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A28520 A description of the three principles of the divine essence viz., of the un-originall eternall birth of the Holy Trinity of God ... : of man, of what he was created and to what end, and how he fell from his first glory into the angry wrathfulnesse ... : what the anger of God, sinne, death the Devill, and hell are ... / written in the German language, anno 1619, by Jacob Beme.; Beschreibung der drey Principen göttliches Wesens. English Böhme, Jakob, 1575-1624. 1648 (1648) Wing B3403; ESTC R19134 456,757 440

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the eternall birth which standeth hidden in the centre of man that doth nothing that is new it knoweth worketh and doth even the same that ever it did from eternity it laboureth for the light and for the darknesse and wotketh in great anguish but when the light shineth therein then there is meere joy and knowledge in its working 7 So that when the heaven and the birth of the elements are spoken of it is not a thing afarre of or that is distant from us that is spoken of but we speak of things that are done in our body and soule and there is nothing nearer us than this birth for we live and move therein as in the house of our mother and when we speak of heaven we speak of our native countrey which the enlightned soule can well see though indeed such things be hidden from the body 8 For as the soule of man moveth and swimmeth between the vertue of the Starres and Elements so the created heaven also moveth between Paradise and the kingdome of Hell and it swimmeth in the eternall matrix its limit reacheth as farre as the Ethera skies or receptacle hath yeelded it selfe up to the creation so farre as the kingdome of Luciser did reach where yet no end is to be found for the vertue or power of God is without end but our sense reacheth onely to the fiery heaven of the Starres which are a propagation in the fifth form of the eternall Mother or a Quinta essentia wherein the separation in the time of the third Principle or in the beginning of this world the vertue or power of the matrix was separated where now the separation is thus movind and then every essence in the propagation in the manifold centres of the Starres have a longing desire one after the other and a continuall will to infect impregnate or mix influences and the one essence or vertue is the meat and drink as also the chest case or receptacle of the other 9 For as in the Paradificall principle the holy Ghost in the Trinity of the Deity continually goeth forth floweth very softly immoveably and imperceptably as to the Creature and yet formeth and fashioneth all in the Paradisical matrix so also doth the third Principle After that the Matrix became visible and materiall every vertue in the matrix hath had a great attractive longing towards one another a continuall springing blossoming and fading again like a bud or some boyling seething matter wherein the sournesse coldnesse and eager fierce strongnesse attract without ceassng and this attracting prickle or sting stirreth alwayes without ceasing and striveth or resisteth so that the soure matrix because of the inward hellish or most originall matrix standeth continually in anguish with a great desire of the light which it espyeth in the root of the fire and is continually affrighted at it and becometh milde soft and materiall whereby the Elementary water is continually generated 10 In this manner you must understand the foure elements which yet are not foure divided things or essences but one onely essence and yet there are foure differences or distinctions in this birth and each element lieth in the other as in a chest and it is its receptacle also it is a member therein Understand and consider the ground aright which followeth The sournesse is the matrix and a cause of all things which in its own substance is very dark cold and as nothing but the eternall Deity being there and speculating or beholding it selfe in the sournesse therefore the dark sournesse is desirous after the Divine vertue and attracteth although there is no life or understanding in the sournesse yet it is the ground of the first essence and the originall whence somwhat cometh to be Here we can search no further into the ground of the Deity for it troubleth disturbeth or confoundeth us 11 Now the sournesse in its lust or great longing or panting after the light attracteth continually and in its own substance it is nothing else but a vehement hunger very dry and as a vacuum or nothing at all a desiring will as the darknesse after the light and its hunger or attracting maketh the bitternesse the woe or lamentation that it cannot be satiated or mollified from whence the anguish ariseth so that the will or prickle or sting is rub'd or struck in it selfe from the lust of the desiring and it will not yeeld it selfe to the dark nothing or dead will but setteth its desire and anguish and also it s eager or strong will so very hard towards the hidden light of God that thereby the will becometh a twinkling flash like a sparkling or crackling fire whereby the sournesse that is so very aking is continually filled and as it were deadned whereby the soure spirit cometh to be soft sweet and materiall even water 12 But the bitternesse being so very much assrighted at the flash of fire in the sournesse it catcheth its mother the sournesse which is become materiall from the crack and flieth out and is clouded or swelled from the materiall sournesse as if it also were materiall and moveth and strenghtheneth it selfe continually in the mother and that is the element called Aire in this world which hath its originall in the watry mother and the water hath its originall from the aire and the fire hath its originall from the longing anguish and the earth and stones took their beginning in the strong attraction at the fall of Lucifer when the sournesse was so fierce strong rising and attractive which attraction is stopped again by the light in the third principle 13 Thus it may very plainly be understood that the light of God is a cause of all things and you may hereby understand all the three Principles For if the power vertue and light of God were not then there would be also no attractive longing in the dark eternity and also the soure desire which is the mother of the Eternity would be nothing at all and it may be understood that the Divine vertue shineth in every thing and yet it is not the thing it selfe but the Spirit of God in the second principle and yet the thing is his Ray glance or lustre which thus proceedeth from the longing or attracting will But now the Heart of God is in the Father in the first will and the Father is the first desiring or longing after the Soone and the Sonne is the vertue and light of the Father from whence the eternall nature becometh alwayes longing and so from the heart of God in the eternall dark matrix it generateth the third principle For so God is manifest but otherwise the Deity would remain hidden eternally 14 Now therefore we say as the Scripture informeth us that God dwelleth in heaven and it is the truth Now mark Moses writeth that God created the heaven out of the midst of the waters and the Scripture sayth God dwelleth
search into the beginning and kindling of life wee finde strongly with cleere evidences all manner of faculties or members so that when the cleere light of the soule kindleth then the Fiat standeth in very great joy and in the twinckling of an eye doth in the Matrix sever the pure from the impure of which the Tincture of the soule in the light is the worker which there reneweth it but the Fiat createth it 15. And now when the soure harsh Matrix is made so very humble thin and sweet by the light the sterne or strong horrour which was so very poysonous before the light kindled flieth upward for it is terrified at the meeknesse of the Matrix and it is a terrour of great joy yet it retaineth its strong or sterne right or property and cannot be changed neither can it get farre from thence for it is withheld by the Fiat but it raiseth it selfe suddenly aloft and the terrour maketh it a filme from the soure or harsh Fiat which holdeth the terrour fast and that is now the Gall of the heart 16. But when the Matrix from which the terrour was gone forth was thus loosed from the terrour of the anxiety and became so very sweet like sweet-water then the spirit of the great world figured or imprinted it selfe instantly in the Matrix and filleth the foure Elements also within it and thinketh with it selfe now I have the sweet virgin and the Fiat createth it and severeth the Elements which also are in strife and each of them would have the virgin and are in a wrestling till they one overcome another and that the fire being the mightiest and the most strong stay above and the water sink down and the earth being a hard grosse thing must stay below But the fire will have a Region of its own 17. For it saith I am the Spirit and the life I will dwell in the virgin and the soure harsh Fiat attracteth all to it and maketh it a Mesch Massa concretion and moreover it maketh it flesh and the fire keepeth the uppermost Region viz. the heart for the foure Elements sever themselves by their strife and every one of them maketh it selfe a severall Region and the Fiat maketh all to be flesh onely the Aire would have no flesh for it said I dwell in no house and the Fiat said I have created thee thou art mine and closed it in with an inclosure that is the bladder 18. Now the other Regions set themselves in order first the sterne flash that is the Gall and beneath the flash the fire whose Region is the heart and beneath the fire the water whose Region is the Liver and beneath the water the earth whose Region is in the Lungs 19. And so every Element qualifieth or acteth in its own source or manner of operation and one could doe nothing without the other neither could one have any mobility without the other for one generateth the other and they goe all foure out of one Originall and it is in its Birth but one onely thing or substance as I have mentioned before at large about the Creation concerning the birth of the foure Elements 20. The soure strong or bitter Gall viz. the terrible poysonous flash of fire kindleth the warmth in the heart or the fire and is it selfe the cause from whence all else take their Originall 21. Here we finde againe in our consideration the lamentable and horrible fall in the Incarnation because when the light of life riseth up and when the Fiat in the Tincture of the spirit of the soule reneweth the Matrix then the Fiat thrusteth the death of the stifling choaking checking or stopping and perishing in the sternnesse viz. the impurity of the stifled or checked bloud from it selfe out of its Essences and casteth it away and will not endure it in the body but as a superfluity the Fiat it selfe driveth it out and of its cough glutinous sourenesse maketh an enclosure round about it viz. a filme or gut that it may touch neither the flash nor the spirit and leaveth the nethermost port open for it and banisheth it eternally because that impurity doth not belong to this Kingdome as it happened also to the earth when the Fiat thrust it out of the Matrix in the middest in the Centre upon a heape as a lump being it was unfit for heaven so also here 22. And we finde greater mysteries yet in evidence of the horrible fall for after that the foure Elements had thus set themselves every one in a severall Region then they made themselves Lords over the spirit of the soule which was generated out of the Essences and they have taken it into their power and qualifie with it The fire viz. the mightiest of them hath taken it into its Region or jurisdiction in the Heart and there it must keepe and the blossom and light thereof goeth out of the heart and moveth upon the heart as the kindled light of a Candle where the Candle resembleth the fleshly heart with the Essences out of which the light shineth And the fire hath set it selfe over the Essences and continually reacheth after the light and it supposeth that it hath the virgin viz. the Divine vertue or power 23. And there the holy Tincture is generated out of the Essences which regardeth not the fire but setteth the Essences viz. the soule in its pleasant joy Then come the other three Elements out of their Regions and fill themselves also by force therein each of them would taste of the virgin receive her and qualifie or mingle with her viz. the water that filleth it selfe by force also therein and it tasteth the sweet Tincture of the soule and the fire saith I would willingly keepe the water for I can quench my thirst therewith and refresh my selfe therein And the Aire saith I am indeed the spirit I will blow up thy heate and fire that the water doe not choake thee And the fire saith to the Aire I will keepe thee for thou upholdest my quality for mee that I also goe not out And then cometh the Element of Earth and saith What will you three doe alone you will starve and consume one another for you depend all three on one another and devour your selves and when you shall have consumed the water then you extinguish for the aire cannot move unlesse it have some water for the water is the mother of the aire which generateth the aire Moreover the fire becometh much too fierce violent and eagar if the water be consumed and consumeth the body and then our Region is out and none of us can subsist 24. Then thus say the three Elements the fire the aire and the water to the Earth Thou art indeed too dark too rough and too cold and thou art rejected by the Fiat wee cannot take thee in thou destroyest our dwelling and makest it dark
and stinking and thou afflictest our virgin which is our onely delight and treasure wherein wee live And the Earth saith yet pray take my Children in they are lovely and of good esteemes they afford you meate and drinke and cherish you that you never suffer want 25. Hereupon thus say the three Elements but so they may afterwards get a dwelling in us and may come to be strong and great and then wee must depart or be in subjection to them and therefore wee will not take them in neither for they may come to be as rough and cold as thou art yet this wee will doe thou mayst let thy children dwell in our Courts and Porches and wee will come and be their Guest and eate of their fruit and drinke of their drinke else the water which is contained in the Element would be too little for us 26. Now thus say the three Elements fire water and aire to the Spirit fetch us children of the earth that they may dwell in our Courts wee will eate of their Essences and make thee strong Here the Spirit of the soule like a captive must be obedient and must reach with his Essences and fetch them forth And then cometh the Fiat and saith No thou mightest so out-run mee and the Fiat created the reaching forth and there came forth from thence hands and all other essences and formes as it is before our eyes and the Astronomicus Astronomer knoweth it well yet he knoweth not the secrefie of it although he can expound the signes according to the Constellation and Elements which qualifie and mingle together in the Essences of the Spirit of the soule 27. And now when the hands in the will reach after the children of the Earth which reaching forth yet is no other than a will in the spirit of the childe in the Mothers body then the Fiat is there and maketh a great roome in the Courts of the three Elements and a tough firme inclosure round about it that they may not touch the flesh for the flesh is afraid of the children of the earth because the earth is throwne away for its rough stinking darknesse and it trembleth for great seare and it looketh still about after the best meanes least the children of the earth should be too rough for it and might cause a stinke that so it might have an opening and might cast away the stink and the such and so it maketh out of the Court which is the maw or stomack an outlet and Gate and environeth the same with its tough soure harshnesse and so there is a Gutt 28. But because the Enemy is not yet in substance but onely in the will of the Spirit therefore it goeth away very slowly downwards and seeketh for the Port where it will make an outlet and Gate that it may cast away the stinke and filth from whence the Gutts are so very long and crooked 29. Now when this Conference which is spirituall between the three Elements fire aire and water was perceived by the Spirit of the earth viz. the Essences in the Region of the Lungs then it cometh at last when the habitation or the Court was already built for the children of the earth and saith to the three Elements Wherefore will yee take the body for the Spirit Will you take the children of the earth and feed upon them I am their spirit and am pure I can strengthen the Essences of the soule with my vertue and essences and uphold them well take mee in 30. And they say yes wee will take thee in for thou art a member of our spirit thou shalt dwell in us and strengthen the Essences of our spirit that it may not faint yet wee must also have the children of the earth for they have our quality also in them that wee may rejoyce and the Spirit of the Lungs saith Then I will live in you wholly and rejoyce my selfe with you The Gate of the Sydereall or starry Spirit 31. Thus now when the light of the Sunne which had discovered and imprinted it selfe in the fire-falsh of the Essences of the spirit and was shining in the fire-flash as in a strange vertue and not in the Sunnes own vertue when he seeth that he hath gotten the Region and that the Essences of the soule which are the Worme or the Spirit as also the Elements will rejoyce in his vertue and splendour and that the Elements have made their foure Regions or Dominions and habitations for an everlasting possession and that he should be a King and that they should serve at Court in the Spirit of the Essences in the heart and so exceedingly love him and rejoyce in their service and have besides brought the children of the earth that the spirit might present them where then they will first be frolick and potent and eate and drinke of the Essences of the children of the earth then he thinketh with himselfe it is good to dwell here thou art a King thou wilt bring thy kindred off spring or Generation hither and raise them up above the Elements and make thy selfe a Region or Dominion art not thou the King here is the Gate where the children of this world are wiser than the children of light O Man Consider thy selfe And he draweth the Constellations to him and bringeth them into the Essences and sets them over the Elements with their wonderfull and unsearchable various Essences whose number is infinite and maketh himselfe a Region and Kingdome of his Generation in a strange Countrey 32. For the Essences of the soule are not this Kings own he hath not generated them nor they him but he hath by lust imprinted himselfe also in its Essences and kindled himselfe in its fire-flash of purpose to finde its virgin and live in her which is the amiable divine vertue or power because the spirit of the soule is out of the eternall and had the virgin before the Fall and therefore now the Spirit of the great world continually seeketh the virgin in the Spirit of the soule and supposeth that shee is there still as before the Fall where the Spirit of the great world appeared in Adams virgin with very great joy and desired also to live in the virgin and to be eternall because he felt his corruptibility and that he was so rough in himselfe therefore he would faine partake of the loving kindnesse and sweetnesse of the virgin and live in her that so he might live eternally and not break corrupt or perish againe 33. For by the great longing of the Darknesse after the light and vertue of God this world hath been generated out of the Darknesse where the holy vertue of God shone or beheld it selfe in the Darknesse and therefore this great desiring and longing after the divine vertue continueth in the Spirit of the Sunne Starres and Elements and in all things All groane and pant
after the divine vertue and would fame be delivered from the vanity of the Devill but seeing that cannot be therefore all creatures must waite till their Dissolution when they shall goe into their Ether and get a place in Paradise yet onely in the figure and shadow and the Spirit must be dissolved which here hath had such lust or longing 34. But now this lust or longing must be thus or else no good creature could be and this world would be a meere Hell and wrathfulnesse And now seeing the virgin standeth in the second Principle so that the spirit of this world cannot possibly reach to her and yet that the virgin doth continually behold her selfe or appeare in the Spirit of this world to satisfie the lust and longing in the fruit and growing of every thing therefore he is so very longing and seeketh the virgin continually he exalteth many a creature in great skill and cunning subtilty and he bringeth it into the highest degree that he can and continually supposeth that so the virgin shall againe be generated for him which he saw in Adam before his fall which also brought Adam to fall in that he would dwell in his virgin and with his great lust so pressed Adam that he fell a sleepe that is he set himselfe by force in Adams Tincture close to the virgin and would faine have qualified in her and mingled with her and so live eternally whereby the Tincture grew weary and the virgin withdrew 35. And then Adam fell and was feeble which is called sleepe This was the Tree of Temptation to try whether it was possible for Adam to live eternally in the virgin and to generate the virgin again out of himselfe and so generate an Angelicall Kingdome 36. But seeing it could not so be because of the spirit of this world therefore was the outward Temptation first taken in hand by the Tree of the fruit of this world And there Adam became perfectly a man of this world and did eate and drinke of the earthly Essences and infected or mingled himselfe with the Spirit of this world and became that Spirits own as wee now see by wofull experience how that Spirit possesseth a childe in the mothers body in the Incarnation for he knoweth not any where else to seek the virgin but in man where he first of all espied her 37. Therefore he doth wrestle in many a man that is of a strong Complexion in whom the virgin doth often behold her selfe so very hard continually supposing he shall get the virgin and that shee shall be generated for him and the more the soule resisteth him and draweth neere to the heart of God panteth to yeeld it selfe over thereto where the amiable virgin not onely freely looketh upon it but dareth even for a long time even to fit in its neast viz. in the Tincture of the soule the more strong and eagar or desirous doth the spirit of this world come to be 38. Where then the King viz. the light of the Sunne is so very joyfull in the Spirit and doth so highly triumph exult and rejoyce that he moveth all the Essences of the Starres and bringeth them into their highest degree to generate her where then all Centres of the Starres flie open and the loving virgin beholdeth her selfe in them Where then the Essences of the soule in the light of the virgin can see in the Centres of the Starres what is in its originall and source 39. Of which my soule knoweth full well and hath also received its knowledge thus which the learned Master in the Hood of his degree cannot beleeve because he cannot apprehend it therefore he holdeth it to be impossible and ascribeth it to the Devill as the Jewes did by the sonne of the virgin when he in the vertue of the virgin shewed signes and wrought miracles which my soule regardeth not neither esteemeth their pride it hath enough in the Pearle and it hath a longing to shew the thirsty where the Pearle lyeth the crowned Hood or cornered cap may play merrily behinde the Curtaine of Antichrist till the Lilly grow and then the smell of the Lilly will cause some to throw away the Hood or Cap saith the virgin and the thirsty shall drinke of the water of life and at that time the sonne of the virgin will rule in the valley of Jehosaphat 40. Therefore seeing the mystery in the light of the virgin thus wonderfully meeteth us wee will here for the seeking minde which in earnest hope seeketh that it might finde the Pearle open yet one Gate as the same is opened to us in the virgin For the minde asketh seeing that the Sunne Starres and Elements were never yet in the second Principle where the virgin generateth her selfe out of the light therefore how could they be able to know the virgin in Adam so that they labour thus eagarly with longing after the virgin The Depth in the Centre 41. Behold thou seeking minde that which thou seest before thy eyes that is not the Element neither in the fire aire water nor earth neither are there foure but one onely and that is fix and invisible also imperceptible for the fire which burneth is no Element but it is the fierce sterne wrath which come to be such in the kindling of the anger when the Devils fell out of the Element the Element is neither hot nor cold but it is the inclination to be in God for the heart of God is Barm that is warmth and its ascention is attractive and alwayes finding and then the hertz that is the heart is the holding the thing before it selfe and not in it selfe and then the ig the last syllable of the German word Barm-hertz-ig that is warme-hearted or mercifull expounded according to the Language of Nature is the continuall discovering of the thing and this is altogether Ewig eternall and that is the ground of the inward Element which maketh the anger substantiall so that it was visible and palpable which anger Lucifer with his Legions did awaken and thereupon he now remaineth to be Prince in the anger or wrath in the kindled Element as Christ according to this forme calleth him a Prince of this world 42. And the Element remaineth hidden to the anger and fiercenesse or wrath and standeth in Paradise and the fierce-wrath goeth still out from the Element and therefore God hath captivated the Devils with the Element in the fierce-wrath and he keepeth them in with the Element and the fierce-wrath cannot touch or comprehend it like the fire and the light for the light is neither hot nor cold but the fierce-wrath is hot and the one holdeth the other and the one generateth the other 43. Here observe Adam was created out of the Element out of the attracting of the heart of God which is the will of the Father and therein is the virgin
