.	1691 (1691)	Wing B3421; ESTC R21858	539,912	460

hath a good Constellation at the time of the Spirits awakening it gives him a Friendly lovely outside whereby such a one can give good flattering words from a false heart for he dwelleth in two Kingdoms in this World is he a History Hypocrite and his Soul in the Anger Kingdom with the Devils 8. But the Grace of God appeared by Christ's becoming Man to bring our Human Souls out of Death and the Abyss of Anger into the Tenth Number the Eternal Tincture to be again the Similitude of God upon the Cross whence the Soul originated And then when the Soul is turned into the Will of God in great Humility having Christ's Body it passeth through Death or from Death to Life in the Death of Christ through the Anger of God into the Ninth Number before the Holy Trinity and is imbraced by the Majesty The great open Gate of Antichrist 9. Antichrist in Men professing Christ is a contrary will to the Divine Will yet a Counterfeit of it but as the Soul becomes born of God more or less in such proportion the renewed Will quits the Principles and Dictates of corrupt Reason and self Desires cover'd by Hypocrisie and by a sincere faithful Love rooted in the Life of Christ a holy Flame of self-evidencing Light ariseth giving a distinct discovery of Antichrist before which it falls and by which it is destroy'd for the going from Antichrist is the going from the Fire into the Light The highly Precious Gate also the Gate of Immanuel 10. Is it askt How can Christ's Body be ours How can we dwell in the Body of Christ It is Answer'd As we have Adam's Flesh Soul and Spirit which Christ becoming Man hath yet remaineth God but receiv'd in the fair Virgin of Wisdom the Eternal Flesh which Adam's was before dividing of the Properties and the Property of our earthy Flesh so Christ's Soul is ours and his Body ours and his Virgin ours whereby we live in Christ when we give up our selves to him wherein also he liveth in us and will at last present us wholly pure with the Heavenly Flesh Blood Tincture and Majesty of Christ. Thus also he liveth in us and we are his Members Temple and Body 11. Where one saith Here is Christ and another There it is because they have lost the Key for the Body and Blood of Christ is in the Eternity and not shut up by space or place but as the Sun shineth from East to West and whose Light fills the World how much more doth Christ fill every part of his Incarnation And when we desire his Flesh and Blood we receive it and are fed by it for as the Father gives Being and upholdeth all so the Son gives Vertue and Light The Congregation of Christ is in every Nation where Men turn from their Sins to God be they Greeks Turks Asians Africans c. God respects not Persons nor Opinions but seeks the Heart those who call on the only true God in plain Simplicity are in Christ but the Tyrannous Proud Covetous Malicious Blood-thirsty Antichrist with their endless Contentions and Disputations offend the Heathens whose Life and Customs are far more Innocent and Pious and when Antichrist's Lyes have stifled him broken his Murthering Sword and laid him in the Pit then shall Christ feed his Lambs and the Turk be of the Fold of the Lambs 12. The whole World is full of God the inward holy Life dwelleth in God and the inward dark Abyss standeth in God's Wrath the strife is which may Image us into it self in this outward Life here God sets Light and Darkness before us and all the teaching here is to warn of the severe Property of the Fire for every thing hath Free-will with an Inclination to its Property therefore we must either embrace the true Good or the certain Evil. Young Children are our School-masters with all our Cunning we are but Fools to them who first play with themselves and after one with another this the Devil grudg'd us and made us fall out at our Play and so we quarrel till we go to sleep and then others Act over again the same quarrels and all is about a defiled Garment which yet is not ours while we should obediently search for a new fair Garment when amongst the Roses Lillies and Flowers we shall in our own Country sing the Song How the Driver who did set us at variance is captivated CHAP. XII Of the true Christian Life and Conversation What Man is to do c. COnsidering well the 34 first Verses of this 12th Chapter it may be comprised mostly in these words He hath shewed thee O Man what is good and what doth the Lord thy God require of thee but to do justly to love Mercy and to walk humbly with thy God The Way we must walk through this World into the Kingdom of God We must if we will so walk Crucifie Self Repent Convert from Evil hourly pass out of Death into Life we must not take pleasure in our selves but so humble our selves before the clear Countenance of the Trinity before whom we always stand and look on Jesus who always sitteth on the Rainbow in us I say we are so to converse without Self-pleasing that our ways may please God the heavenly Hoasts and Man The rest of this sweet Chapter is of various and copious Rules and Monitions yet so conspicuous that the perusal is rather to be recommended than the particulars extracted Only this asserteth That a Self-defence against outward Force or War having only a desire of Self-defence is not against God for he whose House is on Fire may quench it CHAP. XIII