their Essence and Existence Noâ— it is observabl and meriteth an Asterisc large and 〈◊〉 both in the Line and below that by this veri waâ—â— of Apocalyptic Manifestation this Highly Spirituâ—â— Person had thro' God's free love and to the praisâ— the Glorie of His Grace the things here treated 〈◊〉 made known to Him and seen by Him For 〈◊〉 Spirit of his mind was without ani peradventure 〈◊〉 above in mo Words was uttered taken carried drawn fetched or catched up far farr away froâ— â—is Bodie evn up to and into the veri Archeâ—ypous Globe of all Globes that of all originals the â—riginal it self where unclothedly uncoveredly â—akedly uncompoundedly abstractly and simpliâ—edly Hee stood appeared was in His Spirits aâ—ong with and in the Praesence and Companie of â—e innumerabl numberless number of the Throne-â—ngels who are the Inhabitants of the Still AEterâ—itie Nor are these Sublimities in Religion becauâ—â—naccountabl as it were and uncondescendabl to â—â—e meerly Rational or uncompliabl with the â—ules of Syllogism to be reputed much less reprochâ—â— as the Phrensies of an overheated Devotion or â—â—e Visions only or apparitions of an old doting â—ermit's Cell separated from veritie and departed â—â—om entitie as only som Phantasm Spectrum â—ngastromyth or Ghost nor ani supererogating â—â—rfections or rather praesumptuous and temerarious â—nthusiasms at best their Heads swimming in an â—â—finit Vacuum and all â—ssâ—ntial thought lessning like â—â—m soaring hawks into a strange transcendence and â—t last passing away into invisibl atoms or nothings â—r however to make the most thereof imperceptibl â—btilities of unconvervably profound Contemplaâ—â—rs whose Eies have never a more immutabl fixaâ—â—on than at that veri moment when thei see no â—ind of thing as if all were stupefaction rather â—â—an Satisfaction nai husâ—ing Fanaticism by such â—amely who beleev ani such atteiments impossibl â—ithout cracking the Soul's Hypostasis by the imâ—oderate displaies as thâ—i call such of immediate â—evelation not considering so much as that tru Metaphysics are to this daie non obstante or for all 〈◊〉 gloriâ—ing in discoveries upon discoveries a Grand Dâ—â—sideratum in Philosophie But pure Religioâ— which hath brought Life and Immortalitie to ligâ—â— wil teach us to look up and wait for larger meâ—â—sures and fuller pourings forth of the Holi Spirit 〈◊〉 all be taught of God according to Scripture-Prophâ—â—ties and Promises thro' the Blessed Spirit assure to us to abide for ever with and in us All thâ— while I am not ignorant how those who look aftâ—â— such promises with an eie of Faith are looked upâ—â— evn as the Commanders of Ramoth Gilead lookâ—â— upon the Prophet sent to anoint Iehu King of Isrâ—â—â— to wit as so mani mad men But Wisdom 〈◊〉 been justified or more cleerly judged or the sentâ—â— hath as in judgment been pronounced of Wisdom by 〈◊〉 her children as few Sons as thei be The Truth 〈◊〉 were all Truths evident to man's understanding wold not only set an undervalue upon Truth bâ— swell man with Pride evn to a bursting Nor is pâ—â—â—fect knowledg of immediate causses altogether â—â—â—quisite for finding out Truth Here notwithstâ—â—â—ding give mee leav to persu and take and thâ—â— too mi wretchedly sawci stubborn refractori aâ— too oft rebellious Reason to an O! the Hights and there to lose a littl both it and miself in tâ— vision and contemplation of these Divinest Myâ—â—â—ries and then to descend gradualy and sacredly gen to visit and convers here below but not witâ— out a Seraphic kind of Lov that noble and certâ— â—onsequence and Fruit of an operativ and activ â—aith For and to which there do mi thoughts want mani mo objectiv impossibilities far more â—han as yet have in this our Age appeared to ani â—erson all which wil be found yet when ani such â—hal arise too low easi and littl for a nobl Spirit â—f Faith which is an higher Principl by mani deâ—rees of Demonstration than the most rectiâ—ied â—eason beeing it is no less â—or lower than 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the firm and evidential â—robation of invisibls things out of sight that most â—nlimited Sens which extendeth its Roialtie through the â—hole Vnivers purvei-ing for all the capacitie of the â—nderstanding facultie and pointing at what it can never â—ake ani perfect discoverie of for by the veri visibl â—â—ings of the Creation the invisibls are collected so farr 〈◊〉 I from not being persuaded convinced and fulâ—â— satisfied of and concerning the most abstruse and â—nigmatic Verities and Mysteries in Theologie The fourth and last degree of Revelation and â—hich is of all the highest is the Coming Down of â—et the Catachresis I prai be candidly interpreted for â—e sake of that Dove the Holi Spirit into the Essence â—â— the Soul there to complete finish and accomâ—â—ish the work of Regeneration and to fix it in its â—ate of Glorification unveiling the beuties and â—â—ening the Glories of the New Ierusalem coming â—om God out of Heven into the Soul's Centre â—o this degree of Revelation came the holi Apostls â—â— the Daie of Pentecost by the Descent of the Holi â—host Gust Wind Breath or Spirit to be â—ow once agen once agen as one of the Marian Martyrs said known it is wel enough about what â—â—vived and renewed as the Prodromus or For runner of the AEternal Evangelie the Everlastiâ—â— Gospel so called to the Honor and Glorie of the â—â—â—jestie on High the shame and confusion of the Dâ—â—vil with his Angels and Agentâ— which shal at 〈◊〉 be most low and to the intermediate and intermiâ—â—bly triumphant joie and unexpressabl refreshing the Heavenli longing panting and longsufferiâ—â— humbl waiting faithful Servants of Christ 〈◊〉 all oppreâ—â—ions oppositions or supplantations the World yea the hearing and beeing evn in 〈◊〉 midst of all the too often unheavenli Plantatioâ— or unwholsom words not of our Lord Iesus 〈◊〉 of the Doctrine according to Godliness in Church not to meddl with the Great ones in State whose Bibl is the Statute-book and the Artâ—â— of whose Faith are mostly grounded I fear 〈◊〉 Positiv injunctions who look no further haply 〈◊〉 the peruâ—ing the Arguments of the three grand â—â—â— postors the Leviathan or which is more plaâ—â— the Law of their Prince which I renegue no furtâ—â—â— than as repugnant to that of the Prince of Kings of the Earth it beeing sufficient for 〈◊〉 I can in mi place and sâ—aâ—ion as to that Quâ—stion Point be taught thro' Grace mi dutie to Goâ—â—â—â—nors in God and for God out of the Book God that God as I mai sai of Books as hither have had the repute of a reasonabl apt and 〈◊〉 Scholar at that lessonâ— Maulgre I continue whol Plantation which the Father who the Hevenly hath not planted of what denomination soever whether rotten Foundations superstitious superstructions Anti-Christian innovations unchristian Dominations fals unwritten Traditions inhumane inventions unscriptural institutions injunctions impositions or propositions appositions
with such a Fellow in â— mi life What is thi name So that of God to Moses let mee alone as if the hands of Omnipotence were held All which holding of God Allmightie's Hands is but by lifting purely up oâ—â— Eies Hearts and Hands to him our Father who in the Heavens Surely so did Sanderson aboâ—â— whom for singular honor's sake I singly now name before hee desscended into the Sand to wrastl witâ— his dissenting Brethren about Religious Coâ—cerns Church-ceremonies so controverted that upâ—n the Hypothesis for so I wold be understood that â—here be things Adiaphorous in the Church or Churches if Christ hath ani more than one Sanâ—erson I sai hath thro' God's blessing upon his â—â—udious and pious wrastlings without Controverâ—â—e as that great is the Mysterie of Godliness most Diaâ—hanously perspicuously no less clearly unless â—oecis mai I sai auribus mente than the Sun-Beams upon a Wall of Crystall if not as transpaâ—ently as the Streets of the new Ierusalem cleared â—lustrated and adjudged that cloudi gloomi mootâ—ase or point that perplexed AEnigma that Aâ—han of our Israel or rather Abaddon and most â—ertenly Church-confounding Controversie for I â—an call it no other while it so continueth as danâ—erously the Devil knoweth it doth and â—hereat joieth â—preading like a Leprosie and eating as a Gangraen 〈◊〉 and Cancer and wil infallibly and inevitably deâ—our and destroi but so wil it not be in God's Holi Mountain without the opportune interposition of â—rudent indulgence mutuous toleration and grand â—oderation or what is not over so much as upâ—â— all God's Works evn his unesxpected undeservâ—d tho' I trust not undesired and unbegged Mercie â—oth Root and Branch us and our as in a Daie â—ur name and place beeing taken away to the Dicite Io Paean Io bis dicite Paean of them whom none of us can be ani such Ignoraâ—us as not apparently at this time of daie to ken â—s wel as their crueltie and fraud which God of the same His immens Mercie infinit Love and for the sake of his own Son and Name Avert Amen and Amen And let both the King who repraesenteth God and the Parlement who reprâ—senteth the Peopl sai Amen and whom that the all-wise allmighti and most mercifull God mai salvifi fortifi and grandifi sanctifi tranquillisi and felicifi if it mai stand with the good pleaceur of his Wilâ— heartily praieth the poor Praefacer But now thoâ— late yet better late than never so the Proverb To the Second Quaestion sciz Why or what nâ—â— have wee to expose to public view these Arcanums oâ— Mysteries of the Archetypous Globe Original Worldâ— Principl of AEternitie c. Answ. It was among other for these reasons grounds persuasives motives or if you pleace inductives and incentives First Hee did suppose and humbly conceiv thâ— the Holi Spirit of God did not communicate witâ— him and revele to him these Highest Mysteries foâ— his own knowledg and proper Satisfaction Next and in sequel Hee looked at this Tresauâ— as a Talent given to him and entrusted with hiâ— not to wrap it up in a Napkin as the deservedly â—proved slothfull Servant did his but to put it out 〈◊〉 his Master's use Quite contrari to the Principlâ— Practices and custom of selfi men Add to these His generous Benignitie wold not allow him to engross to himself or envi to other of his own make specialy his Countri-men these purely pleasant sensations glorious introversions and divinely tru intellections of his mind which hee could not but conclude to be serviceabl in som waie or other of spiritual instruction improv advance or use Nor is the burning Fire of Charitie or rather divine Love that centred in his Heart to be buried neither indeed could it be under the Ashes of Oblivion or secrecie which never seeking it self but the good and benefit quod bene fit bis fit of his Nighbor extorted these from him by mani manifold and those very great strong restless and importunate impulses which without manifest disobedience to the heavenli Visions and Revelations could not be repulsed resisted or refused Besides or rather persuant to what is already urged the Publication was for the sake of his School-Fellows as Hee was wont to word it who were or are wold or shold be taken up into this same High-School and taught the same Lessons most proper to the Daie by the same School-master that so thei principaly the more cautiously curious spiritualy ambitious and sacredly inquisitiv of and among them mought be gratified and satisfied in viewing thro' this purely pellucid medium the coelestial Fabric frame and most inward work in the veri spring everi wheel within a wheel yea everi the minutest movement thereof and be therby infinitly coâ—firmed by these exarations of His Penn and Emâ—â—nations as I mai sai of his divinely tinctured Spâ—â—rit as those reciprocously ratified by these Testâ—â—monies not that I wold have the mind of ani iâ—â—genious and spiritual Indagator blindly acquiesceiâ— ani assertions or conclusions neither arising upoâ— Principles of Faith nor from necessari praemilles but praeserv his opinion and particular persuasioâ— as indeed hee cannot well omitt or decline the tâ—â—king this mi caution and counsil Moreover Hee allowed the printing and publiâ—â—â—ing of these Writings that there mought be eâ—â—stant a Characteristic an appropriate and distiâ—â—guishing Character in truth and in veri deed of iâ—â—maculate Divinitie by Demonstration as it 〈◊〉 and likewise Praelibation as an Antipast or giving a foretaste to the Universities from wâ—â—â— hee had his Doctorate tho' hee took few of these Degrâ—â— there and had these been in all Languages to tâ—â— Univers it self as of the certentie soliditie aâ—â— sublimitie of the Mysteries and Powers of the 〈◊〉 vine Magia so of that vastly grand and verily iâ—â—compatibl I had almost added yet incredibl differeâ—â— and disâ—inction twixt the Rational and Intellectuâ—â— Power or Facultie the apprehension and coâ—â—prehension in Men and Saincts in order and â—â—â—dence to and toward their beeing filled with or into all the Fullness of God thro' the Love of God in Christ which passeth knowledg shed abroad in their Hearts by the Holi Spirit which is given to them Surely wee do not know by ani other means that wee are the Children of God but becaus God sealeth unto our Heart by his Spirit our Adoption of us out of free Grace and wee by Faith receiv the assured Pledges of Him given in Christ's Love for tho' everi Beleever hath the Testimonie of His Faith from his Works yet it cometh à posteriori probatione from a later or secondari proof in stead or place of a sign It is only an addition or inferior Help for a prop to Faith not for a Foundation to lean on Tru it is everi one mai be confirmed and assured in their calling by their sober righteous and godli Life But how As a proof not