the deare virgin and turne instantly and consider where thou art lodged in how hard a house of bondage thy soule lyeth imprisoned seek thy native Countrey from whence thy soule is wandred and whither it ought to returne againe 51. And then if thou wilt follow it thou wilt finde in thy selfe not onely after this life but in this life also in thy Regeneration that shee will very worthily meete thee and out of what kinde of Spirit this Author hath written CHAP. XVII Of the horrible lamentable and miserable Fall of Adam and Eve in Paradise Mans Looking-Glasse 1. IF the Gate of the Deep were not opened to mee in my minde so that I can see the strife that is against the kingdome of God then I should also suppose that the matter of the Fall were meerly a Disobedience about the biting of an Apple as the Text in Moses barely passeth it over though Moses hath written wholly right 2. For the matter was about the earthly eating and drinking wherewith the Paradisicall Man was captivated by the Spirit of this world which now must qualifie or mix with all Men. This the Holy Scripture witnesseth and also Reason that Man is not at home in the Elementary kingdome of this world For Christ said My kingdome is not of this world and to his Apostles he said I have called you out from this world Also Flesh and bloud cannot inherit the kingdome of God 3. Also wee see that the kingdome of this world dieth to Man and passeth away or breaketh seeing then that Adam did beare the Image of the kingdome of God which was eternall and uncorruptible and stood in Paradise therefore wee can with no ground say that he did beare the Image of the kingdome of this world For this world is transitory and corruptible but the Image in Adam was not transitory but corruptible also if wee will say that Adam before his fall lived in the source or property of the foure Elements then wee can no way maintaine that Adam was not a corruptible Image For at the end the foure Elements must passe away and goe into the Eternall Element 4. Besides he should have been subject to the source for heate and cold should have ruled over him which wee may see plainly in Moses that God first after the fall by the Spirit or Angel of the Counsell of this world made cloathes of skins and put them then first upon them as the vaile of Moses doth cover it that men cannot see his face as is to be seene by the people of Israel Besides if he had been meerly of Earth and of the foure Elements then he might have been burnt in the fire or drowned in the water and be stifled in the aire Also wood and stone could have bruised him and destroyed him and yet it is written that he the Adamicall Man at the Day of the Restitution shall passe through the fire and be approved and the fire shall not hurt him 5. Now no other Man shall rise againe but that which God created in the beginning for he is created out of the Eternall will as to his soule which was breathed into him and his body is created out of the Eternall Element which was and is Paradise and the foure issues of the foure Elements out of the one Eternall Element are this world wherein Adam was not created 6. The Text in Moses saith He was created in the Paradise in Hebron that is in the Gate of the Deep between the Deity and the Abysse of the kingdome of Hell His body was out of the one pure Element and his Spirit was breathed into him out of the Eternall Minde of God the Father from the chast virgin of the Divine Wisdome and Love 7. For the Element is without understanding and that is that which is attracted or concreted in the will of God wherein the Eternall Wisdome of God doth sparkle or discover it selfe in infinitum infinitely and in that spring up colours arts vertues and the Eternall Wonders out of which Element in the beginning in the kindling of the fire in the sterne fiercenesse are the foure Elements proceeded 8. For this is very well to be apprehended and perceived in the earth and stones that the foure Elements are of one onely substance and that the earth and stones were generated in the fiercenesse from the kindling of the Elements For a stone is but water and therefore wee should doe well to consider what kinde of fiercenesse there must have been that hath drawne the water so hard together 9. Moreover the issue of the foure Elements may be perceived in the fiercenesse of the fire how instantly the strong aire goeth forth from the fire and the stone or wood is nothing else but a Sulphur from the water and from the earth and if the Tincture be consumed by the fiercenesse then the wood or stone would come to ashes and at last to nothing as indeed at the end this world with the foure Elements will come to nothing and there shall remaine nothing else of them in the Eternall Element but the figure and the shaddow in the Wonders of God How then canst thou thinke that God hath created the Eternall Man out of the foure Elements or Issues which are but corruptible 10. Yet as concerning Eve wee must acknowledge that shee was created to this corruptible life for shee is the Woman of this world and at this time it could not be otherwise for the Spirit of this world with its Tincture had overcome and possessed Adam so that he fell down into a sleepe and could not generate out of himselfe the Image of the virgin according to the discovery of the noble and chast virgin the wisdome of God which was the Matrix in him which was joyned or espoused to him out of the heavenly Limbus where according to which in his being overcome the Elementary Woman was given to him viz. Eve who in the Spirit of the worlds overcoming was figured after a beastiall forme 11. But that wee may in a briefe summe give the Reader to understand what our knowledge and high sense in the light of Nature hath highly apprehended wee therefore set it down thus according to our knowledge Adam was the Image of God according to the similitude of God which God the holy Trinity in one onely divine substance through the virgin of his Eternall Wisdome in the wisdome had manifested or discovered or purposed in the Eternall Element to have in the roome of the fallen Devill for his counsell in the Eternall will must stand there should and must be a Throne and Princely Region in this Place which should manifest the Eternall Wonders 12. And so now God created the Image and similitude out of the Eternall Element in which the Eternall Wonders are Originally and God breathed into him the Spirit of the Essences out of his Eternall Originall
captivated all Devils in the Kingdome of this world And all men who with their minde draw neere to this Christ and desire him in right Earnest they are drawne by the Spirit of the Father viz. of the cleare and pure Deity into the humanity of Christ that is into the Pure Element before the Trinity And if they continue stedfast and do not againe depart from God into the Desire of the Devill then the precious Pearle viz. the light of God is sowne in their soule which light attracteth to it selfe the precious body of Jesus Christ with Paradise and the Kingdome of Heaven And thus the right new Man Christus groweth on the soul in the heavenly Virgin of Gods Wisdome in the holy Ternary in the Kingdome of Heaven And thus such a man is according to the new Man in Heaven in the body of Jesus Christ and as to the old earthly Man which hangeth unto the holy Man he is in this world in the house of sin and the Deity acteth the new humanity and the Spirit of this world the old untill he puts him off in death for he is a man in Heaven borne in the mercy of God in the body of Jesus Christ 18. I set you a deep confideration behold how the Angelicall Thrones and Principalities were in the beginning beheld apprehended or aspected by the Wisdome of God which Aspect manifestation or idea the Fiat took to Create And in the Angelicall Throne the infinite multiplicity according to the Eternall Wisdome in the Wonders of God All which was so created in the Fiat of God according to all the Essences of the Eternall Limbus of God So that all Angels in every Throne did give their will unto the Angelicall Throne or Arch Angel as it is sufficiently to be knowne by the fall of Lucifer and also may be discerned in the Regions of the Kingly Governments of this world if the Devill did not so destroy the right union as is very clearely to be seen Thus likewise understand us I prethee thou very precious and noble minde this second surpassing excellent Creation is in the Fiat When God saw and took notice of our miserable Fall he did illustrate or manifest himselfe by the holy Eternall Virgin of his Wisdome in the Eternall Wonders in mercy which alwayes floweth out of his heart and did comprehend with his speculation or manifestation the Throne and did further illustrate himselfe in the Throne into many millions without number and established his Covenant with his Oath therein with his precious Promise of the Womans Seed 19. Thus my very precious minde apprehend it aright This same Throne was made in Time when as the Time of his Covenant was revealed an Angelicall Principality in the mercy of God in the holy Pure Element in the Sacred Ternary that is in the holy Earth wherein the Deity is substantially knowne so that the whole Mercy of God which is unmeasurable and every where in the Sacred Ternary which is likewise so great in the holy Element that comprizeth Heaven and this world became a Man that is a substantiall Similitude of the Spirit of the Trinity in which likenesse the Trinity dwelleth with compleat fulnesse and in this great Angelicall Throne and Principality stood in the beginning and from Eternity the Aspect in the infinite multiplicity proceeding from all the Essences in the Limbus of the Father and became truely illustrate or manifest in the Time of the Promise 20. Thus now even unto this very day all things are yet in the Fiat or creating and the Creation hath no end untill the judgement of God where that which hath growne on the holy Tree shall be separated from the unholy Thistles and Thornes and wee men are these innumerable aspects or idea's in the Fiat of the great Princely Throne and we who are holy shall be created in the body of this Prince in God but we that degenerate or perish shall be cast out as naughty apples unto the swine of the Devill 21. Thus we were foreseen or elected in Christ Jesus before the foundations of the world were laid that we should be his Angels and Servants in his high Princely Throne in the body of his Element in which his Spirit viz. the holy Trinity will dwell 22. This I would clearly demonstrate unto thee in the Kingdome of this world yea in all things thou shalt not be able to name any thing out of which I will not demonstrate it unto thee if God gave us leave but seeing it will here take up too much roome I will write a booke by it selfe of it if the Lord permit 23. Therefore my beloved soule be lively and see what thy noble Bridegroom hath left thee in his Testaments for a Legacy as namely in the Baptisme the water of his Covenant flowing from his holy Originall body whereas we in this world viz. in the externe birth of his body do acknowledge foure things namely fire aire water and earth wherein our earthly body consisteth So likewise in the heavenly body there are foure such things The fire is the enkindling of the divine desire The water is that which the fire desireth whence it becomes meeke and a light The aire is the joyfull spirit which bloweth up the fire and maketh in the water the motion And the earth is the true Essence which is borne in the Three Elements and is rightly called Ternarius Sanctus the Sacred Ternary in which the Tincture is brought forth in the light of the meeknesse and therein also is borne the holy bloud out of the water being an oyle of the water in which the light shineth and the spirit of life consisteth 24. Understand it thus that water is the water of the Eternall Life in the Limbus of God in the Holy Ternary and that is the water which baptizeth the soule when wee keepe the use of his Testament for the soule in his Covenant is dipped and washed in that water and it is rightly the Bath or Laver of Regeneration for by its dipping in the Holy Water it is received and quickned by the holy Water and cometh in the Covenant of Christ into the soule of Christ indeed not fully into his soule but into his body and becometh the Brother of the soule of Christ for Christs soule is a Creature as our soules are and is in the body of the Mercifulnesse in the Trinity being surrounded therewith and hath the same in it for food and strength or refreshment So also our soules in the Covenant if they be faithfull and continue in God they are the brethren of Christs soule 25. For Christ hath taken this Pledge viz. our soule from us Men in Mary at which wee rejoyce in Eternity that the soule of Christ is our Brother and the Body of Christ our Body in the New Man And should I not rejoyce that my soule is in the body of Christ and that the
world in so great danger between Heaven and Hell and must continually wrestle with the Devill if perhaps through weaknesse I might fall into the Anger of God and thereby the Light of my knowledge might be withdrawne from mee that it may serve mee to recall it to memory and raise it up againe for God willeth that all Men should be helped and will not the Death of a sinner but that he return come to him live in him Eternally for whose sake he hath suffered his own Heart that is his Sonne to become Man that we might cleave to him and rise againe in him and departing from our sinnes and Enmity or contrary will be new-borne in him 17. Therefore there is nothing more profitable to Man in this world while he dwelleth in this miserable corrupted house of flesh than to learne to know himselfe now when he knoweth himselfe aright he knoweth also his Creator and all the Creatures too also he knoweth how God entendeth towards him and this knowledge is the most acceptable and pleasant to me that ever I found 18. But if it should happen that these Writings should come to be read and perhaps the Sodomitish world the fatted swine thereof may light upon them and roote in my Garden of Pleasure who cannot know or understand any thing but to scorne scandalize reproach and Cavill in a proud haughty way and so doe know neither themselves nor God much lesse his children I entend not my writing for them but I shut and lock up my Book with a strong Boult or Barre from such Ideots and wilde Heifers of the Devill who lye over head and eares in the Devils murthering Denne and know not themselves they doe the same which their Teacher the Devill doth and remaine children of the severe Anger of God But I will heere write plainly and clearly enough for the children of God the world and the Devill may roare and rage till they come into the Abysse for their Houre-Glasse is set up when every one shall reape what he hath sowen and the Hellish Fire will sting many sufficiently for his proud spitefull and despising haughtinesse which he had no beliefe of while he was heere in this life 19. Besides I cannot well neglect to set this downe in writing because God will require an account of every ones Gifts how they have employed them for he will demand the Talent which he hath bestowed with the encrease or use and give it to him that hath gained much but seeing I can doe no more in it I commit it to his will and so goe on to write according to my knowledge 20. As to the Children of God they shall perceive and comprehend this my writing what it is for it hath a very convincing Testimony it may be proved by all the Creatures yea in all things especially in Man who is an Image and Similitude of God but it continueth hidden and obscure to the Children of Malignity or Iniquity and there is a fast Seale before it and though the Devill dis-relish the smell and savour and raise a storme from the East to the North yet there will then in the wrathfull or Crabbed soure Tree grow a Lilly with a roote as broad as the Tree spreadeth with its branches and bring its sent and smell even into Paradise 21. There is a Wonderfull Time coming but because it beginneth in the Night there are many that shall not see it by reason of their sleepe and great drunkennesse yet the Sunne will shine to the Children at Midnight Thus I commit the Reader to the Meeke Love of God Amen The First Chapter Of the First Principle of the Divine Essence BEing we are now to speak of God what he is and where he is we must say that God himselfe is the Essence of all Essences for all is Generated or borne Created and proceeded from him and all things take their first beginning out of God as the Scripture witnesseth saying Through him and in him are all things Also the Heaven and the Heaven of Heavens are not able to contain him also Heaven is my Throne and the Earth is my footstoole and in Our Father is mentioned thine is the Kingdome and the Power understand All Power 2. But that there is yet this difference to be observed that Evill neither is nor is called God this is understood in the first Principle where it is the Earnest fountaine of the Wrathfulnesse according to which God calleth himselfe an Angry Wrathfull and Zealous God for the Originall of Life and of all Mobilitie consisteth in the wrathfulnesse yet if the tartnesse be kindled with the Light of God it is then no more tartnesse but the severe wrathfulnesse is changed into Great Joy 3. Now when God was to Create the world and all things therein he had no other Matter to make it of but his own Beeing out of himselfe But now God is a Spirit that is incomprehensible which hath neither beginning nor end and his Greatnesse and Depth is All yet a Spirit doth nothing but ascend flow move and continually generate it selfe and in it selfe hath chiefly a threefold manner of forme in its Generating or Birth viz. Bitternesse harshnesse and heate and these three manner of forms are neither of them the first second nor third for all these three are but one and each of them Generateth the second and third For between Harshnesse and Bitternesse Fire is Generated and the wrath of the Fire is the bitternesse or sting it selfe and the harshnesse is the stock or father of both these and yet is generated of them both for a Spirit is like a will fence or thought which riseth up and in its rising beholdeth perfecteth and generateth it selfe 4. Now this cannot be expressed or described nor brought to the understanding by the Tongue of Man for God hath no beginning but I will set it down so as if he had a beginning that it might be understood what is in the first Principle whereby the difference between-the first and second Principle may be understood and what God or Spirit is Indeed there is no difference in God onely when it is enquired from whence evill and good proceed it is to be known what is the first and originall fountaine of Anger and also of Love since they both proceed from one the same original out of one mother and are one thing thus we must speak after a creaturely manner as if it took a beginning that it might be brought to be understood 5. For it cannot be said that Fire bitternesse or harshnesse is in God much lesse that aire water or earth are in him onely it is plain that all things have proceeded out of that Originall neither can it be said that Death hell-Hell-fire or sorrowfulnesse is in God but it is known that these things have come out of that Originall For God hath made no
but if he have not then he shall remain still eternally in the matrix yet not reach the light of God 12. Now I know very well that I shall not onely in part be as it were dumb or obscure to the desirous Reader but also tedious and he will be somewhat troubled at me in that I have written of the eternall mother wherein the divine essence standeth and that I now write that this matrix is inanimate and void of understanding out of which also a Principle void of understanding is generated as is plain before our eyes that in this world there is no true understanding either in the Starres or in the Elements and also in all its creatures there is but an understanding to qualifie or to operate to nourish it self and to increase as the matrix in it self is 13. Hereupon you are to know that the matrix in the second Principle which yet hath its originall and eternall root in the first Principle is but meerly an eternall beginninglesse soft or meek spirit which hath no such fiery intolerable light but all there is pleasant and cheerfull and the eternall originall matrix is not known there but the soft light of the heart of God maketh all courteous and cheerfull 14 Therefore also the spirit which goeth forth in the soft matrix is the Holy Ghost and God dwelleth in himself and he calleth himself an Angry Zealous or Jealous God onely according to the most originall matrix which is not manifested in Paradise and in the beginning also it was forbidden to man to eat of the fruit of good and evill from the most originall matrix neither should man have known this most originall matrix if he had not imagined thought or longed after it and eaten of the fruit thereof whereby the Matrix presently took hold of him captivated him acteth or qualifieth in him nourisheth and also driveth him as is plaine before our eyes 15. And thus you are to know that the second Principle hath it in its power and there onely is wisdome and understanding also therein now is the omnipotence almightinesse and this third Principle is the seconds proper own not seperate but one essence in it and with it all over and yet there is a birth between them as may be seen by the Rich Man and Lazarus Luk. 16. the one being in Paradise and the other in the most Originall Matrix or Hell 16. And therefore God created or generated the third Principle that he might be manifested by the materiall world he having created the Angels and Spirits in the second Principle in the Paradisicall world they could thereby understand the eternall Birth in the third Principle also the wisdome and omnipotence of God wherein they could behold themselves and set their Imagination meerly upon the heart of God in which forme they could remaine in Paradise and continue to be Angels which the Devils have not done but they meant to rise up in the Matrix and domineere in great power over Paradise and all Angelicall Regions upon which they fell out of Paradise and besides were driven out of their place or Locus into restraint so that the Matrix of this world also holdeth them captive 17. For the Locus or space of this world was their Angelicall Dominion or Kingdome where they were in the place of this world 18. But though wee speake of the Paradisicall Essence and also of the principle of this world of its power and wonderfull birth and what the Divine and Eternall Wisdome is yet it is impossible for us to utter and expresse it all for the Lake of the Deepe can be comprehended in no Spirit whether it be Angel or Man therefore the innumerable Eternall Birth and Wisdome maketh a wonderfull eternall joy in Paradise This innumerable power and wisdome may now also be knowne by us men in the third Principle if we will take it into our consideration if we looke upon the Starry Heaven the Elements and living Creatures also upon trees hearbs and grasse wee may behold in the materiall world the similitude of the Paradisicall incomprehensible world for this world is proceeded out of the first roote wherein stand both the materiall and also the Paradisicall spirituall world which is without beginning or transistorinesse 19. And now if wee meditate and consider of the Originall of the foure Elements wee shall cleerly finde see and feele the Originall in our selves if we be men and not beasts full of malice and gainsayings against God and the Matrix of this world for the Originall is as well knowne in man as in the Deepe of this world although it seemeth wonderfull to the unenlightened Man that any should be able to speake of the originall of the Aire Fire Water and Earth as also of the Starry Heaven he supposeth this impossible to be knowne thus he swimmeth in his own Mother and desireth not to know it neither was it good for man to know it but since the Fall of Adam hath cast us headlong into it it is highly necessary for us to know it that wee may flie from the beastiall Man and learne to know the true Man 20. And if you open the eyes of your minde you will see that fire is in water as may be seene in a storme of Lightening and yet it is no durable fire though it be true fire which setteth houses on fire and burneth them so also you may see that there goeth forth from it a mighty forcible aire and that they are in one another and besides you see that water is generated in the storme 21. But you will not finde this roote here you must looke into the Matrix and there it is wholly manifest and you may know it in all things for the Matrix of this world standeth in the eternall Matrix from which Paradise and the kingdome of Heaven hath its Originall Now as the Eternall Matrix is a Birth that goeth forth where in the Originall there is harshnesse darknesse hardnesse and anguish so you may see that when the Spirit of God hath kindled the inward Matrix then it becometh stirring working and active 22. For there is in the Originall first harshnesse which attracteth shutteth up maketh darknesse and sharpe cold but the tartnesse cannot endure the attracting for the attracting in the cold maketh in the bitternesse a sting or prickle which rageth and resisteth against the hard death but not being able to come away out of the tartnesse being its Mother wherein it standeth therefore it rageth very horribly as if it would breake the harshnesse in pieces it flieth out upwards and sidewayes and yet findeth no rest till that the Birth of the harshnesse fall into an aking horrible essence like a Brimstone Spirit very rough hard stinging in it selfe or kindling in it selfe like a whirling wheele and that the bitternesse flie up very swiftly from
attracteth and filleth or impregnateth it selfe from whence the materiall body groweth that is the third Principle And you may understand very exactly how there is an inclosure stop or knot between each Principle and how God is the beginning and the first vertue or power in all things and you understand that in this grosse sluggish or dull body you are not in Paradise for that outward body is but a misty excrementitious dusky opake procreation or Out-birth in the third Principle wherein the soule lyeth captive as in a dark dungeon of which you shall finde a very large description when wee come to write about the Fall of Adam 24. Now mark when God would manifest himselfe by the materiall world and the Matrix stood in the anguishing birth wherein the Creator moved the first Principle to the creating of Angels then the Matrix stood undivided in the inward Essence for there was then no comprehensibility but spirit onely and the vertue of the spirit The Spirit was God and the vertue was Heaven and the spirit wrought in the vertue so that thereby the vertue became attracting and longing for the Spirit beheld it selfe in the vertue and therein the Spirit created the vertue from whence the Angels came to be and thus the vertue became the dwelling of the Angels and the Paradise wherein the Spirit wrought and the Spirit longed after the light and the light shone in the vertue so there is a Paradisicall joy and pleasant sport therein and thus God is manifested 25. Now thus the eternall light and the vertue of the light or the heavenly Paradise moveth in the eternall Darknesse and the Darknesse cannot comprehend the light for they are two severall Principles and the darknesse longeth after the light because that the Spirit beholdeth it selfe therein and because the divine vertue is manifested in it but though it hath not comprehended the Divine vertue and light yet it hath continually with great lust lifted up it selfe towards it till it have kindled the roote of the fire in it selfe from the beames of the light of God and there arose the third Principle and it hath its originall out of the first Principle out of the dark Matrix by the speculating of the vertue or power of God But when the kindled vertue in this springing up of the third Principle in the darknesse became fiery then God put the Fiat therein and by the moving Spirit which goeth forth in the vertue of the light created the fiery source in a bodily manner and severed it from the Matrix and the Spirit called the fiery created properties starres for their qualitie 26. Thus it is plaine to our fight how the starry heaven or as I may better render it to the enlightened Reader the Quintessence or the fift forme in the ●●th is severed from the watery Matrix or else there would have been no ceasing from the generating of stones and earth if the fiery nature had not been severed but because the eternall Essence viz. God would manifest himselfe in the dark Matrix and hath desired to make the nothing something therefore he hath severed the kindled vertue and made the Matrix cleere or pure 27. And thus now the Matrix standeth incomprehensibly and longeth after the fiery nature or condition and the fiery nature longeth after the Matrix For the Spirit of God which is a Spirit of meeknesse beholdeth it selfe in the watery Matrix and the Matrix receiveth vertue from thence thus there is a constant will to generate and work and the whole nature standeth in a great longing and anguish willing continually to generate the Divine vertue God and Paradise being hidden therein but it generateth after its kinde according to its ability 28. Now when God had severed the Matrix with or from it s fiery forme and would manifest himselfe with this world then he put the Fiat into the Matrix and spake out of himselfe saying Let there be Hearbs Grasse Trees and Beasts every one according to their kinde This speaking was the heart or the vertue or power of the Eternall Father But the Spirit which had the Fiat went from the Eternall Father in the vertue of the heart of God forth with the will and the will was the Fiat and made the Out-Birth in the third Principle materiall visible and comprehenfible each according to its Effence as the vertue was so was also its body For there the fiery Matrix or the Constellation gave its vertue to the Fiat and the watery Matrix with the Elements received the vertue and so were impregnated and each Element generated its own creatures out of it selfe as also each forme in the fiery and watery Nature out of themselves and yet it became no seperable Effence but onely every creature was seperated according to its kinde according to the Eternall vertue which arose in the longing by the lust and became the third Principle which was not before Time began 29. Thus the starry Heaven ruleth in all creatures as in its proper own it is the husband or Man and the Matrix or the watery forme is its wife or Woman which it continually impregnateth and the Matrix is the genetrix which bringeth forth the childe which the Heaven begetteth and that is the created Heaven in the third Principle from whence the Elements are proceeded viz. the watery Matrix out of which the visible water generated it selfe and still alwayes doth generate it selfe in the anguish 30. Therefore Moses writeth That God created the Heaven out of the midst of the waters This you must understand to be out of the eternall watery Matrix which is but a Spirit wherein the Paradise is and the holy Heaven viz. the Divine vertue which the dark Matrix lusted after in its hunger out of which the visible Matrix of the foure Elements is proceeded out of which the Essence of all Essences that now are were created by the Fiat through the eternall Spirit of God 31. For every forme in the Matrix hath its visible creatures and such as are invisible to humane eyes which creatures in part as to us are as it were but meere figured Spirits as the fire hath spirits and creatures that are invisible to our materiall eyes and wee cannot see them there are also in the Aire invisible spirits which wee see not for the Aire being immateriall so are also the spirits thereof The water hath materiall creatures which are not visible to us and because they are not out of the fire nor aire they are of another quality and are hidden as to the fiery and airey spirits except they will manifest themselves 32. As Fire Aire Water and Earth lie in one case or chest and they foure are but one thing and yet of foure distinct differences and none of them can comprehend nor retaine the other and somewhat of one of the foure being fix in every creature that
