form and order laid This huge vast Molâ—s or live creature some So have affirm'd I'n this a Sceptic am That there no disagreeing seeds appear'd All was by order weight and measure rear'd Heav'n Earth Ayr Seas Fire Water Land and all Beasts Fishes Serpents Birds the which this Ball Iâ— habâ—ted they so created were That they partak'd of each internal Sphear And though those Kingdoms ever disagree Were in the World in compleat harmony So had the great Creator order'd it And them so in their place and order set That there was no disunion for that seed Of disagreement conquer'd was and hid The lighter World was Master th' other did Obey as servant and all things were good To what serv'd this the brutish Animal God's mighty Wonders in their earthly Ball Contemplate could not God Almighty then In his own holy likenesse formed Man His shape it may be somewhat like to this We now do bear But his pure Body was Compos'd of Sulphur Mercury and Sal Out of the inward ground spiritual It s nature was as all things then create Most pure and good and in a perfect state Into this new-made Form God breathed then The breath of Life which gave a Soul to Man Which Soul Eternal is so fram'd by God That from three Kingdoms it its being had Three Essences do it compose so made That it may stand or be to hell betray'd Or like an empty Vacuum which is Capable to be fill'd with Wo or Blisse For what the Soul cleaves most unto when she Puts off this case she to Aeternity Enjoys Nor is she God as some do deem But 's express'd Word or Breath to me doth seem Or a shot Ray from that diviner Sun Who is in all things and is yet but One. Adam thus made perfect and good by God In Paradise is plac'd a bless'd abode Then was the golden age indeed Earth gave Nor Weeds nor Thorns but cloath'd in liv'ry brave Had a perpetual spring continual green In ev'ry place on ev'ry tree was seen No dainty Flower which art makes now to flourish But then the Earth did naturally nourish A constant verdure it retain'd and then With thousand flowers spotted was the green Each tree at one time bore both fruit and flower Each herb to heal but not to hurt had power No sharpnesse in the fruit no naughty smell The worst fruit then our best now did excel No hurtful herb no poysonous Root grew there Of 'ts own accord the Earth all things did bear No Summer's parching heat nor Winter's cold There was one temperature did all infold Boreas broke not his Hyperboreaâ— den Nor did wet Auster or that Eurus wen From theirs A pleasing Zepher only kist The waving trees No cloud nor foggy mist Caus'd from the Earth's ill vapours she had none No Sea-got cloud arose between the Sun And th' pregnant Earth no sudden storms of Rain No snow no hail nor thund'ring was there then Tempestuous Orion threatned not the Seas Nor shew'd the time to sail the Pleiades Saturn had then no naughty influence A fructifying power came from thence The Planets not in opposition mov'd The Heav'ns the Earth the Earth the Heav'ns lov'd Heav'n sent no storms Earth's beauties to deface Earth with dull mists dimm'd not Heav'ns brighter face No starr there was that had ill influence All Rays were blest that were projected thence All things in perfect Harmony agreed In Heav'n nor Earth was there discording seed The Lion with the Lamb did play the Bear Rob'd not the Bees nor sheep the Wolf did fear The crested Cock undauntedly stood by The Fox as then devoy'd of sublety The Toad no venom had nor poysonous sting The Scorpion Nor did then the Birds great King Feed on the rest nor did the Falcon prey Upon the Dove nor Fishes in the Sea Did feed the Cormorant the lesser fry Fed not the greater nor was enmity Then found in Birds in Fishes or in Beast LOVE all conjoyn'd in Love all still did feast ADAM is Lord and King each animal Comes at his beck and doth obey his call All bow their lofty heads if he comes near The Hart nor timerous Hare his presence fear The shaggy Lion Bear the Bull the Bore Couch at his feet him as their God adore He wanted not then as we now do want Help from the Beasts nor physick from the plant Meat from the Fowles and Fishes nor had he So grosse a Body to be fed as we Upon the tree of Life he only fed No vapours then arose to dull his head No sleep e'r clos'd his watchful eyes nor knew He want of it no hunger did accrew His soul like ours was not parturient He saw th'row all things knew what all things meant Gave names to all the Creatures and did frame Them as their natures so he gave their Name Nor did he want the Camel nor the Horse To carry him he in himself had force Enough to move his Body and to bear It where he list o're Sea or th'row the Ayr. No water could his Body drown nor fire Consume nor subject was 't to Death 's dread ire It then immortal was imperishable Corporeal and yet unalterable He such a Body had as Christ had on After his glorious Resurrection In this state ADAM stood but God foresaw The wo that he soon on himself would draw Therefore he thus forewarns him New made Soul Work of my Hands in whom no pheeces foul Remain a second Deity O thou For ay mayst live Thou art immortal now Thou art an Angel and I thee prefer For to possesse the Throne of LUCIFER For this end did I thee Create that the Voy'd Throne of LUCIFER possess'd might be Thou shalt enjoy and if thou stand'st upright Th' Eternal mansions of ne're fading Light Look to thy self therefore for thou mayst guesse LUCIFER envy will thy happinesse He 'l strive to overthrow thee and to gain Thee to the mansions of â—â—ernal pain Thou' rt now in Paradise thy soul doth move In my bright Kingdom of Aeternal Love Now take thy choyse I thee a free-will give Whether thou 'lt mortal be or ever live The way â—'le tell thee 〈◊〉 thee what to do If then thou fall'st the faâ—lt shall lye on you Thou' rt now in Paradise a second God If then thou would'st 〈◊〉 this bless'd abode Put not thy will into thaâ—â—ingdom where Reignes in my wrath thâ—â—allen LLUCIFER Instead of Light an Angâ—l thou wilt be Of darknesse then unto Aeternâ—ty Nor put thy mind into this â—â—rth below Lust thou not after it if thou dost so Thou shalt a carnal Body have 〈◊〉 be Subject to Death lose Immoâ—â—lâ—â—y But put thy Mind thy Will tâ—y Fâ—culties In my Light-Kingdom exercâ—â—â— thou these There Feed not on the Tree of death nor on The mortal fruit but feed thou still upon The Tree of Life Th' one darknesse th' other death But this doth true Aeternal Life bequeath Thou seest now what
Besides an ugly filthy stink he simelt An horrid tast clove to his tongue he felt The dark clouds presse upon him Th'row they passe And with swift steps leave this abhorred place B'ing past his truchman thus What you did hear Caus'd was by Spirits that inhabit there Who spoâ—ting were together Teter haggs In th' outward World feed these with shriâ—'led baggs The which they suck There dwell the Incubi And Succubi deformed Spirits lye By millions there those who desire to feed On humane morsels such who shed their seed Into old Haggs and these are those which they Call down to their assistance these obey To â—eâ—er charmes oyntments persumes and these Appear to them in various shapes and please Them with their antic Tricks make hoggs to dance On hinder feet platters to skip and prance With such like sports make Cows and Cattel languish And mortal men strike too with pain and anguish And these old haggs command unlesse they are By the other World resisted then they dare Not do 't These are our slaves we them command And when we need them on our â—rrands send In these th' old Haggs delight for ofâ—en they Such power they have their Bodies do conveigh From place to place and often meet theirsp'rights Their Bodies left where fed with grosse delights They back return These are our Prince's slaves Who bring him many Souls when that the graves Their Bodies take But oft times these do flye And tear in pieces as in sportful play Those whom they serv'd when that their date is outâ— Now we are Princes and alasse but flout Those powting Witches when with charmes they think To call us downt ' obey their dreiâ—y wink No we stir not but when our mighty Prince Imposes his Commands then wend we hence Into the World When that you do return These Sp'rites you heard shall all obey your charm Nay we and if our Prince that power gives But yet that power has no man that lives For to call down an Angel of his Throne He first with him must have high union Still on they passe upon the right handâ—stood Oblivious Lethe 'bout whose sâ—ow-pac'd flood Lay many sleepy Sp'ritâ— whose office was From that place to the outer World to passe With Pitchers full of that same Water by Which they brought Souls into a Lethargy And kind of stupor lest the sâ—ark of Love Whose nature 's agâ—l ' should with Life remove Their Syncopy to goodnesse On th' other side About dark Erebus as many ' bide There did who those Erebean waves did bear Into the Earth which they to Souls did share With liberal dole the which no sooner ta'ne But darknesse and obscurity remain There dos upon their souls which doth remove The glowing spark of the bright Light of Love Further they passe untill or last they come Unto th' joylesse extreams of Acheron Here he beheld many a naked soul Drench'd in those waves by Spirits black and foul Their Faces sad and heavy melancholick Nor were those Spirits there so brisk and frollick As those in other places which it seems Caus'd by the operation of these streams Was form'd like Death Despair sat in their eyes And every moment caus'd new miseries Others apace did thence that water bear Into the Earth which caused sad despair To souls that â—ast thereof Who passe this stream Their Bodies dead none may their souls redeem Over that stream they passe when that he hears Sad Lamentations for the Vale of Teares They enter'd had sliding along the Vale Cocytus ran upon whose banks did wail With lamentations sad whole troopes of Souls A stream of Teares into the River rouls From their sad eyes Before their faces hung Tablâ—ts of braâ—â—e where all that they had done In their life-time was wrot which now renew'd Their sorrow This Spectacle being view'd They furâ— er passe where scummy Orcus ran Wâ—â—h â—aetid waves from the cold Stygian Lake about whose most horrid banks he spy'd All sorts of evil Beasts The Stygian guide Thus spake Sâ—cst thou those mighty Herds these are The Souls of Men who did these natures bear Whâ—n they were on the Earth Yond' herd of Swine Were greedy Gluttons who with Beer and Wine And all the dainties that the Earth did yield Four times a day their greedy paunches fill'd Their belly was their God such natures then They had which here they have and shall retain Yond' herd of Goats were lustful persons those Grim Currs were such who ever would oppose Love's Reign and Kingdom snappish greedy and Such as were lawless Lords that grim-look'd band Of Lions Those rough Beares were such who still Dispoyl'd their Neighbours such who rob and pill With subtilty those wilely Foxes were Such as were envious speckled Toads now are Th' Avaritious Tigers Monsters Doggs too long 'T will be for to rehearse that numerous throng But crawling wormes Vipers all ugly Creatures Are such who once exactly bore their natures In hâ—mane shapes which now these forms retain And in this guise for ever shall remain This said they passe along Their way they take Directly now unto the Stygian Lake The Pool appears in sight an horrid stink Invades his nostrils e'r he gains the brink Like fâ—etid sut mixt with sulphurian fumes The slow-pac't Watâ—â— moves with Icy scumms Upon its surface than the brumal snow Far coldeâ— 't is upon its banks did grow Taxi with sable leaves darker than ink Or blackest pitch the water was the brink Dy'd was with sable hew the froery scum Left black impressions on the bank a fume More dark than Night in curling clouds arose The strongest poyson that on Earth's Orbs grows Is not by the tenth part so strong as that Cold-icy stream thousand of Souls there sat Shivering for cold when strait a Troop appears Of hâ—rrid Devils with long flagging Eares Down to their shoulders saucer eyes and lips Of mighty magnitude like souced tripes Hung lower than their chins their snaky haires Hung over their cornuted fronts like Beares Their feet and armes were their cruented pawes Were arm'd with bristles and advanced clawes With these they gripe those naked Souls then on Their shoulders hoyst them and away they run Come let us follow these the torments are The damn'd for ever and for ever bear In this same place thus said the guiding Fiend With hasty steps as fast as they they wend When presently they are arriv'd upon The burning Banks of fiery Plâ—geton In here they souse them Crys and shrecks they make But hard-heart Devils can no pity take Over and over here they plunge them then To cold-stream'd Styx they bear them back agen And thus by turns these torments with delight They give without a moment of respite Swiâ—â—er than Tygris or â—anubâ—â— this Tartarean River runs far hotter is Than boyling Liquor here it bubbles Fumes Which turn to Flame flow from its Sulph'ry wombs The banks are lick'd by Living flames from outâ— Of gapeing chincks both fire and brimstone spout
did A Dove and Serpent seemed to be hid Her right hand bore a Dove her left did hold A Serpent which iâ—s tail about her rowl'd Meeting the Pilgrim from his hands she took The slack'ned reines and thus her mind she broke Sâ—â—y zeal-sparr'd Pâ—lgrim if thou safe wilt be Thou must commit the Reines of Zeal to me In this rough paâ—â— and 'tween the Mountains let Me be your guide least that you danger meet Zeal drives so fast that he will quickly crr Unlesse my Dove and Serpent draw the Carr. Those who without me go become forlorne Lose the right Path prove to the World a scorn Cast Pearls before the snowts of Swine and feed The ravenous Dogs with holy Childrens breadâ— Dangers incur which they might fairly shun Do what they by and by wish were undone Admit of me and I will be your guide I know which Way how where and when to ride â—rust me and I will bear you in my armes Untouched through the Multitude of Harmes That Majesty which beamed in her Face Constrain'd the Pilgrim to consent a place Upon his right hand for her he provides And now he soberly and softly rides Prudence is joyn'd with Zeâ—l nor does this want It s former heaâ— but lesse extravagant By that is made He who will rightly move Must first conjoyn the Serpent and the Dove Now safely goes our heav'nly Traveller Nor from this blest though rugged path doth err Nothing appears that may obstruct hisâ— Way But it he even with the Earth doth lay Dame Vigilantia all about doth seek For â—s foes which found Zeal doth their powers break Conquers them quite and by their fall doth raise Trophies of Honour and immortal praise By halves God will not have his work be done Nor must those faulter who this Race do run Clean must the house be swept to find the groat All must be sold before the Pearl be bought No Delilah must shave thy Locks but she Must be o'recome lest that she conquer thee Though thus far thou art gone as yet there may Some Delilah be left for to betray Thee to thy foe let Vigilantia find Her out then let Zeal all her powers bind And cast her from thee whatsome'r it be Thou 'rt loath to part with Delilah's to thee But when she conquer'd is faster thou ' â—t move On wings of speed unto the Gates of Love Thus Vigilantia to our Pilgrim brought His Delâ—lah the which he little thought For to have parted with and must she dye Cryes he who did within my bosom lye Yes answer'd Zeal God will with none dispence Slain on the Altar of Obedience She must be e'r we farther passe she slain He posteth forward without stop amain With full Carere he runs and full of Joy Leaveth behind him all the rugged Way He enters now a place where all about Light like the Sun from bright Clouds issues ouâ— By this clear Light he now begins to see What hurtfull rebels all the Passioâ—s be And how the Sences hurt irregular Affections also how they hurtful are Therefore he these now takes to task and first The Rebel Passions that oppose him durst He conquereth these now his slaves become Who had so often Lorded over him He will not kill them quiteâ— because they may Be useful to him whilst they him obeyâ— Not meerly Stoical in order he Keeps them He 's Lord and they his servants be Then all the Sences he doth Regulate And their excursions wisely moderate Makes them to know that he 's their Lord and they Are forced now his pleasure to obey Carnal affections stoop These Crucifie He doth lest they should draw his mind awry Where he God's Image seeth most he there Doth his affections as in justice share By this same Light he also sees that he Can in the Earth own no propriety All that he hath he offers to the Lord He 's but a Steward and must nothing hoard Contrary to his Master's Will but here Pâ—udence directs him how his Goods to share Else subtle Sathan would step in the while And with his tricks would him of all beguile By this Light also he espies his flesh To be a Case made up of Earthly trash A prison to his Soul now he espies Another Body in that Body lies The inward man which as the outward dies Lives gathers strength and doth in triumph rise This Body now he longeth to attain And by the death of all things it to gain Now every motion opposite must die Flesh and its Members he doth crucifie All things are sacrific'd by Diligence Upon the Altar of Obedience â— The fleshly body every hour dies The sp'ritual doth as fast in triumph rise He 's now diswedded from the World He knows He 's not to be now at his own dispose Therefore his Body Soul and spirit he Doth consecrate to Heav'ns high Majestie All that he has to Heav'n he offers and All he retains comes from its bounteous Hand Now joyes surround him Comfort is the Way Nor Night is seen all is a mystic Day The Sun of Righteousnesse his brighter Beams Displays and th'rough his Heart his sweetest streams Of brightnesse run his spiritual foes stand off And dare not venture for a Counter-buff They tremble now and fear the world's grand tye Will be assunder burst by Chastity For she appears unto the Pilgrim now Who to her feet his humble Head doth bowâ— Her eyes gave â—lames as pure as those which lye Beyond the blew Seas of the azuâ—e Skie Her countenance a brighter Light did grace Than that which â—hineâ—h in Diana's Face But when her virgin Lips she opened Th' incircling ayr with purity was spread Thither their Purple Wings the Turtles move To draw the ayâ— in of the purest Love The joyning Corals happy Kisses break She did and thus did to the Pilgrim speak Hail happy Pilgrim who thus far art from Earth's durty soyl and foul pollutions come Not far thou art from the blest City but Before thou thither come 't is requisite That thee and I should joyn therefore receive From me the Bounties that I daily give Unlesse thou with my Mantle cover'd be Thou never shalt the heav'nly Salem see Polluted eyes polluted hearts and hands Must not come there Heav'n will admit no stains Flesh must not enter Heav'n nor can you come Cloathed with that into the secret Room Where the grand Mysteries are revealed by Heav'n's gracious Prince the Son of Majesty The fleshes quickly-vanish'd pleasures foul With spots the cloathing of the purest Soul Spread clouds before her eyes so that she may Not see the brightnesse of the purest day And hang a Vail between her â—elmed eyes And the blest Ark of sacred Mysteries 'T is I that must make white the Soul and that Dark Cloud before her dull eyes dissipate 'T is I must draw aside this Vail 't is I That lead the Way to Heav'ns great Mysterie Christ doth all this by me 't is I that am Sent for
