Jacob Behmen's theosophick philosophy unfolded in divers considerations and demonstrations, shewing the verity and utility of the several doctrines or propositions contained in the writings of that divinely instructed author : also, the principal treatises of the said author abridged, and answers given to the remainder of the 177 theosophick questions, propounded by the said Jacob Behmen, which were left unanswered by him at the time of his death : as a help towards the better understanding the Old and New Testament : also what man is with respect to time and eternity, being an open gate to the great mysteries / by Edward Taylor ; with a short account of the life of Jacob Behmen.

THE THIRD BOOK OF Jacob Behmen, CALLED THE Threefold Life in Man.

CHAP. I. Of the Root, Beginning and Forms of Life.

1. SEeing there is in us an incorruptible Life wherein is a Principle capable of the highest good, yet by its Original is also in danger of Eternal Perdition and Misery, and that here we are strangers posting away▪ how necessary is it to search whence all these originate? And this may be by going up the Stream to the Foun∣tain.

2. The outward Elementary Life is a Living Heat or Active Fire, enlivening the Body and sustained by the Body, the Body by the Food, the Food by the Earth, the Earth by the Water, and the other Elements, the Elements by the Fire of the Constellations, their Fire inkindled by the Sun causing a Boiling in all. So should that first outward cause cease the sude or seething, and Generation of all, also of Me∣tals, Fruits, &c. would cease as the Food failing the Body, and its Life extinguisheth.

3. Now this perishing Life hungering after a higher Life shews there is such, and that is the Eternal Life of the Soul. As is said in Moses, God breathed into Man the Breath of Life, and Man became a Living Soul. The Soul is also an ever induring Fire, and must have Food, which it presseth after, from its original, which is the Eternal Band, the Forms of the Eternal Nature, the Property of the Father, but that Band of those Forms is of it self as a dry Breast, whence it is that the Soul would have the Food in its own power, but that also is as impossible as for the Eternal Nature to have the Light in its own power, which cannot be; for the Love shining in it (or into it) remaineth Lord therein, because the Eternal Nature doth not comprehend it, but rejoiceth in the Light which is another Prin∣ciple, which when it is received into the Soul it is a new Birth ingenerated in the Soul, and this is done as truely as the Soul like a Branch is come from the Tree of the immediate Parent.

4. And because Adam fell into the Astral Kingdom, and our Elementary Body is infected therewith, as sometimes the Body is with the Pestilence, it was out of the power of the Soul to enter into the Divine Principle; therefore of meer Infi∣nite Grace did the Love the Son of God take our Humane Soul, and brought it into the holy Life, that we might every one by or for our particular selves press with our Soul in the Life of Christ into the new Regeneration in the Spirit of Christ. No Meritorious Works on the one hand, or lifeless feigned words of believing on the other avail at all, but only a stedfast earnest resolution in the new Created Will, bearing the Cross, killing the old Will, and arising in the Life of Christ bringeth the Glory, Food and Paradise of the Soul; else the Soul remains in the four Anguishes or Forms of the Eternal Band for ever, wherein stands the Eter∣nal Wrath and Hell Fire for ever. And thus see we the Original in the first Prin∣ciple, and the Divine Light making the second Principle; why then should not the Man to whom this Knowledge is graciously given speak of this as his Native Countrey not as of things afar off, but that wherein he standeth, and himself real∣ly is, and not to be learnt of another Man (as is barely an History) unless him∣self enter into the new Birth in the Life of Christ, that the Divine Light may shine in him.

5. The Root whence is inkindled the Vital Fire consists of two Forms only, the sour which is a strong shutting up, and the bitter sting is an opener, and those are what the Eternal Will in the desiring attracteth, and is the wills something and darkness. Then the sting of the bitterness would get loose, which the sourness captivateth with strife, tho' like a w••e is yet no pain, for they are immaterial forms of Nature in the Eternal Will, and this contrary commixture is as a con∣fusion of Eternal Mobility, and cause of the Multiplicity of Essences, and are effici∣ently the Eternal Essences and Eternal Band.

6. The vast infinite space desireth narrowness or comprehension wherein to ma∣nifest it self; as a Map doth in a few Inches a huge Territory, a short Speech or Scene Abridge a large History, a Minute Model Epitomize the Terrestrial and Ce∣lestial Orbs. And as all pourtraying Figures have shadows as foils to set off the rest, so in the contraction of matter to manifest Infinity must be Darkness, that one contrary may illustrate the other. Nor is the vast infinite space a Creator, but a Genitrix, and the Word in, with, and of the Father, the Generator as the Territory makes not of it self the Map, also the words owe themselves to the speaker or speaking word.

7. Nor is the word departed, nor doth the Son depart from the Father, but is inseparable; as the Light of a Candle abideth with the Candle, as saith the Son, I am not alone, but the Father is with me; in the Father is a Centre, in the Son is a Centre, two Principles not divisible but inseparable. Thus the second Will open∣ing the Principle of Light is amiable, pure and mild, also Omnipotent to Create all things breaking and shining out of the Eternal Essences, yet not comprehended by them, but dwelling in it self.

CHAP. II. Of the Begun Life, the Principles, and Forms, and Fall.

1. THE stirring in every Life whether Sensitive or Vegetative must not be a strange or Heterogene Power, for such would blow it out rather than help it, but it must be the Creatures own Spirit proceeding in the Genitrix to be a Centre and Circle also of Life. None should trust their Soul•• with the Men whose

Home is here, for the Soul stands in the Original of the Essence of all Essences in the Centre of the Eternal Band, so in the new Birth may be seen the dark and ho∣ly Worlds as that whereout the new Man is Born: Even as the Word in the Father and the Spirit which goeth forth from the power is the life of the Deity. The E∣ternal Will is the Creator, and the Father is the Being of the Will, and the Essences caused by the Will. There are two Wills causing two Principles in one Being, but the first is not called God but Nature or Essence, the second Will is the begin∣ning and end, making Nature or Essence manifest.

2. The first Will being an Eternal desire to Generate the Word can be called only the desiring in the Will, which with a strong eagerness contracteth nar∣rowness to be the manifester of wideness, which attraction is thicker than the Will, and as its darkness, and in the Egress of the desiring are the Essences, viz. a sting of sensibility which the desiring cannot endure, therefore rageth so much the more into such Enmity as is betwixt Heat and Cold, and this Impetuosity causeth Mo∣bility, Terror and Anguish, moving upwards where being restrained it stirs Cir∣cular, whence come Multiplicity, and tho' without feeling, being meer Spirit and Forms of Nature, yet so terribly raving that it buildeth and destroyeth as Life and Death, and here is the Sulphur, Mercury and Salt of high-knowing ancient Phi∣losophers.

3. Two Forms, sharp, cold and bitter stinging make the Wheel of the Essences, which two are in terrible Anguishes without the other Forms generated out of them; for the sharp sourness is like hard Stones, and the sting of the attracting breaketh them, which is rightly called Phur, which would hold the Will in the Darkness which cannot be captivated being incomprehensible, and is the flash of the sting. And the bitter sting dissipateth the darkness of the Astringency, as the flash ariseth from a stroke on a sharp Flint, the bitter sting extreamly sharpeneth it self consuming the darkness; even so the Fathers sharpness is a consuming Fire, being the liberty which is free from Nature as much as the Mind is above the Sences, and when the sourness hath captivated the liberty, the fourth form is generated, and the crack of the flash is the third Form making the sour Anguish or Brimstone Spirit: For if the sourness sharpeneth extremely it is the proper limit of Eternal Death, the Brimstone Spirit is the Soul of the four Forms, having the Fire in it, and would enkindle Nature, and fly above it in a horrible power, as may be con∣sidered in the Devils.

4. Sul in Sulphur is the Soul, in an Herb it is the Oyl not originating in the Centre as Phur doth, but is generated after the flash, even as all the four Forms in this third Principle are by the Suns vertue in a great degree moderated and made amiable; in like manner doth the second Principle enlighten the Centre of the four Forms in the Holy Angels, making them lovely and pleasant. Mercurius comprizeth all the four Forms, and Sal is the greatest in corporeal things: The four Forms are the cause of all things making the Wheel of the Essences, and every Essence which are themselves innumerable is again a Centre; so that the power of God is unsearchable.

5. The Fall of the Devils was their extinguishing in themselves the Light of the Heart of God, wherefore they are shut up in the anxious four Forms. Man fell from that Light also into that of this World: Who if he enters not again into the Light of God, when this Body breaketh, he is in the first Birth of Life with the Devils; yet both would climb up above Heaven, but cannot feel or see that Prin∣ciple, like as we Men with our outward Eyes cannot see God who is always pre∣sent nor the Angels who are very often with us, except we put our earnest Will into God, then we see and feel him with the Mind. So also if we go with our Will in••o wickedness we receive the Hellish Principle, and the Devil takes fast

hold of our Heart: Whereof the Soul is so sensible, that often in desperation they destroy themselves by the Sword, Ropes or Water.

6. Tho' the Hellish Creatures have but four Forms manifest to them, yet can they turn themselves into all Forms as infinitely as Mens thoughts, except the holy Forms. The Fire is their right Life, and the sour Astringency of the darkness their right Food.

7. The first Eternal Will is the Father, and Eternally generateth the Word his Son, who is the Heart of the first Will, having in him the vertue and power of the first Will, and a several Centre in it self: The Father expresseth all things by the Son, and whatever is expressed by the Spirit and Power of the Father in the word is in a Spiritual manner, for what is formed out of the Eternal is Spirit and Eternal, as Angels and Souls of Men are. And tho' the four Forms keep their own Centre, yet out of them cometh the Light, and in the Light the Love which shineth in the darkness, but the darkness comprehendeth it not. The Father is in himself the light, clear, bright Eternity, yet without a Name, for if the Eter∣nal Liberty did not generate there would be no Father, but seeing he doth gene∣rate the Band of Nature he manifesteth himself therewith with his fiery sharpness, an angry Zealous or Jealous God and Consuming Fire, out of which presseth forth the Meekness as a sprout out of Death turning Enmity into Love.

CHAP. III. Is concerning the Sixth and Seventh Forms.

1. THE generating of the Love is in the sixth Form▪ viz. Mercury the sound, Tone or Song, as also the five Senses. The Son of God is rightly the Flame of Love who created the Angelical World out of himself, whence goeth out the Virgin of the Eternal Wisdom of God, by which God created this World out of the first Principle, and that which goeth forth with or out of the Love is the Holy Spirit of the Word, this together is the Trinity in Unity. But as in the wrath there is a striving contrary Will, here is an Embracing.