fence or stop to the darknesse of the originall matrix that it might no more kindle it selfe and generate earth and stones And therefore he made the enclosure or firmament out of the midst of the waters which stayeth the might force or power of the fire and became the visible heaven whence the creatures are proceeded whereout now the Elements Fire Aire and Water proceed 9 The third day God by the Fiat divided the waters upon the earth and created them for several places that there might be a dwelling upon the earth and so the earth became dry Now when this was done then God did seek the creature and the eternall Father sayd that is he wrought through the Sonne who is his heart and glance or lustre in the Fiat in the earth and there budded the life through death and grasse hearbs and all manner of trees and plants sprung up every one according to the eternall source as it had been before Thus every essence became visible and God manifested his manifold vertue with the manifold hearbs plants and trees so that every one that doth but look upon them may see the eternall power vertue and wisdome of God therein if he be born of God he may know in every spile of grasse his Creator in whom he liveth Thus in this time sprung up all that grew or was in the earth If men would not be blinde they night here see the mystery of the Man Christs remaining in death till the third day and his bringing of life out of the earth 10 And the Matrix of the Earth stood still till the third day as it were in death in respect of the great storm But in the Fiat the life sprung up through the death and the eternall vertue or power and wisdome of God which hath formed it self together in the Fiat discovered it selfe on the blossoming earth where the similitude of the Paradisicall world may be clearly seen 11 For although many thousand severall hearbs stand one by another in one and the same Meadow and one of them fairer and more vertuall than another yet one of them doth not grudge at the form of another but there is a pleasant refreshment in one Mother so also there is a distinct variety in Paradise where every Creature hath its greatest joy in the vertue and beauty of another and the eternall vertue and wisdome of God is without number and end as you found before in the third Chapter concerning the opening of the Centres of the eternall life You shall finde no book wherein the Divine wisdome may be more searched into and sound than when you walk in a flowry fresh springing Medow there you shall see smell and taste the wonderfull power and vertue of God though this be but a similitude and the divine vertue in the third Principle is become materiall and God hath manifested himselfe in a similitude But this similitude is a loving Schoolmaster to him that seeketh he shall there finde many of them 12 On the fourth day God took the place of this world rightly at the heart for therein he created the wise master out of his eternall wisdome in the third Principle viz. the Sunne and Starres herein men may first rightly see the Deity and the eternall wisdome of God as in a cleare glasse though indeed the essence or substance that is visible to the eyes is not God himselfe but it is the Goddesse in the third Principle which in the end goeth into her Ether again and taketh her end 13 Though men must not cast the Pearle in the way that the beasts may tread it under foot much lesse must men throw it among the grains or husks to be devoured by the swine for that would not be beneficiall to the wanton world because that seeketh nothing thereby but to misuse it selfe therewith for the Devill whom the world serveth doth teach it that when it learneth the ground of the Heaven and of the Stars to will presently to be a God as Lucifer did yet I will write somewhat of the beginning and vertue or power of the Starres because man and all creatures live in the vertue working and essences of them and that every creature receiveth its property from them for the sake of him that seeketh who would willingly flye from the bestiall man and would fain live in the true man who is the image and similitude of God For to such it is very highly necessary to be known Also for the Lillyes sake which groweth in the tree of the soure wrath towards the North in the Matrix 14 Moses writeth God sayd Let there be lights in the Firmament of Heaven which may separate and distinguish day and night and be for signes for times and seasons for dayes and years And to be for lights in the Firmament of heaven to shine upon the earth and it was so And God made two great lights the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night Also he made the Starres And God set them in the Firmament of heaven that they might shine upon the earth and rule the day and the night and separate the light from the darknesse 15 And though Moses hath written very rightly that they should govern the day and the night and should separate the light from the darknesse and make times and seasons yeares and dayes yet is it not plain enough to be understood by the desirous Reader For there is found a very high thing in the vertue and power of the stars which is that every life growth colour and vertue thicknesse and thinnesse smalnesse and greatnesse good and evill is moved and stirred by their power For this cause the wise Heathens did relye upon them and honoured them as Gods therefore I will write somewhat of their originall as farre as is permitted to me at this time for their sakes that seek and desire the Pearle But I have written nothing for the swine and other bestiall men who trample the Pearle into the dirt and scorn and contemn the spirit of knowledge such as they may with the first world expect a deluge or flood of fire and seeing they will beare no Angelicall image therefore they must beare the images of Lions Dragons and other evill beasts and worms or creeping things and if they will not admit of good counsell that God may help them then they must look to finde by experience whether the Scriptures of Prophesie doe lie to them or no. 16 The Evangelist S t John writeth of the originality of the essence and creatures of this world so very highly and exactly as may be read in no other place of Scripture in the Bible In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and that Word was God This was in the beginning with God all things were made by it and without it was nothing made that was made In it was the life and the life was the light of
he doth it but for his bellies sake and his own honour and esteeme he is no Pastour or Shepheard but he dependeth on the great Whore upon Antichrist and yet he supposeth that he is a Pastour or Shepherd but he is not knowne in Paradise 12. Christ teacheth us and warneth us faithfully of the Times that were to come wherein they shall say Loe here is Christ or Loe there he is he is in the wildernesse he is in the chamber goe not forth beleeve it not for as the lightening breaketh forth in the East and shineth to the West so will the coming of the Son of man be 13. Therefore O childe of Man see whether it be not so where the false Pastours or Shepherds without the Divine calling alwayes wrangle strive contend and dispute and every one of them saith Follow me here is Christ there is Christ and they one judge and condemne another and give one another over to the Devill they abandon unity and forsake the love wherein the Spirit of God is generated and cause bitternesse and lead astray the simple plaine people to think that Christ is such a wrangling Shepherd Pastour Priest or Minister and doth so grapple with his Opponents in raising warre and murther as they doe and that the Spirit of God must needs be in such doings which are accounted zeale for God and that this must be the way to Paradise 14. Christ said Love one another thereby shall men know that yee are my Disciples if any smite thee on one cheeke turne to him the other cheeke also if you be persecuted for my Names sake then rejoyce for your reward is great in the Kingdome of Heaven But now there is nothing taught but meere ignominy reproach and revilings they that are dead for many hundred yeares agoe and are in the Judgement of God and some also may be in Paradise these must be judged and condemned and cursed by the wrangling Shepherds or contentious Priests Doth the Holy Ghost speake by them as they cry out and say he doth whereas they are still full of gall and bitternesse and nothing but covetousnesse and vengeance is kindled in them and they are far from the way of Paradise 15. Therefore thou childe of Man take heed let not your eares be tickled When you heare the false Shepherds or Pastours judge and condemne the children of Christ that is not the voice of Christ but of Antichrist the way to Paradise hath cleane another entrance your heart must with all your power and strength be directed to God or Goodnesse and as God desireth that all men should be saved so his will is that we should help to beare one anothers burthen and beare with one another and friendly soberly and modestly meet one another with entreaties in the Holy Ghost and seek with earnestnesse the salvation and welfare of our neighbour in humility and wish heartily that he might be freed from vanity and enter with us into the Garden of Roses 16. The knowledge that is in the infinite God is various and manifold but every one should rejoyce in the gifts and knowledge of another and consider that God will give such superabundant knowledge in the Paradisicall world of which wee have here in the variety and difference of Gifts but a Type Therefore we must not wrangle nor contend about Gifts and knowledge for the Spirit giveth to every one according to his Essence in the wonderfull God to expresse that Gift he hath after his own forme or manner for that forme in the perfection of love in Paradise will be a very inward hearty sport of love where every one shall speake from his knowledge of the great wonders of the holy Birth 17. O what sharp thornes the Devill hath brought into the sport of love that we practise such proud contention in the noble knowledge in so much that men binde up the Holy Ghost with Lawes What are Lawes in the Kingdome of Christ who hath made us free that we should walke in him in the Holy Ghost To what purpose are they invented but for the pleasure of Antichrist who thereby doth strut in might and pomp and is God on Earth O flie from him thou childe of Man the time is come for us to awake from the sleepe of Antichrist Christ cometh with the faire Lilly out of Paradise in the valley of Jehosaphat it is time for them to trim their Lamps that will goe to the Marriage of the Lamb The Gate or the Exposition 18. Paradise consisteth in the power and vertue of God it is not corporeall nor comprehensible but its corporeity or comprehensibility is like the Angels which yet is a bright cleere visible substance as if it were materiall but it is figured meerly from the vertue or power where all is transparent and shining where also the centre of the Birth is in all things and therefore the birth is without measure or end 19. I give you a similitude in the minde of man from which the thoughts are generated which have neither number nor end for every thought hath a centre to generate againe other thoughts and thus is the Paradise from eternity to eternity But being the light of God is eternall and shineth without wavering or hinderance therefore also in the birth there is an unchangeable substance wherein all things spring up in meere perfection in great love 20. For the spirit of knowledge intimateth this that there are fruits and things that grow in Paradise as well as in this world in such a forme or figure but not in such a source or property and palpability For the matter or body of it is power and it groweth in the heavenly Limbus its roote standeth in the Matrix wherein there is neither earth nor stone for it is in another Principle The fire in that Principle is God the Father and the light is God the Sonne and the Aire is God the Holy Ghost and the vertue or power out of which all springeth is Heaven and Paradise 21. As we see that here out of the earth there spring plants hearbs and fruits which receive their vertue from the Sunne and from the Constellation so the Heaven or the heavenly Limbus is in stead of the earth and the light of God in stead of the Sunne and the eternall Father in stead of the vertue of the Starres the depth of this substance is without beginning and end its breadth cannot be reached there is neither yeares nor time no cold nor heate no moving of the Aire no Sunne nor Starres no water nor fire no sight of evill spirits no knowledge nor apprehension of the affliction of this world no stony rock nor earth and yet a figured substance of all the creatures of this world For all the creatures of this world have appeared to this end that they might be an eternall figured similitude not that they continue in this spirit in their substance no not
so All the creatures returne into their Ether and the spirit corrupteth or fadeth but the figure and the shadow continue eternally 22. As also all words both the evill and the good which were here spoken by a humane tongue they continue standing in the shadow and figured similitude and the Good reach Paradise in the Holy Ghost and the false evill and wicked ones reach the abysse of Hell and therefore it is that Christ said Man must give an account of every idle or unprofitable word and when the harvest cometh then all shall be seperated for the Scripture saith also That every ones works shall follow them and all shall be tried by the fire of Nature and all false or evill workes words and deeds shall remaine in the fire of Nature which shall be the Hell at which when the Devils heare it they tremble and quake 23. All shall remaine in the shadow and every thing in its own source or property therefore it will be an eternall shame to the wicked that they shall see in the eternity all their works and words as a menstruous cloath which shall stick full of the wrath of God and shall burne according to their essence and according to their here kindled source or property 24. For this world is like a field wherein good seed is sowne into which the enemy casteth weeds or Tares and goeth his way which grow together untill the time of the harvest when all the fruit shall be gathered and brought into the Barne of which Christ also saith That the Tares or weeds shall be tyed up in bundles and cast into the fire and the wheate shall be brought into the barne The Holy Gate 25 REason which is gone forth with Adam out of Paradise asketh Where is Paradise to be had or found Is it farre off or neere Or when the soules goe into Paradise whither do they goe Is it in this world or without the place of this world above the starres Where is it that God dwelleth with the Angels And where is that desirable Native Countrey where there is no death Being there is no Sunne nor Starres in it therefore it cannot be in this world or else it would have been found long agoe 26 Beloved Reason One cannot lend the Key to another to unlock this withall and if any have a key he cannot open it to another As Antichrist boasteth that he hath the keys of Heaven and Hell It is true he may have the keys of both in this life time but he cannot open with them for any body else every one must unlock it with his own key or else he cannot enter therein for the Holy Ghost is the key when he hath that key then he may goe both in and out 27 There is nothing that is neerer you than Heaven Paradise and Hell unto which of them you are inclined and to which of them you tend or walke to that in this life time you are most neere you are between both and there is a birth between each of them you stand in this world between both the Gates and you have both the births in you God beckneth to you in the one Gate and calleth you and the Devill beckneth you in the other Gate and calleth you with whom you goe with him you enter in The Devill hath in his hand power honour pleasure and worldly joy and the roote of these is death and hell fire On the contrary God hath in his hand crosses persecution misery poverty ignominy and sorrow and the roote of these is a fire also and in the fire there is a light and in the light the vertue and in the vertue or power the Paradise and in the Paradise are the Angels and among the Angels joy The grosse eyes cannot behold it because they are from the third Principle and see onely by the splendour of the Sunne but when the Holy Ghost cometh into the soule then he regenerateth it anew in God and then it becometh a Paradisicall childe and getteth the key of Paradise and that soule seeth into the midst thereof 28. But the grosse body cannot see into it because it belongeth not to Paradise it belongeth to the Earth and must putrifie or rot and rise in a new vertue or power which is like Paradise in Christ at the end of dayes and then it also may dwell in Paradise and not before it must lay off the third Principle viz. this skin fleece or covering which father Adam and mother Eve are gotten into in which they supposed they should be wise when they should weare all the three Principles manifested on them if they had rather worne two hidden in them and had stayed in the one it had been good for us of which further about the Fall 29. Thus now in the essence of all essences there are three severall distinct properties which yet are not parted asunder with one source or property far from the other but they are in one another as one onely essence and yet the one doth not comprehend the other as these three Elements fire aire water are all three in one another and neither of them comprehendeth the other and as one Element generateth another and yet is not of the essence nor source or property thereof so the three Principles are in one another and one generateth the other and yet none of them all comprehendeth the other and none of them is the essence or substance of the other The Depth in the Centre or Ground 30. As hath been often mentioned God is the essence of all essences wherein there are two essences in one without end and without Originall viz. the Eternall Light that is God or the Good and then the Eternall Darknesse that is the Source and yet there would be no source in it if the Light were not The Light causeth that the Darknesse longeth after or is in anguish for the Light and this anguish is the source of the wrath of God or the hellish fire wherein the Devils dwell From whence God also calleth himselfe an angry Zealous or Jealous God these are the two Principles the Originall of which we know nothing of onely we know the birth therein the indissoluble Band which is as followeth 31. In the Originalnesse of Darknesse there is harshnesse and austerenesse this harshnesse causeth that it be light for harshnesse is a desirousnesse an attracting and that is the first ground of the willing or longing after the light and yet it is not possible to comprehend it and the attracting in the will is the sting or prickle which the desirousnesse attracteth and the first stirring or moving Now the prickle cannot endure the attracting in the will but resisteth flieth up and yet cannot get away from thence for it is generated in the attracting but because it cannot remove from thence nor can endure the attracting therefore there is a great anguish a desirousnesse or longing after the light like a
the Dragon and the Worme would devour and there stood the Virgin upon the earthly Moone and despiseth the earthinesse and treadeth it under feet And so should Adam also have troden the earthinesse underfoot but it overcame him therefore afterwards the childe of the Virgin when it had overcome the tempting Tree must also enter into the first death of the strong fierce wrath in the death and overcome the first Principle 12. For he stood forty dayes in the Temptation in the Wildernes where there was no bread nor drink then came the Tempter and would have brought him from obedience and said He should out of the stones make Bread which was nothing else but that he should leave the heavenly bread which man receiveth in Faith and in a strong confidence in God and put his imagination into the Spirit of this world and live therein 13. But when the childe of the virgin laid the heavenly bread before him and said Man liveth not onely from this world from the earthly eating and drinking then came the second way or kinde of Temptation forth viz. the might power dominion and authority of this world the Prince of the wrath or strong fiercenesse would give him all the power of the Starres and Elements if he would put his imagination into him and pray to or worship him that was the right scourge or whip wherewith Adam was scourged viz. with the might riches and beauty of this world after which at last Adam lusted and was taken But the childe of the Virgin laid before him that the kingdome was not his viz. belonging to the Prince of the fierce strong wrath but it belonged to the word and heart of God he must worship God and serve him onely 14. The third Temptation was the same into which the Devill also was fallen with high mindednesse or pride when he Christ was tempted to have fline from above from the pinnacle of the Temple and should have elevated himselfe above humility and meeknesse for the meeknesse maketh the angry Father in the Originalnesse soft and joyfull so that the Deity thus becometh a soft and pleasant Essence 15. But Lord Lucifer would in the Creation have faine been above the meeknesse of the heart of God above the end of nature therefore he would faine also have perswaded the sonne of the virgin to flie without wings above the end of nature in pride of which shall be handled in its due place at large I have brought this in thus but in briefe that my writing may be the better understood and how it stands with or upon the ground or foundation of the Scripture and is not any new thing neither shall there be any thing new in them but onely the true knowledge in the holy Ghost of the Essence of all Essences Of Adams sleepe 16. Adam had not eaten of the fruit before his sleepe till his wife was created out of him onely his essences and inclination had eate a of it in the spirit by the imagination and not in the mouth and thereupon the spirit of the great world captivated him and mightily qualified in him or infected him and then instantly the Sunne and Starres wrestled with him and all the foure Elements wrestled so mightily and powerfully that they overcame him and so he sunk downe into a sleepe 17. Now to an understanding Man it is very easie to he found and knowne that there neither was nor should be any sleepe in Adam when he was in the Image of God For Adam was such an Image as wee shall be at the resurrection of the Dead where wee shall have no need of the Elements nor of the Sunne nor Starres also of no sleepe but our eyes shall be alwayes open eternally beholding the glory of God from whence will be our meate and drinke and the Centre in the multiplicity or springing up of the Birth affordeth meere delight and joy for God will bring forth out of the earth into the kingdome of Heaven no other kinde of Man than such a one as the first was before the Fall for he was created out of the eternall will of God that will is unchangeable and must stand therefore consider these things deeply 18. O thou deare soule that swimmest in a darke lake incline thy minde to the gate of Heaven and behold what the fall of Adam hath been which God did so greatly loathe that because of it Adam could not continue in Paradise Behold and consider the sleepe and so you shall finde it all Sleepe is nothing else but an overcoming for the Sunne and the Starres are still in a mighty strife and the Element of water viz. the Matrix is too weake for the fire and the Starres for that Element is the being overcome in the Centre of Nature as you finde before in many places 19. And the light of the Sunne is as it were a God in the Nature of this world and by its vertue and influence it continually kindleth the Starres or Constellations whereby the Starres or Constellations which are of a very terrible and anguishing Essence continually exult in triumph very joyfully For it the Sunne is an essence like the light of God which kindleth and enlighteneth the dark minde of the Father from whence by the light there ariseth the divine Joy in the Father 20. And so it the Sunne maketh a triumphing or rising to be in the Matrix of the Water alwayes like a seething for the Starres altogether cast their vertue or influence into the Matrix of the water as being therein in like manner also now the Matrix of the water is continually seething and rising from whence cometh the growing in Trees plants grasse and Beasts for the uppermost Regiment or Dominion of the Sunne and Starres and also of the Elements ruleth in all creatures and it is a blossome or bud from them and without their power there would be in this world in the third Principle no life nor mobility in any manner of thing nothing excepted 21. But the living Creatures as Men Beasts and fowles have the tincture in them for in the beginning they were an Extraction taken from the quality of the Starres and Elements by the Fiat and in the tincture there standeth the continuall kindling fire which continually draweth the vertue or Oleum the Oyle out of the Water from whence cometh the bloud in which the noble life standeth 22. Now the Sunne and the Starres or Constellations continually kindle the Tincture for it is fiery and the Tincture kindleth the body with the Matrix of the water so that they are alwayes boyling rising and seething The Starres or Constellations and the Sun are the fire of the Tincture and the Tincture is the fire of the body and so all are seething and therefore when the Sunne is underneath so that its beames or shining is no more upon a thing then the Tincture
