must bee in us too for the Devill dwelleth in hell wheresoever he is he is in hell and cannot come out of it Yes when he possesseth a Man hee dwelleth in hell viz. in the Anger of God in that man 12. Therefore we ought to consider well what Man is and how hee is a Man and then we may perceive that a true Christian is not a meere Historicall New Man as if it were enough for us outwardly to confesse Christ and beleeve that he is the Son of God and hath paid the ransome for ns for righteousnes availeth nothing if it be imputed from without that is by beleeving onely that it is imputed but an innate righteousnesse or the righteousnesse born in us in which we are the children of God that availeth 13. And as the flesh must dy so also the life and will must dye from sin and be as a child knowing nothing but longeth after the mother which brought it forth so must also the will of a Christian enter again into its mother viz. into the Spirit of Christ and become a child in it selfe in its own will and power having its will and desire inclined and directed onely towards its mother and a new will and obedience in righteousnesse which willeth sinne no more must rise from death out of the Spirit of Christ. 14. For that will is not born a-new which desireth and admitteth vanity into it selfe and yet there remaineth a will which longeth after vanity and sinneth in the New-born or Regenerate Man Therefore the Image of man must well be considered and how the New-birth commeth to passe seeing it is not wrought in the mortall flesh and yet truly and really in us in flesh and bloud in Water and Spirit as the Scripture saith 15. We should therefore rightly consider what kind of man it is in us that is the member of Christ and Temple of God who dwelleth in heaven And then also what kind of man it is that the Devill Ruleth and driveth for he cannot meddle with the Temple of Christ nor doth he care much for the mortall flesh and yet there are not three men in one another for all make but one man 16. Now if we will consider this rightly we must consider Time and Eternity and how they are in one another also light and darknesse good and evill but especially the originall of man This may thus be considered 17. The outward world with the Starres and foure Elements wherein Man and all creatures live neîther is nor is called God Indeed God dwelleth in it but the substance of the outward World comprehendeth him not 18. We see also that the light shineth in darknesse and the darknesse comprehendeth not the light and yet they both dwell in one another The foure Elements are also an example of this which in their originall are but one element which îs neither hot nor cold nor dry nor moist and yet by its stirring severeth it selfe into foure properties viz. into Fire Aire Water and Earth 19. Who would beleeve that fire produceth water and that the originall of fire could be in water if we did not see it with our eyes in tempests of thundring lightning and rain and did not find also that in living creatures the essentiall fire in the body dwelleth in the bloud and that the bloud is the mother of the fire and the fire the father of the bloud 20. And as God dwelleth in the world and filleth all things and yet possesseth nothing and as the fire dwelleth in water and yet possesseth it not also as the light dwelleth in darknesse and yet possesseth not the darknesse as the day is in the night and the night in the day time in eternity and eternity in time so is man created according to the outward humanity he is the time and in the time and the time is the outward world and it is also the outward man 21. The inward man is eternity and the spirituall time and world which also consisteth of light and darknesse viz. of the love of God as to the eternall light and of the anger of God as to the eternall darknesse whichsoever of these is manifest in him his spiirit dwelleth in that be it darknesse or light 22. For light and darknesse are both in him but each of them dwelleth in it selfe and neither of them possesseth the other but if one of them doe enter into the other and will possesse it then that other loseth its right and power 23. The passive loseth its power For if the light be made manifest in the darknesse then the darknesse loseth its darknesse and is not known or discerned Also on the contrary if the darknesse arise in the light and get the upper hand then the light and the power thereof is extinguished This is to be considered also in man 24. The eternall darknesse of the soule is hell viz. an aking source of anguish which is called the anger of God but the eternall light in the soul is the kingdome of heaven where the fiery anguish of darknesse is changed into joy 25. For the same nature of anguish which in the darknesse is a cause of sadnesse is in the light a cause of the outward and stirring joy For the source in light and the source in darknesse is but one eternall source and one nature and yet they have a mighty difference in the source the one dwelleth in the other and begetteth the other and yet is not the other The fire is painufll and consuming but the light is yeelding friendly powerfull and delightfull a sweet and amiable joy 26. This may be found also in man he is and liveth in three worlds One is the eternall dark-world viz. the center of the eternall nature which produceth the fire viz. the source of anguish 27. The other is the eternall light-world which begetteth the eternall joy which is the Divine Habitation wherein the Spirit of God dwelleth and wherein the Spirit of Christ receiveth the humane substance and subdueth the darknesse so that it must be a cause of joy in the Spirit of Christ in the light 28. The third is the outward visible world in the foure elements and the visible starres though indeed every element hath its peculiar constellation in it selfe whence the desire and property ariseth and is like a mind 29. Thus you may understand that the fire in the light is a fire of love a desire of meeknesse and delightfulnesse but the fire in the darknesse is a fire of anguish and it is painfull irk some enimicitious and full of contrariety in its essence The fire of the light hath a good relish or taste but the taste in the essence of darknesse is unpleasant loathsome and irksome For all the Forms till fire are in great anguish CHAP. II. How Man is created 30 HEre we are to consider the creation of Man Moses saith God created Man in his Image in the Image of God created
soule to come into thee my soule crieth to come into that Spirit from whence the soule was breathed into the body and which hath formed it in the likenesse of God my soule desireth in its thirst to get the sweete fountaine which springeth from IEHOVAH into it selfe to refresh Gods breath of Fire which it selfe is so that the sweete Love of IESVS may rise in its breath of Fire through the Fountaine IESVS springing out of IEHOVAH and that CHRIST the holy one may be manifested and become Man in my disappeared Image of heavenly spirituall corporality and that the poore soule may receive its beloved Bride againe in its Armes with whom it may rejoyce for ever O IMMANVEL thou Wedding Chamber God and Man I yeeld up my selfe into the Armes of thy Desire towards us in us it is thy selfe whom I desire O blot out the Anger of thy Father with thy love in me and strengthen my weake Image in mee that I may overcome and tame the vanity in flesh and bloud and serve thee in holinesse and righteousnesse O thou great and most holy Name and power of God IEHOVAH which hast stirred thy selfe with thy most sweete power IESVS in the limit of the Covenanted promise to our Father Adam in the womans seede in the Virgine Mary in our disappeared heavenly Humanity and brought the living essentiality of thy holy power in the Virgin-wisedome of God into our humanity which was extinguished as to thee and hast given it to us to be our life victory and new Regeneration I entreate thee with all my strength beget a new holy life in me by thy sweete power IESVS that I may be in thee and thou in me and that thy Kingdome may be made manifest in me and that the will and conversation of my soule may be in heaven O great and incomprehensible God thou who fillest all things be thou my Heaven in which my new Birth in CHRIST IESVS may dwell let my spirit be the stringed Instrument harmony sound and joy of thy holy Spirit strike the strings in me in thy Regenerate Image and carry through my Harmony into thy Divine Kingdome of Joy in the great Love of God in the wonders of thy Glory and Majesty in the Communion of the holy Angelicall Harmony build up the holy City Zion in me in which as children of Christ we all live together in one City which is Christ in us into thee I wholly plunge my self do with me what thou pleasest Amen A Prayer In temptation under the Crosse of Christ at that time when all our enemies assault us and when we are persecuted and hated in the Spirit of Christ and slandered and reproached as evill doers POore man that I am I walke full of anguish and trouble in my Pilgrimage into my native Country again from whence I came in Adam and goe through the thistles and thornes of this world to thee againe O God my Father The thornes teare me on every side and I am afflicted and despised by my enemies they scorne my soule and despise it as an evill doer who hath broken the faith with them they despise my walking towards thee account it foolish they thinke I am senselesse because I walke in this thorny way and goe not along with them in their hypocriticall way O Lord Jesus Christ I flie to thee under the Crosse O deare Immanuel receive me and carry me into thy selfe through the Path of thy Pilgrimage in which thy selfe didst walke in this world viz. Through thy Incarnation Poverty Reproach and Scorne also through thy anguish Passion and Death Make me like unto thy Image send thy good Angel along with me to shew me the way through the horrible thorny wildernesse of this world assist me in my misery comfort me with that comfort wherewith the Angel comforted thee in the Garden when thou didst pray to thy Father and didst sweat drops of bloud sustaine me in my Anguish and Perfecution under the reproach of the devills and all wicked men that know not thee but refuse to walke in thy way O great love of God they know not thy way and doe this in blindnesse through the deceit of the devill have pitty on them and bring them out of blindnesse into the light that they may learne to know themselves and how they lie captive in the filth and mire of the devill in a darke dungeon fast bound with three chaines O great God have mercy upon Adam and his children redeeme them in Christ the new Adam I flie to thee O Christ God and Man in this Pilgrimage which I must passe in this darke valley every where dispised and troubled and accounted an ungodly wicked man O Lord it is thy judgement upon me that my sinnes and inbred vanity may be judged in this pilgrimage before thee and I as a curse be made an open spectacle on which thy Anger may satiate it selfe and thereby