Will of the Trinity hath been pleased to generate it self into a Beginning which is the Abyssal Essence the bâ—ginning of all Essences whatsoever and particularly of Eternal Nature as well as of the high and lofty Globe of Eternity We are to observe here that his Eternal World where the Majestick Soveraigâ—ty of the Deity is manifested called the still Eternity is far different from the Eternal nothing and Abyssal Essence of which we have been speaking Quest. If you now ask me what is above and before this Abyssal Essence Answ. I answer the All-seeing Eye the Eternal Free-will of the Deity in the still Eternity in the original Globe of the High and Lofty Eternity where the Triune Deity manifests the bright flaming glances of his Majesty and the Glory of his Sovereignty with his Perfections called Attributes viz. his Infinity All-sufficiency Omnipotency which are not manifested in this Abyssal still Essence Wherefore it appears that the Original Globe of Eternity is above it and distinct from it this Divine Chaos being set by the Eternal Will of the Deity as a middle Gulf between the Eternal World where stands the still Eternity in all its Essential Goodness viz. in its Eternal Unity Simplicity and Pure Deity and between Eternal Nature's Essence and her working Powers You are likewise to distinguish the Globe of Eternity from the Light World or Light Eternity in which Paradise the Angelical World the Glassy Sea Mount Zion and the New Ierusalem are placed and though these be called by us the Heavenly World as in truth they are yet they differ from the still Eternity in the Globe of the High and Lofty Eternity All those World 's forementioned Paradise the Angelical World c. spring out of the Light Eternity and the Light Eternity is born out of Eternal Nature's Essence and therefore they are distinct for the still Eterniâ—y in the Eternal World stands before above and without Eternal Nature's Essence These things being premised we come to speak of Eternal Nature's Essence which is generated out of the Abyssâ—l Essâ—nce IX Quest. If you ask me what is Eternal Nature's Essence Answ. I answer it is an Eternal Essence generaâ—ed out of the Divine Chaos or Abyssal Essence and â—educed into matter and form for the good pleasure of â—is Will. Here you see the efficient Cause of Eternal Nature God's Eternal Free-will willing and desiring it Secondly You see out of what or from whence Eternal Nature is produced viz. out of God's Divine Chaos not out of the still Eternity nor out of the Eternal Unity of the Triune Deity Thirdly It is brought forth by God's Will out of this Eternal ground into matter and form which I am now to speak of Fourthly The final Cause is also signified in these words for the good pleasure of his Will Now the Will â—f God was to bring forth Eternal Nature with all her working Essences to be the original Essence and ground of all created Essences whatsoever nothing being created without it but from it essentially and originally Quest. But you will say what is the difference between the Abyssal Essence which is the original Essence of all Essences and Eternal Nature which is the ground of all Essences Answ. There is a very great difference the Triune Deity doth see that all things lye hid in his Divine Chaos but without Essence but in Eternal Nature's Ground he sees all things essentially and that he hath actually all sufficiency of materials and instruments to bring forth all things from Eternal Nature's Ground So that Eternal Nature is God's work-house wherein he hath whatsoever materially are required to Creation In the Eternal Nothing is no actual Essence but in Eternal Nature all Essences for creation are actually brought forth by God's Wisdom and Power Again In the Divine Chaos there is nothing but an Eternal stilness no life no motion no moving power â— but in Eternal Nature God sees an actual working Source Power Life and motion to create from and with in the Abyssal Essence he sees indeed that all these lye hid all life all power but only potentially not actually X. Now I proceed to the third Particular to shew the manner how God by his Eternal Will brought forth Eternal Nature out of the Abyssal Essence into matter and form Here I must open two Particulars First What is the Matter Eternal Nature is created of And secondly The manner how performed by God and then pass to the formal Cause First Particular Concerning the Material Cause of Eternal Nature If you ask me What the Original matter of Eternal Nature is I answer It is made up of Fire and Light with their essential properties belonging unto them and the four Eternal Elemeâ—â—s of Fire Water Air and Earth are the materials of Eternal Nature's Essence for if these were taken away Eternal Nature would cease to be Concerning the Eternal Element of Fire XI This Element is the first matter and ground of Eternal Nature's Essence and therefore we will speak of it in the first place If we would understand the nature of this Element we must know the birth of it and how it was brought forth by God When it pleased the Eternal Will of God to move on the face of the deep Abyssa-Essence he from thence brought forth the four Eterâ—al Elements to be the first Principles of Eternal Naâ—â—re and the Element of Fire in the first place together with its intrinsecal and essential properties to be the â—riginal beginning of Eternal Nature's Essence Here you see the Creator of it is the Eternal Will of the Triune Deity Father Son and Spirit for they have but one will among them XII In the second place you see the ground whence the Will of God brought forth â—â—is Element of Fire viz. â—â—t of the Divine Chaos or Abyssal nothing I do not say it came immediately from the Deity in its Eternal Unity and Simplicity for in the pure Deity there are no Eternal Elements no duality no contrariety becaus the pure Deity is an Eternal Unity in it self XIII In the third place it is necessary to speak a word how the Eternal Will brought forth this Element 〈◊〉 Fire out of the Divine Chaos The Eternal Eleâ—â—nt of Fire was brought forth from the Abyssal Esâ—â—nce by the Wisdom and Omnipotence of God neither need we to enquire further into the manner of its production becaus a multitude of words will but darken the manner of its birth The highly illuminated Behme hath set it forth from its deep ground how this Eternal Element was brought into existency by through and from the Eternal will of God but there are but few that can understand him and those that do comprehend a great Mystery for reason with all its Academical knowledge cannot comprehend it it being only to be discerned by an intellectual sight And though in the glass of Divine Wisdom I have seen how this Eleâ—ent out of Eternal nothing was brought into an
it the ground whence it proceeded the manner how it was brought forth and the end for which it was produced which are the same with those which are mentioned in the Element of Fire The essential properties of this Earth are Ponderosity Corporeity and Transparency For you must know that this Eternal Earth is not like the outward Elementary Earth so gross and opacous but it is a transparent Crystalline Earth yet it gives essentiality and Corporeity to the three forementioned Elements and it was therefore created by God to make Eternal Nature's Essence substantial For Fire Water and Air must have one ground or substance to subsist in and to move in and through one another which substance is the Element of Earth This Element Behme makes the seventh property in which he saith all the six do move in one only ground as the Soul in the Body which is very well expressed by him And thus much concerning the matter of which Eternal Nature doth consist viz. Fire Water Air and Earth XVIII Concerning the formal Cause of Eternal Nature The formal Cause of Eternal Nature's Essence is nothing else but the mixture and harmonical composition of the four Eternal Elements for they are one in another and flow one through another Let us now consider who is the mixer of these Eternal Elements and their properties for they would never mix of themselves to all Eternity becaus of the Contrariety of their Natures wherefore we must conclude that the Divine Wisdom is the Artist who mingles these Elements together XIX In the mixture of these Eternal Elements observe with me these following Particulars First Wisdom's Art appears in the manner of their mixture they are mixed one with another and one throâ—gh another Fire with Water Light with Darkness and penetrate through and through one another neither can their contrariety hinder or oppose the Art and Power of Wisdom Secondly The Art of Wisdom appears not only in mixing them but in reducing them to a harmony and equal temperament she doth proportion them to an equality in Number Weight and Measure Thirdly Wisdom's Art appears in that being thus proportionally tempered together they qualifie act and move in and through one another and that in the greatest harmony and friendship as the members of one body the fierceness of the fire is mitigated and allayed by the Water the harsh astringency of the Darkness is dissolv'd in the meekness of the Light and so of the rest Fourthly Wisdom's