of the divine vertue or power and the outward Regiment which in the kindling parted it selfe into foure parts would faine have had the same virgin in it selfe that is the fiercenesse of the Devill would faine have dwelt in the heart of God and have domineered over it and have opened a Centre there which the fiercenesse without the light cannot doe for every Centre was generated and opened with the kindling of the light thus the fiercenesse would faine be over the meeknesse and therefore hath God caused the Sunne to come forth so that it hath thus opened foure Centres viz. the going forth out of the Element 44. And when the light of the Sunne appeared in the fierce sournesse or harshnesse then the harshnesse became thin and sweet even water and the fiercenesse in the fire-flash was extinguished by the water so that the anger stood still yet the will could not rest but went forth in the mother out of the water and moved it selfe which is the aire and that which the fierce sourenesse had attracted to it that was thrust out of the Element in the water as you see that earth swimmeth in the water 45. Thus the evill childe panteth after the Mother and would get to be in the Mother in the Element and yet cannot reach her but in Adam that childe did perceive the Element and thereupon the foure Elements have drawne Adam to them and supposed then that they had the mother because the virgin there shewed her selfe in the living spirit of Adam 46. Hereupon now the Spirit of the Starres and Elements would continually get againe into the Element for in the Element there is meeknesse and rest and in the kindling thereof there is meere enmity and contrary will and the Devill ruleth also therein and they would faine be released from that abominable and naughty Guest and they seeke with great anxiety after deliverance as Paul saith All creatures groane together with us to be freed from vanity 47. Then saith the minde Wherefore doth God let it move so long in the Anxiety alas when will it be that I shall see the virgin Hearken thou noble and highly worthy Minde it must all enter in and serve to the glory of God and praise God as it is written All tongues shall praise God let it passe till the number to the praise of God be full according to the eternall minde 48. Thou wilt say How great is that number then Behold tell the Starres in the Firmament tell the Trees the hearbs and every spile of Grasse if thou canst so great is the number that shall enter in to the glory and honour of God For in the end all Starres passe againe into the Element into the Mother and there it shall appeare how much good they have brought forth here by their working for the shadow and the image of every thing or substance shall appeare before God in the Element and stand eternally in the same thou shalt have great joy thou shalt see all thy workes therein also all the afflictions thou hast suffered they shall be altogether changed into great joy and shall refresh thee indeed waite but upon the LORD the Spirit intimateth that when the time of the Lilly is expired then this shall be done 49. Therefore it is that God keepeth it hidden so long as to our sight that the number of the glory of his Kingdome may be great but before him it is but as the twinckling of an eye have but patience this world will most certainly be dissolved together with the fiercenesse which must abide in the first Principle therefore doe thou beware of that 50. My beloved Reader I bring in my Types of the Essences of the Incarnation in the Mothers body in a Colloquie or Conference of the Spirit with the Essences and Elements I cannot bring it to be understood in any easier way onely you must know that there is no conference but it is done most certainly so in the Essences and in the Spirit Here you will say to mee thou doest not dwell in the Incarnation and see it thou didst once indeed become man but thou knewest not how nor what was done then neither canst thou goe againe into thy mothers body or womb and see how it came to passe there Such a Doctor was I also and in my own reason I should be able to judge no otherwise if I should stick still in my blindnesse But thanks be to God who hath regenerated mee by water and the Holy Ghost to be a living Creature so that I can in his light see my great in-bred native vices which are in my flesh 51. Thus now I live in the spirit of this world in my flesh and my flesh serveth the spirit of this world and my minde serveth God my flesh is generated in this world and hath its Region or Government from the Starres and Elements which dwell in it and are the master of the outward life and my mind is regenerated in God and loveth God And although I cannot comprehend and hold the virgin because my minde falleth into sinnes yet the Spirit of this world shall not alwayes hold the minde captive 52. For the virgin hath given mee her promise not to leave mee in any misery shee will come to help me in the sonne of the virgin I must but hold to him againe and he will bring mee well enough againe to her into Paradise I will give the venture and goe through the thistles and thornes as well as I can till I finde my native Countrey againe out of which my soule is wandred where my dearest virgin dwelleth I rely upon her faithfull promise when shee appeared to mee that shee would turne all my mournings into great joy and when I lay upon the mountaine towards the North so that all the trees fell upon mee and all the stormes and winds beate upon me and Antichrist gaped at mee with his open jawes to devour me then shee came and comforted mee and married her selfe to mee 53. Therefore I am but the more cheerfull and care not for him he ruleth and domineeteth over mee no further than over the house of finne whose Patron he himselfe is he may take that quite away and so I shall come into my native Countrey but yet he is not absolutely Lord over it he is but Gods Ape for as an Ape when its belly is full imitateth all manner of tricks and prancks to make it selfe sport and would faine seeme to be the finest and the nimblest Beast it can so also doth he His power hangeth on the Great Tree of this world and a storme of winde can blow it away 54. Now seeing I have shewed the Reader how the true Element sticketh wholly hidden in the outward kindled Elements for a comfort to him that he may know what he himselfe is and that he may not despaire in such an earnest manifestation
goe forward in the Centre of the breaking forth out of the darknesse into the light for in the light there is meere meeknesse lowlinesse humility good will and friendly desires that it might with its re-conceived will goe out of it selfe and to open it selfe in its precious Treasury for in the re-conceived will to the Birth of the Light there is no source of anxiety but onely meere friendly desires for the Glimpse riseth up out of the darknesse in it selfe and desireth the light and the desiring draweth the light into it selfe and there the anguish becometh an exulting joy in it selfe an humble cheerfulnesse a pleasant habitation for the re-conceived will in the light is impregnated and its fruit in the body is vertue or power which the will desireth to generate and to live therein and this desiring bringeth the fruit out of the impregnated will and presenteth it before the will and the will discovereth it selfe glimmereth or shineth in the fruit in an infinite pleasant number and there goeth forth in the pleasant number in the discovered or manifested will the high Benediction or Blessing favour loving kindnesse pleasant inclination or yeelding pliablenesse the tast of joy the well doing of meeknesse or affability and further what my Pen cannot expresse The minde would much rather be freed from vanity and live therein without molestation or disturbance 9. Now these two Gates are in one another the nethermost goeth into the Abysse and the uppermost goeth into Paradise and a third Gate cometh to these two out of the Element with its foure issues and presseth in together with the fire aire water and earth and their kingdome is the Sunne and Starres which qualifie with the first will and their desire is to be filled to swell and to be great these draw into them and fill the Chamber of the Deepe viz. the free and naked will in the minde they bring the Glimpse or Glance of the Starres into the Gate of the Minde and qualifie with the sharpnesse of the Glimpse or flash they fill the broken Gates of the Darkness with flesh and wrestle continually with the first will from whence they are gone forth for the Kingdome or Dominion and yeeld themselves up to the first will as to their Father which willingly receiveth their Region or Dominion for he is obscure and darke and they are rough and soure also bitter and cold and their life is a seething source of fire wherewith they governe in the Minde in the Gall Heart Lungs and Liver and in all Members or parts of the whole body and Man is their own the Spirit which standeth in the flash bringeth the Constellation into the Tincture of its property and infecteth the thoughts according to the Dominion of the Starres they take the body and tame it and bring their bitter roughnesse into it 10. Now the Gate of the Light standeth between both these Regions as in one onely Centre inclosed with flesh and it shineth in the Darknesse in it selfe and it moveth towards the might of the Darknesse and fiercenesse and sheddeth forth its rayes even unto the noise of the breaking through from whence the Gates of seeing hearing smelling tasting and feeling goe forth and when these Gates apprehend the sweet loving and pleasant rayes of the Light then they become most highly joyfull and run into their highest Region into the heart as into their right dwelling-house into the Essences of the Spirit of the soule which receiveth it with joy and refresheth it selfe therein and there its Sunne springeth up viz. the pleasant Tincture in the Element of Water and by the sweet joy becometh bloud for all Regions rejoyce therein and suppose that they have gotten the Noble virgin againe whereas it is but her Rayes as the Sunne shineth upon the earth from whence all Essences of the earth rejoyce spring grow and blossom Which is the cause that the Tincture riseth up in all hearbs and Trees 11. And here wee must accurately consider wherein every Region rejoyceth for the Sun and Starres apprehend not the Divine Light as the Essences of the soule doe and yet onely that soule which standeth in the new Birth but they tast the sweetnesse which hath imprinted or Imaged it selfe in the Tincture for the bloud of the heart wherein the soule moveth is so very sweet that there is nothing to be compared to it Therefore hath God by Moses forbidden Man to eate the flesh in its bloud for the life standeth in it For the beastiall life ought not to be in Man that his Spirit be not infected therewith 12. The three Regions receive every one of them their light with the springing up of the Tincture in the bloud and each Region keepeth its Tincture The Region of the Starres keepeth the light of the Sunne and the first Principle keepeth the fire-flash and the Essences of the holy soules receive the most deare and precious light of the virgin yet in this body onely her Rayes wherewith shee fighteth in the minde against the crafty assaults of the Devill as Saint Peter witnesseth and although the Deare light stayeth for a while in many in the New-birth or Regeneration yet it is not steady in the house of the Starres and Elements in the outward Birth but it dwelleth in its own Centre in the Minde The Gate of Speech 13. Seeing now that the Minde standeth in free will therefore the will discovereth it selfe according to that which the Regions have brought into the Essences whether it be evill or good whether it be fitting for the Kingdome of Heaven or for the Kingdome of Hell and that which the glimpse or flash apprehendeth it bringeth that into the will of the minde And in the minde standeth the King and the King is the light of the whole body and he hath five Counsellours which sit altogether in the noise of the Tincture and each of them trieth that which the glimpse with its infection hath brought into the will whether it be good or evill and these Counsellours are the five Senses 14. First the King giveth it to the eyes to see whether it be good or evill and the eyes give it to the eares to heare from whence it cometh whether out of a true or out of a false Region and whether it be a lye or truth and the eares give it to the nose the smell that must smell whether that which is brought in and standeth before the King cometh out of a good or evill Essence and the Nose giveth it to the Tast which must try whether it be pure or impure and therefore the Tast hath the Tongue that it may spit it out againe if it be impure but if it be a thought to be expressed in a word then the lips are the doore-keepers which must keepe it shut and not let the Tongue forth but must bring it into the Region of the aire into the Nostrills and
Councell of the Starres which run many upon the sword and make them lay violent hands upon themselves and bring some to a Rope others to the water and there he is very busie and is the Driver or Executioner 68. Into this great misery Man is fallen and he is fallen quite home to the kingdome of the Starres and Elements as to his body what these doe with him that he is and that standeth in the substance they make one great another small one straight another stooping and crooked they send one fortune and riches and another poverty of one they make a crafty subtill Man according to the counsell and kingdome of this world and of another they make an Ideot they make one a King and they breake and pull downe another one they kill another they bring into the world and continually drive the minde of Man yet into nothing else but into vaine turmoile discontent and vexation 69. Besides the kingdome of Hell and of fierce wrath alwayes gape after the soule and set their jawes wide open to devoure the captive soule which is held fast fettered with two strong chaines the one of the kingdome of Hell the other of the Kingdome of this world and is continually led by the heavy lumpish beastiall and sickly body as a Theefe who is often led to the place of Execution and still by a Petition reprieved and said in prison againe and the poore soule must lye thus in Prison the whole time of the body where the Devill on the one side very suddenly rusheth upon it with his devouring fiercenesse wrath and malice and would carry it into the Abysse then instantly it is beat upon by the glistering flattering world with pomp bravery covetousnesse and voluptuousnesse of Perdition presently againe cometh upon it sicknesse and feare and it is continually trembling and quaking and when Man goeth but in the dark how is it amazed and continually afraid that the Executioner will take it and doe execution upon it The Gate or Exposition of the great sinne and contrariety of will against God in Man 70. If wee did well consider the abominations and great sinnes of Man before God which our first Parents inherited for us then wee should scarce ever be merry in this world at all if the Spirit of this world did not cast foolish fancies and seeming joyes and pleasures before us in our imprisonment or if the Regeneration did not cause us so highly to rejoyce that wee shall once be delivered out of this Prison for in this life wee finde nothing else but meere abomination sinne misery and death and scarce attaine in this temporary life so much as a glimpse of the Eternall Joy 71. Now the minde asketh What is sinne then How is it sinne Wherefore hath God a loathing against the substance which he hath created Behold thou childe of Man there is no sinne in Heaven in the presence of God onely in thy selfe there is sinne and sinne seperateth us and our God asunder otherwise all things are fix or perfect and good in their own beeing or substance the kingdome of Hell and of wrath is good in it selfe according to its own Region it doth not vex or torment it selfe but its woe paine or smart is its birth and the rising of its source also it desireth nothing else 72. And so also the Kingdome of this world is fix or perfect and good in it selfe neither doth it vex or torment it selfe but the elevating of the Elements viz. the kindling of the heate cold aire and water is its growing and springing neither doth it torment it selfe in it selfe nor hath it any distresse or feare in it selfe 73. Onely Man who is proceeded out of another Principle hath in both those forementioned Principles woe misery sorrow and distresse for he is not in his native Countrey and none of these two Principles can attaine his native Countrey Therefore the poore soule must be thus plagued and tormented that it may attaine its native Countrey againe it must goe againe through the Gate of the deep anguish of Death it must breake through two kingdomes and it sticketh here between the Doore and the hinges and is continually infected with those things which keep it back and plague it it sticketh as it were in a Presse 74. If it straineth to God ward then the Devill holdeth it on one side with one Band and the world with another Band and they set upon it the Devill handleth it in fiercenesse sternnesse frowardnesse or wrath which is a source or quality and sinne which cannot attaine to the kingdome of God and the world leadeth it into pride covetousnesse and fleshly lust so that the Essences of the soule grow full or impregnated with the fleshly will for the will of the minde draweth these things into the soule and so the soule from that which is attracted becometh wholly uncleane swelled and dark and cannot attaine the light of God its Essences that should give up themselves to God cannot for they are too rough and cannot get into the light that kindleth not it selfe in its Essences the Gates of the Deepe must be broken open first and then the Essences of the soule may presse into the liberty without the darknesse but if the minde be filled then it cannot come into the liberty and then begin horrour feare distresse and despaire of the kingdome of God and this maketh meere torment woe paine and smart in the soule 75. Thus thou shalt know in what manner it is sinne before God thou hast in thy selfe the one eternall pure Element which is a joy in the presence of God and now if thou rage and rave with the source quality or property of Hell then thou touchest or troublest the Element and thou stirrest up the wrath and makest it to goe forth and thou doest as the Devill did when he awakened or stirred up and kindled the fierce wrath in the Fiat whereby the fiercenesse generated earth and stones thou sinnest piercing into the Heaven in the presence of God upon which the Prophets complained in many places That the disobedient did grieve their God though in himselfe he felt no paine yet his wrath was kindled in the first Principle in the Gate of the Deepe wherein the soule standeth and that is a meere abomination before him 76. Behold all whatsoever thou lettest into thy minde if thy soule be not inclined or yeelded up to God so that it beleeveth and trusteth in him then all whatsoever thou doest is sinne for thou bringest an earthly Minde into the Gate of the Deepe where the Spirit of God moveth walketh or goeth and thou defilest the Element which is in the presence of God 77. Thou wilt say How God dwelleth in Heaven O! thou blinde Minde full of Darknesse the Heaven where God dwelleth is also in thee as Adam was both upon Earth and also in Paradise at once and give
the Word and the earthly vayle hangeth before it wee must looke under the vayle For Adam was taken out of the earth not out of the foure issuings of the Elements but he was an Extract out of the Element which qualified or mingled with the Earth But when he fell into the foure Elements then he became Earth as also fire aire and water and now what should the Beastiall Man doe with the heavenly Paradisicall fruit he could not eate of it and therefore God doth not cast his heavenly kingdome to beasts and swine but it belongeth to Angels 7. So also it is very cleere and manifest that before the curse there grew such venomous or poysonous Thornes and Thistles and poysonous fruits and if God had not cursed the Earth from the one Element then no Beast should have been so fierce and mischievous or evill for God said Let the Earth be cursed for thy sake From whence now is also arisen the disobedience of the Beasts towards Man and their wildnesse or flying in their face as also that they are so cruell fierce mischievous and evill and that Man must hide himselfe from their fierce rage and fury whereas God in the Creation gave all into his power all Beasts of the field should be in subjection under him which now is cleane contrary for Man is become a Wolfe to them in devouring the Beasts and they are like Lyons against him and there is meere Enmity against one another he can scarce order the tame Beasts much lesse the wilde 8. And wee are to know that there was a great difference in the Beasts before the curse for some viz. the tame ones were very neer a-kinne to the Element with whom Man should have had joy and delight on the contrary some viz. the wilde ones which flie from Man were very neere a-kinne to the foure Elements for the causes of those wonders stuck wholly in the Essences and they were very well knowne and seene in the light of the life in the knowledge of the virgin there is nothing so deepe that Man cannot search into and see it most assuredly if he doe but put away the vayle and look through the Tables graven through with Joshua into the promised Land 9. And God said In the sweat of thy face thou shalt eate thy Bread till thou turne to Earth againe Here now all is cleere and manifest in the light for he had lost the heavenly fruit which grew for him without labour or toyle of his and now he must dig and delve in the earth and sow and plant and so in the foure Elements must get fruit in cares labour toyle and misery for while the Element or the vertue or power out of the Element sprung forth through the Earth there was so long a continuall lasting roote to the fruit but when the Element by the curse withdrew then the congealed Death frailty and transitory fading was in the roote and they must now continually be planted againe Thus the turmoyling life of Man took beginning wherein wee must now bath our selves 10. God could well have created creatures which should have managed the Beasts so that Man might well have stayd in Paradise in the Angelicall forme and besides that there are already in all the foure Elements creatures without a soule God would well have laid the labour or charge of managing the Beasts upon another generation which were also earthly But he saw well that Man would not stand therefore instantly the burthen was laid upon him as Moses also writeth of it 11. But if God would have had Beastiall Men then he would have created them so in the beginning and given them no Commandement neither should they have been tempted as indeed the Beasts have no Law 12. Therefore all Objections which fall into Reason are nothing else but the subtle contradictions or fallacies of the Devill who would very faine maintaine that God did will the Fall of Man There are also Men that dare to say that God did will it and say that he fitted the tongue of the Serpent to seduce Eve whose judgement is very justly upon themselves because they offer to confirme the Devils word with lying and goe about to make God a lyar 13. 'T is very true according to the first Principle viz. the Abysse of Hell he hath willed it but that kingdome is not called God there is yet another Principle and fast inclosure between but in the second Principle where God appeareth he hath not willed it Indeed all is Gods But the first Principle is the Band of Eternity which maketh it selfe from whence God the Father issueth forth from Eternity into the second Principle and therein he generateth his Heart and Sonne from Eternity to Eternity and there the holy Ghost goeth forth from the Father and the Sonne and not in the first Principle and Man is created for the second Principle 14. And therefore also the Heart of the second Principle by himselfe hath new regenerated him Man out of the Band of the first Principle and delivered him from the harsh or wrathfull Band and each Principle shall stand to it selfe in its own Eternity And yet God alone is Lord and alone Almighty but the Eternall Band is Indissoluble or else the Deity also would be dissoluble but now all must be to his honour glory and joy and he is alone the Creator of all things and all must stand naked before him as the Scripture saith Thou shalt see and rejoyce when the wicked are recompenced whereas in the second Principle there is no desire of revenge at all but in the sharpnesse of the breaking through out of the first Principle into the second where the soule straineth through from the torment into the joy there it rejoyceth that the Driver who plagued and vexed it is imprisoned and because now it is securely freed from him even as it is the joy of the Kingdome of Heaven that the Devill in the first Principle is imprisoned so that he cannot molest the Heaven any more and kindle the habitation of the Element 15. Therefore there is also very great Joy in Heaven for this world because there is a Principle generated so that the Devill can make no more use of the fierce wrath which he powred forth and kindled in the time of his Creation but is imprisoned between the two Principles which are both Good 16. Thus you must understand what it is or meaneth when the Scripture speaketh of revenging the ungodly that there is joy in the Saints at it for the fierce wrath or grimnesse and the source or torment of Hell is the Joy of the Heaven for if there were no source or paine there would be no flowing up or springing but if the light cometh to be in the fierce austere soure source then there is meere Joy and in the Darknesse there is a peculiar
onely in Agriculture but also in Mettalls and further all Arts according to the seven Spirits of Nature which in the Letter is well to be seene wherein our Schooles or Universities will now be Masters but they are not yet Schollars in the Ground 8. And it is excellently shewen that they had the light of the Tincture in their hands wherein they found their Inventions though it was not wholly knowne for sinnes were not then in such multiplicity upon the Earth and therefore the Mysteries were not so very hard and close hidden to them but all was found out very easily especially by Adam who had the Mysteries in his hands and was but entered out of the Wonders of Paradise into the Wonders of this world who knew not onely the Essences Natures and properties of all the Beasts but also of all Plants and Mettalls he knew also the ground of the seven liberall Arts arising out of the seven formes of Nature yet not so altogether out of the Ground or fundamentally But he was the Tree out of which afterwards all the rootes and branches grew 9. But the Depth in the Centre of the Birth he knew much better than wee in our Schooles or Universities which is shewed by that saying That he gave names to all things to every thing according to its Essence Nature and property as if he had stuck or dwelt in every thing and tryed all Essences whereas he had the knowledge of them only from their sound also from their forme and aspect smell and tast the Metalls he knew in the Glance of the Tincture and in the fire as it may yet well be knowne 10. For Adam was the Heart of every thing in this world created out of the Originality of all things his soule was out of the first Principle throughly illustrated with the second Principle and his body was out of the one Element out of the Barm or Birth out of the Divine vertue which is before God which body was entered into the out-Birth of the one Element viz. into the foure Elements and wholly gone into the Spirit of this world viz. into the third Principle And therefore he had the Tincture of every thing in him by which he reached into all Essences and proved or searched all things in the Heaven Earth fire aire and water and all whatsoever is generated from thence 11. And so one Tincture took hold of the other and the stronger hath proved or tried the weaker and given names to all things according to their Essences and that is the true ground of Adams fall that he went out of the Eternall being into the Out-birth of the corruptible being and hath put on the corruptible Image which God forbad him 12. And here the two strong Kingdomes of the Eternity are to be seene which have been in strife with one another and are alwaies so and the strife continueth to Eternity for it is also from Eternity viz. between the fiercenesse and the meeknesse If the fiercenesse were not there would be no mobility but it overcometh in this world onely according to the Kingdome of Hell and in the Heaven it maketh the ascending Joy and the Meeknesse 13. And it is highly to be found and considered by us in the light of Nature how the fiercenesse or wrath is the Roote of all things and moreover the Originality of the Life therein onely consisteth the Might and the Power and from thence onely proceed the Wonders and without the fiercenesse or wrath there would be no enmity but all would be as it were a nothing as is formerly mentioned 14. And then wee finde also how the Meeknesse is the vertue and the Spirit so that where the meeknesse is not there the fiercenesse in it selfe is nothing but a Darknesse and a Death where no growing can spring up and it cannot generate nor discover its wonders and thus wee finde that the fiercenesse wrath or sourenesse is a cause of the Essences and that the Meeknesse is a cause of the joy and a cause of the rising and budding o● growing forth of the Essences and then that the Spirit is generated by the flowing working springing and rising up out of the Essences and that the fiercenesse so becometh the Roote of the Spirit and the Meeknesse is its Life 15. Now there can be no meeknesse without Light for the Light maketh the Meeknesse and there can be no fiercenesse without the light for the light maketh a Longing in the darknesse and yet there is no darknesse there but the longing maketh the darknesse in the will so that the will attracteth to it selfe and impregnateth the longing so that it becometh thick and dark for it is thicker than the will and therefore it shadoweth the will and is the darknesse of the will 16. And if the will be thus in darknesse then it is in anguish for it desireth to be out of the darknesse and that desiring is the flowing or working and the attracting in it selfe where yet nothing is attained but a fierce source in it selfe which by its attraction maketh hardnesse and roughnesse which the will cannot endure and thus it stirreth up the Roote of the fire in the flash as is afore-mentioned whereupon the re-comprehended will goeth forth from the flash into its selfe and breaketh the darknesse and dwelleth in the broken darknesse in the light in a pleasant joy or habitation in it selfe after which joy or habitation the will in the darknesse continually lusteth from whence longing ariseth and thus it is an Eternall Band which can never be loosed and thus the will now laboureth in the broken Gate that it may manifest or discover his wonders out of himselfe as may be seene well enough in the Creation of the world and all Creatures 17. But wee should not here againe wholly set downe the Ground of the Deity so farre as it is meete and knowne by us wee account that needlesse here for you may finde it before the incarnation of a Childe in the Mothers womb or body Wee set downe thus much here to the end that the Region of this world may be understood and thus wee give the Reader exactly to understand and know how the Region of Good and Evill are in one another and how it is an unfadable thing or substance so that one is generated out of the other and that also the one goeth forth out of the other into another substance or being which it was not in the beginning as you may learne to understand this in Man who in his beginning in the will of Man and Woman viz. in the Limbus and in the Matrix is conceived in the Tincture and sowen in an Earthly soyle where then the first Tincture in the will breaketh and his own Tincture springeth forth out of the anxious or aking chamber of Darknesse and of Death out of the anxious source