Of Christ's Precious Testaments the Lord's Supper and Baptism 1. VVHEN Christ's Apostles and Disciples met together after fervent Exhortation of one another They took brake divided amongst them and did eat Bread in commemoration of Christ's giving his Body for us on the Cross as himself had commanded So also took they the Cup in their hand saying one to another Take this Cup and drink the Blood of our Lord which he shed on the Cross for Remission of our Sins to shew forth his Death till he come again to Judgment and bring us into himself This was the true great Paschal Lamb in●●ituted by Christatier they had eaten the Passover 2. He gave them and they did eat and drink his Flesh and Blood not his earthy and mortal Flesh and Blood to be chewed with their earthy Teeth and swallow'd for that Body of his was not divided amongst them but he gave them his immortal holy Body and Blood new and unknown to the earthy Man yet which did hang in or was United to the outward on the Cross this holy Body became as a Body to their Souls making them his Members 3. As the Eternal Virginity Substantiality and Wisdom wherein was the promised Word gave it self into the perished Tincture became a new Man at the Incarnation in the Virgin Mary so the new Body of

Sperm or Seed to their maturity and declining who all by the due temper violent extream or fading of This Spirit have the proportion of increase or declination to Nullity for This as a Weather glass or Index shews their degrees of vigour or languishing 4. But let it suffice no longer to hold a Candle to the Sun which in conjunction with Mars is in the out-birth the great instrument which doth abundantly demonstrate and figure This 4th Spirit and on the 4th day was the Sun created or enkindled The 4 first Spirits thus distinctly known open us among many others the Scriptures following 5. This is the Condemnation that light c. and men love darkness c. because their deeds are evil that is they are comprised in the first four forms refusing to be enkindled by the light of the 5th form but remain by the Astringency immeasurably covetous by the attraction uncontroleably proud by the property of the anguish repleat and swoln with envy and by That of the fire have fierce furious anger Our lusts warring in our Members the cause of Wars which remain such till the light of God or second Principle enkindles it and so compose Peace Man is become like the Beast that Perisheth Like the Wolf and Swine by the astringent covetousness The Lion Horse Cock by the proud elevating attracting will Like the Toad Torpedo c. by the anguish Like Dogs Tigers c. by the furious fiery property Thus the Soul like the Traveller fell among Thieves where he perisheth till the good Samaritan takes pity 6. In these 4 Adam was dead till God inspoke the Word promising life the way of reviving is by enkindling light and in the light the Divine Love clearly typified by the Law of Sacrifices for as the Sacrifice gave it self up in a flame as of love to ascend leaving only its ashes which were His till then Impediments so is this Indignation and wrath tribulation and anguish on every Soul of Man that doth Evil These are the 4 murthering Spirits But glory honour and peace to every one that worketh righteousness c. Here are the three last Spirits of the seven viz. The 5th the Light or Love-fire signified by Glory The 6th the sound or spirit enabling to heavenly Songs of Praise signified by honour And the 7th the Body or Sabbath in which all the other six spirits being by the 5th and 6th brought into harmony do inhabit rest and dwell signified by Peace CHAP. VII Demonstrations of the Spirit producing Light and the Love fire 1. THis demonstrates it self in every thing more or less on this side the hellish Principle but the first four excluding Addition are in and in a sort compose comprehend and include the dark World and That is the harsh Astringency strong Attraction raging Anguish and hungry Fire These limit the first or hellish Principle which can never comprehend the Light for That never proceeds to enkindle it for it wants oil and must ever want it because their perpetual Enmity doth ever more dry it up 2. Now that which composeth Peace is where the fire proceedeth to the blowing up of Light the Meekness whereof satiateth the hungry Fire and becomes food for the other three Spirits who before like Milstones without Corn grind and impetuously rub and grate each other 3. This did Lucifer and his Legions till the gracious Jehovah not being pleas'd that so great a space of the Salitter as that now included by the Stars should remain under the Darkness which then cover'd that Deep call'd for Light which was this 5th Spirit and its appearing caus'd each of the other four to kiss and sweetly strengthen the other and draw all one way and not prey one on another 4. The Scripture saith Perfect love casts out fear for fear hath torment which it doth by taking away the enmity and harmonizing the first four forms of the discording Spirits Love is the fulfilling of the Law for it doth all suffers all and that always but until the 4th Spirit the Fire attains the Light and Love Spirit the first four neither do nor can fulfil the Law but undo all by their Dissonancy The three first years the fruits in Canaan were to be accompted as uncircumcised The 