2. The sourness retaineth its strength in the sharpness of Love, but it is very soft, and the sixth Form makes Voices, Tunes and Sounds, so that the Essences hear one another, and in the Assimilation taste one another, in the breaking through of their Power feel one another, in the desirous Love smell one another, and in the Light see one another. The six Forms are the six Seals of God, what in the dark Centre is a poysonous Woe and Anguish, is in this the exalted Joy and Triumph, a satiating of the first Will which is call'd Father; for the Son is the Word, the Brightness, the Power, the Love, the Life, the Wonder of God, he is the Essence which manifesteth every Essence.

Concerning the seventh Form of the Eternal Nature. The revealed Gate of the Essence of all Essences.

3. The time of this World from the beginning to the end is the seventh Form or Seal of the Eternal Nature, wherein the six Seals disclose themselves. And na∣tural Wisdom instead of finding the Heart of God by humble resignation, hath found the Wonders of this World by Thunders, Voices and Strife; for when af∣ter the Apostles times Men left Love and Meekness, and fell to Pomp and Pride, the Golden Candlesticks and seven Stars withdrew and were hid, and all became seven Seals. The Glassy Sea is the Angelical World. The Voices of the seven Thunders would be hid proceeding out of the stern Essences did we not put our Imagination into them, and open them in us: So that (only the Lamb excepted) none in Heaven nor Earth were worthy to open the Seals nor look thereon; we

were shut up by them under Death & Darkness, which only the Light in the Heart of God could open; for Man was become an abominable Beast, a Dragon with seven Heads, and ten Horns, and ten Crowns on the ten Horns; this Beast the hypocritical Woman rideth on; is this the Ass Christ humbly rode on?

4. It is hellish Pride and worldly Pomp on which the Woman of seeming Ho∣liness rideth? she pretendeth to the Keys of Heaven, and makes Laws, Decrees and Canons, yet knoweth not the New Birth; He only that is born of God, in his inclined heart the Seals are opened. But when, and wheresoever the Lamb open∣eth the seventh Seal, then and there the Whore, the Beast and Dragon are cast into the Lake of Fire; then doth the good Shepherd lead his Flock into green Pastures; then they that mark, hearken, incline the heart, mind and thoughts, coming humbly with broken hearts, are met and embraced; in them Christ is born; they have him in the Baptism, Supper, and hearing of the Divine Word in all places, for the Holy Ghost satisfieth the longing of the contrite spirit.

CHAP. V. Of the Seventh Form of Nature the Corporeity.

1. COrporeity subsisteth in the 7th Form of Nature; and as all the other six Forms are a hunger and longing desire to each other, so are all their de∣sires to the seventh to have a Body or Rest, and the desire of the Essences is to pre∣serve and sustain the Body. The whole Essence of all Essences is a continued hun∣ger of propagating from its fulness; so that when one Form attaineth the other, a third riseth, yet the two former vanish not, but all keep one in the other their own respective Powers, and so of the rest. And tho' the still Eternity is the only true Rest, yet is the seventh Form a substantial Body of Rest whereinto the six diffuse their vertues, and the same seventh Form standeth, and is the comprehen∣sible Body of Darkness and Light.

2. The sharp Fire in the Liberty holdeth its right, and the anguish whence the Fire ariseth sinking as a death, affordeth matter and weight; as in my self I see the Fire the cause of feeling in the dead Corporeity, which else in the anguish sink∣eth into weight, and is burthensom as a stifling. Now what as Fire ascendeth not, or as weight sinketh not in death, doth, as anguish, remain neither uppermost nor lowermost, which as the begun anguish is the Centre of both, and not getting up nor down presseth side-ways like the lower Branches of a growing Tree.

3. The Deity longed to see the Wonders in the Eternal Nature and Innumerable Essences, yet created all for the Light, not for the Darkness; for the Tincture is awakened in the Centre in the death of the Earth, which is the life of all Gems, Minerals, Vegetatives and Animals: And in the deep the Sun having the Tincture of the Fire, is the Father and Life of all the Stars, who in the beginning proceeded from its Centre, not that they all sprang from them; for as the Sun is the Centre of the uppermost in the Liberty, so is Saturn or the Earth of the lowermost in death, yet is there no dying, but a transmutation; for neither doth this World die, but the Essences change to be what they were not, and remain as figures for ever to the glory of God's works. And if the gross Visibles were not created to the Darkness, how much less the Spirits which are out of the Eternal Mind, and therefore Eternal; like as our Mind hath diversity of innumerable thoughts, and those thoughts essentially potent when exalted, as in that of a Woman with Child, whose thoughts can magically impress foreign preternatural substances, as well as heterogene incongruous figures on the fruit of her womb.

4. When God willed the Fiat, viz. the creating the Eternal Essences or Powers

which flowed into substance (which Eternal Essences before went forth without substance) then time hads its beginning▪ But the Holy Will still proceeded with the Powers into the love and delight in meekness, contrariwise Lucifer's direful Fall was his delight of turning back his will to domineer in the Tincture of the Fire root, his motion to which was the forms of the Genitrix before enkindling of the Light, as sour, bitter, dark, tart, stinging, envious; for in the fourth form stands Love and Anger in opposition, being the middle form of the seven, having three drawing one way, and the other three drawing the other. Lucifer therefore was drawn of both, but that the Root forms prevailed was, because he saw the Divine or Second Birth proceed out of the Centre, and himself standing in the Essences of the Nature of Eternity the great Fountain; he therefore despised the Humility whereof Love and Light are the Off-spring, and would rule over it, and so was cast out of the uppermost Life into the nethermost Death and Darkness; for he was offended to see the greatest Mysteries to stand in the greatest lowliness.

5. The attaining the Divine Light consisteth in a fixt resolution wrought in us of Humility, wherein the Love is generated: But all Laws and Devices to attain it are fabulous; and as the making costly works wherein the Artificer pleaseth only himself with things wholly unprofitable, reaching no higher than imitation of useful things, like also as there are many Spirits Aerial, Aquastrish, Terrestrial and in the Anguish, which are not out of the Eternal Well-spring, but from the beginning Will, generated by the Tincture of Heaven in Nature, which mutable at their time, leaving only their shadow to manifest the wonders of God. And from Eternity there hath been such a Government where the knowledge was only in God, but at the coming out of the Angelical World an Intellect was also in the Creatures.

The Gate into the Holy Trinity.

6. In no Creature in Heaven or this World stand the three Principles open as in Man. The first Principle or Father, tho' he standeth in the Liberty & Eternal Stilness, is not call'd Father as such, but as he is the desiring. Thus the Mind of a Man being one only Will, is desiring; yet therein out of the Eternal Will are innumerable Wills; the first Will is Master, and the other are recomprehended, leading to Light and Darkness, to Joy and Sorrow, Meekness and Fierceness; thus it is in the Father's Nature. This twofold desiring in one substance are two Centres, that to Meekness not severed from the other is the second or Son, and is therefore call'd the Son, because generated out of the Father's Nature call'd the Word, be∣cause he is the Glance or Majesty of the Eternal Liberty, call'd a Person, because he is a Self-subsisting Essence, not the Birth of Nature, but the Life and Understanding of Nature, and call'd the Heart of the Father, because he is the Vertue and Power of the Centre of Nature, as the Heart is in the Body; and call'd the Light of the Father, because he takes his Lustre out of the sharpness of the Eternal Nature; and call'd wonderful, for by him out of the Father's Essences are all things brought to Light, the Father and Son are as Fire and Light.

7. The Holy Ghost is the third; the Breath or Noise is that which makes the Will manifest, and the Heart also. The Noise is the awakener of Life, framer of the Sences or Reason, and bringer of one Essence into another. Thus the third Person is a Self-subsisting Essence, going in triumph with the Essences the Father and manager of the Sword of Omnipotence, the destroyer of Malice and Evil, the opener of the Genitrix in the Darkness. All which is thus shewed in Man; his Body (tho' it hath the Essences) were senceless without the Spirit. Again, the Spirit is not the Understanding and Light it self; for the Light is the blossom, and origi∣nateth in the Tincture of the Fire, and the Spirit is the blower up of the Fire.

CHAP. V. Of the Virgin the Wisdom of God, and of the Angelical World, and of the Holy Trinity.

1. GOD is only One every where present, the Mind therefore asketh if the Spirit goeth out from God, whither goeth he, seeing he remaineth in the mouth of God as a Spirit in a Body, to which it is answered, he goeth forth re∣vealing God as in the seven Lamps, and opening gradually the seven Seals; but the seven Thunders being in the dark Matrix of Fierceness, he hideth and ••ealeth, not to be known till they are past, and the whole Mystery of God's Kingdom open∣ed by the seventh Angel. And the Glassy Sea is the Water Spirit whence the Fiat made not only the outward Element of Water, but every thing; for in this se∣venth Form in great Holiness is the Father revealed in this Angelical World.

2. Thus the Father's Will maketh the cause of Nature, which is a Darkness consisting of the four first Forms to become seven, and thence infinitely the se∣venth, being their Body in this Earth; for the Fathers Nature in the Wrath makes this Corporeal, in which the Devil, as Prince in the Wrath, is called Prince of this World. And the same is also in the deep of the Astral Wheel. Just so is it also in the inward Holy World, which is not severed from this, but this severed by a Principle from that; for there is no Angle where the inward World is not.

3. The Angelical World of Love and humble Joy is the Sons, and at the flash two Kingdoms sever Love and Wrath; there is made the Cross with the two Centres, as Light hath another Centre than Fire, tho' not separated, and on this Cross Birth is the Heart or Son of God generated from Eternity in Eternity; at this Cross lie the Holy Children of the Virgin Image, and in the Wisdom of the Serpent are the Children of this World. The Holy Ghost goeth forth from the Father through the Son, as the Air from Fire and Light revealing in the Angelical substantiality; and this is meant by Ternarius Sanctus.

The highly Precious Gate for Man to consider of.

4. The Wisdom of God is an Eternal Virgin of Purity, in whom the Holy Ghost hath discovered the Image of Angels and of Man, also of the third Principle; she is the great secret Mystery, which unapprehended, goeth in the Powers and Anger of the Father, opening the Wonders in the Forms and Seals of Nature. Through her hath the Holy Ghost not only made Corporeal Existences out of both Ma∣trixes of the substantiality, but a limit to them where the seven Forms shall go into their Ether: as after the six days Work, or six Creations they enter the seventh, being their Eternal Rest, and the time of the seventh Seal and Trum∣pet, yet both Mothers shall stand before the Trinity in the Eternal Figure for the glory of God's works of wonder.