Love And did not know which way himself to move Intoxicated and o'returned quite He was with Love's exuberant delight The burning Tâ—ncture of the Heart of God Rol'd o're his Soul a most delightful Flood Which him transported into Rapts divine So that he seem'd like one made drunk with Wine In this strong heat of his exultancy He on the green grasse swift about did flye With all those Graces who compos'd a Ring And dancing round this Hymn with joy they sing Hymn SAcred Flames of LOVE divine In our breasts untainted shine Feed upon our Souls and let Them unto the stake be set O Bless'd Fires quickly come We 're prepar'd for Martyrdom Blessed is the Soul that dyes Unto LOVE a Sacrifice Blessed IESUS from thine Eye There thrice sacred Flames did fly Which now burn without controul On the Tinder of our Soul Blessed Fires O consume What 's prepar'd for Martyrdom Happy is the Soul that dyes Sacred LOVE'S true Sacrifice The Aetherial Flames that are Couched in the Welkin fair Those that Crown the radiant Sun Those which beautifie the Moon Are lesse fair than those which Come For to Crown our Martyrdom Blessed is the Soul that dyes LOVE'S unspotted Sacrifice O how raging yet how sweet Are those burning Flames which greet Our dry Souls with scalding Kisses Pains dispensing with our Blisses But such pains we wish to Come That give Crowns of Martyrdom Happy is the Soul that dyes Purest LOVE'S pure Sacrifice O our Souls are all on Fire We consume in our desire We desire what we possesse Waters but our Fires encrease Those bright Fires which are Come To Crown Souls with Martyrdom O thrice blessed Soul that dyes Purest LOVE' 's blest Sacrifice O what lingring Death is this Bliss inviteth us to Bliss By these tasts of Love we be More inamour'd of the Sea Of Abyssal Love whence Come Flames to crown our Martyrdom Blessed is the Soul that dies LOVE'S most willing Sacrifice O what kind of pain is this Which is sweeter than all Blisse O 't is pain intolerable Pleasure yet unutterable Such are the bless'd Flames which come T' Crown us with Love's Martyrdom Happy is the Soul that dies Thus LOVE'S Living Sacrificeâ— O we cry we cannot bear Love's hot flames which domineer In our Breasts and yet had we Damn'd to Hell far rather be Than to lose these Flames which come To Crown us with Martyrdom Blessed is that Soul that dies Thus LOVE'S daily Sacrifice Fierce was the flame and strong the happy heat Which on the Pilgrim's chafed Soul did beat Quick beat the pulses of his Noble breast High was the Tyde of LOVE which still encreast Its scalding waves so that he thought he shou'd Have lost his Life in that delicious Flood Such were Love's Ardors he could scarce forbear His fettering flesh his free Soul's chaines to tear How oft he mounted nimbly from the ground As if his Soul some passage thence had found How was he griev'd to see he leap'd in vain To see his Body bring her down again O how he wished that his Soul might be Now from the shackling gives of Flesh set free That she might spread her spacious wings and fly Th'row the wide Welkin of Aeternity Unto th' illustrous Throne of Christ and there Among the Crowned Saints new cloath'd appear But chiefly that she without Letts might move In the vaâ—t Ocean of Aeternal LOVE For whilst that Flesh her freedom did restrain The more her pleasures was the more her pain To be deny'd her Liberty that she Engulphed was not in that endlesse Sea Streams could not now content her the Abysse Of Love alone must now compleat her Blisse O happy Souls which in such Flames do move And frying thus LOVE' 's blessed Martyrs prove But whilst Love's Noble Flames heat every part Of 's Breast and make a Bonfire of his Heart This blessed Pilgrim lifted up his eyes Unto the glorious East of Paradise Where Worlds of glory rising from the place Amazing Splendor hurled on his Face And though it were all Day in Paradise A Sun and greater Day began to rise A Light he saw which springing from the East All Paradise's lustrous braveries blest Adding new glories to those Beauties that One would have thought could not have been more great The Rosie-cheek'd Aurora did embright The glorious womb of Day with no such Light The Cynthian Goddesse from the Orb did throw No such bright Rayes upon the World below Nor yet the flaming Giant of the Day Such streams and beams of Light did e'r display Ten thousand Suns ten thousand times more bright Than ours would not have paralell'd this Light Needs must it dazling be what mortal eye Can view the Splendors of Aeternity The Angels and the Graces all when they Behold it clap their downy Wings for â—Joy And with due reverence thrice three times did bow Their Heads and kiss'd the flowry Pavement too As brighter Titan dims the lesser Stars So did this Light devour that light of theirs As for the Pilgrim on the ground he lay Obstupified with that glorious Day But yet with all th' advantage he could make Of that illustrous sight a view did take A crowd of Clouds begilded with the Beams Of the Aeternal Sun whose radiant gleames Had pierced th'row them so a small thin Cloud I oft have seen when Sol himself did shroud His face behind it from my eyes grow clear And tincted th'row a various colour were Appear'd far brighter than our Sun below Dress'd with more paintings than the Iris bow This Mask of Clouds was the Auroâ—a too The Sun of Glory that close after flew But pitching in the midst of Paradise This bright but yet a Vail assunder flyes And gave free leave for every Eagle eye To see the bright Sun of Aeternity It was the Sun of Righteousnesse who there Did in his glorious Ornaments appear The Tongues of Men nor Angels can unfold That Glory which the Pilgrim did behold A stately Throne more clear than Crystal glasse Burnish'd with Heav'nly Gold erected was On which sat down Glories immortal King From whom all Happinesse and Blisses spring O glorious sight who ' le not confounded be To see such Splendor and such Majesty Upon his Head a starry fourfold Crown Irradiating sat from whence flow'd down Fair and soft Volumns of the purest snow Which spread upon his sacred back full low A fount of Light which fill'd all Paradise With Sun-like brightnesse flowed from his eyes His Paps were girded with a Golden Zone Of more than Cynthian lustre was his Gown In 's Hand the Scepter wherewith he did sway The Worlds in Righteousnesse and Justice lay But O th' unutterable Majesty And Lovelinesse that in his Looks did lye A World of Wonders and a â—onâ—rous Grace Were to be spied in his sacred Face A Light more bright than thoâ—sand Suns about His Throne did flow from whence it issued out Behind was seen great Sathan overthrown Death Hell the Woâ—ld and all
things trodden down Under the glorious Lamb who once was slain But now in triumph doth for ay remain Death's and Hel's darts were broke o're whom he stood Incompassed with an illustrous flood Of Light ineffable displaying there His Conquest written in a Banner fair The blessed Crosse in Heav'n's bright Ensign shon With streaming Gold far brighter than the Sun So what was once contemptible and base Now stands in Glory in the highest place There also seen were those who had put on Their new Bodies and gain'd thâ—ir royal Crown And Scepter whom great Iesus did instal Princes and Kings and mighty Lords of all Sharing his Royal Scâ—pter and his Crown Such is his matchlesse Love with every One. Thrice bow'd the Angâ—ls thrice the Graces and Took up their places then on either hand Awaiting when they should Commanded be To any Office by his Maâ—esty Th' amazed Pilgrim as yet prostrate lay Too weak to view the Godhead's glorious Ray But the same Light which his weak eyes annoys His Soul fil'd with incomparable â—oyes And still the flames of ardent LOVE did roul Upon the Altar of his sacred Soul But by and by his Guardian Angel Came By Iesus first b'ing bid to do the same Who rais'd him up and spread his downy Wing Before his feeble sight and so did bring Him to the Throne of Iesus at whose Seat He fell and ravish'd kiss'd his sacred Feet Th' immortal Kingâ—strait took him from the place And honour'd Him with a divine Embrace Seal'd all the Joys the Pleasures Blisses sweets Upon his ravish'd Soul an Angel meets With in his blessed station O high Exalted Pleasures of Aeternity The Pilgrim then to Iesus would have Cry'd 〈◊〉 that the Rapt his Tongue had chain'd and ty'd That he unworthy was of all that Bliss Those favours and that matchlesse Love of his And 〈◊〉 he would have had his Tongue confesse His constant frailty and unworthinesse His Heart confess'd it but his Tongue was mute For Joys and Pleasures would not let him do 't For that Embrace unto his Soul did move Enflaming more and more the Fire of Love Whose heats at last unto that hight did come That he received there a Martyrdom Such matchlesse pleasures now enjoy'd this Saint That neither mine nor Angels Pens depaint Can nor Man think who never felt the same Who ne'r into Love's Armes and bosom came But such they were and of such price to Him That thouâ—and Worlds should not have purcha'st them Nay such they were he 'd be content to gain Such Pleasures with ten thousand years of pain Therefore O Man be wise and let not this World's pleasures rob thee of Aeternal Blisse Muse breath a while and give me leave to pray That I a Pilgrim too may once enjoy Such happinesse and high exalted Blisse Such Pleasure Rapture and such Joy as this Then shalt thou sing touch'd with Caelestial Fire Of LOVE Divine in sacred Notes much higher Than these low straines Thy Lively measures then Shall quicken up the drowsie Hearts of Men From their Lethargic sleep True Joy and glee Shall sweetly Couched in thy Numberâ— be True Joy's true Peace's Rest's and Blisses King I 'le sigh and mourn ' til thou say'st rise and sing 'Till thou say'st rise and sing I 'le Sigh and Mourn By me the Crosse not yet the Crown is worn Lord when thou pleasest Crown my Soul that I In Joy may Sing thy Prayse Aeternally The end of the Second Part. THE EXPLANATION OF AN Hieroglyphical Figure SHEWING THE MYSTERIES OF THE External Internal Eternal WORLDS The third Part. ONce more my sacred Muse doth take her flight And on the top of glorious SION light Where she beholds those glorious wonders which For ever the Aeternal World enrich Those Wonders and those Miracles of Grace Which beautifie and splendorize the place Those Wonders that are past her Skill to shew Which if she could it were not fit to do For there such glorious Wonders may be read As are not lawful to be uttered But what she may and what she Can express She shews unto you in a homely dress Accept I pray this Offering she brings For Rapt with Wonders all amaz'd she sings O Thou Aeternal Everlasting Day Illuminate my darker Soul I pray O let her eyes be fixed upon thee Thou King of Glories and of Majesty Grant that she may behold those Wonders that Th' Aeternal World thy bless'd Seat decorate O now inspire me with a Power divine Put Life into my Numbers sacred Trinâ— That whilst Heav'n's beautious Glories here I sing Unto your Throne I Souls may ravish'd bring That whilst my own wâ—apt in these Heaâ—s doth see Heav'n's Splendor and thy glorious Beauty she May be united to the Lord so close That nor the World nor Hell the tye may loose That while to others thus I sing I may O Lord not be my self a Cast-away Ho! Moâ—us cease to Carp Ho! Zoilus Cease Your scoffs and taunts Ho! Criticks hold your peace And say not now I Miracles reherse Beyond the lofâ—y Limits of a Verse Say not I write my Brainsick-Whimsies Lies Or Fables or I meerly Poâ—tize Ye are the Swine who grunting in the mire Would spoyl the musick of the sacred Quire But for your dissonance and grunt'ling noyse The World might often hear a Seâ—â—ph's voyce Piggs think their whining best the jetting Crows Themselves the fairest of Heav'n's Fowls suppose The Owles and Cuccows think their Notes to be 〈◊〉 sweet as Philomel's sweet harmony So you suppose your Canting best and then Like snarling Currs do Carp and snap at Men. You 're Swine indeed whose dull eyes stil below Behold the earth and hunt and scent your trough Your necks are too too short to view the Skye How come you then to judge of things so high Because some Wind-fals on the ground you see Think you no fairer Fruit hangs on the Tree Swine cann't look up it is a Man alone Not slothful Beasts can pull the fair Fruit down Buzzards are blinded by Sol's glorious Rayes Eagles unhurt against his splendor gaze Here then are Pearls but unto wise Men such But wrapt in pitch least Swine such gemms should touch Pearls must not naked be expos'd to Swine So say'd that mouth that wholly was divine Least that they trample and despise the same And Him who so unwisely offer'd them Therefore a wise Man cautiously shrouds Gemms of great value in obscurer Clouds And in the Pitch of Words those Pearls divine Hides from the eyes of such perverting Swine Which in their spendrous beauties otherwise Should Vail-less be exposed to their eyes But now me thinks I hear them Carp and say How come you thus Heav'n's beauties to display And the Arcana's of the Aeternal Sphear When you your self never arrived there If you should tell us that you were we cry We are assured that it is a lye For none to Heav'n ever can attain Whil'st his kept-Soul doth in his Corpse remain For when the Body's
214. 215 An Hymn of Mortification p. 215. 216 The triumph of Death p. 216. 217 The Olive bough of Peace p. 217. 218 The bloody Garment of Christ The souls Resurrection p. 218. 219 Purgaâ—ory p. 219. 220 221 222 223 224 No Imperfection can enter Heaven p. 222. 223 Tâ—e Heathens sâ—lvation p. 224. 225 The Pilgrims passage thorough Hell or the dark Kingdom p. 225. 226 227 228 What the Cherub is that God plac'd at the entrance of Paradise p. 229. 2â—1 The Devil overcome p. 228. 229 The Partition-wall p. 229. 2â—0 231 The Power of Christ extol'd p. 229. 230 Adam's fall the cause of the Partition-wall p. 230. 231 Christ our Saviour's work p. 231 Christ our Saviour only The way to Paradiâ—e is through Hell and how there 's no redemption from Hell p. 231. 232 Christ's descention into Hell p. 232 How it was typified p. 233. 234 The great work of salvation wrought alone by Iesus Christ that dyed at Jerusalem p. 234 The Paradifical world p. 235 The souls resurrection or the new Birth p. 235. 236 The souls study after Regeneration p. 236 The two Principles explain'd p. 236. 237 What Paradise anâ— the second Principle are p. 237. 238 Christ possesses the throne of Lucifer p. 238 How Hell came to be And Lucifers fall The waters above the Firmament p. 238. 239 240. The Aeternity of the world The worlds Creation sucâ—inctly describ'd Adam creatâ—d in Lucifers stead p. 239 The Earth whâ—reof Adam's Body was made p. 240 Adam soul p. 240 Paradise opened in one place of the Earth and why p. 240. 241 What the forbidden tree was p. 241 Of Christs Body after the Resurrection p. 141. 242 Christ gain'd what Adam lost p. 242 The soul prohibited union with the spirit of the outer world p. 242 Paradise p. 243. 244 245 c. The clouds of Paradise p. 243. 244 The Iâ—ea's of all thiâ—gs in this world in their purity in Paradise p. 244 The Flowers and p. 244. 245 246 247 The â—rees of Paradise The Saints Harmony in variety p. 245 The River of Life p. 245 its virtue 246 The fruit of Paradise p. 248. 249 The perfumes of Paradise p. 247 The trâ—â— of Life p. 248. 249 Its virâ—ue The Graces that inhabit Paradise and p. 249 The S ouls â—wrodâ— wiâ—h the Graces p. 250. 251 No◠〈…〉 Paradise p. 251. 252 Aâ— Aâ—gel deâ—crib'd p. 254 Sophiâ— promis'd p. 254 The celebration of the mariage feast p. 256 The inner senses feasted p. 257. 258 259 c. The feast describ'd p. 256. 257 258 259 260 261 262 263 264 c. The Epithalamium p. 257. 258 259 The Feast of Love p. 261. 262 263 264 Miracles not ceas'd p. 268. 269 The Fruits and p. 269. 270 271 272 273 c. The Gifts of the tree of Life Gifts of T ongues p. 269 Gifts of Reason p. 369. 270 Gifts of Wisdom p. 270. 271 272 Gifts of Healing p. 272. 273 274 Gifts of Prophesie p. 274 Of interpretation of Scripture p. 274 Of Dreams and p. 274 Of Prayer p. 274. 27â— Gifts of Poetry p. 285. 276 277 Gifts of discerning of Spirits p. 277. 278 Gifts of union and Communion with holy Spirits departed p. 278. 279 Of uniou and Communion with holy Angels p. 279. 280 281 Of Miracles p. 281. 282 Gifts of seeing p. 282 Of Hearing p. 282. 283 Of Smelling p. 283 Of T asting p. 283 Of T ouching p. 283 Of divine Magic p. 283. 284 The Abuse of Magic and how the divine Magic comes to be lost p. 284. 285 286 87. 189 290 Why so many lost their labour in search of the S tone p. 290. 291 292 The way to gain â—â—e divine Magic p. 292. 223 What a divine Magitian is p. 293. 294 295 His power and knowledge p. 294. 295 Of those skil'd in 〈◊〉 Magic p. 295. 296 The sacred wine of Love p. 297. 298 The Soul drunk with Lâ—ve p. 298 The Daunce of Love p. 299 The Soul 's râ—pt of Love p. 299. 300 301 302 The Soul's Hymâ— The â—oul the Maâ—tyr of Love p. 302 303 The Baptism of Fiâ—e â—â—d â—he Holy Ghost The glorious humanity of Christ appears in Paradise p. 303. 304 335 The Soul's ravishment in the Armes of Love p. 305. 306 The Conclusion p. 306. 307 In the third Part. ENtrance and Invocation p. 309. 310 Carpers inveigh's against p. 310 Pearls not to be cast before Swine p. 310. 311 That Hâ—av'n may be attain'd on Earth p. 311. 312 Heaven every where both within and without Man p. 312 Heaven not locally beyond the starres only p. 312 Heaven the Câ—ntrâ— of all things p. 313 The Soul sees not without a Body p. 313. 314 The outward Body a prison to the Soul p. 313. 314 The true Body of the Soul p. 314 The true Elements not seen p. 314 Most Visions mentioned in Scripture not seen by the outer Eyes p. 315. 316 A Confession p. 316 Hell and Heaven separated and yet one in another p. 316. 317 A great Happinesse to be the Instrument of Good and converting of Souls p. 317 The Aeternal world p. 317 God not to be known out of Nature p. 318 The Mysterie of the Trinity p. 318 The cause of Heaven and Hell p. 318. 319 And of the torment of Hell and the Ioyes of Heaven p. 318. 319 The Gulf between Heaven and Hell p. 318 How Heaven and Hell are in one another p. 318. 319 The innumerable Wonders of Heaven p. 319. 320 Man the Aepitomy of all worlds p. 320. 321 Christ carries the soul into the Aeternal world p. 321 322 The Gifts of the Graces p. 322. 323. 324 The inexpressable Ioy and ravishment of the Soul p. 324 The entrance into the Eternal World p. 324 Three distinct Mansions or Orbs in the Aeternal World p. 325 The first the still Aeternity p. 325 The farther ascension of the Soul into the Sphear of Angels p. 325. 326 Angels superiority and inferority p. 326 The unexpressable pleasure the Soul receives in this place from the Heart of God p. 326 The Sanctum Sanctorum or fixed Glory p. 327 The Habitation of the Trinity p. 327 The new Jerusalem describ'd p. 327. 328 329 The Soul cloath'd with the new Body p. 330 The Soul's union and Gâ—orificaâ—ion p. 330 God out of Nature unsearchable p. 331 God not to be figured in the Imagination p. 331 Man prohibited to look into the hidden secrets of God p. 331 Conclusion p. 331. 332. The ERRATA in the First Part. PAge 8 verse 19 read 〈◊〉 p 9 v 9 r one VII r once p 13 v. 35 some p 14 v 3 r his p 16 v 29 r Orpine p 19 v 13 〈◊〉 v 19 r mâ—nv p 25 â— 4 r or Ameriâ—â— v 37 â— Sathans p 2â— v 20 r justling v 38 r ore p 31 in the Margert r p 09 v 1â— r â—â—â—us v 30 r soul v 33 â— so p 32 v 30 r fill p 33 v 18 r Asphaltes v 19 r such p 3â—