4th year to be of Praise to the Lord but not to be eaten till the 5th year The three first years signifie the three first Forms of the eternal Nature viz. Binding Attracting and Anguish which before enkindling of the other four Forms are enemicitious and the foundation of the hellish Principle But the 4th year was the fruit to be of Praise to the Lord more nearly than the other because out of it is enkindled the light and love-flame Yet the Tribes of God were not to eat it till the 5th year for then it became good nourishment by the enkindled Light and principle of Love and not before The sweet Perfume was only of four Heterogeneous Ingredients viz. Stacte or Stacus a bitter tasted Arabian flower and Onyca a sweet spice of each a like quantity signifying the two first Forms which are both alike strong or alike weak every where The third is Galbanum very stinking signifying the third Form the Anguish The fourth is pure Frankincense a Gum of sweet Odour to feed the Fire which Fire is the fourth Form Obj. Will any say How are we concern'd to penetrate into the distinct Forms and Properties of Nature call'd fountain Spirits Is not this the tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil which Adam fell by searching sounding and feeling after with neglect of the tree of Life Answ. It is true he should not have known this experimentally for his knowing the third Principle separated from the second was as fatal had not infinite Mercy interposed as the knowledge of this which is the first Principle had been to Lucifer and his Angels But Man being fallen it is as highly profitable to him to have the distinct understanding of this as it was hurtful to our first Parents for as the Physitian and Chyrurgeon ought to find the spring of disorders in the Sick or the depth of the Wound even so here our knowing this is as the spreading the snare in the sight of a Bird. This appears it that the Lord is the All in all things with the froward he will shew himself froward c. These four Fountains are the indissoluble band the root of all things visible and invisible the immediate cause and strong might of all eternal things and with the interposition of second causes may be truly said to be the cause of transitory Beings for these are the root of their roots the cause of their causes the instrumental first Mover of their Motion and Parent of their immediate Parents Daniel's vision of four Monarchies figureth the four first Forms all which excluding the 5th viz. the enkindling the Light are called four great Beasts 1. The first like a Lion viz. the

may come and that this Principle is derived from the Holy God May I yet believe that from the same Fountain issued reprobation of an indefinite number of Angels and Men compelling them to be really guilty black Criminals abandoned wholly to hardened sinful resolutions adverse blasphemous will and to be fuel for everlasting Burnings that the good of shewing his power and wrath might thence be extracted 16. The will of the Father is the reason of the Child And God commands me to forgive that I may be like him do good for evil And that I who am less than a drop to his Infinite Abyss and Ocean of Mercy should yet shew so much Mercy as to help the Beast of my Enemy fallen under his Burthen How can I then think that this God of Infinite Bowels did from Eternity reprobate any of his Intelligent or Rational Children and Creatures to be Back-broken or design snares and pits into which they must necessarily fall and be precipitated 17. It is written what if God willing to shew his wrath c. having endured with much long-suffering the Vessels of Wrath fitted for destruction It saith not that God fitted them for destruction But it saith of God that he had endured them with long-suffering but in ver 23. It is written of the Vessels of Mercy that he viz. God had afore prepared them unto Glory which distinction is very weighty and significant 18. Again the Judge himself tells us the manner of the great irrevocable sentence viz. Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom c. But in ver 41. He saith Depart from me ye cursed into Everlasting Fire c. But saith not ye cursed of my Father as before ye blessed of my Father signifying evidently that men make themselves accursed which deserves heedfully to be pondered See the answer of the fifteenth Question throughout particularly the ninth verse Quest. 71. How were the Eyes of Adam and Eve opened that they saw they were naked which before they knew not 1. It is manifest Adam and Eve were an Image of God in all the three Principles but they should have lived a re●igned life in the second contemplating the Greatness and Glory of God in the first Principle but not have entred into it as Lucifer had done also should have seen how the third did Image God and over that Adam was to rule but not subject himself to it by becoming an Image of it or receiving nourishment from it for his so doing as in the foregoing answers hath often been inculcated the transitory Food having in it the divided properties is Bestial Mortal and Putrefactive and Adam and all his Off-spring became thereby as the Beasts 2. Therefore entring into that unsuitable state their Eyes were opened to behold their Nakedness for they were appointed to a Paradi●ical Glorious state else they had been furnished