may take the eternall reproach away from mee It is the token of thy love and thereby thou bringest me into the reproach anguish suffering and death of my Saviour Jesus Christ that so I may die from vanity in my Saviour and spring up in his Spirit with my new life through his reproach and ignominie through his Death I beseech thee O Christ thou patient Lamb of God grant me patience in my way of the Crosse through all thy anguish reproach thy death and passion thy scorne and contempt upon the Crosse where thou wert despised in my stead and bring me therein as a patient Lamb to thee into thy victory Let me live with thee and in thee and convert my persecutors which unknowne to themselves by their reproaching sacrifice my vanity and inbred sinnes before thy Anger they know not what they doe they thinke they doe me harme but they doe me good they doe that for me which I should doe my selfe before thee I should daily lay open and acknowledge my shame before thee and thereby sinke my selfe downe into the death of thy beloved Sonne that my shame might die in his death but I being too too negligent weary faint and feeble therefore thou usest them in thy Anger to open and discover my vilenesse before thy Anger which thy wrath taketh hold of and sinketh it downe into the death of my Saviour O mercifull God my vaine flesh cannot know how well thou intendest towards me when thou sufferest my Enemies to take my vilenesse from me and sacrifice it before thee my earthly minde supposeth that thou afflictest me for my sinnes and I am extreamely perplexed at it but thy Spirit in my inward new man telleth me that it is of thy love towards me that thou intendest good to me by it when thou sufferest my enemies to persecute me it is best for me that they performe the worke in my stead and unfold my sins before thee in thy anger that it may swallow them up that
and entereth with the desire into him and he will not cast out them that come unto him he hath given to the will an open gate in Christ saying Come unto me all yee that are heavie laden with sinnes I will refresh you take my yoak upon you that is the Crosse of the enmity in the flesh which was the yoak of Christ who must beare it for the sinnes of all men This crosse the resigned will must take upon it in the evill earthly sinfull flesh and beare it after Christ in patience in hope of deliverance and always brea kt he head of the Serpent with the resigned will of the soule in Christs will and Spirit and kill and destroy the earthly will in Gods anger and not let it rest on a soft bed when sinne is committed thinking I wil repent one time or other 26. No no the earthly will groweth strong fat and wanton upon this soft bed But so soon as the breath of God shineth in thee and sheweth sinne to thee the will of the soul must sink it selfe down into the passion and death of Christ wrap it selfe up close in it and take the passion of Christ into its possession and be a Lord over the death of sin by the death of Christ and kill it and destroy it in the death of Christ. 27. It must die though it be never so unwilling Be at enmity with the voluptuous earthly flesh give it not what it would have let it fast and suffer hunger till its tickling cease account the will of the flesh thy enemy and do not what the desire in the flesh will and then thou shalt bring a death into the death in the flesh 28. Regard not any scorne of the world think they doe but scorn thy enemy and that it is become a foole to them nay doe thou thy selfe account it thy foole which Adam caused thee to have in thee and suffered to be thy false heire Cast the sonne of the bond-woman out of the house that strange child which God did not give to be in the house of life in Adam at the beginning for the son of the bond-woman must not inherit with the son of the free-woman 29. The earthly will is but the son of the Bond-woman for the foure elements should have been mans servants but Adam hath brought them into filiation Therefore God said to Abraham when he had opened the covenant of the promise in him Cast out the son of the bond-woman for hee shall not inherit with the sonne of the free This sonne of the Free is Christ which God of his grace hath brought again into the flesh for us viz. a new mind wherein the will viz. the eternall will of the soul may draw and drink the water of life of which Christ speaketh saying Whosoever shall drink of this water that he will give us it shall spring up in him and be a Fountain of eternall life This Fountaine is the renovation of the mind of the soule viz. the eternall Astrum or Constellation of the eternall Nature viz. of the creaturely property of the soul. 30. Therefore I say that all fictions and devices to come to God by let them have what name soever they will which men contrive and invent for wayes to God are lost labour and unprofitable without a new mind There is no other way to God but a new mind which turneth from wickednes and entreth into repentance for the sinnes it hath committed and goeth forth from its iniquity and willeth it no more but wrappeth its will up in the death of Christ and with all earnestnesse dieth from the sinne of the soule in the death of Christ so that the mind of the soule willeth sinne no more 31. And although all the Devils did follow him hard and did go with their desire into the flesh yet the will of the soule should stand still and hide it selfe in the death of Christ willing and desiring nothing but the Mercie of God 32. No hypocriticall flattery or outward comforting ones self availeth at all as when men will cover sinne and iniquity in the flesh with the satisfaction of Christ and remain in Self still Christ saith Except ye turn and become as children yee shall not see the Kingdome of God the mind must become as wholly new as in a child that knoweth nothing of sinne Christ saith also Ye must be born anew or else yee shall not see the Kingdome of God There must arise a will wholly new in the death of Christ it must be brought forth out of Christs entring into the humanity and rise in Christs resurrection 33. Now before this can be done the will of the soule must dye in the death of Christ first for in Adam it received the son of the bond-woman viz. sinne into it This the will of the soul must first cast out and the poore captive soule must wrap it selfe up in the death of Christ earnestly with all the power it hath so that the sonne of the bond-woman viz. sin in it selfe may dye in the death of Christ. 34. Truly sin must dye in the will of the soule or else there can be no vision of God for the earthly will in sinne and the anger of God shall not see God but Christ that came into the flesh The soul must put on the Spirit and flesh of Christ it cannot inherit the Kingdome of God in this earthly Tabernacle for the kingdome of sin hangeth to it outwardly which must putrifie in the earth and rise again in new power 35. Hypocrifie flattery and verball forgivenesse availeth nothing we must be children not by outward imputation but born of God from within in the new man which is resigned in God 36. All such flattering of our selves in saying Christ hath paid the Ransome and made satisfaction for sinne he is dead for our sinnes if we also do not dye from sinne in him and put on his merit in new obedience and live therein all is false and a vain frivolous comfort 37. He that is a bitter enemy and hater of sinne he can and may comfort himselfe with the sufferings of Christ he that doth not willingly see hear nor tast sinne but is at enmity with it and would willingly always doe that which is well and right if he knew but what he ought to doe he that is such a one I say hath put on the Spirit and will of Christ. 38. The outward flattery of being accounted a child of God by imputation or externall application is false and vain the work done in the outward flesh onely doth not make the child of God but the working of Christ in the Spirit maketh and is the child of God which working is so powerfull in the outward work that it shineth forth as a new light and manifesteth it self to be the child of God in the outward work of the flesh 39. For if the eye of the soule be light then the whole body is
feare of any end where no evill thoughts could touch him neither care nor trouble neither heate nor cold where no night is knowne where there is no day or time any more but an everlasting joy where soule and body tremble for joy and where he should rejoyce at the infinite wonders and vertues in brightnesse of colours and ornament of the infinite begetting in the wisedome of God upon the new christaline Earth which shall be as transparent glasse that he doth so wilfully lose all this for so short and poore a times-sake which yet in this vanity in the evill life of the voluptuous flesh is full of miserie feare and trouble in meere vexation and it goeth with the wicked as with the righteous as the one must die so must the other yet the death of the Saints is an entrance into the eternall rest but the death of the wicked an entrance into the eternall unquietnesse Eightly He must consider the course of the world that all things are but a play wherewith he spendeth his time in unquietnesse and that it goeth with the rich and mighty as with the poore and the begger that all of us equally live and move in the foure Elements and that the mouthfull or morsell of the poore is as relishing and savoury to him in his toyle and labour as that of the rich is to him in his cares also that all of us doe live in one breath and that the rich man hath nothing but the pleasure of the palate and the lust of the eye more then other men for else it goeth with the one as with the other for which lust of the eye man so foolishly forgoeth so great a happinesse and for the sake thereof bringeth himselfe into so great and eternall unquietnesse In this consideration man shall feele in his owne heart and minde especially if he represent and set before his eyes his owne end that he shall get a hearty sighing and longing after the mercie of God and will begin to bewaile his committed sinnes that hee hath spent his dayes so ill and not observed nor considered that he standeth in this world in a field in the growing to be a fruit either in the Love or in the Anger of God and then he will first begin to find in himselfe that he hath not yet laboured at all in the vineyard of Christ and that he is a drie branch in the vine of Christ. And then in many whom the Spirit of Christ toucheth in such a consideration there ariseth aboundant sorrow griefe of heart and inward lamentation over the dayes of his wickednesse which he hath spent so in vanity without any working in the Vineyard of Christ. Such a one now whom the Spirit of Christ bringeth into sorrow and Repentance so that his heart is opened that he can know and bewaile his sins is very easily to be helped he needeth but to draw to him the promise of Christ viz. That God willeth not the death of a sinner but that he wisheth them all to come unto him and hee will refresh them and that there is great joy