Art appears in this that in the harmonizing of these four Eternal Elements she hath made all their contrary properties to be useful one to another The Harsh Darkness is serviceable to the Meek Light for Darkness is the subject through which Light displays it self were there no Darkness there would be no Light the fierceness of the Fire gives strength to the Meek Water-Essence and meekness of the Water allays the fierceness of the Fire so Air is very useful to the Fire to keep it from being suffocated and the Earth is useful to them all becaus it gives them a Body to act and move in We may yet further consider the usefulness of the Elements to one another as they stand harmonized and tempered together by the Hand of Wisdom The Fire gives Life Mobility and Strength to the Meek Watâ—r and the Water gives Food and Nourishment to the Fireâ— and thereby allays the fierce hunger of the Fire so that Darkness subsists in the Light and the Light in the Darkness and satisfieth the harsh bitter hunger of the Darkness being as food unto it and in this their serviceableness to one another consists their Natural Goodness for how can any evil be in them since they all serve the Will of their Creator and are useful to one another the Darkness is as useful as the Light and the Fire as the Water and consequently they are all good their contrarieties being harmonized and reconciled by the skilful hand of omnipotent Wisdom Fifthly Wisdom's Art appears in that in this temperature of the Eternal Elements she makes them qualifie and serve one another in triumphing joyfulness and to rejoyce in each other 's qualifying for though these Eternal Elements are not understanding Spirits yet they have an innate hunger in themselves which is their intrinsecal form which makes them desire each other thus the Fire-Essence hunger's after the Meekness of the Water as its dayly food wherewith its ravenous fierceness may be satisfied and allayed and again the Water hunger's after the Fire as its Life Strength and Motion The astringent Darkness hunger's after the Meek Light and the Light after the Darkness that it may shine through it and subsist in it And from this inbred Hunger it is that they rejoyce to qualifie one with another it is as their sport and past time to penetrate one through another and to be sometimes above and sometimes under another in this wrestling wheel of Nature For you must know that all these qualifyng powers of Nature have sensibility and mobility in themselves whereby they can feel and taste one another's properties and are sensible of the pleasure and satisfaction they receive one from another which continually awakens the hunger in every property to qualifie one with another So the Fire is sensible that the Meek Water doth allay its fierceness and therefore it doth hunger after it the anguishing Darkness is sensible that the amiable pleasantness of the Light is a refreshment to it and thus each property feels and taste's the other's goodness and this makes them still to hunger after one another and to penetrate one another with all triumphing Ioyfulness Oh let us for ever admire this unsearchable Art of the Divine Wisdom who alone can peâ—form this Masterpiece Sixthly Wisdom's Art appears in nothing more than in the orderly placing of these Elements for Wisdom makes the Fire with all is Harsh Bitter Dark Anguishing and Brimstony properties to descend and makes it elevating pride to buckle bow and become a Servant to the Water-Essence and causeth the Water with it Meekness Gentleness and Ponderosity to ascend and command the Fire the Light to rule over the Darkness the Meekness over the Fierceness and the joyfulness of the Light over the Anguish For Divine Wisdom well understood the force of self elevating Fire and therefore she caused it to sink down and become a Servant to the Meek Light she foresaw that the Fire-life with its fierce properties would be but an ill Governor therefore she made the elder viz. the Fire-Spirit â—o serve the younger viz. the Water and Light-Essence which could be done by no other Hand but that of Omnipotent Wisdom If we proceed to consider of this order how incomprehensible will the Skill of Wisdom appear For the Darkness was hid in the Light and though it was there with all its properties yet nothing of it was to be seeâ— or felt for it was swallowed up of the Light as the night is swallowed up of
the Day so the fierceness bitterness and Anguish of the fire were perfectly dissolv'd in and swallow'd up of the meekness mildness softness and pleasantness of the Water and nothing remained but the pleasant glances of thâ— Fire arising from the mixture of Fire and Water This was the Beauty and excellence of Eternal Nature that all her divided contrary properties were united into one undivided property in the Eternal Earth where all their contrarieties were reduced to the most perfect union agreement and harmony XX. Quest. If you further ask me what Eternal Nature's Essence is in relation to her formal being as she stood in her original Purity and Beauty Answ. I thus define Eternal Nature Eternal Nature is an Eternal Essence subsisting in a six fold working property inseparable one from the other For the Darkness generates the Harshness the Harshness the Bitterness this the Aâ—guish the Anguish the Fire this the Water the Water the Light this the love-Love-Fire and the Love-Fire the Air thus they generate one another and qualifie one in another and through one another inseparably and undivided but in the seâ—enth they all rest as in one only ground So that Eternal Nature subsists of six working properties in one only ground or substance And all the properties of Eternal Nature considered in relation to this one ground are all equally Eternal none of them can be accounted before other they have all but one beginning one Mother and subsist in one ground and in this their Union they constitute the wrestling wheel of Eternal Nature wherein sometimes one is uppermost sometimes another sometimes Darkness sometimes Light sometimes Anguish sometimes Ioy. Yet notwithstanding though they be all undivided and none before the other for distinction sake we may place the Darkness and Harshness in the first place as being the root of the dark Fire-Essence which Fire-Essence is the Center of Eternal Nature the Prickly Stinging Bitterness in the second place the Brimstony Anguish in the third place the Fire in the fourth place From which Fire the Water is generated together with the Light and love-Love-Fire which belong to the fifth form of Nature and in the sixth place out of the Light and love-Love-Fire the Eternal Element of Air from which Air proceeds the seventh and last viz. the Eternal Element of Earth in which the six foregoing properties subsist in perfect Vnity and Harmony Now according to this order we can better understand the beginning and end of Eternal Nature's Essence and how it is distinct from God's Eternal Vnity and pure Deity though indeed in iâ— self it be an Eternal indissoluble band in which property is distinct from or before another but all co-equal and co-eternal in one only ground and substance So that we conclude that the original beauty and excellency of Eternal Nature did consist in this that the six working properties were Harmonized into a perfect Vnity and triumphing joyfulness in the seventh form which Harmony Peace and Unity is the true form or formal Cause of Eternal Nature XXI But me thinks I hear some body object against what hath been said that I seem clearly to contradict Behme who place's Darkness and Light back to back as opposite to one another and makes the Fire a distinct center from the Light speaking of a Cross birth in Eternal Nature which divides the fourth â—orm of the Fire from the fifth of the Light To which I answer that what Behme saith is most true but it must be noted that he speaks this of Eternal Nature in its fallen and degenerate state whereas I speak of it in its original spotless purity Behme speaks of God in Nature but I speak of Eternal Nature's birth in order to God's introducing himself into Nature's Essence So that it appears that I do not in the least contradict Behme's writings XXII Concerning the final Cause of Eternal Nature Though it be true to speak in General that the final cause and end for which all creatures and consequently Eternal Nature was brought forth is the Good pleasure and will of God according as the Holy Scripture in many places teacheth Ephes. 