CHAPTER I.

HEre in the first place wee must suppose that nothing can appeare about the sight of the Image of God, but that it is much more truely in the sight [Page 2]or vision of God for God which is the height of all perfection, and greater then can bee thought is called [...] in the Greek because he sees and beholds all things.

Therefore if a painted face can appeare in an Image, as if it look­ed upon all things, and every thing at once, certainely this be­ing of the perfection of sight can­not lesse truely agree unto the truth, than it doth apparently to the Image or appearance: For if one sight bee in us more sharpe and quick than another, and scarse discerning the things that are neer, and another discerning the things that are far off, and reach­ing the object quickly, and ano­ther slowly, there can be no doubt but that the absolute sight (from which is, all the sight of things that see excells all the sharpnes, swiftnesse, and strength of a [...]l that actually doe see, or that can bee made to see.

For if I looke to sight in the abstract which I have in my mind free from all eyes and Organs, and consider how that abstracted sight in his contracted being, namely as they that see, doe see by that sight is contracted unto time to the severall parts of clymates of the world, to singular and indivi­tuall objects; & to all other such like conditions, and that sight in the abstract is on the other side as much drawne away, freed, acquit­ed, and absolved from those con­ditions. Then I very well under­stand that it is not of the essence of sight to respect or looke upon one object more then another, al­though it inseparable accompany sight, in the contracted being thereof, that whilst it looks upon one thing it cannot looke upon another, or absolutely upon all things. But God as he is the true uncontracted sight or seeing is [Page 4]not lesse than may by the under­standing be conceived of the ab­stract sight, but beyond all propor­tions, more perfect, wherefore the appearance of sight in the Picture cannot so well as the conceipt ap­proach or come neere the height of the excellency of absolute vi­sion or sight, and consequently it is no whit to be doubted, but that whatsoever appeares in that Image is excellently and perfectly in the absolute sight.

CHAP. 2.

NOw thou must after these things understand that sight is varied in things that see, accor­ding to the varietie of the con­traction thereof for our sight fol­loweth the affections of the Or­gans and the minde, therefore [Page 5]some one man looke now loving­ly and chearfully, by and by sadly and angerly, one while childishly, then manly, afterwards seriously, and agedly. But sight freed from all, contraction doth at once and altogether comprehend all and every manner of seeing, as being the most adequate measure and true examplar of all sight: for without absolute sight, there can be no contracted sight, and abso­lute sight comprehends in it selfe all manners of seeing, and so also that every one and yet remaines utterly free and absolute from all varietie, for in absolute sight are all the manners of contradictions of seeing uncontractedly; For every contradiction is in the ab­solute, for absolute sight is a con­tradiction; of contradictions it being an incontractible contra­diction; Therfore a most simple con [...]raction Covieides, or is the [Page 6]same with an absolute, And with­out contraction no thing is con­tracted, so absolute vision or see­ing is in every sight, because eve­ry contracted seeing is by it, and cannot be at all without it.

CHAP. 3.

ENter next into a serious con­sideration how all things that are said or affirmed of God can­not really differ, because o [...] the highest and most perfect simplici­tie of him thought we in diverse respects ascribe divers names and Attributes unto him; But God being the absolute reasons; or be­ing of all formall reasons compli­cateth, or foldeth up in himselfe all reasons; whereupon we attri­bute [Page 7]unto God seeing, hearing, tasting, smelling touching, sence, reason, and understanding and such like, according to the seve­rall reasons of the signification of every word, yet in him seeing is not another distinct thing from hearing, tasting, touching smel­ling, and understanding, and so all Divinity is said to be put in a cir­cle, because one of his Attributes is affirmed of another. And for God to have a thing is for him to be that thing, or his having is his being his moving is his standing, his running is his resting, and in like manner all his other Attri­butes, so that although we ascribe unto him, moving in one respect, and standing in another, yet be­cause hee is the absolute reason in which all alterity or othernesse is unitie or onenesse, and all diver­sitie is Ioencitie or selfe same­nesse: Therefore that diversitie [Page 8]of reasons or formality (as wee conceive diversity, which is not Identity it selfe) cannot bee in God.

CHAP. 4.

VNto the Image of God ap­proach thou now my Bro­ther, that givest thy selfe to con­templation. And first place thy selfe in the East, then in the South and lastly in the West. And because the sight or eye of the Picture looks upon thee every where a like, & forsakes thee not whethersoever thou goest, thou shalt be thereby stirred up unto speculation and provoked to say.

Lord, in this Image of thee doe I now behold thy providence by a certaine sencible experience, [Page 9]for if thou forsakest not mee who am the most base and vile of a [...]l things, certainely thou wilt ne­ver be wanting to any thing. For so art thou present to all things, and every thing as unto all things and every thing is present to that being without which they can­not be, and so art thou the abso­lute being of all things, present to each thing, as if thou tookest no care for any thing else. And this comes to passe because there is nothing but prefers its owne being before any thing else, and the manner of its being to all o­ther manners of being and so de­fends its owne being, that it had rather the being of all other things should goe to ruine and distruction than its owne. For so dost thou O Lord looke upon every thing that is, that it cannot be conceived by all, that is, that thou hast any care other then [Page 10]that that only thing might be in the best manner that it can pos­sibly be, and that all other things that are may serve only to the in­tent that that which thou lookest upon may be after the best man­ner.

Thou O Lord dost not suffer me by any imagination to con­ceive that thou lovest any thing else besides mee more than my selfe seeing thine eye is never of from me alone, And because there the eye is where the love is, there­fore do I finde thou lovest mee, because thine eyes are alwayes most attentively upon me thy servant.

Lord thy seeing is loving, con­sequently as thy sight regardes and lookes upon mee, so atten­tively that it never turnes it selfe from me so thy ove; And be­cause thy love is alwayes with mee, and thy love is no other [Page 11]thing then thy selfe that lovest mee, therefore thou art alwayes with mee. Lo [...]d thou forsakest me not, thou preferrest me on e­very side, as taking most dilligent care of me; Thy being O Lord forsakes not my being, who am only so far forth as thou art with me: And thy seeing being thy being, therefore I am because thou lookest upon me, And if thou hide thy countenance from me, I shall not subsist. But I know that thy seeing is that greatest goodnesse which cannot but com­municate it selfe to every thing capable. Therefore canst thou ne­ver forsake me as long as J am capable of thee. To me then it belongs as much as J can to be­come more and more capable of thee continually: And I know the capacity which makes a uni­on is nothing but likenesse, and all incapacity proceeds from un­likenesse

If I therefore make my selfe by all possible meanes like to thy Goodnesse, according to the de­grees of likenesse I shall be ca­pable of the truth, thou hast gi­ven me O Lord a being, and that such a one as may continually make it selfe more capable of thy goodnesse, and this power which I have from thee wherein I hould the lively Image of the power of thy omnipotency, is that free will by which I may either en­large or restraine the capacity of thy grace, enlarge it I say by con­formaty when I strive to be good because thou art good, just be­cause thou art just, and mercifull, because thou art mercifull when all my endeavour is turned to nothing but thee, because all thy endeavour is turned to me, when I looke most attentively to thee alone, and never turne away the eyes of my minde, because thou [Page 13]embracest me with contin [...]all sight, when I turne my love to thee alone, who being love, art turned to me a lone.

And Lord what is my life, but those embraces whereby the sweetnesse of the love doth so a­morously compasse me, I love my life exceedingly, because thou art the sweetnesse of my life.

I now behold as in a Glasse in an Image, in a shadow eternall life because it is nothing els but that blessed vision whereby thou never ceasest to see and looke upon me most lovingly, even to the in most of my soule. And thy seeing is or in thee to see is no­thing else but to quicken mee continually to send unto me the most sweet love of thee, by the sending of that love to inflame me to the love of thee, by infla­ming to feed me, by feeding mee to set my desires on fire, by fire­ing [Page 14]my desires to give them drink of the dew of gladnesse, and by giving them drinke to send unto me a fountaine of Water, and by sending that to increase and per­petuate it, and to communicate this immortallity, to give mee the never fading glory of this heavenly, high and greatest King­dome, and to make me partaker of that inheritance which is only thy sonnes, and to appoint me a, possession of that eternall felicity where there is the Garden of all delights that can be desired than which there can nothing better either be devised by Man or Angell or be by any manner of being, for it is the absolute great­nesse of every rationall desire, than which a greater cannot be.

CHAP. 5.

EVer infinite is the multitude of thy sweetnesse which thou hast laid up for them that love thee, for it is an inexplicable trea­sure of gladnesse most full of joy, To tast that thy sweetnesse is by an experimentall touch to appre­hend and to lay hold upon the sweetnesse of all di [...]ectable things in their principall or beginning. It is to reach or attaine unto the reason and formallity of all de­sirable things in thy wisdome, to see therefore the absolute reason or formality which is the reason [...]formality of all things, is no­thing els but to tast thee O God, in the minde because thou art [Page 16]sweetnesse it selfe, the being of life and understanding.

Thy seeing O Lord what is it other when thou lookest upon me with the eye of pitty, then that thou art seene by me? In seeing mee thou givest thy selfe to be seene by me which art a hidden, an invisible God. No man can see thee but as farre forth as thou gi­vest thy selfe to be seene; neither is thy being seene any thing else but that thou seest him that seeth thee.

I see in this thy Image, how prone and ready thou art O Lord to shew thy face to all that seeke thee, for thou never shuttest thine eyes, nor never turnest them any other way▪ And al­though I turne my selfe away from thee when I turne my selfe wholly to any other thing; yet for all this thou changest not thy [...]ye [...]or thy c [...]untenance.

If thou do looke upon me with the eye of grace. I am the cause thereof, because I am divided from thee by turning my selfe to some other thing which J prefer before thee, yet dost not thou for all this wholly turne thy selfe from me, but thy mercy follow­eth me, if at my time I would returne to thee that I may be ca­pable of grace.

For that thou lookest not up­on me, is because I looke not up­on thee, but refuse and contemne thee.

O infinite pietie, how unhappy is every sinner that forsaketh thee the fountaine of Life, and seek­eth not thee in thy selfe but in that which in it selfe is nothing, and so had still been if thou hadst not called it out of nothing? How mad is he who seeketh thee that art goodnesse, and whilst hee seeketh thee goeth back from [Page 18]thee, and turnes away his eyes for every one that seeks, seekes nothing but good, and hee that seeketh good, and goes back from thee, goes back from that which he seekes.

Therefore every sinner goes a­stray from thee, and wanders far­ther off, but when hee returnes to thee thou without delay mee­test him, and before [...]ee lookes back to thee, thou with a Father­ly affection casteth upon him the eyes of thy mercy, neither is thy mercy any thing but thy seeing. Therefore thy mercy followeth every man as long as hee liveth whethersoever he goeth, as thy sight never forsakes any man. And as long as a man lives thou ceasest not to follow him and by sweet and internall admonitions to stirre him up to cease from his errors, and to be turned to thee that hee may live happily. Thou [Page 19]Lord art the Companion of my pilgramage whithersoever I goe, thy eyes are alwayes upon mee, And thy seeing is thy moving, therefore thou art moved with me, and ceasest not from motion as long as I am moved. If I rest, thou art with me also, if I ascend thou assendest if I descend thou discendest, whithersoever I turne my selfe thou art present.

Neither dost: thou forsake me in the time of tribulation, as oft as I call upon thee thou art neere for to call upon thee is to turne my selfe to thee, and thou canst not be wanting to him that turns himselfe to thee, neither can any man be turned to thee except first thou be present, for except thou wert present and diddest sol­licit me. I should not know thee at a [...]l, and then how should I be turned to thee whom I did not [Page 20]know: Thou art therefore my God that seest all things, And for thee to see is to worke, therefore thou workest all things, Not un­to us, therefore O Lord not unto us, but unto thy great name which is [...]; doe I sing eternall glor­rie, for I have nothing that thou dost not give, neither could I hold that which thou givest except thou thy selfe didest keep it, thou therfore ministrest all things un­to me, thou art the Lord power­full, and pitifull, which givest all things, thou takest care of all things, thou art the dispencer that dispencest, thou preservest all things, And all these things dost thou which art blessed for ever­more, work by thy only and most simple sight and beholding.

CHAP. 6.

RIght gratious Lord and God, the longer I looke upon the countenance, the more sharply it doth seeme unto mee that thou bendest the edge of thine eyes towards mee. And thy looking upon me makes me consider how this Image of thy face is therfore thus sensibly figurd, because a face could not be painted without co­lour nor is colour without quan­tity: But I see not with those fleshly eyes that beholds this thy Picture, but with the eyes of my minde, and understanding the in­evitable truth of thy face which is here represented by a contracted shadow, which true face of thine is free from all contraction, for it [Page 22]is neither subject to quantity nor qualitie, nor time nor place being the absolute forme which is the face of faces.

When I consider therfore how that face is the truth and most ad­equate measure of all faces, I am amazed at it for the face which is the truth of all faces is not sub­ject to quantitie, therefore nei­ther greater nor lesse, yet it is not equall to any one because it hath no quantity, but is absolute and superexalted. It is therefore the truth, which is equality exempt from all quantity. So therefore, I comprehend that thy face, O Lord goes before every face for­mable and is the exemplaty truth of all faces, and that all faces are the Images of thy incontractible and imparticipable face.

Therefore every face that can behold thy face sees nothing o­ther or diverse from it selfe, be­cause [Page 23]cause it sees its own truth, or the truth of it selfe. Now the exem­plar tru [...]h cannot bee other or di­verse, but those things are acci­dents to the Image in as much as it is not the true examplar; As therefore whilst I look upon this painted face from the East, it ap­peares to looke upon mee, so also, And in like manner if from the West or South, it seemes accor­dingly to looke upon me, And howsoever I change my face or posture, the face seemes still to be turned towards mee; So is thy face turned to all the faces that behold thee.