5. Tho' this Virgin be incorporeal, yet is the Spirits Corporeity and Visibility, her heavenly similitude is the Beauty and Lustre of all Fruits, the Vertue of all Jewels and Vegetables; she may be as the Tincture of the Holy Element, wherein the Paradisical growing consisteth, and the seven Forms, as the holy delight of the Angels wrestle, being a fulfilling of the will of every Life; she is not circumscribed; every Divine Creature, as the Angels and holy Souls of men, hath this Virgin in the Light of their Life; in this we see the Majesty of the Deity. We comprehend not the Trinity, the Spirit of the Soul standing in the Divine Centre, seeth it but imperfectly, for the Soul is but out of one Form of Nature; as there are several sorts of Angels, yet can the Soul introduce it self into all forms, the Trinity only is perfect. God is manifest in a creaturely form in Angels, and whole Angelical

World, for they are not out of the substantiality (which is without understand∣ing) but out of the Centre of the seven Forms of the Eternal Nature, out of each Form a Throne Angel, and out of each Throne his Angel, so was it a whole Do∣minion fell with Lucifer. And the Dominions among Men (which yet are all but Stewards) originate here, tho' a sort of proud Clergy would rule over them.

The Distinction between the Substantiality and the Element, also between Paradice and Heaven.

6. The Substantiality is in Heaven, the Corporeity of the seven Spirits is call'd God's Body; also the Body of our Regenerate Soul, it is Christ's Body given us to eat in his Testament, comprehensible to the Spirit of the Soul, tho' not palpable to our outward sences, yet in it self without understanding. And the one Element doth lead the Principle in the Substantiality as a movable Life, it is not the Spirit of God himself, but the Spirit hath this Element as a ••ody.

7. Heaven is call'd in the Meekness the Water Spirit, and is the outward inclo∣sure or Firmament parting the Principle; and Paradice is the springing up out of the Essences through all Forms, through the one Element, through the Substan∣tiality, and through Heaven; as the flourishing of a rich springing Rosy Garden, and therefore was Adam therein (that is) in that Principle, and also in this World.

The Gates of this World [also the Language of Nature.]

8. All our knowledge of God is his own Revelation of himself; for the Spirit of God hath imaged the Wisdom of God in the Wonders of this World so evident∣ly, that in the Wheel of the Stars and Planets, also in our Orb, and every Crea∣ture, that they are an apparent similitude and figure of God according to Love or Anger, generating Fire, Air, Water and Earth: That is to say, the extremity, impurity, mortality and gross death of them image the Wrath; and the good property in every of them images Paradice; where tho' there be but one Element, yet in it are the four hidden, and on their enkindling and severing become active and comprehensible, or palpable to the Creatures, which from Eternity was in God, yet invisible and immaterial.

9. The Language of Nature is treated of from 84th v. to the end of this Chap∣ter, which being also dispersed in several places of the blessed Authors excellent Writings, it is to be wished were all contracted and paraphrased on in one distinct Treatise; not only to shew us the Monuments of our Ruins by the Fall, but also stir us up to press inward out of the shadow and figure, into the substance, which is the inward Power-Worlds.

CHAP. VI. Of the World, and also of Paradise: The two Gates of high Consideration.

1. MAN is a Child of Eternity, but this World is an Out-birth from the Eternal Nature as its Root, and an Out-birth is corruptible, its grosness originates in the Anger, and the Stars are out of the Centre of Nature in all seven Forms, and out of each a Centre; so that by the wrestlings so very many have proceeded, which are a certain number, tho▪ innumerable in our account; and their being so set a number, shews they must be resolved into their Ether; for in every Eternal Centre is a springing up without number, as is found in Man's Spirit and Soul by the Constellations of the Mind thoughts arise without number, and out of one innumerable others, which clearly prove our Eternity.

2. The Birth of the Eternal Nature is Infinite, and perpetually springing up every where in all places; as if we imagine a Circle as little as an Attom, the least of

quantities and in that Circle is the whole Trinity & whole Birth of the Eternal Na∣ture, so that Eternity is in every place, yet maketh no place; for it is the Out-birth that maketh place, it also maketh Beginning and End, for the Infinite Three is without Beginning and End, ye•• as before this Beginning there was nothing but God▪ a••d that after the End of these things shall be nothing but God, so God is the α and ω the Beginning and the End.

3. And forasmuch as the Eternity generateth nothing but what is like it, though it self be unchangeable, therefore as man is, so is Eternity, all the three Principles are in him one in another as one, ••et in the Creation are three. From the Eter∣nal Centre is made the Eternal Substantiality as a Body or weakness, being a sinking down, and the Spirit is a springing up, whence comes Motion, Penetration, and Multiplication; and when the Spirit did create the Substantiality into an Image, breathing the Spirit of the Trinity into it the whole Essences, even all Forms of Nature the Power to Light and Darkness and the whole Eternity, it instantly blossom'd and became the Paradise or Angelical World.

4. In the Darkness is the Genitrix, in the Light is the Wisdom, the first imaged by Devils, the other by Angels, as a Similitude of the whole Eternal Being to speak in a creatural manner of it. And Lucifer imaging beyond the Meekness of the Tri∣nity, inkindled in himself the Matrix of Fire, and that of Nature becoming Cor∣poreal▪ then was the second Form of the Matrix, (viz.) the Meekness of the Sub∣stantiality inkindled, whence Water originated, out of which was made an Heaven to captivate the Fire, and of that Fire and Water came the Stars.

5. Then did Man, who was God's Image, form and imagine in himself the awa∣kened Spirit of the Air, four Elements and Constellations: which though it were breathed into him, Man's Divine Spirit should have over-ruled, as the Holy Spirit of God ruleth over all, but they became his Lord, and instantly captivated him, then the Stars, Death, Vanity and the Elementary Life wrought in him. And now if he would enter into God again, he must in himself be new-born in God or lost Eternally; he is now in the midst between Heaven and Hell, to which of these Spirits he yieldeth, his he is, if Man form in his Spirits the fierceness of Pride, &c. God loseth nothing, for the Image of God in Man withdraweth untoucht into its Principle, leaving Man to form himself into the Image of the Serpent, and the Spi∣rit forms the Body into its Deformity [or otherwise as the Seal the Wax.]

6. The Eternal Nature doth generate it self Eternally, which this World resem∣bleth thus, it is a high round Globe, figuring Eternity and Infinity, wherein by the seven Planets are shewn the seven Spirits of Nature, by the great Deep the Eter∣nal Liberty, by the Sun in the midst of the seven, as a Point or Centre in a Cross the Heart of God, by the lustre God's Majesty, by the Constellations the Effects or Products of the Fountain Spirits, by the Earth the Eternal Death; for as the Earth compared with the vigorous outward upper Dominion is as Death, so the fierce Matrix is as a Death compared to God, yet is not Death, but Eternal Torment.

7. Not that it is with the Heart of God as with the Sun to be only in one circum∣scriptive place, but as the Centre of a Cross, signifying the Trinity in a Globular Rainbow, wherein the Red signifies the Father's Property in the glance of Fire; Yellow the Son's Lustre and Majesty; Blew the Substantiality; the dusky Brown the Kingdom of Darkness: and on such a Rainbow will Christ sit to Judge; and thus is he undivided every where and in that Man who is Born of God, is the who••e undivided Heart of God, the Son of Man Christ, sitting in the circle of his Life upon the Rainbow at the right Hand of God; for that Man is Christ's Member, his Body, his Brother, his Flesh, his Spirit: Power, Majesty, Heaven, Paradise, Ele∣ment, Stars, Earth and all, is that Mans who in Christ is above Hell and Devils, though his Earthy Life be under Heaven, Stars, Elements, Hell and Devils.

8. Man's Creation was the speaking of that into Substance which was in God, in the Virgin of his Wisdom, in Eternity, not Male and Female, which when divi∣ded was one Earthy, the other Bestial; but the new Birth restores that very Eternal Image the Eternal Virginity: wherein Christ became Man, uniting it to the fallen Man in the Mortal Virginity, for Mary had all the three Principles, being of the Seed of Joachim and Anna. The Soul of Christ was out of Maries Essences concei∣ved in the Eternal Virgin, which Eternal Virgin came into Substantiality uniting with the Human earthy Essences.

9. The Eternal Virgin gave to Christ's Human Soul the Heavenly Body and Mary the Earthy, the living Word attracted Maries Essences or Faculties into the Eternal Virginity, and so in Nine Months there was a compleat Man in Soul, Spirit and Flesh, but the Virgin of Eternity never till then did put on Flesh, except in Adam before the Fall, but ••ow the Word united to the Soul is not, though united, one and the same with the Soul but the Soul being out of the Centre of Nature, re∣mained intirely the same Creature, and the Word being out of the Majesty pene∣trated it; like as a dark black piece of ••ron is flaming and shining by the Fire pe∣netrating it, but the Iron comprehendeth not, but is comprehended by the Light of the Fire: So the Deit•• dwelleth in the Soul, yet the Soul remaineth a Soul still, but if the flaming Iron fall into Water, it is soon as other Iron again, as it was with Adam.

10. Adam departed and Christ became Man to return us into the Angelical World, wherein Man attains the Eternal incomprehensible Flesh of Eternal Substantiality, which is hidden in the old earthy Flesh, as Gold in the Stone. This true most pre∣cious Stone of Philosophers tinctureth the old, for this is as a Son, yet a Thousand times greater than the Father, this bright Crown of Pear s is most manif••st, yet most secret, who so finds it, hath such Joy as no earthy Tongue or Pen can describe.

CHAP. VII. The Hypocritical and real Christian, the Gates of the Firmamental Heaven with Stars, &c. The Threefold Life of Man, and right noble Spiritual Stone.

1. MAN's greatest Concern is to seek that which is lost, not hypocritically without our selves; for all the hearing of Heaven and the new Birth Preached, Singing, Repetitions, Reading all Books, having the Bible without Book, Talking and Despising the Simple, requiring they be guided by Man's Art and Elo∣quence, and resting there, is a continuing of Men as in a dark Dungeon, and no more than casting a Stone into Water, which is taken out again as hard as before. And Mens deepest Reason, Opinions of the Pope, Luther, Calvin or Schwenkfield, and all Contention, Disputation, and that accounted high University Study, though the Soul fill it self therewith, only leaves the Soul in doubt, on the shaking Foun∣dation of vain flattering Hopes, if still there be an unholy unchang'd Heart.

2. But simply with the Publican, God be merciful unto me a sinner, gather all thy captivating Sins, and in great earnestness knock, seek, consult not thy Earthy Rea∣son, sensual Love, and self Will, and then that Soul entreth into the Temple of Christ; instead of Disputing bring earnest Resignation, let thy Contention be such only as was Jacob's Wrestling. God's Invitation and inviolable▪ Promises are the Ground of that Faith which makes Hell tremble, produceth the new Birth, giveth the noble Stone, and then the little grain of Mustard-seed growing in the Storms of Reproach and Temptation, becoming a Tree, attaineth the Angelical Garland

of Pearl; for then may the Soul say, Though this World hath my outward Body Captive, yet I have the Regenerator in my Soul that will make me free, which is as putting a Stone into Fire, which makes an effectual change on't, though Water do not, as is above mentioned.