with Hides Fleeces Furrs Feathers or Scales 3. But falling into the principle for which they were not provided they were as naked and unfit as we are to fly into the Air whereto Wings are requisite or to live in the deep whereto Fins and other peculiarities must adapt Creatures 4. But their Eyes were so open'd to the Out-birth as shut them to the Divine Birth My Hand is but a small part of me and given me for good uses as was the third Principle given them but with my Hand I can hide the whole Heaven from my Eyes and so did they for by shutting the Divine Eye they opened the outward dark one as on departure of the Sun we see the Houses Trees c. obscurely 5. Had I lived in the time before Adam's death and had spoken with him I might have found him groping by the strength of his memory after the things which I should have sued to him for the knowledge of all which he by the infallible Light saw distinctly and had exquisite knowledge of before he Fell Like one who hath a Candle in his Room and seeth every thing plainly but that once extinguished must by memory direct his Feet and Hands to grope out any thing he would find Q. 72. What was Adam's and Eve's Shame that they hid themselves behind or by the Trees of Paradise Whence came their fear and terrour A. 1. When they had imagined into the third Principle that is so far penetrated into it as to Lust after it then did the Eye affect the Heart for the strong Magical Will and Mind conforms the whole Man especially the Body which is as the shadow of the inner Man who is the Substance 2. This Lusting when it proceeded to actual Eating awakened the Properties of the first and third Principles that is the Hellish and Bestial in the innermost Man which was before irradiated with Divine Love and true Sublime Wisdom filled with the Spirit of Holiness Tranquillity and Angelical Excellencies this most inward Image of God according to the second Principle was invaded by the inletting of the four Forms of the first Principle which compose the Kingdom of Wrath. 3. Their outward Man given them out of the one Element whence proceeded also the Astral World receiv'd by the awakened Lust the Will of all the Evil Beasts in the divided Properties as of Goats Cocks Boars Bulls Foxes Dogs Wolves Bears Tygers Lions Crockodils Vultures Serpents Vipers Toads c. 4. Thus Man who was the Quintessence and exquisite Abridgement of the Creation as to the third Principle in having their total Energy in pure Heavenly Harmony without Admission into him of any of their divided Evils now by Lusting hath taken into him every of their hateful Properties and become a Beast of all Beasts 5. For their imperfect Evil Properties by Transplantation into his excellent Nature are sublimed into real Wrath and Obstinacy and Premeditated Rebellion against the Kingdom of Divine Love and Grace defiling him with bestial Lusts which in them is filthy but in him sinfully so 6. And Adam and Eves Body which was heavenly before hereby became dark opake sluggish bony deadish and fragil obnoxious to wounds sickness the Turba Mortality and Dissolution into Ashes 7. No wonder then their shame horror and fear should drive and pursue them to hide behind the Trees from that glorious Face whence they had withdrawn themselves and before whom they were no longer able to look up 8. For their Monstrous Image was notorious even such as made them contemned by the very brute Creatures who withdrew theawe fear and service from them which they were to have paid they were scorn'd by the Devils a shame to themselves how much more then were they sunk in the All-observing Eye of the Infinite God Q. 73. How did Adam and Eve really Die in the Fall to the Kingdom of Heaven and Paradise and yet live naturally to this World A. 1. To answer this it must be told what the Life of God was in Adam and Eve which Life consisted in an entire Union with the Universal

Answer What are the Dominions of Angels Evil and Good 1. David meditating the Heavens is transported into admiration What is Man c. But what place may be found low enough for Man to prostrate himself in who seriously considers his loathsom deformity by sin he is so far baser than the Outward Heavens which yet must pass away that he is viler than the Beast that perisheth for his subjection to vanity he owes to us is also viler than the Earth which bearing our Curse yet gratefully pays what it can for the Blessings showering on it and willingly serves the higher Influences of Nature to generate ●●ble Concretes and were it delivered from our Curse would gladly travel for Paradisical Productions but our heavy Curse is so eating that it hath entred the Timber and Walls therefore must this House needs as that having the incurable Leprosie be pull'd down We are also viler than the poisonous abominable Reptiles for they are but figures of the Forms of the Black World but sinful Man is really united to them Man also considered as Reprobate is worse than the Devils both as he is lower by Creation and higher by aggravated transgression having trampled on the Only and most excellent Remedy freely offered for his recovery the Sacrifice of the most Holy of Holies the Only Eternal Son of God 2. And is there no Creature so vile as Man Hold this O my Soul for thy Contemplation remain confounded and astonished Let not thy