Thy sight O'Lord is thy face he therefore that beholdeth thee with an amyable face shall finde no other, but that thy face looks aymeably upon him, and how much more aymeably he shall stu­die to looke upon thee so much more aymeably shall he finde thy [Page 24]face towards him: Hee that shall look upon thee angerly shal like­wise finde thy face such towards him, and so hee that lookes upon thee cheerfully. For as this flesh­ly eye looking through a Redde Glasse, or Greene Glasse, thinke all it sees of the same colour so every eye of the minde that is muffled up in contraction, and passion, judgeth thee that art the object of the mind according to the nature of contraction, and passion; Man can judge but like a man, for when a man Attributs a face unto thee, he seekes not for it, out of the (latitude of the) spe­cies or nature of men because his judgement is contracted within beneath humane nature, and so in judging exceeds not the passion of this contraction: So if a Lion should ascribe thee a face, hee would give thee none but a Lions face, an Oxe an Oxes, an Eagle, an Eagles.

O Lord how admirable is thy face, which if a young man should conceive, he would imagine it young, if an old man, aged, if a man manly, who could conceive this only examplar or patterne of all faces most true, and most ad­equate to be so of all faces, as that it is, neverthelesse of every one, and so perfectly of every one, as if it were so of none other, cer­tainly he must needs out goe and passe beyond all formes and fi­gures of all formable faces; And how could hee conceive a face, when he must transcend all faces, and all likenesse, and figures of all faces, and al conceptions that can be made of a face, and all Colour, Ornament, and beauty of all fa­ces; Therefore who so faine would see thy face, as long as hee con­ceives any thing at all is farre from the sight of it, for every pos­sible conception of a face is lesse [Page 26]then thy face, O Lord, and every beauty and fairenesse which can be imagined is lesse than thy beauty, every other face hath beauty, but is not beauty it selfe, but thy face O Lord hath beauty, and this having, it is to be it, there fore it is absolute beauty, which is the forme that gives, being to every beauteous forme.

O face most comely, whose bu­ty, all things that hath the happi­nesse to see it are not sufficient to admire. In all faces is the face of all faces seene, but under a veile or covering, & in a dark shadow, but revealed not, it is not seene untill above all faces, we enter in­to a secret and hidden silence, where there is neither know­ledge nor conception of a face, for this Mist Cloud, Darknesse, or ignorance, into which the see­ker of thy face enters when hee surmounts all knowledge, and [Page 27]conception is that beneath which the face cannot be seene, other­wise then under a veile, but the mist it selfe reveals that there is thy face above all veiles or Cove­rings. As our eye, whiles it seeks to see the light of the Sun which is the face thereof, first it beholds it under a veile or Coverture in the Stars in Colours, and in all things that partake the light thereof, but when it strives to see it revealedly, and manifestly, it transcends all visible light because all such is lesse than that which he seeketh, but because hee would faine see the light which hee can­not see, hee knowes this, that as long as hee sees any thing, it is not that which he would see, and consequently he must go beyond all visible light, & hee that would so transcend all light that may be seene, must of necessity enter in­to that which wants visible light [Page 28]which to the eye is (that I may so say) darknesse and when hee is in that darkenesse or mist, then if hee know himselfe to be in the mist, he knowes himselfe now to be come to the face of the Sunne, for from the Excellency of the light of the sun doth that darknes and mist in the eye proceed, and by how much he knowes the darknesse to be greater, so much more truely doth hee in that mist attaine to the invisible light, so O Lord and no otherwise do I see the unaproachable light, beau­ty and shining of thy face may be without veile or shadow approa­ched unto.

CHAP. 7

ADmirable is that sweetnesse wherewith thou▪ now fee­dest my Soule O Lord, and so great that it must needs helpe it selfe by all meanes possible as well with those things whereof it hath experience in this world, as by those most acceptable similitudes which thou inspirest. For because thou O Lord art that power and beginning from whence althings, and thy face, that power and be­ginning from whence all faces are, that which they are. There­fore I turne my selfe to this great & taull Nut-Tree, and seek to see the principle or first beginning thereof, and I see with my sen­sible [Page 30]eye, that it is great tal, broad spread, Coloured, loaden with boughs, leaves, and Nutts. Then by the eyes of my minde, I see that that Tree was once in the seeds, yet not as I now behold it, but virtually or in power, I dili­gently consider the wonderfull vertue of that seed▪ in which this whole Tree, and all the nutts, and all the power and vertue of the seed of those Nutts, and all the Trees that are potentially in the vertue of the seedes of those nuts have bin, and I see that that power is not, nor ever wil be in any time that can be measured by the mo­tion of Heaven fully explicable, yet that power of the seed though inexplicable is but contracted, because it hath no power other than in this particular speces or kinde of Nutts.

Wherefore though I see the Tree in the seed, I see it only in [Page 31]the contracted power thereof, then doe I consider O Lord the seminarie vertue of all the Trees of divers speces, or sorts con­tracted unto every several speces, and in those very seeds, I see the Trees in power. If therefore I would see the absolute or ab­stracted vertue and power of all the vertues of those seeds; what the vertue is and what the prin­ciple or beginning that gives ver­tue to all seeds, I must of neces­sity goe beyond all seminall vir­tue which can be known or con­ceived and enter into that igno­rance, wherein there remaines nothing at all of the seminall ver­tue or vigour, and then in that mist I finde a most stupendious power & which no power which can be taught or imagined can approach unto which as the be­ginning, giving us being to every vertue and power seminall, and [Page 32]not seminall, which absolute and super exalted vertue and power, seeing it gives to every seminall vertue, such power as complicates and foulds up in it selfe potenti­ally, the Tree and all things re­quired to a sencible Tree, and which follow the being thereof, certainly then that beginning, and cause must as a Cause have complicitly and absolutly in it selfe, whatsoever it gives to the effect thereof, and so I see that that virtue and power is the face or Patterne of every arborall face and of every Tree where I see that Nut-tree not in its contracted seminall vertue, and power, but as in the Cause and making power of that seminall virtue. And consequently I see the Tree to be a certaine explica­tion of the seminall power, and the seed a certaine explication of the Almighty power, And I see [Page 33]that as the tree in the seed is not the tree, but the power of the seed, and that the power of the seed, is it out of which the Tree is explicated or unsolded, so that there is nothing to be found in the Tree which proceeds not from the vertue of the seed so the seminall vertue and power in its cause, which is the power of powers, is not the seminal power, but absolute power. And so is the Tree in thee my God, thy selfe my God, & in thee is it the truth and exemplar or patterne of its owne selfe, likewise, also the seed of the Tree in thee is the truth and patterne of it selfe both tree and seed, thou O God art the truth the patterne or exemplar, and that power of the seed which is contracted is the power of the nature of the speces, or fort which is contracted to the speces, and is in it as a contracted beginning [Page 34]But thou O my God art absolute power, and therefore the nature of all natures.

O God whither hast thou brought me that I should see thy absolute face, to bee the naturall face of all nature, the face which is the absolute Entitie of all be­ing, the art and knowledge of e­very thing knowable. He there­fore that sees thy face, sees all things openly, and there is no­thing hid unto him, He know­eth all things, he hath all things, O Lord which hath thee, he hath all things that seeth thee, for no man seeth thee, but hee that hath thee, no man commeth to thee, because thou art unapproachable, no man therefore can take thee, except thou give thy selfe unto him, how have I thee O Lord that am not worthy to appeare in thy sight? How can my prayer come unto thee, that art by any meanes [Page 35]unapproachable? How shall I de­sire thee for what is more absurd then to desire that thou who art all things in all things shouldst give thy selfe unto me, and how wilt thou give thy selfe unto me, unlesse thou give thy selfe with all Heaven, and Earth, and all things which are in them.

Nay how with thou give thy selfe unto me, except thou give give thy selfe unto me, and while I thus rest in the silence of Con­templation, thou O Lord answe­rest within my heart, saying be thou thine owne, and J will be thine owne.

O Lord the sweetnesse of all sweetnesse, thou hast placed mee in my Liherty, that I may if I will be mine owne; Hereupon if I he not mine owne, thou art not mine, for then shouldest thou ne­cessitate libearty, seeing thou canst not be mine, except I be mine [Page 36]owne. And because thou hast put this in my liberty, therefore dost thou not necessitate but expect that I should choose to be mine owne the fault therefore is in me, not in thee O Lord, which con­tractest not thy greatest goodnes, but powrest it out most plentiful­ly upon all that are capable. And thou O Lord art my goodnesse, and how shall I bee mine owne, except thou O Lord shalt teach mee. But this thou teachest me, that sence should obey reason, and reason beare rule. If there­fore sence obey reason, I am mine owne, yet hath reason nothing to direct her, but thee O Lord which art the word and the reason of reasons.

Whereupon I now see that if I heare thy word which ceaseth not to speake within me and which shineth continually in rea­son, I shall be mine own free, and [Page 37]not the servant of Sin, and thou wilt be mine, and give me the sight of thy face, and then I shall be safe, blessed be thou O God in thy guifts, which only art able to comfort my soule, and to erect and quicken it up unto a hope of attaining and enjoying thee, as thine owne gift, and the infinite treasure of all, desierable things.

CHAP. 8.

REstlesse is my heart O God because thy love hath infla­med it with such a de [...]re that it cannot rest but in thee alone. I began to pray the Lords Prayer, and thou inspiredst me to consi­ [...]er how then art our Father, Thy [Page 38]loving is thy seeing; thy Father­hood is thy seeing which doth so fatherly embrace us all, for we say Our Father; for thou art the universall and singular Father: And every one saying our Father, implyes that thy Fatherly love comprehends thy Sonnes, all and every one for a Father so loves all his Children, that he loves, eve­ry one, because he is the Father of all, as well as of every one, and loves every one of his Sonnes so that every one thinks, himselfe preferred before all the rest.

If therefore thou act a Father, and Our Father, surely the love of a Father to his Sonne preven­teth the love of a Sonne to his Father as long as we are thy sons and looke upon thee as soones, thou ceasest not to looke upon us as a Father, therefore thou sha [...]t be our fatherly putveyor ha­ving a Fatherly care or us, Thy seeing is thy providence.

If we thy sounes do abdicate thee Our Father we cease to be sonnes, nor are we then free sons in our owne power, but we goe into a farre Country, separating our selves from thee, and then we undergoe a grievous slave­ry under a Prince which is Enemy to thee O God: But thou O Father though for the liberty given us as being the sonnes of thee which art liberty it selfe, thou suffer us to goe away and spend our liberty, and best sub­stance after the corrupt desires of our fences, Yet dost thou not forsake us utterly, but art pre­sent continually, solliciting us, speaking in us, and calling us back to returne to thee, ready al­wayes to look upon us with the former fatherly eye, if we return and convert to thee.

O God of pitty look upon me, who being prickt with com­punction [Page 40]for the miserable sla­very of the slippery filthinesse of Swine, where I dyed for hunger, do now returne that I may how­soever it pleaseth thee, be fed in thy house, feed me with thy sight O Lord, and teach me how thy sight sees all that sees, and every thing that may be seen & every Act of seeing, and every seeing power, and every power that may be seene, and every thing that ariseth from them, forthy seeing is causing. Teach me O Lord how at one glance thou de­servest them all together, and se­verally, when I open the Booke to read, I see confusedly the whole lease, and if I will distin­guish every letter and word, I must of necessity turne my selfe particularly to every one in Or­der, I cannot read but one letter after another, and one line after another but thou O Lord lookest upon and readest all the paper to­gether [Page 41]without any delay of time and if two of us read the same thing, one a pace, and the other slowly, thou readest with both, and seemest to read in time, be­cause thou readest with them that read and seest, and readest all things together above time.

Thy seeing is thy reading, thou from eternity hast seene and read together beyond al delay of time, all the Bookes which have beene or may be written, and at the same instant, thou readest them successively with them that do so read them neither dost thou read one thing in eternity, and ano­ther with them that read in time, but being alwayes the same, and after the same manner, because thou art not changeable, being fixed Eternity, and eternity in that it forsakes not, time seems to be moved with time, a thong indeed motion and eternity is rest.

Lord thou seest and hast eyes, thou art therefore an eye, because with thee to have is to be, and for this Cause in thy selfe thou seeft all things, for if in me seeing were the Eye, as it is in thee my God, then could I see all things in my selfe, because the eye is of the nature of Glasse, and a glasse though never so little will figura­tively represent a great Moun­taine, and all things that are in the surface thereof, and so the species of all things are in a glas­ly eye, yet because our sight doth not by meanes of the glasly eye see any thing but that particular whereunto it turnes it selfe, be­cause the power thereof cannot but be particularly determined by the object, therefore it seeth not all things that are contained in the Glasse of the Eye, but thy sight being an Eye, or a living Glasse seeth a l things in it selfe, [Page 43]nay being the Cause of all visible things, therefore it containes, and sees all things in the Cause, and reason of all things that is in it selfe.

Thy eye O Lord proceedeth to all things without turning, our Eye turneth it selfe to the object, because our sight sees by a cor­ner that hath quantity, but the Corner of thy Eye O God hath no quantity, but is infinite being a Circle, nay an infinite Sphere: for thy sight is an Eye of infinite Sphericity or roundnesse, and perfection, it seeth therefore all things round about and above, and below, O how wonderfull is thy sight which is ( [...], [...]) God [...]o all that search for [...] How faire and amiable to all th [...] love thee, How terrible to all that have for saken thee O my God: for thou by thy sight O Lord quick [...]est every spirit, makest glad every [Page 44]one that is blessed, and puttest to flight all sorrow: looke therefore mercifully upon mee and my soule is safe.

CHAP. 9.