But you 'l say to which of the Trinity doth this Heart belong I answer It is the Heart of the total Godhead for as the Trinity hath but one Eye so likewise they have but one Heart between them Yet notwithstanding when we speak of the Trinity with distinction the Heart is attributed to the second Number of the Trinity as being the manifestation of the Son of God We come now to speak more particularly concerning the manifestation made by this fifth opening of the Abyssal Eye and we say that it discovers these particulars to the Spirit of the Mind 1. That the Holy Trinity hath a Heart 2. It discovers the Nature and Office of this Heart 3. It shews what is comprehended in this Heart And in the fourth and last place it discovers whaâ— flows forth and proceeds from it I. Part. In the fist place this fifth opening of the Eye doth discover the Trinity to have a Heart even an Essential Heart wherein is seated the Life of the Deity as the Understanding Will and Senses are seated â—â— the Eye yea this Heart is the very Life it self of thâ— Deity for God hath no Soul neither can he have any and that for these reasons First Becaus all Souls do proceed from the Womb of Eternal Nature but the Spirit of Eternity oâ— whom we here speak is before Eternal Nature had 〈◊〉 being Secondly God hath no Soul becaus he hath nâ— need of one his Heart supplying the place of 〈◊〉 Soul Thirdly and lastly God hath no Soul that hereby he might be distinguished from all Angels and Men none of which are without Souls And though the word Soul be in some few places oâ— Scripture attributed to God yet this is only done by way of Analogy and after the manner of Men and not with relation to his Primary abstracted being in the Globe of Eternity II. The second Particular discovered is What this Eternal Heart of God is and its Nature and Office in the Holy Trinity The opening of the Eye manifests this Heart to be the Essential Heart of God generated by himself out of himself and for himself and therefore is himself as being co-essential and co-equal with him all pure Deity all Holy all Pure all Perfect But more especially the opening of the Eye doth discover this Heart of God to be of a flowing Nature like to the Sea without bottom or bounds it is like a spring in a Fountain and bubbling Well which can never be drawn dry it is in a perpetual motion and in this motion there is a perpetual communication of it self from it self through it self to it self and this out-flowing of the Heart is nothing else but the original Divine Purity Righteousness and Holiness This Heart of God is the overflowing Sea of the Deity which flows from himself that is from his own original Purity Righteousness and Holyness and flows into and fills the whole Eternal Abyss with its fulness it is so immense in its flowings forth that the deep Abyss of the Eternal Globe would not be able to contain it but that the Spirit of the Eye by his Omnipotency sets bounds and limits to the out-flowings of his own Divine Nature The out-goings of the Deity are deeper than the Abyss and broader than the Abyss but the Spirit of Eternity saith to the out-flowing of his own Ocean Deity thus far go and no further be ye bounded within the Circumference of the Abyss And this out-flowing Ocean of the Deity is by the opening of the Eye manifested to be a clear transparent mist or vapor filling the whole Deep of the Abyssal Globe This sight from the opening of the Abyssal Eye is a lively spriteful rejoycing triumphing and amazing sight and cannot be expressed in dead words or letters neither can any Idea form or likeness fully represent it as it discovers it self by the opening of the Eye O ye seekers of the Divine Mysteries when your Spirits are let in to a sight of this Divine Mist then you will understand what this pen hath written Having spoke something concerning the Nature of this Heart of the Deity come we now to speak of the function oâ— office of this Heart in the Holy Trinity 1. The first office of the Heart is this To be the fixed center and fountain of the out-going overflowing Ocean of the Deity Hence this Heart is called an ever rising bubling spring of living waters which fails not becaus the fulness of the Deity is continually flowing and streaming forth from this Heart and returning to the same again This Heart is a golden pipe of conveiance by which the fulness of the Deity is conveyed from it self through it self to it self and there is fixed as a center or middle point in the midst of the Holy Trinity 2. The second office of this Heart of the Holy Trinity is to be the Center Fountain and Treasury of Life in the Deity for as the Heart is the Fountain of Life in Man and all other living Creatures even so is this Heart of the Holy Trinity the Spring and Center of the Essential Life of the Godhead 3. The third and last office of this Essential Heart of God is to bear the express Image and likeness of the whole Deity for as this Heart is the Center and Spring from whence the Divine Nature continually streameth forth and to which it returneth again and as it is the seat and Center of Life to the Holy Trinity so it must needs be the express Image and representative of the whole Godhead for God's Life flows from this his Essential Heart and his Divine Nature flows from his Life through his Heart and his Image being nothing else but an outward expression of his Life and Nature therefore the Image of the Total Deity must needs be impressed upon the Essential Heart of God III. The third Particular discovered concerning the Heart of God by the opening of the Eye of the Abyss is the manifestation of all that which is shut upâ— contained and comprehended in it and they are there viz. the Nature of God his Image and likeness and his Essential affections 1. In the first place therefore the opening of the Eye shews that the Divine Nature is contained in this Essential Heart of God which Divine Nature is a perfect Unity and Simplicity without the least mixture of contrariety for though the Scriptures and other Divine writers speak of Love and Anger in God yet we must not think that they speak of God as he exists in the Globe of Eternity for there he is nothing but a perfect Unity without any duality or contrariety whatsoever but they attribute these opposite affections to God as he hath introduced himself into the divided properties of fallen Natureâ— for in them he is angry and fierce against sin and evâ—â—â— thing that is opposite to his own Holy Pure Divine Nature which is the most perfect Unity and Simplicity The Nature of Gâ—d as it is a most
leave you in the Work that we have bin travailing in together for do not think my being takâ—n away shall stop it for it shall live and flourish And doubt not but God will raise up that good Spirit that hath bin a guiding Light in and to me in some others that shall assist and go forward with you for the finishing of that great Mysterie which we have mutually rejoiced in But be you stedfast abiding in the Faith thereof according to what hath been made known bâ— the Spirit of our Lord and Saviour touching these Things And so he concluded with a desire to speak with his trusty and dearly beloved Friend Dr. Ed. Hr. concerning the Publication of the Writings which his Mind was much upon who also declared his Mind some small Time after in my hearing to the Doctor concerning them as leaving them in trust with no other though some Breach of his Will did after happen which will be sad indeed should the same not he repaired that so his Will mai be fullfilltd concerning his Writings so left in trust After he had thus delivered his Mind his animal Spirits grew hourly faint and weak yet as he was able many refreshing Speeches and gracious Sentences came still from him both to his near Relations and other Friends then about him who performed their dutiful and Christian Part to him for which they received his Blessing and had his Praiers to God in their behalf Much more might be recited but I shall forbear further Enlargement and refer the Inquirer to those living Testators to whom this Author was sufficiently known It may now be expected that we should give some more Satisfaction as to the Life of this Person how he carried it as to all holy Deportment both towards God and towards Man For as his Light was great and eminent so his Life is answerably to be measured I shall not affirm it to be so perfect as nothing of defect could be found therein he was a Man that might be subject to Passions and Infirmities as Elias was yet this I can boldly and as truly say on his behalf since the Time of my acquaintance he groaned and travailed hard in himself after the Birth of Perfection forward pressed he towards the Mark of the Resurrection which was still in his Eye daily preaching it to himself and others being of late Years more than ordinary in Mortifications and daily Dyings to all things that came in as the Effect of the Fall And indeed for the later Years of his Life he took up so much with God as he cared to be very little known among Men alwaies excepting his dear Friend Dr. Ed. Hr. whom he would not willingly be without at home even when most retired I say he cared not to be known in the World as a Preludium to his not long staying among the Inhabitants thereof For thus far I made my Observation upon him that I often saw the Spirit of his Mind translated and was gone up beforehand as it were to prepare a Mansion for his Soul which then groaned to be set loose from so unagreeable a Bodie yet as little so by reason of its habituated heavenly Inclination and sometimes extraordinary Exertion and Elevation as a mortal Bodie could lightly be Hence it was that he so often let fall this Expression Olr how little do I care to live without I might come to put on the Bodie of the Resurrection by and in which I might do the Will of God in this lower World with as great Libertie Alacritie and Constancie as Mount Sion's Saints now in Glorie Thus in grand Soul-Introversion and Body-Exertion he spent this later part of his Daies delighting much as the Dr. E. H. and several more know in an abstracted Life and coveted Solitude withdrawing from his publick Ministery wherein he had formerly exercised himself but of late after the Example of the holy Apostle Paul he retired to a little convenient Place of his own yet not refusing any that would come for spiritual Direction and Counsel freely giving as he had freely received from the Lordâ— Thus painfully did he labour in the Vineyard of his own Soul and for others in the Name of the Lord. In the Time of this his Solitude he writ more as much more as what is now brought forth into publick View wherein are many great and mystical Truths that were opened unto him from the pure central Light that rose from the morning-Starâ— whereof this Tract sheweth somthing though but as a Glance of what lieth hid in the fuller Bodie of the Golden Remains which some-bodiâ— doth retain for the present which when they shall see Light as we will yet hope they mai the will appear as the Express of a deep Spirit which had great Libertie of access to and Abilitie of diving into the infinite Ocean of divine Mysteries through the favourable Guift of a faithful and bountiful Lord the Almighty God Therefore he being so greatly good let not thine Eye O Reader be evil nor let any one stumble or be offended at either the Author or matter Method or Expression but give place to that pure Light which gave him such an Understanding and Sight If the Meat be too strong for thee thou hast liberty to refuse and maist set it by till thou art grown stronger in Spirit it was the Author's Iudgment not to impose he left that for the Lord alone to dispose the Mind for reception But doubtless it is prepared as a living Portion for such as hunger after spiritual Dainties and heavenly Mysteries Let me therefore beseech you to be censureless till the Day of the Lord cometh without Clouds to arise in the Heart of your Earth so as to clear up all doubtful matters of this kind observing the Doctrine of that large spirited Apostle which is To abide in that Spirit of Love which can hope believe and bear all things and cover and comprehend what we mai not yet perfectly understand or reach as not being happily come to that clear inspection of things thereby to be so imboldned as to pass Iudgment with an infallibility thereon but rather give room and grant Christian Liberty to and for the various Gifts and Operations of the Spirit in each one For sure I am it is that which will secure us in the Peace of God which passeth Understanding which will guard our Hearts from the evil of Controversies which this Author did study to avoid though of sufficient Learning and Ability to manage them yet of late Time kept himself from all such Ingagements quietly resting under the droppings or rather Pourings of the holy Anointing Of which I shall give you some particular as the ground-work of this Subject here treated of being the Knowledg of God out of Nature and yet to be known in the Globe of eternal Nature This you must know he came to understand by his Spirit being caught up into the still Eternitie for several Daies together which
hast put and set a Iewel a fair one evn of greaâ—eâ—â— price and highest value O how far then from the right are unmercifulness uncharitablnes hardheartednes strife rancour envie judging censuring slandering backbiting speaking or whispering evil specialy of and against Persons and Things neither known to thee nor understood by thee How far I sai from right I dare not take upon mee to judg This onely I sai to such Practicers what Christ did to those Hypocrites who could discern the face of the Skies Yea and why evn of your selvs judg yee not what is right Now if such things be right then surely nothing's wrong Let 's all like Devils fight and damn i th' cursed throng God Christ and th' Spirit ' spite and mock'em in a Song Yet stil I shold beleev it to be the better safer and wiser waie to humbl our selvs under the mighti hand of God taking holi Iames for our council in the case and praepare to meet our God who is a God of Iudgment and a consuming Fire and everlasting too into whose hands to fall it is a fearfull thing Hee likewise beeing the living God and no Person-Respecter but recompensing everi one according to his work If wee therefore wold not fall short of felicitie here and hereafter let us fall out of hand upon dooing and mainteining good works and for ever abandon falling on or out with one another but if there be a wise man among us and one indued with knowledg let him be persuaded by and with blessed Iames to shew out of a good conversation His Works with meâ—knâ—s of Wisdom evn thaâ— Wisdom from above which first truly chast and pure is further more pacific quiâ—t not rigid for its own right moderate obsequious pâ—rsuasibl yiâ—lding full of mercie and good fruits without disceptation oâ— controversie not doubting certen without Hypocrisie not stage-plaier like not dissembling its judgment not aâ—â—ing ani waie counterfeiâ—ly O that wee were thus wise aâ—d in the meeknes of this wisdom walk 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 simus let us go to aâ—d fro' one another pass things easily to and agen having such a praesence of mind alwaies as to becom all things to all men with the Doctor of the Gentiles that Omniformist who tho Hee were free â—rom all yâ—â— Hee made himself a servant to all that Hee mought gain the moe by all means save som. This hee did â—or the ends of the Evangelie When sâ—al such glad Tidings befall us bless Church and State O what a glorious state shold wee and our Churchmen and women and Children and all things els be in Of this pure temper waâ— the Autor as you mai see evn by that littl hee speaketh to the Reader bâ—fore this Discours yea renownedly clothed with the meek Spirit of our only Lord Iesus the Christ the Author and Finisher i. e. the Beginner and Ender not of our your or their but of the Faith with reference to all times and persons according to the tenor and Tâ—stimonie of the Scriptures of Truth I must tell you it agen The Autor had the Spirit of meeknes with the Faith and Lov which is in Chriâ—t for the excellence the of knowledg of whom his Lord hee suâ—â—ered like another Paul as is wel known to all sciz who knew him the loss of all things which hee reckoned at no higher rate than Dogs-meat but not such as is givn to dogs in â—hese daies which good Christians wold be glad of that hee mought win Chriâ—â— aâ—d be found in Him not having his own Righteousnes but that which is by the Faith of Chriâ—t that Hee mought know him and the power of his Resurrection aâ—d the Fellowship of his Suâ—ferings beeing made conformabl to his Death if by aâ—i means Hee mought attein to the Resurrection of the dead Which undoubtedly Hee maugre all whisperings backbitings censures or praejudices of unbeliâ—f to the contrari did did follow after and to tâ—â—â—â—â—â—citie of mortalitie atteined the nearest to â—â— oâ— all that in this Age I have known or heard of Thus much I can testifâ— since mi acquaintance with him for Hee was not onely a bare liver by the Faith of Iesus but in the Work and Service of Love Faith's best demonstration and the Law 's Fullfiller a true Laborer and as to winged Mysteries if I mai speak mi sens withoâ—â— essens a littl incarnate Cherub or rather Sâ—raph or that I mai not excede the words of Truth and Holiness to the extending in the less'st the lines of Modestie a very highly mystic and transspiritualized Person A specimen of which not more great than just and due Eulogie and Encomium this Tract tho' a smal one is Which Writings Hee before his Asscension to the Spirits of Iust men perfâ—ctly sanctiâ—ied advised and consulted with mee about as is sufficiently known not only to his Hous-keeper but to his most agreeabl and supersensual Companion and Fellow-laborer in the Evangelic-angelic Work viz. â— L. mi Praecursor or Prae-Epistolizâ—r and a daili Exspâ—câ—ant to be clothed upon with the heavenli Bodie to com down from above waiting in the Spirit for the fullnes thereof and who hath not long since appeared in to or from the World pleace to take which Praeposition you best approv in an Heavenli Cloud A product fairly and fully meriting the Titl as is clear notwithstanding the Cloud to ani spiritual Discerner Favor mee with somuch freedom as once agen to affirm that the Autor excluding all other by what names or Titles soever dignified or distinguished or wheresoever praesiding or residing in Court Citie Camp or Countrie committed these Papyrs according to the certen knowledg of the Person ut supra hinted or lettered to the custodie and Correction so continued under correcâ—ion be it spoken and so confirmed was his confidence herein of Mee who highly â—steemed him in love for his Works sake not forgetting evn this which now thro the Divine Providence according to mi trust word or as som wil have words too is now com forth with an open face to public view from its recess or privacie â—ere hearken and heed hereto by the wholey unasked therefore freely ofâ—ered benignitie and generositie of which I am a witness and which likevise witnesseth the dignitie and Divinitie of the Soul and Spirit of the Person so acting viz. W. B. that famous Anti-Satánic Athleta Anti-DaemonÃac Palâ—strita and Hell 's black Regiment's Antagonist yea moreover â—â—â—â—aptive's Redeemer and the mani-mani poor and needi oppressed and distressed People's most readi and praesent Refuge and Asylum wheresoever hee resorteth tho' more principaly at the place of his Residence at Wilminton in Kent Where beside or rather about evn all the Countrie over Hee is wel known and wel nigh from everi quarter or corner thereof addressed unto as an honest diligent expert long experienced and very successfull â—hysician Let this brief Character of this gallant generous resolute