and then the poore soule standeth imprisoned in the dark Dungeon and here the Love of God towards the poore imprisoned soule is made knowne Consider thy selfe here O deare Minde 60. Heere was no remedy now neither in God nor in any Creature onely the meere Deity of the Heart of God must enter in Ternarium Sanctum into the holy Ternary viz. into the Barmhertzigkeit the Mercifulnesse which is from Eternity generated out of his Holinesse wherein the Eternall wisdome which coming out of the speaking of the Word through the Holy Ghost standeth as a virgin before the Deity and is the Great Wonder and a Spirit in the Barmhertzigkeit the Mercifulnesse and the Mercifulnesse maketh the holy Ternary the holy Earth the Essences of the Father in the attracting to the Word viz. the holy Constellations as may be said in a similitude 61. And as wee perceive that in this world there is Fire Aire Water and Earth also the Sunne and the Starres and therein consist all the things of this world so you may conceive by way of similitude that the Father is the Fire of the whole holy Constellations and also in the holy Element and that the Sonne viz. his Heart is the Sunne which setteth all the Constellations in a light pleasant habitation and that the Holy Ghost is the Aire of the Life without which neither Sunne nor Constellation would subsist and then that the concreted Spiritus Majoris Mundi or Spirit of the great World is the chast virgin before God which Spirit of the great World in this world giveth to all Creatures Minde sense and understanding through the influence of the Starres and so also doth the chast virgin in the Heaven 62. The Earthly Earth is like the holy-Ternary wherein is the heavenly Aquaster viz. in the heavenly Earth which I call the one Holy Element which is pure Thus God is a Spirit and the pure Element is heavenly Earth for it is substantiall and the Essences in the heavenly Earth are Paradisicall Buds or Fruits and the virgin of wisdome is the great Spirit of the whole heavenly World in a fimilitude and that not onely openeth the great Wonders in the heavenly Earth but also in the whole Deep of the Deity 63. For the Deity is incomprehensible and invisible yet perceptible but the virgin is visible like a pure Spirit and the one holy Element is her body which is called Ternarius sanctus the holy Ternary the Holy Earth and into this holy Ternary the invisible Deity is entred that shee may be an Eternall Espousall or union so that in a fimilitude the Deity is in the pure Element and the Element is the Deity for God and Ternarius sanctus is become one thing not in Spirit but in substance as body and soule And as the soule is above the body so also God is above the Holy Ternary 64. And this now is the Heavenly virgin of which the Spirit of God spake in the Wise men of old and Ternarius sanctus is our true body in the Image which wee have lost which now the Heart of God hath taken to him for a body and this noble body as also the virgin of God was put upon Mary not as a Garment but very powerfully in her Essences and yet incomprehensibly as to the Essences of this world of flesh and bloud in the body of Mary but comprehensible as to the soule of Mary for the soule did passe into the holy Ternary and yet shee could not so be severed from the fierce wrath but that was to be in the breaking of the earthly Body from the heavenly in the Death of Christ 65. Thus the Word in the holy Ternary let it selfe into the Earthlinesse and received to it a true soule out of the Essences of the soule of Mary like all other Men in the Time viz. in the end of three Moneths not out of the holy Ternary but our soule yet not our body wherein the Kingdome of this world and sinne did stick 66. 'T is true indeed he took our body on him but not mingled with the holy Ternary for Death stuck in our body and the Ternarius sanctus was his Death and Victory and in the holy Ternary was his Deity and that Man is come from Heaven and hath put on the Earthly Man and brought to passe the Redemption between the Earthly and the Heavenly whereby the soule was severed from the Anger and Wrath. 67. You must not say that whole Christ with body and soule came from Heaven He brought no soule out of the holy Ternary the Heavenly virgin was the soule in the holy Ternary and that he brought with him for a Bride to our soule as this whole Booke doth treate of it For what would it help mee if he had brought a strange soule with him Nothing at all But that he hath brought my soule into the holy Ternary I rejoyce at that and thus I can say that Christs soule is my Brother and his body is the food of my soule as he saith in the fixt Chapter of John My flesh is meate indeed and my bloud is drink indeed 68. Come hither yee contentious Shepheards of Babell open your eyes and consider what his Testaments of the Baptisme and his Last Supper are I shall shew you well enough if you be but worthy how ever wee write for the children of the Lilly therefore let every one see where he harboureth it is in earnest Wee slight not the understanding of the Ancients It may be it was purely generated in the beginning but wee finde how Antichrist hath set up himselfe upon it and made Gods of the Creature 69. Yet Men cannot say that Mary was borne out of a barren womb although the body of Anna was unfruitfull which was from the Counsell of God in that they were honest vertuous people fearing God that their Tincture might not be defiled because they were to generate that which the Lord would highly blesse God knew how to open it in due time and that in old age when the wanton lust of this world from the Elements was extinguished as in Sarah Abrahams wife 70. For if the soule standeth in the feare of God then the Tincture also in which the soule springeth up is purer although that be not free from the Originall or inherited sinne Thus Mary is indeed truly generated of Joachim and Christ hath his naturall soule from the Tincture of Mary yet but halfe for the Limbus of God was the Man or Masculine seede and therein was the chast virgin of God in the holy Ternary and in the holy Ternary the Trinity the whole fulnesse of the Deity and the Holy Ghost was the Work-Master 71. Here wee cleerly finde what Christ said to his Father concerning us Men Behold the Men were thine and thou hast given them to mee and I will that they be with mee where I am that they may see my Glory
by turning round n Rumbling or thunder-clap o Or reflecteth p Or skreek q Or filled r Or lovely ſ Dominion or jurisdiction t Or springing substance * The Divine everlasting gates or doors by which we have entrance to the Deity u Or loving favour x With or for y Or riggling z Property vertue or power a The substance that springeth or buddeth out of the tartnesse b Or astringent attraction * Begetting hatching hearing bringing forth or propagation a Nativity birth or generation or working b Mixture poysoning venoming or temptation c Or roused up d Or temptation e Viz. the fruit of the austere matrix or genetrix f Or poysonous vertue g Who bringeth us forth out of the Wrath into the Love of God h Theologie h Theologie i Or Evill will k But remaine hidden and undiscovered l Or understand and consider it aright m Or Budding property n Or Springing property o Or Lake of Torment p Or Soure tart springing substantiality q Or for r Or tart soure fountaine ſ Twig or branch t Or exulting great Joy u Or life x Or well-spring y Or beginneth to stirre * Or right † Begetting or propagation a Substance or off-spring b Destruction or perdition c Or carried about him d Wit reason or skill e Preservation or propagation f Preservation or protection g Unigenitus h Begotten or born or brought forth i Verbum Domini * Or power k Which the soul is l Or out of Gods own essence or substance on a childe is the fathers own substance m Or paradisicall sustenance n Or in the ground or foundation of the beginning and sustaining of mans life o Or enduring substance p Or withstand the spirit of the manifestation of the hidden things of God q Or representeth to you r Divine or Apostolicall Authoritie or Jus Divinum s Or blinded and mocked by them t In the ground where the graine of Mustard-feed is sowne and springeth up u Or Infant x Or Divine Birth a Or begetting b Indissoluble c Astrall starry or aiery spirit of man d Weake feeble empty and dry e Or A king properties f Or Worke in continuall generating as the breath goeth in and out continually for the preserving of life g Or Strong h Or exercise its thoughts and purposes in resignation i Ver bum Domini k Laughing for joy l Or Halelujahs m Note what is possible to be spoken of and what not n Or Dominion of the anger of God o The whore of the Beast p Or Ornament of her kingdome q Viz. The first and the third Principle r Or Mingle themselves ſ Animall or Beastiall man t Or upon a dark place u Inward senses or thoughts x Or Thoughts or inward senses y Or answer this question z Or working propertie a Or accounted sinne b Satan In principio d Wel-spring or fountain e As before verse 37. f Their being made corporeall continued in the spirituall substance * Or one Element g Or working fountain of their condition as a boyling springing torment h That is the power glory or lustre of the ●ather i The attracting astringent soure tart smartnesse k The flash of fire † The harshnesse l As when the the rayes of the sun which turneth the hard cold ice into thin fluid water m Or can work no more n Or stream o Unsearchable unfathomable or inconceiveable p Gentle or friendly q Begotten r Or in ſ Or in all things t Vacuum or valley of darknesse u Or Satiating x Or ground y Or Welspring of water wch is the ground of Humility z Centra a Acknowledged or manifest as the aire is not knowne or breathed forth in the originall of the fire before the light be kindled b Begetting generating or working c Light water d Or continuall operation e Or moving working f Or Hallelujahs g Or working h Working or influence i Or Valley of Darknesse k Or Roote l Fountaine of poyson m Viz. the cold fire n Or Created o In the opening of the ground as a building from the Earth p Or established a Inward senses or thoughts b Or be in true resignation c Or torment or working property d In wrath or anger doth e Generation begetting or working f Or the manner g Limbus signifieth a seed or concretion of matter h Insensible dumb speechlesse i Dust dirt or mud k Or working property l Astringency or tartnesse m Or devourer the most pure elementary aire n Or finishing of its time o Or Attain p Or dumb q Or light that cannot be endured as is in the matrix of the first Principle r Made known to Angels and men ſ Generating working or begetting t Or Into * Or Condition u Principalities Thrones and Dominions x Narrownesse or a Corner y The universall place of this world as farre as the creating word Fiat spreads it selfe z Fountaine or Well-spring a Or Working b Mother the Eternall Nature or Roote c Glideth away in his thoughts imperceptibly d Or womb The temporary Matrix is the temporary Nature and the Eternall Matrix is the Eternall Nature e Or awakened f Astringent attraction g In the Mothers womb h Or Their minds into resignation i The fiery forme would have a Creature of its own k Felt or perceived l Or Bright m With or rarified n Dust cloud durt or puddle o The Spirit moved upon the Water a Distinction specificall difference or forme or variation whereby every thing hath its own peculiar Essence b Or qualifieth c The starres d Or bringer forth e Outward Reason f Or Nature g Or repositery h Or buildeth i Or spirit of the water k Out-birth l The originall Text Mercurius m Or continuall generation and subsistence n In o Aketh p Falling away or decaying destruction q Or root r Glance or lustre s Or concrete Note t Or out-birth Note u Expanded or spred x Viz the Aire y The corruptibility z That is the reader wil not understand it † Or understand a Wavereth b Bodily created or corporized c Note the power by which the holy men raised the dead d Or operative propagation e Or the dominion or influences of the stars f Or out birth issue or off-spring g Gr divided into parts or varyed h Attracting i Food k Or astringency is the root of the mother l As steel and a flint strike fire m As when ye throw water into the fire n Impregnated o Lustre or brightnesse p Or thereby q Or seeking r Into ſ Or divine working t Or work u Mother of Nature x Which possess the minds of straying Christians y Divine authority Jus divinum z Think or applauding any thing of God a Speculate as in a glasse b Or active property c Creature or
Devill out of himselfe but Angels to live in Joy to their comfort and rejoycing yet it is seene that Devils came to be and that they became Gods enemines therefore the source or fountaine of the Cause must be sought viz. What is the Prima Materia or first Matter of Evill and that in the Originalnesse of God as well as in the Creatures for it is all but one onely thing in the Originalnesse All is out of God ●●de out of his Essence according to the Trinitie as he is one in Essence and Threefold in Persons 6. Behold there are especially three things in the Originalnesse out of which all things are both spirit and life motion and comprehensibilitie viz. Sulphur Mercurius and Sal but you will say that these are in Nature and not in God which indeed is so but Nature hath its ground in God according to the first Principle of the Father for God calleth himself also an Angry Zealous God which is not so to be understood that God is angry in himselfe but in the Spirit of the Creation or Creature which kindleth it selfe and then God burneth in the first Principle therein and the Spirit of the Creation or Creature suffereth paine and not God 7. Now to speak in a Creaturely way Sulphur Mercurius and Sal are understood to be thus SUL is the Soule or the Spirit that is risen up or in a fimilitude it is God PHUR is the Prima Materia or first Matter out of which the Spirit is generated but especially the Harshnesse Mercurius hath a fourfold forme in it viz. Harshnesse bitternesse fire and water Sal is the childe that is generated from these foure and is harsh eager and a cause of the comprehensibility 8. Understand aright now what I declare to you Harshnesse bitternesse and fire are in the Originalnesse in the first Principle the water-source is generated therein and God is not called God according to the first Principle but according to that he is called wrathfulnesse angrinesse the earnest severe or tart source from which Evill and also the woefull tormenting trembling and burning hath its Originall 9. This is as was mentioned before the harshnesse is the Prima Materia or first matter which is strong and very eagerly and earnestly attractive that is Sal the bitternesse is in the strong attracting for the spirit sharpeneth it selfe in the strong attracting so that it becometh wholly aking anxious or vexed For example in man when he is enraged how his spirit attracteth it selfe which maketh him bitter or soure and trembling and if it be not suddenly withstood and quenched we see that the fire of anger kindleth in him so that he burneth in malice and then presently a substance or whole essence cometh to be in the spirit and minde to be revenged 10. Which is a similitude of that which is in the originall of the generating of Nature yet it must be set down more intelligibly and plainly Mark what Mercurius is it is harshnesse bitternesse fire and brimstone-water the most horrible Essence yet you must understand hereby no Materia matter or comprehensible thing but all no other then spirit and the source of the originall nature Harshnesse is the first essence which attracteth it self but it being a hard cold vertue or power the spirit is altogether prickly stinging and sharp Now the sting and sharpnesse cannot endure attracting but moveth and resisteth or opposeth and is a contrary will an enemy to the harshnesse and from that stirring cometh the first mobility which is the third form Thus the harshnesse continually attracteth harder and harder and so it becometh hard and tart strong or fierce so that the vertue or power is as hard as the hardest stone which the bitternesse that is the harshnesses own sting or prickle cannot endure and then there is great anguish in it like the horrible brimstone spirit and the sting of the bitternesse which rubbeth it self so hard that in the anguish there cometh to be a twinkling flash which flieth up terribly and breaketh the harshnesse but it finding no rest and being so continually generated from beneath it is as a turning wheele which turneth anxiously and terribly with the twinkling flash furiously and so the flash is changed into a pricking stinging fire which yet is no burning fire but like the fire in a stone 11 But being there is no rest there and that the turning wheel runneth as fast as a swift thought for the prickle driveth it so fast the prickle kindleth it selfe so much that the flash which is generated between the astringency and bitternesse becometh horribly fiery and flieth up like a horrible fire from whence the whole Materia or matter is terrified and falleth back as dead or overcome and doth not attract so strongly to it selfe any more but each yeeldeth it selfe to go out one from another and so it becometh thinne for the fire-flash is now predominant the Materia or matter which was so very harsh astringent or attracting in the originalnesse is now feeble and as it were dead and the fire flash henceforth getteth strength therein for it is its mother and the bitternesse goeth forth up in the flash together with the harshnesse and kindleth the flash for it is the father of the flash or fire and the turning wheel henceforth standeth in the fire flash and the harshnesse remaineth overcome and feeble which is now the water-spirit and the Materia or matter of the harshnesse henceforth is like the brimstone spirit very thin raw aking vanquished and the sting in it is trembling and it drieth and sharpneth it selfe in the flash and being so very dry in the flash it becometh continually more horrible and fiery whereby the harshnesse or astringency is still more overcome and the water-spirit continually greater and so it continually refresheth it self in the water-spirit and continually bringeth more matter to the fire-flash whereby it is the more kindled for in a similitude that is the fewell of the flash or fire-spirit 12. Understand aright the manner of the existence of this Mercurius The word MER is first the strong tart harsh attraction for in that word or syllable Mer expressed by the tongue you * understand that it jarreth proceeding from the harshnesse and you * understand also that the bitter sting or prickle is in it for the word MER is harsh and trembling and every word or syllable is formed or framed from its power or vertue and expresseth whatsoever the power or vertue doth or suffereth You may * understand that the word or syllable CU is or signifieth the rubbing or unquietnesse of the sting or prickle which maketh that the harshnesse is not at peace but y heaveth and riseth up for that syllable thrusteth it selfe or presseth forth with the vertue or breath from the heart out of the mouth it is done thus also in the vertue or power
of the PHUR And in Man also it is the light which is generated out of the Sydereall spirit in the second center of the Microcosme but in the Spiraculum and spirit of the soul in the the most inward center it is the light of God which that soul onely hath which is in the love of God for it is onely kindled and blown up from the holy Ghost 8. Observe now the depth of the Divine birth there is no Sulphur in God but it is generated from him and there is such a vertue or power in him For the syllable PHUR is or signifieth the most inward vertue or power of the originall source or spring of the anger of the fierce tartnesse or of the mobility as is mentioned in the first chapter and that syllable PHUR hath a fourfold form property or power in it as first harshnesse or astringency and then bitternesse fire and water the harshnesse is attractive and is rough cold and sharp and maketh all hard hungry and ●ull of anguish and that attracting is a bitter sting or prickle very terrible and the first swelling or boyling up existeth in the anguish yet because it cannot rise higher from its seat but is thus continually generated from beneath therefore it falleth into a turning or wheeling as swift as a thought in great anguish and therein it falleth to be a twinkling flash as if a steel and flint or stone were strongly struck together and rubbed one against another 9. For the harshnesse is as hard as a stone or flint and the bitternesse rusheth and rageth like a breaking wheel which breaketh the harshnesse and stirreth up the fire so that all falleth to be a terrible crack of fire and flieth up and the harshnesse or astringency breaketh in pieces whereby the dark tartnesse is terrified and sinketh back and becometh as it were feeble or weak or as if it were killed and dead and runneth out becometh thin and yeeldeth it self to be overcome But when the strong flash of fire shineth back a-again upon or into the tartnesse and is mingled therein and findeth the harshnesse so thin and overcome then it is much more terrified for it is as if water were thrown upon the fire which maketh a crack yet when the crack or terror is thus made in the overcome harshnesse thereby it getteth another source condition ot property and a crack or noise of great joy proceedeth out of the wrathfull fiercenesse and riseth up in the fierce strength as a kindled light for the crack in the twinkling of an eye becometh white clear light for thus the kindling of the light cometh in that very moment as soon as the light that is the new crack of the fire is infected or impregnated with the harshnesse the tartnesse or astringency kindleth and skreeketh or is affrighted by the great light that cometh into it in the twinkling of an eye as if it did awake from death and becometh soft or meek lively and joyfull it presently loseth its dark rough harsh and cold vertue and leapeth or springeth up for joy and rejoyceth in the light and its sting or prickle which is the bitternesse that triumpheth in the turning wheel for great joy 10. Here observe the shreek or crack of the fire is kindled in the anguish in the brimstone spirit and then the skreek flieth up triumphantly and the aking or anxious harshnesse or brimstone-spirit is made thin and sweet by the light for as the light or the flash becometh clearer or brighter from the crack of the fire in the vanquished harsh tartnesse and loseth its wrathful fierce property so the tartnesse loseth its authority by the infection or mixture of the light and is made thin or transparent and sweet by the white light For in the originall the harshnesse or astringency was altogether dark and aking with anguish by reason of its hardnesse and attracting but now it is wholly light and thereupon it loseth its own quality or property and out of the wrathfull harshnesse there cometh to be an essence that is sharp and the light maketh the sharpnesse altogether sweet The Gates of God 11. Behold now when the bitternesse or the bitter sting or prickle which in the originall was so very bitter raging and tearing when it took its originall in the harshnesse attaineth this clear light and tasteth now the sweetnesse in the harshnesse which is its mother and then it is so joyfull and cannot rise or swell so any more but it trembleth and rejoyceth in its mother that bare it and triumpheth like a joyfull wheel in the birth And in this triumph the birth attaineth the fifth form and then the fifth source springeth up viz. the friendly love and so when the bitter spirit tasteth the sweet water it rejoyceth in its mother the soure tart harshnesse and so refresheth and strengtheneth it selfe therein and maketh its mother stirring in great joy where then there springeth up in the Sweet-water-spirit a very sweet pleasant source or fountain for the Fire-spirit which is the root of the light which was a strong fierce rumbling skreek crack or terrour in the beginning that now riseth up very lovely pleasantly and joyfully 12. And here is nothing but the kisse of love and wooing and here the Bridegroome embraceth his beloved Bride and is no otherwise then when the pleasing life is born or generated in the soure tart or harsh death and the birth of life is thus in a creature for from this stirring moving or wheeling of the bitternesse in the essence of the harsh astringent tartnesse of the Water-spirit the birth attaineth the sixth form viz. the sound or noise of the motion And this sixth form is rightly called Mercurius for it taketh its form vertue and beginning in the aking or anxious harshnesse by the raging of the bitternesse for in the rising it taketh the vertue of its mother that is the essence of the sweet harshnesse along with it and bringeth it into the fire-flash from whence the light kindleth And here the triall or experience beginneth one vertue beholding the other in the fire-flash one vertue feeleth the other by the rising up by the stirring they one hear another in the essence they one tast another and by the pleasant lovely source spring or fountain they one smell another from whence the sweetnesse of the light springeth up out of the essence of the sweet and harsh spirit which from henceforth is the water-spirit and out of these six forms now in the birth or generating cometh a sixfold self-subsisting essence which is inseparable where they one continually generate another and the one is not without the other nor can be and without this birth or substance there could be nothing for the six forms have each of them now the essences of all their sixfold vertue in it and it is as it were one onely thing and no more