DEare Lord, I cannot but wonder how (seeing thou lookest upon all, and every one as this painted Image which I behold, figures out unto me) in thy visive or seeing power, the Vniversall conicides with the singular: But then I wonder that therefore [...]y imagination con­ceives not how this may be done, because it is in my owne visive power that I seeke for thy Vision which is not contracted to a sen­sible [Page 45]Organ as mine is, and ther­fore am I deceived in my judge­ment. Thy seeing O Lord is thy offence. If therefore I looke to humanity which is one and simple in all men, I finde it both in all and every man, And al­though in it selfe it bee neither Easterly, nor Weasterly, nor Southerly, nor Northerly, yet in Easterly men it is in the East, and in the Westerly men in the West, and so though motion and rest be not of the essence of hu­manity, yet it is moved with men that move and resteth with them that rest, and it standeth with them that stand all together at one and the same instant, be­cause whether men move or be not moved whether they sleepe or rest, humanity forsakes not men. Whereupon if this nature of humanity, which is contracted and no where found without [Page 47]men; If I say that be so, that it be not more present to one man than another, and be so perfectly present to one as if it were pre­sent to none other, much more deeply then shall humanity in­contracted (which is the pattern and Idea of this contracted na­ture, and which is as the forme, and the truth of this contracted forme of humanity) never for­sake humanity contracted in the Individualls, for it is the form which gives being unto the for­mall nature it selfe. Therefore cannot the specificall forme be without it, when as by it selfe, it hath no being, for it is from tha [...] which is by it selfe, before which there is none other.

Therefore that forme which gives being to the species, is an absolute forme, and that art thou O God, which art the former of Heaven; and earth, and all things.

When therefore I looke to the contracted humanity, & through that to absolute humanity, that is seeing in the contracted the absolute, as in the effect the cause and in the truth the Patterne; then meetest thou mee my God as the samplar or patterne of all men▪ and man by himselfe that is absolute.

And when likewise in all o­ther species and kindes I turne my selfe to the forme of formes, in all these dost thou occurre, or present thy selfe, as the Idea or Samplar. And because thou art an absolute or most sample-sam­plar or patterne, thou art not compounded of many Samplars, but art one most sample and ab­solute samplar, so that of all and every thing that can be formed, thou art the most true and ade­quat samplar. Therefore thou art the essence of essences▪ giving [Page 48]to contracted essences to be that which they are: for without thee O Lord nothing can be: If then thy essence peirce all things, thy sight must needs do so too, being thy essence.

As therefore none of the things that are, can flye from their proper being, so neither from thy essence, which gives, being to the essence of al things, and so by consequence not from thy sight neither. Therefore thou O Lord seest all thing, and every particular together, and thou art moved withall things that are moved, & standest still with all things that stand still & in asmuch as there are things found which are moved, when other things stand still, therefore thou O Lord standest still, and are moved both at once, for if motion and rest be both found together at the same time, con­tracted [Page 49]in divers things, and no­thing can be besides or without thee, then there is neither mo­tion nor rest without thee, but unto every one of them all art thou present O Lord, together and at once, and to each of them wholly, and yet thou art neither moved nor resteth, because thou art superexalted and absolute or free from all those things which can neither be named or con­ceived. Thou standest therefore, and thou goest, and yet thou neither standest nor goest, and that this painted face shews mee full well, for if I be moved, the face thereof appeareth to be mo­ved, because it forsakes me not: And if whilst I move, another that beholds the face stand, still the countenance likewise forsa­keth not him, but stands still with him that stands. Yet can it not properly agree to an absolute [Page 50]face or sight that is freed from these respects, either to stand or be moved in that it is above all station or motion, in most simple and absolute infinity after or be­neath which infinity, is motion and rest, and opposition, and whatsoever can be said or con­ceived.

Whereupon I finde by expe­rience, how it is necessary for me to enter the mist, and to admitte the covicidence of opposites a­bove all capacity of reason, and there to seek the truth where I meet with▪ impossibility, and a­bove that the nighest intellectu­all ascent, when I shall come to that which is unknowne to eve­ry unde standing, and which eve­ry understanding▪ judgeth far­thest off from truth; there art thou O my God which art abso­lute necessity.

And by how much more that [Page 51]misty impossibility is known to be more dark, and impossible, so much the more doth necessity shine and is the more unvayled­ly present and drawes neere.

Wherefore, I thank thee O my God, because thou shewest mee there is no other way of comming unto thee, but that which seemeth to all men, even the most learned Philosophers utterly unaccessible, and im­possible, because thou hast shewn mee that thou canst not else­where be seene, than when Im­possibility meets and crosses me, And thou O Lord which art the food of strong men, hast anima­ted me to do violence to mine owne selfe, to beleeve, because, Impossibility coincident with necessitate. And so I have found the place where thou wilt revea­ledly be found, which place is in­vironed with Coincidence of [Page 52]Contradictories, which is the wall of that Paradice wherein thou dwellest, whose gate is kept by a most high spirit of reason, and if that be not overcome, the entry will not be opened. Be­yond the Conicideuce of con­tradictories, therefore thou wilt or maiest bee seene, but not on this side of it.

If therefore impossibility bee necessity in thy sight O Lord, then there is nothing that thy sight doth not see.

CHAP. 10.

DRead God, I stand before the image of thy face, which I looke upon with my sencible [Page 53]eyes, and with my ineternall eyes, I labour to behold that truth which is signified in thee, and it comes into my minde O Lord, how thy seeing speakes, for thy speaking is no­thing else but thy sight, being they do not really differ in thee, which art absolute simplicity it selfe. Then I do clearely finde by experience, that thou seest all things together, and every thing severally: for I my selfe when I Preach at one and the same time, speake one word to the whole Church assembled together, and to every one that is amongst them, and in that word which I speake to all, I speak to every one, That which the Church is to mee, that unto thee O Lord is the whole world, and every par­ticular Creature that is or can be, so therefore thou speakest to al, and every one, and those things [Page 54]to which thou speakest, thou seest O Lord, which art the chiefest consolation of all that trust in thee, thou inspirest me to praise thee from the contemplation of my selfe, for thou hast given mee one face as thou pleasest, and that is seene generally, and particu­larly, to all to whom I preach, my owne face is therefore seene by all, and my simple speech is who­ly heard by all and every one, but I cannot distinctly heare all them speaking together, but one after one: nor distinctly see them altogether, but one after one, yet if there were in mee so great power, that hearing and being heard, shold coincident and be all one, and seeing, and being seene, as also speaking, and hea­ring (as in thee O Lord which art the Highest power) then I could both heare and see all at once, and every one in particular [Page 55]by themselves, and as I could speak to every one in particular, at once, so in the same instant, while I speake, I could see and heare the answers of all and eve­ry one. Now then as being pla­ced in the Doore of the coinci­dence of opposites, which the Angell keepeth in the entrance of Paradice, I begin to see thee O Lord for thou art there where to speake, to heare, to see to tast, to touch, to reason, to know, and to understand, are all the same thing, and where seeing coinci­des which being seene and hear­ing with being heard, and tasting with being tasted, and touching, with being touched, and spea­king with hearing, and creating with speaking. If I could see as I am visible or to be seene, I were not a Creature, and if thou O Lord shouldst not see as thou art to be seene, thou wert not God Almighty, thou art Visible unto [Page 56]all Creatures, and seest all for in that thou seest all, thou art seene of all, otherwise they could not be Creatures, because by thy vi­sion they are. And if they should not see thee, seeing they could not take from thee their being; the being of the Creature is thy seeing, and being seene.

Thou speakest by thy word to all things that are, and callest to bring the things that are not, Thou callest therefore that they may heare thee, when they heare thee, then they are, when there­fore thou speakest, thou speakest to all things, and all things to whom thou speakest heare thee. Thou speakest to the Earth, and callest it to humane nature, and the Earth heareth thee, and its hearing is to be made man Thou speakest unto nothing, as if it were something, and nothing heares thee, because it was made something, which was nothing.

O infinite power, thy concei­ving is to speak, thou conceivest Heaven, and it is as thou concea­vest, thou conceivest Earth, and it is as thou conceivest, while thou conceivest, thou seest, and speakest, and workest, and whatso­ever can be said. But how won­derfull art thou O my God, thou speakest once, thou conceivest once, how then art thou althings together, but successively many things, how are so many divers things from one conception, thou enlightnest me that am up­on the Threshould of the Doore, by telling me that thy concepti­on is most simple eternity it selfe and there is nothing can possibly be done after most simple eterni­ty, for infinit duration which is eternity it selfe, includeth, and comprehendeth all suc­cession. Therefore whatsoever appeares unto us in succession, is [Page 58]not after thy conception which is eternity, for thy one and only conception which is thy word, complicates, & infoulds all things, and every perticular, and thy E­ternall word cannot be manifold nor diverse nor variable, nor changeable, because it is simple Eternity.

So I see O Lord, that there is no thing after thy conception, but all things are because thou conceavest them and thou con­ceavest them in Eternitie, and succession in Eternitie, is Eter­nitie it selfe without succession, even thy word O Lord God: Thou hast no sooner conceaved any thing that appeares unto us, temporally than it is: for Eterni­tie in which thou conceavest all temporall succession coincides in the same now or instant of Eter­nitie nothing can there be past or to come, where to come and [Page 59]past coincides with the present; But that things in this world are according to before and after, is because thou didest not before conceave those things that they should bee, if thou hadest sooner conceived them, they had sooner bin, but in whose conception so­ever there can fall first, and later, that hee can first conceave one thing, and after another, hee is not Almighty, but because thou art God Almighty thou art with­in the Walle in Paradice: And that Walle is that Coincidence, where after coincides with be­fore, or latter, with first where the end coincides with the begin­ning, where Alfa and Omega are the same.

Things therefore are alwayes because thou speakest that they may be, and they are not before because thou speakest not before, [Page 60]and when I read that Adam was before so many yeares, and that such a one was borne to day, It seemes to mee unpossible that Adam should bee then, because thou then wouldst, and the other borne to day, because thou now wouldst; And yet thou didst not will Adam to bee sooner, than thou wouldest him that was born to day, but that which seems im­possible is necessity it selfe, for now & then are after or beneathe thy word, Therefore they meete with him that comes to thee in the Wall which invirons the place where thou dwellest in Co­nicidence; For now and then co­nicides in the cirele of the Wall of Paradice: But thou my God art and speakest beyond now and then, which art absolute Eter­nitie.

CHAP. 12.

O My God, I have experi­ence of thy goodnes which art so farre from dispising mee a miserable sinner, That thou on the other side dost sweetly feede me with a certain desire or long­ing, for thou hast inspired into mee a most welcome similitude, as touching the unitie of the mentall word or conception, and the variety therof in those things that appeare successively: For the simple conception of a most per­fect Clock leades me a more fee­ling and savoury sight of thy con­ception and word, for the simple conception of a clocke, compli­cates or wraps up all temporall [Page 62]succession, And put case that a Clocke bee a concep [...]ion, then though we heare the sound of the 6th houre, before the 7th yet the 7th is not heard but when the concep [...]ion commands, nei­ther is 6th sooner in conception, then the 7th or 8th but in the simple conception of a Clocke, there is no houre before or after another, although the Clock ne­ver strike but when the concep­tion bids: And it may be truely said when the Clocke strikes six, that then the Clocke strikes six; because the conception of the Master wil have it so and because a Clock in the conception of God is a conception, it may a little ap­peare how succession in a Clocke is without succession in a word or conception and how in that most simple conception are folded up all motions and founds, and whatsoever we find in succession, [Page 63]and that whatsoever happens suc­cessively doth not by any meanes exceed the conception, but is an explication of the conception be­cause the conception gives being to every thing: And that there­fore nothing is sooner than it comes to passe because it was not sooner conceaved than it might be; Suppose then a conception of a Clocke to be Eternity, and then the motion in the Clocke is to be succession, therefore eterni­tie doth both, infold, and unfold succession, for the conception of a Clock which is Eternity; doth both complicate and explicate all things.

B [...]essed bee thou therefore O Lord my God. which feedest and nourishest me with the milke of similitudes, untill thou give mee stronger meat: Lead me O Lord God by these pathes to thee, for except thou lead me, I shall saint [Page 64]by the way, because of the frail­ty of my corruptible nature, and the foolish Vessell which I beare about mee: I returne againe in conifidence of thy help, O Lord to finde thee beyond the wall of confidence, complication, and explication, and as I goe in and out by this door of thy word and conception, I finde most sweete pasture and foode, when I finde thee explicating thy power, I goe out, when I find thee both com­plicating, and explicating; I goe in and out, I goe in from the Creatures, to thee thou Creator, from the effect to the cause, I go out from the Creator to the crea­tures, from the cause to the effect, I goe both in and out together, when I see how going out is go­ing in, and going in at the same instant going out, As hee that numbreth doth at the same time, both explicate and complicate, ex­plicate [Page 65]the power of unity, and complicate number into unitie. For the creatures going out from thee, is for thee to enter into the Creature, and to explicate is to complicate, And when I see thee God in Paradice, incompassed there within the wall of the coni­fidence of contraries, I see that thou dost neither complicate nor explicate disjunctively nor copu­latively; For disjunction and communion are both a like, the wall of connifidence, beyond which thou art absolute and free from all that can be either said or thought.

CHAP. 12.

CRown of my joy and happi­nesse thou hast appeared un­to me, somtimes as invisible from every creature because thou art a God secret and hidden, and in­finite, and infinite is incompre­hensible by any manner of com­prehension, Then thou appearedst to mee as visible to all things, for every thing is so far forth as thou seest it: and that could not bee in act; except it did see thee, for vision gives being, because it is thy Essence; So thou my God art visible, and invisible thou art, invisible as thou art, and thou art visible as the creature is, which [Page 67]so farre forth is as it sees thee, by every thing that sees, in every thing that may be seene, and in every act of seeing art thou seen, which art invisible, and absolute, and free from all such things, and infinitely superexalted; There­fore O Lord I must leap over the Wall of invisible vision where thou art found; and the Wall is all things, and nothing both to­gether, and thou which meetest or appearest to us as though thou wert all things, and nothing at al both together, dwellest within that high Wall which no wit can by its own power ever be able to climbe.