or suppositions of what are as cunningly as commonly called convenient contrivances innocent indifferences and orderli decences under the plausibl praetext placent notion specious name prudential guise and fair construction of that famous Euangelic Canon or Rule the grand Ecclesiastic Cynosura sciz Let all things be done decently and in order Which 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 at best is not so much an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which I humbly conceiv and offer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 purely for sweet dear holi hevenli Peace sake and in a sens and conscience of mi by mee as yet beleeved dutie omnibus singulis qibuscunqe fortassean seu 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seu 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seu 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seu 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seu 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seu Sacerdotum seu Praefectorum nominibus titulis indigitentur insigniantur Which Words so rendred to procede in the waie of Peace and Truth a Conjunction which I wold ever call Copulativ and make if I could perpetuously Consummativ som Godli and learned Writers upon very probabl reasons Scholar like tendred which I like and witâ— out ani bitter reflection which I love and not witâ— out accurate retrospection inspection and circuâ—â—spection as to the design of the Apostl's discourâ—â— and their very serious meditation and ruminatiâ—â— on the scope of the Text with fervent supplicatiâ—â— after Consultation too of the best Commentators 〈◊〉 the place thro' the supplies of the Spirit of Gracâ— and in the name of Christ the Wisdom of the â—â—â—ther to God the Father of Lights and the Spiriâ— of all Flesh which I cannot neither mai loath havâ— after all apprehended and thereupon do beleev That if the Reading were according to natural Dâ—â—cencie and Scripture-Order in the room place oâ— stead of decently and in order those foregoing word wold be much more consonant to and with the Sâ—â—gnificance of the Original and by consequenâ—â— tho' stil under Correction of more illuminated Headâ— â— be assented and consented to specialy by the Church of Christ coming out of Mysterie-Babylon gathered or scattered as the fairest and best interpretatioâ— and exposition O who wil giv that our sight 〈◊〉 be happily cleared by this smal foretast or ani â—â—ther as Ionathan's was by tasting a littl honie from 〈◊〉 end of his Rod and who can tell but it mai speciâ—â— if wee look up for Eie-salv from Heaven whiâ—â— our Eies are looking upon the letters and words and not be wholey taken up with the Letter without the Spirit which wil quicken us and put Life into our Spirit otherwise wee mai li dead at the letter til wee di The Word of Life wil be most welcom to enlivened Spirits O that the Spirit of Praier were raised agen from the dead as one mai sai what happi hopes then shold wee have of a glorious and spiritual Resurrection after so great a death hath passed upon the Churches Oh it is high time to begg as for Life that the Blessed Spirit wold come as Floods upon dri ground since the chois Gardins of the veri Saints for want of Spiritual dewes from Heven are withered that the Churches mai be as watered Gardins and the Saints and Servants of the most High mai at less'st at last like the Willows by the water-courses grow up evn into him in all things who is the Head of everi man and over all things to the Church which is His Bodie the fullness of him who filleth all in all and who wil make good His Great last Testament-Promiss of a doubl portion of his Spirit in a plentifull and powerful effusion thereof in the later glorious Ministration to counsil and comfort suppli and support the Saincts til the conspicuous apparence of his Personal Praesence without which his Praesence which can be no less wheresoever it be than Spiritual no Communions Ordinances or ani extern Administration can be effectual Let us all therfore look upon it as one main work of the daie to set Faith at work on the Promises and be earnest with the Father of Spirits to send down a special Unction from on High for the new spiriting of His Peopl eâ—n that other spirit which Caleb had Seeing a commune Spirit wil never carri them fully thorow in the work of their Generation Let us al prai that the Golden Pipes mai more and more empti their golden ill out of their selvs from the Olive-tree and that thei who desire and endevour to keep the Commands of God and the Testimonie of Iesus mai be anointed with the Oil of Gladnes in more abundant mensures Prai wee all that the Spirit of Glorie mai com down and rest among and upon us as a Refiner's fire to purifi us for our Gold is dim and our fine Gold changed considering Hee who hath the seven Spirits is too visibly turned aside from our golden Candlesticks that so wee mai offer up pure offerings in truth of Righteousnes and holiness beeing renovated in the Spirits of our minds which mai be placent to the Lord as in the daies of old Prai wee all for I praefer it before Preaching in this our Daie and set wee upon the Gates of Heavn with an holi violence knocking daie and night for the Devil is com down in great Rage wrath and violence throwing round about and that with grandest furie his fieri darts toward his Catastrophe or period Hee sadly foreseeing the short time hee hath to rant or rage in O Tri wee all what Power we have with the Father of Lights to set his Power on work to shake the Powers of Darkness in this hour of Tentation that is com upon all the Dwellers upon Earth and to help us in the Discoverie of that now above 5000 years experienced Master of the Black Art transformed too often into the most dangerous white Devil yea an Angel of Light tho' disguising himself and setting his face in secret so the Holi Mother-Toung to be then less'st in sight when without doubt most at work that so hee mai soonest defile and safest beguile us and wee not aware of him while wee shal like those mentioned in the Apocalyps be taken with the fine hair of the Locusts which asscended out of the bottomless Pit that stung them as Scorpions with their Tails O let the Remembrancers of the Lord who loveth to be put in Remembrance of the good thing promised make mention thereof before him that the Hyperpanonomous Iesus the Christ the Lord of Righteousnes the Lord of Lords Tzion's King and King of Kings mai be set upon this Holi Hill that the Heathen mai be His inhaeritance and the uttermost Parts of the Earth His Possession taking to himself his great Power and Reign and put the Government upon his shoulder and arise to shake the Earth yea and the Heavens terribly once
more for the introducing and setting up that Kingdom which cannot be shaken and the things that shal remane according as is Prophecied O when shal the sounding of the Seventh Angel be heard as the great voices in Heaven all the world over sai-ing The Kingdoms of this World are becom the Kingdoms of the Lord and of his Christ and hee shal reign for ever or into the Ages of the Ages And how long O Lord holi and tru shal the good old Promisses to be renewed in these later daies rest unaccomplished Oh when shal the Saviours com upon Mount Zion to judg the Mount of Esau and the Kingdoms be the Lord's and the Lord rais up Carpenters to break the Horns that scatter Iudah so that no man can lift up his Head and put the Honor upon his Saincts to expedite the Iudgment as it is written with a two-edged Sword in their hands and the high praises of God in their mouths to giv Blood to drink to the Woman who is drunken with their Blood and the Martyrs of Iesus and destroi that great Citie which reigneth over the Kings of the Earth and overcom all his and their Inimies in the Blood of the Lamb that so at last the loftiness and haughtiness of men beeing bowed down and made low The Lord alone mai be exalted in his Daie Here permitt mee kind Reader to speak a word or two or mo as to the parts and pietie meekness and humilitie conscience and judgment of this illuminated Autor specialy as to Forms and Ceremonies and Controversies Hee was then as far above all kinds of Church-divisions differences or indifferences yet stil keeping the unitie of the Spirit in the Bond of Peace as the Light of the Sun at middaie is above that of the Glow-worm at midnight For Hee lived specialy in his later years wholey givn up to God If at ani time hee discoursed it was Love Life Spirit and if hee proponed ani Quaestions to ani those were to the best of mi information and when by him of mi memorie alwaies heart-serching to tincture and quicken them in lieu of heart-separating Quaeries to turmoil or deaden them Hee walked with the best Charitie at this daie ever when abroad to provoac perpetuously to lov ' and good works and to visit som very sick Souls who lai languishing under spiritual Consumptions in the Name of the Lord. Nor could hee be found without a bright purely discerning Eie and a brave chois heart not barely enlightned but blessedly inflamed beeing and living such a Luminarie as moved in a much higher and diviner Orb than to mee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 men haply wil giv credit tho' the Powers of the World to com fell somtimes wonderfully on him and wrought in Him prai peruse and profoundly ponder His beloved 2 of Cor. v. to the 14. to such an Elevation and clarification of his veri mortal Bodie when hee was fervent in the Spirit of Praier that I fear and therefore forbear to express least it shold be reputed by som those principaly who despeir of atteining such perfections or arriving at ani such Hights theirselvs so consequently are more readi to beleev it a Spâ—ritual Romance tho' I mi self have more than once been thereof an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Testis oculatus Eie-Witness All this while now where is the wonder To mee there is no more in it than the Bubbling up in a Quick-spring It is true where there is no stirring up of the Grace of Christ in ani there the Grace of Christ wil never stirr up ani Fire that lieth covered under Embers wil not rise without beeing blown into a flame There is never ani Exsultation of Spirit where there is no Actuation of the Graces of the Spirit O the incredibl intern exercitations and extern exertions of the veri visibl form of som Persons thei are so divinely transformed O that I had the Wings of a Dove that I mought flee away c. cried St. David a man after God's own Heart and most like him when hee was lifting up his all to God in hearti Praiers and high Praises Doth not the veri Creature wait with an outstretched neck or rather with the Head put forth or thrust out for the manifestation of the Sons of God And shal the Sons of God theirselvs whom the world knoweth not and whose Life is hid with Christ in God neither have nor doo ani thing extraordinari in themselvs nor in the work the Lord is carrieing on in the World which is high and heavenli much above the World It is very observabl in the Dove that it casteth its Head this waie and that before it taketh its flight But that which is reported by the Humanists of Oryx a kind of Goat in AEgypt is most remarquabl that it is so affected with the fear of scorching heat at the rising of Sirius i. e. the Dog-star that it standeth with tears in the Eies as if it seemed to deprecate the intolerabl heat thereof and to thirst with an unquenchabl desire for som humiditie and refreshing moisture from heaven What is there nothing wil make a man excellent above his Nighbor yea sure and that visibly too if hee be righteous or els Solomon's sight was not right Not so much as a gaietie in the looks of a godli man above another not a littl Wisdom to make a Sainct's Face to shine a littl more than ordinarily is discerned Wisdom doth somtimes as it were magicly transfigure a man as hath been found in experience Hence not unlikely that Topic Proverb among the Spaniards There are two Magicians in Segura the one Experience the other Wisdom tho' I wel know Italie is the School of Prudence for it is said that whereas the French is wife after the fact the Dutch and English in the fact the Italian is wise before but an Englishman Italionat is a Devil incarnat Tru it is yet it doth not appear what the Sons of God shal be shal it therefore at no time appear that such Sons of God there be Never acknowledgedly acting in the Demonstration of the Spirit and Power What are becom of all the Promises and Prophecies concerning the later Daie-Glorie Where is the shining forth of your good Works that men mai see those and glorifi your Father who is in Heavn Is it not dreadfull for children of the Daie to walk as dark Lanterns nai wors to put out their lights within likewise that thei mai not see themselvs Wil not the Lord God serch such as with Candles O arise yee Sons and Daughters of Tzion rows up your selvs and lift up your heads for your Redemption draweth nigh A Christian must be so alltogether or not at all Hee must be throughly pure the veri Name of Christ taken upon him obligeth him against a depraved conversation hee must depart from iniquitie Up then and be dooing and let