1.9 According to the Good pleasure of his will purposed in himself again vers the 11. Who worketh all things according to the pleasure of his own will Rev. 4.11 And for thy pleasure all things were created Yet where it pleaseth God to reveal the grounds and reasons of his creating will we may then look into them and consider of them XXIII The first end why Eternal Nature was produced was for manifestation that the Triune Deity might manifest themselves and together with themselves the still Eternity this was the reason why the Trinity raised in themselves an Eternal Will for the production of Eternal Nature that they might no longer be hid in their abstracted Nature of pure Spirit and naked Deity A second end why Eternal Nature was created is that all the glorious attributes of God his All-sufficiency Omnipotency Wisdom Goodness and Immensity might be displayed and made known A third end was that all the wonders of the Deity might be manifested and brought into act Fourthly Eternal Nature wâ—â— produced that it might be the Subject matter out of which all Creations and all Worlds should be brought forth Eternal Nature being the store House of the Holy Trinity wherein all sufficiency of instruments and materials required to Creation are treasured up So that if Eternal Nature with its Eternal Elâ—ments forms and working Essences had not been brought forth by the Trinity then no Worlds or Creatures had ever been nor any thing besides the still Eternity which was contrary to the Will which the Holy Trinity had raised in themselves to manifest themselveâ— by Creation for the accomplishing of which will Eternal Nature's Essence was produced Quest. If you ask me what moved the Eternal Will of the Trinity to bring forth Eternal Nature in order to Creation Answ. I answer that it was the Eternal desire of their mind for from the desiring mind the Eternal Will proceeds Quest. If you enquire what moves the Eternal Mind of the Trinity to desire Answ. I answer the Spirit of Eternity it self Quest. But you will say what awakned the first thought in the Spirit of Eternity to create Eternal Naâ—ure Answ. I answer the Divine Magia moved and awakened the Spirit of Eternity to desire from the desiring mind proceeded the will and from the will it came to be brought forth into existence by the creating â—â—at which being placed in the Divine Omnipotence brought forth Eternal Nature's Essence out of the Divine Chaos Quest. If you ask further what moved the Eternal Magia of the Holy Trinity to awaken the first motion in the Eternal Spirit to create Eternal Nature with her Elements and working Properties Answ. I answer that none can tell this but the Spirit of Eternity it self and therefore here we must rest becaus we cannot go beyond the first Hence we may learn that the Spirit
Eternal something viz. to be essential Fire not only by and from God's Will but also through his Will yet I do not find it necessary â—o explain it any further at this time XIV In the next place let us consider what is the Nature of Eternal Fire This Eternal Element is created by God to be a fierce mighty penetrating consuming Essence as appears from its essential and inseparable properties it is created with all which do manifest the nature of this created Fire-essence The first of these properties is Darkness which consists in astringent harshness from which dark harshness doth arise Bitterness with its prickliness and out of this bitter prickliness doth arise the Eternal woe and tormenting Anguish called the sting of the bitter Anguish and from this bitter sting is born the fierce Fire-essence Thus Behme sets it forth to whom I subscribe thus he makes the Fire-Essence the fourth form of Eternal Nature The Dark astringent harshness is the first form to the bringing forth of the fire the Bitter sting the second the Anguish the third and the fire-flash out of the Anguish the fourth form which compleats this Eternal fire-essence But to make the Nature of this Fire-essence more plain I will add to the former these following properties To the Fire-essence do belong Fierceness Fieriness Wrathfulness Sternness Sulphureousness Salnitrousness Consuming Devouring Flying up and Elevating it self these are the essential properties of the Eternal Anguishing Fire-spirit becaus it cannot subsist without them nor be separated from them Now it is easie by these properties to give a Description of the Nature of this Fire-essence viz. that it is a Dark Harsh Bitter Anguishing Fierce Fieâ—y Wrathful Stern Brimstony Salnitrous Consuming Elevating Fire-Spirit and the strength and force of this Essence consists in the forementioned properties and more particularly in its Fierceness Consumingness and self-elevation for â—ithout these it would be weak and feeble Quest. If you ask me wherein the Goodness of this â—ire-essence doth consist Answ. I answer in all its essential properties for â—hey are all good and serviceable to the end for which â—â—ey were created and the Eternal Fire-essence by â—eans of them becomes a fit instrument for God to â—ork with Therefore there is no evil property to be â—und in this Fire-essence for if there were God must be the Author of it he being the Sole Creator of the â—â—re But indeed God created it to be a good Servant â—o serve his Eternal Will not that it might Lord it â—nd reign over the Deity for this would not have sâ—ited with his Eternal Wisdom by which all things were brought forth since therefore it was created by God it must needs be good for no evil can proceed from God by way of efficiency XV. We will now proceed to the Element of Eternal Water This Element is the next matter of Eternal Nature's Essence and consequently to be handled next to the Fire It s efficient Cause is the same with that of the Fire-essence viz. the Eternal Will of God the Center from whence it is produced is the same viz. the Eternal Nothing or Abyssal Essence and the manner how is also the same viz. by the Divine Power and Wisdom wherefore we refer you to what hath been said before concerning the Eternal Element of Fire But our present work is to consider What the Nature of this Eternal Element of Water is The Eternal Element of Water is a Meek Mild Soft Gentle Essence for as the Fire-essence is the ground of Fierceness so the Water is the ground of Meekness and this will appear if we consider the essential Properties of it The first of which is Meekness the next Sweetness then Softness Mildness Gentleness Coldness Refreshingness Sincking down Heaviness so that we see from these properties that the Water must needs be a Meek and Mild Essence and this Meek Essence is the Ground of Eternal Light it is the Womb of the Meek Light from whence springs Pleasantness Delightfulness Ioyfulness and Gladness All which properties are in one another inseparably and make up but one Meek Essence as the several properties of the Fire make up one fierce Essence which Meek Essence we may call the Meek Water-Essence the Meek Light-Essence or the Meek Love-fire-Essence This Essence Divine Behme makes to be the fifth form of Eternal Nature and so it is But I would have you further to consider the end of its production which is to mitigate and allay the fierceness of the Fire-Essence and to be its Antagonist So to the fierce fiery harsh darkness the Water opposeth its meek soft gentle and pleasant Light to the bitterness and prickliness of the Fire it opposeth its sweetness and pleasantness to the anguish wrathfulness and devouring property of the Fire it opposeth the joyfulness of its Love-fire-Essence and to the Mounting elevation of the Fire it opposeth its ponderosity and sinking down Here you see that the Beauty Excellence and Strength of the Water consists in its Meekness Mildnâ—ss Softness Gentleness Sweetness Its riches are the Meek Light and the triumâ—hing joy of the Love-fire's-Essence which stop 's the fury of the devouring anguishing Fire It s goodness consists in this that it is a serviceable instrument in the Hand of its Creator to stop the pride and flying up of the Fire by its ponderosity And thus it appears that both these Essences are good in their kind as proceeding both from God's Will and froâ— one ground viz. the Divine Chaos or Abyssal Essence And thus much concerning the Eleâ—ent of Water XVI We now proceed to the third Element of which Eternal Nature doth consist viz. the Element of Air. It s efficient Cause its ground from whence and manner of production are the same with those of the two former Elements But if you would know the Nature of this Eternal Air I say it is a Brisk Cooling Refreshing Reviving Quickening Pleasant Essence Breath or Wind. It is very useful and serviceable in Eternal Nature's Essence to blow up the Fire lest it should be suffocated and therefore it is appointed by God to blow up the Fire to give motion to the Water and to drive away the dark clouds from the Light-Essence when need requires It is a necessary Instrument to blow up the Love-Fire-Essence that so it may penetrate through all Properties when it is too weak and passive it maketh it blossom and break forth it is the food of all the Properties it is also the Chariot of the Spirit of God who rides upon the wings of this wind and is a good separator in his hand to separate between the precious and the vile between the wheat and the chaff It s essential properties are Clarity Transparency Volatility Levity Celerity and Penetrability Behme refers this Air-Essence to the sixth Property to which we assent XVII We now proceed to the last Element viz. Eternal Earth To know what this Element is we may consider the efficient of