3. Saith any one, seeing the Devil is gone into Enmity, Why doth not God annihi∣late him? A. That which is Eternal breaketh or dissolveth not like that which hath a Beginning but though the Devils were not in the Form of a Spirit from Eternity, yet their Essences were from Eternity, but the putting their Will into the stern Matrix of the Centre of Nature captivated them therein, but in their Essences re∣main as a Looking-glass for Angels and Souls of Men. Say also any, If the World be so dangerous for Man, Why hath God set and continued him in it? A. Should God reduce the third Principle into its Aether before effecting what wonders were foreseen in the Wisdom from Eternity, it cannot be; but also in time must the Forms of Nature be substantial.

4. The Infinite God being Threefold in Persons, willed to move himself accor∣ding to the Property and Nature of each Person; As, 1. The Father's Property moved to create Angels &c. to bear his Image, and behold his glorious Power. 2. The Son's Property moved once and never more in Eternity to become Man, by whom the glorious Majesty of the Trinity is shewn unto Angels and Men in an express Cha∣racter and living Image. 3. The Holy Ghost's Nature will move it self at the Re∣surrection, at returning this World into its Aether, and will set the Wonders passed in time into Eternal substantiality; He is the Joy and Mover of the Creatures and of Paradise, through whom will be seen the Power and Vertue of every thing.

5. This World with Stars and Elements, shew the Eternal Centre and Being of all Forms, whereon Adam, who was the Image of the Trinity, doated and was cap••iv'd, as Lucifer was by the fierce Matrix. He was one, not two, the Light shone in him, and he should have propagated an Angelical Kingdom, was Lord over Fire, Air, Water and Earth, could remove Mountains, no Death was in him, Paradisical Fruit grew for him, he was a Virgin after the Form of Eternal. Sophia, he was pure and was to place his Will on himself; for God was in him, and he in God. But seeing two Divine Forms in himself, one Paradisical within himself, the other without him, he thought to Eat of both (viz.) the Paradisical and the mixed of Good and Evil, till he sunk into a sleep which signifieth Death, where the Spirit of this World formed him into such a Man as we now are, and Eve into a Woman, and when they had eaten, the Spirit of this World captivated their Souls, their Essences were Earthy, their Flesh and Blood Bestial, so that they begat Children in two Kingdoms, (viz.) of Wrath and Love, the first a Murtherer, the second Holy, for the word of Grace and Covenant had on their Fall set it self in the Light of their Life.

6. This Word was, and for ever is the only noble spiritual Philosopher's Stone, Christ. This Stone was in all the Holy Men from Adam downward, whereby they both were Good and did Good, but the Men of lower outside Principles or Ratio∣nists, have a counterfeit, scholastick, glistering, pleasant Stone, which they think is right, and they hotly persecute the true precious Stone to advance their own, which outside Stone of theirs, is only a Stone of the great Building of this World, for it initiateth Childhood in wantonness and bravery, requiring Covetousness and crafty Guile to support it: so they set the Paradisical Garland of Blossoming Youth on the Serpents Head, learn to contemn them as simple who have the true Stone, because they live as not of the World, but Childlike, and go through and out of the World weeping, yet bearing precious seed.

7. From v. 62. to the end, is as it were a recital of (the often treated of) the Eternal Being compar'd to Fire and Light, as Anger and Love, Strength and Meek∣ness,

the Original Forms and Principle of Light to v. 73. The Stars are a Quint∣essence or fifth Essence distinct from the four Elements, as the Fat in a Creature causeth the Fountain of Life to burn, they are not only Fire and Water, but have all the Properties of hard, soft, bitter, sweet, sour, dark and whatever the Earth hath, and every Star a several prevalent Property, according as in the Eternal Centre of Nature they stood open, when the Eternity mov'd it self in the Creation.

8. The Air mixeth with all sorts of Forms, therefore is unconstant, sometimes awakening one Form in the Centre, anon another. The whole Deep is like the Mind of a Man, which beholds some things cursorily, some other fixedly, bringing it to substance, setting Hands and Feet to work, as the Will hath conceived and framed it; so this Spirit of the Deep, though without Divine Understanding, formeth by the vigor of the Constellations the Spirit of our Adamical Man, also of all Beasts, Fowls, Herbs, Plants, Trees, Metals, Precious Stones, Fishes, &c. and is the cause of Wisdom in Arts, Polity Governments among fallen Mankind. And this is called the third Principle or awakened Life of God, not Eternal, but that in which the great Wonders are made visible Substances, whose Figures remain as a Picture for the Glory of God and Joy of the Angels and Men, but their Essences shall be re∣duced into the Aether as it was before the Creation of the World, yet shall all stand in the Eternal Nature with its colours and figures, and there will be a springing, blossoming and growing, yet without feeling any fire or fierceness, for the Essences will then be no more a Substance, and therefore it affordeth no fire, but the fire is an Eternal Darkness and gnawing, call'd the Eternal Death.

CHAP. VIII. How by the outward World is opened the Eternal World. How a Man may seek and find himself; Whence is his Beginning, and what his End.

1. AS the enlivening Spirit in the deep animates all Creatures as if they were one Body, each according to their Kind, so the Light of Eternity within this World incomprehensible to this Worlds Spirit, having all the Properties also in it, yet with no such inkindled Essences, is the Life of the blessed Inhabitants there∣of. Their Fire though mighty, is yet without Pain or Consumption, burning in the soft delicate desire of dear Love and highest Joy; this Fire maketh Majesty, springeth and blossometh for ever in such Earth as is call'd Divine Substantiality or Holy Ternary, stored with perfect Goodness, exempt from all kind of Evil.

2. And as the whole third Principle of Astral and Elementary Bodies are as one Body, so the Infinite Holy God, Heaven, Angels, Men, Paradise with all Divine Things and Properties are but one Body, call'd God, Majesty and Eternity; wherein the Majesty is the Light, the Holy Ghost, the Air and Spirit. Every Angel and Man is like the total God, and the Holy Ghost proceeds forth in him also. As in a flaming piece of Iron; the Iron resembleth the Creature, its flame of Light the Deity, its Heat the Creatures Spirit, the Air proceeding from it the Holy Ghost: but now we live in Anguish, Cares, Labour, Fear, Trembling, Affliction and cloathed with fallen Adam's Skin, yet also in the Hope of Israel.

3. And because the Soul stands between two Eternal Principles, and the Body meerly in the Spirit of this Worlds Earthy state caring little for the Soul; there∣fore must the Body be kept under, its necessities only not its wanton desires an∣swer'd. The Soul also must watch and pray, not please it self in its own ability, but ever humble it self to the Divine Will and Mercy. These things are irksom to the Body and cross to the Self will of the Soul, but the view of Eternity must

sway all, for the Body is an unconstant Neighbour and Death a sudden Guest. And as the danger, so the power God hath graciously given the Soul▪ is very great: As it is written to them he gave power (in Christ) to be the Sons or Children of God.

4. Man finds in himself more than is in the Beast, for the Beast hath no higher Will than to fill and nourish it self, and multiply according to the property of their Centre, and every Life desireth the best that is in its Mother or Centre, which shews what the best of the Centre or Mother (whence they are) is, but Man sees into the property and vanity of every thing here, and therefore, a higher Life above the Elementary Transitory Food. The Beast hath a Tincture, else the Fire of their Life would devour them, but their Fire and Tincture is but Ele∣mentary and Astral, and consequently fragil; but Man hath a desire after an Eter∣nal Life, and shews it by his desire to perpetuate his Memory here (by his Off∣spring or otherwise) if he could. For tho' he enter community with the Beasts in his third Principle, yet he hath a Fire-life out of the Eternity wherein the Forms are in Anguish, and that not being the right Life, hath a Tincture of Divine sub∣stantiality of Meekness, which is the Light which quencheth the wrath of his Fire∣soul, wherein is the Intellect satiating the Anguish, which tincture Lucifer caused to disappear as a shadow, shutting himself up in Death and Fierceness.

5. Is it said why did God suffer Lucifer to fall? A. He was a Prince and Throne Angel, a Son of the first Creation or Morning, and cause of the Out-birth in the third Principle, therefore Christ called him the Prince of this World: He had also a Free-will like us Men, and we often do things contrary to God, as making Forts, Castles and sumptuous Houses for our state. So Lucifer would be as a Creator, which in it self was no more his Fall than Adam's imagining, which cau∣sed the Tree of Temptation to grow, which therefore was severely forbidden▪ yet which of it self was not Adam's Fall; but Lucifer's Fall was when he awakened the Matrix of the Fire over the Meekness of God, that Fire became, and now is his Hell, which God captivated with Heaven or Water, and moved himself to the Creation as the pleasant Sun shuts up the Astringent cold, turning Ice into Water, making Fish, &c. to live and grow. And the cause of the Sea and unfathom'd deeps is that there the Fire was greatly enkindled; as when Sodom, &c. were a Habitation of the Devil, who would have dwelt there in his fiery fierceness, God allay'd his stoutness bringing Water on that place.

6. The Souls dissatisfaction here shews it in a captivity, for its true Rest and Hea∣ven was shut up in it, having in Adam put its desire into the Principle of this World; great is the perplexity that an Eternal Creature should be Immur'd and Married to another Principle, have another Mother and Centre, which as soon as it breaks (as dissolve it doth) leaves the Soul in indigence and darkness. This pos'd the understanding, non-plust the wisdom of all Creatures how to help, no Prince or Throne Angel could contrive a Remedy. Then said Jehovah Christ, Lo I come to do thy Will, O God, and his own Arm wrought Salvation by becoming Man, entring Death with his Humane Soul, brake the seven Seals of the Centre of Nature, hung the old Adam as a Curse on the Cross, kindled again the Divine Fire in the Soul, cast away the Earthiness, and powerfully through Death introduced Life.

The highly precious Gate.

Thus the Regenerate may see that as Christ did cast away from him by Death, only the Spirit of this VVorld, and raised himself, so shall they in his VVord and Heart which is every where present, and in his Flesh and Blood, not in the corrupt Body, be raised, for the inward Body Adam had in Paradise is only capable of be∣ing clothed upon with the Flesh of Christ: In this new Body fixeth the new Rege∣nerate

Soul, but the old corrupt Flesh only hangeth to the new Body, yet com∣prehends it not. The which old Body conceived from the Spirit of this VVorld, being at the last day raised therewith, only in a figure (in which figure all Mans works follow him) passeth into its Ether, yet remaineth in its figure. So like∣wise the corrupt Bodies of the wicked at the last Judgment shall be presented with their Mother the Spirit of this world, and the Souls shall hear the sentence, then shall the Bodies pass with their Mother and stand as a Figure, and their works in the figure shall follow them into the Abyss.

