The WAY from DARKNESS to TRUE ILLUMINATION ( by Jacob Behmen (Ja ob Boehme!

"#$#%"&'() The Te*ton+c Theo,o-her

ADISCOURSE
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BETWEEN A SOUL .UN/RY AND T.IRSTY A0TER T.E 0OUNTAIN O0 LI0E) T.E SWEET LO1E O0 JESUS 2.RIST3 AND A SOUL ENLI/.TENED S.OWIN/
Which Way one Soul should seek after and comfort another, and bring it by Means of its Knowledge into the Paths of Christ's Pilgrimage, and faithfully warn it of the thorny Way of the World, which leadeth the fallen Soul that naturally walketh therein, into the Abyss or Pit of Hell

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T.E WAY 0ROM DARKNESS TO TRUE ILLUMINATION

,* There was a poor Soul that had wandered out of Paradise and come into the Kingdom of this World; where the Devil met with it, and said to it, "Whither dost thou go, thou Soul that art half blind?" !he Soul said, I would see and speculate into the reatures of the World, which the reator hath made! -* !he "e#il said, "ow wilt thou see and speculate into them, when thou canst not #now their $ssence and Propert%? &hou wilt loo# upon their 'utside onl%, as upon a graven Image, and

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canst not #now them throughl%! !he Soul said, "ow ma% I come to #now their $ssence and Propert%? !he "e#il said, &hine $%es would be opened to see them throughl%, if thou didst but eat of that from whence the reatures themselves are come to be good and e#il! &hou wouldst then be as .od "imself is, and #now what the reature is! !he Soul said, I am now a noble and hol% reature; but if I should do so, the reator hath said, that I should die! !he "e#il said, /o, thou shouldst not die at all; but th% e%es would be opened, and thou shouldst be as .od "imself is, and be 0aster of .ood and $vil! 1lso, thou shouldst be might%, powerful, and ver% great, as I am; all the Subtlet% that is in the reatures would be made #nown to thee! !he Soul said, If I had the Knowledge of /ature and of the World as I pleased! ,* !he "e#il said, &he whole .round of that Knowledge lieth in thee! Do but turn th% Will and Desire from .od or .oodness into /ature and the reatures, and then there will arise in thee a 2ust to taste; and so thou ma%est eat of the !ree of Knowledge of $ood and %#il , and b% that means come to #now all &hings! !he Soul said, Well then, I will eat of the !ree of Knowledge of $ood and %#il, that I ma% rule all &hings b% m% own Power; and be of m%self a 2ord on $arth, and do what I will, as .od "imself doeth! !he "e#il said, I am the Prince of this World; and if thou wouldst rule on $arth, thou must turn th% 2ust towards m% Image, or desire to be li#e me, that thou ma%est get the unning, Wit, 3eason, and Subtlet%, that m% Image hath!

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&hus did the Devil present to the Soul the &ulcan in the Mercury 4the Power that is in the fier% 3oot of the reature5, that is the fier% Wheel of $ssence or Substance, in the 6orm of a Serpent! 7pon which, ( !he Soul said, 8ehold, this is the Power which can do all &hings! 99 What must I do to get it? )* !he "e#il said, &hou th%self art also such a fier% Mercury! If thou dost brea# th% Will off from .od, and bring it into this Power and S#ill, then th% hidden .round will be manifested in thee, and thou ma%est wor# in the same 0anner! 8ut thou must eat of that 6ruit, wherein each of the four $lements in itself ruleth over the other, and is in Strife; the "eat striving against the old, and the old against the "eat; and so all the Properties of /ature wor# feelingl%! 1nd then thou wilt instantl% be as the fier% Wheel is, and so bring all &hings into thine own Power, and possess them as thine own! !he Soul did so, and what ha''ened thereu'on /ow when the Soul bro#e its Will thus off from .od, and brought it into the 0ercur%, or the fier% Will 4which is the 3oot of 2ife and Power5, there presentl% arose in it a 2ust to eat of the !ree of Knowledge of $ood and %#il; and the Soul did eat thereof! Which as soon as it had done so, &ulcan 4or the artificer in the fire5 instantl% #indled the fier% Wheel of its substance, and thereupon all the Properties of /ature awo#e in the Soul and each began to e:ercise its own 2ust and Desire! 6irst arose the 2ust of Pride; a Desire to be great, might% and powerful; to bring all &hings under Sub;ection to it, and so to be 2ord itself without ontrol; despising all "umilit% and $<ualit%, as esteeming itself the onl% prudent, witt% and cunning 'ne, and accounting ever% &hing 6oll% that is not according to its own "umor and 2i#ing! Secondl% arose the 2ust of ovetousness; a Desire of .etting, which would draw all &hings to itself, into its own Possession! 6or when the 2ust of Pride had turned awa% the Will from .od, then the 2ife of the Soul would not trust .od an% further, but would now begin to ta#e are for itself; and therefore brought its Desire into the reatures, vi=! into the $arth, 0etals, &rees, and other reatures! &hus the #indled fier% 2ife became hungr% and covetous, when it had bro#en itself off from the 7nit%, 2ove and 0ee#ness of .od, and attracted to itself the four $lements and their $ssence, and brought itself into the ondition of the 8easts; and so the 2ife became dar#, empt% and wrathful; and the heavenl% >irtues and olors went out, li#e a andle e:tinguished! &hirdl%, there awo#e in this fier% 2ife the stinging thorn% 2ust of $nv%; a hellish Poison, a Propert% which all Devils have, and a &orment which ma#es the 2ife a mere $nmit% to .od, and to all reatures! Which $nv% raged furiousl% in the Desire of ovetousness, as a venomous Sting doth in the 8od%! $nv% cannot endure, but hateth and would hurt or destro% that which ovetousness cannot draw to itself, b% which hellish Passion the noble 2ove of the Soul is smothered!