Sometimes thou appearest un­to mee, so that I imagine thou seest all things in thy selfe, like a living Glasse, in which all things shine, and because thy seeing is thy knowing, then it comes into my minde that thou dost not see [Page 68]also things in thy selfe as in a li­ving Glasse, for then thy know­ledg should arise from the things: Sometimes thou presentest thy selfe to mee, that thou seest all things in thy selfe, as power or vertue, by looking upon it selfe, As the power or possibility of the seed of a Tree, if it should looke into and behold it selfe, would in it selfe see the Tree in power; be­cause the vertue of the seede is potentially the Tree, and then a­gaine, me thinkes that thou dost not see thy selfe, and all things in thy selfe, as power or possibility, for to see a Tree in the power of the vertue, differs from that visi­on by which the Tree is seene in act, and then I finde how thy in­finite vertue or power is beyond all specular and seminall vertue, and beyond the conicidence, ra­diation or reflection of the cause, and also the thing caused, and [Page 69]that that absolute vertue is abso­lute vision, which is perfection it selfe, above all manner of see­ing: for all the manners which explaine the perfection of seeing are without any manners, thy Vision which is thy Essence, O my God.

But suffer most mercifull Lord that I thy vild Creature may yet speake unto thee; If thy seeing be thy creating, and thou seest nothing but thy selfe, but thy selfe art the object of thy selfe, (for thou art both the thing see­ing and the things seene, and the act of seeing, how then dost thou creat other things from thee, for thou seemest to creat thy selfe as thou seest thy selfe, But thou comfortest mee O life of my spi­rit, for although I meet with the wall of absurdity, which is of the Conicidence of creating and be­ing created, as though it were [Page 70]impossible that creating and be­ing created should coincide (for to admit this, seemes to be as if one should affirme, that a thing is before it is, for when it creates it is, and because it is created it is not) yet it hinders not, for thy creating is thy being, neither is it any other things at once to create, and to be created, than to communicate thy being unto all things, that thou maiest bee all things in all things, and yet re­maine absolute from all things, for to call to being things that are not, is to communicate, be­ing to nothing, so to call is to create, to communicate is to bee created. And beyond this Coin­cidence of creating and being created, act thou God absolute and infinite, neither creating nor in possibility of being created, although they are all that they are because thou art.

O thou heights of riches, how incomprehensible art thou, as long as I conceive a Creator, creating, I am yet on this side the wall of Paradice, so as long as I conceive a Creator in possi­bility of being created, I have not yet entred, but am in the wall, but when I see thee as abso­lute infinite, whereunto neither the name of a Creator creating, nor of a Creator in possibility of being created can agree, then I beginne to see thee revealedly, and to enter into the Garden of delights, because thou art no such thing as can be said, or con­ceived, but infinitly and absolutly super-exalted above all such things. Thou art not therfore on­ly a Creator, but infinitly more then a Creator, though with­out thee nothing is done, or can be done: To thee bee praise and glory for ever and ever, Amen.

CHAP. 13.

THou Lord God, thou helpe of them that seeke thee, I see thee in the Garden of Para­dise, and I know not what I see, for I see nothing visible, only this I know, that I know not what I see, nor ever can know it, name thee I cannot, because I know not what thou art; And if any man say thou art named by this or that name, in as much as he nameth thee, I know that it is not thy name, for every terme of the manner of significations of name is a Wall, beyond which I fee thee.

And if any man expresse any conception, by which thou mayst [Page 73]be conceived, I know that con­ception is not the conception of thee, for every conception is ter­minated in the Wall of Paradise, And if any man expresse any si­militude, and say that according thereunto thou art to be con­ceived. I know likewise that si­militude is nor thyne, soe if any man declare any understanding of thee, as though hee would give a meanes to understand thee, this man is yet farre from thee, for from all these, art thou seperated by a most high Wall: This Wall seperates thee from all things that can bee said or thought, for thou art absolute from all things that can fall into any mans conception, Therefore when I am highest of all lifted up, then I see thee infinity, there­fore art thou inaccessible, incom­prehensible, unnameable, unmul­tipliable, and invisible, and so hee [Page 74]that will ascend to thee must get up above every terme and end and things, finite. But how shall he come unto thee, the end whereat hee aimeth, if hee must assend above the end, Hee that mounts up above the end, doth he not enter into that which is indeterminate, and confused and so inregard of the understanding, into ignorance and obscurity, which are intellectuall confusion; The understanding must there­fore become ignorant, and bee placed in the shadow if it would see thee, But O my God what is this ignorance of the understan­ding, is it not a learned igno­rance, therefore canst not thou O God be approached unto, as being infinite, but by him whose understanding, is in ignorance, and namely such a one as knows himselfe to be ignorant of thee, How can the understanding con­ceive [Page 75]thee which art infinitie; The understanding knowes it selfe ignorant, and that thou canst not be conceived, because thou art Infinitie. For to understand Infinitie, is to comprehend that which is incomprehensible.

The understanding knowes it selfe ignorant of thee, because it knows thou canst not be known, unlesse that which is unknowable be known, and the invisible seen, or the inaccessible approached unto. Thou my God art absolute Infinitie, which I see to be an in­finite end, but I can not conceive how an end should bee an end without an end. Thou O God art the end of thy selfe, because thou art whatsoever thou hast, if thou hast an end thou art an end, Thou art therefore an infinite end because thou art the end of thy self, for thy end is thy essence, the essence of the end is not de­termined [Page 76]or limited in another end, but in it selfe, the end there­fore which is the end or bound of it selfe is infinite. And every end which is not the end of it selfe is a finite end, thou O Lord because thou art the bound that boundest all things, therefore art thou the end or bound wher­of there is no end or bound, and so the bound without bound, or infinite bound which passeth all reason, for it foulds a Contra­diction.

When therefore I affirme a boundlesse bound or an infinite end, I admit darknesse to belight, ignorance, knoledge, and that which is impossible to be neces­sary or of necessity; And because we admit that there is a bound of that which is bounded, wee must necessarily admit of an in­finite or last end or bound with­out abound, but we cannot but [Page 77]admit infinite being, therefore we cannot but admit the infinite Consequently we admit the Co­incidence of contraries, above which is the infinite. And that Coincidence is a contradiction without a contradiction, as an end without end.

And thou O Lord saist unto me that as alterity in unity is without alterity, because it is u­nity, so contradiction in Infinitie is without contradiction, because Infinitie. Infinitie is simplicity it selfe, but contradiction cannot be without alterity, yet alterity insimplicity is without alterati­on, because it is simplicity, for all things that are said are affir­med of absolute simplicitie▪ coin­cide or are the same with it, be­cause there to have, is to be, the opposition of opposites, is their opposition without opposition▪ as the end or bond of things infinit [Page 78]is no end or bound without end or bound.

Thou therefore O God art the opposition of opposites, because thou art infinite, and because thou art infinite, thou art infinite it selfe: In infinity is oppo­sition of opposites without oppo­sition.

O Lord my God, the strength of the weake, I see thee to be in­finity it selfe, therefore to thee, there is nothing other or diverse or contrary, and adverse for hee that is infinite doth not suffer with himselfe any alterity, be­cause (being infinity) there is no thing besides or without it, for absolute infinite, includes and invirons all things. Therefore if there were infinite and some­thing besides it, it were not infi­nite nor any thing else, for infi­nite cannot be either greater or lesse, therefore thereis nothing [Page 79]besides or beyond it, for if infi­nitie did not, include within it selfe al being it were not infinite▪ And if there were no infinite, then were there no end or bound nor alteritie, nor diversitie, which without alterity of bands and termes cannot be Infinite, there­fore being taken away, there re­maineth nothing, there is there­fore infinitie, and it complicates all things, as nothing can be be­sides it, and hereupon here is nothing other, or diverse unto it, Infinitie therefore is so all things that it is none of them all.

To Infinity therefore, there can no name agree, for every name may have a contrary, but to unnameable Infinitie, there can be nothing contrary, neither is Infinitie the whole, whereun­to is opposed a part, nor can it be a part, nor can Infinitie be great, [Page 80]or little, nor any thing which can be named, neither in heaven or in earth, above all these is Infini­tie, Infinitie is to nothing either great or lesse or equall.

But while I consider Infinitie neither to be greater nor lesse to any thing imaginable, I say it is the measure of all things being neither greater nor lesse. And so I conceive it the equalitie of be­ing, such an equality is Infinitie, yet is it not so equalitie, as me­quality opposed unto it, but there equalitie is inequalitie, for ine­qualitie in Infinitie is without inequalitie because it is Infinite, so equality in Infinity is infinity, Infinity equality, is an end with­out end; whereupon though it be neither greater nor lesse, yet is it not equality, as contracted equality is understood, but it is infinite equality, which is not capable of more or lesse, and so it [Page 80]is not more equall to one then to another, but so equall to one that to all, and so to all that to none of all, for that which is in­finite is not contractable, but re­maines absolute, if it were con­tractable by Infinity, it were not infinite: It is not therefore con­tractable to the equality of the finite although it be not equall to any thing, for how should in­equality agree with the infinite, whereunto agreeth neither more nor lesse.

Therefore that which is infi­nite, is neither greater nor lesse, nor inequall to any thing ima­ginable, and yet it is not, there­fore equall to that which is infi­nite, because it is above every finite thing, to wit, by it selfe, that which is infinite then is it utter­ly absolute, and incontractable.

How high art thou O Lord a­bove all things and with all how [Page 82]humble, because in all things: If infinitie were contractible to any thing nominable, as a line, or a surface, or a species, or kinde, it would draw to it selfe that whereunto it were contracted, and it implies that the infinitie should bee conttactible, for it should not be contracted, but at­tract; for if I say that the infinite is contracted to a Line, as when I say an infinite Line, then is the Line attracted or drawne to that which is infinitie, for a line cea­seth to be a line when it hath no quantite or end, an infinite line is not a line, but a line in infinite is infinite: And as nothing can be added to that which is infi­nite, so the infinite cannot bee contracted unto any thing, to make it other then infinite, infi­nite goodnesse is not goodnesse but infinite, infinite quantitie is not quantity but infinity, and so in all things.

Thou art a great God of whose greatnesse there is no end; and therefore I see thee, the unmea­surable measure of all things, as the infinite end of all things.

Thou art therefore O Lord without beginning and end, be­cause infinite, thou art the be­ginning without beginning, and the end without end, and so the beginning that the end, and so the end that the b [...]ginning, and neither beginning nor end, but above them both even absolute, Infinitie it selfe blessed for ever­more.

CHAP 14.

O Lord God by the infinit­nesse of thy mercy I see thou art infinitie incompassing all things. There is therefore nothing without thee, but all things in thee, nothing that is another thing from thee: Thou teachest me O Lord how alteri­ty which is not in thee, is not likewise in it selfe, neither can it be, nor doth that alterity which is not in thee, cause that one Crea­ture is different from another, although indeed one be not the other, for the Heaven is not the Earth, though it be true that the Heaven is the Heaven, and the Earth the Earth.

If I therefore seeke for alteri­tie which is neither within thee nor without thee, where shall I finde it, and if there be no such thing, how then is the earth ano­ther Creature then the heavens, for without alteritie this cannot be conceived, but thou speakest in me O Lord and saist that of al­terity there is no positive prin­ciple or beginning, and so it is not for how should alterity be without beginning, except it selfe were a beginning, and Infi­nity; But alterity is not the principle of being, for it is called alterity of not being, for because one thing is not another, there­fore it is called Alterum or a­nother, alterity therefore cannnt be the principle of being, because it is so called from not being, neither hath it principle of being when it is not from be­ing.

Therefore is not alteritie any thing but that Heaven is not Earth, it is because Heaven is not infinite it selfe which containeth all being.

Whereupon because infinitie is absolute infinitie, it comes to passe that one thing cannot bee another.

As the being of Socrates, in­cludeth all the being of Socra­tes, in which simple being of So­crates there is not alterity or di­versity, for the being of Socrates, is the individuall unity of all things that are in Socrates, so that in that one being is complicated the being of all things which are in Socrates, namely in the very individuall simplicitie, where there is nothing found other, or divers: But in that one and only being all things which have any being belonging to Socrates are, and are explicated, and without [Page 87]or besides it, they neither are nor can be, although withall in that most simple being, the eye bee not the eare, nor the head the heart, and the seeing is not hea­rieg, nor sence reason, nor doth this happen out of any principle of alterity, but presupposing the most simple being of Socrates it comes to passe that the head is not the feet, because the head is not the most simple being of So­crates, And therefore the being thereof doth not include the whole being of Socrates.

And so I see (thou O Lord gi­ving me light) that because the simple being of Socrates is alto­gether incommunicable, and un­contractable to the being of any Member whatsoever, therefore the being of one Member is not the being of another▪ but that most simple being of Socrates, is the being of all the Members of [Page 88] Socrates in which all the variety and alteritie of being which is in the Members is simple unity, as the plurality of the formes of the parts is unity in thy forme of the whole, so it is in some sort O God betweene thy being which is absolutly infinity, and all those things that are, absolut­ly I say, as the absolute forme of being of all contracted formes. Thence it is that the hand of So­crates, being separated from his body, though after it be cut off, it be not any more the hand of Socrates, yet it remaines still in some being of Carkasse, and that is because the forme of Socrates which gives being, doth not give being simply, but a con­tracte d being, namely the being of Socrates, from which the be­ing of the hand is separable, and yet may remaine under another forme, but if the hand were once [Page 89]wholly separated from the un­contracted, being which is infi­nite and absolute, it would alto­gether cease to bee, brcause it were then separated from all be­ing.