Nature makes them wholly meek sweet soft and delightful so that nothing but a pleasing sight sweet smell delightful taste ravishing sound and soft pleasant feeling is to be found amongst them Here the Darkness becomes lustrous the Fire loseth its burning and scorching property and becomes mild luminous and quickning and the Water clear and refreshing This Light if we further enquire into its originality doth not immediately proceed from the Divine Essence which is an increated Light but this is â—reated by that and brought forth out of the Abyssal Chaos as the Darkness Fire and Water were before It is placed by God in the root of the Water-essence and from thence it shineth forth and with its meek bright virtue penetrates and tincture 's all the forms of Nature In the fifth place God brings forth the Air which blows up the Love-fire-essence and together with it constitutes the sixth form of Eternal Nature The Creator of all things knew that the Fire-essence was placed between two dangerous Enemies the Darkness on the one hand and the water on the other either the thick smoak of the Darkness might stifle and smother it or the Water might overwhelm and drown it wherefore that the Fire of his Eternal furnace might never be in danger of being extinguish'd he brought forth the Air-essence to blow up the Fire that it might not go out It is this Air-spirit that keeps the Wrath-fire in its due bounds that it may neither be too strong nor too weak for when it is too strong it is in danger of drying up the Water and when too weak its attractive hunger will not be great enough to maintain its own being for the Hunger of the fire is the cause and source of the Fire-life in the Fire-essence If the moderate thirst and hunger of the Wrath-fire were not preserved the cause of Life Sensibility and Mobility would be taken away and there would remain nothing but an unactive dead Darkness the Fire being extinguished This Air-spirit doth not only mâ—dâ—rate the Wâ—â—th-fire but it also blows up the Love-fire-essence wâ—th which being united â— constitutes the sixth form of Eternal Nature This Love-fire hath its root in the meek-Meek-water from whence it springeth as the fierâ—â—-Fierâ—â—-fire from the harsh astringent Darkness It riseth 〈◊〉 through the Meek-light as the Wrath-fire through the Darkness and is blown up and preserved by the Air. This Love-fire doth not immediately proceed from the Divine Essence which is an increated Fire-life but this is created and brought forth out of the Abyssal Chaos But the Love-fire which proceeds immediately from the Divine-Essence is the Loveliest pleasantest and sweetest birth of all as Iacob Behme saith for it makes all the forms of Nature Ioyful Pleasant and Lovely As soon as this Child of Love is born the whole birth of Eternal Nature stands in great Triumph of Divine Ioy all its Powers and Essences become substantial and they so see hear smell taste and feel one another in the most ravishing joyfulness beyond words and this pen's expression For the Love-fire giveth forth it self for food to all the properties of Nature it becomes unto them Eternal Bread and Wine wherewith they are fed and refreâ—hed for ever which makes them all cry out O Love thou hast satisfied our Hunger and quenched our Thirst nay thou hast filled us with the highest exulting Ioys behold we desire no longer to have any will of our own but that all our wills may be thine and so thy will may be our will thou shalt have the dominion over us only feed us with thy Heavenly food and give us thy Wine to drink Eternally When this Love-essence mingles with the Spirit it begets in him a Divine and Spiritual understanding and opens his spiritual senses of Seeing Hearing Tasting Smelling and Feeling thus the blind properties of Nature come to see Spiritually and Intellectually the Deaf to Hear the Dumb to Sing and the Barren to become Fruitful This is the feeling Life of Nature and proceeds from the Love-fire's-dominion in and over all its properties When this Love-fire-tincture enters into the Dark-fire-forms and comes to penetrate the burning Sulphur poisonous Mercurie and Salt-Nitre of the Fire-spirit and to change them into its own Nâ—ture there ariseth such triumphing Ioy charming Pleasure raviâ—hing Extasie and Exultation as none can imagine but those that have felt them and tincture 's them with such variety of beautiful sparkling colours as surpasseth all the pretious Stones and Gems of this visible Creation This Love-fire-Tincture as Iacob Behme declares proceeds from the Union of the Fire and Light and it is the joy and end of Eternal Nature neither is there any birth to be looked for or enjoyed beyond this birth of Love in which the Eternal beginning hath found the end of its own hand-work and is indeed the perfection and accomplishment of the five preceding forms of Eternal Nature And now in the last place for a conclusion of all the Creator brings forth the seventh form in which the â—ix forementioned working forms and properties do act and qualifie as the Soul in the Body It is the House and dwelling place and is the Eternal Earth which gives â—he Eternal Substantiality and Corporiety to them all Here â—hey dwell in triumphant Ioy here they are all fed with the Eternal food which the Love-essence gives â—orth unto them and circle in and through one anoâ—her in the greatest Unity and Harmony in the triumphant joy of the Love essence which pierceth through â—hem all Thus you see the birth of Eternal Nature â—ull compleat and perfect you see her in comly garments wherewith she was arrayed when she came out of the â—ands of her great Creator you see all her Variety and Diversity Centred in Love's Harmony all contrariety and â—â—rife banish'd from her Court But before we leave this prospect of Eternal Naâ—â—re's excellence and perfection Let us consider First That amongst all her distinct forms there is â—o disorder or confusion Secondly That the variety and diversity of forms â—hich are in her do not produce the least strife or â—ontrariety but are all reduced to a perfect agreement â—n Love's Harmony All the seven have but one will one â—â—sire and one joy and pleasure And indeed how could it be otherwise Since the God of Love Peace and Unity could not be the Author of contrariety in Eternal Nature's Essence out of which he was to bring forth his whole Host of Creatures And thus much concerning the perfection of Eternal Nature's Essence 10. Ans. In the tenth place Eternal Nature's Essence is a Blessed and Happy Essence I do not mean that she is the Summum Bonum the most High and Soveraign happiness for that is only to be found in the Divine Essence but that she is so far happy and blessed as a created Essence is capable of being This happiness of Eternal Nature consists in this that she is free from all contrariety strife misery and anguish
and broken loos upon us publicly got above ground to act its part here on the stage of this World But I draw the Curtein and go and glad I can escape too so and leav it to the Angel's Iudgment but the God of this Age I mean the Devil's Commandment He who is filthi let him be filthi stil Nevertheless let him remember withal that he must and shal who is thus his most humbl and obedient Servant remane nolens volens without evn the veri Gates where dogs are of the holi Citie the New Ierusalem For there is no entrance thereinto but by these Gates What then wil the woful consequences hereof be No less nor more nor other than these that when the inexorabl Messenger whose Name is the First Death shal com as certenly and yet as uncertenly hee wil and uncloath and unflesh him too the Second Death when the first hath doon shal follow and Hell which hee shal find to be more than a Bugbear or Scarcrow when hee goeth thro' the Gulf that empti place void space or great fixed passage to it Hâ—ll I sai once agen becaus I wold not have him forget where it is least hee unhappily fall into it shal must and wil have him and hold him fast too whatsoever loos opinion hee in his Life-time here on Earth mought have bâ—en of as to it or grant it shold or could not yet he falling in and it beeing confessedly the lowest part of the created World and under the waters too and that farr beneath the Sea in a much lower place vorago or as abovesaid Abyss moreover if the Scriptures of Truth mai be credited a Craving beyond the Hors-leeche's two daughters the Grave or the barren Womb the Earth or the Fire and hid and horribly dark and a certain definit dolefull place But how deep tho the remotest from heven the most high God alone knoweth To repete for the sake of a persisting and persevering Sinner by waie of caution shold Hell have no hands to hold him or were there no keies to these Chambers of Death wherewith to lock him in both which are as fals as Iudas or the Devil yet stil I cannot sai non obstante nor stil in the sens we most commonly take it if there were no more nois than the wailing and gnashing of teeth there Yet stil I continue and procede to ask and let him answer what can hee hold on when in or what can hee hold by to help him to get upward much less up and out out agen Hic labor hoc opus est But to help a littl at this dead lift and it is but a very littl and that badly too Hee need not fear falling into it for hee and such as hee is so continuing and forgetting God shal be turned into nai rather than that shold fail brought cast and thrust or drivn down into Hell that Hell on the other side and far beyond and below the profundities of Sheol