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6ourthl%, there awo#e in this fier% 2ife a &orment li#e 6ire, #i(! 1nger; which would murder and remove out of the Wa% all who would not be sub;ect to Pride! &hus the .round and 6oundation of "ell, which is called the 1nger of .od, was wholl% manifested in this Soul! Whereb% it lost the fair Paradise of .od and the Kingdom of "eaven, and became such a Worm as the fier% Serpent was, which the Devil had presented to it in his own Image and 2i#eness! 1nd so the Soul began to rule on $arth in a bestial 0anner, and did all &hings according to the Will of the Devil; living in mere Pride, ovetousness, $nv%, and 1nger, having no longer an% true 2ove towards .od! 8ut there arose in the Stead thereof an evil bestial 2ove of filth% 2echer%, Wantonness, and >anit%, and there was no Purit% left in the "eart; for the Soul had forsa#en Paradise, and ta#en the $arth into its Possession! Its 0ind was wholl% bent upon cunning Knowledge, Subtlet%, and getting together a 0ultitude of earthl% &hings! /o 3ighteousness nor >irtue remained in it at all; but whatsoever $vil and Wrong it committed, it covered all cunningl% and subtl% under the loa# of its Power and 1uthorit% b% 2aw, and called it b% the /ame of 3ight and ?ustice, and accounted it good! !he "e#il came to the Soul 7pon this the Devil drew near to the Soul, and brought it on from one >ice to another; for he had ta#en it captive in his $ssence, and set ?o% and Pleasure before it therein, sa%ing thus to it@ 8ehold, now thou art powerful, might% and noble; endeavour to be greater, richer, and more powerful still! Displa% th% Knowledge, Wit, and Subtlet%, that ever% one ma% fear thee, and stand in 1we of thee, and that thou ma%est be respected, and get a great /ame in the World! !he Soul did so &he Soul did as the Devil counselled it, and %et #new not that its ounsellor was the Devil; but thought it was guided b% its own Knowledge, Wit, and 7nderstanding, and that it was doing ver% well and right all the While! )esus Christ met with the Soul &he Soul going on in this ourse of 2ife, our dear and loving 2ord ?esus hrist, Who was come into this World with the 2ove and Wrath of .od, to destro% the Wor#s of the Devil, and to e:ecute ?udgement upon all ungodl% Deeds, on a &ime met with it, and spo#e b% a strong Power, #i(! b% "is Passion and Death, into it and destro%ed the Wor#s of the Devil in it, and discovered to it the Wa% to "is .race, and shone upon it with "is 0erc%, calling it to return and repent; and promising that "e would then deliver it from that monstrous deformed Shape or Image which it had gotten, and bring it into Paradise again! How Christ wrought in the Soul /ow when the Spar# of the 2ove of .od, or the Divine 2ight, was accordingl% manifested in the Soul, it presentl% saw itself with its Will and Wor#s to be in "ell, in