from the Caus but from the Sign or Effect The Assurance of Faith doth wholey rest and reside in the Grace of Christ. Evn in Nature Children do not first com to know their Parents either by their love to their Brethren or â—y their Obedience to their Parents but from their Parents Lov desscending on them So wee read in Holi Writ and so it is that wee loved him becaus Hee first loved us Let men boast of their mighti Reasonings their close Deductions their strong-â—inked Consequences and their elaborate Demonâ—trations made out by the most Metaphysicous Divines in Religion when thei have don all â—o justifi themselvs as a late Writer rarely in a cautious advance toward Heaven thei wil find that The best Divinitie consisteth in the Vnions of Love 〈◊〉 Wonder that there are such Doxologies transsceâ—ding Reason's reach as mai be dignified with thâ— Title of Faith's Triumphs such Eucharistic 〈◊〉 Theologic Enlargements and Exspatiations in thâ— Heart and Spirit springing and arising and exsuâ—ing from the wondrous affection of Love accoâ—panied with that immuculate and ineffabl Ioie as noâ— can signiâ—i or hint none can beleev or conceiâ— but those who have felt and enjoied that beatifiâ— Experience which is only inferior to or only leâ—â— in som Degrees of beeing that which wee calâ— Heaven That the capacitie of Reason is much laâ—ger than that of Sens I cannot but concede 〈◊〉 that the largeness of the Will and Affections whâ— are in it farr surmounteth Reason I cannot liâ—â—wise but confess Wherfore els I prai hath Goâ— required that our desire and love of Him shold 〈◊〉 more complete and perfect than our knowledg 〈◊〉 Him Are wee not obliged by the express Coâ—â—mand of God Hisself to entertein and imbrace 〈◊〉 Perfections with the closest adhaesion of Heart 〈◊〉 Soul Albeit those wee can apprehend only witâ— partial and rather a lax aenigmatic than strict so entiâ—ic knowledg Of the two I shold rather praefer Inâ—gination than Ratiocination in Discourses coâ—â—cerning divine Subjects the former beeing conâ—â—â—sedly the Spring and Engine of the Affectioâ— thro' its nobl suppli-ing Reason by raised and â—â—â—gurativ adumbrations and its admirabl affordiâ—â— all those agreeabl illustrations which serv to kiâ—â— it into vaster conceptions to sweeten the severiâ—â— of it and then beutifi it with all those allurements and adornments which fairly and eâ—fectualy and that not unusualy recommend a cold dead speculation to a warm liveli affection And this is properly and totaly the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 opus Work of the Imagination when it hath warily received and enterteined the veritie and dignitie of its Object from a superior Facultie Nor can it but be so in strictness of proprietie allowed and not only Reason and Iudgment which all permitt conclude and approve but Imagination and Phansie the meanest and most trivial Power of Man's Soul likewise seeing evn the Meteors are called upon as wel as the Firmament as is finely by one noted and observed to prais the Lord. Nai more Phantasie mai be and under a good menage mostly is an admirabl Organ and incomparabl Incentiv of heavenli Prais and divine Adoration in like manner as the Omnipotent Iehovah AElohim deemed it most fit to choos the Rainbow that Circl of Phantastic Colors as one called it for the Symbol shal I not sai â—he Sacrament of his Darling Attribute if Atâ—ributes be not more properly God than in God namely Mercie Nai I heard one sai that the strength and vehemence of Imagination Phantasie or Phan'sie wil somtimes carri forth the Reason and Iudgment to make new Worlds of discoveries excite both to take such Circuits and Travels in the contemplation of AEternal Entities til the veri Soul is readi to be vertiginous to swim and grow giddi and the Speculation turneth almost Apoplexie Yea further actuate the Rational Power beyond its praesent Order without ani illusive Phanaâ—icism c. to a tast and immature Anticipation of unproportioned Knowledg yet stil with this proviso that the Intellectual and Rational Power and Facultie are far from beeing the same Deigâ—â— therfore to take notice that the intellectual knowledg is only learned from the Spirit of the mind 〈◊〉 man standing in the Centre beeing then only anâ— there purely receptiv and divinely scient what 〈◊〉 I sai sentient of the supercoelestial things theâ—â—selvs Whereas the Rational which the confounding Iesuit wold make the pure Religionist beleev to bâ— Mechanism the Diana of this inquisitiv Age and thâ— whole Encyclopoede of Arts and Sciences but 〈◊〉 brisk circulation of the Blood and all thinking anâ— reasoning Power a mere local motion and that toâ— tumultuous Hee notwithstanding wel knowing 〈◊〉 to be most admirably rare in its due place which 〈◊〉 doth as wel too make use of and without whicâ— and the exercise therof a Man is below the Beaâ—â— that perisheth Yet for all this I sai the Ratioâ—â— speaketh writeth and acteth from its rolling suggestions cogitations conceptions motions 〈◊〉 shut out of the Centre Finaly These intern manifestations are maâ—â— out and put forth to public use and perusal for tâ—â— vindicating and asserting Truth and for periodâ—zing or putting an end in fair probabilitie hâ—â—â—ever to the several otherwise endless altercations disputations and dubitations of in and about Mystic Theologie as mai most clearly appear to the diligent judicious and spiritualy illuminated Peruser of the same Hee having set before his Eies one of the first and fairest Objects deserving to be set in Letters of Gold and engraven upon all our Minds and Spirits as with the point of a Diamant For here Hee maketh and giveth a Diaphanous Manifesto and perspicuous Demonstration and you wil not I dare sai nobl and Christian Reasoner and Reader deni or gain-sai that it is à Priori evn from supersensual Sight and intellectual Vision which amounteth to littl less than a Divine Apocalyps or style it what you pleace Revelation Manifestation Inspiration Communication Certification Declaration Notificaâ—ion or if you wil Information that there ever was and now is and wil be an Original and AEternal Globe or World which did exist before AEternal Nature here I had need as I do indeed heartily prai you not to be impatient nor out of good humor by reason of no reason for you wil sai this startling Epithete 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seeing the following Pages wil make it as you wil find fairly co-incident with Nature and all her pure Forms Powers and Properties so in sequel anteceding that is more strange than all the rest you mai repli nai I beleev wil so I must admitt or however permitt you in this most wonderfull point 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I revert and as above averr it i. e. by consequence praeceding all other Worlds Globes Centers and Creations whatsoever Hee furthermore declareth as it is made apparent by this Tract that the Spirit and Soul are two distinct Essences the former beeing
and strange sort of a Praeface viz. that seeing the Architypous Globe or Original Beeing is the Basis and Foundation as wel of AEternal Nature to use you a littl to the Term that you mai be the less terribl against it as of all other Essences Globes Worlds producted educted or brought forth out of the Womb of pure Nature supranominated wee have therfore first of all made known as is fit and order requireth the Primari World of all Worlds Next to it Nature an empti name to som I know and wors Then the Angelic World had wee not been praevented and obstructed by the pertinacie and I wil not add perfidie of one Person who hath not onely not complied with the fair desires of the Living which is disobliging and disingenuous but contradicted which is fouly ominous finaly frustrated I fear to sai that wold be dreadfully dangerous the veri will of the `Ο ΜΑΚΑΡΙΤΗΣ `Ο ' ΕΠ' ΑΓΙΟΙΣ With whom and whose Writings I have altogether don after I shal have told thee candid Lector that this Spiritual Man as hee cared not to be counted prolix which hath made mee the longer and the more to imitate him provided Hee could profit but ani Person tho' with repetition upon repetition which to captious or curious Critics I am no such Novice or Idiot as not to â—gno to be very nauseous so neither sought hee the Prais of men which hee was far above albeit I like an ambitious and praesumtuous Friend and Free-willer have made an offering in this pitteous Praeâ—ace to the Memorie of his pretious Name which wil rise higher and shine brighter more and more for so the path of the Righteous is as the shining Light that shineth more and more unto the perfect Daie tho' to those who love darkness abominably and to Moles Bats and Owls invisibly To procede as hee wrote not ani uncouth much less untrue things so hee slighted censures as much as ani thing fit only like Charcoal-sparks to affrigâ—â— Children hee never concerning himself at all as to ani thing men shold unworthily sai or Satyriclâ— write against what hee had surely found and sweetly felt Take therfore now I do mi fair leav of him who beeing raised on high above the God of thâ— World or Age rather which blindeth the minds of them who beleev not least the Light c. as the Apostl goeth on and placed near the Regal Throne of the most High evn when here Hear ye this all yâ— Wonderers Hee knew and saw that there was a Spirit in man when illuminated by the Spirit of Goâ— the Father of Lights and Spirits which is abl to serch find feel apprehend and comprehend what words cannot utter and so transscendently above ani things in this Book written by him The more interior Portraicture of whom could only be drawn by himself not by ani other Pencill how much less then by mi Penn Nai it is far from beeing drawn by tho' possibly designed as it were in the outlines on and in these Tabls of his own Heart the praesent papyrs therefore no exact Lineaments can be here exspected Leav likewise here I do the Issue and Success to the Benediction of the holi good and gracious the immortal invisibl aeternal and only wise Spirit who reveled these deep things to him and made him and mee willing to impart the same spiritualities for as is hoped the service and benefit of mani the consolation and confirmation of som few the confutation redargution and conviction of unbeleevers ill-beleevers and ill-livers and for the rectification and illumination of the base mesprisions of most and dark conceptions of mo who have other Ideas and apprehensions than do without doubt becom the only True semper eadem sempitern ever-adorabl and super-benedict Tri-une Deitie For as one excellently and admirably that man doth but beli God in plain English when God is said or thought to be All things those things or like ani thing men or Angels can imagine it beeing alltogether unproblematic and without the less'st shadow of scrupl and mai wel be accounted as an Axiom if not spoken as the Oracls of God that hee belieth God who speaketh falsly of God and truly wil that Word here pass so hee doth who saith more or less than the Truth In which as it is in Iesus the Christ our High-Priest Prophet King and Iudg so am I and in the Faith and Lov that is in him tho' the veri off-scouring of the whol Creation so consequently most unworthi of the Name of your Friend Acquaintante or Compatriot yet cannot but subscribe miself to be Dear Christian Reader Your's as your self and your own Soul E H. MAMP THE AUTHOR TO THE READER Iudicious Reader SO I would have you to be Read then waigh and seriously consider what you read and then judg and then reject what thou dost not like But yet not rashly condemn what thou in thy present state cannest not comprehend Let it ly by thee it may bee better understood in another State Because the Authour's Philosophy proceeds note shaâ— from the Center and not from others And so writes in an unknown way and unusuall Method And therefore at first reading the stile and the expressions of it may seeme somthing unpleasant but let Patience be thy Companion to carry thee in reading it from the Beginning to the End and then the bitterness and harshness of it may be turned into a sweet pleasantness and may cause a delight in your reading it over the second time I onely court your appetite to read it over with judgment and then judg what you please I write not to gain Disciples nor to make a Sect or Partie nor to make Divisions in the World There are too many Sects Schisms and Divisions in the World already but onely to declare the interest of Truth who is able to preserve herself from all the falsities of this present age Therefore do not blinde your own minde with Prejudices before you read for how then should you understand or perceive what you read So I rest Yours In the Love of Iesuâ— I P MD. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Page xiii line 19. read Hewet p. xiv l. 26. for both even p. xviii l. 38. for them thei p. xxxi l. 9. read man's p. xl l. 8. joie p. xlii l. 12. seemeth l. 31. persecutions l. 34. non intelligatur penult ità p. xliv l. 33. by aâ— p. liv l. 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. lx 16. soberness p. lxvii l. 5. abstractedly p. lxxv l. 26. His holi What further Reader you amiss mai find As like enough you mai if that you mind Prai lâ—t your Penn amend Sir be so kind A POST-SCRIPT From the Praefacer to the Peruser AS I have been humbly bold before the Throne of Grace to praefer som few Petitions to the King of Kings of Saincts and the only Sovereign of Men and Angels as you mai
to the foregoing figure is in the midst or Center of the Abyssal Globe When the Eye is closed or shut up then neither the Eye of the Father nor the Son's Heart the Glory of the Eye nor the breathing forth of the Spirit from both is to be seen but are all shut up in the Eye but when the Eye opens then the Heart of the Son and the Holy Ghost are seen so that when the Eye of the Unity in the Center opens then the blessed Trinity becomes visible in the midst of the Abyssal Globe being otherwise shut up and concealed in the Eternal Unity of themselves Thus the Trinity is hid in the Eternal Unity of it self and from that Unity they proceed and become visible in the opening of the Eye So we see that the Unity is in Trinity and the Trinity in Unity The sight of the Holy Trinity from the openâ—ng of the Eye in the inward Court of the Holy Place is a lively operative reviving and yet amazing â—nd surprising sight a sight worth the whole World â—nsomuch as I am ashamed to present you such a dead â—iveless figure of it but no pen can decipher it on paâ—er it is only the Spirit of the Eye that can open it â—elf and give you the living and ravishing sight of its own essentiality without similitudes or figures though can express it outwardly no better than I have in the â—oregoing figure Let no man here object that I do not make use of Scripture for the confirmation or illustration of these deep Mysteries the reason is becaus the Holy Sciptures speak of God as he hath introduced himself into Eternal Nature and not as he exists out of and before Eternal Nature in the Globe of Eternity therefore you must not expect my alledging of Scripture whilst I am treating of a Subject which they do not reveal though it be certain also that the opening of the Eye cannot discover any thing contrary or opposite to Scripture revelation but rather what is agreeable thereunto though it cannot be so readily confirmed from Scriptures becaus as hath been said it is not the scope or design of the Holy Scriptures to speak of the Being of God before and without Eternal Nature Neither do I in this speaking oppose or disparage the Holy Scriptures if my subject were to speak of the Fall and the Redemption of sinners by Christ then I should not be wanting to confirm my writing from Scripture but as long as I am writing of the solitary being of God in the Globe of Eternity the Spirit of God in the Eye must be my Guide and Witness in stead of the Scripture And thus much shall suffice to have spoken concerning the second opening of the Abyssal Eye whereby the Mystery of the Holy Trinity is revealed to the Spirit of the mind The third opening of the Eye discovers the Mystery of it self that is by opening it self it discovers and reveals what is in it self Now the Eye opening divides it self into three parts the first of which is the Abyssal Eye the second is the Heart and the third is the out-flowing breath The Eye is first before the Heart that is in relation to order and for distinction sake else being Co-essential and Co-eternal there is no first and last and the Heart is the Eye's Center and the breath proceeds from the Eye and the Heart The Eyâ— is before the Heart and generates the Heart the Hearâ— â—s generated from the Eye