where the Gehenna of Fire is and where are to speak a litil of it the profoundest sorrows the Plaguiest miseries the worst entertainment 〈…〉 olt damned Companie whose veri languag◠〈…〉 h oo o wo and at most and best Belching 〈…〉 sphemies for ever ever This is but littl to what the Scriptures tell Of this confounded dreadfull place of Hell But what is meant mai som sai by all this Nothing but that wee mai not walk amiss But enter through the Gates to th' Citie of Bliss Where the AEternal Tabernacles are Whither Christ is ascended to praepare Mansions for his Discipls that there Hee And thei together mai for ever be For in this high this holi happi place Thei 'l see Him as Hee is evn face to face ' O strive wee then strive all to enter in ' 'T is onely violence doth heven win ' And keeps through Grace from Helâ— the Devil and Sin ' Not that altho' the Gate yea and the Waie ' Be strait and narâ—ow as the Scriptures sai ' The difficultie must in these two li ' Not so 't is in the Persons Ask you Why ' Becaus I see so is the Scripture's mind ' Where in th' next words Few there are it do find That is the waie Away then with such thoughts Which lai the hardness there Thei 're good for noughts T' affirm th' access hard is the Devil's Sons High violation of God's Providence Wee All as wel for as by Him were made Then how can Goodnes infinit be said To hold from us conceal'd the needful thing The better part that shold us to Him bring Since that 's the prime intent of our Creation The contrari Blasphemous Defamation No no. The Tree of Life in Paradise Th'AEternal Life's tru Type doth in a trice Sweetly and clearly make it to appear Becaus wee know 't was not forbidden there The Freedom givn to it and t' all the rest Except the Tree of Knowledg 't is confest Wel-weighd much aggravate's the first offens But sweeten's heighten's Divine Providence And since the Goodness in the Deitie Is full the same and ne'r can lessen'd be For all that wretched horrid Hellish Baulâ— Men wors than Adam make about his fall Wee wel mai think conceiâ— conclude the waie It self 's not so perplex'd as Pulpits sai But less'st of all can it conceived be That finding this right waie shold as wee see Be made depend on curiositie Of Arts and Sciences on Knowledg which Created in pure Adam such an itch After Divine Perfections ' highest Pitch To be like God This Satan wel did know Wold bring him with a vengeance down below That 't was his fall Preachers your selvs less show Leav quaestions curious much more those uncouth The Word is nigh Thee evn in thi Mouth And in thi Heart we need not stretch climb Reach That is the word of Faith which wee do preach That if thou with thi mouth shalt Christ confess And in thine heart beleev and that no less God rais'd Him from the dead Thou shalt sav'd be This Gospel is this the Evangelie Not Learning's Gunpowder School-subtiltie Here no divisions are no offenses here Repugnant to sound Doctrine do appear Which who make wee 're to mark void ev'ri where Priests no Divisions sow less spread abroad O studi peace with truth Keep to th' Right Road. All captious notions long deductions shun Do not torment the Text nor from it run With Words don't darken Knowledg that 's not good The pure milk of the Word don't turn to blood Don't wrong us of our food for that 's too much Lai not on us those burthens Yee 'l not touch Christ's yoke is easi and his burthen light Hee speak's write's Love Yee love to speak and write And yee â—gno what â— Howso'er don't make us fight Dear Reader this Digression pardon prai Yea think that truth and I
perfect Unity without all duality diversity or contrariety becaus God's Essence from which they immediately proceeded was such But we find that all created Essences are â—ot a perfect unity but that diversity and duality is found in them which is not in the Divine Essence therefore we must necessarily conclude that they did not immediately proceed from God's Essence Secondly If all creaâ—â—d Essences do immediately proceed from God it â—â—ll follow that God's Diâ—ine Essence is not unintelligible and incomprehensible but may be easily known from the nature of those Essences which immediately proceed from him for such as their Essence is such must God's be if we allow this immediate procession becaus whatsoever doth immediately proceed from any Essence is of the same Essence with that from whence it proceeds We concludâ— therefore that Light Fire Darkness c. are not iâ— God nor do they immediately proceed from him foâ— if they did we might then know what God's Naâ—ture and Essence is viz. that it is Light Fire Darkâ—ness c. Answ. 4. Eternal Nature is a distinct Essence from thâ— Divine Chaos out of which it was created by God which appears First Becaus that which is brought forth differs anâ— is distinct from that which is brought forth as the fruiâ— is distinct from the tree the Son from his Father wherefore Eternal Nature being created out of the Diâ—vine Chaos must needs be distinct from it Secondly Eternal Nature is distinct from the Divinâ— Chaos becaus in Eternal Nature the Elements anâ— the working powers of Nature are essentially anâ— actually whereas in the Divine Chaos they are only potentially and remotely Thirdly In Eternal Nature there is order and distinction there we find the four Eternal Elementsâ— and seven working forms of Nature whereas in the Divine Chaos all things lye hid without any order oâ— distinction and therefore this Principle is called 〈◊〉 Chaos or confused mixture Gen. 1. 2. becaus in this Principle there is no Essences to be found but all things are in it in a hidden dark confused manner Answ. 5. Eternal Nature is a middle Essence becaus it is placed by God between the Eternal World and the Angelical and this visâ—ble Creation and is the original ground â—rom whâ—nce all middle Worlds and Creations do proceed Were not Eternal Nature a middle Essence there would be no middle Worlds no middle States nothing but the still Eternity But the Scripture tells us of Worlds in the plural number Heb. 1.2 which must be these middle Worlds of which here â— have spoken Answ. 6. Eternal Nature is in it self an invisible Essence for it is the ground from whence all invisible Worlds and Creations do proceed and we are taught that even this outward visible World was made of an inâ—isible matter viz. Eternal Nature's Essence Heb. 11. 3. The things which are seen were not made of the things â—hat do appear Answ. 7. Eternal Nature's Essence is a mixed and compounded Essence it is mixed and compounded of the four Eternal â—lements and their essential forms and thus it is an Essence compounded of multiplicity vaâ—iety and contrariety and therefore must needs be distinct from the Divine Essence which is an Eternal Vnity and Simplicity which cannot admit of any mixture or composition whatsoever Now we must further know that this mixture and composition of the Eternal Elements in Eternal Nature is wrought by the Art of Divine Wisdom in such a manner that all their contrarieties are reduced to the greatest harmony and agreement insomuch that they qualifie in and through another with the greatest concord and amity as brethren and members of the same body This harmonious mixture and composition of the Elements in Eternal Nature is the beauty and perfection of Eternal Nature and that whereby it is fitted to become the fruitful Mother of all things If we consider Eternal Nature only as made up of fighting contrarieties we shall find nothing but deformity and disorder in her but if we regard her as she is mixed and compounded by the hand of Eternal Wisdom to a perfect temperature harmony and concord so she appears and is inaâ—â—â—d all beautiful and lovely Answ. 8. Eternal Nature is a Good Essence there is no evil in it notwithstanding it is made up of Contrarieties for God who is Eternal Goodness could not make that evil which he designed to be the original matter of all created Essences for so he would have entailed evil upon all his Creatures which were to proceed out of its womb Neither was it partly good and partly evil for this is a mixture that God declares against and therefore would never be a cause of it himself Neither can we say that evil is in Eternal Nature's Essence but that it is swallowed up of the good becaus nothing can proceed from God but what is wholly good The Darkness in Eternal Nature is as good as the Light and the Fire as the Water All the â—orms of Eternal Nature must needs be alike good for these following reasons First Becaus they have one efficient cause one Creator even God Secondly Becaus they all have but one Mother viz. the Abyssal Chaos out of whose womb they proceed Thirdly Becaus God hath implanted in them all an hunger and desire to answer the end of their Creation Now whatsoever answers the end for which it is made that we may truly say is good Fourthly All the forms of Eternal Nature are equally good becaus they all obey the Will of their Creator Fifthly Becaus they are all serviceable and helpful to one another as appears by their qualifying together and union in the sixth form where the Darkness is serviceable to the Light and the Light to the Darkness the Fire to the Water and the Water to the Fire But here is to be observed That when I say that all the forms of Eternal Nature are good I do not mean that they are the chiefest â—â—od for that is only to be found in the Divine Essence but that they are endowed by God with a Natural Goodness suitable to their kind and such as they are capable of and free from Evil. Object You 'l say evil is not in God therefore it must be in Eternal Nature Sol. Yet the inconsequence of this argument doth appear in that it may be so easily retorted for say I becaus evil is not in God therefore neither can it be in Eternal Nature which was created by him for such as the cause is such must the effect be no evil is in the Cause of Eternal Nature therefore neither can there be any evil in Eternal Nature which is the effect Quest. But you 'l question further if evil be not in God nor in Eternal Nature where then will you place it What will you make the ground and source of evil Answ. I answer that the mutability of the Creature is the Cause of evil For though all things be created good by God yet they are not immutably so