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the Wrath of .od, and found that it was a misshapen ugl% 0onster in the Divine Presence and the Kingdom of "eaven; at which it was so afraid, that it fell into the greatest 1nguish possible, for the ?udgement of .od was manifested in it! ( What Christ said 7pon this the 2ord hrist spo#e into it with the >oice of "is .race, and said, *+e'ent and forsake &anity, and thou shalt attain My $race * )* What the Soul said &hen the Soul in its ugl% misshapen Image, with the defiled oat of >anit%, went before .od, and entreated for .race and the Pardon of its Sins, and came to be strongl% persuaded in itself, that the Satisfaction and 1tonement of our 2ord ?esus hrist did belong to it! 8ut the evil Properties of the Serpent, formed in the astral Spirit or 3eason of the outward 0an, would not suffer the Will of the Soul to come before .od, but brought their 2usts and Inclinations thereinto! 6or those evil Properties would not die to their own 2usts, nor leave the World, for the% were come out of the World, and therefore the% feared the 3eproach of it, in case the% should have to forsa#e their worldl% "onor and .lor%! 8ut the poor Soul turned its ountenance towards .od, and desired .race from "im, even that "e should bestow "is 2ove upon it! +( !he "e#il came to it again 8ut when the Devil saw that the Soul thus pra%ed to .od, and would enter into 3epentance, he drew near to it, and thrust the Inclinations of the earthl% Properties into its Pra%ers, and disturbed its good &houghts and Desires which pressed forward towards .od, and drew its thoughts bac# again to earthl% &hings that the% might have no 1ccess to "im! !he Soul sighed &he central Will of the Soul indeed sighed after .od, but the &houghts arising in the 0ind, that it should penetrate into "im, were distracted, scattered, and destro%ed, so that the% could not reach the Power of .od! 1t which the poor Soul was still more afraid, and began to pra% more earnestl%! 8ut the Devil with his Desire too# hold of the 0ercurial #indled fier% Wheel of 2ife, and awa#ened the evil Properties, so that evil or false Inclinations arose in the Soul, and went into that &hing wherein the% had ta#en most Pleasure and Delight before! &he poor Soul would ver% fain go forward to .od with its Will, and therefore used all its $ndeavours; but its &houghts continuall% fled awa% from .od into earthl% &hings, and could not go to "im! 7pon this the Soul sighed and bewailed itself to .od; but it seemed as if it were <uite forsa#en b% "im, and cast out from "is Presence! It could not get so much as one 2oo#

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of .race, but was in mere 1nguish, 6ear and &error, and dreaded ever% 0oment that the Wrath and severe ?udgement of .od would be manifested in it, and that the Devil would ta#e hold of it and have it! 1nd thereupon the Soul fell into such great "eaviness and Sorrow, that it became wear% of all the temporal &hings, which before had been its chief ?o% and "appiness! &he earthl% natural Will indeed desired those &hings still, but the Soul would willingl% leave them altogether, and desired to die to all temporal 2ust and ?o% whatsoever, and longed onl% after its first /ative ountr%, from whence it originall% came! 8ut the Soul found itself to be far from thence, in great Distress and Want, and #new not what to do, %et resolved to enter into itself, and tr% to pra% more earnestl%! !he "e#il's ,''osition 8ut the Devil opposed it, and withheld it so that it could not bring itself into an% greater 6ervenc% of 3epentance! "e awa#ened the old earthl% 2usts in its "eart, that the% might still #eep their evil /ature and false 3ight therein, and set them at >ariance with the new9born Will and Desire of the Soul! 6or the% would not die to their own Will and 2ight, but would still maintain their temporal Pleasures, and so #ept the poor Soul captive in their evil Desires, that it could not stir, though it sighed and longed even more after the .race of .od! 6or whensoever it pra%ed, or offered to press forward towards .od, then the 2usts of the 6lesh swallowed up the 3a%s and $;aculations that went forth from it, and brought them awa% from .od into earthl% &houghts, that it might not parta#e of Divine Strength! Which caused the poor Soul to thin# itself forsa#en of .od, not #nowing that "e was so near it and did thus attract it! 1lso the Devil got access to it, and entered into the fier% Mercury, or fier% Wheel of its 2ife, and mingled his Desires with the earthl% 2usts of the 6lesh, and tempted the poor Soul; sa%ing to it in the earthl% &houghts, *Why dost thou 'ray- "ost thou think that $od knoweth thee or regardeth thee. Consider but what !houghts thou hast in His Presence/ are they not altogether e#il- !hou hast no 0aith or 1elief in $od at all/ how then should He hear thee- He heareth thee not, lea#e off/ why wilt thou needlessly torment and #e2 thyself- !hou has !ime enough to re'ent at 3eisure Wilt thou be mad"o but look u'on the World, 4 'ray thee, a little/ doth it not li#e in )ollity and Mirth5et it will be sa#ed well enough for that Hath not Christ 'aid the +ansom and satisfied all Men- !hou needest only 'ersuade and comfort thyself that it is done for thee, and then thou shalt be sa#ed !hou canst not 'ossibly in this World come to any 0eeling of $od/ therefore lea#e off, and take care for thy 1ody, and look after tem'oral $lory What dost thou su''ose will become of thee, if thou turn to be so stu'id and melancholy- !hou wilt be the Scorn of e#erybody, and they will laugh at thy 0olly/ and so thou wilt s'end thy "ays in mere Sorrow and Hea#iness, which is 'leasing neither to $od nor 6ature 4 'ray thee, look u'on the 1eauty of the World/ for $od hath created and 'laced thee in it, to be a 3ord o#er all Creatures, and to rule them $ather a Store of tem'oral $oods beforehand, that thou mayest not be beholden to the World, or stand in 6eed hereafter And when ,ld Age cometh, or when thou growest near thy %nd, then there will be !ime enough to 're'are thyself for +e'entance $od will sa#e thee, and