same The form and being of this world doth prove The mighty power of the great IEHOVE And that a Deity there is For why 'T is plain it was not from Aeternity The constant changes of all things below The same to wise men do most clearly show Its alteration its Catastrophe Declares but what is from Aeternity No end can have The world beginning had Which was from Chance from Nature or from God From CHANCE it was not what a jumbled thing And foul mishapen Monster Chance would bring Forth could but she a world produce but this Of harmony and true agreement is So full that Atheists convinc'd proclam'd Have that not chance but God the world hath fram'd For who considers but the Harmony Of those bright fires shining in the skie The order marriage and the sweet consent With one another of each Element The secret virtues of all things that grow The hidden Sympathy of things below And Earth's most admirable form will not Himself exhibit to be such a sot Nor will be fill'd with so much ignorance As to averr the world was made by CHANCE Nor yet by NATURE was the world created For if that she had thus the world instated All things obedient would have been to her And past her bounds and rules not dar'd to stir But all do know how that sometimes the Creature Passeth the limits and the bounds of Nature Miraculously as when the golden Sun Ecclipsed is in the full of the Moon As when the Sun when Christ our Saviour dy'd His face did in a Mask of darknesse hide As all the world well knew for then between The Moon and him full half the Heav'n was seen So that it was impossible the cause Of this Ecclipse should come from Nature's Laws Nor yet can those who Nature God will make For every thing a Natural reason speak NATURE nor CHANCE therefore this world could frame A God therefore it follows made the same A GOD therefore there is The Devil too And acts of evil spirits plainly shew The same the world can testifie to this That Sp'rits apparitions no fable is But chiefly men although they God deny Themselves are forc'd a God to justifie How else can they such an Idea frame Of the great God as to deny the same For who can an Idea frame of what No being has whose species is not We an Idëa frame may of a face Of man or beast which living never was But men and beasts there are or else we frame Could not any Idëa's of the same So man may false Ideas frame of God But were there none he no Ideas shoâ—'d So man of God doth an Idea frame Whilst he about goes to deny the same And so is forc'd indeed for to confess What 's mouth denyes with so much wickedness Nature hath with an Adamantine pen Insculped deeply into the hearts of men That there 's a God although she could not show Nor dictate to them the true God to know And on their consciences she by her Law Has of a Deity impos'd an aw For there 's no Nation though they brutish be But have a Notion of a Deitie Some thing or other for a God adore They do which certainly was past the power Of humane policy for to imprint And o're the whole world through all ages hint Conscience doth prove a Deity likewise Which in the face still of the wicked â—â—es And though his actions ne'r so secret be Yet he 's afraid there is an eye doth see An eye which points and doth distinguish still Betwixt the several acts of good and ill Lastly the soul of man which shall for aye In night Eternal or eternal day Dwell which immortal is for were 't not so Corruption would take hold upon it too As well as on its case but all know this Th' immortal soul in age the stronger is The nearer that the body 's to the grave The more advantages the soul will have And so diseases which the case controule Cannot corrupt nor yet infect the soul. Sâ— alwayes mark whilst from the Body we By contemplation on deep abstracted be The â—oal doth better shew her complement But much more when she 's from the body rent As also by her laâ—ge capacity And by her utter independency On th' outer case for leaving that sometimes Without that she transcurs the earthly climes And visits places and them far more clear Beholds than if she in the body were This history will justifie but we Will strive for to avoid prolixity If the soul's mortal what doth make her love 〈◊〉 despising mortal things to sore above And never tire like unto like doth goe Which makes her thus despise all things below And to the Centre out of which she came Sâ—ll upwards tend with an immortal flame I say the soul doth prove a God to be The cause of her or else it follows she Iâ— of her self the cause then should we know All things that are more clearly than we do Knowledge nor understanding should we want Nor of our selves nor parts be ignorant Of which we are our parent then should not Be ignorant of what they have begot But how the cause and the effect can be All one as yet I have not eyes to see But to conclude what further proof indeed Of God than his great Providence doth need His providence in every thing but yet In plaguing those who him deny'd and it Especially for such struck with his rod Have by their deaths made known there is a God PHERECIDES was eaten up with lice LUCIAN by 's dogs devoured in a trice DIAGORUS from ATHENS banished A talent promis'd them who brought his head An arrow split the heart of JULIAN An ulcer killed scoffing APPION MACHIAVEL in prison rotted and HERMANUS felt the fire and God's just hand â—t would be endless to recount them all â—ut as they did may every ATHEIST fall Seeing that there a God immortal is 〈◊〉 follows then there are more Worlds than this For God's not seen here in this Orb below But as he doth himself in 's Creatures show Indeed he dwelleth here and every where Nor can he be confined to a Sphere But yet there is a world a glorious place Where brightned souls behold him face to face Where he is seen cloath'd with Eternal Day Where vails and shadows all are ta'ne away Where Saints behold him in great glory stand Not vail'd as here nor at the second hand Who so believes the sacred Scripture must Acknowledge needs that our assertion's just For that to take all scruples from us says God not one World but Worlds created has I 'le here not usher in with museful straines Th' exuberant fancies of some witty braines Who make the Moon a World to be and who Make Worlds of all the starres of Heav'n too Let such themselves and others to delude With brain-built worlds and worlds infinitude I 'le not contest GOD may do what he please But here I treat not
of such Worlds as these For I confesse I do believe there 's four And never was and never shall be more Three of these Worlds are infinite but this Grosse World both visible and finite is It matters not unto Salvation Whether there be a thousand Worlds or one Such Worlds as this I mean but it is meet That we should know those Worlds of which I treat For to be ignorant of these is to Ignore the blisses that we ought to know How vain is Man for fancy'd worlds to hunt And of himself be wholly ignorant These Worlds of which we treat no fancies be For to deny them is plain Blasphemy And of them to be ignorant no lesse Then to be ignorant of Happinesse These World 's not disputable are for we Do by experience know such Worlds there be Therefore no longer will I prologize But clearly set them forth before your eyes Pray cast your eye upon the Figure and The order see in which the Worlds do stand See here four Globes So stand the Worlds but yet Not in this order as you see these set But to man's sense these figures do I guesse Their place and order best of all expresse Though once be higher than another plac't We call that highest which is inner most Who can at one expose to perfect view Whole and compleat Shell Skin and Kernel too As in an Egg you see the outer shell In that the white i' th white the yolk doth dwell As in an Onion first the outer skin Then several others folded are within Its strict enfolding which do presse upon The heart or centre of the Onion As several Circles one within another Drawn some are farther some more near than th' other Unto the Centre So these Worlds display Unto your understandings best you may So are they plac'd The Centre of them all We highest the Circumference lowest call So see in Man his outward case doth hide A noble Soul Which doth more inward bide This outward World is as the crust or shell In which the other Light and Dark Woâ—lds dwell This outward World is the Circumference And farthest from the Centre Life from whence It doth receive for from the inward this Produced was Most plain the punction is Before the circle and the Yolke before The white or shell But then youâ—l say this more Containeth than those Worlds that brought it forth So this is greater than what gave it birth Those suffer no dimention can nor lye So comprehended As the Sun the Skie Contains you see his rays and influence Howbe't no bounds can close they 'r so immense As God's in heaven we say yet every where So th' inward worlds in this world closed are Life floweth to the finger from the heart Man 's soul 's in man and yet in ev'ry part Alas How blinded are the souls of men Whilst here inclosed in their fleshly pen Whilst here in prison fetter'd fast they lye Whilst they all things judge by their outward eye They see this earth wherein they live and so That there 's an earthly world they surely know Now other worlds some do believe there are The natures of these worlds or how or where They be most men ignore for of the same They several fancies in their heads do frame For speak of heav'n strait way they cast their eyes Towards the blew seas of the Chrystal skies Beyond the same a most Majestick Court Whose bliss doth pass the bounds of all report Where all the Saints in brightnesse like the Sun Seated on Thrones where every one a Crown Possessing praise and Hallelujahs sing To God who there sits on the Throne as King They think there is and that their souls must fly Thorow the Welkin to it when they dye But speak of Hell strait way their thoughts do go Unto the Centre of the earth below Where they in their imaginations frame A Realm of Sulphur Darknesse Fume and Flame Where great BEELZEBUB as a King commands The smooky Devils and sulphurian bands Mistake me not I do not here deny Nor Hell's nor Heav'ns true locality But here in reference to those I speak Who carnally both hell and heav'n do seek And who know nothing nor of Heav'n nor Hell But by report as they hear others tell Accounting it impossible to know Or Hell or Heaven while they dwell below Such of themselves be wholly ignorant And the true sight of Hell or Heav'n they want How they two several Principles be and How different they do not understand How they in one another dwell and yet A gulf eternal how betwixt them set Tho Summit of their knowledge is to know The nature of terrestrial things below They are content the other worlds should rest Till they of this by death are dispossest But all such may miss of the blessed sphere Who know it not nor be assur'd of 't here Therefore we first will with this world begin Best known to man this which he dwelleth in From whence we step by step at last ascend Shall to th' Eternal world the farthest end Man must from this the lowest world get up By the Internal worlds unto the top And summit of his joyes the way shall be Shewn in this book with perspicuity But man a while my purpose here supplants The chiefest of the earths inhabitants Of whom a word for he 's the principal And should be Prince and King and Lord of all The Microcosm little world or Man Containeth all the outward great world can Is it not strange and wonderfull that such A little thing as Man should hold so much Man is a wonder and Gods image divine If truly Man within his breast doth shine It is not head arms body members fair That maketh Man he rather may compare Himself unto some beast in painted dress Except the inward do him Man express What difference is there 'twixt a man and beast None sure at all or little to be guest If 't wan't for Reason and an immortal spark Which hides it self within his hollow Ark This makes him Man and like a man to act Which gon he 's like a beast in shew and fact A man hath sense he eats he drinks he sleeps Wallows in pleasure seldome measure keeps Subject to hunger thirst to heat and cold Sicknesse Diseases and converts to th'Mould Of which he 's fram'd and like to other creatures There perisheth his beauteous forms and features All this the Beast doth then we thus may say The fairest Beast is made upright of clay Men that we see within the great Creation Lie wallowing in all abomination In filthy Lusts contagious pleasures foul As if they never never had a soul Are not such Beasts yea perfect Beasts or worse For Beasts most commonly follow natures course Their beastial actions acting in sobriety When men fulfil their Lusts in all Impiety Acting most beastly in all foul inormity And worser then the brutes in their deformity That were it not for this their outward
case In PLUTO'S Court they would usurp a place For when the outward body doth consume In Hell such take their Hell-prepared room Their souls there having some such shape or hue Of beasts whose actions they inclined to Assuming there some hideous form or feature Rarely resembling their deformed Nature Thus may you see within this outward place We 're either Men or Beasts when here our race Is run we shall to the Tartarean den Go if we beasts are but to Heav'n if Men. Man was a Man created and a King And Lord and Ruler over every thing But now that state h 'as lost for which he groans Having gain'd dunghils for his Crowns and Thrones Now of a King he is a servant made Who once immortal now to Death betray'd Therefore behold him pourtrai'd to thine eye See where himself his Crown and Scepter lye The Lamb the Type of Innocency too Which LUCIFER with ADAM overthrew Under the great and massy Globe of Earth As if deprived both of Life and breath This is the fallen state of Man who must His Crown not unregarded in the Dust Permit to lye but what sum e'r it cost Strive for to gain the Scepter that he lost And tho he now lyes slain depriv'd of all Crush'd with the weight of this terrestrial ball Yet shall this fallen Man at last arise And o're his now lost Kingdoms Regalize O man with joy expect this blisseful day Rouze up thy self enquicken'd with the ray Of life divine Shake off this clogging Earth And strongly presse after another birth For that attained once thou shalt be then As once thou wast a Lord and King agen In the Hieroglyphic see the lowest Globe Which represents this vast terrestrial Orb This World wherein we Live this outward Earth Where we poor mortals draw a fading breath Where Souls immortal in a mortal case As in an Ergastule remain a space Which World 's a mighty Prodigie and those Who it consider in its Mazes lose Themselves for every thing perspicuously The power shews of Heav'ns High Majesty How admirable is her Form and Nature How beautiful and well compos'd each Creature How full of beauty and of Lovelinesse How sweetly brave is she in Nature's dresse So that the eyes of man do dote upon her And Highest Trophies raise unto her honour How various and delightful are her climes Some smiling later some bedress'd betimes Some wearing all the year a liv'ry green Some diversly with painted mantles seen While others dress'd in mantles made of snows Themselves as'twere in silver garbs expose How variously delightful dressed is Each clime and Countrey with a native blisse How variously through ev'ry Region are Her happy riches and her costly ware Her helps and her commodities for Man Her treasures and her pleasures too which can Delight her heart spread by a bountioâ—s hand And all exposed unto his command Aspiring mountains here their heads do show Their pleasant dales empal'd with woods below Here th'row the midst of them the silver streams Run trickling o're the stony pearly gems Here pleasant Hills adorn'd with lofty pines With Oakes and Cedars there the Elms and Vines Sweetly embracing all the Hillocks side Towards the East fill with their branches wide Here stand the Laurels with a verdant hue Here spreading Beaches lofty Ashes too There by the Brooks grow brittle alder stems Willows and Sallows love the silver streams A thousand other trees here make a Grove Where the sad Tuttle murm'ring wooes his love Where the sweet Nightingalls compose their layes Where other Songsters sing on several sptayes Praising their great Creator with their Notes Proceeding from their pretty warbling throtes Hard by are Meads in ammelled with flowers Cover'd with grass sprung from Zephyrian showers Where seems to be an everlasting spring Where Grashoppers in their shrill notes do sing Where feed the branched stag the fair horn'd Ox The clambring Goats the silver fleeced flocks The fair spread Mare and the couragious horse Who kicks the rocks down with his heel's strong force Among the woods the several beasts of prey The roaring hests of their strong Prince obey The fowl Ioves mighty Bird doth rule Within The Chrystal river several fishes swim And all these for the use of man were made Good who oft times converts them into bad About the Earth the liquid Ocean beats Scareing his sister with his boistrous Threats Athough she knows JEHOVAHS word is gone That she shall never drowned be ag'en Within whose liquid depths such wonders are As with the Earths or heavens may compare But round this Globe with a vast azure bent Is bended round the starry Firmament Wherein the twinkling Lamps beday the nights Where are fixt wandring less and bigger lights There Cyathâ—a ruleth Mistriss of the night With the clear splendor of her borrowed light The Sun day's King and Lord of all the rest The clearest hottest brightest and the best Bâ—gilds the day and with a glorious splendor His dayly service doth to mortals tender Thus hath the great Creator full of Love His wondrous blessings poured from above Upon this world that on this earthly stage Man comfort take might in this pilgrimage And not abuse them as most men have done And souls and bodies by them overthrown But if that now such outward bliss remains After the change of Adams faulty stains What was the beauty and the comliness The splendor and incomparable dress The Earth had when she from her Maker first Came e're that she was by his mouth accurst E're that she had put on inglorious weeds And cherished accurs'd and banefull seeds Should I lanch out into this endless main My shallow Barque could n're return again Sâ—ch seas of water and of wonder too Appear and shew themselves unto my view My eyes no objects on this earth do meet But they my globes do with their wonders greet For not the smallest fly nor creeping Ant Do wonders and what 's admirable want So that I am amazed and must cry Great is the power of his Majesty Great are the wonders that this Globe doth hold So great that they 're not able to be told Therefore expect not at my hands that I Should open here Dame natures Mystery Or that the nature of all things below I here should in this Epique Poem shew Or that I here the mighty wonders tell That in this Orb terrestrial do dwell This were an endlesse task would Ages tyre Not Books of Worlds but Worlds of Books require This would for not the heat-born gnat in truth Or worm but of 't deserve a Poem doth A glorious study 't is to study Nature To read the great IEHOVAH in the Creature To meditate his mighty wonders here And Trophies to his Name thereby to rear The great Creator made all things that be For profit pleasure and commodity Of man alone therefore His holy Name He ought to praise and thank him for the same Let some therefore dive to Earth's Centre and The secrets of