but may become evil But we will speak no further of this matter becaus this is not the proper place to speak of the original of evil and sin for we are here only a treating of Eternal Nature as it came out of God's hand and before any Creatures were created or brought forth out of it Object It may be you 'l object that Iacob Behme makes Eternal Nature the ground of Good and Evil. Sol. To which I answer that what Iacob Behme writes concerning Eternal Nature is very true for he does not make it the ground of evilâ— in its state of purity as it came out of God's hand but the cause of this mistake is that Behme is not well understood becaus sometimes he speaks of Eternal Nature in its state of original purity and presently after speaks of it with reference to its fallen state and this being not sufficiently distinguished by unwary readers makes them conclude that Iacob Behme makes Eternal Nature in its original purity to be the ground of evil which indeed is contrary to the whole scope of his writings Behme was very sensible that many would be apt thus to mistake his writings which made him say that there was a vail upon his writings which would hinder all those who were not born again from having a right understanding of them Iacob Behme whensoever he attributes evil to Eternal Nature considers it in its fallâ—n state as it became infected by the fall of Lucifer in this second or hellish Principle and so I do fully agree with him but I am a speaking of Eternal Nature in its pure undefiled state as it came out of the hands of God Object But you will say that Darkness is an evil Essence but say I how can that be evil which is the cause of the Light Sol. For Darkness is the root of the Fire and from the Fire proceeds the Light so that if there were no Darkness there would be no Light wherefore Darkness is no evil Essence Neither is the bitterness and sting of the Anguish evil in it self becaus they are the cause of the triumphing joy Nor the Fire though it be a fierce and devouring Essence becaus its â—ierceness and wrathfulness is the strength of Eternal Nature and when these qualities of the Fire come to be penetrated by the Water they are changed and become the cause of pleasure and triumphing joy Therefore you see that Fire as it was originally in Eternal Nature is no evil Essence Neither can it be said that the contrariety which is found in the forms and properties of Eternal Nature makes them to be evil becaus all the six forms of Nature are united and harmonized in the seventh where no strife contrariety or opposition is to be found nor any thing from whence they might with truth be denominated evil In this harmony and agreement of all the essential forms of Eternal Nature doth the essential and intrinsecal goodness of Eternal Nature consist This was the beautiful garment wherewith she was arayed when first she came out of the hand of her great and wise Creator for the Darkness was not at odds with the Light nor the Light with the Fire nor the Fire with the Water but all the forms in the greatest harmony qualified in and through one another this I say was the state and condition of Eternal Nature as she came out of the hand of God she was all pleasing and beautiful for all her appearing contrarieties were swallowed up of Harmony and Unity Answ. 9. Eternal Natures Essence is a perfect and compleat Essence She is perfect in the perfect number of her seven forms and properties nothing can be added to her neither can any thing be taken from her becaus in the forementioned seven forms she contains whatsoever is required to her compleating and perfection And these forms are in one another and through one another they generate one another and are generated from one another so that none can be without the other but all make up one Essence in the seventh form and in this unity and inseparability of the forms of Eternal Nature doth her perfection consist All the forms of Eternal Nature are co-essential and co-eternal with her self and with one another none is before the other becaus all are one and make up but one Essence which is Eternal Nature her self Object But you will object that this seems to contradict your former discourse wherein you have spoken of the 1 2 3 c. forms of Nature distinct from one another Sol. I answer that when I spoke of the forms of Eternal Nature under a distinction of order and number I considered them is they were a making and forming under God's hand aâ—â— not as already made into an ever circling wheel and fix'd in an indissoluble band in the seventh form for so they are but one Essence and have neither beginning nor end nor can they be said to be one before the other in number and order In this full and perfect Vnion of the sixt forms in the seventh consists the perfection of Eternal Nature for if we consider the six forms a part and distinct from one another wâ— shall find them all wanting and imperfect and plainly discern that Eternal Nature's perfection consists not in any one of the forms as distinct from the others but only in the Union and fixation of them all in the seventh which is as the common body and receptacle of them The truth of this will appeâ—â— by taking a view of all Eternal Nâ—ture's forms in which prospect we shall clearly discern that the perfection of Eternal Nature doth not consist in any one or more of her forms apart but in the joynt Union and fixation of them all in the seventh form First Wee 'l begin with the Darkness and the Essences which pertain to it viz. harshness bitterness and the sting of Anguish which make the three first properties of Eternal Nature and are the beginning and root of it if these were not there would be no Fire if no Fire no Light and if no Light no Love-fire-essence But we cannot say that God intended to place perfection in this root of Darkness as being only the foundation of that compleat structure which God hath rais'd upon it This Eternal Darkness was extracted by God out of the Abyssal Chaos the hidden root of all things and is the beginning and ground of Eternal Nature and her forms and is made up of Harshness Bitterness and Anguish and therefore this darkness of which we treat here is not a meer privation or non-entity for if it were so God could not be said to create the Darkness as the Scripture expresly tells us therefore we lay this as a ground that this darkness is essential as being the root and ground of â—ternal Nature's Essence but perfection not being found here God proceeds and In the second place God out of the forementioned Darkness brings forth the Fire being the fourth form of
Eternal Nature its properties are Fierceness Elevation Coâ—suming and Devouring all things that cannot endure its trial it contains Sulphur Sal-Nitre and Mercurie it was no sooner added to that Darkness but it communicated to it as it were Life Sense and Motion so that they embraced each other most willingly The Fire said to the Darkness I cannot subsist without thee for if I were not preserv'd in thy Essence as in a furnace I should perish and vanish away The Darkness reply'd Dear Fire-spirit live for ever in my Center for without thee I am as Dead thou art my Life and givest me sensibility and mobility let us live together as members of Eternal Nature in Love and Unity for ever We will now take into consideration the Nature of this Fire and whence it burns and flames continually without ever being extinguished God the most wise Artist and great Chymist took great care that the Fire might never go out for then he knew that Eternal Darkness would become a Dead Essence and therefore he placed in the bowels of this fire its Eternal food of Sulphur Mercurie and Sal-Nitre which is the Fewel that maintains its everlasting burnings Quest. If you ask me from whence this Eternal Fire doth proceed Answ. I answer not immediately from the Divine Essence for in it no Fire to be found but out of the Abyssal Chaos by the Eternal speaking word of power The Essence and Nature of this Fire-spirit is nothing else but an Eternal hunger and a dry painful thirst in it self and from this hunger â—t attracts eagerly and earnestly and yet finds