in heaven for one sinner that repenteth let such a one but lay hold on the words of Christ and wrap himselfe up into the passion and death of Christ. But I will speake with those who feele indeede a desire in themselves to repent and yet cannot come to acknowledge and sorrow for their committed sins the flesh saying continually to the soule stay a while it is well enough or it is time enough to morrow and when to morrow is come yet the flesh saith again to morrow the soul in the meane while sighing and fainting conceiveth neither any true sorrow for the sinnes it hath committed nor any comfort Unto such a one I say I will write a processe or way which I my selfe have gone that hee may know what he must doe and how it went with me if peradventure any be minded to follow it and then he shall perceive what is hereafter written A processe of Repentance WHen any man findeth in himself by the former consideration a hunger that he would willingly repent and yet findeth no true sorrow in himselfe for his sinnes which hee hath committed and yet perceiveth an hunger or desire to sorrow being the poor captive soule continually sigheth feareth and must acknowledge it selfe guilty of sinnes before the Judgement of God such a one I say can take no better course then this viz. to wrap up his senses and minde and also his reason together and make to himselfe at the same time presently in the first consideration when he perceiveth in himselfe a desire to repent a mighty strong purpose and resolution that he will this very houre nay this minite immediatly enter into Repentance and go forth from his wicked way and not at all regard the power and honour of the world and if it should be required would forsake and disesteeme all things for true Repentance sake and take such an earnest firme and strong resolution that he will never goe forth from it againe though he should be made the foole scorne of all the world for it and that with his minde he will goe forth from the beauty and pleasure of the world and patiently enter into the Passion and Death of Christ in and under the Crosse and set all his hope and confidence upon the life to come and that now in righteousnesse and truth he will enter into the Vineyard of Christ and doe the will of God and in the Spirit and will of Christ begin and finish all his actions in this world and for Christs Word and Promise sake who hath promised us heavenly reward willingly suffer and beare every adversitie and crosse that he may but be numbred in the communion or fellowship of the children of Christ and in the bloud of the Lambe Jesus Christ be incorporated and united unto his Humanity He must firmely imagin to himself wholly wrap up his soule in this that in this his purpose he shall obtaine the love of God in Christ Jesus and that God will give unto him according to his faithfull promise that noble pledge the holy Ghost for a beginning that in the Humanity of Christ as to the heavenly divine substance he shall be borne a new againe in himselfe and that the Spirit of Christ will renew his minde with his Love and Power and strengthen his weake faith also that in his divine hunger he shall get the flesh and bloud of Christ for foode and drinke in the desire of his soule which continually hungreth and thristeth after it and with the thirst of the soule drinke the water of eternall life out of the sweete fountaine of Jesus Christ as Christs most true and stedfast Promise is He must also wholly and firmely imagine to himselfe the great love of God That God willeth not the death of a sinner but that he repent and live that
that I may die from my vanity and sinne in the death of my Redeemer Jesus Christ. O thou breath of the great love of God quicken I beseech thee my weake breath in me that it may begin to hunger and thirst after thee O Lord Jesus thou sweete strength I beseech thee give my soule to drinke of thy fountaine of Grace thy sweete water of eternall life that it may awake from death and thrist after thee O how extreame fainting I am for want of thy strength O mercifull God doe thou turne me I beseech thee I can not turn my selfe O thou vanquisher of death helpe me I pray thee to wrestle How fast doth the Enemy hold me with his three chaines and will not suffer the desire of my soule to come before thee I beseech thee come and take the desire of my soule into thy selfe be thou my drawing to the Father and deliver me from the devills Bonds looke not upon my deformity in standing naked before thee having lost thy garment I pray thee doe but thou cloath my breath which yet liveth in me and desireth thy grace and let me yet once see thy salvation O thou deepe love I pray thee take the desire of my soule into thee bring it forth out of the bonds of Death through thy Death in thy Resurrection in thee O quicken me in thy strength that my desire and will may begin to spring up and flourish anew O thou vanquisher of death and of the wrath of God doe thou overcome in me selfe breake its will and bruise my soule that it may feare before thee and be ashamed of its owne will before thy judgement that it may be obedient to thee as an instrument of thine subdue it in the bonds of death take away its power that it may Will nothing without thee O God the Holy Ghost in Christ my Saviour teach me I pray thee what I shall doe that I may turne to thee O draw me in Christ to the Father and helpe me that now and from hence forward I may goe forth from sinne and vanity and never any more enter into it againe Stirre up in me a true sorrow for the sinnes I have committed O keepe me in thy Bonds and let me not loose from thee lest the Devill sift me in my wicked flesh and bloud bring me again into the death of dea h O enlighten thou my spirit that I may see the divine path and walke in it continually O take that away from me which alwayes turneth me away from thee O give me that which alwayes turneth me to thee take me wholy from my selfe and give me wholy to thy owne selfe O let me beginne nothing let me will thinke and doe nothing without thee O Lord how long Indeed I am not worthy of that which I desire of thee I pray thee let the desire of my soule dwell but in the gates of thy Courts make it but a servant of thy servauts O deliver it out of that horrible pit wherein there is no comfort nor refreshment O God in Christ Jesus I am blinde in my selfe and know not my selfe for vanity thou art hidden from me in my blindenesse and yet thou art neere unto me but thy wrath which my desire hath awakened in me hath made me darke O take but the desire of my soule to thee prove it O Lord and bruise it that my soule may attaine a Ray of thy sweete Grace I lie before thee as a dying man whose life is passing from his lipps as a smale sparke going out kindle it O Lord and raise up the breath of my soule before thee Lord I waite for thy Promise which thou hast made saying As I live I will not the death of a sinner but that he should turne and live I sincke downe my selfe into the Death of my Redeemer Jesus Christ and waite for thee thy Word is Truth and Life Amen In this or the like manner every one may confesse his sinnes as he himselfe findeth in his conscience what finnes he hath brought his soule into Yet if his purpose be truely earnest to use a forme is needlesse for the Spirit of God which at that instant is in the will of the minde will it selfe make the prayer for him in his conscience for it is it the Spirit of God which in a true earnest desire worketh repentance and intercedeth for the soule before God through the death of Christ. But I will not hide from the beloved Reader who hath a Christian purpose but shew how it commonly useth to goe with those who are in such a firme purpose and resolution though it goeth otherwise with one then with another according as his purpose is more or lesse earnest and great for the Spirit of God is not bound but useth diverse wayes as he knoweth fittest for every one Yet he that hath beene in the warres can tell how to fight and informe another that may happen to be in the like case Now if it so come to passe that such a heart with a strong resolution and purpose doth thus come before God and enter into repentance it hapneth to it as with the Canaanitish woman as if God would not heare the heart remaineth without comfort its sins and unworthynesse do also present themselves as if it were unworthy of comfort the mind is as it were speechlesse the soule groaneth in the deepe the heart receiveth nothing nor can it so much as poure forth its confession before God as if the heart and soule were shut up the Soule would faine but the flesh keepeth it captive the Devill shutteth it up strongly and representeth to it the way of vanity againe and tickleth it with the lust of the flesh and saith in the minde stay a while doe this or that first gather money or goods aforehand that thou maist not stand in neede of the world and then afterwards enter into an honest life into repentance it will be time enough then O how many hundreds doe perish in such a beginning if they goe backe againe into vanity and are as a young graft broken off with the winde or weithered by the heate Beloved soule marke if thou wilt be a champion in thy Saviour Christ against death and hell and would'st have thy yong graft grow become a tree in the Kingdome of Christ thou must go on and stand fast in thy first earnest purpose it costeth thy first paternall inheritance and thy body and soule too to become either an Angell in God or a Devill in Hell If thou wilt be crowned thou must fight thou must overcome in Christ and not yeeld to the Devill thy purpose must stand firme thou must not preferre temporall honour and goods before it when the spirit of the flesh saith stay a while it is not convenient yet then the soule must say now is my time for me to goe backe againe into my fathers my native Countrey out of which my father