CHAP. IX. Concerning the Threefold Life. Also the Inclination and whole Government of Man in this Life.

1. MAN's whole Race is a strife 'twixt the Devil and the Soul, and the Spirit of this wor••d and the Soul; for this worlds Spirit hath apprehension (tho not Divine) planted in its Matrix, and this world stood in the Eternal wis∣dom as an invisible figure before the Creation, and by Creation became a proper Principle, to the end it might bring all its wonders and works into Existence, and appear Eternally in their figure.

2. Man only being capable to exhibit this worlds wonders of Arts, and the Spi∣rit and Life of Metals, precious Stones, Earths, Celestial Influences, &c. there∣fore hath the Spirit of this world longed to draw Man into it. That precious Stone of Philosophers may be found in Metals by him who understandeth this Author, in the Centre of Natures progress to the Cross of the Trinity and Glance of the Majesty, which this worlds Spirit hath a Natural longing to reveal.

3. The first Birth of things are not pleasant, as in Trees; but the Fruit is a se∣cond Birth, and what is desir'd by Man, which points us to our Noble Birth and high Descent which was Divine; for when the Kingdom of the Anger did press in∣to the Fruits the Paradisical Principle did almost wholly withdraw. Yet though Toads, Serpents poysonous Herbs, bitter Properties, Thistles, &c. originate in the wrathful Matrix, yet as the evil Properties explicate the inward worlds they are as good, and concur to the same end with the best; but the evil and good ea∣ten by Adam being such as we now eat, was his eating of Death, because thereby the Spirit of this world captivated him, as doth both it and the Devils Kingdom rule in Man still.

Of the great strife about Man.

4. Hell saith my Anger is his Root he is therefore by Nature mine. This world pleads possession of Man in its Body, and his Community of Nutrition from it. God saith I ••ave set my Heart upon Man and Regenerated him, he proceeded out of me I have sought and found him again, he is mine to reveal my wonders. Pursuant to this, one of three things winneth him, either, 1. His desire of Honour Glory and Power which is the Devils Will. 2. His desire of Riches, Opulence and Fulness in which he is a Beast of this World. 3. He, the somewhat sensible Sinner (but not the Swine) greatly feareth Hell and the Devil, and weakly pant∣eth after Heaven, but the other two draw so violently, that many through despe∣ration engulph themselves into the Abyss.

Of the Devil changing himself into an Angel of Light.

5. When the Sinner begins to be sensible of his evil and danger, the Devil wil∣lingly permits him to go to the Stone Churches, then flatters him that his diligent so doing makes him godly and devout: Where often thoughts are sowen in him of Pride, Lust, &c. also of contempt of others, especially if the Preacher be a

Reviler. If the Soul be yet afraid and would repent and pray, the Devil clouds the understanding, introduceth doubts, and promiseth amendment to Morrow, he rehearseth words, but prayeth not; for the Soul cannot reach the Centre of Nature where the Fire should be struck, but his words in this Worlds Spirit vanish into Air, or Gods Name is taken in vain.

6. But Prayer is a great (or at least a true) going of the Soul to be spoken to of God, and brought out of the House of Sin into the House of God: Which when the Devil opposeth we are to oppose the more, for we have in Christ far greater power than he. But if the Devil covers the Heart by heaps of Sin we are not to dispute or despair, but to lay them on the Devils Back, and lay up in our Hearts Gods most merciful Calls and earnest Will towards us, shewn by the Suf∣ferings, Wounds, Death and dear Love and Pity of Christ to Sinners; for there is no other Will in God but to do as the Father to the Prodigal Son, therefore to doubt of Gods gracious Intents is to sin greatly.

The Gates of the deep Ground concerning Man.

7. The knowing what Man is in the variety of form, feature and different driv∣ing Will, hath been controverted since the beginning, because the Gates thereof were sunk with Adam's Fall, but the Spirit of the Soul of the Regenerated Man, knoweth himself in all the three Principles to have but one only Rule though in three Principles, the prevalence of either denominates the Man. We are as a Seed sowen in a Field by the Lust of Man and Woman, the Mover whereunto is that the Tincture now divided to the Male giving Life and Soul, and the substan∣tiality now peculiar to the Female giving Spirit and Existence were in Eternity one; wherein this world stood as a Figure, and the Tincture over-shadowed by the Wisdom was received thereinto as the Body doth the Spirit, yet could not be brought into substance visible to Angels who are in a substance unless God had moved the Eternity.

8. In the moving of the Trinity was moved the Centre of Nature, whereby the Tincture became substantial, and the substantiality became material, yet not di∣vided, wherein when the Fiat was awakened forth came all sorts of Beasts, &c. The Tincture took substance, and the Spirit of the substance took on it a Body, the first had the Centre of Life, the other only an impotent Life, which may be demonstrated by a flaming Iron; which emitteth two Spirits, viz. a hot one able to awaken another Fire from its own Centre, and another an airy one, which though it hath all powers of the Fire, yet not the Tincture of the Fire, but only the Spirit of the Fire, a faint Life, for in the Eternity is no Death. Hence is it that Life must proceed only from the Seed of the Male Tincture in the Matrix of the Female.

9. Every Creature Inanimate, Sensitive, &c. is formed according to the Tin∣cture in the Spirit of the Species of them, as may be found by the order of the se∣veral days of the Creation; for on the first day God Created the Material Water which hath an impotent Life, and is a Bar to the Devils Anger Fire. And when God said let there be Light, the Light of the Tincture opened it self, which God se∣parated from the darkness, viz. shut up the fierce Fire Lucifer kindled, which ori∣ginateth in the darkness, and let the Qintessence burn in the fat of the Water Spi∣rit, as doth the Fire of the Life in a Beast.

10. The Tincture is in the Blood the Life burneth in the Tincture, and God keeps the Centre of the Fire in the darkness, and so every Life is in his own hand, for if he let the Fire into the Tincture the Spirit is in the Hellish Fire. The Tin∣cture was divided into a Fire Life and Light Life, the Fire Life was to be a Firma∣ment between the Holy Meekness the Heart of God and the weak Air, between both which God dwelleth. The Fire Spirit of the Tincture hath Eternity for its

Root, the Air Spirit hath the awakened substantiality ruling the outward Life of Beasts, Trees, &c. having a weak Tincture.

11. Thus see we Life standeth in Fire and Air, also the Original of Blood, such Creatures that have it are more noble than those that have it not; for such have a false Tincture proceeded from the will of the Devil as is seen in Vipers and other Venemous Reptils, for such lothsom ugly Bodies are figur'd in Hell, not from the divided Tincture but from the fierce dark Spiritual substance.

12. When the Water covering the Created Earth was separated, and the Earth dry, the collected Water was call'd Sea, signifying in the Language of Nature a covering, in reproach to the Devil whose power was drown'd. By the Water a∣bove the Firmament separated from that below is meant the Blood wherein is the Tincture of Living Creatures, and that beneath is the Elementary Water, in which two consist two Kingdoms, 1. The Soul in the Blood in the Tincture, and be∣cause the Tincture is from Eternity, therefore must the figures remain in Eter∣nity. And, 2. The Air Spirit in the Water which is corruptible for it had a be∣ginning.

13. After the Earth and Elements were formed, the fiery Tincture was as a shi∣ning Light, then God suffered the Centre of Nature to open with its proper will out of the Essences, and the whole Principle became but one Body whereof the Sun was the Heart; and the six other Planets the Spirits at the Centre of the Heart, the other Stars are its Essences; all just as the Deity hath been from Eternity, whence came a true Life, Reason, Sences and Understanding, yet a Bestial one, and Spirit of the Air manifesting God in a figurative form, which this world shew∣eth, if we consider the Centre, and thence go on in the Light of the Majesty to the number three.

The Discourse and Figure of the Planets and Signs from the 63d v. to the end of this Chapter, being it self Summary is recommended to be perused entirely as the Author left it.

CHAP. X. Of the Creation of every Being; and how Man may find himself, and all Mysteries to, and only to the ninth Number.

1. TO seek the Mysteries of Nature in the Stars and Elements is vain, neither Luna nor Mercury will lead you to Sol; but if you take the Spirit of the Tincture, following of which to Sol some have been laid hold on by the Spirit of the Heavenly Tincture, and been brought into the liberty of the Majesty, where they have known the noble Stone, and stood amazed at Mans blindness.

2. The number is but three, stay at the Cross or ten, but nine is only attainable, then take Saturn as a Male and Fire-Tincture, and Luna as the Female and Air Spirit, go thus gradually in the Wheel to Sol, go then on through the Suns Fire, and being through it lay hold by means of the Tincture on the Eternity which is the ninth number, bring that on the Cross which is the tenth, the very end of na∣ture, here handle the Stone, it is Fire-proof, free from the Wrath and Out-birth, its splendor is in the Majesty, its Body out of the Eternal Substantiality.

3. If now the seeker willeth the splendor of this world, let him go from the in∣ward into the outward Luna which break into a thousand parts, giving it such pro∣portion of Sol as its hunger desireth, and it is made bright and perfect, but we

ought justly to rest satisfied in the tenth number for this world is but, dross and dung, therefore Christ saith, Seek first the Kingdom of God, and all other things shall be added. All lyeth in the willing, for the will maketh the desire, the outward will must enter into the inward, and deny it self, as if it were dead to the outward, because Adam turning his will to the outward, caus'd him to die to the inward, but if we turn back into the inward, we see God, and the Eternity, and are the Simili∣tude of what God is, and are as we were Created.

4. It is more easie to the inward Man in the Divine Will to see the ground of the Creation of this world than for the outward to know what the Sences inform. To create is to comprehend what is first figur'd in the will, as doth a Builder frame in his will a Model of what he is to Erect. In the Creation the six Properties stand in every quadrat of the Circle of Time which divides the Day into Morning Noon, Evening and Midnight.

5. On the fifth day the Fiat opened the Matrixes of all Similitudes, and the Wrath Kingdom pressed hard to be imaged with it, when were produced all Fowls and Fishes, then also all sorts of Spirits of the Fire, Air, Water and Earth went forth, so that the whole deep even to the Constellations is nothing but a Life and stirring of Spirits. The Devils place is in the darkest towards the Constellations, and so poor a Creature is he as not to touch any of the seven Governments.