nothing in its self to attract but it s own burning Sulphur poisonful Mercurie and infected Sal-Nitre and the more it attracts the more it hunger's and the more it hunger's the more it prey 's on its own Fewel But God doth not stop here becaus perfection is not found in the Fire for the great Artist knew very well that if this eager attraction of the Fire-spirit were not allayed and pacified it would bring it self into anguish and pain as having nothing to feed upon and refresh it self with but it s own burning Sulphur poisonful Mercurie and â—nfected Sal-Nitre Wherefore that the Fire-spirit might have no reason to complain of its being so fierce wrathful and anguishing the great Artist resolve's to palliate cover and allay the harshness and bitterness of the Fire-spirit so that it might never know them nor perceive its own burning Sulphur Mercurie and Sal-Nitre God knew that the Fire in the elevation of its might and power would devour all thatâ— come in its way if once it should be inflamed with his own Sulphur Mercurie and Sal-Nitre and so spoil the work which he intended to bring forth In the third place God brings forth the Water-essence being the root of the fifth form viz. the Light-essence This Water is the food of the Fire whereby its eager hunger is allayed and its painful attraction stilled and the effects of its Sulphureous Mercurial and Salnitrous properties palliated and concealed This Water-spirit is placed at the bottom of the Fire-root where the Fire finds its own Eternal refreshment in it self and needs not to seek it elsewhere yet the Fire-sperit cannot reach it by flying upwards but by sinking down deep into his own root Thus God brings down the pride of the Fire by placing its food and refreshment in the deeps below it No sooner had the Fire-spirit by sinking down into its own root allay'd its fierce hunger and quenched its dry and unsatiable thirst in the Water-essence but it became as transported with joy and said O Blessed Element How camest thou to be so near me even in my very root and center and I not aware of thee Behold I have drunk deep of thy fountain and am satisfied I have tasted thy sweetness and am refreshed O come and mingle thy softness and meekness with my strength and fierceness that my anguishing hunger and painful thirst may no more be felt by me but be swallowed up in satisfaction and delight Thus you see how the fire by sinking down into its own root mingles with the Water and the Water raising it self penetrates the Fire by which means the hunger and thirst of the Fire are mitigated and asswaged not that they are quite taken away but the attraction being more moderate the thirst and hunger which before were painful and anguishing now become pleasing and delightful It is worth our observing here how all this is brought about viz. by the Descent of the proud and self-elevating Fire-spirit and the Ascent of the meek and humble Water-spirit thus the Great Creator is pleased to abase the proud and to exalt the humble and the meek Quest. If you ask me whence this Water-essence derives its Original Answ. I answer not immediately from the Divine Essence but from the Abyssal Chaos as hath been said before concerning the Darkness and Fire But in the fourth place how excellent soever this Water-spirit is yet it is not the full perfection of Eternal Nature wherefore the Great Artist doth not stop here but to the Water-essence superadds the Light-essence which is the fifth form for God knowing that the Wrath-fire desired the Light as a further step to its compleat joy and satisfaction he said Let there be Light and there was Light which immediately darted its lustre and brightness through all the preceding forms of Eternal Nature it made the Water clear and transparent the Fire bright and luminous and hid the Darkness in its own glory Thus we see how vseful and pleasing the Light is to all the forms of Nature causing them to move and penetrate in and through one another with great joy and delight Here the Wrath-â—ire thus salute's the Eternal Light Oh dear and pretious Light how welcom art thou unto me Thy pleasantness meekness and soft sweetness have fully satisfied all my longing desires Again the Light embraceth the Fire and in the Fire the Darkness and saith Ye are both most dear unto me thou Fire art my strength and might thy fierceness is my Life as my softness and pleasantness is thy food wherefore let us delight to dwell in one another for ever Do you desire to be further informed concerning the nature and properties of this Eternal Light You must know that words are not able to express the gladding sweetness and meek-softness of its nature the Fire-spirit only can feel it and is throughly sensible of it for it transmutes its sullen darkness into smiling brightness and its anguishing stinging property into a reviving and quickening warmth such as the Sun gave forth in Paradise before the strife of contraries was known Such is the blessed state of the Fire when the Light comes to rule over it when it sinks down and resigns it self to the Light that its â—ierceness may be qualified with the soft meekness of the Light Oh the wonderful pleasant birth of Light Which by penetrating the Essences of Eternal
as hath been but even now declared at large Neither indeed could it be otherwise except we will make God to be the Author of contrariety Misery Pain and Death which is directly contrary to his Nature and to what the Holy Scriptures testifie concerning him No Eternal Nature as she came out of the Hand of her great Creator was all Beautiful all Spotless all Happy no Strife Misery or Death to be found in any borders of her Dominion Neither do I in this Assertion contradict Iacob Behme becaus he speaks of Eternal Nature in her divided properties as she was after the fall of Angels but I speak of her as she came out of God's Hand all Good Harmonious Perfect and Blessed Now since it hath been declared before that the Perfection Happiness and triumphant joyfulness of Eternal Nature is chiefly placed in her sixth and last active form the seventh being only as the body or houâ—e wherein they operate viz. in the Love-essence the Question may be put Quest. Why God placed the happiness of Eternal Nature neither in the beginning nor middle but in the end of it Ans. To which I answer That the Holy Trinity created Eternal Nature to be a Palace for them to dwell in now as in a Royal Palace we must pass through many rooms and apartments before we come to the Presence-chamber of the Prince so in Eternal Nature the forms of darkness must be pass'd through and after these the Fire and Water before we can come to the love-Love-fire which the Holy Trinity hath chosen for his Presence-chamber out of all the forms of Eternal Nature God will not have his Creatures to rush in of a suddain into his all-glorious presence and therefore hath so ordered it that many doors must be passed by them and many locks opened before they can come to His Presence whom to see and know is Eternal bliss and happiness Wherefore thrice happy is the man who by walking this path of pure Nature hath pass'd the Gates of Darkness Bitterness and Anguish and after them the Gate of the Fierce-fire and at length through Water Light and Air hath made his way to the Love-fire-essence where he meets with Eternal Rest Liberty and triumphant Ioy as being come to that point where the end hath found the beginning and where the beginning and the end are joyned together never to be parted again for ever Ans. 11. The Principle of Eternal Nature is a Passive Principle the Active power of it being derived from the Holy Trinity who have introduced themselves to act and work in the same and to bring forth Creatures out of it She is indeed the Mother of all beings but as a Woman cannot bring forth without a Man so Eternal Nature would have continued barren for ever without the Active power of the Deity had impregnated her to the end she might be the fruitful Mother of all things Ans. 12. The Principle of Eternal Nature is a subjected and subordinated Principle as appears becaus she is created by God and therefore cannot be co-equal with the Deity no more than the Creature can be with the Creator she is placed below the Globe of Eternity is influenced from the same and doth depend upon it therefore must needs be a subjected and subordinated Principle We may hence gather the absurdity of that Athiehical Principle which makes All-mighty Matter to be the Cause of all things for we see here clearly that Eternal â—ature the matter of all things is wholly Passive and subordinate to the will and power of her Great Creator in whose Hand she is as clay in the Hand of the Potter Ans. 13. In the last place if it be asked what kind of Principle Eternal Nature is I answer that it is an useful and serviceable Principle and that becaus it fully answer's to all those ends for which it was created by God but more especially the usefulness thereof appears in these following particulars First Becaus the Principle of Eternal Nature is as it were the body of the Holy Trinity wherein they live act and move as the Soul doth in our Bodies and is therefore called the Eternal Humanity and Eternal pure