is he that passeth through it be times in his young years before the Devill buildeth his fort of prey strong he may afterwards prove a Labourer in the Vineyard of Christ and sow his seede in the Garden of Christ he shall reape the fruit in due time This judgement continueth a long while upon many for severall yeares if he doe not earnestly put on the Armour of Christ but stay till the judgement of temptations first exhort him to Repentance But he that commeth of himselfe of his owne earnest purpose and endeavoureth to depart from his evill wayes the temptation will not be so hard for him neither will it continue so long yet hee must stand out valiantly till victory be gotten over the devill for he shall be mightily assisted all shall turne to the best for him so that afterwards when the day breaketh in the soule he turneth it to the great praise and glory of God that the driver is overcome Short Prayers When the noble Sophia kisseth the soule with her love and offereth her love to it O Most gracious and deepest love of God in Christ Jesus I beseech thee grant me thy Pearle impresse it into my soule and take my soule into thy Armes O thou sweete love I confesse I am uncleane before thee take away my uncleanenesie through thy death and carry through the hunger and thrist of my soule through thy Death in thy Resurrection in thy Triumph cast my whole selfe downe to the ground in thy death take it captive and carry my hunger through in thy hunger O highest love hast thou not appeared in me stay in me and inclose me in thee keepe me in thee so that I may not be able to depart from thee fill my hunger with thy love seede my soule with thy heavenly substance give it thy bloud to drinke and water it with thy Fountaine O great love awaken my disappeared Image in me which as to the Kingdome of heaven disappeared in my father Adam by that word which awakened it in the seede of the woman in Mary quicken it I beseech thee O thou Life and Power of the Deity which hast promised us saying wee will come to you and dwell in you O sweete love I bring my desire into this word of thy Promise thou hast promised that thy Father will give the holy Spirit to those that aske him for it therefore I now bring the desire of my soule into thy Promise and I receive thy Word into my hunger increase thou in me my hunger after thee strengthen me O sweete love in thy strength quicken me in thee that my spirit may taste thy sweetnesse O doe thou beleeve by thy power in me for without thee I can doe nothing O sweete Love I beseech thee through that Love wherewith thou didst overcome the Anger of God and didst change it into Love and divine Joy I pray thee also change the anger in my soule by the same great love that I may become obedient unthee and that my soule may love thee therein for ever O change my will into thy Will bring thy Obedience into my disobedience that I may become obedient to thee O great Love of Jesus Christ I humbly flie to thee bring the hunger of my soule into thy wounds from whence thou didst shed thy holy bloud and didst quench the Anger with Love I bring my hunger into open side from whence came forth both water and bloud and throw my selfe wholy into it he thou mine and quicken me in thy life and let me not depart from thee O my Noble Vine I beseech thee give sappe to me thy branch that I may budde and grow in thy strength and sappe in thy Essence beget in me true strength by thy strength O Sweete Love art not thou my Light enlighten thou my poore soule in its close prison in flesh and bloud bring it into the right way destroy the will of the Devill and bring my body through the whole course of this world through the chamber of death into thy death and rest that at the last day it may arise in thee from thy death and live in thee for ever O teach me what I must doe in thee I beseech thee be thou my willing knowing doing and let me goe no whether without thee I yeeld my selfe wholy up to thee Amen A Prayer For the obtaining the Divine Protection and Government shewing how he minde should worke with in God in Christ the Tree of Life O Thou living Fountaine in thee I lift up the desire of my soule and crie with my desire to enter through the life of my Saviour Jesus Christ into thee O thou Life and Power of God awaken thy selfe in the hunger of my soule with thy desire of love through the thirst which Jesus Christ had upon the crosse after us men and carry my weake strength through by thy mighty hand in thy Spirit be thou the working and will in me with thine own strength blossome in the strength of Iesus Christ in me that I may bring forth praise unto thee the true fruite in thy Kingdome O let my heart and desire never depart from thee But i swimme in vanity in this valley of misery in this outward earthly flesh and bloud and my soule and noble Image which is according to thy Similitude is encompassed with enemies on every side viz. with the desire of the Devill against me with the desire of vanity in flesh and bloud also with all the opposition of wicked men who know not thy Name and I swimme with my outward life in the properties of the starres and elements having my enemies lying in waite for me every where inwardly and outwardly together with death the destroyer of this vaine life and therefore I flie to thee O holy strength of God being thou hast manifested thy selfe with thy love in mercy in our humanity through thy holy Name Jesus and hast also given it to be a companion in us therefore I beseech thee let his Angels that minister to him attend upon our soules and encamp themselves about us and defend us from the fiery darts of the desire of that wicked one which shooteth into us dayly by the curse of the Anger of God which is awakened in our earthly flesh keepe backe by thy strength the infectious rayes of the influence of the stars in their opposition into which raves the wicked one mingleth himselfe with his desire to poison us in soule and flesh and to bring us into false desires and also into infirmity and misery Turne away these Rayes of Anger with the holy Name Jesus in our soule and spirit that they may not touch us and let thy good and holy Angel stand by us to turne away these Rayes of Poyson from our bodies O great Love and sweete strength IHSVH thou fountaine of divine sweetnesse flowing out of the great Eternall Name IEHOVAH I crie with the desire of my
they may not follow me into my native countrey for they are strong and lusty still in thy Anger therefore can do it better then I that am feeble fainting already in the will of vanity this thou knowest fulwell O thou righteous God I beseech thee therefore O righteous God since thou usest them as servants to me to doe so good an office for me though my earthly reason knoweth it not that thou wouldest make them also to know my way and send them also such servants but yet before hand bring them to the light that they may know thee and give thee thanks O mercifull God in Christ Jesus in my knowledge I beseech thee out of thy deepe love towards us poore men which thou hast manifested in me in the hidden man call us all in thee to thee O stirre thy selfe in us yet once in this last trouble thy Anger being kindled in us doe thou resist thy Anger in us least it swallow us up both soule and body O thou dawning of the Day-spring of God breake forth to the full art thou not already risen manifest thy holy City Zion thy holy Jerusalem in us O great God! I see thee in the depth of thy Power and Strength awaken me wholly in thee that I may be quickned in thee breake off the tree of thy Anger in us and let thy love spring forth and bud in us O Lord I lie downe in thy sight and beseech thee not to rebuke us in thine Anger are we not thy possession which thou hast purchased Forgive all of us our sinnes and deliver us from the enmity of thy wrath and from the reproach and envy of the devill and bring us under thy Crosse in patience into Paradise againe Amen Here followeth a Prayer or Dialogue betweene the poore soule and the noble virgine Sophia in the inward ground of man viz. betweene the Spirit of Christ in the new Birth out of his Humanity in us and the soule shewing how great a joy there is in the Heaven of the new regenerate man and how lovingly and graciously the noble Sophia presenteth her selfe to her Bridegrome the Soule when it entreth into Repentance and how the Soule behaveth it selfe towards her when Virgine Sophia appeareth to it The gates of the Paradisicall Garden of Roses This is understood by none but the children of Christ who have knowne it by experience WHen Christ the corner-stone stirreth himselfe in the extinguished Image of man in his hearty conversion and repentance then Virgine Sophia appeareth in the stirring of the Spirit of Christ in the extinguished Image in her Virgines-attire before the soule at which the soule is so amazed and astonished in its uncleanesse that all its sinnes immediately awake in it and tremble and shake before her For then the judgement passeth upon the sinnes of the soule so that it even goeth backe in its unworth inesse and is ashamed in the presence of its faire love and entreth into it selfe denying it selfe as utterly unworthy to receive such a jewell This is understood by them who are of our Tribe who have tasted this jewell and to none else But the noble Sophia draweth neare in the essence of the soule and kisseth it friendly and tinctureth the darke fire of the soule with her Rayes of love and shineth through the soule with her Kisse of love then the soule skippeth in its body for great joy in the strength of this Virgine-love triumphing and praysing the great God in the strength of the noble Sophia I will set downe here a short description how it is when the Bride embraceth the Bridegroome for the consideration of the Reader who perhaps hath not yet beene in this place where the Bride embraceth her Bridegroome it may be he will be desirous to follow us and to enter into the place where men dance with Sophia When that which is before mentioned cometh to passe the soule rejoyceth in its body and saith I. PRayse thanksgiving strength honour and glory be to thee O great God in thy power and sweetenesse for that thou hast redeemed me from the driver of anguish O thou faire Love my heart embraceth thee where hast thou beene so long me thought I was in hell in the Anger of God O gracious Love abide with me I beseech thee and be my joy and comfort leade me in the right way I give my selfe up into thy love I am darke before thee doe thou enlighten me O noble Love give me thy sweet pearle put it I pray thee into me O great God in Christ Jesus I praise and magnifie thee now in thy truth in thy great power and glory for that thou hast forgiven me my sinnes and filled me with thy strength I shout for joy before thee in my life and extoll thee in thy Firmament of Heaven which none can open but thy Spirit in thy mercy my bones rejoyce in thy strength and my heart delighteth in thy love Thanks be to thee for ever for that thou hast delivered me out of hell and turned death into life in me O sweet Love let me not depart from thee againe grant me thy Garland of Pearle and abide in me O be my peculiar possession that I may rejoyce in thee for ever Upon this Virgine Sophia sayth to the Soule MY Noble Bridegroome my strength and power you are a thousand times welcome why hast thou forgotten me so long that I have beene constrained in great griefe to stand without the doore and knocke have I not alwayes called thee and entreated thee but thou hast turned away thy countenance from me and thy eares declined my Territories thou couldest not see my light for thou didst walke in the valley of darknesse I was very neare thee and intreated thee continually but thy sinne held thee captive in death so that thou knowest me not I came to thee in great humility and called thee but thou wert rich in the power of the anger of God and didst not regard my humility and lowlynesse thou hadst taken the Devill to be thy Paramour he hath desiled thee thus and built up his fort of prey in thee and turned thee quite away from my love and faith into his hypocriticall Kingdome of falshood wherein thou hast committed much sinne and wickednesse and broken thy will off from my love and so broken the bond of wedlock and set thy love and affection upon a stranger and suffered me thy Bride which God did give thee to stand alone in the extinguished substance without the power of thy fiery strength I could not be joyfull without thy fiery strength for thou art my husband my shining brightnesse is made manifest by thee thou canst manifest my hidden wonders in thy fiery life and bring them into Majesty And yet without me thou art but a darke house wherein is nothing but anguish and torment an odious horrible paine O Noble Bridegroome stand still with thy countenance towards me and