6. The describing the order of Powers cannot be sufficiently seen by the orderly Wheel of the Magi, nor can it be written for Reason to penetrate▪ being more subtle, going inwards towards the Sun; that is, upwards, downwards and side∣ways towards the meek substantiality, but the Spirit of the Soul if it look with its own Eye into the inward, and with the Eye of this world into the outward un∣derstandeth it, and is as Ezekiel's Vision, having Eyes within and without, and the Spirit goeth right forward wheresoever it goes.

7. Now to shew how far Man may go, and where he must stop, note that the Fire after the seven Spirits is the eighth and the cause of the seventh. Now tho' Life consists not in the Fire, yet the Fire maketh two Tinctures. 1. An inward after the Eternal Liberty, and still Meekness where springeth the Majesty of the Li∣berty. 2. An outward after the Oyl from the water of Venus, where springs the outward splendor, so the Fire hath the eighth number, and the inward Tincture hath the ninth number, so far and no farther ought we to go, but stand there be∣fore the Cross of the number three, where Angels and Men are to stand, not reach∣ing into the Centre of the Cross to Create as did Lucifer, but cast their Minds down into the Tincture of Humility back into the ninth number, fearing God, and high∣ly rejoicing before the tenth number with Songs of Hallelujahs to the Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of Hosts; in this ninth is the Virgin Tincture of Wisdom, Paradise and Heavenly Substantiality.

8. For while we keep our will in humility, tho' we search into the thousandth number our will is still Gods will, but if we leave him, and imagine into the Won∣ders we are Captives, for imagination makes substance; we must go out of that again into Humility, Love, Pureness, Mercy, &c. or we shall not see God; we must submissively seek the will of God, and resign our whole self thereinto, wherein we can do all, but in our own will and nature we must not; we can do nothing.

CHAP. XI. Of the true Knowledge concerning Man.

1. THE Earth is a peculiar Centre, an Out-birth of the Eternal substantiality, the Matrix whereof was corrupted by the Fall of Lucifer, whence the

upper Centre the Suns Heart drew forth from the Properties in the Earth, which longed after the upper Paradisical Fruit, of which Man only was capable to eat af∣ter an Angelical manner, and which Adam stood in the Proba or tryal to have done till he slept, but we see how it went with him, for that we both eat and are eaten by the Earth.

2. Of that Paradisical Earth wherein was the Heavenly Property was Adam's Bo∣dy made; for he was to be Lord over the Earth, and to open the wonders of the Earth, therefore God gave him a palpable, yet a paradisical (and not instantly an Angelical) Body. Man was made an Image of the uncreated Virgin of Gods Wisdom wherein the Astral and Elementary Powers stood, but neither they nor the Matrix of the Earth could over-power Man, for he had receiv'd the Eternal Substantiality.

3. It is said God breathed into his Nostrils the Breath of Life, this was not Air, nor can it be a thing breathed in from without, for God is the fulness of all things. God longed after a visible Similitude of himself, but his longing is only Majesty and Liberty, his breathing was from within, for Gods Holy Spirit hath awakened the Soul out of the Centre of the Fire of the Eternal Nature the fifth form where the two Kingdoms of Gods Love and Anger do part, and brought it outwards in∣to the Tincture of the outward Spirit, into the Blood of the Heart opening it self according to the Centre of Nature; and the Spirit of this world which reacheth into the Sun was breathed into him from without, so became he a Living Soul ruling over Fire, Air, Water, Earth, and the Sun it self, without Covetousness, Pride, Envy, Anger, Toil, Care and Sickness, but was a holy pure Virgin in meer Joy and Love-sport.

4. The dividing of the Tinctures is shewn by dividing the Cross in the Brain-Pan, God Created Man with the whole Cross, but now 'tis divided half to the Man, and the other half to the Woman; before Adam's being divided he could generate out of his will such a Man as himself, having the three Centres in him, without tearing, as neither was the Centre of the Eternal Nature whence his Soul proceeded torn, nor the Spirit of this world divided when the Spirit of God breathed it into him, nor had he Members whereof to be ashamed, his clothing was the Heavenly Tincture, his Fall was his Lust after the out-principle, and could not eat of the Word of the Lord.

5. The Male and Female Will to each other existeth out of the two Govern∣ments of one substance, the Man soweth Flesh and Blood, and the Noble Tincture of the Soul out of the Fire Tincture; the Woman Spirit out of the Tincture of this World, viz. of Venus giving a soft Spirit, but Man is yielded, faln home, a Captive to the Spirit of this world, making an Earthy Elementary Child; so that if God had not become Man our Bodies had remained Beasts, & our Souls Devils, and such we are till Born again in Christ, and by him turned about to see into the tenth number again. And if this be done, when God awakens the Centre of the Eter∣nal (which is the Souls) Fire, the Holy Ghost shall burn forth from the Tincture of the Soul, and the Soul be taken into the Majesty of God, and her works with∣out loss pass through the Fire; but the Soul that turneth into this world when the substance hereof passeth into its Ether is without God in the Hellish Fire, wanting the Oyl of the wise Virgins, for this World neither gives it nor sells it, for it hath it not.

The great Misery of Mans Destruction from the Womb.

6. While the Soul is in the Seed it is only a Fire of the Tincture, and a Will of the Creature, but when it becomes a Living Creature, the Fruit is much as the Tree is, and if it be forsaken of the Holy Powers, the Will of the Soul by the Nature of the Fire formeth the Souls Spirit into the figure of horrible, cruel, crafty, poy∣sonous,

filthy Creatures. Also in the Spirit of the Seed while it is a Sulphur, viz. Unformed Matter, is the Spirit of this World and the Constellation, so that the outward Life is fallen quite under the Power of the Stars, which strongly inclineth some to various Evils and Tragical Exits, others to insnaring Honours; which is done when a fixed Star having been fortified by the Sun's Vertue, is inducted by the Father of Nature, it can then powerfully impress its Imagination into the Seed, conveying such or such a Property into the Creatures Elementary Life in Men and Beasts.

7. Man thus making himself and Posterity miserable, awakens the Wrath King∣dom in this World, where the Devil is the Great Prince: which awakening bring∣eth Tempests, Wars, Pestilence, Fire, Famine, &c. for had not Man opened the Anger, the Devil had remained shut up without Power to touch a Fly, or move a Leaf. 'Tis true, that sometimes the Astral Powers make and give for a Tincture this Worlds Spirit, and then by reason that the Spirit of the Soul hath a good Con∣stellation at the time of the Spirits awakening, it gives him a Friendly, lovely out∣side, whereby such a one can give good flattering words from a false heart; for he dwelleth in two Kingdoms▪ in this World is he a History Hypocrite, and his Soul in the Anger Kingdom with the Devils.

8. But the Grace of God appeared by Christ's becoming Man, to bring our Hu∣man Souls out of Death and the Abyss of Anger into the Tenth Number, the Eternal Tincture, to be again the Similitude of God upon the Cross, whence the Soul originated. And then when the Soul is turned into the Will of God in great Humility having Christ's Body, it passeth through Death or from Death to Life in the Death of Christ, through the Anger of God into the Ninth Number before the Holy Trinity, and is imbraced by the Majesty.

The great open Gate of Antichrist.

9. Antichrist in Men professing Christ, is a contrary will to the Divine Will, yet a Counterfeit of it: but as the Soul becomes born of God, more or less, in such proportion the renewed Will quits the Principles, and Dictates of corrupt Reason and self Desires cover'd by Hypocrisie, and by a sincere faithful Love rooted in the Life of Christ▪ a holy Flame of self-evidencing Light ariseth, giving a distinct discovery of Antichrist before which it falls, and by which it is destroy'd, for the going from Antichrist is the going from the Fire into the Light.

The highly Precious Gate, also the Gate of Immanuel.

10. Is it askt, How can Christ's Body be ours? How can we dwell in the Body of Christ? It is Answer'd, As we have Adam's Flesh, Soul and Spirit, which Christ becoming Man hath, yet remaineth God; but receiv'd in the fair Virgin of Wisdom the Eter∣nal Flesh, which Adam's was before dividing of the Properties, and the Property of our earthy Flesh, so Christ's Soul is ours, and his Body ours, and his Virgin ours, whereby we live in Christ when we give up our selves to him, wherein also he liveth in us, and will at last present us wholly pure with the Heavenly Flesh, Blood, Tin∣cture and Majesty of Christ. Thus also he liveth in us, and we are his Members, Temple and Body.

11. Where one saith, Here is Christ, and another There, it is, because they have lost the Key, for the Body and Blood of Christ is in the Eternity, and not shut up by space or place, but as the Sun shineth from East to West, and whose Light fills the World, how much more doth Christ fill every part of his Incarnation? And when we desire his Flesh and Blood, we receive it, and are fed by it; for as the Father gives Being, and upholdeth all, so the Son gives Vertue and Light. The Congregation of Christ is in every Nation where Men turn from their Sins to God, be they Greeks, Turks, Asians, Africans, &c. God respects not Persons nor Opinions, but seeks the Heart; those who call on the only true God in plain Simplicity are

in Christ, but the Tyrannous, Proud, Covetous, Malicious, Blood-thirsty Anti∣christ, with their endless Contentions and Disputations offend the Heathens, whose Life and Customs are far more Innocent and Pious, and when Antichrist's Lyes have stifled him, broken his Murthering Sword, and laid him in the Pit, then shall Christ feed his Lambs, and the Turk be of the Fold of the Lambs.

12. The whole World is full of God; the inward holy Life dwelleth in God, and the inward dark Abyss standeth in God's Wrath, the strife is, which may Image us into it self in this outward Life, here God sets Light and Darkness before us, and all the teaching here is to warn of the severe Property of the Fire; for every thing hath Free-will with an Inclination to its Property; therefore we must either em∣brace the true Good, or the certain Evil. Young Children are our School-masters, with all our Cunning we are but Fools to them, who first play with themselves, and after one with another, this the Devil grudg'd us, and made us fall out at our Play, and so we quarrel till we go to sleep, and then others Act over again the same quarrels, and all is about a defiled Garment which yet is not ours, while we should obediently search for a new fair Garment: when amongst the Roses, Lillies and Flowers, we shall in our own Country sing the Song, How the Driver (who did set us at variance) is captivated.

CHAP. XII. Of the true Christian Life and Conversation. What Man is to do, &c.

COnsidering well the 34 first Verses of this 12th Chapter, it may be comprised mostly in these words. He hath shewed thee, O Man, what is good, and what doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to do justly, to love Mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?

The Way we must walk through this World into the Kingdom of God.