and the breath proceeds from both The Heart is the Eye's seat and Center wherein it is fixed and the Spirit is the virtue or power proceeding from the Eye and the Heart and â—n those three Eye Heart and Spirit consists the fulness and compleatness of the Deity nothing can be super-added neither can any thing be substracted To speak more particularly this third opening of the Eye doth manifest all those Powers commonly called the Attributes of God for this Eye of the Abyss sparkles forth from it self it s own perfections beamâ—ng forth its own beauty in many lustrous rays like the Sun These beams proceeding from the Eye are God's Eternity Infinity Immensity Incomprehensiâ—ility Omnipotency All-sufficiency c. as being the out-flowing powers and perfections of the Eye and of the Spirit of Eternity in the Eye they are God's esâ—ential perfections without which he cannot be God â—ccordinâ—â—â— that saying of the Schoolmen Whatsoever â—s in God is God therefore they are inseparable from him because they are himself But here it may be objected again how this multiplicity of Powers and Attributes in God can consist with his being the most absolute and perfect Unity 1. To which I answer First That a diversity and variety of powers may consist with perfect Unity proâ—ided there be no contrariety or opposition in those powers to one another now nothing is more plain â—han that the attributes of God are without any conâ—rariety whatsoever among themselves 2. In the Second place I say That Eternal Unity â—oth not exclude a diversity of powers if they all do â—rise and stand united in one root Now all the Atâ—ributes of God are inseperably united in God's Esâ—ence they spring from and are rooted in the same â—nd are one and the same with it and in it And this â—he opening of the Eye of the Abyss discovers that all the Atrributes of God are but one Power diversifiedâ— they stand one in another his Infinity Omnipotency c. are shut up in his all-sufficiency and wheâ— they beam forth they proceed from thence as from their Root and Original So that all God's Attributes proceed from one Power and are shut up in onâ— Power and are but the Variation of one and the same Power and consequently are but one Power and sâ— cannot take away God's Eternal Unity These Powers or Attributes of God are â—ixed in the Eye being nothing else but the various beamings forâ—â— of the Eye and may be called the Head Powers of thâ— Godhead as being seated in the Eye and from them glancing forth themselves We must know that this was one chief end of God bringing forth the Abyssal Globe even the manifesâ—â—tion of his Attributes and Powers to himself for â—e Eternity is manifested in this Abyssal Globe to hâ—â—e â— beginning and end which else would be without beginning or End and so his Infinity Immensity 〈◊〉 Incomprehensibility are bounded and limited by the circumference of the Abyssal Globe which else woâ—â—â— be without all bounds or limits without all Heighâ—â—â— Depths or Breadths and thus they come to be maâ—ifest in the Abyssal Globe St. Paul saith that this â—â—sible Creation doth manifest God's Eternal Godhâ—â—â— and Power and so it is but if so how much mOâ—â— then doth the Abyssal Globe which is the first manâ—â— on of the Holy Trinity manifest all the Eternal Aâ—tributes and Powers of his Godhead This sight of God's Attributes from the opening oâ— the Eye in the Abyssal Globe is both a ravishing
anâ— amazing sight for you do not behold Ideas or Similitudes of things but the things themselves intellectually which causeth most unexpressible joys and extasie in the Spirit of the Soul to which nothing in tâ—â— World can be compared Neither can any Letter Words or Images manifest or discover these Attributes to us but themselves only are the manifesters and revealers of themselves and the Spirit of God alone hath the Key to unlock the Eye at the opening of which they are clearly and lively manifested So that this writing can do no more but point you to the place where they may be intellectually seen and discerned We proceed now to the fourth opening of the Abyssal Eye The fourth opening of the Abyssal Eye discovers and manifests the Eternal faculties of the Godhead viz. his Intellect Will and Divine Senses under which are comprehended his Wisdom Praescience and Omniscience all which faculties subsist in God and are inseperable from him and are himself and therefore he cannot manifest himself in the Abyssal Globe without them But you will say that these faculties as likewise the Senses of Seeing Hearing Tasting Smelling and Feeling are only attributed to God to comply with our weakness and to make him intelligible to our understanding not that there are any such faculties or senses in God but only by way of Analogy and likeness To which I answer That all the forementioned faculties and senses are most really and truly in God even far more really than they are or can be in any Creature for in him they are originally and in truth and in the Creature only by way of participation and by way of Analogy and resemblance So that Understanding Will Wisdom Hearing Seeing c. are in God Primarily Essentially and by way of Eminence and in the Creature only derivatively and by way of resemblance as the Copy resembleth and expresseth its original Neither doth this variety â—â— Faculties and Senses in the least contradict God's most absolute Unity becaus as they all proceed from â—he Unity of God's Essence so they are all harmonized into a perfect agreement in and by the said Unity from whence they display themselves as so many branches springing from and united to the same root for as was said before they subsist in God and are inseperable from him they are also in one another and penetrate through one another and so are but one Faculty in the Eternal Unity of God's Essence and notwithstanding in that oneness have their distinct offices and Objects But you will further object That by attributing these Faculties and Senses to God we seem to espousâ— the Error of the Anthropomorphites who supposed that the Spirit of Eternity was in the likeness of a man To take away this objection I shall declare to yoâ— the opinion of the Anthropomorphites by which it will appear how far I am from asserting their Errors in this writing First It is to be noted that the Anthropomorphites attributed these Faculties to God more Humane after the manner of Men that is according as they are in Men and thereby framed God after the Image of a Man but we attribute these Faculties and Senses to God after a Diviâ—e manner Primarily Originally and by way of Eminence as may be consistent with the Super-excellence of the Divine Being In the Second placâ—â—â— is to be observed that the Anthropomorphites dâ—d â—â—ppose in God distinct Seats Mâ—mbâ—rs and Organs to every one of the forementioned Faculties and Organs and thereby attributed unto God an Organical Image whereas we say that all these Faculties and Senses are in God after a Spiritual mâ—nner without being fix'd to particular and distinct Members or Organs which cannot be in God forasmuch as he is a Spirit and is such a perfect Unity in himself that all his Faculties and Senses are one with himself and with one another as hath been before declared All these Faculties and Senses forementioned are seated in the Center of the Eye even as the Eye is seated in the midst of the Abyssal Globe and accordingly when the Eye is shut up they are hid and are manifested when it opens and displays it self and discovered to be Essential Powers and Faculties subsisting in the Eye being one with it and therefore absolutely inseperable from it We now proceed to a further consideration of the Nature of this Eye concerning which our first assertion is this That the Abyssal Eye is the Head-Eye of the Spirit of Eternityâ— not that God is to be conceived to have an Organical Head like Men but it is therefore called God's Head Eye becaus in this Eye is the seat of the Head-Powers of the Deity Understanding and Will and the senses of Seeing Hearing Smelling Tasting and Feeling which by way of resemblance of what is in the Deity are all seated in the Head of Man and other inferiour Creatures Besides as the Head in Man governs all the Members by reason of the Intellect and Will seated there which are the ruling Powers of Man so the Eye and ruling Powers in the Eye do rule and govern throughout the whole Deity The second thing which I assert concerning the Nature of this Eye is That this governing Abyssal Eye is God's Face for when this Eye doth open fully upon us then it is that we see God Face to Face that is clearly as he is in his own Essence and without any vail or covering whatsoever When this Eye beam's forth its brightness upon the Spirit of the Mind then God's Face is said to shine upon us and again the shutting of the Eye is that which we mean when we say God hides his Facâ— from us This Eye is the Face of the total Trinity and it is not to be conceived though we have attributed the Eye of God the Father as if the Eye was only thâ— Face of the Father and not of the Son or Spirit no by no means for this Eye is indeed the Face of thâ— total Godhead Father Son and Spirit and is 〈◊〉 otherwise to be conceived of by us We may also observe the order of these Head-Powers as they are in the Deity in the Eye of the Abyâ— is seated the Eternal Wisdom of God and in his Wisdom or Intellect is seated his Will and from the Divine Will and Intellect flow forth the senses of thâ— Deity by which he is an all-seeing all-hearing câ— God And all these are one in another and flowinâ— from one root viz. the absolute Unity of the Deity and standing upon that root they are all but as 〈◊〉 Power or Faculty and do all belong to the total Deityâ— Father Son and Spirit without any distinction whatsoever If you inquire of me why the Heart was generated out of the Eye I answer That the Eye did therefore generate the Heart that it might have a place to dwell and rest in a subject in which it might rule and govern and a medium through which it might conveigh the Spirit of Life
Virtues and Excellencies which do all proceed fâ—om the Heart of God as from their Source and Center and they are these following viz. his Love Purity Truth Faithfulness Unchangeableness Goodness Perfection Righteousness and Holyness These are the Essential inseparable Virtues and Perfections of the Divine Nature for they proceed from himself subsist in himself and are himself and from the opening of the Eye are manifested to be such Neither doth this variety of perfections in God in the least destroy or take away his most absolute Unity and Simplicity becaus they all proceed from one root and stand all united in the same as one which root is Love in which all the Excellencies and Perfections of the Divine Nature stand Harmoniz'd in Unity and are but as one Virtue and Perfection Having thus treated of the several Particulars contained in the Heart of God I shall next proceed to a view of some particulars which are not contained in God's original Essence and that from a hint of the Spirit which said expresly to me search diligently what is not to be found in the original Essence of God I did accordingly and I found that no pardoning Mercy nor vindictive Iustice nor Wrath nor Death nor Curse neither any Anguish Sorrow Darkness Evil or Elements were to be found in the solitary abstracted Essence of the Deity I say first no paâ—doning Grace or Mercy becaus there was nothing besides himself and consequently no Object which stood in need of Pardon or Forgiveness No vindictive Iustice becaus no object capable of punishment No Anger nor Wrath for God could not be Angry with himself for so contrariety and enmity would be found in the bosom and Center of Eternal Unity and Simplicity No Death for the Deity is a living God yea life it self and the Author of it wheresoever it is No Anguish nor Sorrow becaus God is the Highest and Chiefest Good and consequently must needs be All-triumphing joy All-delight All-pleasure No Darkness becaus God is all Light Light it self and the Source and Center of it No Elements becaus the Deity is the most perfect and absolute Unity and Simplicity without any mixture or composition whatsoever But you will object that I seem to reject Gods vindictive Iustice and to deny his Anger against Sin and Sinners I answer not at all for I do not simply deny God's vindictive Iustice and Wrath but only say that none of these are to be found in the solitary and primary Being of the Deity and are only attributed to him forasmuch as he hath introduced himself into the properties of Eternal Nature And thus much shall suffice to have spoken concerning the Discovery and manifestation which the opening of the Eye gives of the essential Heart of God But in the next place as the opening of the Eye discovers it self and the Heart so it likewise manifests the Deity of the Holy Ghost to be the exit or outgoing emanatâ—on of both Eye and Heart even a sweet pleasant out-flowing life or power like to a breath or gust of Air proceeding from the Abyssal Eye of the Father as â—rom its Eternal Root and beginning and conveighed through the Heart of the Son as the Golden-Oyl transmitted through the Golden Pipe of the Son 's Essential Love It is the active Life and Power of the Holy Trinity which finisheth the work of true Regeneration in Apostatized Creatures Thus we see â—hat the opening of the Eye doth reveal the total Deity Father Son and Spirit by a true and vitall Representation In the sixth place when the Eye of Eternity opens it manifests God's Corporeity or the Divine Body Object But you 'l object that God hath no body as â—â—ing a pure Spirit Answ. To which I answer first by way of Concession that God hath no organicall body like men neiâ—her like those of the glorified Saints and Angels But in the next place I say that God hath a body such as becomes his high spiritual and refined Nature â—or indeed the opening of the Eye doth clearly discover to the Spirit of the mind that the immense deep â—f the Abyssal Globe of Eternity is God's Vniversal incomâ—rehensible omnipresent body This is the Eternal Corâ—â—â—eity of the Holy Trinity which comprehends all things being comprehended of none but it self it is univerâ—â—lly in all Beings and diffuss'd through all Beings noâ—hing can keep it out neither can any thing shut it up It is a free Liberty in it self it stands free from all â—ssences only so farr as it pleaseth to unite it self with â—ny essence With relation to this Vniversal Body it is bâ—t God styles himself the Alpha and Omega the beginning and end of all Beings all things proceed from it â—nd therefore it is the first and all things subsist in it â—nd therefore it is the last Thus we see that the Holy Trinity have the Globe of Eternity for their body in which â—hey act and move This Body is Wisdome's Crystalline â—lasse wherein all things are truly and intellectually â—epresented to the eye of the mind it is in this deep Aâ—ysse of the Globe of Eternity that all those divine mysteries â—â—e discovered and manifested which in the foregoing treaâ—ise have been made out to you for in this Miroir of Wisedome all the Depths of the Deity stand openly represenâ—ed to the Eye of the Spirit when a glance from the Eye illustrates its hidden deep We see then that the Globe of Eternity is the body of the Spirit of Eternity yet not an organical Body for what Organs are there in a Globe or Sphear It is such a Body as the Spirit of Eternity can by contraction draw into it self or by dilatation diffuse its into infinity This Body comprehends all worlds and globes within it self and is therefore called the Universal all conteining Body of the Deity By means of this Body the Spirit of Eternity hath brought forth himself into Heighths Depths and Breadths which are formed and distinguished by the Eye for the Eye looking upwards gives an immense heigth to the Globe of Eternity When it look's downwards it forme's the Depths and when on either side the Breadth becaus without the Eye none of these would be determinable in a Globe concerning which we cannot say that it hath heighth or depth So that though the Spirit of Eternity in it self be without any bounds or limits yet he hath been pleased to bound himself in the Globe of Eâ—eâ—nity and that for the manifestation of himself without which we could have no other but a Negative knowledge of Him We may here also take notice of the figure of this Body which is round or Sphaerical being the most perfect of all figures and therefore most proper â—or the Body of the Deity Who in this also differs from all Creatures who have their distinct organical bodies with great variety of figure whereas the blessed Deity hath the most simple and perfect of all figures to be the outwâ—â—â— form of his Corporeity