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recei#e thee into the hea#enly Mansions then !here is no need of such ado in #e2ing, bewailing, and stirring u' thyself, as thou makest * ( !he Condition of the Soul In these and the li#e &houghts the Soul was ensnared b% the Devil, and brought into the 2usts of the 6lesh, and earthl% Desires; and so was bound as if it were with 6etters and strong hains, so that it did not #now what to do! It loo#ed bac# a little into the World and the Pleasures thereof, but still felt in itself a "unger after the Divine .race, and would alwa%s rather enter into 3epentance, and 6avor with .od! 6or the "and of .od had touched and bruised the Soul, and therefore it could nowhere find 3est; but alwa%s sighed within itself in Sorrow for the Sins it had committed, and longed to be rid of them! Aet it could not get true 3epentance, or even the Knowledge of Sin, though it had a might% "unger and longing Desire after such penitential Sorrow! &he Soul being thus heav% and sad, and finding no 3emed% or 3est, began to cast about where it might find a fit Place to perform true 3epentance in, where it might be free from 8usiness, "inderances and ares of the World; and also b% what 0eans it might win the 6avor of .od! 1nd at length it decided to ta#e itself to some private solitar% Place, and give up all worldl% $mplo%ments and temporal &hings; and hoped, that b% being bountiful and pitiful to the Poor, it should obtain .odBs 0erc%! &hus did it devise all Kinds of Wa%s to get 3est, and gain the 2ove, 6avor, and .race of .od again! 8ut all that it tried would not do; for its worldl% 8usiness still followed it in the 2usts of the 6lesh, and it was ensnared in the /et of the Devil now, as well as before, and could not attain 3est! 1nd though for a little while it was somewhat cheered with earthl% &hings, %et presentl% it fell to be as sad and heav% again, as it was before! &he &ruth was, it felt the awa#ened Wrath of .od in itself, but #new not how that came to pass nor what ailed it! 6or man% &imes great &rouble and &error fell upon it, which made it comfortless, sic#, and faint with 6ear; so mightil% did the first bruising 3a% or Influence of the stirring .race wor# upon it! 1nd %et it #new not that hrist was in the Wrath and severe ?ustice of .od, and fought therein with Satan, that Spirit of $rror, which was incorporated in the Soul and its 8od%; nor it understood not that the "unger and Desire to turn and repent came from hrist "imself, b% which it was drawn in this 0anner; neither did it #now what hindered it from 1ttaining to Divine 6eeling! It #new not that itS$26 was a 0onster, and did bear the Image of the Serpent, in which the Devil had such Power and 1ccess to it, and had confounded all its good Desires, &houghts, and 0otions, and brought them awa% from .od and .oodness; concerning which hrist "imself had said, *!he "e#il snatcheth the Word out of their Hearts, lest they should belie#e and be sa#ed * An enlightened and regenerate Soul met the distressed Soul 8% the Providence of .od, an enlightened and regenerate Soul met this poor afflicted and distressed Soul, and said,"What ailest thou, thou distressed Soul, that thou art so restless and troubled?" !he distressed Soul answered,