quaere In what by-corner of the Earth it stands Whether in Peru or by â—anges sands Whether it under the Aatartic lyes Or where the Riphean snowy Mountains rise In what place lyes this blessed part which is The Realm of Joyes and the state of Blisse We know that once five thousand years ago It was where rapid Euphrates doth flow But where it ever since has hid its head Into what Kingdom or what Countrey fled We do not know I 'le tell you then where lyes The happy Regions of bless'd Paâ—adise To find this place you need not cut the seas You need not travel to clear Euphrates You need not passe th' Arabian sands nor go Over the craggy Alpes uneven brow Nor visit TEMPES fragrant bosom nor Th' Atlantides nor other Regions for Tho' round the world you go search every Câ—eek And ev'ry Land and every corner seek Of this great Universe your labour lost May be and you reap pains for all your cost Know then that it in every Land doth lye But yet the place none but the Wise can ' spy Vails double dy'd in pitch are thrown thereon And yet it is as naked as the Sun Th'row out the world it is and seems to be Fast link'd unto the other part of the Great World but yet an endlesse Gulf remains Between this Land of Blisse and that of stains Rivers they are not that do bound this Land Nor massive Mountains that do justing stand Nor Woods nor Heaths nor Planes nor Hils nor Seas Nor Groves nor Vales nor Piles nor Pales nor Trees This place from th' other part of Earth divide Nor yet doth it in Caves or Vallies hide It self nor doth between the Mountains lye Whose craggy tops aspiring touch the sky It 's wall is fire which bounds it round about Which keeps the wicked and unrighteous out It 's Ianitor or Centinal doth stand Arm'd with a flaming weapon in his hand But without clouding it it in a word A mighty Cherub only has for guard As Day dwels in the shadows of the Night As darknesse doth involve the splendid Light As the bright flame lyes hidden in the coal So lurking lyes this holy place in all The Universe So lies Ierusalem And SION clouded are with Babylon But yet the Gulf 'twixt them 's as great I say As betwixt Light and Darknesse Night and Day For tho in one another hid they be They yet together cannot stand you see For when the Darknesse spreads its wings the Light Flyes So bright Day doth chase away the Night When Night comes she involves the shining Day When Day comes it hides Night within it's Ray. Thus dwell the Principles in one another Thus Hell and Heaven blended are together Thus is the Good part of the Earth hid in The Evil part the spacious Realm of sin Then wonder not if I to you relate That while you dwell in Babylonish state In midst of Babel and her wickednesse Priding your self in all her whorish dresse Your next near neighbour in the world's account May dwel upon thrice sacred SION'S Mount And in bless'd Paradise for tho he may In Night seem He in Night has found the Day He plows he sows he reaps the Earth so you The Gleab do plow sow reap and husband too But yet your aym and end and his infers He is God's Stuart you are Lucifers From several principles you act and he Is in the second in the first you be He dwells in EDEN and IERUSALEM But you in Aegypt and in Babylon Thrice happy is the Man that thus hath found In midst of Babel this thrice hallowed ground The purest Chrystal nor the whitest snow Nor candid'st Lilies fairest flowers that grow Nor splendid Phoebus nor the nitid ayr Nor shining Phoebe half so bright nor fair Nor half so pure nor immaculate Are as the Soul of this great World yet that Before Man fell lesse pure and divine Than Man was and under his feet did shine But since he joyn'd with it and by it fell He gave admittance also unto Hell And its Magia to infect it so That man by it is oft made subject to Hel's Prince and Law for whilst he in this Room Of flesh remains he 's easily o'recome By the World's spirit Sathan wholly bent To mischief Man makes it his instrument So that what 's pure of it self â—e still Distaines and so converteth Good to Ill. Heav'n also for the good of man doth use The same for by the same he doth diffuse External blessings Wisdom Wit and Wealth Riches and Honors Plenty Pleasures Health But this more plainly shall explained be VVhere we speak of the Good and Evil Tree I do admire that man should ignorant Be of this great World's Soul so greatly want The true sight of 't being so nearly he To it is fastned by a Sympathie For 's outward body cometh from that womb That very LIMYS whence this Earth did come Being that by the same such strange things brought May be to passe such mighty wonders wrought Such miracles of Nature shewn For by The same he may do wonders Prophesie Be by infusion Learn'd in Tongues and Arts And thousand others which this Sp'rit imparts In so much that amazed Man has thought The Devil only such great things had wrought For not the Devil as most men suppose But this world's Seal those Oracles inclose Did of the Heathen So the Sybills So The Dâ—uids did what came to passe foreknow And to those Priests fill'd with Prophetic rage By the same Sp'rit did future things presage So famous actions done by Ganges strand The same day known in the Ausonian Land Were and might well be by this Sp'rit made known As what on all parts of our body 's done We at the instant know this world's Soul so What 's done in any part of th' Earth doth know And so impart the same to Mortals may And Wonders which I mention not display And all this by Man's close conjunction With this great Spirit not the Devils 's done Yet I confesse that oftentimes the Devil That great Imposter Father of all evil Hath had his Oracles and Prophets too That he thereby might his dark Magic shew From whence much ill produc'd was So that all Count him the Father of what 's Mâ—gical Now to this World 's great Spirit there belong Of Spirits an innumerable throng Which only to this outer world pertain With it created and shall dye again When it 's dissolv'd These nothin have to do With those black Spirits that are subject to Hell's horrid Prince and different from those Whom the Prince of the lighter Orb hath chose To be 's peculiar servants These controul Doth being its Instruments the great World's Soul Of these some in the fiery Element Inhabit some within the azure bent Among the starres And others daily sport Within the flameing Rooms of Vulcan's Court Such are within Vesuvius's sulp'ry womb And great Enseladus's fiery ' tomb Such in flame-belching
For usual scouts to scare black shades and Nights Hobgoblins Lemures Ast'ral spirits to talk About the fiâ—lds some in Church yards to walk Ghosts Fairies Night-mares dark tâ—â—icula's Affrighting Spectres haunting Empâ—saâ—â— Cadds airy Dâ—mons strange Phaâ—tâ—sms and Legions of other sp'rits to fill the band Press closer numerous swarm your ranks disclose Let yoâ— ' brave Princes nigher draw repose My chiefest strength in them I do for us With man their fight will still be cominus I know they 'r active you great Daemons show Them where to fight let them alone to do Do you dispose them let the aiâ—y Prince Cast mans natâ—vity then learn from thence His inclinations then may you choose Which of these Princes you had best to use Which will most fitting be where one cann't come Another may and have a spacious room Brave Pride who art so like to us you shall Be constitute Lieutenant General Next under thee let Envy march to thee Grand Avarice the third allotted be Then furious Wrath Dispaire and Ielousie March with your bands and let Idâ—latry Go next Adâ—li'â—y Lyâ—â—g 〈◊〉 Lust Luxury 〈◊〉 march you next to these 〈◊〉 your â—wy-sac'd bands in order Seâ— them march after Perjury and Murther 〈◊〉 and Blaâ—phemy your charge is thus By any means to gain Man's Soul to us Take all advantages and bravely fight Against our Foes the Troops of Love and Light I need to say no more nor need I fear But I shall overcome all Men when here I see such mighty powers who can withstand Your mighty â—orces and Hel's powerful Band Go and the World poâ—â—â—â—â—e I doubt not now But Man to us and Love's Prince too shall bow The Sâ—ygian Princes bow their snaky heads And Joy their Captain in their Faces reads â—o they 〈◊〉 and from 〈◊〉 sulph'ry throats Belch oâ—t ten thousand loud confused notes Then from their Centâ—e thousand Myriads go Of teter Sâ—ygian Bands where here below The Earth thâ— ayr and the vast hollownesse Betwixt the Ceruâ—le â—ky and Earth possesse They do And all coâ—bin'd are to annoy Man and his Soul immortal to destroy Black 〈◊〉 triumphing with a sable Bow 〈◊〉 Earth with armes displayed marcheth too Where murthering Hag her skilful hand to try With satâ—l Darts made Abel's life to â—â—ye The 〈◊〉 that ever yielded mortal breath Tâ—â— first that ever felt the Dart of Death And thus this World her misery indu'd Which guilty Adam's crime and Sin pursu'd Can Man escape such powers as these can he In tasety sleepâ— or one poor minute be Secure what can defend him from these armes Or who repel mâ—y Sathan's threat'ned harmes Spirits encounter Spirits must The Light â—orlâ— that aloâ—â— must match the dark Worlds might The Prince of Love of Light of Peace of Truth Beholds poor Man and his sad state with Ruth And tho Man's guilt brought down this sad distresse He Love immense doth still to him expresse And lest that mighty Wrath his Soul devour He will protect him with his mighty Power Heav'n's brighter Bands he therefore Convocates And thus his Royal Will to them relates Blest Princes of this lighter World and ye Vast Troops indu'd with immortality Know Man for whom a Paradise we made By his own folly is to Wrath betray'd He hath deserted us this happy Realm Hath lost now misery doth overwhelm Him and our Image in obscurity Doth buried by the World 's grosse Spirit lye Wrath's Principle hath poysoned the Earth Spoyl'd Paradise with his infectious Breath He now triumphs But what lose we 't is Man That suffers most for his own folly then Shall we desert him leave him to his Foe Strict Iustice might but Love cannot do soâ— Can fier cool or can cold Water burn No more can I from this my nature turn Nor his neglect nor his strange follies move May me to Wrath. O no! I still am Love My nature cannot change I pity have I must I will endeavour Man to save So long as he my Image doth retain Although obscur'd â—le seek him to regain To me and that immortal spark divine Shall like the Sun in its fair splendor shine Can I the Principle of Wrath dethrone Out of his heart and th'out Worlds he 's my own Wrath's Principle although he triumphs now One day again shall to our Powers bow The Earth a Paradise shall be and then All things shall turn to Harmony agen My Foe shall then be captivate Man shall Most happy live upon the outward Ball. Six dayes first past must be that principle Thousands of souls shall to its centre pull I' th' intrim I mans nature too must take My self and dy that I wraths power may breakâ— This I 'le effect such love to man I bear We are as strong as wrath we need not fear His fires our waters shall put ouâ— our Dove Shall fight his Dragon Nought's so strong as Love Noâ— Death nor Hell can conquer it The wrath Already sent hath his black Legions forth Into the Earth Poor man 's in danger hast Unto his succour Let your Troops be plaâ—'t â—ust opposite unto those teter bands Which Hells 〈◊〉 commands Arch-Prince of Angels MICHAEL of all Heavens brighter Legions be thou General Conduct our forces to Earths Orb and there Oppose the Dragoâ— bid man not to fear His â—â—ygian crue Do thou match Satan and To his dark troops oppose thy brighter band Maintain thou Love and Iustice 'gainst his might Do thou with equal force and valour fight â—ll heaven's Host attend thee shall and let Some powerful Angel o're the stars be set To let their male-conjunctions and thence For to direct their better influence Unto the Earth to cause the seasons due Unto the Earth her pleasures to renue And thou Mittatron thy strong Legions place In rank and order 'gainst Baalzebubs face Do you unite whilest he doth discord move Conjoyn thou all in amity and love Whilst that he causes Battails Plagues and Dearth Thou peace and health and fructiâ—ie the earth Next Caphtiel 'gainst Belial thy foe With Myriads of brighter Angels go Illuminate man's minde and make him see For his distraction Belial's policie His stranger fancies cause to vanish quite And of my goodnesse let him have a sight Go Iophiel and hinder Python's force Obstruct his vile infatuating source Exhibit truth to Man open his eyes That he may clearly see grosse Python's lies Ten thousand Legions take thou Ptsadkiel And bravely meet the firy Asmodel Be thou as well as he concomitant With Princes keep them that they may not vaunt Of their high state Let Pride and Cruelty Be banish'd from them let humâ—lity Supply their place whilst that he raiseth jars Cause Amity oppose thy Peace to Wars Bright Prince Uriel flags of light display And 'gainst Meriri with thine march away Stop thou his full carrer and se that you With wisdome and true happinesse endue Man give him eyes to see perfection If that with us he will have union Coelestial Rapâ—iel
be too Lest they with pinguitude his Soul imbue And make's lesse apt to search those hidden arts Which Hell to his obedient ones imparts But if he in them Master will Commence He must attain it by obedience To whatsoever Hell commands for he Must gain the Will then act by sympathy He now it may be for some yeares hath serv'd This Principle nor from his Laws hath swerv'd But still obedient been nor his desire Thereto doth slack implete with hellish fire His serving Dâ—emon still attending too With Stygian vigor doth his heart imbue Pleases his fancy with some stranger art Hels sacramental Mysâ—eries impart He doth till at the last he doth bequeath To him the fruits of the black Tree of Death Rough hairy Satyrs with their cloven feet And staring eyes if that a stranger meet Should all alone in some dark Wood and night How pitifully would they him affright â— Or any other ill-shap'd monster yet A fâ—equent sight no wonder would beger And should such Satyrs often be with him No whit at all affrightful would they seem So those dark Spirits apparitions might Man 's weaker sences at the first affright But after some familiarity No fear at all would be especially To those whose natures as their natures be In a strict league with Hell and would be such Did not their Souls in a flesh'd body couch Toads are not venomous to Toads nor is The Lion truculent to those of his Kind nor are Monsters frightful unto theirs Satyrs to Satyrs not are Bears to Bears So Man whose Soul 's drench'd in the Stygian pool Thinks not Hel's worst deformed spiriâ—s soul. And this they know or else I do suppose They'd not so boâ—dly their strange shapâ—s disclose Hel's mighty Prince sees now his servant â—it To see his Kingdoms pomp he doth commit The charge thereof to some great Prince who goes To him and thus his message doth disclose Hel's mighty Monarch Prince of Acherâ—n Great Duke of Styx Primate of Phlegiton Of Lethe Earl great Lord of Cocyâ—â—â— of deep Avernus Orcus Eâ—ebus And of the whole dark world best part of this Gain'd by his forces and now joyn'd to his My soveraign Leige hath sent me unto you His faithful servant with his leave to shew Our Kingdom 's glory whereby you may see That you do serve no petty Majesty Our high and mighty Prince hath had regard To all your services he now reward Will your fidelity he Crowns and thrones As well as LOVE hath for his faithful ones A Throne and Crown he hath prepar'd for thee And of our Kingdom thou a Peer shalt be When thou this Body shalt put off and set Thy Soul at liberty which now doth let Perfect enjoyment In the mean time tho This favour 's granted that I thee may show Our pomp and Glory art thou willing say To whom Hel's servant thus without delay Great Prince and servant to our soveraign King What joyful news is this that you do bring I scarce contain my Soul What shall I see The glory of his Stygian Majesty E'r I depart this VVorld this favour would More strictly bind me his and if I could Be more his than I am what in this Ball I have I willing am to part withall To purchase this Love's great inticements I Abhor and do spontaneously deny Come let us go I burn with strong desire For to be in and see this Orb of Fire Hel's Nuncio thus speaks Valiant heart delay I will not thou thy hearts desire enjoy Shalt and when thou hither returnest then Thou shalt be Hel's highest Magitian Such gifts we will bestow and thou shalt see Before thou back returnst what Gifts they be Your staffe is needlesse nor your Horse-you need For I am able to make greater speed For whilst that you can ride a League assoon I can be mounted higher than the Moon I can transport your Corpse no need of that There is at this time for our Journey 's not So great only make fast your Closer door That none may enter to disturb you for Your Body here shall lye Then shall you see How nimble Spirits without Bodies be You misse it shall not for you 'l think you bear It still but feel it lighter than the Ayr. Alasse that is a prison to the Soul She free from that is then without controul Nor could that bear indeed what you will feel Be'ing made of flesh nay were it made of steel It could not 't would consumed be your sp'rit Can bear the punctions of eternal Night Being in union with us and may passe Into our Kingdom for your Nature as Ours is your sences will be open too You 'l think you see feel hear as now you do But why do I forestal you thus Delay I will no longer Come I 'le lead the way This spy'd his hand upon his eyes he lay's To which Ethaean stupor he conveighs Down falls his Carcasle like a Trunck bereft Of Life no sence is in his Body left His Spirit 's fled and by Hel's Fiend is brought Into that Kingdom swiâ—ter than a Thought Thus then he felt himself He was like one Who in his sleep sees some strange Vision And dreams himself awake but yet doth find Some kind of misty Aâ—oms which do blind His sight from a clear view He thus at first Did find himself untill he farther thrust Was from 's attractive Corpse He nimbly than And with a clearer sight to mount began Thus then his Jornal was Nor Moon nor Sun Nor any other Star upon him shon But yet not quite of Light devoy'd he had Such as wherewith a misty ev'ning's clad A kind of twylight Earth nor raging Seas Nor any thing but misty ayr he sees A circling Cloud darker then pitch appears Vast and of huge extent aloft it rears In forms of Cliffs and pointed Rocks The Sp'rite Thus speaks these pitchy cloudy mounts in sight Impale our Kingdom 'T is Avcrâ—â—â— call'd With such continued Rocks our Kingdom 's wall'd This is the Entry Here involved lies Continual Light none there a Ray espies Of any Light part of this Rock God threw In't Aegypt when that thicker darknesse flew Th'row out the Land our dearest servants he With our own weapons plagues continually 'T is not so dark within the pale now this Is caused by Antiperistasis And that cold Region which ingendreth hail And thunder which when Icy clouds assail Each other's made becomes so violent From two contraries which from both sides sent Causes its forces shrink together so More violent pent in lesse room they grow This darknesse then flies from that Light within And from the Light Woâ—ld's shine so lies between Shrouding together pressing close and thick Fast cleaving closely doth together stick These palpable dark clouds they enter where He doth a thousand shrecks and howlings hear Cursings Blasphemings swearing murmuring voycâ—â— Bellowing with a thousand ugly noyses But horrid darknesse so encompas'd him That who these noyses made could not be seen
troop of Faâ—â—ies come Which round him dance triumphingly while some Anoint his eyes with Poppy-Juice and other With Soperiferous fumes his nosethrills smother And out of Bottles some pour down his throat Somniferous liquor from black Lâ—thâ— brought Long mayst thou sleep Long mayst thou sleep they cry And never wake out of this Lethargy But now the Time is come that all these Charmes Must be dissolv'd rap'd out of Sathans armes His Soul must be A mighty clap of Thunder As if the Heav'n's and Earth were rent assunder He hears affrighted up he heaves his head And as if newly risen from the dead He looks about rubbing his scarce-op'd eyes When in a flash of light'ning from the skies An Angel with an angry Countenance Descends his hasty steps he doth advance Unto this supine Soul one hand a goad Held in the other a sharp-scourging Rod. With a loud voyce I CONSCIENCE am cries he Who must awake thee from this Lethargy The pointed Goad into his flesh he â—lirks Whilst with the other hand he soundly jerks His naked Breast This sleepy Soul at first Scarce feels the stripes he then doth farther thrust The pricking Acus of his tort'ring Goad And with his Scourge lays on a heavier load Till that the blood from 's flesh begins to spin And still the Angel cries awake from sin Throughly awak'd he now begins to feel The tort'ring anguish of the pricking Steel He now cryes out What shall I do Oh! I Cann't bear this pain and up he starts to flye But round about a Mist as dark as Night Fills all the place only a little Light About the Angel shines by which he sees His sad condition and his miseries But up he starts and in the dark doth run Here up and down but yet he cannot shun The Angels strokes who where some e'r he goes Renews his torments with reitterate blows And now all 's former sins take shapes and do Where e'r he goes appear unto his view Against his face they flye Tormented he Cryes LORD from this sad HEL deliver me Whilst thus tormented up and down he flyes At length a little shining Light he spies On his right hand to that he runs and there He finds a passage from this Valley where When he had enter'd by that Light he saw His former sins ty'd on both sides the way In black and ugly shapes he loathes them now And fain would shun their sight could he tell how Amaz'd he stands What did by bosom dain Cryes he such ugly shapes to entertain Where were my eyes that their deformity And blacker shapes I could no sooner see O wretch that I did ever these commit Hel's sharpest torments I deserve for it O I am in the Wrath of God! my eyes Pour forth your teares How didst Apostarize My Soul In this deplorable estateâ— Expect no Mercy but Gods deepest Hate Oh with what anger the severer Judge Beholds me now I cannot go nor budge Where shall I flye O! which way shall I run Or where can I God's sharper Justice shun I won't go back Nor can I further go And in this place I am as loath to stay Drove to these straits what shall I do too weak Frail flesh and blood and frequent sins bespeak Me to perform those things the Law requiâ—es O sad condition O tormenting fires Of Wrath O which way which way shall I turn Hel's scorching flames within my bosom burn He thus perplext a little farther goes When that a Silver torrent doth oppose His hasty steps No other way there was If he 'l proceed but th'row those streams to passe Must I no farther go cryes he Constrain Me not O Bâ—ook for to return again No rather here I 'le dye upon the brink Thereof the lets his feeble body sink Here shall my brinish tears encrease your tide And shall as fast as your dull waters glide My eyes shall be your springs you need not fear A want of waters whilst that I am here If cold your streams with frosty fetters chain My warmer sighs them soon shall melt again Eyes ope your sluces Cataracts of Tears Fall down preserv'd you have these many years Your sullen waters 'gainst this time of need For to bewail my sad estate O speed Into this gentle River furrows make Upon my cheeks where you your Currents take Ah! Sins 't is ye that cause these Tears to flow Ye only are the cause of all my wo. 