onely each form hath its own condition 13 For observe it although now in the harshnesse there be bitternesse fire sound water and that out of the springing vein of the water there floweth love or oyle from whence the light ariseth and shineth yet the harshnesse retaineth its first property and the bitternesse its property the fire its property the sound or the stirring its property and the overcoming the first harsh or tart anguish viz. the returning down back again or the water-spirit its property and the springing fountain the pleasant love which is kindled by the light in the tart or soure bitternesse which now is the sweet source or springing vein of water its property and yet this is no separable essence parted asunder but all one whole essence or substance in one another and each form or birrh taketh its own form vertue working and springing up from all the forms and the whole birth now retaineth chiefly but these foure forms in its generating or bringing forth viz. the rising up the falling down and then through the turning of the wheele in the soure harsh tart essence the putting forth on this side and on that side on both sides like a Crosse or as I may so say the going forth from the point or center towards the East the West the North and the South For from the stirring moving and ascending of the bitternesse in the fire-flash there existeth a crosse birth For the fire goeth forth upward the water downward and the essences of the harshnesse sidewayes CHAP. III. Of the endlesse and numberlesse manifold engendring generating or birth of the eternall Nature The Gates of the great Depth 1. REader understand and consider my writings aright we have no power or ability to speak of the birth of God or the birth of the Deity for it never had any beginning from all eternity but we have power to speak of God our Father what he is and how he is and how the eternall geniture is 2 And though it is not very good for us to know the austere earnest strong fierce severe and originall birth into the knowledge feeling and comprehensibility of which our first parents hath brought us through the infection instigation and deceit of the Devil yet we have very great need of this knowledge that thereby we may learn to know the Devill who dwelleth in the most strong severe or cruell birth of all and that we may learn to know our own enemy Self which our first parents awakened and purchased for us which we carry within us and which we our selves now are 3. And although I write now as if there were a beginning in the eternall Birth yet it is not so but the eternall Nature thus begetteth or generateth it self without beginning my writings must be understood in a creaturely manner as the birth of man is who is a similitude of God although it be just so in the eternall Being essence or substance yet that is both without beginning and without end and my writing is onely to this end that Man might learn to know what he is what he was in the beginning how he was a very glorious eternall holy man that should never have known the Gate of the strong or austere birth in the eternity if he had not suffered himself to lust after it through the infection of the Devill and had not eaten of that fruit which was forbidden him whereby he became such a naked and vain man in a bestiall form and lost the heavenly garment of the divine power and liveth now in the kingdome of the Devill in the infected Salnitre and feedeth upon the infected food Therefore it is necessary for us to learn to know our selves what we are and how we might be redeemed from the anguishing austere birth and be regenerated or born anew and live in the new Man which is like the first Man before the fall in Christ our Regenerator 4. For though I should speak or write never so much of the Fall and also of the Regeneration in Christ and did not come to the root and ground what the fall was and by what it was we come to perish and what that property is which God abhorreth and how that was effected contrary to the command and will of God What should I understand of the thing just nothing and then how should I shun or avoyd that which I have no knowledge of or how should I endeavour to come to the New birth and give my selfe up into it if I knew not how wherein nor wherewith to doe it 5. It is very true the world is full of Books and Sermons of the Fall and of the New birth But in most part of the Books of the Divines there is nothing but the History that such a thing hath been done and that we should be regenerated in Christ but what doe I understand from hence nothing but onely the History that such a thing hath been done and done againe and ought to be done 6. Our Divines set themselves hand and foot with might and main with their utmost endeavour by persecution and reproach against this and say that men must not dare to search into the deep Grounds what God is men must not search nor curiously pry into the Deity but if I should speak plainly what this trick of theirs is it is the dung and filth wherewith they cover and hide the Devill and cloake the injected malice and wickednesse of the Devill in Man so that neither the Devill nor the anger of God nor the Evill Beast in Man can be discerned 7. And this is the very reason because the Devill smelleth the matter and therefore he hindereth it that his kingdome might not be revealed but that he might continue to be the Great Prince of the world still for otherwise if his kingdome were knowne men might flie from him where is it more needfull for him to oppose than on that part where his Enemy may break in He therefore covereth the hearts minds thoughts and senses of the Divines he leadeth them into covetousnesse pride and wantonnesse so that they stand amazed with feare and horror at the Light of God and therefore they shut it up for they are naked nay they grutch the light to those that see it this is rightly called the service and worship of the Devill 8. But the time is coming when the Aurora or Day-spring will break forth and then the Beast that evill childe or childe of perdition shall stand forth naked and in great shame for the judgement of the Whore of the Great Beast goeth on therefore awake and flie away ye children of God that you bring not the Mark of the Great Evill Beast upon your forehead with you before the cleare Light or else you will have great shame and confusion of face therewith It is now high time to awake from sleepe for the Bridegroom
maketh himselfe ready to fetch home his bride and he cometh with a cleere shining Light they that shall have oyle in their Lampe their Lamps shall be kindled and they shall be Guests but those that shall have no oyle their Lamps shall continue dark and they shall sleep still and retaine the marks of the Beast till the Sun rise and then they shall be horribly affrighted and stand in eternall shame for the judgement shall be executed the children of God shall observe it but those that sleep shall sleep till day Further of the Birth 9. The Birth of the Eternall Nature is like the thoughts or senses in Man as when a thought or sense is generated by somewhat and afterwards propagateth it self into infinite many thoughts or as a roote of a Tree generateth a stock and many buds and branches as also many roots buds and branches from one roote and all of them from that one first roote Therefore observe what is mentioned before whereas nature consisteth of six formes or properties so every forme generateth againe a forme out of it selfe of the same quality and condition of it selfe and this forme now hath the quality and condition of all the formes in it selfe 10. But observe it well the first of the six formes generateth but one source like it selfe after the similitude of its own fountaine Spirit and not like the first Mother the harshnesse but as one twig or branch in a Tree putteth forth another sprout out of it selfe For in every fountaine-Spirit there is but one centre wherein the fire-source or fountaine ariseth and the light ariseth out of the flash of the fire and the first six-fold forme is in the source or fountaine 11. But mark the depth in a similitude which I set down thus the harsh-spring in the Originall is the Mother out of which the other five Springs are generated viz. Bitternesse fire love sound and water Now these are members of this Birth of their Mother and without them there would be nothing but an anguishing dark vale or vacuum where there could be no mobility nor any light or life But now the life is borne in her by the kindling of the light and then shee rejoyceth in her own property and laboureth in her owne tart soure quality to generate againe and in her own quality there riseth a life againe and a centre openeth it selfe againe and the life cometh to be generated againe out of her in a six-fold forme yet not in any such anguish as at the beginning but in great joy 12. For the Spring of the great anguish which was in the beginning before the light in the tart harshnesse from which the bitter sting or prickle is generated that is now in the sweet fountaine of the love in the light changed from the water-spirit and from bitternesse or pricklinesse is now become the fountaine or spring of the joy in the light Thus now henceforth the fire-flash is the father of the light and the light shineth in him and is now the onely cause of the moving Birth and of the birth of the love that which in the beginning was the aking source is now SUL or the oyle of the lovely pleasant fountaine which presseth through all the fountaines so that from hence the light is kindled 13. And the sound or noise in the turning wheele is now the declarer or pronouncer in all the fountaines that the beloved childe is borne for it cometh with its sound before all Doores and in all Essences so that in its awakening all the vertues or powers are stirring and see feele have smell and taste one another in the light for the whole Birth nourisheth it selfe in its first mother viz. the harsh essence being now become so thin or pure meek sweet and full of joy and so the whole birth standeth in very great joy love meeknesse and humility and is nothing else than a meere pleasing taste a delighting sight a sweet smell a ravishing sound to the hearing a soft touch beyond that which any tongue can utter or expresse how should there not be joy and love where in the very midst of death the Eternall Life is generated and where there is no feare of any end nor can be 14. Thus in the harshnesse there is a new birth againe understand where the tart soure astringency is predominant in the Birth and where the fire is not kindled according to the bitter sting or prickle or from the beginning of the anguish But the rifing or exulting Joy is now the Centre and kindling of the light and the tartnesse or astringency hath now in its own quality the SUL Oyle and Light of the Father Therefore now the Birth out of the Twig or Branch of the first tree is qualified altogether according to the harsh fountaine and the fire therein is a tart or soure fire and the bitternesse a tart bitternesse and the sound a tart sound and the love a tart love but all in meere perfection and in a totally glorious love and joy 15. And thus also the first bitter sting or prickle or the first bitternesse after the Light is kindled and that the first Birth standeth in perfection generateth againe out of its own quality an essence wherein there is a Centre where also a new fountaine or source springeth up in a new fire or life having the condition and property of all the qualities and yet the bitternesse in this new sprout is chiefest among all the qualities so that there is a bitter bitternesse a bitter tartnesse a bitter water-spirit a bitter sound a bitter fire a bitter love yet all perfectly in the rising up of Great Joy 16. And the fire generateth now also a fire according to the property of every quality in the tart spirit it is tart in the bitter bitter in the love it is a very hearty yearning kindling of the love a totall fervent or burning kindling and causeth very vehement desires in the sound it is a very shrill tanging fire wherein all things are very clearly and properly distinguished and where the sound in all qualities telleth or expresseth as it were with the lips or tongue whatsoever is in all the fountain spirits what joy vertue or power essence substance or property they have and in the water it is a very drying fire 17. The propagation of the Love is most especially to be observed for it is the loveliest pleasantest and sweetest fountain of all when the love generateth again a whole birth with all the fountains of the original essences out of it self so that the love in all the springing veins in that new birth be predominant and chiefe so that a center ariseth therein then the first essence viz. the Tartnesse is wholly desirous or longing wholly sweet wholly light and giveth it self forth to be food to all the qualities with a hearty affection towards them all as a loving mother hath
the other Creatures seeing you can search what is in every thing and consider farther from whence the Elements Fire and Aire take their Originall and how the Fire cometh to be in the Water and generateth it selfe in the Water and how the light of your body generateth it selfe in the Water 25. And then if you be borne of God you attaine to what God and the Eternall Birth is for you see feele and finde that all these must yet have a higher roote from whence they proceed which is not visible but hidden especially if you look upon the starry Heaven which endureth thus unchangably therefore you ought to consider from whence it is proceeded and how it subsisteth thus and is not corrupted nor riseth up above nor falleth downe beneath though indeed there is neither above nor beneath there Now if you consider what preserveth all thus and whence it is then you finde the Eternall Birth that hath no beginning and you finde the Originall of the Eternall Principle viz. the eternall indissoluble Band and then secondly you see the separation in that the materiall world with the Starres and Elements are out of the first Principle which containeth the outward and third Principle in it for you finde in the Elementary Kingdome or Dominion a cause in every thing wherefore it is generateth and moveth as it doth but you finde not the first cause from whence it is so there are therefore Two severall Principles for you finde in the visible things a corruptibility and perceive that they must have a beginning because they have an end 26. And thirdly you finde in all things a glorious power and vertue which is the life growing and springing of every thing and you finde that therein lyeth its beauty and pleasant welfare from whence it stirreth Now look upon an hearb or plant and consider it what is its life which makes it grow and you shall finde in the Originall harshnesse bitternesse fire and water and if you should separate these foure things one from another and put them together againe yet you shall neither see nor find any growing but if it were severed from its own mother that generated it at the beginning then it remaineth dead much lesse can you bring the pleasant smell nor colours into it 27. Thus you see that there is an Eternall Roote which affordeth this and if you could bring the colours and vegetation or growing into it yet you could not bring the smell and vertue into it and thus you will finde in the Originall of the smell and of the taste there must be another Principle which the stock it selfe is not for that Principle hath its originall from the light of Nature 28. Now look upon the humane life a little further you neither see finde nor apprehend any more by your sight than flesh and bloud wherein you are like other Beasts secondly you finde the Elements of aire and fire which worke in you and that is but an animall or beastiall life for every beast hath the same in it from whence proceedeth the lust to fill them and to propagate themselves as all plants hearbs and grasse and yet you finde no true understanding to be in all these living creatures for although the Starres or Constellations doe operate in Man and afford him the senses yet they are onely such senses as belong to nourishment and propagation like other Beasts 29. For the Starres themselves are senslesse and have no knowledge or perception yet their soft operation in the water maketh a seething flowing forth or boyling up one of another and in the tincture of the bloud they cause a rising seeing feeling hearing and tasting Therefore consider from whence the tincture proceedeth wherein the noble life springeth up That thus becometh sweet from harshnesse bitternesse and fire and you shall certainly finde no other cause of it than the light but whence cometh the light that it can shine in a dark body If you say it cometh from the light of the Sunne then what shineth in the night and enlighteneth your senses and understanding so that though your eyes be shut you perceive and know what you doe Here you will say the noble minde doth lead you and it is true But whence hath the minde its originall You will say the senses make the minde stirring and that is also true But whence come they both What is their birth or off spring Why is it not so with the Beasts 30. My deare Reader if you be able breake open all and looke into the pith yet you shall not finde it though you should seek in the Deepe in the Starres in the Elements in all living Creatures in Stones Plants Trees and in Metalls also in Heaven and Earth you shall not finde it Now you will say Where then shall I finde it Deare Reader I cannot so much as lend you the Key that will lead you to it But I will direct you where you shall finde it it lyeth in the third Chapter of the Evangelist S t John in these words You must be borne anew by water and by the Holy Ghost This Spirit is the Key when you attaine it receive it and goe before the first Principle out of which this world and all Creatures are created and open the first roote from which such visible and sensible things did spring 31. But you will say this is onely God and he is a spirit and hath created all things out of nothing T is very true he is a Spirit and in our sight he is as nothing and if wee had not some knowledge of him by the Creation wee should know nothing of him at all and if he himselfe had not been from all Eternity there could nothing have ever been 32. But what doe you thinke there was before the times of the world out of which the Earth and Stones proceeded as also the Starres and Elements That out of which these proceeded was the Roote But what is the Roote of these things Looke what doe you finde in these things Nothing else but fire bitternesse and harshnesse or astringent sournesse and these three are but one thing and hence all things are generated Now this was but a Spirit before the times of the world and yet you cannot finde God in these three formes the pure Deity is a light which is incomprehensible and imperceivable also allmighty and all powerfull where is it then that men may finde God 33. Here open your noble minde see and search further seeing God is onely Good from whence cometh the Evill And seeing also that he alone is the life and the light and the holy power as it is undeniably true from whence cometh the anger of God From whence cometh the Devill and his evill will also Hell-fire from whence hath that its Originall Seeing there was nothing before the time of this world but onely God who was and is a Spirit and continueth so in Eternity
shineth from the heart of God is extinguished and for which cause also at the end of this time there will be a separation or parting asunder of the Saints of light from the damned whose source will be without the light of God 48. Now we have here shewed you the first Principle out of which all things take their beginning and must speak so of it as if there were a place or a separable essence where there is such a kinde of source to the end that the first Principle might be understood so that the eternity as also the anger of God sinne eternall death the darknesse which is so called in respect of the extinguishment of the light also hell-fire and the Devill might be known and understood what they are 49. So I will now write of the second Principle of the cleare pure Deity of the heart of God In the first Principle as I have mentioned above is Harshnesse Bitternesse and Fire and yet they are not three things but one onely thing and they one generate another Harshnesse is the first Father which is strong fierce or tart very sharp and attracting to it self and that attracting is the sting or prickle or bitternesse which the harshnesse cannot endure and it will not be captivated in death but riseth and flieth up like a strong fierce substance and yet cannot remove from off its place And then there is a horrrible anguish which findeth no rest and the birth is like a turning wheel twitching so very hard and breaking or bruising as it were furiously which the harshnesse cannot endure but attracteth continually more and more harder and harder as when steel and a flint are struck one against another from which the twinkling flash of fire proceedeth and when the harshnesse perceiveth it it starteth and sinketh back as it were dead and overcome and so when the flash of fire cometh into its mother the harshnesse and findeth her thus soft and overcome then it is much more terrified than the harshnesse and becometh in the twinkling of an eye white and clear And now when the harsh tartnesse attaineth the white clear light in it self it is so very much terrified that it falleth or sinketh back as if it were dead and overcome and expandeth it self and becometh very thin and pliable or vanquished For it s own source was dark and hard and now is become light and soft therefore now it is first rightly become as it were dead and now is the water-spirit 50. Thus the birth getteth an essence that hath sharpnesse from the harshnesse and sweetnesse thinnesse and expansion from the light and now when the flash of fire cometh into its mother and findeth her so sweet thin and light then it loseth its own propriety in the qualification and flieth aloft no more but continueth in its mother and loseth its fiery right or propriety and trembleth and rejoyceth in its mother 51. And in this joy in the water-spring or source the pleasant source of the bottomlesse love riseth up and all that riseth up there is the second Principle for the whole begetting or generating falleth into a glorious love for the harshnesse now loveth the light dearly because it is so refreshing chearly and beautifull for from this pleasant refreshing it becometh thus sweet courteous and humble or lowly and the bitternesse now loveth the harshnesse because it is no more dark nor so strongly eagerly or fiercely attractive to it selfe but is sweet milde pure and light 52. And here beginneth the taste whereby one continually trieth tasteth and proveth the other and with great desire mingle one within another so that there is nothing but a meer courteous embracing thus the bitternesse now rejoyceth in its mother and strengtheneth it self therein and for great joy riseth up through all the essences and declareth to the second Principle that the loving childe is born to which then all the essences give heed and rejoyce at that dear childe from whence the hearing ariseth which is the sixth form where the wheel of the birth standeth in triumph And in this great joy the birth cannot contain it self within its bounds but expandeth it self flowing forth very joyfully and every essence or substance generateth now again a centre in the second Principle 53. And there beginneth the unfathomable or unsearchable multiplication for the flowing and springing spirit that proceedeth from the first and second Principle confirmeth fixeth and establisheth all and in the whole birth it is as a growing or multiplying in one will and the birth attaineth here the seventh form viz. the multiplication into an essence of love and in this form consisteth Paradise or the Kingdome of God or the numberlesse divine birth out of one onely essence into all essence 54 Although here the tongue of man cannot utter declare expresse nor fathome this great depth where there is neither number nor end yet we have power to speak thereof as children talk of their father but to dive into the whole depth that troubleth us and disturbeth our souls for God himself knoweth neither beginning nor end in himself 55. And now being to speak of the holy Trinity we must first say that there is one God and he is called the Father and creator of all things who is Almighty and All in All whose are all things and in whom and from whom all things proceed and in whom they remain eternally And then we say that he is three in persons and hath from eternity generated his Sonne out of himselfe who is his Heart Light and Love and yet they are not two but one eternall essence And further we say as the holy Scripture telleth us that there is a holy Ghost which proceedeth from the Father and the Sonne and that there is but one essence in the Father Sonne and holy Ghost which is rightly spoken 56. For behold the Father is the originall essence of all essences and if now the second Principle did not break forth and spring up in the birth of the Sonne then the Father would be a dark valley And thus you see that the Sonne who is the Heart the Love the brightnesse and the milde rejoycing of the Father in whom he is well pleased openeth another Principle in his birth and maketh the angry and wrathfull Father as I may say as to the originality of the first Principle reconciled pleased loving and as I may say mercifull and he is another manner of person than the Father for in his centre there is nothing else but meer joy love and pleasure And yet you may see that the Holy Ghost proceedeth from the Father and the Sonne for when the heart or light of God is generated in the Father then there springeth up in the kindling of the light in the fift forme out of the Water-source in the light a very pleasant sweet smelling and sweet tasted Spirit and this
is that Spirit which in the Originall was the bitter sting or prickle in the harshnesse or tartnesse and that maketh now in this Water-source many thousand Centres without number or end and all this in the fountaine of the Water 57. Now you may well perceive that the birth of the Sunne taketh its Originall in the fire and attaineth his personality and name in the kindling of the soft white and cleere light which is himselfe and himselfe maketh the pleasant smell taste and satisfaction or reconciliation and well-pleasing in the Father and is rightly the Fathers heart and another person for he openeth and produceth the second Principle in the Father and his own Essence is the power or vertue and the light and therefore his is rightly called the power or vertue of the Father 58. But the Holy Ghost is not knowne in the Originall of the Father before the light breake forth but when the soft fountaine springeth up in the light then he goeth forth as a strong allmighty Spirit in great joy from the pleasant source of water and from the hight and he is the power and vertue of the source of water and of the light and he maketh now the forming shaping figuring and Images or species and he is the centre in all Essences in which Centre the light of life in the hight of the Sunne or heart of the Father taketh its originall And the Holy Ghost is a severall Person because he proceedeth as a living power and vertue from the Father and the Sonne and confirmeth the Birth of the Trinity 59. Now wee pray thus Our Father which are in Heaven hallowed or sanctified be thy Name and in the first of Genesis it is written God created the Heaven out of the midst of the Water by which is meant or understood the Heaven of the third Principle and yet indeed he hath created it out of his own Heaven wherein he dwelleth Thus you may easily finde that the Birth of the Holy Deity standeth in the source of Water and the powerfull Spirit is moreover the former framer and fashioner or moulder therein 60. Thus now the Heaven in this forming or framing and the framing and generating out of it in infinitum or endlesly is the Paradise of God as the highly worthy Moses writeth The Spirit of God moved upon the Water in the framing forming or fashioning of the world This is and continueth so in its Eternity that the Spirit of God in the birth of the Sonne of God moveth upon the Water for he is the vertue or power and out flowing in the Father out of the kindled light a water out of the water and light of God 61. Thus God is one onely undivided Essence and yet threefold in personall distinction one God one will one heart one desire one pleasure one beauty one almightinesse one fullnesse of all things neither beginning nor ending for if I should goe about to seeke for the beginning or ending of a small dot point punctum or of a perfect Circle I should misse and be confounded 62. And although I have written here as if it tooke a beginning writing as it were of the beginning and first springing of the second Principle and the birth of the divine Essence yet you must not understand it as having any beginning for the eternall birth is thus without beginning or end and that in the Originalnesse but I write to the end that man might learne to know himselfe what he is and what God Heaven Angels Devils and Hell are as also what the wrath of God and Hell-fire is For I am permitted to write as far as of the Originalnesse 63. Therefore O childe of Man consider what thou art in this time esteeme not so sleightly or poorly of thy selfe but consider that you remaine in Paradise and put not out the divine light in you or else you must hereafter remaine in the Originall of the source of anger or wrath in the valley of darknesse and your noble Image out of God will be turned into a Serpent and Dragon 64. For you must know that as soone as the divine light went out in the Devils they lost their beauteous forme and Image and became like Serpents Dragons Wormes and evill Beasts as may be seene by Adams Serpent and thus it is also with the damned soules For this wee know in the Originall of the first Principle very well If you aske how so reade this following A description of a Devill how he is in his own proper forme and also how he was in the Angelicall forme 65. Behold O childe of Man All the Angels were created in the first Principle and by the flowing Spirit were formed and bodified in a true Angelicall and spirituall manner and enlightened from the light of God that they might encrease the Paradificall joy and abide therein eternally but being they were to abide eternally they must be figured or formed out of the indissoluble Band out of the first Principle which is an indissoluble Band and they ought to looke upon the heart of God and feed apon the Word of God and this food would be their holy preservation and would make their Image cleere and light as the heart of God in the beginning of the second Principle enlighteneth the Father that is the first Principle and there the Divine Power Paradise and kingdome of Heaven springeth up 66. Thus it is with those Angels that continued in the kingdome of heaven in the true Paradise they stand in the first Principle in the indissoluble Band and their food is the divine Power and their Imagination or Imagining in their thoughts and minde is the will of the holy Trinity in the Deity the confirmation or establishing of their life will and doings is the power of the Holy Ghost whatsoever that doth in the generating of Paradise the Angels rejoyce at and they fing the joyfull songs of Paradise concerning the pleasant saving fruit and eternall birth all they doe is an increasing of the heavenly Joy and a delight and pleasure to the heart of God a holy sport in Paradise a satisfying of the desire or will of the eternall Father to this end their God created them that he might be manifested and rejoyce in his Creatures and the Creatures in him so that there might be an eternall sport of love in the centre of the multiplying or eternall Nature in the indissoluble eternall Band. 67. This sport of love was spoiled by Lucifer himselfe who is so called because of the extinguishment of his light and of being cast out of his Throne who was a Prince and King over many Legions but is become a Devill and hath lost his beautifull faire bright and glorious Image For he as well as other Angels was created out of the Eternall Nature out of the eternall indissoluble Band and hath also stood in Paradise also felt and seene the Birth of the holy Deity the