Tongue smother what thy Intellect sees nor thy Pride refuse thy just Reproach flatter not paint not indulge not but depart out of thy self as now clot●ed with thy shame and filth cry to him whose Eternal Mercy is infinite for pity to cast his skirt over thee now in thy Blood And when thou contemplatest the sublime Wisdom excellent Power and irresistible Activity of the Angelical Hosts and remembrest that the subtilty of a Fox the strength of an Ass the nimbleness of a Fly the skill of a Bee surpass thee yet know if regenerate into the Image of Jesus Christ thou maist by humble Obedience and willing Child-like Resignation to the Conduct of the Councils from above obtain That Wisdom which the Old Serpent is short of thou maist ●ate sin in a measure as the Holy Angels do viz. really because it is sin and universally thou maist love Holiness Purity and Modesty sincerely in a measure the perfection of which Love is the Glory of the Heavenly Hosts Let not therefore the shame of thy nakedness so sink thee but that thy humble thoughts may offer up Volumes of Blessings for any possibility of recovery To Thee therefore who art all in all and infinitely above all be offered up my wretched all To Thee who art all pity be presented my mournful earnest prayer graciously lay hold on my feeble Faith let thy Wind blow Life on my dry Bones To Thee O Fountain of Goodness be given all my weeping praises and my whole Soul for ever On the 20th Question and Answer Out of what is the Visible World created c. 1. This Visible World is originated out of the Eternal thence sprung the Stars and four Elements of the one Element the Fire actuates separates and digests the other three Elements and the Father of Nature forms all according to the Will modell'd by the Wisdom and giveth the Tincture Thus the Fire-life in Man's Mortal Body helps three Conc●ctions the first in the stomach as the Chilus nourishing by assimilation answering to the Air the second in the Mesentery and Liver as Blood answering to Water the third Conc●ction is the passing by the Veins into the gross Members and by the Arteries to the more fine and to add to the Bones answering to Earth and Stones in each of which is a separation of the unprofitable part This Contemplation well raised David to say I am fearfully and wonderfully made And as in our Mortal Man there is something surviving viz. the Tincture so in the Out-birth the Soul of it and Tincture being out of the Eternal Nature and the first Principle is indissoluble but the Bestial Man sees not that but greedily catcheth at the Husk and Hogs-meat the excrementitious part 2. But thou Oh●my Spirit shew by thy humble meekness thy high extraction shew by thy Resignation to the universal Will of thy Creator that thou art his Child keep thy Lamp clean that being enkindled by the Fire from above thou maist enlighten the dark Forms of my Immortal Soul to know and live to God and will purely his will that my Souls heat may be a Love fire and that Love-fire may be a constant Fountain for thy Love-flame That as every individual Creature in their degree do unawares to themselves shew the Almighty Power and Infinite Wisdom of God thou being intrusted more than they all with five Talents maist prove them to ten and shew understandingly not only his Infinite Power and Wisdom but Infinite Goodness Grace Clemency Condescension Pity Love Bounty and Sweetness And thou Oh my Astral and gross Body beware lest the poor Brutes by serving thee while they live and dying to keep thee alive out-strip thee not so far as to witness against thee that thou hast prevented the end of thine own Creation and theirs by insatiably lusting to indulge and serve thy self thereby robbing thy Soveraign of the fruits of his Vineyard On the 21th Question and Answer Whence proceeded Evil as poisonous Creatures here c. 1. Out of the Dark Confusion by the Apostasie of Lucifer and his Legions the Fiat moving by the Separator to bring forth every Power strenuously willed to make it self creaturely so was it the seven Planets severally bear the seven separate Powers and according to them are impressed the Evil and Good Properties on Plants Minerals and Sensitives not that any one is wholly one but one is prevalent and the rest subservient Thus evil venomous loathsom voracious fierce Creatures and things have existence yet shineth the Sun descendeth the sweet drops on them and springeth up the fatness of the Earth for them 2. Behold here the overflowing Bounty of the gracious God who feeds the young Lions and young Ravens the Dragons and Serpents of the Wilderness Behold here also his Long-suffering who not only spares but heaps up outward blessings on far worse viz. obstinate hardened seared Rebels for whom he hath not spared his own Son and on whom he hath waited counselling entreating convincing resisting and dropping Line upon Line perhaps twenty forty and on some fifty years for ever blessed be that abused Creator that bleeding Redeemer that grieved Holy Ghost 3. Come hither all my Inward Powers prostrate your selves be enkindled by this Holy Fire learn to do good for evil blessing for cursing Be astonished O my Soul that ever thou didst return black ingratitude and trample on heavenly Blood and Bowels of Mercy that thou hast not only been as the worst of Beasts but much more vile and