it so that it entreth into Selfe it must therefore continue close to resigned humilith as a Well doth to its Fountain must suck and drink of Gods Fountain and not depart from the wayes of God at all 27. For as soon as the soule eateth of Selfe and of the light of outward Reason it goeth on in its own opinion and then its doings which it sets forth for Divine are but from the outward Constellation which presently then layeth hold on the soule and maketh it dry and then the soule goeth on in Errours till it yeeld it selfe up again into Resignation and acknowledging it selfe anew to be a defiled child resisteth reason and so getteth the love of God again which is harder to doe now then it was at first for the Devill brîngeth in strong doubts he will not easily leave his Fort of prey 28. This may be seen clearly in the Saints of GOD from the beginning of the world that many who have been driven by the Spirit of God have yet oftentimes departed from Resignation into Selfe viz. into their owne reason and will in which Satan hath cast them into sins and into the anger of God as appeareth by DAVID SOLOMON also by the Patriarchs Prophets and Apostles who have oftentimes committed great errours when they have departed from Resignation into Selfe viz. into their own reason and lust 29. Therefore it is necessary for the children of God to know how to behave themselves when they will learn the way of God They must beat down cast away their very thoughts and desire nothing nor have the least will to learn any thing unlesse they find themselves to be in true Resignation so that Gods Spirit leadeth teacheth and guideth mans Spirit and that the humane will which is addicted to it self be wholly broken off from its own lust and resigned in God 30. All speculation in the wonders of God is very dangerous for the spirit of the will may soon be captivated therewith unlesse the spirit of the will goeth or walketh after the Spirit of God and then it hath power in the resigned humility to behold the wonders of God 31 I doe not say that a man should search and learn nothing in naturall Arts and Sciences no for it is profitable for him but a man must not begin with his own reason Man ought not onely to govern his life by the light of outward reason which is good in it selfe but he must sink with that light into the deepest humility before God and set the Spirit and will of God first in all his searching so that the light of reason may see through the light of God And though reason doe know much it must not arrogate to it selfe as if it were in its own possession but give glory to God to whom alone wisdome and knowledge doth belong 32. For the more Reason sinketh it selfe down into simple humility in the sight of God and the more unworthy it accounts it selfe in its sight the more it dieth from self-desire and the more the Spirit of God pierceth through it and bringeth it into the highest knowledge so that it may behold the great wonders of God For the Spirit of God worketh onely in resigned humility in that which neither seeketh nor desireth it selfe The Spirit of God taketh hold of whatsoever desireth to be simple and lowly before him and bringeth it forth in his wonders he hath pleasure onely in those that feare and bow themselves before him 33. For God hath not created us for our selves onely but to be instruments of his wonders by which he desireth to manifest his wonders The resigned will trusteth God and expecteth all good from him but self-will ruleth it selfe for it is broken off from God All that self-will doth is sinne and against God for it is gone out of that order wherein God created it into disobedience and desireth to be its own Lord and Master 34. When its own will dieth from it selfe then it is free from sinne for it desireth nothing but that which God desireth of his creature it desireth onely to doe that for which God hath created it and that which God will doe by it and though it is and must bee the doing yet it is but the instrument of the doing by which God doth what he will 35. For this is the true Faith in Man viz. to die from himselfe viz. from his own desire and in all his beginnings and designes to bring his desire into the will of God and arrogate the doing of nothing to himselfe but esteem himselfe in all his doings to be but a Servant or Minister of God and to think that all he doth or goeth about is for God for in such an intention the Spirit of God leadeth him into true uprightnesse and faithfulnes towards his neighbour for he thinketh thus with himselfe I doe my work not for my self but for God who hath called and ordained me to doe it as a servant in his Vineyard hee listeneth continually after the voyce of his Master who within him commandeth him what hee shall doe The Lord speaketh in him and biddeth him doe it 36. But Selfe doth what outward reason from the starres commandeth into which reason the Devill bringeth himselfe flying in with his desire All what ever Selfe doth îs without the will of God and it is done altogether in the phantasie that the anger of God may accomplish its pastime therewith 37. No work which is done without the will of God can reach the kingdome of God it is all but an unprofitable Imagery in this great turmoyling of mankind for nothing is pleasing to God but what he himselfe doth by the will as his instrument For there is but one onely God in the Essence of all Essences and all that which worketh with him in that Essence is one Spirit with him but that which worketh in it selfe in its own will is in it selfe without being under his dominion it is indeed under or in that Dominion wherewith he ruleth every life but not in or under that holy Divine Government in himselfe but in the dominion of Nature wherewith he governeth evill and good nothing is divine which walketh and worketh not in the will of God 38 Christ saith Every plant which my heavenly Father hath not planted shall be rooted out and burnt in the fire All the works of man which hee hath wrought without the will of God shall bee burnt up in the last fire of God and given to the wrath of God viz. to the pit of darknesse to recreate it selfe withall For Christ saith Hee that is not with me is against me and he that gathereth not with me scattereth Whosoever worketh and doth it not in a resigned will with confidence in God he doth but make desolate and scatter it is not acceptable to God nothing is pleasing to him but that which himselfe willeth with his Spirit and doth himselfe by his own instrument 39. Therefore
light in all its members Now if any boast himself to be the child of God and yet suffereth the body to burn in sins he is not yet capable of being a child but lieth captive in the fetters of the Devill in great darknesse and if he doe not find in himselfe an earnest will burning in him of well-doing in love then his pretence is but an invention of Reason proceeding from Selfe which cannot see God unlesse it be born anew and shew forth in its power and vertue that it is his child For there is no fire but hath light in it and if the divine fire be in the mind it will shine forth and the mind will doe that which God will have done 40. But perhaps thou wilt say I have a will indeed to doe so I would willingly doe it but I am so hindred that I cannot 41. Yes thou vile man God draweth thee to be his child but thou wilt not the soft cushion in evill is dearer to thee then so thou preferrest the joy of wickednesse before the joy of God thou wholly stick'st fast in Selfe still and livest according to the law of Sin and that hindereth thee thou art unwilling to dye from the pleasure of the flesh and therefore thou art not in the filiation and yet God draweth thee to it but thou thy selfe wilt not 41. O how fine a thing would Adam think it to be if he might be taken into heaven with this will of the voluptuous flesh to have the child of wickednesse that is full of deceit set upon the Throne of God Lucifer also would fain have had it so but he was spewed out 42. It is a troublesome thing to mortifie the evill will none are willing to have it so we would all willingly be the children of God if we might be so with this garment but it cannot be This world passeth away and the outward life must dye what good can the childhood in the mortall body doe me 43. If we would inherit the filiation we must also put on the new man which can inherit the filiation which is like the deity God wil have no sinner in heaven but such as are born anew and become children which have put on heaven 44. Therefore it is not so easie a matter to become the children of God as men imagine Indeed it is not a burdensome thing to him that hath put on the filiation whose light shineth for it is joy to him But to turn the mind and destroy Selfe there is a strong continual earnestnesse requisite and such a purpose that if the body and soule should part asunder by it yet the will should persevere constantly and not enter again into Selfe 45. A man must wrastle so long till the dark center that is shut up so close break open and the spark in the center kindle and from thence immediatly the Noble Lilly-branch sprouteth as from the divine grain of Mustard seed as Christ saith A man must pray earnestly with great humility and for a while become a foole in his own reason and see himselfe as voyd of understanding therin untill Christ be formed in this new incarnation 46. And then when Christ is born Herod is ready to kill the child which he seeketh to doe outwardly by persecutions and inwardly by temptations to try whether this Lilly-branch will be strong enough to destroy the kingdome of the Devil which is made manifest in the flesh 47. Then this destroyer of the Serpent is brought into the wildernesse after he is baptized with the holy Spirit and tempted and tried whether he will continue in Resignation in the will of God he must stand so fast that if need require hee would leave all earthly things and even the outward life to be a child of God 48. No temporall honour must be preferred before the filiation but he must with his will leave and forsake it all and not account it his owne but esteem himselfe as a servant in it onely in obedience to his Master hee must leave all worldly propriety Wee doe not mean that hee may not have or possesse any thing but his heart must forsake it and not bring his will into it nor count it his own if he set his heart upon it he hath no power to serve them that stand