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&he reator hath hid "is ountenance from me, so that I cannot come to "is 3est; therefore I am thus troubled, and #now not what I shall do to get "is 2oving9#indness again! 6or I feel as though great liffs and 3oc#s lie in m% Wa% to "is grace, so that I cannot come to "im! &hough I sigh and long after "im ever so much, %et I am #ept bac# so that I cannot parta#e of "is Power, >irtue and Strength! !he enlightened Soul said, &hou bearest the monstrous Shape of the Devil, and art clothed therewith; in which, being his own Propert% or Principle, he hath 1ccess or Power of $ntrance into thee, and thereb% #eepeth th% Will from penetrating into .od! 6or if th% Will might penetrate into .od, it would be anointed with the highest Power and Strength of .od, in the 3esurrection of our 2ord ?esus hrist; and that 7nction would brea# in Pieces the 0onster which thou carriest about within thee; and th% first Image of Paradise would revive in the enter; which would destro% the DevilBs Power therein, and thou wouldst become as an 1ngel again! 1nd because the Devil envieth thee this "appiness, he holdeth thee captive in his Desire in the 2usts of the 6lesh; from which if thou art not delivered, thou wilt be separated from .od, and canst never enter into our Societ%! !he distressed Soul terrified 1t this Speech the poor distressed Soul was so terrified and ama=ed, that it could not spea# one Word more! When it found that it stood in the 6orm and ondition of the Serpent, which separated it from .od; and that the Devil was so near to it in that ondition, who in;ected evil &houghts into the Will of the Soul, and had so much Power over it thereb%, that it was near Damnation, and stic#ing fast in the 1b%ss or bottomless Pit of "ell, in the 1nger of .od; it would have even given up an% hope for the Divine 0erc%; e:cept for the Power, >irtue and Strength of the first Stirring of the .race of .od, which had before bruised the Soul, 9 this upheld and preserved it from total Despair! 8ut still it wrestled in itself between "ope and Doubt; whatsoever "ope built up was thrown down again b% Doubt! 1nd thus was it agitated with such continual Dis<uiet, that at last the World and all the .lor% thereof became loathsome to it, neither would it en;o% worldl% Pleasures an% more; and %et for all this, it could not come to 3est! !he enlightened Soul came again, and s'oke to the troubled Soul 'n a &ime the enlightened Soul came again to this Soul, and finding it still in so great &rouble, 1nguish and .rief of 0ind, said to it@ What doest thou? Wilt thou destro% th%self in th% 1nguish and Sorrow? Wh% dost thou torment th%self in th% 'W/ Power and Will, who art but a Worm, seeing th% &orment increaseth thereb% more and more? Aea, if thou shouldst sin# th%self down to the 8ottom of the Sea, or couldst fl% to the uttermost oasts of the 0orning, or raise th%self above the Stars, %et thou wouldst not be released! 6or the more thou grievest, tormentest, and troublest th%self, the more painful th% /ature will be; and %et thou wilt not be able to come to an% 3est! 6or th% Power is <uite lost; and as a dr% Stic# burnt to a oal cannot grow green and spring afresh b% its 'W/ Power, nor get Sap to flourish again with other &rees and Plants, so neither canst thou reach the Place of .od b% th% 'W/ Power and Strength, and