'T is ye who brought me to this sad estate I now repent me tho I fear too late My blubber'd eyes now turn from you I will I hate you all and flye you Eyes your fill Now take of Teares encrease this River so That 's streams may bigger than his Channel grow Whilst he for 's former sins a Ransom payes In Pearly Tears and'spanting Heart doth raise Within his Breast a tempest with his sighs A Man he in the gliding River ' spies When to the Wast the greedy waters had Devour'd his upper part was meanly clad With a rough jacket made of Camels hair Which with a leathern Zone upon his bare And tender skin was girt By this he knew 'T was Iohn the Baptist the Brook Iordan too Whilst with his vest the sporting waters play'd Two Crimson leaves disclosing thus he said Art thou a Pilgrim to the holy Land In which the New Ierusalem doth stand This then 's the Way no other way there is But th'row this River to Eternal Blisse Here in these waters must thou oftentimes Thy Body lave from all thy former crimes Here wash thy Soul from all the stains of sin If thou intendest Heav'n's high Race to win This Baptism by me thou first must prove E'r thou attainest that of Fire and Love This doth prepare thee for the other this Will cool that Fire which now raging is Within thy Bosom for thy former sin Here thou 'lt â—ind Peace and Rest Step quickly in His lips scarce clos'd were when the penitent Leap'd in and gladly to the Baptist went Who there immerg'd him in the Christal Tide A many times when on the other side Which melting Chrystal in round bulla's fall From 's hair and garments placing him he all Alone there leaves him But within his mind He far lesse trouble and more ease doth find As if disloaded from a heavy weight Of gives and fetters which he bore of late He feels himself and like a Porter now Discharg'd of what his back did underbow Himself doth stretch for ease But by and by A winged Post down from the Skie doth flye In 's Hand a sealed Parchment this he doth To him present th' outside a while he view'th But opening it these words he written finds We whose right Hand at pleasure all things binds And loses both in Heav'n and Earth Great King Of all the Worlds who unto Hell can fling All Mortals and thence raise again We do For our Son's sake who fupplicates for you Remit and Pardon all those
is of her store But thou this Mount despise must and be poor Desie Earth's Riches 'Till from Heav'ns blest done Thou dost receive them then they are thine own When Heav'n adorns thee with Earth's pride then thou Shalt like an Angel truly shine below Thou then shalt honour God and every gemm Shall glory but to touch thy Garments hem All what thou dost here in thy passage meet To stop thy way shall tumble at thy feet No power have they then to hurt And thou Regard them shalt no more than dunghills now 'Till then thou leave them must and follow the Most rare Example of Humility With that she from her sacred Bosom drew A Picture and reposâ—d it to the view Of the Caelestial Traveller where one The best skill in the Graphic Art had shown The Pencil guided by some hand divine Had there trick't out the fruitfull Palestine Had shew'd Iuâ—aea and Ierusalem The famous Temple Iordan's Christal stream All Gâ—lâ—ee the Hamlet Nazareth And Bethlehem where God in flesh had Birth His Life his Miracles his Death and where He â—uried was was rarely pourtray'd there Beâ—old said Alathia here 's the story Of the great King of Meeknesse and of Glory Who cloath'd himself with mortal flesh and blood And shed the same to do poor sinners good This is the Pattern of Humility View this fair Copy thou the ectype be Consider the immensity of Love Past the poor reach of Man and far above His most capacious thoughts to Comprehend The depth of it which to the very end Of AEternity doth reach Immensity Of Love and Oceans of Humility With pious reverence turn here thine eye Thy Saviour view in 's Infant Majesty See how Heav'n smileth in his eyes what Grace Already beameth in his sacred Face Those Rayes divine though vaild with flesh and blood Break through their Closure and make bright their Cloud O depth of Meeknesse O great Caesars fling Your Crowns and stately Robes aside The King Of great Olympâ—s and of all the Earth Humility doth â—each you by his birth See where he lies his high-roof'd Chamber is A despicable Stable look how this Poor Crib supplies a Cradle's place you see No gilded Cradle here no Couches be This Hay grown soft by 's sacred touch doth own A happinesse serves for a bed of Down The Crib's hard side a pillow is alasse His Chamber-fellows are the Ox and Asse Darknesse surrounds the Earth and whilst 't is hurâ—d Through Hearts as well as Eyes into the World The Sun of Righteousnesse doth come 't is he That Day and Light and Sun to all must be His Winter too snow hangs on every bough Tearts had their Ice their â—nows and Winter too But in the midst of Hyems is the King Born that to Hearts and to the World 's the Spring See Where his Mother the blest Virgin on Her bended knees doth wait upon her Son Nought but Humility can here be seen In all the World 's great King and Earth's blest Queen See where the Virgin-mother 〈◊〉 about His sacred limbs a clean but homely clout You see no Tyrian-tiâ—cted mantle there Shining with Gold no uselesse Vailes appear Brodeâ—'d with Lace a piece of home-spun cloth Is Vaâ—l is Mantle Rug and Blanket both For lack of better Aâ—as see where spreads Upon the walls busie Arachne's threads See with what pains that careful Animal With her best art labours to hang the Wall Nought but Humility can here be seen In all the World 's great King and Earth's chast Queen Although this birth with so much lowlinesse Accompan'ed simplicity expresse And of small value seem t' ambitious Earth Heav'ns Choresters rejoycing at his birth Sâ—ng this Antiphona Salvation is Come unto Man by this blest Genesis VVhilst others answer with a high-tun'd voyce Rejoyc O Earth both Eâ—â—â—h and Heav'n rejoyce Salvation now is come to you below At Jesu's Name all heaâ—ts and knees shall bow VVhilst thus his great Name the Caelestial Quire Râ—sound his mystic Birth they all admire AEâ—ernity before nor eâ—er shall Again a Wonder see so mystical Th' AEternal God takes humane flesh and blood And all what Man has sin excepting had O Wonder wonderfull indeed it is The greatest Wonderâ—â— e'r told was this His â—nd was to redeem fall'n man but you May see his Life to be exâ—â—plar too O â—ioâ—s lowlinesse See where he stands To be Baptiz'd by Iohn's lesse worthy Hands See how the Chrystal Streams his Limbs do kisse From whence they take a far more purer Blisse And if that any staines they have from thence The sacred touch of his blest flesh doth rince Them clean see how part of those gentle Streams Loath to depart are chang'd to Chrystal Gemms Which from his skin receive their lustre they Melt into Tears when that they glide away You see no glaring Gold no gaudy Lace Upon his back no Pedlars shops embrace His Holy wast one seamlesse Coat supplies To hide his Beauties from prophaner eyes All Ornaments O single Poverty The Wing'd inhabitants of ayr they be Not destitute of Nests the Foxes they Have Dens but he whereon his Head to lay Has not a place Heaven and Earth's great Lord Earth don't the favour of a Home afford Now view his Court they like himself are clad Two coats two scrips two pair of shoos forbad They were poor Fisher men such chose he they Happy forsake the VVorld themselves deny All things The sinners and the Publicans Are oftentimes made his Companions The Supercilious Scribe and Pharisee Scorn him and he his blessed Company Denies to them their Pride and wickednesse Are opposite to 's Worth and lowlinesse See here the mirror of Humility See where he humbly on his knees doth lye And though he Lord be yet â—e thinks it meet For our example to wash clean the Feet Of his Disciples the slaves office thus He takes who is Lord o're the World and us See where he doth his Body break O that You had but eyes to see the blessed meat He gives under those Elements of Bread And Wine His Body and his Bloud is shed Thereby into their Souls though from your eye 'T is hid he gives his blest Humanity They on his Body feed and I must tell You here he wrought a mighty Miracle All those who truly do receive this sood Do feed upon his Body and his Blood Not by a notion really they do A Sacramenâ— indeed yet known to few The mirroâ—r of all Paâ—ience see he that The Angels thought a Happinesse to wait Upon and at whose Call ten Legions would His foes have into thousand pieces pull'd Is bound and fetter'd see what Majesty Reignes in his eyes mixt with Humility See with what meeknesse he doth turn his cheek Whilst it the wicked multitude do strike See how he bears their buffets where they spit Upon his Face â— see how he beareth it Speaks not a word but rather pitties them Who slay their own Souls in their muâ—thering him
See where they mock him how they presse the blood With a Thorn'd-Crown from out his sacred Head See how they scourge him here the Crimson stream Blushing to see their Rage reproveth them See how the whole Worlds sins are on him thrown A spotlesse Lamb who guilty is of none But see their wickednesse encreas'd lo here He 's Crucifi'd see how the cursed Spearâ— Pierces his blessed side O sacred spring Which doth Health Life and t' all Salvation bring Will they accept of it this stream doth run Not for a few to sip but every one Here drench his lips may without price all may Drink of this stream which from his side doth flow See how it runs how plentifull the Blood Flows through the whole World and becomes a flood Châ—ist dy'd for all that Dogma is untrue Which says he dy'd but for a very few And those elected partially by God Before or Time or Man had their abode O stâ—ange Shall God to Life some few Elect And all the Woâ—ld besides O hard reject Thus says the wicked then If God has chose Me unto Life I cann't Salvation lose Let me live how I will If good I be If I 'm rejected I no Heav'n shall see I 'le take my swing in wickednesse for I As God decreed has shall or Live or dye 'T is true God from Eternity foresaw Who should be dam'd and sav'd but that no Law On such impos'd then this Election In Time is doth Conditionally run That they persever in Obedience And Faith if not they then may fall from thence So all Elected are not one debarr'd From Life who otherwise do think a hard And cruel master of the Lord make rather Than a most merciful and Loving Father As God conditionally Elected All In the same manner was our Saviours fall For every one nor must it follow then Because he dy'd for all therefore all men Must sav'd be it Conditionally is Suppose there were a Well so full of Blisse That all Diseases it would remedy And that it free for every one did lye It is employ'd though 't be for every one That 't is for those that come and those alone Effectually 'T is just that they who will Not thither come keep their Diseases still Nor doth God's Will depend on man 's in this Because God Wills it so God's Will it is This is that Living spring whilst man remains This still shall flow to wash his fouler stains Without this he cannot be pure nor come Where Christ is to the new Ierusalem O blessed spring Water of Life here we The highest words without Hyperbole May use O 't is the blessed Nectar of The holy Angels and bless'd Saints above His flesh is there Ambrosia 't is by this We may attain an Apoâ—heosis By this bless'd food all heav'nly Souls are fed And through the Earth it doth its Bounties spread Think it not strange if those may feed on 't too Who live in India and that never knew Or heard of this bless'd Iesu's dying day Circumscribe not his flesh and Blood I say No one without it can be sav'd O damn Not all that ne'r heard that he dy'd for them This Blood 's a Living sâ—ring poor souls impute This to themselves and yet themselves pollute With beastly sins His Blood hath wash'd us clean Cry they and so continue in their sin O sad presumption whilst they crucifie Christ in their Hearts by 's Blood we 'r sav'd to Cry I say His Blood 's a Living spring and your Soul feed on 's flesh must drink his Blood most pure If that Salvation you intend to have 'T is that believe me that alone must save What this his flesh and Blood is partly you Do know the same and shall more clearly too The farther in this way you go 't is that That every pious Soul doth animate It is a Sacrament tongues cann't expresse 'T is Life 't is Virtue Power Holinesse By it all things subsist it penetrates All things all quickens all things animates The Angels food the same Humanity That sits at God's right Hand the same that the Jews crucifi'd that ' rose again and is Oâ—â— Propitiation 't is the same 't is this Thou seest here his Life and nothing there Did in 't without a mysterie appear He bound was spit upon whipt crucified Pierc'd with a Sphear thorough his sacred side Here Contemplate all is mysterious and Man may by it his vast Love understand See here where he gives up the Ghost here thou Upon the Wings of Contemplation now Mayst ride O sacred Death See where the Sun Obscured is how Rocks do rend in twain See how the Graves are op'd see where the dead Arise O this this is the Day they did So long expect which oft in dayes of old The Prophets by their Prophesies foretold Now trembles Hell now all the Devils quake Now suffers Luciâ—er now Hell doth shake For now the Light shuts up Hel's Centre now The mighty Wrath of God is broken too Christ underwent it and for mortal man Through th' envious Wrath made now a Path again He pierc'd the Principle of Wrath and there Love Wrath and Light all reconciled were O sacred Sacrament these mysteries Are hid and strange to more prophaner eyes But I will more declare attend and be An Auditor unto no one but me I in the Scriptures dwell there find you may What I declare as clear as is the Day When Adam fell in Paradise O then He ' wak'd the Wrath of God against all men That should succeed the Wrath then potent grew And like a wall bar'd up the way unto Blest Paradise all men excluded were And 't was impossible to enter there This Adam saw too late then was the seed The blest seed of the Woman promised VVhich should by being bruised in the Heel Of Death break Wrath's strong head and make him feel His mighty power This Adam saw and all The Patriarchs and Prophets that 〈◊〉 This should in this they all rejoâ—â—d thus saw With joy old Abraham this blessed Day The fieâ—y Law to Moses given forth VVas represented by those terrors Wrath The Zeal and Justice of Iehovah and In which no man but Christ alone could stand So Moses could not into Canaan bring The Iâ—raeliâ—es now learn we by this thing That 't must be Iesus who for all hath dy'd Who by great Ioshua was typisi'd None enters Heav'n till he that came from thence First enter'd had 't is for the mighty Prince Iesus the Saviour that this honour was Kept and till he had not a man could passe See then the work of this God-man 't is He The second person in the Trinity Who flesh indues such as you have no foul Stain tincting it in that an humane soul Cloth'd with a Body such as Adam had Before he with grosse flesh and Blood was clad Three Principles intire he had abode He then did for you all the
Wrath of God Then sweat he drops of Blood this agony Endured was so that you all might be Sav'd from the Wrath he underwent for Mâ—n Unto the Fathers Justice was he then A Sacrifice his Soul for you abode In Hell and there quenched the Wrath of God Through it a Way he made for every one That after him to Paradise shall come So long as Adam slept when Eve was made So long he in the Grave and Anger staid But then that Body pure angelical That Earth of which Adam was made the fall Not having yet Cloath'd him with such as you And other Mortals sprung from him indue This Body Christ assum'd the which did straight His Crucified Body penetrate And wholly swallow'd up so that it then Could passe th'row Walls and walk unseen by men But when he pleas'd to shew himself so all Bodies shall rise this flesh and blood and all Such flesh and blood shall enter heav'n Now four Times ten dayes he remain'd just and no more In Paradise there tempted he withstood VVhat flung down Adam like a rushing flood Confirmed now to Heav'n he ascends In his Disciples sights and there remains See where they gazing stand see where a Cloud His Body from their mortal eyes doth shroud Now he to Glory goes in 's Company The Patriarchs and holy Prophets be And all those who before him dy'd who on The promis'd seed did trust which was to come Abraham the Father of the faithfull Band Dischargeth now his holy Bosom and Close follows Iesus with his blessed train And so th' Imperial Court of Heav'n they gain And thus Angelical Bodies getting rise With joy and with him enter Paradise VVhere they in Heav'n remain In Heav'n he is The cause oâ— joys of happinesse of blisse 'T is he makes Heav'n and there where he doth stand Is Paradise which is at God's right Hand O mount not now beyond the clouds for where The second Principle remains 't is there That Heav'n is nor can it be confin'd Nor comprehended in thy darker mind So that a local place thou in thy head Imaginest when that its Court doth spread Th'row out the World a way to Paradise And Heav'n there is and yet not th'row the Skies Tâ—â—s Path â—ill lead thee thâ—â—â—er thou shalt know The Way not out but into Heav'n doth go 'T is to the Centre thou must presse for there Heav'n and the glorious Angels will appear There Iesus is and when he comes again Not as before shall he in flesh remain No more be Crucifi'd but then â—e shall VVith his bright Glory swallow up this Ball. Then Paradise shall manifested be This is the Day all Saints do long to see Keep safe this Picture and be sure that thou Continually do this bright Pattern view Him only imitate see now if that These things which here are offer'd by Deceit Are worth a grain of Dust compar'd unto Those Riches that in Paradise do grow Kick down Decâ—it and all her toyes despise Follow thou Me I 'le shew thee Paradise Thus Alatâ—ia ends the while his eyes The Pilgrim to the perfect Pattern ties On it they dwell where they such sweetnesse found That to a meditation so profound And deep as may be they his soul attract That Life so spotlesse and so pure to act He now desires Christ now his Pattern is And in his steps he seeketh after Blisse Whilst thus his busie eyes 〈◊〉 to and fâ—o On that which Alaâ—â—â—a did bestow Upon him all the circumambient ayr Began to glow and seemed all on fire The Pilgrim 'gan to feel the glowing heat His Cheeks grew red his Face and Temples sweat About he looks to see from whence it came When that he spies a Chariot all on flame Which two swift Coursers drew their flaming breath Threatning to all that should oppose them Death VVith a Iehuan pace on wheels of speed Down the next Rock Horses and Chariot slide And up another ran e'n to the top Before hot Zelus could 's swift Coursers stop Doubling their sturdy necks he back again Inforces them with much ado refrain At last he did his furious Steeds and from His Chariot did unto the Pilgrim come His Robes were flames of fire pouder'd with Hearts Winged with flames struck th'rough with flaming Darts His eyes a piercing ardor sent his Hand Bore both a steeled Lance and flaming brandâ— The Pilgrim he accosts and easily got VVith him to mount his flaming Chariot Now glows his heart and now a Champion For God he is with sury he upon Deceit doth set against the Mountain flings His Spear tramples upon her siner things Scatters her Gold and silver doth despise Her Honours Dainties Pleasures Braveries Under his feet he tramples that at last His flaming Brand amongst them all he cast The fire takes hold consuming them to nought The Mount it to a heap of ashes brought VVhat cryes the Pilgrim shall a mount of dust To stop my passage unto Heav'n thrust It self between me and my God so shall This brand what e'r opposes cause to fall Nought stand 'tween me and Heav'n shall if it do This Spear this Brand this hand shall make it â—ow The World and all things I 'le forsake and I Father and Mother also will deny And hate them too if they opposers be And stand betwixt blest Paradise and me Heav'n 's in my eye its Beauties are my prize Heav'n 's a Reward for him that Earth denyes My Way I am resolved to make Good Although I stand up to the chin in blood A fire agitates my Limbs and now Both World and all things Zeal shall make to bow This said he hurries up and down the Way His furious Steeds cannot stand still nor stay What e'r appears the hot-spur'd Pilgrim now Without examination makes to bow The furious Steeds over the Mountains flye Feeling the Reines loose on their necks to lye And ready to praecipitate their Guide Down the steep ridges of the Rocks they slide Sometimes they 're in the Way sometimes they 're out Someâ—imes they backward run sometimes about And o're the Rocks their heady coâ—â—se they take Th'rough fire and water they their voyage make The next Way that appears he takes and what He thinks is Good others must bow to that This furious Course makes him to lose the Way And up and down at every turn to stray What e'r he sees under his Censure comes As well in Iudgâ—mâ—â—ts as in Zeal he fumes But whilst with Zeal he runneth up and down A Matron met him on whose awfull frown Sat a most comely Gravity Serene And free from tempests her clear face was seen Her eyes something of Majesty did bear And over hearts did sweetly domineer Her face enough of Beauty had and she In all her make bore a just symmetrie Her cloaths were grave and decent neither were They cut to all modes nor yet singular Her pace was grave in every thing she