I thanke thee O Lord my God, who as far as I am able to con­ceave largely, shewest me how thou art Infinitie it selfe, compli­cating and infolding the being of all things in most simpl power which were not infinite, except infinitly united, for power uni­ted is the stronger. Therefore that power which is so united that it cannot be more, is infinite and omnipotent. Thou art God Almighty, because absolute sim­plicity, which is absolute infinity.

CHAP. 15.

REgard thy servant in mercy, Lord, though he be a foole, save from what thou grantest, that he may speak unto thee his God.

I see it this painted face the fi­gure of Infinitie, for the sight is indeterminate either to object or place, and so infinite, for it is not more turned to one then to another of them that looke up­on it, And although the sight thereof be in it selfe infinite, yet it seemes to bee terminated by every one that lookes upon it, because it looks upon every one that lookes upon it so determi­nately, [Page 91]as though it lookes on him alone and nothing else.

Thou seemest therefore unto me O Lord as possibility and be­ing absolute and infinite for­mable and determinable by every forme for me, for we say that the formable possibility of the matter is infinite, because it can never be finished, but thou answerst in mee, O infinite light that abso­lute power, or possibilitie is infi­nity it selfe, which is beyond the Wall of coincidence, where pos­sibility of being made Coincides with possibility of making where power coincides with Act matter although it be in power to infi­nite formes, yet it cannot have them all at once actually, but the power is terminated by one, and that removed by another. If there fore the (posse esse) may be, of the matter should coincide with the Act, it would so be power that it [Page 92]would be act also, and as it was in power to infinite formed, so it would be actually formed infi­nitely. Now Infinitie in act is without alteritie, and it cannot be infinitie, but it must be unitie, There can not therefore be infi­nite formes in Act, but actuall infinity is unity. Thou therefore O God which art infinite it selfe, art thy selfe, one God, in which I see all may be is in act, for possi­bility absolute or free from all power contracted to matter or a­ny passive power whatsoever is absolute being, for whatsoever is in infinite being is the most simple infinite it selfe, so to may be all things in the infinite be­ing is the infinite being it selfe, likewise also actually to bee all things in the infinite is the infi­nite being it selfe; Wherefore the absolute may be, and the ab­solute being in Act in thee my [Page 93]God are nothing but thou my infinite God, thou my God art all may be.

The may be of the matter is materiall, and so contracted, and not absolute, so the sensible and rationall may be is contracted, but to bee altogether uncon­tracted coincides with simply ab­solute, that is infinite.

When therefore thou my God appearest unto me as matter for­mable, because thou receivest the forme of every one that beholds thee, then thou liftest me up to see how he that looks upon thee, doth not give thee forme, but in thee hee beholds himselfe, be­cause from thee hee receives that which hee is. And so what thou seemest to receive from the beholder, that thou givest as be­ing the living glasse of eterni­ty which is the forme of formes; In which glasse whilst one lookes [Page 94]hee sees his owne forme, in the forme of formes, which is the glasse, and judgeth the forme which hee sees in that glas to be the figure of his forme, because it is so in materiall pollist glasse, though the contrary thereof be true, because, that which hee sees in the Glasse of eternity, is not the figure but the truth of that which himselfe (the beholder) is the figure. The figure therefore in thee in God is truth and the samplar or patterne of all and e­very thing that is or may be.

O God which art wonderfull to every understanding, thou see­mest sometimes as if thou wert a shadow, and thou art light, For when I see how according to my Change the sight of thy Picture seemes changed, thy face also seemes changed, because thou appearest to me changed as if thou werst the shadow that fol­loweth [Page 95]the alteration of him that walketh. But because I am the li­ving shadow, and thou the truth, I judge by the change of the sha­dow that the truth is changed. Thou therefore O my God art the shadow, but so that, thou art the truth also, thou art the image of me, and of every thing, but so that thou art the exemplar and patterne also.

O Lord God the enlightner of hearts, my face is a true face, be­cause thou that art the truth hast given it me, My face is also an Image, because it is not the truth it selfe, but the Image of the ab­solute truth, therefore I do com­plicate and infold in my concep­tion the truth and the Image of my face, and I see that in it the Image coincides with the faciall truth, so that in as much as an Image in so much it, it true. And then thou shewed me O Lord, [Page 96]how according to the mutation of my face, thy face is both chan­ged and unchanged, changed be­cause it forsakes not the truth of my face, unchanged because it fol­loweth not the change of the I­mage: Wherefore as thy face forsakes not the truth of my face, so it followes not the changing of an alterable Image, for abso­lute truth is unalterability, the truth of my face is mutable, be­cause it is so, the truth that it is also the Image, but thine is un­changeable, because it is so an I­mage that it is also the truth; Ab­solute Truth cannot forsake the truth of my face, for if it should forsake it my face which is mu­table, truth could not subsist.

So dost thou seeme to mee O God (because of thine infinite goodnesse) immutable, because thou forsakest not the mutable Creature, but because thou art [Page 97]absolute goodnesse thou art not mutable, because thou dost not follow mutability, and thy most performed depth O God that dost not forsake, and withall dost not follow the Creatures: O inexplicable piety that offerest thy self to him that beholds thee, as if thou tookest being from him, and comfortest thy selfe to him that hee may love thee the more, by how more like to him thou art, for we cannot hate our selves, therefore we love that which participates and accom­panies our being, and wee im­brace our likenesse, because we are represented in the Image in which we love our selves.

Thou shewest thy selfe O God as our Creature out of hu­mility of thine infinite good­nesse, that so thou mayst draw us unto thee, for thou dost draw us to thee by all meanes possible, that a free reasonable Creature [Page 98]can be drawne by. And in thee O God Creating Coincides, which being created, for the I­mage which seemes to be Crea­ted by me is the truth that crea­teth mee, that so at length I may understand how much I ought to be bound unto thee, when in thee loving, and being coin­cides, for if I ought to love my selfe in thee my similitude, and then be especially bound unto it when I see thee love mee as thy Creature, and Image, how can­not that father love his sonne, who is so a Sonne, that he is a Father also, And if he be much to be loved which is a sonne in estimation and a father in know­ledge, art not thou most of all which in estimation exceedest a sonne, and in knowledge a Fa­ther.

Thou God wouldest that filiall love should consist in estimation [Page 99]and thou wilt be esteemed liker then a sonne, and be knowne more intimate then a Father, be­cause thou art love, complicating and infolding, aswell filiall, as paternall delection. Be thou therefore which art my sweetest love, my God blessed for ever­more.

CHAP. 16.

O My God the fire ceaseth not to burne, nor more doth the love of desire which is carried towards thee, which art every desirable forme, and that truth which in every desire is de­sired, wherefore since I have be­gun from thy melliflous gift to tast thy incomprehensible [Page 100]sweetnesse, which the more infi­nite it appeares is so much the more welcombe unto me, I see that for this cause thou O God art unknowne to all Creatures that in this most sacred igno­rance, as in an in unmeasurable, and inexhaustible treasure, they may have the greater rest, for much more joyfull is hee that findes such a treasure as hee knowes is utterly innumerable and infinite, then hee that findes such a treasure as is but finite, and may be numbred. Hereupon this most sacred ignorance of thy greatnesse is the most desired and longed for food of my under­standing, especially when I finde such a treasure in my field, and therefore the treasure is mine owne. O fountaine of riches thou wilt bee comprehended in my possession & yet remaine in­comprehensible and infinite, be­cause [Page 101]thou art the treasure of delights, whereof no man can desire an end, how should the ap­petite desire not being, for whe­ther the will desire not being the appetite cannot rest but is ca­ried into Infinitie.

Thou descendest O Lord that thou maist be comprehen­ded, thou remainest inunnume­rable and infinite, and didest thou not remaine infinite thou couldst not be the end of the desire, for the intellectuall desire is not carried to that which can bee greater or more desireable; But every thing on this side, the infi­nite may be greater, therefore the end of the desire is infinite; Thou then O God art infinitie it selfe, which alone I desire in all my desires, and the knowledge whereof I can come no nearer than to know that it is infinite. By how much more incompre­hensible, [Page 102]therefore I may compre­hend thee my God, so much more do I attaine unto thee be­cause I do the more attaine the end of my desire, whatsoever therefore I meete withall that labours not to shew thee in­comprehensible, that I cast away, because it seduceth me.

My desire then is in that which leads me to thee, because it ca­steth away all that is finite and comprehensible, for in these it cannot rest, being by thy selfe led unto thee, as the beginning without beginning, and the end without end. Therefore is my desire led by the eternall begin­ning (from whom it hath that it is a desire) to the end without end and that is infinite; That I therefore a poore man should not be contracted with thee my God, if I had knowne com­prehensible proceeds from [Page 103]hence, because I am led by thee unto thy selfe incomprehensible and infinite.

I see thee O Lord my God in a certaine mentall rapture, be­cause if the sight be not satisfied with seeing▪ nor the Eare with hearing, then much lesse is the understanding with understand­ding: Therefore that which it understandeth, doth not satisfie the understanding, neither is it the end thereof nor can that (on the other side) satisfie it which it understandeth not at all but only that which it understandeth in not understanding, for that intelligible which it knoweth, doth not satisfie nor that which it knoweth doth not satisfie, nor that which it knoweth not all but that which it knowes so intelli­gible, that it can never bee fully understood, that only can satisfy. As hee that hath an insatiable [Page 104]hunger cannot be satisfied with a little meate, nor with that meat (though never so much) that he cannot come at, but only with that meate which hee can both come at, and which though hee continual [...]y swallow, yet can it never be all swallowed, being such as in swallowing is not di­minished because it is infinite.

CHAP. 17.

FAire and amyable hast thou shewne thy selfe unto me O God that more thou canst not be, for thou art infinitly lovely O my God therefore thou canst never be loved by any thing as thou art worthy of love but by [Page 105]an infinite lover, for except there were an infinite lover, thou wert not infinitly amiable, for thy a­miablenesse which is to be in­possibility of being infinitely lo­ved, is because there is a possibi­lity of loving infinitely, from which, and the possibility of being infinitely loved arri­seth an infinite Bound of love of the infinite lover, and the in­finite amiable, and is not multi­plicable.

Thou therefore O my God which art love, art the love, lo­ving, and the love amiable, and the love which is bond of the love loving, & the love amiable, I see in thee my God a love loving, and a love amiable: And in that I see in thee a 1. loving love and an 2. amiable love, I see the 3. bond of either love, and this is nothing else but what I see in thy absolute unity, in which I see a [Page 106]unitie uniting a unity that may be united, and the union of both: And whatsoever I see in thee my God that thou art, Thou art therefore that infinite love which without the loving, and the amiable, the Bond of both cannot to me seeme na­turall and perfect love, for how can I conceive the most perfect and naturall love without the loving, and the amiable and the union of both, for that love should be loving and amiable, and the bond of both: I finde is contracted love that it is of the essence of perfect love, And that which is of the essence of per­fect contracted love, cannot bee wanting to absolute love▪ from whence contracted love hath all its perfection, and how much more simple love is, so much the more perfect, but thou my God art most perfect, and simple love [Page 107]therefore thou art to most per­fect and simple, and naturall es­sence of love, for hence it follow­eth that in thee being love, three is not one thing that loves, and another that is loved, and ano­ther that is the Bond of love, but the same even thou thy selfe, O my God, because therefore in thee the lovely coincides with the loved, and it is all one to bee loved, and to love, certainly the bond of Coincidence is an essentiall Bond, for there is nothing [...]n thee which is not the essence it selfe: Therefore they which seeme unto me to be three name­ly the loving, the lovely, and the Bond are the most simple abso­lute essence, therefore they are not three but one.

That essence of thine O my God which appeares unto me to be most simple, and (that I may so say) most one is not most [Page 108]naturall and most perfect with­out the things before named.

The essence therefore is three­fould, and yet there are not three things in it, because it is most simple. The plurality therefore of the three forenamed is so a plurality, that it is neverthelesse a unity, and so is the unity a u­nity▪ that it is also a plurality, the plurality of three is a plurality without a plural number, for a plural number cannot be a simple unity because it is a plurall num­ber: There is therefore no nu­merall distinction of the three, because that is essentiall, one number being essentially distinct from another, And because the unity is Tryne, it is not a unity of the singular number, for the unity of the singular number is not Trine.

O most wonderfull God, which neither art of the singular [Page 109]nor plurall number, but above all plurality and singularity, one in three, and three in one: I see therefore in the Walls of Para­dice, where thou my God art, plu­rality coincide with singularity, and that thou dwellest farre farre beyond that.

Teach me O Lord how I may conceive that possible which I see to be of necessity, for there meets an impossibility that the plurali­ty of three without which I can­not conceive thee to be perfect, and naturall love is a plurality without number, As hee that sayes one, one, one, thrice sayes thrice one and yet hee sayes not three but one, and this one thrice one hee cannot say thrice without three, although hee say not three, for when he saies one thrice, he repeats the same, and doth not number for to number is to altar one, but to repeat one [Page 110]and the same thrice, as to plurifie without number. Therefore that plurality which I see in my God, is an alterality without alterity, because it is an alterity which is Identitie.

For when I see the loving is not the lovely, and that the bond is neither the loving nor the lovely, yet do I not so see the lo­ving not to bee the lovely, as though the loving were one and the loving, the lovely and the Bond. There is therefore one love, without the which none of the three could be, I am one which am the loving, I am the same which am the lovely, and I likewise am all one which am the Bond arrising from the love wherewith I love my selfe, and yet I am one and not three things.

Suppose then that my love be my essence as it is in my God, [Page 111]then in the unity of my essence, there would be the unity of the three foresaid, and in the Trini­ty of the three foresaid unity of essence, and they would bee all in my essence contractedly after the manner that I see them to be in thee truely and absolutely, yet for all that love, loving would not be love lovely, nor the bond, and that I finde by this practise and experiment.