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transform th%self into that 1ngelical Image which thou hadst at first! 6or in respect to .od thou art withered and dr%, li#e a dead Plant that hath lost its Sap and Strength, and so art become a dr% tormenting "unger! &h% Properties are li#e "eat and old, which continuall% strive one against the other, and can never unite! ( !he distressed Soul said, What then shall I do to bud forth again, and recover the first 2ife, wherein I was at 3est before I became an Image? )* !he enlightened Soul said, &hou shouldst do /othing at all but forsa#e th% 'W/ Will, #i(! that which thou callest I, or thy S%30! 8% which 0eans all th% evil Properties will grow wea#, faint, and read% to die; and then thou wilt sin# down again into that 'ne &hing, from which thou art originall% sprung! 6or now thou liest captive in the reatures; but if th% Will forsa#eth them, the reatures, with their evil Inclinations, will die in thee, which at present sta% and hinder thee so that thou canst not come to .od! 8ut if thou ta#est this ourse, th% .od will meet thee with "is infinite 2ove, which "e hath manifested in hrist ?esus in the "umanit%, or "uman /ature! 1nd that will impart Sap, 2ife, and >igour to thee; whereb% thou ma%est bud, spring, and flourish again, and re;oice in the 2iving .od, as a 8ranch growing on "is &rue >ine! 1nd so thou wilt at length recover the Image of .od, and be delivered from the Image or ondition of the Serpent@ &henshalt thou come to be m% 8rother, and have 6ellowship with the 1ngels! !he 'oor Soul said, "ow can I forsa#e m% Will, so that the reatures which lodge therein ma% die, seeing I must be in the World, and also have need of it as long as I live? ,* !he enlightened Soul said, /ow thou hast worldl% Power and 3iches, which thou possesses as th% 'W/, to do what thou wilt with, and regardest not how thou gettest or usest the same; emplo%ing them in the Service and Indulgence of th% 'W/ carnal and vain Desires! /a%, though thou seest the poor and need% Wretch, who wanteth th% "elp, and is th% 8rother, %et thou helpest him not, but la%est heav% 8urdens upon him, b% re<uiring more of him than his 1bilities will bear, or his /ecessities afford; and oppressest him, b% forcing him to spend his 2abor and Sweat for thee, and for the .ratification of th% voluptuous Will! &hou art moreover proud, and insultest over him, and behavest roughl% and sternl% to him, e:alting th%self above him, and ma#ing small 1ccount of him in 3espect to th%self! &hen that poor oppressed 8rother of thine cometh, and complaineth with Sighs towards .od, that he cannot reap the 8enefit of his 2abor and Pains, but is forced b% thee to live in 0iser%! 8% which Sighings and .roanings of his, he raiseth up the Wrath of .od in thee; which ma#eth th% 6lame and 7n<uietness still the greater! &hese are the reatures which thou art in 2ove with, and hast bro#en th%self off from .od for their Sa#es, and brought th%

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2ove into them, or them into th% 2ove, so that the% live therein! &hou nourishest and #eepest them b% continuall% receiving them into th% Desire, for the% live in and b% th% receiving them into th% 0ind; because thou thereb% bringest the 2ust of th% 2ife into them! &he% are but unclean, filth%, and evil 8irths, and Issues of the bestial /ature, which %et, b% th% receiving them in th% 2ust or Desire, have gotten an Image, and formed themselves in thee! 1nd that Image is a 8east with four "eads; 6irst, Pride! Secondl%, Co#etousness! &hirdl%, %n#y! 6ourthl%, Anger! 1nd in these four Properties the 6oundation of "ell consisteth, which thou carriest in thee and about thee! It is imprinted and engraven in thee, and thou art wholl% ta#en aptive thereb%! 6or these Properties live in th% natural 2ife; and thereb% thou art severed or cut off from .od, neither canst thou ever come to "im, unless thou so forsa#e these evil reatures that the% ma% die in thee! 8ut since thou desirest me to tell thee how to forsa#e th% own perverse creaturel% Will so that the reatures in thee might die, and how %et thou mightest live along with them in the World, I must assure thee that there is but one Wa% to do it, which is narrow and straight, and will be ver% hard and ir#some to thee at the 8eginning, but afterwards thou wilt wal# in it cheerfull%! &hou must seriousl% consider, that in the ourse of this worldl% 2ife thou wal#est in the 1nger of .od and in the 6oundation of "ell; and that this is not th% true /ative ountr%; but that a &rue hristian should, and must live in hrist, and in his Wal#ing trul% follow "im; and that he cannot be a &rue hristian, unless the Spirit and Power of hrist so live in him, that he becometh wholl% Sub;ect to It! /ow seeing the Kingdom of hrist is not of this World, but in "eaven, therefore thou must alwa%s be in a continual 1scension towards "eaven, if thou wilt follow hrist; though th% 8od% must dwell among the reatures and use them! &he narrow Wa% to which perpetual 1scension into "eaven and Imitation of hrist is this@ &hou must despair of all th% 'W/ Power and Strength, for in and b% th% 'W/ Power thou canst not reach the .ates of .od; and firml% purpose and resolve wholl% to give th%self up to the 0erc% of .od, and to sin# down with th% whole 0ind and 3eason into the Passion and Death of our 2ord ?esus hrist, alwa%s desiring to persevere in the same, and to die from all th% reatures therein! 1lso thou must resolve to watch and guard th% 0ind, &houghts and Inclinations that the% admit no $vil into them, neither must thou suffer th%self to be held fast b% temporal "onor or Profit! &hou must resolve li#ewise to put awa% from thee all 7nrighteousness, and whatsoever else ma% hinder the 6reedom of th% 0otion and Progress! &h% Will must be wholl% pure, and fi:ed in a firm 3esolution never to return to its old Idols an% more, but that thou wilt leave them the ver% Instant the% are #nown to thee, and separate th% 0ind from them, and enter into the sincere Wa% of &ruth and 3ighteousness, according to the plain and full Doctrine of hrist! 1nd as thou dost thus purpose to forsa#e the $nemies of thine own inward /ature, so also must thou forgive all th% outward $nemies, and resolve to meet them with th% 2ove; so that there ma% be left no reature, Person, or &hing at all able to ta#e hold of th% Will and captivate it; but that it ma% be sincere, and purged from all reatures! /a% further; if it should be re<uired, thou must be willing and read% to forsa#e all th%