birth of the second Principle of the heart of God and the confirmation of the Holy Ghost his food should have been of the Word of the Lord and therein he should have continued an Angel 68. But he saw that he was a Prince standing in the first Principle and so despised the birth of the heart of God and the soft and very lovely qualification thereof and meant to be a very potent and terrible Lord in the first Principle and would qualifie or work in the strength of the Fire he despised the meeknesse of the heart of God he would not set his imagination therein or his thoughts upon it and therefore he could not be fed from the Word of the Lord and so his light went out whereupon presently he became a loathsomenesse in Paradise and was spewed out of his princely Throne with all his Legions that stuck to him or depended on him 69. And now when the heart of God departed from him the second Principle was shut up to him and so he lost God the kingdome of heaven and all Paradisicall knowledge pleasure and joy he also presently lost the Image of God and the confirmation of the holy Ghost because he despised the second Principle wherein he was an Angel and Image of God thus all things departed from him and he remained in the dark valley and could no more raise his imagination up into God but he continued in the foure Anguishes of the Originalnesse 70. And when he raised up his Imagination then he kindled to himselfe the source or roote of the fire and then when the roote of the fire did seeke for the water viz. the true Mother of the eternall Nature it found the sterne or tart astringent harshnesse and the mother in the aking death and the bitter sting or prickle formed the birth to be a fierce raging Serpent very terrible in it selfe rising up in the indissoluble Band an eternall Eternity a will striving against it selfe an eternall despaine of all good the bitter sting also formed the minde to be as a breaking striking wheele having its will continually aspiring to the strength of the fire and to destroy the heart of God and yet could never at all be able to reach it 71. For he is alwayes shut up in the first Principle as in the eternall Death and yet he raiseth himselfe up continually thinking to reach the heart of God and to domineere over it for his bitter sting in the birth climeth up thus eternally in the source of the fire and affordeth him a proud will to have all at his pleasure but he attaineth nothing his food is the fource of water viz. the Brimstone-spirit which is the most aking mother from which the indissoluble band is fed and nourished his refreshing is the eternall fire an eternall freesing in the harsh mother an eternall hunger in the bitternesse an eternall thirst in the source of the fire his climeing up is his fall the more he climeth up in his will the greater is his fall like one that standing upon a high clift would cast himselfe downe into a bottomlesse pit he looketh still further and he falleth in further and further and yet can finde no ground 72. Thus he is an eternall enemy to the heart of God and all the holy Angels and he cannot frame any other will in himselfe His Angels and Devils are of very many severall sorts all according to the Eternall Firth For at the time of his Creation he stood in the kingdome of Heaven in the point Locus or place where the holy Ghost in the birth of the heart of God in Paradise did open infinite and innumerable Centres in the eternall Birth in this seate or place he was bodified and hath his beginning in the opening of the Centres in the Eternall Nature 73. Therefore as is mentioned before in the third Chapter when the Birth of life sprung up every Essence had againe a Centre in it selfe according to its owne property or quality and figureth a life according to its Essence viz. Harshnesse bitternesse fire and sound and all further according to the ability of the eternall birth which is confirmed in the kingdome of Heaven 74. Seeing then that they stood in Heaven in the time of their Creation therefore their quality was also manifold and all should have been and continued Angels if the great fountaine Lucifer from whence they proceeded had nor destroyed them and so now also every one in his fall continueth in his own Essences onely the second Principle is extinguished in them and so it is also with the soule of man when the light of God goeth out in it but so long as that shineth therein it is in Paradise and eateth of the word of the Lord whereof shall be clearly spoken in its due place CHAP. V. Of the third Principle or creation of the materiall world with the Starres and Elements wherein the first and second Principle is more clearly understood 1. BEcause I may happen not to be understood clearly enough by the desirous Reader and shall be as one that is altogether dumb to the unenlightned for the eternall and indissoluble band wherein the Essence of all Essences standeth is not easily nor in haste to be understood therefore it is necessary that the desirous Reader do the more earnestly consider himself what he is and from whence his Reason and Senses do proceed wherein he findeth the similitude of God especially if he consider and meditate what his Soul is which is an eternall uncorruptible Spirit 2. But if the Reader be born of God there is no neerer way for him to come to the knowledge of the third Principle then by considering the new Birth how the soul is new born by the love of God in the light and how it is translated out of the prison or dungeon of darknesse into the light by a second birth And now if you consider that darknesse wherein it must be without the new birth and consider what the Scripture saith and what every one findeth by experience that falleth into the wrath of God and whereof there are terrible examples that the soul must endure irksome torment in it self in the birth of the life of its own self so long as it is in the wrath of God and then that if it be born again exulting great joy ariseth in it and thus you finde very clearly and plainly two Principles as also God Paradise and the kingdome of Heaven 3. For you finde in the root of the originall of the spirit of the soule in it self in the substance of the eternall birth and uncorruptible eternall band of the soul the most exceeding horrible inimicitious irksome source wherein the soul without the light of God is like all Devils wherein their eternall source consisteth being an enmity in it self a will striving against God and goodnesse it desireth nothing that is pleasant or good
wrought in the knowledge and in the understanding and generated a similitude of its substance and the substance which wrought was the Fiat and the Fiat formed the similitude which was generated out of the will and made it visible and the similitude was generated out of the darknesse out of the eternall nothing and yet somewhat was there viz. the originalnesse of the anguish out of which the eternall will generateth it selfe from eternitie 28. Now the similitude also hath received such a will out of the Fiat as the eternall will is and it hath generated the vertue or power and the vertue is the Heaven and the light which is become shining in the vertue is the Sun and that worketh in the vertue so that there is understanding and knowledge or else all in this world would be an immoveable substance and all would lie still and so neither hearb nor grasse would grow 29. Therefore in the Fiat is arisen out of the anguish the similitude of the knowledge and understanding and that is the Constellation and it is the fift forme of the Birth in the Fiat and the Fiat hath severed the formes in the birth so that every essence is severall as hard soft thick thin hot cold bitter tart soure sweet and so forth as we see and the spirit continued in the matrix of Heaven which goeth out from thence viz. the aire and the Spirit receiveth the understanding from the Constellation for it is a member of the other in one onely Mother 30. Now the Matrix viz. the created Heaven in the Fiat together with the starres is the similitude of all that was from eternity though not visible and the Fiat is in the similitude and the Paradise wherein the Angels dwell is hidden in the Matrix and God is shining in the Paradise and yet incomprehensible as the glanse or lustre of the Sunne cannot be comprehended 31. And God is immense immeasurable and the similitude is also immeasurable he is in the similitude and the similitude comprehendeth him not the similitude is his worke and he is the Master workman thereof the Constellation is his instrument and the Matrix with the Elements are the Materia matter or materialls out of which the Master cutteth and fashioneth his work 32. Now the Master alwayes worketh on and on without consideration what he lighteth upon that he maketh for the consideration is in the worke And therefore it is that the whole nature standeth in anguish and longing to be freed from the vanity as also the Scripture witnesseth Because it tasteth the Paradise in it selfe and in the Paradise the perfection and therefore it groaneth and lifteth it selfe up towards the light of God and Paradise and so bringeth forth in its anguish alwayes somewhat that is fairer higher and new as may sufficiently be found and understood in the minde of man and is very visible to a small understanding that in workes alwayes some special thing is brought to light and if you be not blinde you may see this in Men Beasts yea even in hearbs and grasse 33. Thus on the fourth day by the Fiat out of the vertue prepared the similitude of his substance and fitted it to be a Matrix which should generate all whatsoever was a similitude of his substance out of the wisdome which was in him from eternity that so all formes might be brought forth and become visible which were from eternity in the Matrix and the similitude of the unsearchable manifold varieties and vertues are the starres which altogether give or send their vertue into the matrix of the Heaven and the Heaven giveth that same spirit to the Creatures This is the course of all Creatures after the same essence or substance and they are formed after the same spirit which is their vertue spirit and life 34. When God had finished this on the fourth day he saw it and considered it and it was good as Moses writeth Then God desired in his externall will that this Kingdome or Principle of this world should also be creaturely like the perfect Paradisicall Kingdome that there should be living creatures therein and the will set the vertue that is the Word in the Fiat and then the Matrix generated all manner of living creatures on the Fift Day every one after its kinde You must understand by the word Kinde as many various formes as the Matrix is of as you may observe it in the Constellation 35. Now I shall fall into the schoole of the Master in his Pontificallibus hood and grace of his degree who will aske out of what the Beasts fowles fishes and wormes were made for he will have it that all of them were made out of the earth and will prove it out of Moses and he understandeth as much of Moses as of Paradise which he will have to be altogether corporeall Therefore there is a grosse deadnesse in the understanding and though I write plaine enough yet I shall be still dumb to that deadned soule which is voyd of understanding and yet I cannot help it for it is said You must be borne anew if you will see the kingdom of God would you saine know whereout the Beasts are made then lay aside your bonnet of pride that is in your minde and walke along into the Paradisicall Garden of Roses and there you shall finde an hearb if you eate of it your eyes will be opened so that you shall see and know what Moses hath written 36 The Glosses that are put upon Moses from Reason will not shew you Paradise much lesse the Creator The Prophets and Apostles learned more in the Paradisicall Schoole in one houre than the Doctors in their Schooles in thirty years Ones own wisdome availeth nothing God giveth it to him whom he loveth for nothing It cannot be bought for money nor favour as King Solomon will tell you 37 If we will be still so very earthly minded as to think that God made all the beasts of a lump of earth of what then is their Spirit made Seing that earth is not very flesh and the blood is not meere water Besides the earth and the water is not life and though the aire come in it yet it still remaineth such an essence as springeth only in the Fiat and the tincture which riseth up in the fire and from whence the noble life is stirred is hidden 38 Moses writeth Let there come forth all manner of beasts every one according to its kinde Now then the question is Out of what should they come forth Answer Out of the Matrix What is the Matrix out of which they should come forth It is the soure Elements which are together in the earth The Fiat brought forth the beasts or living creatures very indigestedly as they are in the essence not from heaven but out of the Matrix of the earth and the Matrix of the earth is one and the same thing
with the Matrix in the deep above the earth and hath one and the same dominion The constellation ruleth in all things and it is the Limbus or the Masculine wherein the tincture consists and in the Matrix of the earth is the Aquastrish or watery Spirit they come forth onely out of the Matrix of the earth that they might be of the essence of the earth that so they might eat of the fruits that grow out of the earth For every Spirit lusteth after its mother from whence it came 39 Now then if the Beasts or Animals nature were meerly out of a lump of earth then they would eat earth but seeing it is proceeded out of the Matrix of the earth by the Fiat therefore it desireth also such food as the matrix affordeth out of its own essence and that is not earth but flesh yet this flesh now is a Masse whence the body cometh and the spirit of the constellation maketh the tincture therein which Spirit ruleth over all as in one mother and in every life it maketh the understanding for the spirit of the constellation ruleth in all things in the earth stones metals elements and creatures 40 For in the beginning of the creation at the time when the earth became materiall all was generated out of one onely substance and there was no more done but a separation made of one from another therefore in every separation there must needs be alwayes a vehement hunger of one after another An example whereof you have in propagation for the sake whereof the separation was so made For you see that there is a male and a female and that the one continually desireth copulation with the other that they may generate This is a great hidden secret Observe when the Creator by the Fiat separated the Matrix from the Aquaster or watery Mother for the first form is heavenly and incorruptible as long as the kingdome of this world standeth and the root of the first form holdeth Paradise I will set it down more intelligibly or plainly for the simplest Readers sake 41 Observe as hath been often mentioned that as in the Fiat in the aking matrix viz. the dark harshnesse or sournesse the fire rose up in the breaking wheele in the kindling and that in the fiery the light of the Sunne and of all the Starres sprung up which is done in the harsh matrix which from the light is become thin lowly and materiall water and the pleasant source of love sprung up so that one form vehemently loverh the other in respect of the kinde meek light which was come into all formes So now the soft meeknesse was become a new childe which was not the dark originalnesse in the anguishingnesse But this childe was the Paradise yet being it stood not in the Materia or matter therefore the matrix of the harshnesse could not comprehend it but it yeelded it selfe forth very desirously and longing with great earnestnesse according to the fire and bitternesse to comprehend the pleasant source of love and yet could not comprehend it for it was Patadisicall and thus it still stood in great longing and generated water 42 But now God separated the fire viz. the fifth essence or form from the water and out of that made the starres and the Paradise is hid in the matrix Therefore now the mother of the water desireth with great earnestnesse the mother of the fire and seeketh the childe of love and the mother of the fire seeketh it in the mother of the water where it was generated and there is between them a continuall vehement hunger one after another to copulate 43 Now God sayd Let all manner of beasts come forth every one after its kinde and so there came forth out of the essence of every ones kinde a male and a female And thus the Spirit of the Starres or the Spirit in the form of Fire had now by its longing copulated with the watry Spirit and two Sexes sprung out of one essence the one according to the Limbus in the forme of fire and the other according to the Aquaster or spirit of the water in the watry form yet so blended or mixed that they were alik as to the body and so the Male was qualified according to the Limbus or form of fire and the female according to the Aquaster in the watry forme 44 And so now there is a vehement desire in the creatures The Spirit of the male seeketh the loving childe in the female and the female in the male for the irrationality of the body in the unreasonable creatures knoweth not what it doth the body would not if it had reason move so eagerly towards propagation neither doth it know any thing of the impregnation or conception onely its spirit doth so burne in desire after the childe of love that it seeketh love which yet is Paradisicall and it cannot comprehend it but it maketh a semination onely wherein there is again a centre to the birth And thus is the originall of both Sexes and their propagation yet it doth not attain the Paradisicall childe of love but it is a vehement hunger and so the propagation is acted with great earnestnesse 45 But that I now write that the starres doe rule in all Beasts and other creatures and that every creature received the Spirit of the starres in the creation and that all things still stand in the same Regiment this the simple will hardly beleeve though the Doctor knoweth it well and therefore we direct them to Experience Behold a Male and Female beget young ones and that often now they come forth out of one onely body yet are not of one kinde nor of the same colour and vertue nor shape or form of body All this is caused by the alteration of the starres For when the seed is sown the Carver maketh an Image according to his pleasure yet according to the first essence he cannot alter that but he giveth the spirit in the essence to it according to his power or ability or dominion as also manners and senses colour and gesture like himselfe to be as he is and as the Constellation is in its essence at that time when the creature draweth breath first in its mothers body whether the essence be in evill or in good inclined to biting worrying and striking or to meeknesse or loving kindnesse and gentlenesse all as the heaven is at that time so will also the spirit and the beast be CHAP. IX Of the Paradise and then of the transitorinesse of all creatures how all take their beginning and end and to what end they here appeared The Noble and most pretious Gate or exposition concerning the reasonable Soule 1 NO Money nor Goods nor Art nor Power can bring you to the eternall rest of the eternall soft meeknesse of Paradise but onely the noble Knowledge into that you
out of this minde which standeth in the darknesse God generated the Angels which are flames of fire yet shining through and through with the divine light for in this minde a Spirit can and may be generated and not else for before it in the heart and light of God there can no Spirit be generated for the heart of God is the end of Nature and it hath no quality therefore also nothing cometh out of it more but it continueth unchangeably in the Eternity and it shineth in the minde of the quality of the darknesse and the darknesse cannot comprehend it 42. Now therefore in the anguishing minde of the darknesse is the inexpressible or unutterable source quall or rising property from whence the name quality existeth as from many qualls or sources or Wells into one quall or source and out of these many sources running into one source springeth forth the plurality of skill so that there is a multiplicity or variety of it and the Spirit of God out of the light cometh to helpe every skill or science or knowledge and in every skill of the sources or quals in the quality by its kinde infecting of the love it maketh againe a centre and in the centre a source or quall or spring is generated againe as a twig out of a Tree where againe there springeth forth a minde in the anguish and the Spirit of Love with its infecting or infusing of kindnesse maketh all every thought in the will and that essentially 43. For the will in the Centre climeth aloft till it generateth the fire and in the fire is the substance and essentiality generated for it is the spirit thereof and the end of the will in the dark minde and there can be nothing higher generated in the anguish than the fire for it is the end of nature and it generateth againe the anguish and the source as may be perceived Now therefore the dark anguishing aking or anxious minde hath not onely one substance viz. one being or essence in it selfe but many or else no quality could be generated and yet it is truely but one being essence or substance and nor many 44. Thou deare soule thus saith the high Spirit to thee yeeld up thy minde here and I will shew it thee Behold what doth comprehend thy will or wherein consisteth thy life If thou sayest in water and flesh No it consisteth in the fire in the warmth if the warmth were not then thy body would be stiff with cold and the water would dry away therefore the minde and the life consisteth in the fire 45. But what is the fire First there is the Darknesse the Hardnesse the eternall cold and the Drinesse where there is nothing else but an eternall hunger Then how cometh the fire to be Deare soule here in the fires coming to be the Spirit of God viz. the eternall Light cometh to helpe the hunger for the hunger existeth also from the Light because the divine vertue beholdeth it selfe in the darknesse therefore the darknesse is desirous and longing after the Light and the desirousnesse is the will 46. Now the will or the desirousnesse in the drinesse cannot reach the Light and therein consisteth the anguish in the will longing after the Light and the anguish is attractive and in the attracting is the woe and the woe maketh the anguish greater so that the anguish in the harshnesse attracteth much more and this attracting in the woe is the bitter sting or prickle or the bitternes of the woe and the anguish reacheth after the sting or prickle with attracting and yet cannot comprehend it because it resisteth and the more the anguish attracteth the more the sting or prickle raveth and rageth 27. Now therefore the anguish bitternesse and woe in the sting or prickle are like a brimstone spirit and all spirits in Nature are Brimstone they torment or cause the anguish in one another till that the light of God cometh to help them and then there cometh to be a flash and there is its end for it can clime no higher in nature and this is the fire which becometh shining in the flash in the soule and also in the minde For the soule reacheth the vertue of the light which doth put it into meeknesse and in this world it is the burning fire in Hell it is immateriall and there it is the Eternall fire which burneth in the quality 48. Now thou deare soule here you see in a Glasse how very neere God is to us and that he himselfe is the heart of all things and giveth to all vertue power and life Here Lucifer was very heedlesse and became so very proud that when this Brimstone Spirit in the will of the minde of God was created then he would faine have fline out above the end of nature and would drive the fire out above the meeknesse he would faine have had all burne in the fire he would have ruled or domineered the sparks of fire in the Brimstone Spirit did elevate themselves too high and these Spirits pleased not the Creator or the Spirit in the Fiat and therefore were not established Angels although in the first minde when the Centre was opened to the creation of the Spirits he came to helpe them and beheld them as well as the other Angels but they indeed generated a fiery will when they should have opened their Centre to the regeneration of their mindes and so should have generated an Angelicall will 49. The first will out of which they were created that was Gods and that made them good and the second will which they as obedient children should have generated out of their Centre in meeknesse that was evill and therefore the Father for generating such a childe was thrust out from the vertue of God and so he spoyled the Angelicall kingdome and remained in the source of the fire and because the evill childe of their minde did turne away from the meeknesse therefore they attained what they desired For the minde is the God and the Creator of the will that is free from the Eternall Nature and therefore what it generateth to its selfe that it hath 50. Now if you aske Wherefore came not the Love of God to helpe them againe No friend their minde had elevated it selfe even to the end of Nature and it would faine have gone out above the Light of God their minde was become a kindled source of fire in the fierce wrath the meeknesse of God cannot enter into it the Brimstone Spirit burneth eternally in this manner he is an enemy to God he cannot be helped for the Centre is burning in the flash his will is still that he would faine goe out above the meeknesse of God neither can he get frame or create any other will for his source hath revealed the end of Nature in the fire and he remaineth an unquenchable source of fire the heart of God in the meeknesse