For by love loving which I beare to another thing without my selfe, as it were to an extrin­ficall lovely, there followeth a Bond of my essence whereby I am bound to that thing as much as in me lyeth, which thing is not joyned to be by that Bond, because paradventure it loves me not, whereupon though I love it so that my loving, love extends it selfe upon it, yet my loving love doth not draw with it or to [Page 112]it my lovely love, for I am not lovely to it, for it cares not for me, though I love it extreamely, as the Sun sometimes cares not for his Mother though shee love him never so tenderly. And so I finde by experience that love loving is neither love lovely, nor the Bond, but I see the loving is distinguished from the lovely and the Bond, which distin­ction neverthelesse is not in the Essence of love because I cannot love either my selfe or any thing, else besides my selfe without love, so love is of the essence of all the three; And so I see that the essence of those three fore­said is most simple though a­mong themselves they bee di­stinct.

I have in a similitude O Lord expressed some manner of fore­taste of thy nature, but mercifully spare mee for attemp [...]ing to fi­gure [Page 113]out the unfigurable tast of thy sweetnes, for if the sweetnes of an unknowne Apple be unfi­gurable by any Picture or figure, and unexpressible by all words, who am I miserble sinner that go about to shew thee that art unshewable, to figure the visible that art invisible, and to offer or present to the tast that infinite and utterly in expressible sweet­nesse of thine which I never yet deserved to tast, and by those things which I expresse, I rather make it appeale little than great, But so great is thy goodnesse O my God that thou sufferest even the blinde men to speak of light, and to set forth the praise there­of, of which notwithstanding they neither do nor can know a­ny thing that can bee revealed unto them: But Revelation goes not so farre as tast, the eare of faith reacheth not that sweet­nesse [Page 114]which is utterly untaste­able. And this thou hast revea­led to me O Lord, that the Eare hath not heard, nor hath it ente­red into the heart of man the in­finitnesse of thy sweetnes which thou hast prepared for them that love thee; This thy great Ap­postle Paul hath revealed unto us, which was ravished beyond the Wall of Coincidence into Paradice, where only thou that art the fountaine of delights, canst be revealedly seene, I have laboured to subject my selfe to a rapture, trusting to thine infinite goodnesse, that I might see thee that art invisib [...]e, and might re­veale an unreveleable vision, and how far I have gone thou know­est, but I know not: howsoever sufficient for mee is thy grace whereby thou assurest me thou art incomprehensible, and erectest me to a firme hope that thou be­ing [Page 115]my guide, I shall at length come to the fruition of thee.

CHAP 18.

DId all men open the eyes of their minde, which they have by thy gift O Lord attai­ned, they might see with me how thou a jealous God because love loving canst hate nothing, for in thy selfe a lovely God, thou com­plicatest all things lovely, thou lovest every loving thing that so they might see as I doe, by what bond or league thou art united unto all things. Thou O Lord inlargest thy love unto all men, and lovest so all things in gene­rall, that withall thou lovest eve­ry thing in particular, But many [Page 116]are they that do not love thee, because they prefer something before thee. But if love lovely were not distinct from love lo­ving, thou wouldest be so lovely unto all men, that they could love nothing besides thee and all rea­sonable spirits would be necessi­tated to the love of thee. But thou art so noble O my God, that thou wilt have it in the li­berty of reasonable soules whe­ther they will love thee or no, wherefore upon thy loving it followeth not that thou art lo­ved.

Thou therefore O my God, art by the bond of love united unto al things, because housprea dest abroad thy love upon every Creature of thine, but every ra­tionall spirit is not united unto thee, because it bestowes not its love upon thy lovelinesse, but upon some other thing where­unto [Page 117]unto it is united and knit.

Thou hast espoused every rea­sonable soule by thy loving love, but not every spouse loveth thee her husband, but for the most part some other whereunto she cleaveth, but how could the soule of man thy spouse O my God, attaine thy end except thou wert lovely that so by loving thee that art lovely, shee might reach the bond and most happie union.

Who therefore can deny thee to be God, three in one, when hee sees that thou wert neither a noble naturall nor perfect God, nor his spirit had free will▪ nor himselfe could come to the frui­tion of thee and his owne happi­nesse except thou wert three and one.

For because thou art the un­derstanding that understandeth, the understanding intelligible, [Page 118]and the Bond of both, therefore the understanding created may attaine in thee its intelligible God, union with thee, and felici­ty. So being thou art the love lovely, the created loving will, may in thee its lovely God at­taine union and felicity, for hee that receiveth thee God the rea­sonable receptible light, may come to such a union of thee that he may be united to thee as a Sun to his Father.

I see O God by thy illumi­nation that a reasonable nature cannot attaine to a union with thee, but because thou artaminable and intelligible, wherefore mans nature is not possible to be uni­ted to thee a loving God (for so thou art not his object) but hee may bee united to thee as his lovely God, because that which is lovely is the object of that which loveth, So in like manner that [Page 119]which may be understood is the object of the understanding, and wee call that the truth which is the object.

Wherefore thou my God be­cause thou art the intelligible truth, the created understanding may be united unto thee, and so I see that mans reasonable na­ture may be united only to thy divine and amiable nature, and that man receiving thee the re­ceptible God, passeth into that Bond which may for the strict­nesse thereof bee called by the name of filiation or sonne-ship, for then the Bond of filiation we know no stricter. And if this Bond of union be the greatest, then which a greater cannot be, this must needs come to passe, because if thou the lovely God canst be more beloved by a man, then is that Bond come to the most perfect filiation, that, that [Page 120]filiation may be perfection com­plicating all possible filiation, by which all sonnes do attaine their last felicity and perfection. In which highest sonne filiation is as Art in the Master, or the light in the Sunne, but in others as Art in the Schollars or light in the Starrs.

CHAP. 19.

I Give unspeakeable thanks to thee my God, the life and light of my soule, for now I see the faith which by the Revelation of the Appostles the Catholike Church holdeth namely how thou a loving God begettest of thy selfe a lovely God and that thou the lovely begotten God att the absolute Mediator, for [Page 121]by thee is every thing that is or can be, for thou the willing or loving God in thy selfe the love­ly God complicatest all things, for every thing that thou O God willest, or conceivest is complicated in thee the lovely God, for there cannot bee any thing except thou will it to be: All things therefore in thy love­ly conception have their cause or reason of being, neither is there any other cause of all things, but because it so pleaseth thee, nothing pleaseth the lover, as a lover, but the lovely; Thou therefore a lovely God art the Son of God a loving father, for in thee is all the complaisance of the Father. So all being crea­table is complicated in thee the lovely God.

Thou therefore a loving God, when as of thee is a lovely God, as the Sonne of the Father in as [Page 122]much as thou art God the loving Father, of God thy lovely Son; art the Father of all things that are for thy conception is thy Sonne, and all things in him, and thy union, and thy conception, is the Act and operation arising, in which is the act and explica­tion of all things; as therefore of thee the loving God, is ge­nerated the lovely God which Generation is conception, So from thee the loving God, and thy lovely conception begotten by thee, proceeds thy act, and thy conception which is the knot knitting, and the God uniting thee, and thy conception, as to love unites the loving, and the lovely in love, and this knot is called the spirit for the spirit is as motion proceeding from the mover and the moveable: conse­quently motion is the explicati­on of the conception of the mover.

All things therefore are to be exp [...]icated in thee, God the holy Ghost, as they are conceived in thee God the sonne.

I see then because thou God dost so enlighten me, how all things in thee God the sonne are God the Fathers as in the rea­son, conception, cause or samplar, and have the sonne is the medi­um of all things as the reason or forme, for by the mediation of reason and wisdome, thou God the Father workest all things, and the spirit or motion puts the conception of reason in effect, as we finde by experience, that the Arke in minde of the Artificer, is put in effect by the mediation of the motive power which is in the hands; Then I see O my God thy Son is the medium or mean of the union of all things, that all things by the mediation of thy Son may rest in thee.

And I see blessed Iesus, the son of man most Highly united to thy son, and that the son of man could not be united to thee God the Father, but by mediati­on of thy son, the absolute Me­diator.

Who is not most highly ravi­shed that doth attentively con­sider these things. Thou my God openest unto mee wretch, such a secret that I see man can­not understand thee the Father, but in thy son which is intelli­gible, and the Mediator, and that to understand thee is to be uni­ted unto thee. Man may there­fore be united unto thee by thy son which is the meane of the u­nion and humane nature most highly united unto thee in what man soever in be cannot be more united to the meane, then it is united, for without the medium it cannot be united unto thee.

It is therefore most united to the meane, yet it is not made the meane; whereupon though it cannot be made the meane, see­ing it cannot be united unto thee without a meane, yet it is so joyned to the absolute meane, that betweene it and the sonne who is the absolute meane, no­thing can mediate, for if any thing could mediate betweene mans nature, and the absolute meane, t [...]en were it not most highly or absolutely united un­to thee.

O good Jesus, I see in thee mans nature to be most highly joyned to God the Father by the highest union, even a greater then by which it is joyned to God, the sonne the absolute Mediator.

Therefore humane filiation, because thou art the son of man is in thee Jesus most highly uni­ted to the divine filiation, that [Page 126]thou art worthily and truly cal­led the Son of God and man, for in thee nothing mediates be­tweene the Son of man, and the Son of God.

In the absolute filiation which is the Son of God is complicated all filiation, whereunto thy hu­mane filiation O Jesus is su­peramely united, therefore thy humane filiation subsists in thy divine, not only complicitly, but as the attracted in the attracting, and the united in the uniting, and the substantiated in the sub­stantiating.

Therefore in thee O Jesus there is no possible separation of the Son of man from the Son of God, for separability is where the union might be greater, but where the union cannot be grea­ter, nothing can mediate: separa­tion therefore can have no place where nothing can mediate be­tweene [Page 127]the things united, and where the united subsists not in the uniting the union is not the highest, for there is a greater u­nion where the united subsists in the uniting, then where the united subsists a part, for separa­tion is the greatest remotenesse from union.

So I see in thee my Iesus how humane fiiation by which thou art the son of man▪ subsists in the divine filiation by which thou art the Sonne of God, as in the greatest union, the united with the uniting; To thee O God be glory for ever.

CHAP 20.

VEry clearely dost thou shew unto me O never fai­ling light, that that greatest u­nion whereby mans nature in thee Iesus is united unto the di­vine nature, is not by any means like to an infinite union, for the union by which thou O God the Father art united unto God thy son is God the holy Ghost, and therefore an infinite union, for it reacheth unto absolute essen­tiall Identitie, but it is not so where the humane nature is uni­ted to the divine, for the hu­mane nature cannot passe into an essentiall union, which the di­vine as that which is finite canot [Page 129]be infinitly united to that which infinite, for then it would passe into the Identitie of the infi­nite, and so it would cease to be finite, when the infinite were verified of it. Wherefore this u­nion by which the humane na­ture is united unto the divine na­ture, is nothing else but an at­traction of the humane nature to the Divine in the highest degree, so that the humane nature whilst such cannot be attracted any higher:

It is therefore the greatest u­nion of his humane nature (as humane) to the divine, because there can be no greater, but it is simply the greatest, not infinite as the divine union.

I see therefore by the benig­nity of thy grace in thee Iesus the son of man, the son of God, and in the son of God I see the Father; for in thee the sunne of [Page 130]man I see the Son of God, be­cause thou art so the son of man that thou art also the son of God and in the finite attracted na­ture, I see the infinite attracting nature, I see in the absolute Son the absolute father, for the Son as Son cannot bee seene unlesse the father be seene, I see in thee Iesus a divine filiation, or sonne­ship, which is the truth of all fili­ation, and likewise a most high human filiation which is the nee­rest image of absolute filiation.

As therefore the Image be­tweene which and the Patterne or samplar there cannot mediate a perfect image, dost most neere­ly subsist in the truth of that whose Image it is, so do I see thy humane nature subsisting in the divine nature: Therefore I see all things in thy humane nature, which I see in thy divine. But I see them after an humane man­ner [Page 131]in thy humane nature, which are the divine truth it selfe in the divine nature.

Those things which I see in thee after a humane manner O Jesus, are the similitude of the divine nature, but a similitude is without a meane joyned to the Patterne or samplar, so that a more like can neither be nor be imagined in the humane or rea­sonable nature, I see are sonable humane spirit most strictly uni­ted to the divine spirit, which is absolute reason, and so the hu­mane understanding, to the divine understanding and all things in thy understanding O Jesus, for thou O Iesus as God understandest all things as God, and this understanding is to bee all things; Thou understandest all things as man, and this under­standing is to be the similitude of all things, for a thing is not [Page 132]understood by a man but in a si­militude a stone is not in the un­derstanding of a man as its pro­per cause or reason, but as in its species or similitude.

In thee therefore O Iesus the humane understanding is united to the divine, as the most perfect image to the truth of the Pat­tern. As if then I should consider the Ideall forme of an Arke in the minde of the Artificer, and the species of an Arke made most perfectly, and according to the Idea by the Master himselfe, how then the Ideall forme is the truth of the species, and united unto it as the truth unto the i­mage in one Master. So in thee O Iesus the Mr. of Masters, I see the absolute Idea of all things, and the similitudinarie species of the same most highly united, I see thee O good Iesus within the Wall of Paradice because [Page 133]thy understanding is both the Truth and the Image, and thou art both God and a Creature in­finity and finite. And it is not possible thou shouldest be seene on this side the Wall, for thou art the coup [...]ing of the divine creating nature with the humane created nature.

And I see this difference be­tweene thy humane understan­ding, and any other mans, that no one man knoweth all things, which may be knowne by man, because no mans understanding is so joyned to the samplar of all things as the similitude to the truth, but that it might be more neerely joyned and set more in act▪ and therefore the understan­deth not so many things, but that he might understand more by his accesse unto the samplar of things, from whence every thing that is an act hath actual­ly. [Page 134]But thy understanding doth actually understand all things that are intelligible by man, be­cause in thee humane nature is most perfect and most joyned to its samplar or Pattern, for which union thy humane understan­ding exceeds every created un­darstanding in the perfection of understanding; Therefore all reasonable spirits are far beneath thee of all whom thou O Iesu art the Master and the light and thou art the perfection and ful­nesse of all things, and by thee as by the Mediator, they came unto the absolute truth, for thou art both the way unto the truth, and the truth it selfe, then art both the way unto the life of the understanding, and the life it selfe; Thou art the odour of the food of gladnesse, and also the taste that maketh glad: Be thou therefore O sweet Iesu, blessed for ever more.