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temporal "onor and Profit for hristBs sa#e, and regard nothing that is $arthl% so as to set th% "eart and 1ffections upon it; but esteem th%self in whatsoever State, Degree, and ondition thou art, as to worldl% 3an# or 3iches, to be but a Servant of .od and of th% 6ellow9 hristians; or as a Steward in the 'ffice wherein th% 2ord hath placed thee! 1ll 1rrogance and S$269$:altation must be humbled, brought low, and so annihilated that nothing of thine 'W/ or of an% other reature ma% sta% in th% Will to bring th% &houghts or Imagination to be set upon it! &hou must also firml% impress it on th% 0ind, that thou shalt certainl% parta#e of the promised .race in the 0erit of ?esus hrist, vi=! of "is outflowing 2ove, which indeed is alread% in thee, and which will deliver thee from th% reatures, and enlighten th% Will, and #indle it with the 6lame of 2ove, whereb% thou shalt have >ictor% over the Devil! /ot as if thou couldst will or do an%thing in thine 'W/ Strength, but onl% enter into the Suffering and 3esurrection of ?esus hrist, and ta#e them to th%self, and with them assault and brea# in Pieces the Kingdom of the Devil in thee, and mortif% th% reatures! &hou must resolve to enter into this Wa% this ver% "our, and never to depart from it, but willingl% to submit th%self to .od in all th% $ndeavours and Doings, that "e ma% do with thee what "e pleaseth! When th% Will is thus prepared and resolved, it hath then bro#en through its own reatures, and is sincere in the Presence of .od, and clothed with the merits of ?esus hrist! It ma% then freel% go to the 6ather with the Prodigal Son, and fall down in "is Presence and pour forth its Pra%ers; and putting forth all its Strength in this Divine Wor#, confess its Sins and Disobedience; and how far it hath departed from .od! &his must be done not with bare Words, but with all its Strength, which indeed amounteth onl% to a strong Purpose and 3esolution; for the Soul of itself hath no Strength or Power to effect an% good Wor#! /ow when thou art thus read%, and that th% "eavenl% 6ather shall see th% coming and returning to "im in such 3epentance and "umilit%, "e will inwardl% spea# to thee, and sa% in thee, *1ehold this is My Son which 4 had lost/ he was dead and is ali#e again * 1nd "e will come and meet thee in th% 0ind with the .race and 2ove of ?esus hrist, and embrace thee with the 8eams of "is 2ove, and #iss thee with "is Spirit and Strength; and then thou shalt receive .race to pour out th% onfession before "im, and to pra% powerfull%! &his indeed is the right Place where thou must wrestle in the 2ight of "is ountenance! 1nd if thou standest resolutel% here, and shrin#est not bac#, thou shalt see or feel great Wonders! 6or thou shalt find hrist in thee assaulting "ell, and crushing th% 8easts in Pieces, and that a great &umult and 0iser% will arise in thee; also th% secret undiscovered Sins will then first awa#e, and labor to separate thee from .od, and to #eep thee bac#! &hus shalt thou trul% find and feel how Death and 2ife fight one against the other, and shalt understand b% what passeth within th%self, what "eaven and "ell are! 1t which &ime be not moved, but stand firm and shrin# not; for at length all th% reatures will grow faint, wea#, and read% to die; and then th% Will shall wa: stronger, and be able to subdue and #eep down the evil Inclinations! So shall th% Will and 0ind ascend into "eaven ever% da%, and th% reatures graduall% die awa%! &hou wilt get a 0ind wholl% new, and begin to be a new reature, and getting rid of the 8estial deformit%, recover the Divine Image! &hus shalt thou be delivered from th% present 1nguish, and return to th% 'riginal 3est!