Lastly the opening of the Eye of Eternity discoverâ— God's External Form or Figure we have before spoken of Gods internal Form or Image and declared that it iâ— nothing else but his Essentiall Holyness I know it wiâ—â— seem strange that I speak here of God's figure sincâ— the Scripture forbids us to make any figure or likenesâ— of God But to this I answer that though God forbid us to Frame any likeness of himself who is thâ— Spirit of Eternity in resemblance of any Creature whatsoever yet cannot this debarr the Holy Trinity from representing themselves according to the pleasure of their own will who is above them to controle them Or who is their Councelor to advise them Or who dare say to them why do you thus represent your selves For as hath been said before at the opening of the Eye the Father appears in the figure of the sight or black of an Eye which yet is no oâ—ganical eye the Son appears in the likeness of an heart in the midst of which the Eye of the Father is centred and the Holy Ghost is represented in the likeness of an outgoing Breath Winde or Ayre which proceedeth from the Eye through the Heart and is in its own essentially an active Power which effect's whatsoever the Eye or Heart will have done Now the Triune Diety brought it self into these visible figures for their own manifestation that we might thereby learn how the Father Son and Spirit are in one another Eternally and yet notwithstanding this their Unity they are distinguished by those three figures of Eye Heart and outgoing breath which are distinguishable one from the other So that here this great Mystery of the Vnity and distinction of the Trinity is fully discoveâ—ed and made out to the Eye of the mind for though the Eye Heart and outgoing breath do appear in one another yet they appear with distinction so as the Eye is distinguishable from the Heart and the Heart from the outgoing Breath But before I leave this point I shall endeavour to give you some account concerning the Nature of these forementioned figures in these following particulars In the first place I say that those Images and Figures which the opening of the Eye Manifests are not Shadows and Empty representations but Reall and Substantial ones they are not only figures of Heavenly things but the Heavenly things themselves In the second place I say that these Figures are living and spiritful representations not dead Images for the fulness of the Living God fills them all with Life and Spirit and Power In the third and last place these Figures are unchangeable and that because they are Essentiall to the Holy Trinity So the Eye is Essentiall to the Father the flaming Heart of Love is Essentiall to the Son and the out-flowing breath of Power is Essentiall to the Holy Ghost For though in Eternal Nature in the Darkness the Eye of the Father appear dark wrathful and terrible and contrary in the Light shining pleasant and full of Love yet the Eye is not changed by thâ—se variations but remains still the unchangeable Essentiall Eye of the Father though diversifyed by the Light and darkness Thus we see that the unchangeable Image of the Father in the Globe of Eternity is the sight oâ— black of an Eye into which likeness he hath been pleased to contract himself for the manifestation of himself for though we as Creatures are commanded to make no Representation or Image of the Trinity yet this doth not hinder but they may bring forth a divine Imagâ— and representation of themselves What hath been said concerning the Eye may be also said concerning the Heart viz. That it is the Unchangeable Essentiall and Substantiall Image of the Son for he manifests himself to Angels and Saints in this figure of a central Heart all flaming with Love otherwise this Hand could not have writ of it And the out-flowing breatâ— or ayre proceeding from the Eye and Heart is the immutable and Essentiall Image of the Holy Ghost Thus we see that the Eye by its opening of it self doth clearly discover to us that the one only true God who is the Spirit of Eternity hath brought forth himself into a Beginning and End into matter and form into Corporeity and Figure in the sense as hath been before expressed else it may seem harsh to common Philosophers who without the Eternal Globe is without any of these even an unmeasureable incomprehensible Vnity concerning which we can only say that it is what it is for what it is none can tell but it self And so I proceed from the second place of Purity in the Globe of Eternity called the Holy Place unto the third which is the most Holy or Holiest of all And here before I begin to speak of the most holy Place I think it not amiss once more to hint to you that these three distinct Places or Courts make up but one Globe or Sphear for they proceed one from another and penetrate one through another and subsist in one another yet with the distinction above mentioned of outward inward and inmost the first leading to â—he second and the second to the third Concerning the most Holy Place I shall reduce all that I have to say concerning the most Holy Place to these four Particulars First I shall give you the several Names which were given to it by the Spirit of God Secondly I shall speak of the Nature and condition of â—he Place Thirdly I shall give you an account of the Wonders which are to be seen in it Fourthly and Lastly I will speak of the Ends of its formation 1. As to the first of these viz. the Names and titles which were expresly given to this third Court by the Spirit of God they are these following it was called the Still Eternity and that by reason of the unutterable Rest Silence and Stilnenss which Eternally dwells in this third Court for as the outward Court was called the Globe of Eternity and the inward Court the deep Abysse or Abyssal Globe of Eternity so the third Place of Purity is called the still Eternity because nothing but Eternal Rest Silence and Stilness is to be perceived by those who live in this most Holy Place This Holy Place is not the Trinity but distinct from it and is the still Eternity in which the holy simplified Spirits live It was also called the Chamber of State the presence Chamber of the Spirit of Eternity the King of Kings where his unexpressibly glorious Majesty is to be seen Besides it was called the Rock of wonders with reference to those wonders which do appear in it of which we shall speak in the third particular 2. The second particular is what the Nature and condition of this place is and this is hinted to us in the Name which is given to it by the Spirt of God for Names ought to express the Nature of the thing which they signifie and the whole excellency of
Names consists in this Now we cannot imagine but that those Names by which the Holy Spirit doth call any thing have all the excellence and truth which a Name is capable of and consequently must very properly and significantly express the Nature of the thing named the name of this third Place you have heard is the still Eternity and consequently have reason to conclude that the Essentiall difference of this Place is the Majestick silence and awful stillness with which it is continually filled This is such a stillness as surpasseth not only all expressions but likewise all thoughts and imaginations and because of this Majestick silence and unexpressibly awful stillness this most Holy Place is also called the Presence-Chamber of the Deity this supernatural silence and stillness being the ornament state and pompe of it to which all the Glory and magnificence of Monarchs here is but as a shadow or nothing 3. The third particular is the Wonders which are to be seen in this place in respect of which as was mentioned before it was called the Rock of wonders and these wonders are five in number viz. 1st The Spirit of Eternity or the Eternal Unity 2dly The Holy Trinity 3dly The Virgin Wisdome of God 4thly The Seren Spirits before the Throne 5thly and Lastly the Inhabitants of the Still Eâ—â—rnity 1. The first wonder which manifests its self in this Rock of wonders is the Spirit of Eternity or the Eternal Unity which doth fill the total deep Abysse with it self that is with all Power Here the Spirit of Eternity discovers its self to be the first and original Power the Power of all Powers yea All-power it self And this manifestation of the Spirit of Eternitie's being All-power is more full magnificent and glorious in the stil Eternity than in the inward or outward Court where the Deity doth also discover himself to be All-sufficient and Omnipotent but not in that Sovereignty and Majesty with which he appears to the Eye of the Mind in this his presence-Chamber Here the Glory of the All-power of the Deity is seen Nakedly openly and without a veile eye to eye and face to face the sight of which doth cause ravishing Extasies unexpressible Ioys and transporting admiration to fill the heart of the beholder it being a sight so glorious as no words can express nor no thoughts represent to the mind as being beyond all comprehension The second wonder in this Rock of wonders the still Eternity is the Holy and ever blessed Trinity Father Son and Holy Spirit The Father is the Original power of all powers subsisting in by and from himself which Original power of the Father is most clearly and openly discovered in the still Eternity in the highest magnificence Majesty and Glory This supreme power of the Father is the beginning of all power and the fulness of all power filling the Heighths Depths and Bredth oâ— the still Eternity this Power of the Father is an Eternal Unity and simplicity that is it is free from all manner of contrariety divisibility composition or mixture as being an Uniform Universal diffusive power which is nothing else but pure Deity and further we cannot search into this Power of the Father to know what it is for none knows what pure Deity is but God himself It is this Paternal power which fills the still Eternity throughout in the appearance of the clearest transparency and brightness I have now given you an account how the Father manifests himself in the still Eternity to be All-power yet before I leave this particular for fuâ—ther explanation I shall shew you negatively what this Power of the Father is not First then say I that this Power of the Father is no personal power for nothing of personality is manifested in the still Eternity only a Uniform Universal diffusive Power in the appearance of the greatest brightness fills it throughout 2. Neither is this Power of the Fathers any Organical Image resembling that of Angels or men having distinction of parts and members for nothing of this kind can be found in the Eternal Unity of the Father's All-power And thus much shall suffice to have spoken concerning the Father who is the First in the Trinity We now proceed to the second viz. the Son of the Father The Son is an Essential power immediately generated by the Father out of his own divine Essence and therefore he is co-essential and co-equal with the Father For the Son's power dilateth and co-extendeth it self in with and through the Father's power to the utmost bounds and limits of the still Eternity and filleth the deep Abysse with his own Power 's in the Father's Power as being co-essentiall and co-equall with the Father Again this Power of the Son is also the co-eternal with the Father for though the Father may be said to be before the Son in order of Nature forasmuch as he is the generator of the Son yet we cannot say that the Father is before the Son as to priority of time for the Son exists from all Eternity at once and together with the Father and therefore is the Eternal Son of the Father If you would further know what this generated Power of the Son is I say it is an Eternal Vnity and pure Deity even as the Father's Power is But for the further opening of what the Son of God is you may take notice of these following particulars 1. In the first place the Son of God is the first begotten of the Father He is the first born of all Beings as being that Essentiall word Co-eternal with the Father by whom the Father made all things and without whom nothing was made By him were all things created whether they be in Heaven or on Earth whether visible or invisible whether Thrones or Dominions Principalities or Powers all things were created by him and for him and therefore he must needs be before them all and consequently be the first begotten of the Father Secondly this Son of God is the only begotten Son of the Father all other Sons whether Angels or men receive their filiation or sonship from this only begotten Son of the Father and are called Sons forasmuch as they partâ—ke of and are centred in this only begotten Son they are Sons in and because of this only begotten Son and beloved in the only beloved of the Father Thirdly this Son is the Co-essentiall Son of the Father of the same essence and nature with the Father now the Nature of the Father is Purity Holiness Righteousness Meekness Love Goodness and Perfection and such is the Son's nature also and therefore the Son is called the Brightness of his Father's Glory and the expresse Image of his subsistence But the Image of the Father is no organicall Image but consists in Light Life and Love The Father is all Light and in him is no darkness at all he is all Life and in him is no Death he is all Love and in him is no Wrath and the