his wantâ—n wast Binding his Hands that oft had prisners made With his own Scaâ—â— he to a Tree him ty'd Robbing a 〈◊〉 of its boughs a Rod He â—â—deâ— and soundly whipt this wanton God He flea'd his back and with his wanron blood Dy'd all the grasse in ' Crimson where he stood Then broke his bow and arrows His fine Quiver And Crown of Roses flung into the River This done he let him loose since which disgrace He ne'r was seen to come anear this place Lost in the Face which he did contemplate Oâ—r Pâ—lgrim was nor would he extricate Himself and if he could He ne'r did prize â—nough before the blessing of his eyes Ravish'd he was but blessed CHASTITY Spake to her CUPID with her speaking eye He understood the Dialect and drew A Golden arrow from his Quiver Blew The Feathers were the point was living flame This notch'd in 's silver Bow he took his aym Like a good Archer of the Pilgrim's heart And th'rough the same he shot the flaming dart A gentle Fire and sweetly glowing heat The Pilgrim feels his quicker pulses beat Th'row his Limbs the living flames do spread With pleasures joyn'd not to be uttered No blood ran from the Wound he feels no smart Although the shaft had cleft in two his Heart Those flames made Wounds of Joy heal'd those of pain Dispel'd all ills did Life and Health retain A constant ardor now burns in his Breast Being with th' immortal fire of Love possest And wholly swallow'd up in them he fryes In pleasing Flames becomes Heav'ns Sacrifice He lives in Flames but they 'r chast flames of blisse He is in Love but with SOPHIA ' t is Is not it madnesse to indulge a Foe Do men cry when they from their prisons go Do men love chaines and fetters to suppresse Their eager flight unto their Happinesse Yea sure they do all this who here do move In chaines of flesh and do such prisons love The free-born soul were it not chain'd below Above the Stars its nimble Fires would throw See all the World at once and swiftly run About the Heav'ns and clearer than the Sun Had not the Pilgrim had a fleshly case He longer might have seen SOPHIA'S Face Alasse our Souls enchain'd to Dust and Nighâ— Cannot behold the splendors of that Light Too strong for flesh and blood Whose flames will be To flesh as â—ove prov'd once to Semele Our eyes without apparent hurt cann't gaze Against the Sun Nor can those heav'nly Rayes Of high Beatitude the Soul see here Maried to flesh long 'cause that cannot bear The Soul 's high flight but that she suffers so She holds the Soul lest she should from her go Apocalypsis well man's frailty knew Therefore she blest Sophia's Face withdrew And vail'd it from the Pilgrim's eyes To whom Thus Chastity whose words flew in perfume Is not one glimpse of thy Caelestial Bride More glorious than all the World beside Didst ever tast in those dull streamâ— of Blisse The World affords a pleasure like to this Thou hast received by a Vision then How far more great wil 't be how ample when Thou full fruition shalt enjoy and be Blest with her Blisses to AEternity When that thy Soul cloath'd with immortal Day Has shaken off these shackling Robes of clay In Vailes she now is forced to appear 'Cause Flesh câ—nnot her ample Beauty bear See that she only Mistresse of thy Heart Remain for she ' l not be content with part Thou must not share it 'tween Mortality and Her she ' l bear no such indignity If ever Mistresse Hearts intire deserv'd If ever to be punctually serv'd 'T is she see then although thou canst not merit One grain of what thou shalt by her inherit That thou prove faithful to her Love and she Hers with Heav'ns Kingdom will return to thee Down bows the Pilgrim to the ground his Breast And in these Words his constancy exprest I know my frailty and my weaknesse and That I alone and of my self can stand Not one poor moment By the help of Grace Supported First the Sun shall change his Face And glorious splendor into pitchy Night Flames first shall cease for to ascend upright The brinish Seas shall over Atlas flow The Vine and Olive in Asphaltes grow First Sol shall rise out of the Western main And in the Iapon Sea his flaming Wain At evening drench December shall be May And Trees in Iune shall sheets of snows d'splay Noon shall be Night Nature inverted be Before I yield unto Inconstancy Before I leave her whom my Soul hath chose And her forgetting to another close Those ardent flames which now surround my Heart Will so dispose me that I ne'r shall start From her to whom whilst in this flesh I breath I do my Life Heart Acts thoughts all bequeath O noble Resolution which doth move From those bright flames of Zeal and ardent Love Hell trembles when he hears th' inspired tongue Of valiant Souls resolv'd to speak such strong Hel-battering Words such sounds do quickly go Both to the Angels and the Devils too Piercing both Worlds sound quickly in their ears Fill those with Joy these with disturbing Fears If the dull flames of the Idalian brat In tired Souls most strangely operate Making them bow unto their Idol-toy That from her presence they receive no Joy And ' count the pleasures of a Crown lesse bliâ—â—e Than those they gain when they her Lips do kisse If they so strangely Man can alter so As for to make him all the World forego For this one Idol never feeling ease Longer then while he doth his Mistresse please Doth she but frown Hell nor AEternal Night In their worst shapes could scarce so much affright The trembling Lover for her wrinkled brow More terrible than doth Avernus show 'T is not her power he fears But yet he can Not disobey Love's a Magician If by his power men dare to undertake The hardest things and nothing of them make If for their Loves their Lives they 'l venture and Be proud to spill their blood at their Command Dye if they bid them if such Love can cause So great obedience to his giddy Lawes If by his hidden and abstrucer Art Knowledge he doth to ignorants impart Make Clowns prove Eloquent nay Poâ—ts too If thus and much more this blind-God can do What shall that Love do unto which this seems As the worst Pibbles to the best of Gemms That Love divine whose fires immortal be Whose constant Pleasures never changes see That Love immense which filleth to the brim Capacious Souls where may whole Oceans swim Of Joyes divine unutterable then Shall not this draw Obedâ—ence from Men Shall not this sweeten whatsoe'r may seem Bitter make easie what is hard to them Fear can do much but Love much more can do Fear false obedience gives Love just and true Heav'n's Pilgrim now with these diviner flames Possess'd h' alone to please Sophia aimes Love regulates him now
That she is overwhelm'd with the delight Earth's duller Musick or that of the Sphears â—o this would be discordant in his ears If they mens souls chear with their melody How more exceeding shall Heav'ns Harmony Th' inner AEthmoides being open'd wide Whole clouds of Musk strait th'rough the passage slide Paradysaical Odors the Perfumes Which from the Body of our Saviour comes Presse in sweet Amber-greece perfuming Myrth Which fills the inner World doth enter there Pinks Violets Roses are lesse odorate Than these sweet Odors which assault the Gate The Gust unlock'd the dews of Sion Hill And Paradise upon his Tongue distil The Heav'nly Manna the Caelestial Cates Of Blisse more sweet than Honey fare he eats Nectar glides th'rough his Lips where more sweets reign Than the Hymetian Honey-dews contain Haphe unlock'd the heav'nly touch of Love Like gentle fire over his heart doth move Th' Anoynted's Hand which doth distempers heal Upon him lay'd he sensibly doth feel The Tincture which doth from Christ's Body flow With great delight he feels on his to grow Thus he in his five sences ravish'd is He sees hears smells tasâ—eth and toucheth Bliâ—â—e Ravish'd with the excesse of his delight In Seas of pleasures he 's immerged quite His soul drinks in the sweets too much upon These Cates feeds his Imagination But whilst he banquets at his fuller feast His Angel to him from the Heavens preit Taking Sophia's servant by the Hand His mind by these he let him understand Blest Pilgrim and Sophia's servant thou Must not rest here but farther still must go These are but streams and Rivulets of Blisse Sophia she the only Fountain is Here thou mayst bath thy self but canst not swim Untill thou comest to the Fountains brim There are vast Oceans there thou mayst remain These are but easements for your griefs and pain These are but objects at a distance these Are but refreshments and to give you ease To make thy Way the sweeter till thou art Hid in the Closet of Sophia's Heart Take not thou then too much complacency In these which only but the Conducts be To greater happinesse and do but shew The tythe of Blisse which thou art going to Presse on therefore ' count every thing but â—elf To the enjoyment of Sophia's self Rous'd by his Angel thus the Pilgrim hies And t'wards the perfect mark he faster flies But far he had not gone before he meets An adversary who upon him sets VERTUMNUS 't was lesse constant than the Wind In every shape seeks to disturb the mind A slye Ulysses cunning to deceive Leading to error if you him believe His cloathes were of all sorts of Feathers made With Windinesse and swiftnesse under-laid About his wast hung certain Looking-glasses Which represented strange disguised faces Upon his left arm certain Pictures hung In which those things which to the World belong Were pictured there Beauty was display'd There Castles Forts Rivers and Seas were made There Cities Towns Countreys Villages Wars Battails Peace and such like things as these What e'r Imagination's Pencil cou'd Expresse in lively figures there were shew'd On his right arm Caelestial Pictures hung And whatsomever did to Heav'n belong There pourtray'd was There Angels Seraphims There Thrones there Saints and fieâ—y Cherubims â— There Paradise there Light Stars Suns were seen And all Caelestial Forms and Bodies drawn Accouter'd thus he meets our Pilgrim and To stop his passage stretch'd out his left hand This sight was not like to his other foes No valour this but shifts and cunning knows He is no Champion but o'recomes by guile And e'r his foe thinks on him gives the foil Like to the wicked Pontic Bithiae that Children and Beasts with their looks facinate He doth bewitch skil'd in Cyrcean arts From every Picture he his charmes imparts And whilst they strangely draw our Pilgrim's eyes He in the mean time makes of him a prize Our Pilgrim meeting this fine fellow thought The Weaponlesse could have no mischief wrought He takes great pleasure to behold the charmes Which dangling hung at both his feather'd armes Those Pictures yield content his wandering mind Treads in those Mazes and no end can find Thus he delayes his Journey and this let His hasty Voyage maketh him forget But his good Angel putting him in mind Of 's Journey bid him this Deceiver bind For that he was a Foe and sought to keep Him back by causing him awake to sleep On him he set but a hard task he found This Proteus would not be so quickly bound Stoutly they wrestle but if on his armes He cast his eyes â—e's taken with those charmes He varies shapes and do he what he can No sooner bound but he is loos'd agen A Champion who hath often won the field By Custom knows not how at last to yield Each Conquest adds new Life and courage to His animated Soul and makes him do More than can be hop'd for Our Pilgrim so Oft Victor now will not faint-hearted grow Here Faith assists him and Perseverance Upon his Foes arms doth Ir'n chaines advance At last they bind his left arm when his right He stretched out before the Pilgrim's sight Those heav'nly Pictures now he dotes upon And brave Chimera's in his thoughts do run They 're all Caelestial cryes he who can chuse But on such heav'nly Subjects alwayes muse These are but shadows sayes his Angel thou Unto the very substance must presse to And therefore first of all thou must o'recome 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 IMAGINATION The Pilgrim seeing that he stop'd his Way And longing still SOPHIA to enjoy After much strugling flung him on the ground And with Perseverances chaines him bound This Adversary being cast he bent His course to Paradise and forward went Not far from thence his hasâ—y steps did move Under the shadow of a silent Grove The place was sacred to a Deity Who with still silence would adored be No babling Echo in that Grove did dwell No whistling Blackbiâ—d no sweet Nightingal No Bird at all came near those sacred boughs The grasse nor bleating Sheep nor mowing Cows Did feed no living Creature did that blest Place enter to disturb its quiet rest No â—â—bble chiding-Brook ran murmering there No Wind to move those silent Leaves did dare About the middle of this silent place Pâ—tch'd on a mossie Hill a Couch there was To this the Pilgrim went and gently hurl'd Himself on it As if another World He enter'd had he found himself a rest Seiz'd on his working mind both bad and bestâ— Thoughts banish'd were disturbing fancy or Imagination did not there discur Asleep he was not nor yet did he dream Alive he was but yet he dead did seem His mind work'd not on this nor that but he Rap'd was into a heav'nly Lethargy This is the Silent passive state in which God with his Finger Souls doth often touch This is the sleep of Iacob this the Trance Of Paul when he did to the Heav'ns advance This is the state in which the
Soul 's blest tye Sees God beyond Thoughts Intellectually This is the stâ—te in which SOPHIA will Souls emptied thus with her blest Spirit fill Then is the Soul made fit for to receive Those Bounties which Heav'ns blessed Hand doth give For whilst thoughts do her empty vessels fill Receive she cann't Heav'ns higher Bounties well A Cup fill'd to the brim can hold no more Nor stomachâ— meat desire if full before Then is the Soul fit to be wrought upon And to receive Heav'ns seal's impression What in this state she doth or hear or see Must needs be true she cann't deceived be Unutterable were those Sweets which here Our Pilgrim felt before his eyes appear The Beauties of the inner Worlds and on His Soul divine irradiation Is pour'd and now his soul with Constant eye Beholds true glances of AEternity Pens are too weak for to expresse the Blisse Which in this silent state enjoyed is Thunders and Whirâ—winds are not Heav'ns choyce He softly whispers in a silent Voyce The Souls eares then are eyes what Heav'n then shows The Soul both hears sees â—eels and truly knows Deep is the sight when that no thoughts controul For Heav'n then gives eyes to the passive Soul Past reach of Reason then she flyes and there With a new Light sees demonstration clear But on our Pilgrim passes and to ease Himself oft rests in such blest Groves as these Which thick stood in the Way there quiet rest From working thoughts his passive Soul possest And now unto this World he bids adiew The inner World appeareth in his view No new relations he receives who from Spiritual tyes and Heav'ns kind hand doth come Those who do travel in the Way with him By Heav'ns Venter are his Bretheren And Sisters tyed by a neerer Bond Than ever Earth or Nature yet had don'd They are his Brothers be they rich or poor Who in their Hearts his Father's Image bear Those are his Fathers and his Mothers that Into Regeneration begot His Soul Nature's Children do ne'r to their Parents the Love which Heav'ns to theirs do bear Though he Loves all yet there 's degrees in Love Some are more near and some do farther move As in the building of an House you see Some stones do touch while others farther be Some are more near some keep a distance yet All to the Structure are exceeding fit So Spirits joyned are in that divine And heavn'ly building they do thus Combine Some they are nearer knit than others thus Iohn unto Christ the most beloved was Here Spirits signatur'd alike conjoyn And in a mystic union combine Here Spirits be espous'd and here they see That they meet helps unto each other be Some cann't receive from every vessel though Their thirsty souls drink what from others flow One gives another he receives and he Gives to another here 's the harmony Saints thus combin'd are like a Tower that Unshaken stands against the Devils shot He fears such unions therefore all his Art And cunning he still uses them to thwart O blessed union whom God thus doth joyn Let no man venture for to discombine This doth produce a Love implete with Blisse Which far above natural affection is No Man but he that has 't the Virtue knows Of this Love which from pure union flows Words cann't exprest that heart which feels it doth Know certainly that here I speak a Truth The highest love of Friendship which doth shine So bright 's the Image of this Love divine The Stars alone that doth concatinate Nature and Grace bind fast this firmer state He who this Love Possesses would rejoyce And with great joy ' count it an happy choyce To dye and suffer torments for his Brother And loose his blood with joy to free another In this state two are one one cannot smart Feel but it thrilleth th'rough the other's heart One cann't be sad but by a Sympathie The other's sinking Soul doth almost dye Joy never bloometh in the Face of one But gladnesse in the other's eyes doth shine Although â—eas and a thousand Leagues do part Their Bodies yet by sympathetic Art Their Spirits meet and kisse and do declare At the same moment how each other fare In the black lines writ by each others handâ— A flowing Fire of constant Love thy find No sooner can their eyes be plac'd on them But th'rough them to their hearts a flaming stream Of sweetest Fire runs and every Line Unto that Fire doth new fewel joyn O blessed Love which from true Union flows Thy sweetnesse none but those that tast thee knows Base Earthly Lust and wanton Love's alloy Is all but dâ—oâ—â—e and counterfeited joy Is mix'd with them hut here true sweetnesse is True Joy and an unutterable Blisse Our Pilgrim tasted this felicity Whereby he found all earthly Harmony Below this sweetnesse Sweets Affection But far more sweet is heav'nly Union In Bodies joyning is Earth's Lovers blâ—sse In Souls uniting Heav'ns true Lovers is Most justly did the Holy Spirit Call The Serpent the most subtle Beast of all And though in subtilty he doth excel His envy runneth with it parallel This sets abroach that this desires the ill That 's the Instrument for to perform it still And where he cann't do what he would to Man He ' l shew his Teeth and do what e'r he can Think you our Pilgrim though so far he be Gon past the reach of his fell Subtilty No Hell must shew his envy still and to The very last try what his power can do When he had try'd all Stratagems in vain The Pilgrim's union with the Saints to strain To burst that League which breaks the Leagues of Hell And their united Forces oft repel To spoil that mariage of Spirits from Whose happy juncture sacred Powers do come Which overthrow those Legions of the Great Prince of Hell and all Impiety To break that true-Loves Knot which only can Bind fast the hands of this fierce foe to Man When he in vain to hinder this had try'd And saw our Pilgrim by an happy Guide Had it attain'd he seeks some other Way In midst of all his Sweets him to betray His envious eye beholds the Pilgrim's Soul Oft to carouse it in Loves sacred Boul Where she whole streams of Nectar gulped down Sweeter than Honey or the Honey-Comb Down to his Stygian Kingdom goes the Foe And there assembles all his Cooks below Makes them to cull the fairest Fruit the Tree Of ills doth bear First then Complacency Then Covetousnesse then Pride then Sâ—lfishnesse Envy and Iealousie and such as these He takes and by a cunning Chymistry Draws out their blacknesse and deformity Extracts their bitternesse and makes them fair Refin'd like Crystal and as pure as ayr But yet the poyson still was left behind Which stronger grew the more they were refin'd From these a juice he drew most fair and clear And up he mounteth to the Pilgrim's Sphear Sculking behind a cloud this Serpent lay And for an