in need with it 49. Selfe onely serveth that which is temporary but Resignation hath rule over all that is under it Selfe must doe what the Devill will have it to doe in fleshly voluptuousnesse and pride of life but Resignation tteadeth it under with the feet of the mind Selfe despiseth that which is lowly and simple but Resignation sitteth down with the lowly in the dust it saith I will be simple in my selfe and understand nothing lest my understanding should exalt it selfe and sin I will lye down in the Courts of my God at his feet that I may serve my Lord in that which he commandeth me I will know nothing my selfe that the commandment of my Lord may lead and guide mee and that I may only doe what God doth through me and will have done by me I will sleep in my selfe untill the Lord awaken mee with his Spirit and if he will not then will I cry out eternally in him in silence and wait his commands 50. Beloved brethren men boast much now-a-dayes of faith but where is that faith The modern faith is but the History Where is that child which beleeveth that Jesus is borne If that child were in Being and did beleeve that Jesus is born it would also draw neere to the sweet child Jesus and receive him and â—urse him 51. Alas the Faith now a dayes is but Historicall and a meere knowledge of the story that the Jewes killed him that hee left this world that he is not King on earth in the animall man but that men may doe what they list and need not dye from sinne and their evill lusts All this the wicked child Selfe rejoyceth in that it may fatten the Devil by living deliciously 52 This sheweth plainly that true faith was never weaker and feebler since Christs time then it is now when neverthelesse the world cryeth a loud and saith we have found the true saith and contend about a child so that there was never worse contention since men were on earth 53. If thou beest Zion and hast that new-born Child which was lost and is found again then let it be seen in power and vertue and let us openly see the sweet Child JESUS brought forth by thee and that we may see that thou art his Nurse if not then the children in Christ will say thou hast found nothing but the History viz. the Cradle of the Child 54. Where hast thou the sweet child Jesus thou that art exalted with the History and with thy false and seeming faith O how will the Child Jesus visit thee once in the Fathers property in thy own Turba which thou hast fatted It
calleth thee now in love but thou wilt not heare for thy eares are stopt with covetousnesse and voluptuousnesse Therefore the found of the Trumpet shall once shiver thee with the hard thunder-clap of thy Turba and awaken thee if perhaps thou wilt yet seek and finde the sweet child Jesus 55. Beloved brethren this is a time of seeking of seeking and of finding It is a time of earnestnesse whom it toucheth it toucheth home he that watcheth shall hear and see it but he that sleepeth in sin and saith in the fat dayes of his belly All is peace and quiet we heare no sound from the Lord he shall be blind But the voyce of the Lord hath sounded in all the ends of the earth and a smoke riseth and in the midst of the smoke there is a great brightnesse and splendor Ha le lu-Jah Amen Shout unto the Lord in Zion For all Mountains and Hills are full of his Glory he flourisheth like a green Branch and who shall hinder it Ha le lu JAH The end of the 2d Book THE THIRD BOOK OF REGENERATION OR The New-Birth Shewing how he that earnestly seeketh salvation must suffer himself to be brought out of the confused and contentious Babel by the Spirit of Christ that he may be born anew in the Spirit of CHRIST and live to him onely Written in the German Language Anno 1622 By JACOB BEHMEN Alias Teutonicus Philosophus LONDON Printed by M. S. for H. Blunden at the Castle in Corn-hill 1648. REVEL 18. 4. Come out of Babylon my people that yee bee not partakers of her sinnes and that yee receive not of her plagues For her sins have reached unto Heaven and God hath remembred her iniquity THE AUTHORS Preface to the Reader THough I have in my other Writings set down a clear Description of Regeneration or the New Birth from the ground thereof yet because ery one hath them not neither hath every one the capacity to understand them I have therefore as a service to the simple children of Christ here set down a short-summe concerning the New Birth But if any desire to search the deep Ground from whence all floweth and have the gift to understand it let them read these Books following I. The there Principles of the Divine Essence II. The three-fold life of Man III. The 40 Questions of the Originall Essence Substance Nature and Property of the Soule IV. The Incarnation and Birth of Jesus Christ the Sonne of God also of his suffering death and resurrection V. The six points treating of the three words how they are in one another as one and yet make three Principles viz. three Births or Centers VI. The Mysterium Magnum which is an Interpretation upon Genesis And in them he shall find all that he can ask and that as deep as the mind of man is able to reach I have written this for the true Israelites that is for the hungry and thirsty Harts that long after the Fountain of Christ who are my fellow members in the Spirit of Christ But not for the Ishmaelites and Scorners For they have a Book within them wherewith they vex persecute and suppresse the children of Christ that are under the Crosse and yet though it be against their wills they must be servants to the children of Christ though indeed they doe not understand so much OF REGENERATION CHAP. I. Shewing how Man should consider himselfe 1 CHRIST said Except yee turn and become as children yee shal not see the Kingdome of God Again he said to Nicodemus Except a man be born a-new of Water and of the Spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God for that which is born of the flesh is flesh and that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit Joh. 3. 5 6. 2. Also the Scripture witnesseth plainly that the fleshly Naturall Man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishnesse unto him neither can he know them or conceive them 3. Now seing that all of us have flesh and bloud and are mortall as we see by experience and yet the Scripture saith that we are the Temple of the holy Ghost who dwelleth in us and that the kingdome of God is within us and that CHRIST must be formed in us also that he will give us his flesh for food and his bloud for drink and saith further Whosoever shall not eat of the flesh of the Sonne of Man he hath no life in him Therefore we should seriously consider what kind of man in us it is that is capable of being thus like the Deity 4. For it cannot be said of the mortall flesh that turneth to earth again and liveth in the vanity of this world and contînually Iusteth against God that it is the Temple of the holy Ghost much lesse can it be said that the New-birth commeth to passe in this earthly flesh which dyeth and putrifieth and is a continuall House of sin 5. Yet seeing it remaineth true that a true Christian is born of CHRIST and that the New-birth is the Temple of the' holy Ghost which dwelleth in us and that the new Man onely that is born of Christ partaketh of the flesh and bloud of Christ it appeareth that it is not so easie a matter to be a Christian 6. And that Christianity doth not consist in the meere knowing of the History and applying the knowledge thereof to our selves onely in saying that Christ died for us and hath destroyed death and turned it into life in us and that he hath paid the ransome for us so that we need do nothing but comfort our selves with this and stedfastly beleeve that it is so 7. For we find in our selves that sin is living lusting strong and powerfully working in the flesh and therefore it must be somewhat else that doth not co-operate in the flesh of sin nor willeth sin that is the New-birth in Christ. 8. For St. Paul saith There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus And further should we that are Christians be yet sinners God forbid seeing wee are dead to sinne in Christ. 9. Besides the Man of sinne cannot be the Temple of the holy Ghost and yet there is no man that sinneth not For God hath shut up all under sinne For the Scripture saith No one living is righteous in thy sight if thou imputest his sinnes to him The righteous man falleth seven times a day and yet it cannot be meant that the righteous falleth and sinneth but his mortall and sinfull man 10. For the righteousnesse of a Christian in Christ cannot sinne For St. Paul saith Our conversation is in heaven from whence we expect our Saviour Jesus Christ. Now if our conversation be in heaven then heaven must be in us Christ dwelleth in heaven and then if we are his Temple that Temple Heaven must hee in us 11. But for all this seeing sinne tempteth us within us whereby the Devill hath within us an accesse to us therefore hell also
themselves under the Trees of the Garden of Eden heat and cold also seized on them 69. And here the Heaven in Man trembled for horror as the earth did quake in wrath when this anger was destroyed on the Crosse with the sweet love of God there the anger trembled before the sweet love of God 70. And for this vanities sake which was thus awakened in Man God cursed the earth lest the holy Element should spring forth any more through the outward fruit and bring forth Paradisicall fruit for there was no creature could then have enjoyed it neither was the earthly Man worthy of it any more 71. God would not cast the pretious Pearles before Beasts an ungodly man in his body being but a meere grosse beastiall creature and though it be of a noble Essence yet it is wholly poysoned and loathsome in the sight of God 72. Now when God saw that his faire Image was spoyled he opened himselfe before them and had pitty on them and promised himselfe to them for an everlasting possession and that with his great love in the received humanity he would destroy the power of the Serpentine property viz. of vanity in the wrath of God with love And this was the breaking of the head of the Serpent which he would perform viz. he would destroy the dark Death and subdue the anger with his great love 73. And this covenant of his incarnation which was to come he put into the light of life to which Covenant the Jewish sacrifices pointed as to a mark to which God had promised himselfe with his love For the Faith of the Jewes entred into the Sacrifices and offerings and Gods imagination entred into the covenant 74. And the offering was a figure of the Restitution of that which Adam had lost and so God did expiate his anger in the humane property through the offering in the limit of the covenant 75. In which covenant the most holy sweet Name JESUS proceeding out of the holy Name and great power JEHOVAH had incorporated it selfe so that he would again move and manifest himselfe in the substance of the heavenly world which disappeared in Adam and kindle the holy divine life therein again 76. This mark or limit of