Son being the co-essential Son of the Father must also be all Light all Life and all Love Thus the Father is in the Son and the Son in the Father Neither is the Nature of the Father and Son distinguishable in the still Eternity the Nature of the Father is not severe and wrathfull and that of the Son sweet milde and gentle for this is no way consistent with the one simple nature of the Deity The Father is all Light Life and Love in the Son's Nature and the Son is all Light Life and Love in the Father's Nature the Nature of the Father flows from himself ar the Fountain-head and spring into the Son and from the Son again into the Father and therefore the Son is called the Heart of the Father because he is the fixed Seat of the Father's Light Life and Love Thus we see that neither Angels nor Saints are in this degree codeisied and consubstantiated with the Father for he filleth the still Eternity with the Light Life and Love of his Essentiall Deity in co-equality with the Father Fourthly this Son is the well beloved Son of the Father the Son of his Loves in whom he is fully well pleased satisfied and delighted And indeed how can it be otherwise since he is one being and one nature with the Father the very Heart of the Father and his expresse Image when he is the Beauty Brightness and Excellence of his Father's Glory and exalted to an equality of honour and dominion with the Father as sitting in the same Throne with the Father and possessing the kingdome with him This is the Son whom the Father will have honoured and worshiped as himself and to whom the Father hath committed all Iudgment neither can the one be worshiped without the other they subsisting in each other This is the Son who is exalted by the Father to be Heir of all things In the fifth place this Son is the Essential Christ of God I would not have you stumble at this Expression I might indeed haue omitted it but for the matters sake for you must take notice that I speak here of the Holy Trinity as they exist without Nature and in this state the Son of God cannot properly be called the Christ that is the Anointed because thus considered he is not Anointed to any office for it is after his entring into the properties of Nature that he is Anointed to be the Mediator yet bear with me for using this word improperly because I do it only for this end to give you a more clear and distinct knowledge of what the Son of God is as he exists before Nature as well as what he is in the properties of Eternal Nature But you 'l ask of me why I speak of the Holy Trinity out of and before Nature and particularly why I speak of the Essential Christ of God as existing before Nature I answer that my speaking of the Holy Trinity and particularly of the second person who is the Christ of God as he exists before Nature is only in order to give you a more distinct knowledge of the Son and Christ of God in Nature and to enable you to distinguish between his being out of Nature and his exstence in the properties of Nature This Essentiall Christ is one with the Father it is who is the same yesterday to day and forever even before all time and before Eternal Nature and he is the Co-creation with the Father He is the Word Wisdome Power the Light Life Love the Heart Reighteousness Purity Brigtness Excellency and Glory of the Father in the Father for we must not conceive of him as a distinct Person from the Father because that would destroy the High Unity and Simplicity of Divine Nature which admits of no composition or division nor on the other side must we conceive the Son of God to be only a distinct denomination for we see that in the still Eternity there is a distinct repersentation of the Son from that of the Father and the Holy Ghost For the Son is represented in the Image of an Heart the Father of an Eye and the Holy Spirit in the stream or emanation which issueth from both But you will say is then this Christ the Son of God the Redeemer Saviour Iustifier and Reconciler of Mankind I answer that to speak properly the Son of God as he exists out of and before Eternal Nature is not a Redeemer Saviour c. and that because in this state he hath no relation to any Creature whatsoever and therefore as long as there was nothing for to be redeemed or saved he could not properly be called a Redeemer or Saviour But you 'l say this essentiall Christ the Eternal Son of the Father is not the Christian 's Christ in whom they trust for Redemption Salvation and Glorification 1. I grant that properly he is not first because the object of the â—aith of Christians is a God-man a Christ clothed with Humanity in whom two natures pure Deity and pure Humanity are hypostatically united so that according to his Deity he is true God and according to his Humanity pure man whereasâ— the Essentiall Christ is not made up of two Natures but is whole Deity Unity and Simplicity being co-essentiall and co-equall with the Father which he could not be if the Humane Nature was joyned with him for then he could not be one Eternall Unity and Simplicity with the Father 2. The Christ of the Christians is born in time even in the fulness of time of the blessed Virgin Mary but the Essential Christ is Co-eternall with the Father and exists from all Eternity with the Father before all time 3. The Christ of the Christians is a personal Christ found and brought forth in flesh in the figure of man being made like unto us in all things sin only excepted but the Essentiall Christ of the Father hath no human figure or organical personality and conseqneutly â—t was impossible for him as such to shed his blood â—pon the Cross for the Redemption of sinners which was the great work of the Christian Christ. 4. The Christ of the Christians arose from the Dead the third day and ascending on high is sat down on the â—ight hand of the Father being made the Head and King over all Angels on mount Sion and over all his Saints and members within the walls of the New Ierusalem but the Essential Christ of God reigns and rules on the same Throne with the Father in the Globe of Eternity over all World â—nd over the Person of Christ in his glorified Corporeity 6. The Christ of the Christian was before promised to be the seed of the Woman and the treader down of the Serpent and it was with reference to this Christ that the Covenant was made with Abraham that all Nations should be blessed in his seed Isack being a type of him and his Birth Life Death Resurrection Ascention and Glorification were shadowed out by the dark types and
were lesser Wonders proceeding from thâ— great Wonder as we may say lesser Deities generated by the Universal Deity of Love and what can more significantly express the formality of these Spirits than these words which were revealed to my Spirit in the most Hâ—ly Place Insomuch as it seems superfluous to add any thing further but yet if any should desire further to be instructed what this Image of God is which is the Essential form of pure Spirits I say This Image coâ—tains the whole Nature Essence and all the perfections of the Deity yet with the distinction of greater and lesser original and derivative independent and dependent For example Do you find God to be a perfect Unity So are these Spirits an Unity in themselve Is God Love So are these Is God Wise Good Powerful So are these And the same may be said of all the excellencies and perfections of the Divine Nature in the perfect Image and likeness of which they were brought forth by the acting power of the Holy Ghost I come now in the last place to speak of the final Cause express'd in these words For himself that is to say these simplified Spirits were brought forth for the Manifestation of the Deity for had the Divine Nature always continued shut up in it self in the still Eternity without bringing forth it self without it self it would never have been known to any but it selfâ— wherefore for the manifestation of the Triune Deity were these simplified Spirits brought forth to be the Inhabitants of the still Eternity 1. But more especially these simplified Spirits were brought forth for the manifestation of the attributes virâ—â—es and excellencies of the Divine Essence in the still Eâ—ernity viz. His Eternity Infinity All-sufficiency Immensity as also his Unity Simplicity Liberty Goodness Perfection and Happiness For though all these were well known to themselves yet they were not manifested to others till these simplified Spirits were brought forth 2. Again thâ—y were brought forth for the manifestation â—f the Divine Soveraignty Majesty and Dominion in the still Eternity which could not be known or manifested till there were Spirits which might be the Subjects of this Dominion and Soveraignty 3. In the next place one of the ends of the productiâ—â— of these Spirits was that the mystery of the Divine Beiâ—g and subsistence might be known to others besides it self iâ— the still Eternity Therefore were these Spirits produced which are all Eye and every way capacitated eternally to dwell upon the blisful contemplation of the Triune Deity 4. Another end why these Spirits were brought forth was to manifest the generating and multiplying fruitfulness of the Deity in his abstracted Nature in the still Eternity â—iâ—hout Eternal Nature's principle There being nothing more essential to the Divine Nature than to multiply diffuse and communicate it self which essential property had 〈◊〉 been known in the still Eternity without this production of simplified Spirits 5. Again a main end why these pure Spirits were brought forth was for the manifestation of God's Glory which consists in the triumphing exulting Nature of Love O in the still Eternity Now that this pleasant and all glorious Love-essence might be revealed in the still Eternity to others besides the Trinity therefore were these pure Spirits brought forth that they tasting seeing and enjoying this glorious pleasant and blisful Love-essence might celebrate the praise and glory of the Triune Deity to all Eternity 6. Lastly These pure Spirits were brought forth for the manifestation of the hidden will and good pleasure of the Trinity The Divine Will from Eternity was to bring forth Spirits in the still Eternity to be the Inhabitants of it which might know him and enjoy him and in so doing be Eternally happy Which Will of God could not be manifest till such Spirits were actually produced who were capable of knowing and enjoying him and such were these simplified pure Spirits and therefore were they brought forth by the Holy and ever blessed Trinity The Divine Wisdom very well knew that nothing less than Spirits of the highest degree of purity and simplicity could be capable of receiving the manifestations of the Trinity in the still Eternity that is in their pure simple abstracted and solitary being Therefoâ—e were these Spirits brought forth in the perfect Image of thâ— Deity as he subsists all pure Spirit and Vnity without and before Eternal Nature that they might be vessels capable of receiving the Divine fulness for which they were brought forth Having now finished the manifestation of the Nature of these simplified Spirits from their Causes I shall next come to give you a brief account of some of their â—ssential qualifications properties and adjuncts the explication of which may afford a fuller and clearer understanding of their Nature 1. In the first place then I say That these Inhabitants of the still Eternity are most highly simplified Spirits which simplicity of theirs consists in this that they did immediately proceed from the most simple and abstracted Essence of the Deity and were not brought forth out of Eternal Nature's Principle as all other Creatures were which therefore want much of the simplicity and unity of these pure Spirits And again these Spirits are justly said to be simplified Spirits in that they have no Souls or any personal organical corporeity but are meer pure Spirits that is nothing but Spirit all Spirit Yet I do not deny but these Spirits hâ—ve a Body which is common to them all which Body is the Temple Body of the Holy Ghost which fills that whole circumference of that most Holy Place in which Body they do all dwell yet reserving their numerical distinction 2. These Inhabitants are Intellectual Spirits that is they were endued with understanding and will for otherwise they could not have resembled the Father of Spirits neither could they have been capable of knowing loving and obeying him and consequently would have been unmeet for the company of the Holy Trinity in the still Eternity 3. These Spirits are endued with the Spiritual senses of seeing hearing smelling tasting and feeling whereby they are inabled to discern the object of the still Eternity They behold the Trinity face to face they hearken to his still and awful voice they are refreshed by perceiving the ravishing odors which continually perfume the most Holy Place they taste and feed upon the outflowing sweetness of the Deity and they feel nothing but the Eternal goodness of him who with his fulness fills the still Eternity 4. In the fourth place These Spirits are endued with a Spiritual kind of materiality from the Love-Essence in the Heart of God But because I have fully spoken of this in the material Cause I thither refer you 5. In the fifth place These Spirits are all of them Co-eternal I mean in relation to themselves not to the Holy Trinity who were before them in order of Nature as the Cause is before the effect and the Generator before that which is
generated though we cannot deny but that in some sense these Spirits may be said to be Co-eternal with the Trinity becaus we cannot say that the blessed Trinity ever were without the company of these Spirits in the still Eternity But in thiâ— place when I say that these Spirits are Co-eternal my meaning is that they were all brought forth at once in the still Eternity without any priority or succession of time which is not to be found in the most Holy Place 6. In the sixth place These Spirits are all of them co-equal with one another I say with one another not with the Holy Trinity for though these simplified Spirits may in some sense be said to be Co-essential and Co-eternal with the Blessed Trinity yet can they 〈◊〉 be said to be co-equal with them They were indeed the off-spring of the Divine Essence of multiplying and propagating Love proceeding from the Heart of the Trinity and so may be said to be co-essential with the Deity as immediately proceeding from the Divine Essence of Love and they were brought forth in the still Eternity where time is not to be found and so may be said to be Co-eternal with the Blessed Trinity who were never withoâ—â—â—he company of these pure Spirits in the still Eternity yet notwithstanding all this they were never admitted to a co-equality with the Deity becaus it is contrary to the Nature and right of the Deity to bring forth Sons which should be equal with them in the Soveraignty Kingdom and Dominion for so the Holy Trinity must have brought forth many absolute independent Deities like themselves which cannot be admitted It remains then that this co-equality which we attribute to these Spirits is only to be understood with respect to themselves viz. that they are all alike without having any preheminence the one before the other As first In their birth and original they all have â—â—t one Father the Father of Spirits and but one Mother as proceeding all from the womb of Eternal Love They are all Children and Brethren alike They aâ—â— all equal in Dignity and Glory Here is no Electiâ—â— or Reprobation takes place amongst these Spirits as being all of them the Sons of God's Eternal Love They are all of them Co-heirs alike of all their Father's Goods even of all the Riches and Glory of the still Eternity they enjoy the Beatifical Vision and Union to and Communion with the blessed Trinity alike All the wonders of Eternity are their's in Community and are all alike sharers in the Powers Raptures and Ioys of the most Holy Place They are all members of the same Body viz. the Divine Love-essence They are all Citizens of the same City All Subjects and obedient Servants of the same Soverain Majesty They are all equal in the Divine perfections and heavenly gifts and graces they are all of them most Lovely Holy Pure and Righteous They are equally meek humble obedient resigned c. so that they may very well be said to be co-equal with one another 7. In the seventh place These Spirits are all fixed Spirits that is they are unchangeable and unalterable and by the power of the Holy Ghost filling them throughout become fixed and unmoveable pillars in the most Holy Place The reason of this their unchangeable fixation is that the Holy Ghost is the Life of their Life the Spirit of their Spirits and the moving Power in all their motions They desire not think not will not speak not move not but the Holy Spirit desire's think's will's speaks and moves in and through them Not that they want these faculties and powers but becaus the Holy Ghost alone is the acting and moving power in and through all their faculties themselves being purely and meerly pasâ—ive And therefore it is impossible that any of these Spirits should fall becaus they stand all fixed in and by the unchangeable power of the Holy Spirit owning no will but that of the Blessed Trinity so that there is no way for sin or self to enter in and take possession of these Inhabitants of the still Eternity forasmuch as the Holy Ghost who performs all the good will of the Trinity is become their acting and moving power 8. In the