Mundos OAvarice for Gold and Silver 's prize The golden Truth thou ' ast turn'd to drossy Lyes Best things corrupted prove the worst of all By Rome's false Limbo doth true LIMBO fall The Christian Churches first blest Founders sure Their Streams delated from the Fountain pure Heav'n put that breath into their mouths which they Inspired thus to others did conveigh The holy Ghost upon them breath'd nor was Their Words corrupted by an humane glosse Then flourish'd Truth and all our Hyerarchie Rejoyâ—'d so pure a Church on Earth to see No pitchy clouds of error then did presse 'Twixt their eyes and the Sun of Righteousnesse The Truth shon then as clear as doth the Sun Mounted in 's golden Chariot at noon Christs Church sees clearly still where e'r it be Scatter'd through others and the Head is he But envious Sathan when he saw Truth so Extreamly spread and o're the World to grow He sew'd his Tares of Errors and did blind With clouds of darknesse Man's true eye the Mind These faster than the true Wheat grew this crop Of evil weeds did soon the Wheat o're-top Darknesse grew on apace anon the Day Could not its Light but here and there display Th'rough the small cranies of dark clouds then 't was Pride and Ambition in Rome's Church took place Then crept in all those Ceremonies then The Truth gave place unto the wiles of Men. Then Avarice with her hook'd Talons made Such Laws which turn'd Religion to a Trade And for the Love of Money did disguise Fair Truth and cloath'd her with a pack of Lies Something of precious Truth something of Day Under disguise under the clouds there lay Your Silver ISIS about Chelsy's not The same as where his bubling springs do put First forth their Crystal Heads near Thorlton for Churne's wondrushe's and Cherwell's waters there And Tame's Coln's Brents with his clear streams do run So on the other side he entertain Doth Ock Lad Kâ—nnâ—t Surrie's Rivers too Whose severe Waters with his mingle do Yet with these may at Châ—lsy run the same Pure waters which from his clear spâ—ing-head came So pure Religion's streams by this time had With many of Hel's Stygian stream lets spread Which were polluted with their Waters yet Amongst them Truth 's pure Crystal streams did â—â—iâ— But so bemudded that they scarce were seen But by those clear eyes who did dive for them The snowy flow'r is mixed with the Bran The chaff with Wheat one sift the other faâ— We must not â—â—ing them both away and make Th' â—ne uselesse for us for the other's sako We must beware when that the Tares we cull Lest we with them the wheat up also pull Fifteen Cent'ries and two decades of years After Christ's death from Isleben appears A Light by which Rome's muddy streams were seen By which the Truth men strove to câ—ll between Error 's black clouds But Zeal them so possest They her rejected 'cause by Rome's hands drest So fearful were they of a Romish dresse That Truth they ' ad rather leave than her possesse In that false Habit many Truth 's despis'd Were thus because by Rome they were disguis'd Among the rest and not the least this place This Region which thou now behold'st one was And 'cause Rome's fopperies had obscur'd the Light Of it forsooth they it discarded quite And by the ears it from existence whorry For fear of entertaining Purgatory The Truth of it now testifie thou mayst To others now thy self thou seen it hast It is not such thou seest as Rome doth fain For th' all-corrupting Gold and Silver 's gain This is the middle Region and doth hide It self between four Worlds on every side They bound this place Would'st thou know who those be Who yonder up and down you wandering see They are departed Souls who had begun The holy Race to Sion's Hill to run Who had Hel's broad Rode left and who in this Heav'ns Path some progress made had towards Blisse But e'r their Natures purified were E'r they attain'd had to that happy Sphear Which unto Paradise immediate leads Paâ—ca assunder cut their vital thread Their parted souls then to this Region flew Where they must perfect what they had to do VVhere they 'till purified must remain E'r they to Paradise admittance gain Th'rough Hel's deep Centre must the Soul first pass And th'rough a Sea of Fire to that of Glass Th'rough the first Principle as thou anon Shalt see Now if the Soul 's not cloath'd upon With Christ's sanguinous Robe the second and Most holy Principle she cannot stand But there is captivate or beaten back Unto the Crosse t' endure the holy Rack By putting off the first that so she may With th' second Principle her self array Then may the passe and not before Those who In flesh this holy Robe do not indue But dying hold by Faith 's strong clue are brought Hither to finish what remains unwrought The Way to Heav'n is not so easie as By poor beguiled Man imagin'd was Straight is that Gaâ—e and narrow is that Way Which Mortals doth conduct to perfect Day He that to presse th'row this straight Gate would seâ—k Must fling the World and flesh from off his neck They cannot enter Heav'n with him nor can Some Notions prove a Saviour unto Man The Work must somewhere finish'd be if on The Earth to Heav'n they go if not 'till done It fully be they here remain But those Wend straight to Hell who Hel's high-way had chose Man calls God merciful yet makes the same God the third part of all mankind to damn Hard-hearted Man dost thou not know there is An armed Cherub 'fore the Gate of Blisse Dost thou not know that Paradise is kept By Armes unwearied Eyes that never slept By a bright flaming Fauchon which enough Of terrour strikes to keep the wicked off Or tell me Man hast thou yet never heard That Imperfection cannot passe this Guard Nor flesh nor blood can enter Heav'n nor can Ever come there the least imperfect man No Imperfections enter Paradise If Man 's not perfect then before he dyes A some by no means grant where shall he then Be perfect made but in this Region 'T is true degrees â—ere in perfection are None throughly perfect still he comes where Mortality of immortality Is swal ow'd up where he beholds the Eye And Face of God without a Screen to this None can attain whilst in the flesh he is How few are there that to a perfect State Arrive before Death Life doth terminate To such a State I mean in which they may To Paradise go and make here no stay When their Souls fly their Bodies Souls must clear Be purg'd on Earth from what they drunk in there It is not Notions that the Work must do It must be real and done throughly too This Work not in tâ—e Head but Heart doth lye That 's most regarded by th' all-seeing Eye If they with Christ are truly risen
Idea's of what ever was Or shall upon this Earthly Globe take place Thus is the World Aeternal and shall be Never dissolved to a nullity For the great God will ne'r annihilate The least thing that he ever did create But yet the substance perish shall but the Forms shall remain unto Aeternity Some in one Principle some in the other VVhen all things shall return to their first mother On the fourth Day after the Third-Dayes even The Sun the Moon and all the Lights of Heaven Created were the first Day 's flitting Light Now fixed was and in the Sun took site The Heav'n impregnates then the female Earth And first her Seas to Fish and Fowl gave birth Assoon as God his mighty FIAT spake Then from the Earth all living Creatures brake Made by the same Hand that the Earth had made And from the Earth's own Mother being had And yet the Earth was their own Mother too They from her Mother in her womb indue Four Elements which when the FIAT was Spake Essence into living Forms did pass And thus the World and all things God had made VVas Good and in 't no evil being had But the bright Throne from whence the Prince of Hâ—ll As I have told you into darkness fell Stood empty still and to supply his place There not one Angel ' counted worthy was Therefore conspire the Holy Trinity To make an Image of the Deity This Man we call to whom a Soul was giv'n The perfect Image of the God of Heav'n He was ordain'd for God did him prefer â—or to possâ—ss the Throne of â—uciser Had he but stood Of Earth this man was made But not of such on which you Mortals tread It is an Earth which may in secret ' bide Under the covering of your fleshly hide 'T is such an Earth that Stone can penetrate 'T is such an Earth as has in Heav'n a seat 'T is such an Earth as Man's blest Saviour Put on when he rose from the Grave in Power As clear as câ—ystal and aâ— thin as ayr As bright as Venus or the Morning Star Fâ—om the same Mother of your Earth it came In which there harmonized doth remain The quintessence of the four Elements In which there are no disagreeing rents Such was the Body of the first made Man Such cloathing his ennobled Soul had on In this the Soul the Image of our God By th' Holy Spirit breathed in abode His Soul as you'rs are was created from Three Principles and from three Worlds did come Of all she did partake and seem'd to be Conjoyn'd Rays or one Beam made out of Three Man being thus created our great King The Lord of all things him to Earth did bring Unto the new-made World and there his God In Aeden bid him to make his abode Then in that place this inner World so gay It s everlasting Beauties did display This place to which thou now art come did there With all its lovely Beauties then appear In this did Adam live this is the place Which ever since was called Paradise God had appointed this Felicity In Aeden only at that time to be Because he knew that Adam there would fall Which made him not to spread it over all The new made World If â—dam had brought forth In innocence then over all the Earth Had this World open'd been and which one day Th'rough all the whole Globe shall it self display Aeden was not the Paradise for there All sorts of Beasts and other Creatures were Sathan had power to enter there but in Bless'd Paradise he nor the Beasts were seen Adam alone did dwell in Paradise In Aedâ—n Aeden held this World of Joys Here Adam dwelt and happy had he stood For neither evil nor the mundaâ—e good Should he have known for whilst he here abode He should have press'd after the Heart of God His mind to the Aeternal World alone Should have and not unto the dark World flown Nor to the earthly Orb He should indeed The Wonders of the Light World have display'd But down a precipice himself he hurl'd After the Soul of the terrestâ—ial Woâ—ld He long'd which was the Tree forbid and when He tasted the material fruit he then Was captiv'd by the Spirit of that Orb And was indued with a fleshly garb And had his Soul not lived in that suit He had been mâ—tamoâ—phiz'd to a Brute Thus Adam fell thus Paradise and all His issue feel the effects of his sad fall Thus Adam lost that Body which he had Bâ—fore he with his fleshly one was clad And so 's Soul was as all the Souls of Men Imprison'd are within a fleshly Den. To gain that Body then Man's work should be Which Adam lost by the forbidden Tree The which must cloth the Soul when she doth flye The Tabernacle of Mortality If not she naked goes to Hell and there Doth some black horrid ater garment wear Thus our King Iesus when he triumph'd had O're Hell and Death his humane Soul he clad With that bâ—igâ—t â—ody th◠〈…〉 Which coâ—ld â—ppear alâ—ho the dooâ—s were fast Among his Lov'd Discâ—ples In this place He 〈◊〉 dayes aâ—ter his rising was Herâ— in thâ—s Oâ—b he stay'd tâ—ll he did move Into the bosom of 〈◊〉 Love Tâ—ll his â—sâ—â—nsion dâ—y till he on high 〈◊〉 into Heav'n's Aeternal Gloâ—y flye Tâ—en 〈◊〉 Humanity he in the Thâ—one That 〈◊〉 diâ— once posâ—â—ss â—at down And there he 〈◊〉 at God's right Hâ—nd and makes Atâ—onâ—ment for his dear Beloveds sakes O blâ—ssâ—d Iesus were it not foâ— thee Not â—ne poor moâ—tal e'r could saved be â—ha◠〈◊〉 lost thou hast regain'd and now The Woâ—ld waits when thou thy great Power wilt shew When 〈◊〉 in Glory wilt come from the skies An◠〈◊〉 â—â—nveâ—â— into a Paradise Dâ—ar 〈◊〉 I declâ—re these thâ—ngs to thee That thoâ— fore 〈◊〉 also fore-â—rm'd might'st be Foâ—t 〈◊〉 thou caâ—'st not here as Adam did 〈◊〉 to moâ—tality yeâ— here forbid Tho◠〈◊〉 to joyn unto the â—oâ—ld's great Sp'right For tâ—oâ—gh thoâ— cann'st noâ— to Eternal Night Faâ—â— back yâ—â— thou that Body may n't indue Whâ—ch otherwâ—se may grâ—nted be tâ— you Yoâ— may not pass into the uppeâ— Sphâ—ar To 〈◊〉 the â—lories and the Wonâ—eâ—s there If tâ—at you should uâ—on the Oâ—b below Offeâ— yoâ—r Will and thirsty mind to throw Till 〈◊〉 shall flesh put off Your mind and will After 〈…〉 press forward still 〈◊〉 foâ— there 〈◊〉 fixâ—tion and â—here In â—lâ—â—y all the 〈◊〉 new Bodies wear 〈…〉 the â—lâ—asure of that â—ove Which 〈◊〉 time thy fleshly cloathâ—s remove Wâ—ll aâ—d tâ—at thoâ— mayst never garments want Unto thy Soul a â—lorious Body grant 〈◊〉 thy mind upon 〈◊〉 set That thou in brightnesse to her Court mayst get She questionâ—ess whilst thou art here will spread Her Bâ—untiâ—s and showr down upon thy Head Her everlasting Graces nought deny'd Shall be by her who is design'd thy Bride But now surveigh thou shalt with thy own eyes The splendid Beauties of our PARADISE PARADYSUS
o'rethrew By it Ierubaal did overthrow The Midians mighty Host without a blow Iesus with Heav'nly Magic also fed Four thousand people with sev'n Loaves of bread By it he fasted fourty dayes he by The same did with invisibility Adorn himself and 'mong a Multitude Of foes unseen he passed th'row the Croud By it he walked on the Seas and yet His soles the brinish Waters did not wet By it although the Doors fast locked were He could when e'r it pleased him appear So Paul by the Caelestial Magiâ—'s might Depriv'd the Sorcerer Elymas of sight So Peter when Hel's Magus Sâ—mon flew Thorow the Ayr him from the Clouds he threw Unto the Earth by Heav'n's true Magiâ—'s Skil Which Fall did both his Life and Magic spill For Hel's dark Magic unto Heav'n's must yield Nor darâ—s that come when this is in the Field With great-attention all this while attended The Pilgrim 'till the Angel thus had ended But ravâ—sh'd with the Knowledge of that Fruit Leave 〈◊〉 given he wiâ—h joy fell to 't Fell to that Feast which was more excellent Than twenty thousand out-worlds Complement That Feast which by Heav'n's proper Hand was dress'd That Feast which by Heav'n's sacred Breath was bless'd That sacred â—â—nquet which instal'd the man Heav'n's divine and Arch-Magitian O with what pleasure and delight he eat On that Caelestial and thrice sacred meat But yet with humble reverence he fed Bowing to Iesus for those gifts his Head Confessing still his own unworthinesse Of that Felicity He did expresse But seeing Iesus by the Angel had Granted him leave to eat he freely fed Whilst thus the Pilgrim with a full content Of â—oy and Blisâ—e and highest ravishment Feeds on those blessed Fruits an Angel from Th' Aeternal Throne doth to the Banquet come The presence of this unexpected Guest Starâ—l'd the Pilgrim and rejoyc'd the rest Such Crowns of Glory sat upon his Head Such beams of Light about his Garments spread Such Heav'nly Splendor flashed from his Eye That made him seem Heav'n's fair Aepitomy With a fair speed he came whilst the sweet ayr Wav'd the soft streamlets of his golden Hair And ruffling his white Gown rub'd flame-tip'd darts Against the tender Wounds of bleeding Hearts For his fair Garment pouder'd was all o're With flaming Arrows whose sharp points still bore Themselves against fresh bleeding Hearts the Wind At every puff seem'd cruel and unkind For those by clashing seem'd to wound indeed And these afresh to be inflam'd and bleed These were the Ensigns of the Sacred'st Love At whose Command this Messenger did move But in his right Hand all of shining Gold Thick set with Rubies he a Cup did hold Immortal Amaranthuâ—'s made up Into a Purple Garland Crown'd the Cup. But in the Mazure's golden Concave lay Of Wine of Love divine a blushing Sea A deep drought of that Heav'nly Nectar which Is broach'd for those who gain the highest pitch The Purple streams which fruitful Tmolus yields Th' exuberant Vines which crown the Massic Fields The Purple Grapes that on the Râ—ene do grow The scarlet Liquor that in Creet doth flow Spains sprightly Nectar Greece's pleasant wine Should they compared be to this divine Ambrosiac Liquor all of them would prove But Gall and Wormwood to this Wine of LOVE Approaching those who feasting were on the Choyce Fruits excerp'd from Life's thrice sacred Tree The Angel on the Pilgrim pitch'd his Eye In which was plac'd a Throne of swavity And reaching to him that Wine-filled Boul From â—s fluent Tongue these melting words did roul Take here said he a Cup of sacred VVine Squeez'd from the Grapes which grew on Iesu's Vine That Vine which spreads her spacious Branches even O're all the fair walls of the Court of Heav'n This is the new Wine which our Hearts doth chear Which bringeth gladnesse and expelleth fear This is Lovâ—'s sacred Wine in it doth move The very Spirit of the King of Love Which is not flitting but for ever fixed For he himself is with this Liquor mixed Our royal King himself commanded me For to present this Present unto thee This said the Pilgrim three times bowed and The Goblet took out of the Angels Hand And putting to his Ruby Lips the Cup With ravishment he drunk the Liquor up Not all the Honey streams of Hybla may Such gusts of sweetnesse to a Tongue display As what the Pilgrim tasted in that Boul As the Heav'n-nectarized VVine did roul Into the Breast He never yet did meet With any Wine so ravishingly sweet So that the pleasure did beguile his draught For e'r he was aware he deeply quafft The Boul was big but had it bigger bâ—en He would the bottom questionlesse have seen For here he knew he might drink in excesse And without sin drink unto drunkennesse For who can blame those holy Saints this Odd Expression pardon who are drunk with God No sooner had the Pilgrim drunk of this But Living Flames of everlasting Blisse Surround his Heart whose clipings without measure Yield Raptures and unutterable pleasure The Wine 's quick Spirits move in every part And corner of his Head his Breast and Heart And piercing th'row each Limb do cause them move In sweet Trâ—pudiations of Love Up starts he all inflamed with that Flame Which drove from David's breast Love stifling shame When he in an ecstatic Rapture danc'd Before the Ark of God as it advanc'd Th'row all the Streets of fair Ierusalem Taking the Graces all he danc'd with them The holy Dance of Love Nor can exprest Be that sweet prickling Joy raigned in his Breast His sence of feeling feasted to the hight And as the rest were swallow'd in delight Unusual Gestures forced him to rear That he the better Love's excesse might bear For Nature 's weak and strives to Congregate Those Spirits which extream Joyes dissipate For Her own safety lest by flying out Too much she should be quite left destitute Thus Flesh and Blood the Soul's Crosse alwayes is Depriving Her of Joys of Sweets of Blisse Not all the Joys and Pleasures the Dull VVorld On the most sensual Mortals e'r has hurl'd Not all the Fleshes various pleasures nor Foul Cyprian delights themselves compare May with the smallest part of that delight And pleasue which the Saints poor Souls â—â—cite Vain are the World's Joy momentany too Heav'n's everlasting undefil'd and true O what Tongue able is to tell the pleasure The Pilgrim felt Not all the Earthly Treasure Can purchase such delight for the true God Himself descended in a flaming flood Of Love upon his Soul Iesu's divine And sacred Body couched in the Wine It self in pieces brake upon his Soul The sacred Spirit too without controul Descending filled all his Soul about With Rayes of Light and Love which nought could d' out Whole streams of Love upon his Soul was poured Festatic pleasures through the same were showred Seas of delight unutterably sweet Love-Extasies his Soul together greet So that he was quite overcome of