the covenant was propagated from Adam and his children from Man to Man and did goe through from one upon all as sinne also and the awaked vanity did go through from one upon all 77. And it stood in the promise of the covenant at the end in the root of David in the virgin Mary who was in the inward Kingdome of the hidden humanity viz of the essentiality that disappeared as to the Kingdome of God the daughter of Gods covenant but in the outward according to the naturall humanity she was begotten by her true bodily father Joachim and her true mother Anna out of the Essences and substance of their soules and bodies like all other children of Adam a true daughter of Eve 78 In this Mary from the Virgin in the promised limit of the Covenant of which all the Prophets have prophesied the eternal speaking Word which hath created all things hath in the fulnesse of time moved it self in the name of JESUS according to its highest and deepest love and humility and hath brought living divine and heavenly substantiality into the humanity of the heavenly part which was disappeared in Adam from which he dyed in Paradise into the seed of Mary viz. into the Tincture of love viz. into that property wherin Adam should have propagated himselfe in a Magical and heavenly manner viz. into the true seed of the woman of heavenly substantiality which disappeared in Paradise 79. And when the Divine Light in the heavenly Essence was extinguished the Word of God viz. the divine power of the divine understanding did bring in heavenly and living Substantiality and awakened the disappeared Substantiality in the seed of Mary and brought it to life 80. And so now Gods Substance wherein God dwelleth and worketh and the disappeared Substance of man are become one person For the holy Divine Substantiality did anoynt the disappeared therefore that person is called CHRISTUS the anointed of God 81. And this is the dry Rod of Aaron that blossomed and bare Almonds and the true high Priest and it is that humanity of which Christ spake saying that he was come from heaven and was in heaven and that no man could ascend into heaven but the Son of man which is come from heaven and is in heaven John 3. 13. 82. Now when he saith He is come from heaven it is meant of the heavenly Substance the heavenly Corporality for the power and vertue of God needeth no comming any whither for it is every where altogether unmeasurable and undivided But Substance needeth comming the power or vertue needeth to move it selfe and manifest it selfe in Substance 83. And that substance entred into the Humane substance and received it and not that part onely of hevenaly substantiality which disappeared in Adam but the whole humane Essence in soule and flesh according to all the three Worlds 84. But the awakened and impressed vanity which the Devill by his imagination brought into the flesh by which the flesh did commit sinne he hath not received that nor taken that upon him he hath indeed received the awakened formes of life as they were gone forth from their equall agreement each of them into their own desire 85. For herein lay our infirmity and the death which he was to drown with his heavenly holy blood Herein he took upon himselfe all our sins and infirmities also Death and Hell in the wrath of God and destroyed the Devill in the humane properties 86. The wrath of God was the Hell into which the Spirit of Christ went when he had shed that heavenly bloud into our outward humane bloud and tinctured it with the love and changed that hell of the humane property into heaven and reduced the humane properties into equall agreement into the heavenly Harmony CHAP. IV. How we are born a-new and how we also fall into Gods anger again 87. NOw here we may rightly understand what our New-birth and Regeneration is and how we may be and continue to be the Temple of God though in this lifes time according to the outward humanity we are sinful mortall men 88. Christ in the humane essence hath broken up and opened the gates of our inward heavenly humanity which was shut up in Adam so that nothing remaineth wanting but that the soule bring its will out from the vanity of the corrupted flesh and bring it into this open gate in the Spirit of Christ. 89 Great and strong earnestnesse is required here and not onely a learning and knowing but a hunger and great thirst after the Spirit of Christ For to know onely is no faith but an hunger and thirst after that which I desire so that I imagine it to my self and lay hold on it with the
imagination and make it my own this it is to beleeve 90. The will must goe forth from the vanity of the flesh and willingly yeeld it selfe up to the suffering and death of Christ and to all the reproach of vanity which scorneth it because it goeth forth from its owne house wherein it was born and minds vanity no more but meerly desires love of God in Christ Jesus 91. In such a hunger and desire the will impresseth into it self the Spirit of Christ with his heavenly corporality that is its great hunger and desire taketh hold of and receiveth the body of Christ viz. the heavenly substantiality into its disappeared Image within which the word of the power of God is the working 92. The hunger of the soule bringeth its desire quite through the bruised property of its humanity in the heavenly part which disappeared in Adam which humanity the sweet fire of love in the death of Christ did bruise when the death of that heavenly humanity was destroyed 93. And so the hunger of the soule received into it into its disappeared corporality through the desire the holy heavenly substance viz. the heavenly corporality Christs heavenly corporality which filleth the Father all over and is high unto all and through all things And through that the disappeared heavenly body riseth in the power of God in the sweet name Jesus And this raised heavenly spirituall body is the member of Christ and the Temple of the holy Ghost a true mansion of the holy Trinity according to Christs promise saying we wil come to you and make our abode in you 95. That essence of that life eateth the flesh of Christ and drinketh his bloud For the Spirit of Christ viz. the Word which made it selfe visible with the humanity of Christ out of and in our disappeared humanity through the outward man of the substance of this world swalloweth its holy substance into its fiery every spirit eateth of its own body 96. Now if the soule eat of this sweet holy and heavenly food then it kindleth it selfe with the great love in the Name JESUS whence its fire of anguish becommeth a great triumph and glory and the true Sunne ariseth to it wherin it is born to another will 97. And here is the wedding of the Lamb which we heartily wish that the Titular and Lip-christians might once find by experience and so passe from the history into the substance 98. But the soule obtaineth not the pearle of the Divine power and vertue for its proper own during the time of this life because it hath the outward bestiall flesh sticking to its outward man 99. The power of which espouseth it selfe in the wedding of the Lamb sinketh it selfe down into the heavenly Image viz. into the substance of the heavenly Man who is the Temple of Christ and not into the fire-breath of the soul which is yet during this whole lifes time fast bond to the outward Kingdome to the bond of vanity with the breath of the aire and is in great danger 100. It darteth its beames of love indeed very often into the soul whereby the soule receiveth light but the Spirit of Christ yeeldeth not it self up to the fire-breath in this lifes time but to the breath of light onely which was extinguished in Adam in which the Temple of Christ is for it is the true and holy heaven 101. Understand aright now what the New-birth or Regeneration is and how it commeth to passe as followeth The outward earthly mortall man is not born anew in this lifes time nor the outward flesh nor the outward part of the soule they continue both of them in the vanity of their wills which awaked in Adam they love their mother in whose body they live viz. the Dominion of this outward world and therein the birth of sin is manifest 102. The outward man in soule flesh we mean the outward part of the soule hath no Divine will neither doth he understand any thing of God as the Scripture saith The naturall man perceiveth nothing of the Spirit of God c. 103. But the Fire-breath of the inward world if it be enlightned once understandeth it It hath a great longing sighing hunger and thirst after the sweet fountain of Christ it refresheth it selfe by hungring and desiring which is the true faith in the sweet Fountain of Christ from his new body from the heavenly substantiality as a hungry Branch in the Vine Christ. 104. And the cause why the fiery soule cannot attain to perfection during this lifes time is because it is fast bound with the outward bond of vanity through which the Devill continually casteth his venemous Rayes of influence upon it and so fifteth it that it often biteth at his bait and poysoneth it selfe from whence misery and anguish ariseth so that the Noble Sophia hideth her selfe in the Fountain of Christ in the heavenly humanity for she cannot draw neere to vanity 105. For she knew how it went with her in Adam when she lost her Pearle which is of grace freely bestowed again upon the inward humanity therefore she is called Sophia viz. the Bride of Christ. 106. Here she faithfully calleth to the fiery soule viz. to her Bridegroom and exhorteth him to repentance and to the unburthening of himselfe or going from the abomination of vanity 107. Here warre assaulteth the whole man wherein the outward fleshly man lusteth against the inward spirituall man and the Spirituall against the fleshly and so man is in continuall warfare and strife full of trouble misery anguish and care 108. The inward saith to the fiery soule O my soule O my love turne I beseech thee and goe forth from vanity or else thou losest my love and the noble Pearle 109. Then saith the outward Reason viz. the bestiall soule Thou art foolish wilt thou be a foole and the scorn of the world Thou needest the outward world to maintain this life beauty power and glory is thy chiefest Treasure wherein onely thou canst rejoyce and take delights Why wilt thou cast thy selfe into anguish misery and reproach Take thyâ— pleasure which will doe both thy flesh and thy â—mind good 110 With such filth the true man is often defiled viz. the outward man defileth himselfe as a Sow in the mire and obscureth his Noble Pearle For the more vain the outward man groweth the more dark the inward man cometh to be till at length it disappeareth together 111. And then the faire Paradificall Tree is gone and it will be very hard to recover it again for when the outward light viz. the outward soule is once enlightned so that the outward light of Reason is kindled by the inward light then the outward soule commonly useth to turn hypocrite and esteem it selfe divine and though the Pearle be gone which sticks hard to many a man 112. And so the tree of Pearle in the Garden of Christ is often spoyled concerning which the Scripture maketh a hard knot or conclusion