substantiality for without this Principle of pure Nature the Holy Trinity is all pure Deity without any covering whatsoever whereas in this Principle the Deity is cloathed upon with Eternal Humanity which conjunction of the Deity with Humanity is the greatest mystery nâ—xt to that of the Holy Trinity by means of which the Holy Trinity convey their pure Deity which is all Life Power and Virtue through the Principle of Eternal Nature Secondly The usefulness of Eâ—ernal Nature's Principle appears in that it is become the Palace and Habitation of the Holy Trinity God's first and most glorious Palace is the still Eternity or the Eternal World which he generated out of himself that it might be the first and most proper habitation for himself but his second Palace or dwelling place is the Principle of Eternal Nature Thirdly In the third place the usefulness of Eternal Nature's Principle appears in that it is God's work-house wherein the great and wonderful Potter hath laid up not only a sufficiency of Materials but also of Tools and Instruments for all Creations Here is the great and Vniversal treasury of that Clay of which all things are made and here is the Eternal turning wheel with which they are framed and fashioned Fourthly Eternal Nature's Principle is the Wardrobe of the Deity where all the variety of vestures and cloathing wherewith the Holy Trinity are pleased at any time to cover themselves are laid up All the forms of Eternal Nature Darkness Fire Light Water c. are but so many vehicles or rather vestures of the Deity wherewith he vaileth his pure-naked essential Glory Wherefore he is also termed a God that hideth himself even his pure Deity with and under the forms of Eternal Nature Fifthly In the fifth place the usefulness of Eternal Nature's Principle appears in that it is the Conduit-pipe through which the golden oil and water of Life together with the Divine Virtue of the Heavenly Tincture is conveied to the Creature Pure Nature's Principle is the silver-pipe through which the Golden oil of the Holy Tincture which flows from the Union of Fire and Light is conveied and is the mean by which the Holy Trinity with the wonders of Eternity come to be manifested felt tasted and enjoyed and therefore must needs be a very useful and necessary Principle Sixthly In the sixth and last place Eternal Nature's Principle is the field wherâ—in is hid the inestimable Pearl of the Holy Trinity it is the Cabinet wherein is contained the Iewel of wonder viz. the Deity in pure Humanity whosoever it is that finds this Pearl doth together with it find all the wonders of the Holy Trinity The â—earl indeed is one thing and the field or rich Cabinet another yet is both field and Cabinet very useful to keep and conceal the
there the Dragon and the Beast have established their Dominions and are very active and stirring in it And tho we cannot deny but God is in fallen Nature yet not to the same eâ—d for which he was pleased to introduce himself into pure Nature for he introduced himself into pure Nature that he might be the sole mover and actor in it and thereby to keep and preserve it in its original purity whereas the end why God entred into fallen Nature was that he might redeem it and restore it to its original purity from whence it is fallen Quest. But you will say How can the high purity of the Divine Nature be preserved in the unclean vessel of defiled and corrupted Nature Answ. To which I answer That if we consider what hath been said of the Divine Nature we shall find this objection fully satisfied for I told you that the Divine Nature is the highest unity and simplicity and consequently cannot admit of any mixture or composition with any thing and again I told you that the Divine Nature was an Eternal Liberty being free from all tho being in and penetrating through all like the beams of the Sun which tho they pierce the Air and Water penetrating them throughout yet are they not mixed or jumbled with them but abide in their perfect liberty and untouched from either of them And now for a Conclusion we may draw this corollary from what hath been said that the Divine Nature and glory of the Deity is hid iâ— Nature as a Iewel in a Cabinet or as a treasure hid in a field Indeed in pure Nature this Iewel is easily found for there it lie'â— open and shed's its lustre whereby it discovers it self but in impure Nature it lie's deep hid and buried and cannot be discovered but with great pains and difficulty Yet some holy souls have found this Pearl in their â—wn fallen nature through great earnestness and continual labour and thereby have attained to the possession of the Blessed Trinity in themselves and through their Baptism into the Nature of the Father Son and Spirit are arrived to perfection by the redemption purification and transmutation of their impure natures and so restored again to their Original purity These were called in â—hose daies wise men and Lovers of wisdom and holy souls from their high Union to and with the Divine Nature of Love Thus for a Conclusion you see how God the Father hath introduced himsâ—lf into the principle of pure Nature as an Eternal Eye to see through all Nature's Globe and together with himself his Eternal flaming Heart of Love as an Eternal spring flowing continually through all the principle of Eternal Nature for its delight and refreshment and his Spirit of Life to be the supreme moving motion throughout the whole Essence of pure Nature Thus much may suffice to have been spoken of what God is in Pure Nature Having hitherto given you an account concerning the Principle of Eternal Nature we are next to speak of the Generations of it that is the numerous off-spring of Worlds and Creatures which were manifested from her fruitful womb which I intend shall be and now have made it to be the Subject of my second Tract Treatise or Book namely of the Angels and herewith shall put an end to the first wherein I have endeavoured to declare these three Propositions What the Nature of the Holy Trinity is out of Eternal Nature What Eternal Nature is What God is in pure Eternal Nature Cujus nullus FINIS 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ALL the Errata to your outward look Correct within your self that inward Book Be wholey God-taught wholey if you can Be not a Skreen to Antichrist but Fan. No other Book you then need read of man But while in weak and childish state we dwell We must have Letters line on line to spell And so let Faults â—e mended and all 's well So sai'th and prai'th your humbl DRAWDE REKOOH THE Printer likewise praieth that yoâ— would pleas to mend the matter somâ— what a little Marr'd he confesseth for wanâ— of these words whiâ—â—â—e requesteth may be read in the room of the other Thus For impli pag. 3. line 17. imprieth for Seren in p. 55. l. 7. put in Seaven p. 59. l. 23. He twixt is and who and l. 30. brightness l. ult â— Repraesentation p. 89. l. 18. Sovereign p. 91. l. 31. up with p. 94. l. 30. praedestinations p. 95. l. 21. creatures p. 129. l. 28. Magicaly p. 139. l. penult six p. 142. l. 27. Spirit p. 145. â— 33. Nature p. 151. l. 13. Tresaurie p. 154. * Sed antequam de re paucula de te itidem de me quippe intra nos est quod contra nos est * Sed antequam de re paucula de te itidem de me quippe intra nos est quod contra nos est (a) Iam. I. ver last (b) Ephesâ— V. ver 27. †Religion is no mormo Momâ—s nor frowning Furie (c) 1 Cor. IV. ver 1 3. (d) As much as carnalitie tho' had I been in the ARC a Type supposed of the visibl Church with cursed Cham I shold hardly for all mi hatred I beleev have leaped out except I had been out of mi wits as out of the waters * Whilst Hypecrisie lieth under the cloudi Brow of a Pharisee a â—heerfull countenance is the Emblem of Innocence which exclâ—dâ—th as wel Moreseness as Madness (e) Isaiah XXII 12. (f) Chap. I. ver 2. 1 Kings XIII 2. (g) Matth. IV. 4. (h) Iam. III. v. 6. (i) Ioh. I. vâ— 1 3. (k) Eph. V. v. 4. * We all mai â—igh to sai what wee sadly see oâ—r Rents like to prove our Ruine our Distractions our Destruction (l) O what a Rout There is about Roam's Outward Man of sin Look into self What art an Elf Rout Anti-Christ within Bona verba quaeso E. H. (m) 2 Tim. I. v. 13. [n] Tit. Iâ—I 2. [o] I Pâ—t 2. 17. †A Priestlâ— Brat by them engendred on Ignorance Fear and Supâ—rsâ—itâ—on These three completly maks the triple Crown And stil support old Rome's Imperial Throne How stily do the Priests by help of these Make men beleev and then do what theâ— pleas * Papism that 's a secular Devise Meer Trick of State in Reverend Disguise Th' ambitious Spawn of later Centuries †The Church is wounded and rent most desperatly by the evâ—â— Spirit of Division Remember wee all the Apolog of Bessarionâ— So humbly râ—qâ—esteth E. H. †After all that can be writ or said this same motto muâ—â— be subscribed Peccatur pluâ— quà m exaratur inâ—â— vereor quà m â—â— intelligatur E. H. (p) Lewis King oâ— France severely punished Blasphemies searing their Lips with an hot Iron And becaus by his comin â—nd it was executed on a great rich Citizen of Paris â—m said 〈◊〉 wâ—s a â—viant Hee hearing it said before mani I wolâ—â—â—â—oâ—â— by searing mi own Lips I could banish out of mi Realm all abuse