dead the Soul then flyes To Heav'n and not before above the Skie To such whose Breasts are with such thoughts implete I shall and in a word this Answer â—it Paul was alive and yet to Heav'n he flew Where he such wondrous mysteries did view That as they were unutterable so They were not fit â—or to be told below The Patriarch Aenoch walk'd with God and there Is Heaven doubtless where he doth appear In Love and Glory so Aelias went To Heav'n before his mortal Spirits were spent But such whose thoughts are thus do heaven tye Unto a place above the starâ—y Sky Such don't believe the Scriptures which declare That also they within Man seated are Indeed th' Aeternal Heav'ns are boundless they In Man and out of Man themselves display I say they 're boundless for the God of Blisse Is boundles and they are where e're he is Nay Heav'n though strange it seem is too in Hell And there doth as Lâ—ght doth in darkness dwell As Night cann't Day as Darkness cann't the Light So cann't Hell e'r comprehend the bright Aeternal Heav'n as 't cann't excluded be So not included by Demensity Did Man himself but truly throughly know He 'd find all Woâ—lds that are within Him flow Man 's a deep study and who Mâ—n doth see Truly and throughly knows all Worlds that be 'T is very true if Heaven only were Beyond the blew Seas of the starry Sphear Our Souls enchain'd below could never come Thither till they had left their fleshly home For that our Elemental Bodies are Too heavy to be carried so far But Aenoch walk'd with God on Earth and so May Man on Earth be and see Heav'n too O thou that gazeth on the Olympic Court Fancying beyond it the Majestic Port And Restful Haven of departed Souls Whose bredth extendeth unto either Poles Where mighty Mansions for the Saints do lye Spread over the vast and starry Canopye Carnal Conceits of splendid Palaces 〈◊〉 grosly Brain-deluded Images Did'st thou but know the Nature of a Soul Such fancyful Idea's thou'dst controul For nothing is more near than Heav'n to thee Wert thou not blind had'st thou but eyes to see The deeper into thy self dost go The nearer thou still Heav'n approachest to For what 's indeed a Souls departure hence But motion from the Circumference Unto the Centre let it Centre where It will or in the Light or darker Sphear Had'st thou a Poâ—er granted thee to flye Ten thousand tâ—mes as far beyond the Skie As it is to 't as far from Heaven thou Might'st be God's Seat I mean as thou art now Heav'n is spiritual yet real too So that our outward carnal Eyes cann't view Its Seat The Soul which is a Spirit may Yea whilst it's pris'ner in this house of Clay Though I confess this Clayie Vail is such That intervening it doth hinder much These outward eyes can nothing view but what Is gross material and Corporate Rather more truâ—y they do nothing view No more than the Perspective we look through Is said to see for 't is the eye so 't is The Soul and nothing else that views and sees What sees the Body when the Soul is fled The Organ still remains the same though dead Yet it no visive Power has for why The Soul once gone of no use is the eye So likewise 't is as plainly it appears The Soul that feels that smels that tasts that hears But now the Soul without a Body may Nor see nor hear touch tast or smell I say Mistake me not I pray I mean not now This Flesh and Blood this gross out-garment though For this indeed is as it were a foul Garment unto the Body of the Soul Which is its prison and the fruit which all Men bear of Adam's fell and fatal Fall For this Imagination did indue This Body when he put his mind into This extern Principle which once shall be Int 's Aether swallow'd to Aeternity Suppose you had a Robe of Lead made fit Unto your Body and that put in it Your Face and Hands all parts covered o're Against your eyes thick Glasses as before You could not see how dim the World would show How heavily should you then move and go Could you so nimbly scud across the Plain Or sprightly swim within the silver Main As you before did should a wedg of Steel Fall hard upon you should you not it feel And should your glass eyes stopped be with clay You could not then behold one glimpse of Day But should you freed be from that Prison then How fair and clear would all things show agen Just so 't is with the Soul a heavy foul Garment unto the Body of the Soul This fleshly Case is whilst it fouly decks It she doth labour under its defects And must be subject unto them then she If that the eyes be d'outed cannot see The outward World let any part of this Organic Body be but ought amiss She is afflicted with it by this tye Of flesh she thus endures misery But the Soul's Body is another thing Which in and through this fleshly Case doth spring Not to be seen with fleshly eyes so you May see the Sun but not that Body view Which gives it splendor so you view the flame But not that Body which Lives in the same For the true Elements they are not seen By eyes Corporeal 't is an outer Screen You view the Body of the Soul likewise From the unmixed Element doth rise This is the Body that to Heav'n doth flye Who gains this Body gains the Mysterie For thorow it he Heav'n may view though he In his corporeal Clayie House still be Who fixes this may there for ever dwell For he those Wonders views that Worlds excel 'T is in this Body that the Soul doth see Th' immortal Glories of Aeternity 'T is plain that all or most great Visions that The sacred Scriptures t' us do nominate Not with the outer were beheld but by The Heav'n-beholding and internal eye What outward Eye can see a Sp'rit unlesse He doth himself in t ' form and matter press What outer eye is able then to see The Form or glory of Heav'n's Majesty An Angel's fain to vail his splendid beams With some gross matter when himself it seems He will discover to th' extern eye of Man What extern Eye can see the Heav'n's glories then With what eye did Elisha's Man behold The fiery Host that did them safe enfold With what Eye was it that Ezeâ—iel spy'd That glorious Vision by clear Chebar's side With what Eye did he see Ierusalem When he in Chaldâ— captive did remain With what Eye was it that great Daniel saw Himself though then at Shushan at Aelai By what sight saw he when sleep seal'd his eyes The great Creator in th' Aeternal Skies And how could Steven with his outer eye See Iesus sitting in th' Aemperial Sky At God's right Hand You know the glorious Sun Which round this Orb in twice twelve
hours doth run By three times fifty and sixteen degrees Exceeds the World But who that Planet sees Deems him but smal How far beyond that Star As they account th' Emperial Heav'n's are You may imagine when the space they ' count 'Twixt Earth and the eighth Heav'n to surmount Sev'nteen hundred millions of Miles and more How vast a distance did Steven's eye therefore Behold our Saviour But that eye by which He say no bounds to it can distance pitch Paul's eyes were closed with what eye saw He The Glory then of Heav'n's bright Majesty Peter entranc'd was with what eye Beheld He then the sheet with clean and unclean fill'd And lastly with what Eye and with what Ear did divine Iohn in Patmos see and hear If thus the Eye may Heav'n see also The Body of that Eye may thither go It is not strange to them therefore that are Acquainted with true notions of that Sphear Wherein Iâ—hovâ—h and the Angels be That Man on Earth th' Aeternal Heav'n's may see For such do know how Souls abstracted may Be from their House of impediting clay And that whilst in their Bodies they remain May Heav'n by Faith not only here attain And be conversant in the highest Sphear Abstracted from the World though they dwell here But least because I here so stifly plead You should suppose I have been there indeed I will confess as ' counting it great shame To be accounted better than I am That I not worthy have accounted been O no I cleans'd am not am enough from Sin I am a Pilgrim and do thither wen Strong is my Faith I shall come there Amen! Assur'd I am although a very few Attâ—in whilst here on Earth this Court unto That here on Earth it may attained be Though Flesh and Blood impeed its clarity But you that ask me how I come to know Those things of Heaven which I here do show Since as I do confess I have not been There nor those myst'ries that I speak of seen Pray tell me also then how you come by Your knowledge of a Heav'n beyond the sky Were you e're there Yet confidently you Discribe the place affirm your notion true You 'l tell the Joys of everlasting Blisse Describe the Glory that in Heaven is And will you then if you did never see The place you speak of angry be with me For doing what your selves do daily do You say 't is UP to Heav'n and that is true And is 't not also INTO Heav'n you 'l grant That God's the Centre of all things and sha'nt The Centre which is inmost highest be Or Up or In it is all one to me But this I know that Heav'n and also Hell Though separate in every place do dwell Although as I confess I have not been In Heav'n nor there its spendid glories seen Yet I account it grace enough to be The Praecâ— of his heav'nly Majesty I may the Candle hold and light the way Into the place of everlasting Day I may the Mercury be to guide aright Caelestial Pilgrims with my glimmering sight We may see right unto the Mountain's top And point the way whilst we are getting up Unto our fellow-Travellers that they if faster go they can may see the Way We Joy if by our means aright they move Those that see more may thank us for our Love That upper Globe which you see pourtrai'd there Doth represent the high Eternal Sphear This is the highest Noblest brightest best The Glory Life and Centre of the rest The place of mighty Wonders the divine Seat of the sacred everlasting Trine The habitation of the blessed Saints Where glorious Angels spread their heav'nly Tents Where stands Mount Sion and the glorious Lamb Where is SOPHIA and Ierusalem This is the everlasting place of rest The Heav'n the habitation of the blest This Man may find in the deep Centre and How this through all devolveth understand Here is the spatious glassie Sea and the Crystalline Earth the Ayr of Purity The purest fire which conjoyn'd in one The matter is of the Caelestial Throne Of Everlasting Joyes This place it is The Empyreum and the Seat of Blisse GOD out of Nature Comprehended may Not be a Nothing so to us I say He seemeth but as he Himself doth show In the Eternal Forms of Nature so We apprehend him can The Father then Hath from Eternity begot the Son This Birth 's the Heart of God which ever was And though begot yet 't no beginning has From whence proceeds the sacred Spirit who From both begotten is Eternal too All three distinct in Person yet but One Aeternal GOD in a strict Union This is the Mysterie of the sacred Trine Which in this everlasting Orb doth shine But now the Father with a strong desire Thirsts for the Son from whence springs up a Fire Which Fire not reaching God's most sacred Heart Is full of Anguish Bitternesse and Tart. This is the Fire that inkindleth Hell Where all the damned and the Devils dwell But the same Fire when that sacred LOVE Or Heart of God it self to it doth move Strait blazeth forth into a meek and Bright Joy and desire of Aeternal Light This is the Light of Heav'n and pleasant Joy In which all Blisse is not the least annoy And thus O Reader if thou are not blind Heav'n's Blisse and Joy Hel's pain and torment find Thou wilt to come from one deep Root and even Perceive the true cause both of Hell and Heaven And thus thou seest how they together dwell Hell hid in Heav'n Heav'n in the midst of Hell And yet so great a Gulf between that they In Hell behold not the least glimpâ—e of Day Nor they in Heaven feel the least of wo Their separation's thus Eternal too Though Similies are too too base to shew This Mystery of Mysteries of Mysteries to you But that our weak and duller eyes may see More clear by them think on this Simile Take thou a lighted Tapor put it out The week thou ' lt see with Fire glow thr'owour From whence a stinking vapour and a Fume Displeasing to thy nosethrils fills the room The stinking glowing weik gives little light And the Fire far doth differ from a bright And burning Tapor Light the same and then Thou 'lt see the former darknesse fled agen Thou 'lt see a blaze which from the weik doth rise With a bright splendid Glory 'fore thine eyes Which Blaze without the Fire could not be made The Fire 's without that blaze a deady shade The Heat and Light distinct and several be Though joyntly they do in the blaze agree Nor can the 〈◊〉 without the Heat have being But joyntly in 〈…〉 agreeing They make that Glory brighter than the Gold Which in a lighted Taâ—or we behold But Heav'n's splendrâ—â—â— Light doth not contain Such scorching heat as 〈◊〉 such Lâ—ghâ—â— remain The Application's very 〈◊〉 'T is â—ven Thus 'twixt the Fire of â—ell and Light of
pair of Ballances Whose Scales th' impartial Hand of Iustice weighs Whereby He able was to weigh aright And the true Gold to know from what was light All something gave to whom his thanks b'ing pai'd To th' highest Sphear Love's Coach its voyage made Swifter than Eagles in a full Career They mounted up into th' Aeternal Sphear Such was their speed such was their sudden flight As it depriv'd Him of the Act of sight So that he scarcely could denote or tell What in that sudden wrapt to him befelâ— His Soul enflamed with the purest Love Did in Aliah's fiery Charriot move Cutting their way thorow that unseen Skye Which fast together all the Worlds doth tye Which is the Medium whereby Souls do go Unto the highest Orb from Orbs below This Waye 's the Ladder whereby Angels move From lower Sphears unto the Sphears above This â— addeâ—'s basis fastly fix'd is here Whose top doth mount into the highest Sphear This is the Path of Souls and who finds this Hath found the way unto the Highest Bliss But he that finds this Iacob's sleep must find Or else he seeks in vain and grasps the Wind Caelestial VENUS with a glittering Ray And beam of Light immortal points the Way Unto the entrance of th' Aeternal Orb Which 'gan to glitter now with fires Superb Whose lustrous Splendors the â—aint Pilgrim drove Into a stupor 'tween the Armes of Love Who there annoynting with a Salve his eyes Enter'd that Orb and bid him see and rise Within the Circle of th' Aeternal Sphear Three Orbs of glory and three worlds appear Three several Mansions outer inner inmost Answering to Father Son and holy Ghost To Light to Life and to Eternal Love Myriads of Angels about which do move Our holy Pilgrim having enter'd now Into th' Eternal World himself doth bow Under the Ensign of that glorious Crosse Which in its glory there advanced was A Silence unexpressable was there Nothing but stilnesse in that sacred Sphear For all that Orb where now our Pilgrim went Encircl'd was with the One Element Here he beheld the bright and sparkling Eye Of Providence and of Aeternity Here He beholds those Wonders I confess My Tongue and Pen too weak are to express And here he feeds upon those fruits that grow Upon the Tree of Life's superbest bough Here He becomes a true Magitian Here He becomes in Iesus Christ a Man Here now his eyes are so illuminate That they through all things that are penetrate Here he in Silence waits upon that Eye Which sparkles in this Still-Aeternity Words cannot speak this Blisse nor I declare Can more or if I could I should not dare But now the goodnesse of a matchless Love Commands the Pilgrim once again to move Who mounting higher comes to that abode Which ever Eâ—chos with the Name of God The second Orb of the Aeternal World This is arrived here his eyes he hurld On every side on every side he saw Those beams of Light and everlasting Day Which darted down from New Ierusalem With Life Light Glory did that Orb behemm Here he beholds the glorious Lambs abode Here he beholds the sacred Heart of God Here he beholds thrice bless'd EMANUEL Here he beholds where all the Angels dwell Thousands of thousands sees he there to bide Plac'd in their orders upon either side And though that some higher than others were In this respect they all were equal there In that they all were full there was no want Though some had more than some yet none did scant So smaller vessels fil'd till they run o're Cannot complain if they can hold no more Against another vessel though he may Contain it may be thrice as much as they When all are filled to the very brim All are content and all alike do seem Thus largest Souls shall have the largest share Of Glory yet all full no want is there Love's measur'd but by their Capacity All are implete and all but full can be There Hallalu jah's soundeth in his eares There sacred Songs of prayse and Joy he hears There all the pleasure of Aeternal Blisse In hight of Glory still triumphant is Words are too weak And these Arcana's shall Be known to none Til GOD himself reveal Great is his Love and great his Wonders be Those shall confess them that this Orb shall see But O the Bliss Eternal that doth move In constant streams down from the Heart of Love Upon the Pilgrim's Soul so strong the blisses Are of Love's flaming and berapting Kisses That down he fals before the sacred Lamb Prest with the impresses of Love's sacred flame His heart 's inflam'd and full of Love divine His Face with radiant beams of Light doth shine His Soul â—ndued with a Life Supernal Caâ—n't dye for all his â—oys are now Eternal O 〈…〉 are wanting here for to express The tâ—â—usandth part of such an happinesse But one flight more but one step more there is For to Complete our Pilgrim's Joy and Bliss Here he awaiteth for the Spirit his guide That as ascended so he glorified Might be his eye now fix'd is on thi Throne Awaiting for that mystic Union Which as with Wonder so with Ioy delight And everlasting pleasure fill it might The time is come and now by gracious Love He doth into Sanctum Sanctorum move Into the holyest now of holyest he Admitted is where dwels the Deity In Light immortal where the blest abode Is of the sacred Trine the Triune GOD. There in immortal Glory great IEHOVE There blessed IESUS and the sacred DOVE Conjoyn'd in one make up the blessed TRINE A mysterie as sacred as divine Behold the Pilgrim now is come in view Of the third Orb Ierusalem the New With all her glories glittering in that Sphear Bride-like adorn'd doth to his eyes appear Glories of glories doth adorn the place The Wal's like Iasper or the Crystal Glass Four square the City is on every side Equal the length the breadth the height divide Int ' equal parts Both great and high the Wall Is of this sacred and Caelestial IERUSALEM Her twelve Foundations Are laid with twice six several precious Stones The first is IASPER as transparent as The glorious Morning or the crystal Glass Glorious Saint PETER'S great and glorious Name Deeply insculpted is upon the same The second SAPHIR which doth court the eye With all the beauties of the Azure Skye On which ingraven is the name of PAUâ— The second beauty of this Heav'nly Wall The third a CHALCEDONY which doth show Like flames above and glowing coals below Engraven deep the name of IOHN divine On it doth with glorious splendor shine The fourth an EMRAULD whose Caelestial And verdant glories beautifie the Wall There Zebedean IAMES his glorious Name With equal Lustre beautifies the same The fifth's a SARDONIAE whose blushing dies The Wall as Phoebus doth the Morning skies Alphean IAMES'S Name is graven here And with a wondrous Lustre doth appear The sixth a SARDIUS is