We must, if we will so walk, Crucifie Self, Repent, Convert from Evil, hourly pass out of Death into Life, we must not take pleasure in our selves, but so hum∣ble our selves before the clear Countenance of the Trinity, (before whom we al∣ways stand) and look on Jesus who always sitteth on the Rainbow in us: I say, we are so to converse without Self-pleasing, that our ways may please God, the heavenly Hoasts and Man.

The rest of this sweet Chapter is of various and copious Rules and Monitions, yet so conspicuous, that the perusal is rather to be recommended than the parti∣culars extracted.

Only this asserteth, That a Self-defence against outward Force or War, having only a desire of Self-defence, is not against God; for he whose House is on Fire may quench it.

CHAP. XIII. Of Christ's Precious Testaments the Lord's Supper and Baptism.

1. VVHEN Christ's Apostles and Disciples met together, after fervent Ex∣hortation of one another, They took, brake, divided amongst them, and did eat Bread in commemoration of Christ's giving his Body for us on the Cross, as himself had commanded. So also took they the Cup in their hand, saying one to another, Take this Cup and drink the Blood of our Lord which he

shed on the Cross for Remission of our Sins, to shew forth his Death till he come again to Judgment, and bring us into himself. This was the true great Paschal Lamb in••••ituted by Christatier they had eaten the Passover.

2. He gave them and they did eat and drink his Flesh and Blood, not his earthy and mortal Flesh and Blood to be chewed with their earthy Teeth and swallow'd; for that Body of his was not divided amongst them, but he gave them his immor∣tal holy Body and Blood, new and unknown to the earthy Man, yet which did hang in, or was United to the outward on the Cross; this holy Body became as a Body to their Souls, making them his Members.

3. As the Eternal Virginity, Substantiality and Wisdom wherein was the pro∣mised Word, gave it self into the perished Tincture became a new Man at the In∣carnation in the Virgin Mary; so the new Body of Christ which was cover'd or veiled by the outward Mortal Body, and cannot be comprehended by the Mortal, but is he that cometh down from Heaven, gives it self under Bread and Wine into the Tincture of the Souls of those who go out from themselves into his Will; thus was in Christ two Kingdoms, a Heavenly and an Earthy, the new Man born of God, wherever he is, receiveth this heavenly Flesh and Blood, or holy Humanity, for it is every where, and had the predominance in Adam, till he went back into the Lust of the outward earthy Principle, wherein the Devil hath entrance to us poor Captives, so that often the Soul turns its Will to the outward, wherefore God by his Testament reneweth the Soul by this new Body. How careful there∣fore should the Soul be, that it go not back as did Adam. For the Soul of Man hun∣gereth and thirsteth after this Food, being the word intended, when Christ said Eat, This is my Body, and without this Substance, God is not known; it being the Manifestation of the Deity. Yet doth the outward Humane Nature remain in Hea∣ven palpably and apprehensibly seen by Men in that Form it was in here when upon ••arth, and in that Body is seen nothing but the Majesty, Clarity and Brightness which filleth the Angelical World.

4. Now wherever the Majesty is, there is the Substantiality, which is the Body of the Word, yet without Image; for the Creature only is an Image or Forma∣tion, like as the substantial Earth is come, though in the Deep is only Air, Water and Fire; whereof the Sun (though but one) is the cause.

5. We receive not in the Supper another Creature with a new Soul, but we receive on our Soul the Body of Christ which is already the Eternal Creature, whose Flesh and Blood filleth Heaven: and which is such a Body to the Soul, as can at the End of the World go with the Soul through the Fire of the Anger of God without feeling, changing the Fire by the allay of Meekness into a meer Love de••ire, a bright∣ness of the Majesty; Thus are we in God the Children of God. Allelujah.

Concerning the Testament of Baptism.

6. A Child hath by the Masculine Seed the Fires Tincture or that of the Soul, and by the Feminine hath the Lights or Waters Tincture, or that of the Spirit, but by Adam's Fall both were corrupted; so that the Fires Tincture or Soul was captivated by God's Eternal Wrath; and the Water or Spirits Tincture was captivated by the Spirit of this great outward World, and both had remained the Devil's Captives, had not the Word of the Lord taken our Soul and Spirit, and been made Flesh. Therefore he instituted Baptism for little Children, being an Office managed by the Holy Ghost, in whose Vertue the Soul's Water is made a Water of Life, for the Water belongs to the Spirits Tincture, and so the Spirit of the Soul receiveth the Vertue wrought by the Holy Ghost's Office, which is the great Mystery. Even as the Vertue convey'd to the hunger of the Soul's Fire, is most immediately from the Vertue in the Flesh and Blood of the Son, the second Person of the Trinity.

The Magia out of the Wonders.

7. Where there is but one only Will there is no breaker nor Enmity, but it draweth into it self, and goeth out of it self in the same one free Will; but where there are two Wills, there is separation and contrariety: for one Will goeth in∣ward, and the other outward; and if it be in one thing or body, that Kingdom hath intestine opposition: Whence comes a third Will mixed of the two first: Hence spring many needing a Judge, but if they all be strong Wills, they constitute severally every one a Judge, and the flown out Will hates that whence it sprung, because it hath got a contrary Will, and it self proceeds to its highest number: But seeing it can get no higher, nor attain rest; therefore at that place of inquiry the Prophet is born, who sheweth the cause why the out flown Will, instead of going to the Crown-number, hath awakened the Turba or disturbance, which shall have an end by rising of a new Kingdom, whereof the Prophet is the Mouth; which new Kingdom being generated out of the breaking, causeth the Pride, Co∣vetousness and Envy of the strayed Wills, like evil Twigs to be broken and wither: And whereas they call themselves Children of the good Root, the Pro∣phet tells them they are Murtherous Wolves; and if the Turba be grown up with it, it breaketh the multiplicity.

8. Now when the Father pours Oyl into the Wounds, the Oyl it self becomes Poison, which should have been a Remedy; for the strayed Will hath made an Oyl by his own Wit and Art where with it feeds and actuates its earthy sensual de∣sires; so that the true Oyl is death to this Evil Will of the multiplicity, for it calleth it self the Good Tree, so there is no Remedy but it must be its own de∣stroyer, and the apostated Children are given to the Turba to be devoured one of another. They boast themselves to know much, but do it not, but retaining the History, deny the Power, as their Father the Devil, who knoweth as much as they, doth it not.

9. But the Mother of the Genitrix finding her Children become strange to her, falling into lamentation and anguish, doth conceive and bring forth a young Son; on him she put a garment of childish simplicity, and he became a Lilly Twig of Purity; he shall break the Turba, and doing the Divine Will, remain in the house for ever; whence the other by following the Devil revolted, feigning to them∣selves good words, blessing themselves for hearing and seeing what they hear and se••, and taking the Covenant of God into the mouth while they hate to be re∣formed, and dwell in falshood.

CHAP. XIV. Of the Broad and Narrow Ways.

1. THE Broad Way leading to the Abyss of Wrath, is what we strongly in∣cline to, being as to the inward or first Principle (the Soul's Original understood of the four Anguishes) in the way of craft, cruelty, pride, revenge, desire of Rule and Pomp: And as to the outward, the way of ease, pleasure, vo∣lupruousness, with a swinish appetite to get and keep all.

2. Our Temporary Nature is captive to the Bestial Properties, whereto it is se∣verally formed by the Spirit of this World, according as the Wheel of the Out∣ward Nature stood at the instant of the formation: But if Men remain guided only thereby it giveth the Body to the Earth, and the Soul to Hell. Yet so broad is the E•••••• Way, that the Travellers therein may, as with full Sail, traverse it, tho' by con∣stitu••ion they be adapted to desire of deep search after knowledge, skilful inspe∣ction into secret Mysteries, many practical and speculative Arts and parts of Wis∣dom

by quick Astral Reason. Others, tho' in the same broad Road, may have excellent skill in disputes of Antient and Modern Religious Controversies and Traditions in Doctrine and Discipline, they may be prudent exemplars in Man∣ners, great Proficients in Philosophy, profound Casuists in Theology, with so good progress as if they were Pillars in God's House, and all this adorned with a blameless Conversation to human observation.

3. But all this destitute and exclusive of a changed Will, but retaining unmor∣tified affections and desires, having an unregenerate Heart, a Soul dead to any Life of Resignation and Sacrifice, but is still immutably stubborn; is therefore as concerning the Faith reprobate, for the right Faith is the right Will, which (divested of its self-lusts) enters into the living Word, whereas the other is with∣out God in the World, tho' flattering himself all his life long with the merits of Jesus Christ, his share in them, his Predestination from Eternity, his assurance never to fall away, whereas he was never risen with Christ, but lies drowned with, and under the desires of the present Evil World, and lives wholly a stranger to the dying of Christ, to the emptying of the corrupt self-will; for the Pearl is in That man's account too dear, nor will he buy Oyl.

Of the Company and Assistance of the Holy Angels.

4. As Men fearing God readily help each other in their misery; so do the Holy Angels powerfully assist Men; for they affect the company of vertuous, humble, chast men, themselves being very pure, chast, modest, humble friendly, and know no deceit or iniquity; they have also great delight among little Infants, and sometimes manifest themselves to them, and play with them, if they be the Children of God; for they do nothing but what is innate in them, both the An∣gels and the Children. They have also great joy for one poor Soul delivered from the Snares of the Devil, and are at hand ready to deliver such in their greatest extremities, having an over ballance of Power to that of the Evil Angels, else what Ruins would the Devils make in the busie execution of their Office in the Turba magna of terrible Storms? &c. as far as the fierce Wrath is therein en∣kindled, were they not curb'd and drove away by the ministration of the Hea∣venly Hosts of the holy and mighty Angels sent out by the Almighty gracious Jehovah.

5. There is therefore no cause at all of despair, tho' the whole World seem to be against us. Nor are Prayers to be made to them, for they accept not that ho∣nour, but direct us to God. Whatever befals us, is to purifie us as Gold; for God aims to have fair lovely Children, and of understanding, to discover the Deceits of the Old Serpent.

God sets Heaven and Hell before us, therefore must the Soul have Understand∣ing to chuse, and Faith to fight, for it must be a continual Warriour. If we make our selves fierce, false, covetous, proud Devils, we are so; but if we image in our Souls humble, meek submissiveness, with a love to follow the Lord, we enter into the Holy Principle, and are in the Paradi••ical and Angelical Regiment. Let all therefore be warned according to what they form their Spirits, which is com∣mended to seasonable and most serious and continued consideration.

CHAP. XV. Of the mixed World, its wicked exercise, being a Glass wherein every one may try out of what Spirit themselves are.