thing its owne will is without GODS will and there the Devill dwelleth and all what ever is without God The Scholar 42. How farre then is Heaven and Hell from one another The Master As far as day and night something and nothing are one from another they are in one another and they doe cause joy and trouble one to another Heaven is through the whole world and without the world all over without being divided or included in a place and worketh through the Diviâ—â— Manifestation but onely in it self and in that which commeth into it or in that wherein it becommeth manifest and there God is revealed for heaven is nothing but a manifestation of the eternall One wherein all worketh and willeth in quiet love Hell also is through the whole world and dwelleth and worketh also but in it selfe and in that wherein the foundation of Hell is manifested viz. in Selfe and in the false or evill will The visible world hath both Heaven and Hell in it Maâ— as to his Temporall life is only of the visible world and therefore during the time of this life he seeth not the spirituall world for the outward world with its substance is a cover to the spirituall world as the soule is covered with the body But when the outward man dyeth then the spirituall world as to the soule is manifested either in the eternall light with the holy Angels or in the eternall darknesse with the Devils The Scholar 43. What is an Angel or the soule of a man that they may be manifested thus either in Gods love or anger The Master They came from one originall they are a Branch of the Divine Sience of the Divine will sprung from the Divine Word and made an object of the Divine Love they are come out of the ground of eternity from whence Light and Darknesse spring viz. Darknesse consisting in the receiving of Self-desire and Light consisting in willing the same with God and there the love of God is in the working but in the receiving of Self in the willing of the soule Gods will worketh in pain and is a Darknesse that the light may be known They Heaven and Hell are nothing else but a manifestation of the Divine will either in Light or Darknesse according to the properties of the spirituall world The Scholar 44. What then is the Body of a Man The Master It is the visible world an Image and essence of all that the world is and the visible world is a manifestation of the inward spirituall world come out of the eternal light out of the eternall darknesse out of the spiritual weaving twining or connexion and it is an object or resemblance of eternity wherewith eternity hath made it self visible where self-wil and resigned will viz. evill and good work one with another and such a substance the outward man also is for God created man of the outward world and breathed into him the inward spirituall world for a soule and an understanding life and therefore in the things of the outward world man can receive and work evill and good The Scholar 45. What shall be after this world when all things perish The Master The materiall substance onely ceaseth viz. the foure elements the Sun Moon and Starres and then the inward world will be wholly visible and manifest But whatsoever hath been wrought by the Spirit in this time whether evill or good I say every work shal separate it self there in a spirituall manner either into the eternal light oâ— into the eternal darknesse for that which is born from each will penetrateth again into that which is like it selfe And there the darknesse is called Hell and is an eternall forgetting of all good and the light is called the Kingdome of God and is an eternall joy and an eternall praise in the Saints that they are delivered from the evill pain The last judgement is a kindling of the fire both of Gods love and anger in which the matter of every substance perisheth and each fire shall attract its own into it selfe viz. the substance that is like it selfe that is Gods fire of love draweth into it whatsoever is born in the love of God in which also it shall burn after the manner of love and yeeld it selfe up into that substance But the pain draweth into it selfe what is wrought in the anger of God in darknesse and consumeth the false substance and then there remaineth onely the painful or aking will in its own forme Image and figure The Scholar 46. What Matter and Form or shape shall our bodies rise with The Master It is sown a natural grosse elementary body which in this life time is like the outward elements and in this grosse body there is the subtile power and vertue as in the earth there is a subtile good vertue which is like the Sun and is one and the same with the Sunne which also in the beginning of time did spring and proceed out of the Divine power and vertue from whence all the good vertue of the body hath been received this good vertue of the mortall body shall come again and live for ever in a kind of transparent Crystalline material property in spirituall flesh and bloud as also the good vertue of the earth shall when the earth also shall bee Crystalline and the Divine light shine in every thing that hath a Being Essence or Substance And as the grosse earth shall perish and not return so also the grosse flesh of Man shall perish and not live for ever But all things must appeare before the judgement and in the judgement bee separated by the fire yes both the earth and also the ashes of the humane body For when God shall once move the Spirituall world every Spirit shall attract its spirituall substance to it selfe viz. a good Spirit and soule shall draw to it selfe its good substance and an evill one its evill substance But we must here understand such a substantiall materiall power and vertue whose substance is meere vertue like a materiall tincture whose grossnesse is perished in all things The Scholar 47. Shall we not rise again with our visible bodies and live in them for ever The Master When the visible world perisheth then all that which hath come out of it and hath been externall shall perish with it there shal remain of the world onely the heavenly Crystalline Nature and Form and so there shall remain of Man also onely the spirituall earth For man shall be then wholly like the spiritual world which as yet is hidden The Scholar 48. Shall there be also husband and wife or children and kindred in the spirituall life or shall one associate with another as they doe in this life The Master Why art thou so fleshly minded There will be neither husband nor wife but all will be like the Angels of God viz. Masculine Virgins there will be neither sonne nor daughter brother nor sister
creatures * * Or the creature * * Or false * * Or barren * * Into outward Reason * Or of hidden my steries * * Or false o o Or fruitlesse or barren * * Essences or substances o o The. earnest zeale p p Or prompteth it Note what true faith is * * Carv'd work * * Or durable * * Or childship * * Or false * * Or being * * or essence * * or Abysse o o Or Turba magna the Curse * * Mischief or hurt * * Or conceive o o Or perse vereth * * Or childship * * Renewed mind * * Or intarnation * * Or fleshly lust * * Or Lilly-twig * * Or property of anger o o Is the trouble that is upon the face of the earth light in his children * * Is the Divine * * Or genera teth * * or original * * light and darknesse a a generateth or begette h. b b Or property * * Or properties in the eternall nature * * Or into a a Or things b b a coneoction or a kind of seed which containeth aell the thing hath from whence it is c c or out-spoken or expressed d d Or creating word * * Or concordance * * Or consisteth * * Or Astrnm * * Or astrum * * harmony or concordance * * Or Constellation * * Stomach and guts * * or in * * Or Beget * See Limbus before * * Or propagation * * That which when we are dead is meat for worms * * stars or astra * * Or Stars * * Or shine forth * * Or Limit * * Viz. The wisdom of God * * Or beliefe See the 3 prinples cap. 16. from verse 47. to verse 51. * * Note Christ is the merit * * Or ab extra * * Nature or substance or seed * * The vertue power or Spirit of Christ. * * Or ground * * Or Ministery * * Or Ministery * * Or voyce * Forgivenes or remission of my sins Or Satisfaction * * Law or OrdinaÌ„ce * * Or branch bud or sprout b b Or we in him * * a Divine in holy orders * * Or Husk * * Or churlish * * Or greeting a a or coÌ„ference b b or diciple I. How men may come to the supersensual Life * * or an houre II. How men must and may rule over all creatures can bee like all things * * Imagelkie * * Imagelike III. How men may come to continuall repentance subsist in temptation * * Feedeth nourisheth or preserveth * * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * * or by IV. How love and sorrow stand together in one and what Love is what its power vertue height and goodnesse is where it dwelleth in man also the neer est way to attain it * * Here is meant the manifestation of the Deity in the glorious eternall Light of the Divine Essâ—â—â—â— * * Love * * viz. in thy own will * * Or Brighter * * powerfull virtuall or strengthening * * V. whither the blessed and damned soules goe when they depart and how Heaven and Hell is in man * * Or evil Impressed VI. where the Angels Devils dwell in this worlds time how far Heaven and Hell are asunder and what and whence the Angels and soules are * * Or Revealed * * Or piece or slip or grift or sience VII What the body of man is and why the Soule is capable of receiving good and evill VIII Of the perishing of the world of mans body in and after the Resurrection where Heaven and Hel shal be of the last Iudgement and wherfore strife in the Creature must be * * false * * such a thing as hath all figures colours and vertues and yet transparent * * See the 40. questions of the soule 21. question 12. verse * * or receiving or using or enjoying * * or illustration * * Or sentence * * in or upon * served or helped * See the latter end of the answer following * * or the inward man * * Or serve him * * Or Image-like or graven Image * * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Acts. 19. 19. * * In the time from the fall to the resurrection a a The power that is in the fire or root of the Creature by which it is what it is by which the b b Smith Artificer or workman doth work * * or the Artificer in the fire * * like a â—andle extinguished * * Or Aerial Spirit or thereason of the outward man * * Or false na turall right * * Colewort o o or humane Natre * * or vizard * * Or goods * * Or journey * * or the love of God shed abroad in all our hearts * * Or imparâ— * * The Mysterium Magnum * * Mat. 23. 37. * * Or the Word or wisdome of God crying in the streets * * Or their Latine which they speake * * Jura * * from or by * * This foreâ—ing Book that the Author mentioneth is the â—â—ok of Repentance the Book of Resignation and â—e Book of Regeneration for no more of them â—ere printed in his life time * * Or the longer the better beloved ††Praxis * * viz. my writings