next place These simplified Spirits as to their Number are innumerable as to us though not to the Holy Trinity to whom their number is exactly known and who calls them all by their Names This innumerable number of Spirits proceeded as I told you before from the overflowing stream of Love's Eternal Essence for when the Father and Spirit moved in the Heart-essence of Love then the Heart of the Son's Deity opened it self and then the Love-essence shut up in the Heart did flow forth as a stream from the Heart-center out of which essentially the Holy Ghost in Conjunction with Wisdom formed this numberless number of simplified Spirits And this infinite fulness of the Divine Love might have sufficed to the production of many more of these Spirits than were brought forth therefore the out-flowings of this ocean Sea what shall I say of Eternal Love were bounded by God's Will and Wisdom who brings forth all things in Number Weight and Measure and so were these Spirits also produced according to the will and good pleasure of the Holy Triâ—ity 9. In the ninth place We may consider the place or Vbi of these Spirits which is no other than the most Holy Place the still Eternity the Heaven of Heavens differing from the Angelical and all other Heavens in that they were brought forth out of Eternal Nature but this was before and stands without Eternal Nature and is the most Holy Place and Presence-chamber of the Divine Majesty in its own pure abstracted Essence But to speak somewhat more particular concerning the place of â—hese Spirits I say that they are placed round about the Eye of Eternity not in the very Eye which situation of â—â—â—ir's is a mark of their inferiority subordination unto and dependance upon the Trinity 10. In the tenth and last place I shall speak something concerning their outward form and figure which as was told you before is the very same with the figure of the Eye of Eternity only with this difference that the Eye of Eternity is greater and these also many lesser Eyes encompassing it round According as you see it represented in the figure which is in the Margin where the Great Spot in the midst deciphers the Eye of Eternity appearing like the black or sight of an Eye and the lesser spots round about it represent the Inhabitants of the still Eternity exactly resembling the Eye of Eternity with this only distinction that they are less than it And here we may also take notice that as these Spirits do exactly in their outward figure resemble the Holy Trinity as they exist in the shut up Eye of Eternity so also they exactly resemble one another without any the least difference appearing all not only in the same figure and
form but also of the same bigness so that there is no distinction between them but only a numerical distinction whereby one of them is not the other And one of the greatest Wonders of the still Eternity is this to behold this innumerable number of Spirits bearing the exact and perfect resemblance with the Deity both outwardly and inwardly At which sight my Spirit was in a manner all absorbed quite swallowed with wonder and amazement Having thus spoken concerning these qualifications and adjuncts of these pure Spirits I should now draw to a conclusion of this Subject but becaus some it may be will be curious to know what the manner of living and employment of these Spirits in the still Eternity is As to the first We must know that being living Spirits their life requires to be maintained with food foâ— no life though the most spiritual can be continued without a supply of meat and drink according to its kind It is not to be thought that we speak here of any gross way of eating and drinking but of that which is purely and highly Spiritual for the food of these Spirits is nothing else but living powers or rather powers of Life proceeding from the Holy Trinity Their Eternal Mother that brought them forth to be living Spirits doth feed nourish and maintain them with her Divine influences and distilling powers which Mother of theirs is the Eternal Heart of Love which is the Center of the blessed Trinity from whence proceed these impregnating penetrating powers which do feed and maintain these Spirits which powers are the very Blood Life and Spirit of Love which is the food of those Inhabitants of the still Eternity And thus much shall suffice concerning the manner and way of Living of these Spirits in the still Eternity I shall now come to speak a word or two concerning their Employment Their employment is to attend in the presence of the Holy and everblessed Trinity being ready to perform the will of the supreme Majesty Their Minds are continually taken up and delighted with the Beatifical Vision of the Deity their Wills fully satisfied in the immediate enjoyment of the chiefest Good their Senses pleased with most suitable and ravishing objects and they continually bathing themselves in those Rivers of unknown delights â— which proceed from the Heart of the Deity without intermission Thus they spend that Eternal day in never ceasing Praises and Hallelujahs to the ever blessed and incomprehensible Trinity Quest. If any one do further enquire concerning these Spirits what Speech or Language they have or how they communicate their thoughts to one another Answ. I answer That their speaking to one another is 〈◊〉 thought what ever they do but think is answered â—â—mediately their thoughts are all known to one another 〈◊〉 forthwith answered which awful silence adds â—uch to the Glory of this Presence-chamber of the suâ—â—me Majesty But it is not only their Language which is Wonâ—erful they being full of Wonders for they all see 〈◊〉 through one Eye hear through one ear they all live 〈◊〉 one Heart and from one Center of Life they move â—rom one moving Cause they all breath from one â—reath they all will from one Spirit and they all stand â—n one Body For God the Holy Ghost who is a breath â—ir life and power proceeding from the Father's Eye through the Son's Heart of Love is all in all 〈◊〉 these Spirits so that the will of the Trinity is fully â—erformed in them and by them I have but little more to add and that is concerning the Nature of â—his still Eternity and the ends why 〈◊〉 was brought forth To the first of these I shall speak â—n these following particulars 1. In the first place then I say That the still Eternity is a Principle now what a Principle is I shall afterwards set down to which therefore I refer you 2. Secondly The still Eternity is the first Eternal Principle becaus there is none before above or beyond it But God alone who is the Cause of it 3. In the third place This still Eternity is the Original Principle of all Principles becaus all other Principles proceed from it 4. In the fourth place This still Eternity is the original Principle of Eternal Love and therefore it is called the Kingdom of Love becaus here is the birth of Love and here the blessed Trinity dwell in the Eternal Unity of their Love-essence which is the first and last of all Beings and Essences whatsoever But you will object That Mount Zion the New Ierusalem and the Angelical World are called by the saâ—â— Names viz. the Kingdom and World of Love To which I answer by granting That it is true Mount Zion c. are called by the same Names as iâ— the still Eternity but yet with this difference that the still Eternity is the Kingdom and Mansion of the Love as it exists without and before Eternal Nature's Principle but Mount Zion the New Ierusalem and Angelical World are called the Kingdom of Love manifested in and through Eternal Nature so as the 〈◊〉 is the Kingdom of Love out of Eternal Nature and the others are the Kingdom of the said Love brought forth iâ— Eternal Nature's Principle 5. In the fifth and last place The still Eternity is â— simple undivided Principle without any distinction of parts composition or mixture whatsoever It is all Light and all Love without any thing of Contrariety â—â— Disagreement whatsoever I now come to speak briefly concerning the second head I just now propounded viz. the ends why this still Eternity was brought forth 1. In the first place The still Eternity was brought forth that it might be the Palace and Habitation of the ever blessed Trinity in their abstracted and solitary Being 2. Secondly The still Eternity was brought forth tâ— be the Council-chamber of the Holy Trinit when all their Eternal Decrees Counsels Purposes and Predestinatious are agreed upon and from whence they proceed And because we here have made mention of the Decrees and Counsels of the blessed Trinity it will not be amiss if we speak something concerning the Nature of these Decrees c. We are to know that all the Decrees and Counsels of the Holy Trinity do wholly and solely depend on the Will of their Eternal Love witâ—out the least regard to any thing without themselves being nothing else but the pure results of the will and purpose of their Love But if we consider the Holy Trinity as being invested with the Principle of Eternal Nature so their Decrees and Counsels concerning Angels and Men may be said to have a conditional regard to Faith Obedience Perseverance c. which distinction if well understood will put an end to all those disputes which have been concerning the Decrees and purposes of God whither they be absolute and independent or conditional and with regard to things without them for both opinions are true if rightly and distinctly taken In the still Eternity all the
there the Dragon and the Beast have established their Dominions and are very active and stirring in it And tho we cannot deny but God is in fallen Nature yet not to the same eâ—d for which he was pleased to introduce himself into pure Nature for he introduced himself into pure Nature that he might be the sole mover and actor in it and thereby to keep and preserve it in its original purity whereas the end why God entred into fallen Nature was that he might redeem it and restore it to its original purity from whence it is fallen Quest. But you will say How can the high purity of the Divine Nature be preserved in the unclean vessel of defiled and corrupted Nature Answ. To which I answer That if we consider what hath been said of the Divine Nature we shall find this objection fully satisfied for I told you that the Divine Nature is the highest unity and simplicity and consequently cannot admit of any mixture or composition with any thing and again I told you that the Divine Nature was an Eternal Liberty being free from all tho being in and penetrating through all like the beams of the Sun which tho they pierce the Air and Water penetrating them throughout yet are they not mixed or jumbled with them but abide in their perfect liberty and untouched from either of them And now for a Conclusion we may draw this corollary from what hath been said that the Divine Nature and glory of the Deity is hid iâ— Nature as a Iewel in a Cabinet or as a treasure hid in a field Indeed in pure Nature this Iewel is easily found for there it lie'â— open and shed's its lustre whereby it discovers it self but in impure Nature it lie's deep hid and buried and cannot be discovered but with great pains and difficulty Yet some holy souls have found this Pearl in their â—wn fallen nature through great earnestness and continual labour and thereby have attained to the possession of the Blessed Trinity in themselves and through their Baptism into the Nature of the Father Son and Spirit are arrived to perfection by the redemption purification and transmutation of their impure natures and so restored again to their Original purity These were called in â—hose daies wise men and Lovers of wisdom and holy souls from their high Union to and with the Divine Nature of Love Thus for a Conclusion you see how God the Father hath introduced himsâ—lf into the principle of pure Nature as an Eternal Eye to see through all Nature's Globe and together with himself his Eternal flaming Heart of Love as an Eternal spring flowing continually through all the principle of Eternal Nature for its delight and refreshment and his Spirit of Life to be the supreme moving motion throughout the whole Essence of pure Nature Thus much may suffice to have been spoken of what God is in Pure Nature Having hitherto given you an account concerning the Principle of Eternal Nature we are next to speak of the Generations of it that is the numerous off-spring of Worlds and Creatures which were manifested from her fruitful womb which I intend shall be and now have made it to be the Subject of my second Tract Treatise or Book namely of the Angels and herewith shall put an end to the first wherein I have endeavoured to declare these three Propositions What the Nature of the Holy Trinity is out of Eternal Nature What Eternal Nature is What God is in pure Eternal Nature Cujus nullus FINIS 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ALL the Errata to your outward look Correct within your self that inward Book Be wholey God-taught wholey if you can Be not a Skreen to Antichrist but Fan. No other Book you then need read of man But while in weak and childish state we dwell We must have Letters line on line to spell And so let Faults â—e mended and all 's well So sai'th and prai'th your humbl DRAWDE REKOOH THE Printer likewise praieth that yoâ— would pleas to mend the matter somâ— what a little Marr'd he confesseth for wanâ— of these words whiâ—â—â—e requesteth may be read in the room of the other Thus For impli pag. 3. line 17. imprieth for Seren in p. 55. l. 7. put in Seaven p. 59. l. 23. He twixt is and who and l. 30. brightness l. ult â— Repraesentation p. 89. l. 18. Sovereign p. 91. l. 31. up with p. 94. l. 30. praedestinations p. 95. l. 21. creatures p. 129. l. 28. Magicaly p. 139. l. penult six p. 142. l. 27. Spirit p. 145. â— 33. Nature p. 151. l. 13. Tresaurie p. 154. * Sed antequam de re paucula de te itidem de me quippe intra nos est quod contra nos est * Sed antequam de re paucula de te itidem de me quippe intra nos est quod contra nos est (a) Iam. I. ver last (b) Ephesâ— V. ver 27. †Religion is no mormo Momâ—s nor frowning Furie (c) 1 Cor. IV. ver 1 3. (d) As much as carnalitie tho' had I been in the ARC a Type supposed of the visibl Church with cursed Cham I shold hardly for all mi hatred I beleev have leaped out except I had been out of mi wits as out of the waters * Whilst Hypecrisie lieth under the cloudi Brow of a Pharisee a â—heerfull countenance is the Emblem of Innocence which exclâ—dâ—th as wel Moreseness as Madness (e) Isaiah XXII 12. (f) Chap. I. ver 2. 1 Kings XIII 2. (g) Matth. IV. 4. (h) Iam. III. v. 6. (i) Ioh. I. vâ— 1 3. (k) Eph. V. v. 4. * We all mai â—igh to sai what wee sadly see oâ—r Rents like to prove our Ruine our Distractions our Destruction (l) O what a Rout There is about Roam's Outward Man of sin Look into self What art an Elf Rout Anti-Christ within Bona verba quaeso E. H. (m) 2 Tim. I. v. 13. [n] Tit. Iâ—I 2. [o] I Pâ—t 2. 17. †A Priestlâ— Brat by them engendred on Ignorance Fear and Supâ—rsâ—itâ—on These three completly maks the triple Crown And stil support old Rome's Imperial Throne How stily do the Priests by help of these Make men beleev and then do what theâ— pleas * Papism that 's a secular Devise Meer Trick of State in Reverend Disguise Th' ambitious Spawn of later Centuries †The Church is wounded and rent most desperatly by the evâ—â— Spirit of Division Remember wee all the Apolog of Bessarionâ— So humbly râ—qâ—esteth E. H. †After all that can be writ or said this same motto muâ—â— be subscribed Peccatur pluâ— quà m exaratur inâ—â— vereor quà m â—â— intelligatur E. H. (p) Lewis King oâ— France severely punished Blasphemies searing their Lips with an hot Iron And becaus by his comin â—nd it was executed on a great rich Citizen of Paris â—m said 〈◊〉 wâ—s a â—viant Hee hearing it said before mani I wolâ—â—â—â—oâ—â— by searing mi own Lips I could banish out of mi Realm all abuse