CHAP 21.

IEsu the end of all, in whom as in the last of their perfection all Creatures rest thou art utter­ly unknowne to all the wise men of this world; because of thee we affirme contradictories to be most true, thou being both the Creator and the Creature, the attracting, and the attracted the finite and also the infinite, they say it is folly to beleeve this pos­sible, They flye thy name there­fore and receive not that light wherewith thou hast enlightned us, but thinking themselves wise, they continue fooles, and igno­rant, and blinde for ever, But if they would beleeve that thou Christ, God and man, and would [Page 136]receive and entertain the words of the Gospell, as the words of so great a Master, then would they clearly see that all things in comparison of that light, that there is hid in the simplicity of thy words, are most thick and palpable darknes and ignorance; Therefore only the little ones that beleeve do obataine this most gratious and quickening Revelation, for there is hid in thy most sacred Gospell which is the heavenly food, all desireable sweetnesse, which cannot be ta­sted but by him that beleeveth and eateth. And if any man be­leeve and receive it, hee shall finde it most true by experience that thou camest downe from Heaven, and art the only Master of truth.

O good Iesu thou art the tree of lif in the Paradice of delights for no man can be fed with de­sirable [Page 137]life but from thy fruit, Thou O Iesu art the forbidden food to all the sons of Adam, which being expulsed out of Pa­radice, doth seek their living in the earth in which they labour.

It behoveth every one there­fore to put off the old man of presumption, and put on the new man of humility which is accor­ding to thy selfe, if he hope ever to tast of the food of life within the Paradice of delights.

There is a nature of the new and old Adam, but it is in the old Adam animall, and in the new Adam spirituall, because in thee Iesus, it is united to God which is a spirit.

Every man therefore must as by humane nature common to him and thee, so in one spirit be united to thee O Iesus, that so in his nature which is common to thee O Iesus, hee may come to [Page 138]God the father which is in Pa­radice.

To see God the Father there­fore and Iesus Christ his Son is to be in Paradice and

• Glory,
• Ioy,

everlasting, because hee that is without Paradice cannot have such a vision, seeing neither God the Father nor thou O Iesus art to be found without Paradice, every man therefore hath attai­ned felicity which is united to thee O Iesus, as a member to the head, no man can come to the Father except hee be drawne by the Father.

Thy Father therefore O Iesus drew thy humanity by his Son, and by thee O Iesus the Father deaweth all men.

As therefore thy manhood O Iesus is united to the son of God the Father, as to a meane by which the Father drew it, so eve­ry [Page 139]mans humanity is united un­to thee O Ies [...]s, as to the only meane by which the Father drawes all men. Thou art there­fore Iesu, without whom it is impossible that any man should attaine felicity, Thou art O Ie­su, the Revelation of the Father, for the Father is invisible to all men, and only visible to his Son, and next thee to him who shall by thee and thy Revelation bee found worthy to see him.

Thou art therefore hee that unitest every blessed man, and every blessed man subsisteth in thee as the united with the uni­ting.

Not one of the wise men of this world is capable of happi­nesse not knowing thee.

No happie man can see the Father but with thee O Iesus within Paradice. Of the happie contradictories are verified as [Page 140]of thee O Iesus, seeing he is uni­ted unto thee in a reasonable na­turall and one spirit: for every happy spirit subsists in thine, as the quickned in thee quickning, Every happy spirit sees the in­visible God, & in thee O Iesus is united unto the unapproachable and immortall God, and so in thee the infinite is united to the Infinite, and the incomprehen­sible is comprehended by eternall fruition which is the most plea­sant felicity that can never bee wasted nor spent; have mercy up­on me O Iesus, have mercy up­on me and grant that I may re­vealedly see thee, and then my soule is safe.

CHAP. 22.

Never can the eye of the minde be satisfied with the sight of thee O Iesus, because thou art the compl [...]ment and fulnes of all mentall beauty.

And in this Picture I guesse at the wonderfull and stupendious sight: O more then bless [...]d Iesus, for thou Iesus whilst thou didst walke in this sensible world, didst use fleshly eyes like unto us, for with them no otherwise than we do, thou didest see one thing and one thing, for there was in thine eyes, a certaine spirit which was the forme of the Organ, as the sensible soule in the body of a living wight. In that spirit there was a noble discretive or discer­ning [Page 142]power, by which O Lord thou didst clearely and distinctly see this thing coloured thus, and that other thing otherwise; And more highly yet by the fi­gures of the face, and eyes of the men thou sawest, thou wast a true Iudge of the Passions of the soule anger, gladnesse, sorrow, and yet more subtilly by a few signes didst thou comprehend that which lay hid in the minde of man, for there is nothing con­ceived in the minde which is not in some sort signified in the face, and principally in the eyes (be­ing the Messengers of the heart) for in all these Iudicia or signes, thou didst much more truely reach the inwards of the soule, than any created spirit, for from some one though very [...]mal signe thou didst see the whole concep­tion of a man, as understanding [Page 143]men do by a few words see through a long preconceived speech, which is to be explicated at length, and as well learned men if they cast their eyes ne­ver so little upon a booke▪ are able to recite the whole intent of the writer as though they had read it through: In this kinde of seeing thou O Iesus didst far ex­cell all the perfection, swiftnesse, and sharpnes of all men past, pre­sent and to come and yet this vision was but humane, which was not done without a Carnall eye, neverthelesse it was stupen­dious and admirable, for if there be men found that by long and subtill discussion are able to dici­pher any Carracter▪ and to read the minde of the writer in Cha­racters and signes then newly in­vented, and never seene before, thou O Iesus didst certainly see all things under every signe and [Page 144]figure. If it be read that there was sometimes a man found which by whatsoever signes of the eye [...]aw the thought of him that asked him, although hee sang some verse or meeter in his minde: Much better O Iesus didst thou apprehend and under­stand every conception by eve­ry motion of the eye. My selfe saw a deafe Woman which by the motion of her Daughters lippes which shee saw did un­derstand what soever shee said aswell as if shee had heard her. If this by long custome be thus possible in them that are deafe and dumbe, and the Religious which speake to one another in signes, much more perfectly didst thou O Iesu which didst actually know whatsoever was to be known as a Mr. of Masters, give judgement true and in fal­lible of the heart and its concep­tions [Page 145]in the least and to us invi­sible becks, and nods, or signes.

But to this thy humane and most perfect vision though infi­nite and contracted to the Or­gan, was the absolute and infinite vision united, by which vision as God, thou sawest all things and every thing at once aswell absent as present, aswell past as to come.

Thou therefore O Iesus didst by thy humane eye see visible accidents, but by thy absolute di­vine sight the substance of things. Never any man besides thee O Iesus saw the substance or quoditie of things whilest hee was in the flesh. Thou only didst truely see the soule and the spirit and whatsoever was in man: For as in man the intellective power is united to the animall visive power, so that man sees not only as a living Wight, but also dis­cernes and judges of a man. So [Page 146]absolute seeing was in the Ie­sus united to the humane intel­lectuall power which is discreti­on, or descerning in the ani­mall sight.

The animall visive power in man subsists not in it selfe, but in the reasonable soule as in the forme of the whole, so the visible intellectuall power subsists not i [...] it selfe, but in thee O Iesus th [...] absolute visive power. O thy ad­mirable sight most sweet Iesus, we finde some times by experi­ences how with our eye wee see somebody passing by, but because wee took no heed to discerne who it was, we cannot tell him that asketh us the name of him that passeth by, though we know him well enough, and knew there was some body passed by; Wee did see him, therefore animally but not humanely, or wee saw him as we were living wights, [Page 147]but not as we were men, because we did not apply our discretive, or discerning power: By which we finde that the nature of the powers, although they be united in the one forme of a man; yet they remaine distinct, and have distinct operations. So in thee O Iesus I see after a certaine like manner the humane intellectu­all nature united to the divine nature, and that accordingly as man thou didst many things, and as God many wonderfull things above man.

I see O most mercifull Iesus the intellectuall nature in respect of the sencible absolute, and not as the sencible is finite, and tyed to the Organ as the sensible vi­sive power is tyed to the eye, but unproportionably more absolute is the divine power above the intellectuall: For the humane understanding to the end it may [Page 148]be but unto act, hath neede of phantasmata or appearances in the phantasie, and they cannot be had without sences, and sences subsist not without a body, and therefore the power of humane understanding is contracted and small needing the aforesaid things. But the divine under­standing is necessity it selfe, not depending nor needing any thing but all things need it, with­out which they cannot be. I do more attentively consider how there is one discursive power which by reasoning discourseth and seeketh, and another which judgeth and understandeth, for we see a Dog discourse and seeke his Master and discerne him, and heare his calling, and this dis­course is in the nature of Ani­malitie in the degree of the spe­cificall perfection of a Dogge, and there are yet other living [Page 149]wights found of a more cleare discourse according to the more perfect species or kinde, and this discourse in man comes neerest to the intellectuall power that it may bee the supreamnesse of sensible perfection containing under the intellectuall, many and innumerable degrees of perfecti­on as the species or kindes of li­ving wights do make plaine un­to us, for there is no species or kinde which hath not the degree of perfection proper unto it selfe, and moreover every one of the degrees hath its latitude within the which we see the individuals of the species pertake it diversly, But the intellectuall nature in like manner under the Divine, hath innumerable degrees of sensible perfection; so in the di­vine nature are complicated all degrees of intellectuall perfecti­on, of sensible likewise, and all [Page 150]other things. So in thee my Iesus I see all perfection, for being most perfect man I se in thee the understanding united to the ra­tional▪ or discursive power which is the supreamnesse of the sensi­tive power. And so I see the un­derstanding in reason as the thing placed in its place, as a Candle in the Chamber which enlightens the Chamber, and all the Walls and the whole buil­ding yet according to the degree of distance more or lesse.

I see next the divine word united to the understanding in its supreamenesse, and the un­derstanding it selfe to the place where the word is received as we finde in our selves the under­standing to be the place where the word of the Mr. is received, as if the light of the Sun should be joyned with the aforesaid Candle.

For the word of God illumi­nateth the understanding as the light of the Sun doth this world.

In thee therefore my Iesus I see the sensible life illuminated by that intellectuall light: I see the intellectuall life to be a light enlightning and enlightned; and I see the divine life illuminating or enlightning only; For I see the fountaine of light in that in­tellectuall light, to wit the word of God, which is the truth en­lighting every understanding; thou therefore art only the light of all Creatures because thou art so a creature that thou art al­so the blessed Creator.

CHAP 23.

IEsus the most savorie food of the minde how admirable dost thou appeare unto mee when I behold thee within the Wall of Paradice? for thou art the word of God humanified and man dei­fied, and yet thou art not as it were compounded of God and man. For amongst those things that compound, proportion is necessary without which there can be no composition, but be­tweene finite and infinite there is no proportion: Nor art thou the confidence of the Creature [Page 153]and the Creator in such sort as the Coincidence makes one thing to be another, for the hu­mane nature is not the Divine, nor contrary wise, for the di­vine nature is not changable or alterable into another nature being eternity it selfe, nor doth any nature whatsoever, because of its union to the divine nature pas into another nature, as when the Image is united to its truth for it cannot then be said to bee altered, but rather to goe backe from its alterity, because it is u­nited unto its proper truth which is inalterability it selfe.

Nor canst thou O sweet Jesu be said to be a middle nature, betweene divine and humane, when as betweene them there cannot be any middle nature partaking of both, for the divine nature is not partakeable, being wholly absolutely most simple: [Page 154]Nor couldst thou then O blessed Iesus be either God or man.

But I see thee O Lord Iesus, one supposition above all under­standing, because thou art one Christ after the same manner that I see thy one human soule in which as in the soule of any man, I see there was a corrup­tible sensible nature, which did subsist in an incorruptible intel­lectuall nature.

Nor yet was that soule com­pounded of corruptible and in corruptible, neither did the sen­sible soule coinside with the in­tellectuall, but I see an intel­lectuall soule to be united to the body by a sensible power, quick­ning the body; And if the intellectuall soule should cease to Quicken and Enlighten the Body though it were not separated from the body, yet would that man be dead, because [Page 155]his life would cease, notwithstan­ding the body were not separa­ted from life, being the under­standing is the life thereof. As when a man intellectually la­bours and seeks by the meanes of his sight to discerne one that is comming, and yet being car­ried away with other conside­rations, his attention ceaseth a­bout that inquirie though his eyes be still fastened upon it, his eye is not separated from the Soule, though it bee separated from the discretive or discerning attention of the Soule. But if that rapture should not only cease from the discretive quick­ning, but also from the sensitive quickening that eye were dead, because it were not quickened: Yet for all that it were not sepa­rated from the intellective forme which is the form giving being: As a dry hand is united to the [Page 156]forme which unites the whole body.

There are sound men as Saint Augustine relates, which can re­tract or draw back the vivifying spirit, and so they appeare dead and feele nothing, supposing it to be so.