is weaker for it hath no kindling from the vertue of the Sunne and although the vertue of the Starres and the quality are kindled from the Sunne yet all is too little and so it becometh feeble or as it were dead and when the Tincture is feeble then the vertue in the bloud which is the Tincture is wholly weake and finketh into a sweet rest as it were dead or overcome 23. But now in the Tincture onely is the understanding which governeth the minde and maketh the thoughts or senses therefore all is as it were dead and the Constellation now onely ruleth in the roote of the first Principle where the Deity like a glance lustre or vertue worketh in all things There the starry Spirit in the glance of the Glasse of the divine vertue in the Element of fire looketh into the Matrix of the water and setteth his jawes open after the Tincture but that is voyde of power and therefore he taketh the vertue of the Tincture viz. the minde and mingleth or qualifieth with it and then the minde sealeth the Elements and worketh therein Dreames and visions all according to the vertue of the Starres for it standeth in the working and quality of the Starres and these are the Dreames and visions of the night in the sleepe The gate of the highest depth of the life of the Tincture 24. Though the Doctor it may be knoweth what the Tincture is yet the simple and unlearned doth not who many times if they had the Art have better gifts and understanding than the Doctor therefore I write for those that seeke though indeed I hold that neither the Doctor nor the Alchimist hath the ground of the Tincture unlesse he be borne againe in the Spirit such a one seeth through all whether he be learned or unlearned with God the Peasant is as acceptable as the Doctor 25. The Tincture is a thing that seperateth and bringeth the pure and cleere from the impure and that bringeth the life of all sorts of Spirits or all sorts of Essences into its highest pitch degree or exaltation Yea it is the cause of the shining or of the lustre it is a cause that all creatures see and live but its forme is not one and the same in every thing it is not in a Beast as in Man so also it is different in stones and hearbs although it is truly in all things yet in some things strong and in some weake 26. But if we search what it is in essence and propertie and how it is generated then wee finde a very worthy precious noble substance in its birth for it is come forth from the vertue and the fountaine of the Deity which hath imprinted it selfe in all things and therefore it is so secret and hidden and is imparted to the knowledge of none of the ungodly to finde it or to know it and although it be there yet a vaine false or evill minde is not worthy of it and therefore it remaineth hidden to him And God ruleth all in all incomprehensibly and imperceptibly to the Creature the creature passeth away it knoweth not how and the shadow and the figure of the Tincture continueth eternally for it is generated out of the eternall will but the Spirit is given to it by the Fiat according to the kinde of every creature also in the beginning of the Creation it was implanted and incorporated in jewels stones and metalls according to the kinde of every one 27. It was from Eternity in God and therefore it is eternally in God But when God would create a similitude of his Essence and that it should be generated out of the darknesse then it stood in the flash of fire that went forth in the place where the fift forme of the birth of love generateth it selfe in the similitude for it was generated out of the fountaine of the will out of the heart of God and therefore its shadow continueth in the will of God eternally and for the sake thereof also the shadow of all creatures and of every essence substance or thing which was ever generated in the similitude remaineth eternally for it is the similitude of God which is generated out of the eternall will yet its Spirit continueth not eternally in the third Principle of this world that ceaseth or passeth away with the ceasing of the springing or the ceasing of the life 28. For all whatsoever liveth in the third Principle corrupteth or passeth away and goeth into its Ether and end till it come to the figure of the Tincture and that continueth standing eternally as a shadow or will without spirit or mobility But in the second Principle the Tincture continueth eternally standing in the spirit and in the substance or essence all very powerfully viz. in Angels and Men as also in the beginning or first springing of every substance for their Centre to the Birth is eternally fixt or stedfast Of it s the Tinctures Essences and property The deepe Gate of Life 29. It s Essence is the flash in the Circle or Circumference of the springing of the Life which in the water maketh the glance and shining and its roote is the fire and the stock is the soure harshnesse Now the flash separateth the bitternesse and harshnesse from the water so that the water becometh soft fluid and cleere wherein then the sight of all creatures doth consist so that the Spirit in the flash in the Matrix of the water doth see and the flash standeth therein like a glance or lustre and filleth the Spirit of the Essences from which the Essence draweth vehemently to it selfe for it is the soure harshnesse and the flash continually separateth the darknesse from the light and the impure from the pure and there now standeth the divine vertue or power and the divine glance continually imagineth or imprinteth it selfe in the pure from which the soure strong property is separated out from Nature and the divine Glance maketh the pure sweet for it mingleth it selfe or infecteth there 30. But the sweetnesse is like Oyle or fire wherein the flash continually kindleth it selfe so that it shineth But the Oyle being sweet and mingled with the Matrix of the water therefore the shining light is steady constant and fixt and sweet But being it cannot in the nature of the water continue to be an oyle onely because of the infection of the water therefore it becometh thick and the nature or kinde of the fire coloureth it red and this is the Bloud and the Tincture in a Creature wherein the noble life standeth Of the Death and of the Dying The Gate of affliction and of misery 31. Thus the noble life in the Tincture standeth in great danger and hath hourely to expect the corruption or destruction breaking or dissolution for as soone as the bloud wherein the Spirit liveth floweth out or passeth away the Essence breaketh or dissolveth and the Tincture flieth away like a glance or
shadow and then the source or springing up of the fire is out and the body becometh stiffe 32. But alas the life hath many greater and more powerfull enemies especially the foure Elements and the Constellations or starres as soone as any one Element becometh too strong the Tincture flieth from it and then the life hath its end If it be overwhelmed with water it groweth cold and the fire goeth out then the flash flieth away like a glance or shadow if it be overwhelmed with earth viz. with impure matter then the flash groweth darke and flieth away if it be overwhelmed with aire that it be stopt then the Tincture is stifled and the springing Essences and the flash breaketh into a glance and goeth into its Ether But if it be overwhelmed with fire or heate the flash is enflamed and burneth up the Tincture from whence the bloud becometh darke and swearthy or black and the flash goeth out in the meeknesse 33. O how many Enemies hath the life among the Constellations or Starres which qualifie or mingle their influence with the Tincture and Elements when the Planets and the Starres have their conjunctions and where they cast their poysonous rags into the Tincture there ariseth in the life of the meeke Tincture stinging tearing and torturing For the sweet or pleasant Tincture being a sweet and pleasing refreshment cannot endure any impure thing And therefore when such poysonous rags are darted into it then it resisteth and continually cleanseth it selfe but as soone as it is overwhelmed that it be darkned then the flash goeth out the life breaketh and the body falleth away and becometh a Cadaver Carkasse or dead corps for the spirit is the life 34. This I have here shewen very briefly and summarily and not according to all the Circumstances that it might thereby be somewhat understood by the way what the life is in its due place all shall be expounded at large for herein is very much contained and there might be great Volumes written of it but I have set downe onely this that the overcoming and the sleepe might be apprehended The Gate or Exposition of the heavenly Tincture how it was in Adam before the Fall and how it shall be in us after this Life 35. Great and mighty are these Secrets and he that seeketh and findeth them hath surpassing joy therein for they are the true heavenly bread for the soule If we consider and receive the knowledge of the heavenly Tincture then there riseth up the knowledge of the divine kingdome of joy so that wee wish to be loosed from the vanity and to live in this Birth which yet cannot be but wee must finish our dayes-work 36. Reason saith Alas If Adam had not lusted he had not fallen asleepe If I had been as he I would have stood firme and have continued in Paradise Yes beloved Reason you have hit the matter well in thinking so well of thy selfe I will shew thee thy strength and the Gate and doe but thou consider how firme thou shouldst stand if thou didst stand as Adam did before the Tempting Tree 37. Behold I give you a true similitude Suppose that thou wert a young man or young maid or virgin as Adam was both of them in one onely person how doest thou thinke thou shouldst stand Suppose thus set a young man of good complexion beautifull and vertuous and also a faire chaste modest virgin or young maid curiously featured and put them together and let them not onely come to speake together and converse lovingly one with another but so that they may also embrace one another and command them not to fall in love together not so much as in the least thought also not to have any inclination to it much lesse any infection in the will and let these two be thus together forty dayes and forty nights and converse with one another in meere joy and command them further that they keepe their will and minde stedfast and never conceive one thought to desire one another and not to infect themselves with any essence or property at all but that their will and inclination be most stedfast and firme to the command and that the young man shall will and purpose never to copulate with this nor no other maid or virgin and in like manner the maid or virgin be enjoyned to the same Now thou Reason full of misery defects and infirmities how doe you thinke you should possibly stand here would you not promise faire with Adam but you would not be able to performe it 38. Thus my beloved Reason I have set a Glosse before you and thus it was with Adam God had created his worke wisely and good and extracted the one out of the other The first ground was himselfe out of which he created the world and out of the world he created Man to whom he gave his Spirit and intimated to him that without wavering or any other desire he should live in him most perfectly 39. But now man had also the spirit of this world for he was come out of this world and lived in the world And Adam understand the Spirit which was breathed into him from God was the chaste virgin and the Spirit which he had inherited out of Nature from the world was the young man These were now both together and rested in one arme 40. Now the chaste virgin ought to be bent into the heart of God and to have no imagination to lust after the beauty of the comely young man but yet the young man was kindled with love towards the virgin and he desired to copulate with her for he said thou art my dearest Spouse or bride my Paradise and garland of Roses let me into thy Paradise I will be impregnated in thee that I may get thy essence and enjoy thy pleasant love how willingly would I taste of the friendly sweetnesse of thy vertue or power If I might but receive thy glorious light how full of joy should I be 41. And the chaste virgin said Thou art indeed my bridegroome and my Companion but thou hast not my Ornament my Pearle is more precious than thou my vertue or power is incorruptible or unfadable and my minde is over-constant or stedfast thou hast an unconstant minde and thy vertue is corruptible or brittle dwell in my Court and I will entertaine thee friendly and doe thee much good I will adore thee with my Ornaments and I will put my Garment on thee but I will not give thee my Pearle for thou art dark and that is shining and bright 42. Then said the Spirit of Nature viz. the young man my faire Pearle and chastity I pray thee let me enjoy thy comfort if thou wilt not copulate with me that I may impregnate in thee yet doe but enclose thy Pearle in my heart that I may have it for my owne art thou not my Golden Crowne how faine would I tast of thy fruit 43. Then the chast
of the Starres attracteth the vertue of the Sunne to it and manifesteth it selfe in the vertue of the Sunne from whence there ariseth a twinckling flash in this raging from whence the hard soure harsh anxiety is terrified and sinketh downe and there the terrible Tincture goeth into its Ether for the Essence of the soure harshnesse in the Fiat is so mightily terrified at the flash that it becometh faint impotent or feeble and sinketh back expandeth it selfe and groweth thin 58. And the terrour skreeke or flash of fire is done in the bitter prickle and when it reflecteth it selfe back in the dark soure or harsh anxiety in the Mother and findeth her so very soft gentle and overcome then it is much more terrified than the Mother But this terrour happening thus in the soft Mother shee becometh white and cleere in the twinckling of an eye and the flash remaineth in the anguish in the roote of the fire and now therefore it is a skreeke or terrour of great joy and it is as when water is throwne into the fire where the soure harsh quality is then quenched and the sourenesse or harshnesse is then so mightily overjoyed with the light and the light with the Mother the sourenesse or harshnesse wherein it is generated that there is no fimilitude to compare it with for it is the birth and the beginning of the life ☉ Sol All this which followeth is done in the entrance of the fourth Moneth 59. And as soone as the light of life appeareth in the soure harshnesse and soft Mother so that the sourenesse or harshnesse cometh to taste the light of life and findeth that it is so meeke pleasant lovely and full of joy then it exulteth with great delight desire and longing after the light to mix it selfe therewith and apprehend it so that its lust or longing delight and vertue goeth forth from it after the light which lust or longing delight is the vertue of the light and this out-going lust in the love is the noble Tincture which is there new generated to be the childe 's own and the Spirit which is generated out of the anguish in the flash of the fire is the true and reall soule which is generated in Man 60. Now here it is especially to be observed where it dwelleth and whence Heart Lungs and Liver come especially the Bladder and Gutts and the Braine in the Head also the understanding and senses these I will here set down one after another It cannot well or sufficiently be expressed by a humane tongue especially the order which is observed in the twinckling of an eye in Nature it would require a great Volume to describe it in and as the world accounteth us too weake to be able to describe it so wee account our selves much weaker and more unable and it is with us as Isaiah saith I am found of them that sought me not and knowne of them that were ignorant of mee and so such as inquired not after mee 61. I say this hath not been sought but wee sought the heart of God that wee might hide us therein from the tempest of the Devill but when we came there then the loving virgin out of Paradise met us and offered us her love shee would be kinde and friendly to us and be betrothed to us for a Companion and shew us the way to Paradise where wee shall be safe from the stormy tempest and shee carried a branch in her hand and said We will plant this and a Lilly shall grow and I will come to thee againe from whence wee gat this longing to write of the amiable virgin which did shew us the way into Paradise where we must goe through the kingdome of this world and also through the kingdome of Hell and no hurt done us and according to that direction of her's wee write CHAP. XIV Of the Birth and Propagation of Man The very secret Gate 1. IF wee consider now the springing up of the life and in what place of the body it is where the life is generated then we shall rightly finde the whole ground of Man and there is nothing so secret in Man but that it may be found For wee must needs say that the Heart is the place wherein the noble life is generated and the life againe generateth the heart 2. As it is mentioned above so the life in the anguish with the kindling of the light taketh its beginning from the glance of the Sun-shine from the Spirit of the Starres and Elements in the great anguish where death and life wrestle one with the other for when man departed from Paradise into another Birth viz. into the Spirit of this world into the quality of the Sunne Starres and Elements then the Paradisicall vision or seeing ceased or was extinguished where man seeth from the divine vertue without need of the Sun and Starres where the springing up of the life is in the holy Ghost and the light of God is the glance of the Spirit from whence he seeth which went out for the spirit of the soule went into the Principle of this world 3. You must not so understand it as if it were extinguished in it selfe No but the soule of Adam went out from the Principle of God into the Principle of this world and therein now the Spirit of every soule is thus generated againe by humane propagation as is mentioned before and it cannot be otherwise and therefore if wee would be fit for the kingdome of Heaven wee must be regenerated anew in the Spirit of God or else none can inherite the kingdome of God as Christ taught us faithfully of which I will write hereafter that it may be a fountain for the thirsty and a light to the noble way in the blossome of the Lilly 4. And wee must here know that our life which wee get in our Mothers body or womb standeth meerly and onely in the power of the Sunne Starres and Elements so that they not onely figure or fashion a childe in the Mothers body and give it life but also bring it into this world and nourish it the whole time of its life and bring it up also cause fortune and mis-fortune to it and at last death and corruption and if our Essences out of which our life is generated were not higher in their first degree out of Adam than the Beasts then wee should be wholly like the Beasts 5. But our Essences are generated much higher in the beginning of the life in Adam than the beasts which have their Essences but meerly from the spirit of this world and it must also with the spirit of this world in a corruptible substance goe into its eternall Ether whereas on the contrary the essences of Man are proceeded out of the unchangable eternall mind of God which cannot in eternitie corrupt 6. For wee have a certain ground of this in that our
Chapter 15. God willed not the Earthly Copulation Verse 35 Chapter 17. Where Earth and Stones are Generated Verse 8 Chapter 25. VVhy the Earth trembled at the Death of Christ Verse 44 Chapter 27. Earthly knowledge vanisheth in the Judgement Verse 19 Election Chapter 17. Of Election before the foundation of the world Verse 102 103 Chapter 20. How little knowledge Babell hath of the Election Verse 59 Element Elements Chapter 14. A description what the o●● Element is Verse 41 42 Chapter 14. Of the one Element and of the foure Elements Verse 44. to the 46. Chapter 14. VVhat the One Pure Element is Verse 88 Chapter 17. Where the Elements have their Originall Verse 48 Chapter 17. The Element out of which the foure Elements proceeded in the beginning that is without understanding Verse 7 Chapter 22. What the Eternall Element is Verse 19 20 Chapter 22. VVhy the Elements trembled Verse 46 Chapter 22. The One Element is Substantiall Verse 62 Eve Chapter 13. Eve's Creation described Verse 12. to 20 Chapter 13. The soule and forme of Eve before the Fall Verse 34. to the 36 Chapter 15. VVhy God must make Eve Verse 18 Chapter 17. Eve was Created for the Corruptibility Verse 10 Chapter 17. How Eve was beguiled Verse 32 Chapter 17. How Eve was Created Verse 55 Chapter 17. Eve was beguiled through her carelesnesse Verse 57 Chapter 18. The sentence upon Eve Verse 19 Chapter 20. Eve and the Apostles thought the same thing Verse 44 Evill Chapter 1. The Evill is not God Verse 2 Chapter 1. What is the first Matter of Evill Verse 5. to the 14 Chapter 20. The Evill Domineereth over the Good but God hath not ordained that it should be so Verse 29 Chapter 21. Evill and Good are in one another Verse 17 Chapter 24. From whence Evill thoughts come Verse 29 Fall Chapter 11. Of Lucifers and Adams Fall Verse 5 Chapter 11. How their Fall was foreseene Verse 22 Chapter 11. Reason speaketh against the Fall Verse 29 Chapter 18. How God willed not and yet willed the Fall Verse 12 13 Father Chapter 15. How Father and Mother are warned Verse 25 Chapter 17. Where God the Father Generateth the Sonne Verse 85 Chapter 20. Of the Drawing of the Father Verse 61 Chapter 25. How God the Father is Reconciled Verse 44 Faith Chapter 17. The Authour sets downe eight Articles of Faith Verse 116 Chapter 18. What Faith is able to doe Verse 76 Feare Chapter 23. Why wee ought not to feare or be afraid Verse 25 Feast Chapter 25. What is a Good Feast Verse 86 Figurer Chapter 20. The Figures of all things remaine Eternally Verse 9 Fire Chapter 5. How the Fire is in the water Verse 20 Chapter 7. The Originall of the Fire Aire Water and Earth Verse 12 Chapter 8. The Fire Aire Water Earth have every one their Creatures according to their Quality Verse 31 32 Chapter 10. What the Fire in this world and in Hell is Verse 45. 47 Chapter 14. The Blossome of the Fire moveth above the Heart Verse 22 Chapter 15. How the Fire is kindled in the Heart Verse 50 Chapter 27. Of the Fire by which the world shall perish Verse 9. 13 Fox Chapter 19. How some have the Fox hanging to their Coate when they Dye Verse 39 Gall. Chapter 14. The Gall kindleth the warmth in the Heart Verse 20 Chapter 14. How the Gall cometh to be in the Incarnation Verse 15 Chapter 14. How the Gall Heart Liver and Lungs are set in order Verse 18 Garment Chapter 19. He that will be heard of God must put off the Garment of abomination Ghosts Verse 48 Chapter 19. Concerning Ghosts of Deceased people that walke Verse 22 God Chapter 1. What God is The Essence of all Essences is generated out of him Verse 1 2. Chapter 1. How he is called an Angry God Verse 6 Chapter 1. God is not called God according to the first Principle Verse 8 Chapter 2. The Eternall working or Generation of God Verse 8 Chapter 4. Where wee must seeke God Verse 8. 44 Chapter 4. God is sought by Antichrist above the Starres Verse 23 Chapter 4. Without God there would be Nothing Verse 31 Chapter 4. God knoweth neither beginning nor End in himselfe Verse 54 Chapter 7. Where we must seek God Verse 15. to 19 Chapter 7. Why God is called God Verse 19 Chapter 10. How God is neere to us Verse 48 Chapter 14. Where God dwelleth Verse 80 Chapter 15. Whom God desireth to have Verse 26 Chapter 16. We shuld want our boasting in God Verse 1 Chapter 17. God was not so wrathfull at the meere biting of the Apple Verse 1 Chapter 17. How God is King of the Land Verse 67 Chapter 19. God is neerer us than the Saints Departed Verse 31 Chapter 20. God hath no pleasure in Judgement Verse 20. to the 26 Chapter 20. God is not at odds with himself Verse 60 Chapter 20. God hardeneth none Verse 62 Chapter 20. God did not will there should be any Devill Verse 64 Chapter 20. God knoweth what will come to passe Verse 64 Chapter 20. Gods foreseeing Verse 66 Chapter 20. Whom God draweth Verse 67 Chapter 20. God did not consent to Caines Murther of his brother Verse 93 Chapter 21. God cometh to help all things Verse 2 Chapter 21. All things in this world are of God Verse 1 Chapter 22. God and Paradise is Incomprehensible and stand in all things Verse 32 Chapter 22. From what the Name of God hath its Originall Verse 35 Chapter 22. VVhy God became Man Verse 43 Chapter 22. God and the Pure Element is become one Verse 63 Chapter 23. Both Good and Bad Men must manifest the wonders of God Verse 26 Chapter 24. God armeth the soule against the Divills treachery Verse 13 Chapter 25. Why God must come into the soule Verse 9 Chapter 25. Wherefore God must enter into Death Verse 10 Chapter 25. God mocked Adam when he said He is as one of us Verse 40 Chapter 25. God Man bung on the Crasse Verse 41 Chapter 25. The grace of God is for All Men. Verse 64 Chapter 25. The Anger of God is neither Good nor Evill Verse 70 Chapter 27. What God is Verse 7 Chapter 27. God giveth the seed to be sowen Verse 27 Chapter 27. God will not cast all away Verse 28 Good Chapter 17. Why God said it is not Good Verse 27 Ground Chapter 27. What the Ground is wherein the Heaven soweth seede Verse 27 Gutts Chapter 14. How the Gutts are made Verse 21 Chapter 14. Wherfore the stomack Guts are Verse 27 Chapter 14. Wherefore the Gutta are long and folded Hand Hands Verse 28 Chapter 25. What the Hand of God is Verse 107 Chapter 14. VVhat Hands are in the Incarnation Hearing Verse 27 Chapter 15. VVhat the Hearing is Verse 67 Heart Chapter 9. Out of what the Heart of God is Generated Verse 43 Chapter 10. The Heart of God is unchangeable Verse 41 Chapter 12. VVhat the
s Note No Pen in this world can describe it enough t The wisdome of God u Or figure x Ease or refreshment or forbearance of evill y Woe be to these Superiours z Or faculties a Or of the anger or wrath of God b Comfort c Or in thy victory d Abominable sinnes and wickednesse e In the chinck of the Doore f Or evill g Scandalizeth it a Worketh or performeth b It aimeth at c Or aspect d The outward Man e From the influence or acting f Or know g Or bring it back h Infecteth it that it burneth i Or Regenerate k Or stiffnesse l In the new bodies own vertue or power m Source or active prepertie n Or whipped o In fidels or Heathens p Or working q The Crosse-Birth r The one pure Element s Or put t Qualified or mingled in him u Who were learned in the Scriptures x Shame or reproach y Parted asunder or broken z upon the Brain-pan of a Mans skull and of a Womans skull thus a Or Theeves b Adam c Assumed d Or scorned e Or Guilty f Or hidden Mystery g Or Dumb. h Quitted or left i Or active propertie k Note out of what the Sun is proceeded l He hath laid off m Corruption put on Incorruption n Fiercenesse and Tyranny o Oppressour p Persecutor Suppressour Oppressour or Tyrant p Persecutor Suppressour Oppressour or Tyrant q Or Victory r Innocent Å¿ The Superiour and the Inferiour have returned the reproach one upon another t Wherein the New Man liveth u Or Holy Men. x Finde any that reprove evill wickednesse y Or in remembrance before God z Barmhertzigkeit Mercifulnesse a The Father b Or solitary reserved life in a Cloister or Monastery or Private life c Barmhertzigkeit d Rest contented with that which the Scripture saith e One Copie hath it known to us f The Anger f The Anger g As fire goeth out in the Iron by the waters quenching or killing of it and yet remaineth in the Iron in its own Principle h Our appointed time i Note k Circumscription and bignesse l Note m Note n Or witnesseth o When the fire devoured the unbeleeving Captaines and their fifties p Note q Or Maintenance r According to the ruling property of the four Elements s Or working property of the foure Elementary world t Barmhertzigkeit Mercifulnesse u See vers 82. x Or consume you y And he is of Babell z Includeth incompasseth a The wrath devoureth all that covetousnesse gathereth together b Or the devouring punishment c Coelum Empyreum they call it d As those creatures that see in the dark are blinded by the Sunne e As the Sunne is the Centre of all that live move and spring in the four Elements f Or with a Whit suntide b Sacrificed c Clarified or Brightened Exodus 24. d Became bright and did shine like the Sun e Barmhertzigkeit Mercifulnesse f Or Miracles g The ruling property h Or working property i Glorifieth or brightneth k Or friend l The Gate by which Babell first entred m Minister Pastour Preacher or Teacher n Or the Cole o Might have good maintenance or great Livings for their Beastiall Man p Such as Apishly Teach the words of Holy Men without the understanding they bad q Mock Priests Monsters of Priests or Priests in a Play r The Apostles and their Disciples Å¿ Faire suttle pretences and Expositions of Scripture t Jus Divinum u Imaged or figured it selfe in the minde x Temples or Churches y Saying doe as wee say and not as we doe z The dead in trespasses and sinnes a The Holy Ghost b Or fashion c Disputations and Controversies d False power usurped supposed Jus Divinum e Meanes of salvation f God Mausim the belly God g Or Idoll h Ierrible devouring in that which thou hast made thy God i Usurped Jus Divinum k Reprobate confounded sense k Reprobate confounded sense l For greedinesse of money and gaine or filthy Lucre. m The rising up and Doctrine of Mahomet n Upon thy power might and Authoritie o The strife contention and warring that is in it a Or Saints and holy people b The outward Nature c Or the ground of the Essences or substance d Field or soyle e Ground or field f Sap juice or substance g Or upholder * The sevde * The sevde * The sevde h Framer moulder or former i Figure or Picture k Liberty or freedome l Or the striker of fire which striketh up the thoughts of the minde m Or sparkling n Framer or Artificer o Or passeth away p Ministers or Teachers q Nativity r Abstinence Å¿ Clarity Luster or Brightnesse t Really u Are really discovered in the Light x The evill malice wickednesse or the Devill y Honest vertuous or innocent Matth. 25. z Perisheth Note Reade more of this in the Answer to the thirtieth Question in the Book of the forty Questions concerning the soule b Or broached c Or forme d Or Decree e Or babble f Or dung for his Land g All Mens mindes and opinions h Or Spirit i Or be at enmity with such a property in thy selfe saying with Paul Who shall deliver me from this body of Death k Well-grounded convincing satisfactory Reason a The Aurora and the Three Principles b The Three Principles c Or a substance or reality d Essence or substance e Or standeth f Barmhertzigkeit Mercifulnesse g The soule h Or the childe of perdition i Or Epistle k Or Universities l The Ground of our Writings l The Ground of our Writings m Or receptacle * Or vessell n Of what Spirit it is generated o Materia or Materiall q Or Vulcan Like Gall. r Or friend Å¿ Or Bud.