1. MOst just and necessary is it to reprehend practical Impieties, Immorali∣ties and Debauchery, especially among such professing goodness; the

which unchristian Conversation is chargeable on high and low, Priest and People, old and young, who all are yet apt to account this a Golden Time, and bless them∣selves in it, tho' it is a time of lamentation, being the opening of the last Seal, and of pouring out the Vial of God's Wrath, bringing to light the Wonders of Hell, particularly the Pride and Oppression derived from those sent to the Uni∣versity, enslaving the People in their Understandings by Constitutions, Orders, Statutes, &c. and in their Bodies and Estates by wresting from them their sweat, and the fruit of their labours wherewith these pamper themselves; a practice not grounded in Nature, but is hellish, for there one Form vexeth and plagueth ano∣ther, so that among these the Dog is more happy than the poor of the people.

2. And this hath another consequent Evil, in that it induceth, and in a sort in∣forceth the poor to imitate them, and to live by deceit, doing that also swinishly, which the other do in pride and bravery: All which is convinced of great mad∣ness, considering the shortness and uncertainty of the present time, the great strict solemn Judgment day, and the Eternity of the Life to come, on the brink whereof we stand, ready to enter unconceivable happiness by the narrow way, or intolerable misery and shame by the broad way. Yet this Chapter concludes that a sincere Christian doth not here wholly know himself, seeing comparatively nothing but his vices, for his Sanctity Christ hideth under his Cross.

CHAP. XVI. Of praying and fasting, what praying its power, use, benefit and preparation to God's Kingdom is.

1. THE earnest restless hunger and thirst of Man's Spirit after the meek rest of Divine Love, from the Property of the driver, being so impetuous, that the Morning calleth to the Evening, the Night to the Day, and one Day to another panting, when will the refreshment come? Sheweth whence Man came, and how greatly he is strayed, having no place of rest till he be driven back to his still Eternal Mother (the Eternal Nature) for here the driver taketh him by the very throat; & he lieth as one among the slain in a great Battle, who dares not lift up his head for fear of the cruel overflowing Conquerors, or as one surrounded with malicious Foes, who all strike at him to murther him; or as one fallen into a deep Pit, hoping for help only from above, or as one fallen into a deep Sea swimming, yet seeing no shoar, sigheth for help from Heaven.

2. So is it with Man's Soul, for if the Soul search its own flesh, blood, marrow and bones, they are Enemies incompassing and captivating it; the Spirit of this World suppresseth it, and would, like a Sea, drown it, by pampering the Bestial Life; the Devil also, as a cruel proud Enemy, draweth it into the fierce aking Abyss, striking at it with hellish anguish and despair.

3. Then, if it will be saved, its Will must depart from the outward, and from its own thoughts and mind into God's mercy; for the Word that made Man's Soul became Man, and his holy Humanity the flesh of the Eternal Word his food, his blood also the Water of Eternal Life is as a pu••e new Body, and this Word was a meek, pure, desirous Love, and then the Holy Ghost leads it out of Prison from the Battle of the driver, cooling its flames, and the Soul becomes an humble Child.

4. When the whole man resolves into a Will of leaving every Evil, and seeking God with the whole heart, he is received as Daniel, when he began to set himself to pray, and chasten himself, the command came forth. But the Life is from within, as when Christ raised Lazarus by a power from within from the Centre

of the Soul, as so also shall we be raised at last; for the Word with the three Principles dwells in us. And all Souls are as it were one Soul, being all propagated of one Soul, therefore will they all hear the Voice of the Human Soul of Christ, and arise with their Bodies.

5. So when we pray, it is not to a God afar off, for God heareth in the Centre of the Soul of the repenting sinner, pressing out of the anguish of the first Prin∣ciple, and out of the Spirit of this World into the holy second Principle, which is also in the Soul; for when we pray aright, the Word which became Man, having the Holy Ghost in it, goeth from the Father, and meeteth the pouring out Soul; for the Body is not worthy, but the new Body of the flesh of Christ (when the Soul attains it) is the Temple of the Holy Ghost. Then comes the Soul to God as the Prodigal Son, with an humble, submissive, obedient Will, from the Swine: He knocks at his evil heart, and breaks open the doors, and the Father saith, This my Son was lost, and is found, was dead, and is alive.

The latter part of this Chapter is not extracted, being a brief Exposition of the Lord's Prayer, according to the Language of Nature, which is little known.

CHAP. XVII. Concerning God's Blessing in this World.

1. THE Soul finds it self in such an Earthy Garment, causing shame, and is so choaked by the Devils smoky Pit, which represents God a cruel severe Judge, that stands at a catch to damn it, or decreed its eternal perdition before the present World was; that the Soul must needs be under total despair, or great doubt (at least) of falling short of the Light of God; for such is the Effect of shame and guilt. Therefore the Soul by this misunderstanding starts back, seeking some satisfaction from the Spirit of this World, and support for the out∣ward Life only (or chiefly) to be had by its own distrustf•••• ••arking and toiling in his own contrivances and subtle reason; a consequent of the Curse; whence so many potent delusions spring, for he thus falls home to the Earthy Life for meat, clothing and habitation.

2. And this is contrary to the Life Man should have led; for as God dwelleth in the Earth, yet the Earth apprehendeth him not; so Man should with the Soul have eaten the Divine Word of God's Love, tho' the Body had been of the Matrix of the Earth, yet not captivated in it, but eating of the Blessing of God. The Body was taken out of the Centre of the Fire and Waters Tincture, the Soul out of the second Principle, why then should the Body captivate the Soul?

3. The Outward Life consists in three parts, one in the dominion of the Stars, another in the one Element divided into four, and the other the dominion of God. So that the Man who trusteth in God, and not in his Reason, the Spirit of God is with him, blessing what he is, hath and doth: For seeing the Soul hath the Body of God, how can God's Spirit forsake the outward Body, which must open its Wonders; God wants none, and all are alike profitable to him, the politick and the weak; for with the outwardly wise he ruleth, and with the outwardly simple he tilleth, buildeth, &c. and this Worlds outward Spirit gives degrees to men here; so according as the Soul is indued with Divine Power, such are the degrees in Heaven, yet all in one Love; but God's Children are in this and that World as Good Herbs and sweet Flowers, which yield their several Vertues in harmony to the Apothecary, and the wicked are as poisonous Weeds, Thorns and Thistles, who separate themselves and their Off-spring into an evil Self-will and Property.

4. Covetousness is madness, driving Man (Devil like) to Torment, others about a handful of Earth or a Stone, of which the World hath enough, and plague him∣self, to get the Good of that he must speedily leave, and the gnawing guilt which will never leave him. This Man still runneth after that Care and Sorrow, which runneth after him, whereas every one, if content, hath a sufficient Portion from the Spirit of this World; and of Care and Sorrow also, as saith the Lord, Sufficient for the day is the Evil thereof. But Man's mad Will is all to advance Pride; whereas the Kingdom of God is Love and Humility, and if Man suffers not himself to be captivated) Heaven and Earth is his by God's free Donation, so not only Heaven, but the Sun, Stars, Elements, Earth, Sea and all is Man's by Natural Propriety. To trust therefore in God, is to build sure in Heaven and Earth.

CHAP. XVIII. Of Death and Dying. How Man is when he Dieth, and how it is with him in Death.

1. THE Life consisteth in three Parts; 1. The Inward which is God's Eternal hidden Mystery in the Fire, whence Life existeth. 2. The Middle or Eter∣nal Image of God, wherein God seeth himself as a Man doth himself in a Glass. 3. The Spirit of the great World which this Eternal Image got in the Crea∣tion as a Glass to see it self in; so the out-principle figures the inward, and the inward Image hath so gazed on the outward, as that it hath received the outward, which must break off again, which because it is bound to the Eternal Centre of Nature, therefore is the breaking in Death so very painful.

2. The outward consisteth in the Sun's Tincture and its Dominion are the Pla∣nets and Stars, each of which still drive on to its Limits, and when it comes again to its place where it stood in the Creation, all whereof it was Lord ceaseth, for there it commenceth a new Age, whence many a young Child in the Womb dieth; for its Lord is at its Period. And to hit the Point of our limited End, it is required to know exactly the Number and Period of the Sign which is our Leader.

3. How hardly can the Living Man express how it is with one that is Dead, which himself hath not experimented? A Dead Man's sence is ceased with ex∣tinguishing his Fire, his Elementary Spirit evaporateth, his Blood and Water pass into Water and Earth, also therewith his Essences, thus his Beginning finds End. But because the corruptible hath an Eternal Root, therefore the Eternal worketh in the Fragile, and because the outward Imageth the Eternal, it should bring its Wonders and Similitudes into the Eternal, whence it is originated.

4. The Souls Will worketh in the Centre or Eternal Root, the Astral Spirit works in the Body, adhering so to the Soul, that the Soul often lusteth to do what the Starry Spirit doth; and such Souls who get no higher fall into Cove∣tousness, Pride, Envy and Anger, whence if they convert not in those very works, must the Soul Eternally dwell, doing the Devils Will, hating God, loving Folly, which was here and is there their only Treasure: but only in the time of the Body, hath the Souls Will-ability to withdraw thence, and turn into the Meekness and the Holy Will, where, with the Water of Eternal Life the Fire is quenched, and the Soul hath Ability through Jesus Christ to draw by a renewed Will out from the Evil Lusts, but those Souls, who at deceasing of the Body, even then enter into the Will of God having little of the Heavenly Substantiality, do lye in rest in great Humility in the Delight of Paradise, or the one Element, but not in the Majesty, in hope of farther increase of Heavenly Light at Christ's great ap∣pearing.

5. But the Zealous Souls who here did put on the Body of God, and were Obedient under the Cross in Righteousness and Truth, their Works in their strong Will follow them; so great is their Glory, Power, Might and Majesty, as no Tongue can express, they are God's Children, his Wonder, Power, Strength, Vertue, Love, Praise and Glory, all whatsoever the Will desireth, is there in full Perfe∣ction and Eternal Power. God's Kingdom consists in Power to conceive of which must be brought a Heavenly Mind, to such God's Spirit will shew the Hea∣venly Substance; for it is much easier for the enlightened, to see the Heavenly Substance, than the Earthy.

6. The Soul dwelleth not in the outward Spirit, but is thereby hindred from exercise of its Natural Principle which is the Eternal, so is it that Antichrist puts Holiness in that which comes in at Peoples Ears in Sermons, which often coming from an Hypocritical Ground, covereth the Soul that it enters not into it self, and bring the outward into Obedience of the inward, by forsaking Sin and Hypo∣crisie: but rest in a conjectural Knowledge as of Matter without Spirit. Tis true, if an Evil Man speaks God's Words, he that is of God hearing, hears God's Word, but the wrathful or otherwise Evil Spirit in Man, is not appeased or amended by its like, for he is not thereby awakened.

Notes

• Mare.
• (v. 42.)