In this close, the intellectuall nature would remaine united to the body, which body would not be under any other forme than it was before, nay it would have the same forme and remaine the same body, neither would the quickening force cease to be▪ but would remaine in union with the intellectuall nature, although actually it did not extend it selfe into the body, I see that man tru­ly dead because hee wants the vi­vifying life (for death is the want of the quickner) and yet that bo­dy would not be dead separated from the life which is the Soule [Page 157]thereof. After the same manner most mercifull Iesus, I do be­hold absolute life which is God inseparably united to the hu­mane understanding, and by it into the body, for that union is such a one that a greater cannot be, and a separable union is much inferior to such a union as can­not be greater: Therefore it was never true, nor ever shall be that thy divine nature was separated from thy humane, consequently neither from the soule nor the body, which are those things without which humane nature cannot be, although it bee most true that thy Soule ceased to quicken thy body, and that thou didst truly suffer death, and yet wast never separated from the truth of life.

If that Priest whom Saint Au­gustine mentions had whatsoever power it were to take vivificati­on [Page 158]out of his body by drawing it up unto the soule, as if a candle that enlighteneth a Chamber were alive and should draw up those beames by which it en­lightens the Chamber into the Center of its light, and its draw­ing up were nothing but a cea­sing to inflame; what marvell is it if thou Iesus being the most free and living light hast power to lay downe, and to take up thy quickinnig soule, and when thou wouldest take it up thou suffer­edest death, and when thou wouldst resume it by thine owne thou didst rise againe.

Now an intellectuall nature is called a humane soule when it quickens or animates a body. And the soule is said to be taken away when [...]ane understan­ding ceaseth to quicken, for when the understanding ceaseth from the Office of quickening [Page 159]and in this respect separateth it selfe from the body, it is not therefore simply separated.

These things thou inspirest o Iesus that thou mightest shew thy selfe to most unworthy mee, as far as I am capable, and that I may in thee contemplate that mortall humane nature hath put on immortality, that all men of the same humane nature may in thee attaine resurrection and di­vine life.

What then can bee sweeter, what more pleasant then to know this, that in thee O Iesu we finde all things that are in our nature, which only canst do all things and givest most liberally and up, bradest no man. O inexpresible mercy and pity, thou God which art goodnesse it selfe couldst [...] satisfie thy infinite clemency and bounty except thou gavest us thy selfe: Neither could this be don [Page 160]more conveniently for us that are the receivers then that thou shouldest assume our nature be­cause we could not approach un­to thine, so thou camest to us and art named Iesus the Saviour blessed for evermore.

CHAP. 24.

THy gift, thy best and grea­test guift inables me to con­templat thee my Jesus preaching the words of life and bounte­fully sowing the Divine seeds in the hearts of the hearers, And I see them go away which rece­ved not the things of the spirit: But I see thy Disciples abiding it which began to tast the sweet­nesse of that Doctrine which, quickneth the soule, for all whom [Page 161]that first and chiefest of all the Appostls Peter confest that thou Iesus hadst the word of life, and wondered that they which seeke life would go from thee: Paul heard from thee Iesus in a rap­ture the words of life, and then neither sword nor famine of bo­dy separate him from thee: No man could ever forake thee that had tasted the words of life who can separate a Beare from Hony, after hee hath once tasted the sweetnesse of it; How great is the sweetnesse of truth, how most delectable a life doth it give a­bove all bodily sweetnesse, for it is absolute sweetnesse, from whence floweth all that by any tast is desired: What is stronger than love by which every lovely thing hath to bee loved? If the knot or Bond of contracted love be sometimes so great that the feare of death cannot breake it, [Page 162]what a knot is there of that love rasted from whence is all love? I wonder not that all cruelty of paines was accounted nothing by other of thy Souldiers of Je­sus, to whom thou gavest thy selfe, the life to be tasted afore­hand.

O Jesus my love, thou hast sowed the seed of life in the field of beleevers, and watered it with the testimoney of thy blood, and shewed by bodily death, that truth is the life of the reasonable spirit, the seed grew in the good ground and brought forth good fruit, thou shewest me O Lord how my soule is the breath of life in regard of my body into which it breatheth and infloweth life, And it is not in regard of thee O God, but as it were a power or possibility of life: And be­cause thou canst not but grant the things that are asked, if they [Page 163]be asked with a most attentive faith, thou inflowest or inspirest me that there is in a Child a soule which hath a vegetative power and force in act, for the Childe groweth; It hath likewise a sencitive power in act, for the Childe feeleth, it hath likewise an imaginative power, but not yet act, it hath likewise a discur­sive power, whose act is yet more distant; And it hath an intel­lectuall virtue, but in a power yet more remote & further off, so we finde by experience, that one and the same soule is first in act inregard of the inferior powers, and afterwards in regard of the superior that first he is an animall man before a spirituall man.

So likewise we know by proofe that there is a certaine numerall virtue in the Bowells of the earth which may also be called a [Page 164]spirit, and that it is first in power or possibility to be made a mine­ra of stone, and another to bee made a minera of Salt, and ano­ther of Mettall, and that there are divers such spirits according to the diversity of Sones, Salts, and Mettalls, but yet that there is one spirit of the Minera of Gold, which by the influence of the Sun, or of the Heaven, is continually more and more pu­rified, and at length fixed into such Gold as is not by any Ele­ment to be corrupted or distroy­ed, and that in it there shines exceeding much of the incorrup­tible light of heaven, for it is ve­ry like the corporall light of the Sun.

And the like wee finde also of the vegitable and sensitive spi­rit, for the sensitive spirit in a man doth much conforme it selfe unto the moving and influentiall [Page 165]virtue of Heaven, and doth suc­cessively take increase under the influence of Heaven; untill it be put in perfect act: And it is brought out of the power or pos­sibility of the body, and there­fore the perfection of it ceaseth as soone as the perfection of the body faileth.

Then is there an intellectuall spirit which in the act of its per­fection depends not of the body but is united unto it by meanes of the sensitive virtue, This spi­rit because it dependeth not of the body, is not subject to the in­fluence of the heaven, by bodies, neither depends it of the sensi­tive spirit, and so not of the mo­ving power of Heaven; but as the movers of the heavenly.

Orbs are subject to the first mover, so likewise this mover, which is the understanding, but because it is united to the [Page 166]bodie by the meane of the sensi­tive power, therefore it is not perfected without the sences, for all that comes unto it from the sensible world comes unto it by meanes of the sences.

And therefore there can bee nothing in the understanding which hath not first bin in the sence; And by how much the sense is purer and perfecter, and the imagination clearer, and the discourse bitter, by so much the understanding in its intellectu­all operations is lesse hindered, and more perspicatious.

Now the understanding is fed by the word of life, under whose ifluence it is placed as the mo­vers of the Orbs but differently, as also the spirits that are sub­ject to the influences of Heaven are differently perfected: And it is not perfected but acceden­tally by the sensible spirit as the [Page 167]Image doth not perfect, al­though it excite to enquire the truth of the samplar or patterne, as the Image of the Crucified doth not inflow devotion; but stirsup the memory that devoti­on may be inflowed, and because the intellectuall spirit is not ne­cessitated by the influence of Heaven, but is wholy free, there­fore except it do by faith subject it selfe unto the influence of the word of God, it is not perfected as a Schollar that is free, and in his owne power, unlesse he sub­ject himselfe unto the word of his Master, by beleeveing hee is not perfected for hee must trust and heare his Master.

And the understanding is per­fected by the word of God, and growes, and is made every day more capable and apt, and more like to the word, And this per­fection which thus comes from [Page 168]the word from whence it had its being, is not a corruptible perfection, but a perfection dei­forme or formed by God, as the perfection of Gold is not cor­ruptible, but of the forme of hea­ven. And every understanding must by faith subject it selfe to the word of God, and most at­tentively harken to that inter­nall teaching of the highest Mr. and by hearing what the Lord saith in it, It shall bee perfect­ed.

Wherefore thou O Jesus the only Master hath preached, that faith is necessary for every one that comes to the fountaine of life, and hast shewne that accor­ding to the degree of faith, the influence of the divine power is present. O Saviour Christ, two things only hast thou taught, Faith and Love: By faith the understanding comes to the [Page 169]word, and by love it is united to it, By how much more it comes unto it, by so much more it is increased in power, and by how much more it loveth, by so much more it is fixed to the light thereof, and the word of God is within it, [the understan­ding] and it needs not seeke for it without it selfe, for hee shall finde it within, and by faith hee shall approach unto it.

And that hee may come nee­rer hee shall obtaine by prayers, for the word will increase faith, by the Communication of its light.

I give thee thanks O Jesus be­cause by thy light I am come thus farre, for in thy light, I see the light of my life, how thou the word inflowest, life to all that beleeve and perfectest all that love thee. What other Doctrine was ever so short and [Page 170]effectuall as thine O good Jesus, thou perswadest nothing but to beleeve, and thou commandest nothing but to love, What is more easie then to beleeve God, what more sweet than to love him? How sweet is thy Yok; and how light is thy burthen O ray Mr. thou promisest to them that keepe this Doctrine, whatsoe­ver can be desired, for thou re­quirest nothing that is hard to him that beleeves, nothing deni­ed to him that loves. Such are the promises thou makest to thy Disciples and they are most true because thou art truth which canst promise nothing but true things, nay thou promisest no­thing but thy selfe, who art the perfection of every thing that may be perfected. To thee bee praise, to thee be Glory, to thee be thanksgiving through all ages Amen.

CHAP. 25.

YEt what may that be O Lord that thou sendest into the spirit of that man whom thou perfectest? Is it not thy good spirit which is wholly in Act, the vertue and power of all vertues, and the perfection of all perfect things, because it is hee that worketh all things. For as the power of the Sunne descending into the vegitable spirit, moves it that it may be perfected, and so by the meanes of a good Tree, there is made good fruit, but a most acceptable and naturall de­coction of a heavenly heate. So thy spirit O God comes into the intellectual spirit of Good men, and by the heat of divine love, concocts the virtuall power that [Page 172]it may be perfected, and made most acceptable fruit unto it.

We finde by experience that thy simple spirit infinite in vir­tue is many wayes received: for it is otherwise received in one where it maks a prophetick spi­rit, & otherwise in another where it makes a cunning and skilfull interpretor, and otherwise in an­other where it teacheth know­ledge, and otherwise in other men, For there are divers gifts thereof, and they are the per­fections of the intellectuall spi­rit as the same heat of the sume in divers Trees perfecteth di­vers fruits.

I see O Lord that thy spirit is not wanting to any spirit, be­cause it is the spirit of spirits, and the motion of motions and it filleth all the world, but it dis­poseth all things which have not [Page 173]the intellectual spirit by that in tellectuall nature, which moves the Heaven, and by the motion thereof all things that are under it, only the disposition and dis­pensation in the intellectuall na­ture, it hath reserved unto it selfe a Love: For it hath espou­sed to it selfe this nature, in which it hath chosen to rest as in a Mantion house, and in the Haven of truth, for no where els can this truth be received in it selfe, but in the intellectuall na­ture.

Thou O Lord which workest all things for thy selfe hast crea­ted this whole world for the in­tellectuall nature. As a Painter which tempreth divers Colours, that at length hee may paint himselfe, to the end hee may have his owne Image that his Art may therein rest and take delight, that so being himselfe [Page 174]one and unmultipliable at the least, hee may be multiplyed af­ter the best manner possible in the neerest similitude. And Hee makes many figures because the similitude of his infinit virtue & power cannot bee after a more perfect manner explicated, but in many things and all intellectuall spirits are to every spirit oppor­tune. For if they were not in­numerable, thou being an infi­nite God couldst not be known after the best manner: for every intellectuall spirit seeth some thing in the my God, which if it were not revealed unto o­thers they should not approach unto thee their God after the best manner possible. Therefore the spirit being full of love, re­veale their secrets one to ano­ther, and by this meanes the knowledge of the beloved is in­creased, and the desire unto it, [Page 175]and the sweernesse of joy is in­flamed.

Neither yet O Lord God hast thou made the accomplishment; of thy work without Jesus thy Sonne whom thou anoyntedst above his fellowes, who is there­fore Christ, In whose understan­ding rests the perfection of eve­ry creatable nature, for it is the last and perfectest unmultipli­able likenesse of God, and there can bee no one such supreame one: For all other intellctuall spirits are by the mediation of that spirit similitudes, and by how much more perfect, so much more like unto it, And they all rest in that spirit, as in the last of perfection of the I­mage of God, of which Image they have attained some simili­tude and degree of perfection.

I have therefore by thy guift O God all this visible world, and [Page 176]all the scripture, and all admini­string spirits to helpe me profit in the knowledge of thee, all things excite mee to be turned to thee.

All Scriptures labour for no­thing but to shew thee, all intel­lectuall spirits have no other ex­ercise but to seeke thee and re­veale what they have found of thee. Above all things thou hast given me Jesus for a Master the way of life, and the truth, that so there might bee nothing at all wanting unto mee.

Thou comfortest me by thy holy spirit, by it thou inspirest the choise of life, holy desires: Thou asurest mee by a foretaste of the sweetnesse of that glori­ous life to love thee the infinite good.

Thou ravishest mee that I am above my selfe, and do before hand see that place of glory to [Page 177]which thou invitest mee, Thou shewest mee many delicate and savorie dishes that draw mee by their most excellent odour, thou sufferest mee to see the treasure of riches, life, joy, beauty, Thou discoverest the fountaine from whence flowes every desireable thing as wel in nature as in art, Thou keepest nothing secret, thou hidest not the vaine of love, nor peace, nor rest.

Thou offerst all things to me most miserable man whom thou hast created of nothing.

Why do I therefore stay? why doe I not runne after my Christ in the odour of this oyntments? Why do I not enter into the joy of my Master▪ What hol­deth me if ignorance of thee O Lord and the vaine delights of this sencible world have with­holden me it shall now hold me [Page 178]no longer, for I will O Lord (be­cause thou givest mee power to will) leave the things of this world, because the world will leave mee, I make hast to the end I have almost finished my course I will prevent the world in bid­ding it farewell, because I labour towards the Crowne, draw mee O Lord (for no man can come to thee except he bee drawne by thee) that being drawne by thee, I may be freed from this world and joyne to thee the absolute God in the eternity of a glori­ous life. Amen.