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!he 'oor Soul's Practice &hen the poor Soul began to practice this ourse with such $arnestness, that it conceived it should get the >ictor% presentl%; but it found that the .ates of "eaven were shut against it in its own Strength and Power and it was as if it were re;ected and forsa#en b% .od, and received not so much as one 2oo# or .limpse of .race from "im! 7pon which it said to itself, *Surely thou hast not sincerely submitted thyself to $od "esire 6othing at all of Him, but only submit thyself to His )udgement and Condemnation, that He may kill thy e#il 4nclinations Sink down into Him beyond the 3imits of 6ature and Creature, and submit thyself to Him, that He may do with thee what He will, for thou art not worthy to s'eak to Him * 1ccordingl% the Soul too# a 3esolution to sin# down, and to forsa#e its own Will; and when it had done so, there fell upon it presentl% the greatest 3epentance that could be for the Sins it had committed; and it bewailed bitterl% its ugl% Shape, and was trul% and deepl% sorr% that the evil reatures did dwell within it! 1nd because of its Sorrow it could not spea# one more Word in the Presence of .od, but began in its 3epentance to reali=e the bitter Passion and Death of ?esus hrist, vi=! what great 1nguish and &orment "e had suffered for its Sa#e, in order to deliver it out of its 1nguish, and change it into the Image of .od! In which onsideration it wholl% sun# down, and did /othing but complain of its Ignorance and /egligence, and that it had not been than#ful to its 3edeemer, nor once considered the great 2ove "e had shown to it, but had idl% spent its &ime, and not at all regarded how it might come to parta#e of "is purchased and proffered .race; but instead thereof had formed in itself the Images and 6igures of earthl% &hings, with the vain 2usts and Pleasures of the World! Whereb% it had gotten such bestial Inclinations, that now it must lie captive in great 0iser%, and for ver% shame dared not lift up its $%es to .od, Who hid the 2ight of "is ountenance from it, and would not so much as loo# upon it! 1nd as it was thus sighing and cr%ing, it was drawn into the 1b%ss or Pit of "orror, and laid itself as it were at the .ates of "ell, there to perish! 7pon which the poor troubled Soul was as it were bereft of Sense, and wholl% forsa#en, so that it in a 0anner forgot all its Doings, and would willingl% %ield itself to Death, and cease to be a reature! 1ccordingl% it did %ield itself to Death, and desired /othing else but to die and perish in the Death of its 3edeemer, ?esus hrist, Who had suffered such &orments and Death for its Sa#e! 1nd in this Perishing it began to sigh and pra% in itself ver% inwardl% to the Divine .oodness, and to sin# down into the mere 0erc% of .od! 7pon this there suddenl% appeared unto it the amiable ountenance of the 2ove of .od, which penetrated through it as a great 2ight, and made it e:ceedingl% ;o%ful! It then began to pra% aright, and to than# the 0ost "igh for such .race, and to re;oice abundantl%, that it was delivered from the Death and 1nguish of "ell! /ow it tasted of the Sweetness of .od, and of "is promised &ruth; and now all the evil Spirits which had harassed it before, and #ept it bac# from the .race, 2ove, and inward Presence of .od, were forced to depart from it! &he *Wedding of the 3amb* was now #ept and solemni=ed, that is, the /oble So'hia Cor the $ternal WisdomD espoused or betrothed

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herself to the Soul; and the Seal7+ing of hristBs >ictor% was impressed into its $ssence, and it was received to be a hild and "eir of .od again! ( When this was done, the Soul became ver% ;o%ful, and began to wor# in this new Power, and to celebrate with Praise the Wonders of .od, and thought thenceforth to wal# continuall% in the same 2ight, Strength, and ?o%! 8ut it was soon assaulted; from without, b% the Shame and 3eproach of the World, and from within, b% great &emptation, so that it began to doubt whether its .round was trul% from .od, and whether it had reall% parta#en of "is .race! 6or the 1ccuser, Satan, went to it, and would fain lead it out of this ourse, and ma#e it doubtful whether it was the true Wa%; whispering thus to it inwardl%@ *!his ha''y Change in thy S'irit is not from $od, but only from thine own 4magination * 1lso the Divine 2ight retired in the Soul, and shone but in the inward .round, as 6ire ra#ed up in $mbers, so that 3eason was perple:ed, and thought itself forsa#en, and the Soul #new not what had happened to itself, nor whether it had reall% and trul% tasted of the heavenl% .ift or not! Aet it could not leave off struggling; for the burning 6ire of 2ove was sown in it, which had raised in it a vehement and continual "unger and &hirst after Divine Sweetness! So at length it began to pra% aright, and to humble itself in the Presence of .od, and to e:amine and tr% its evil Inclinations and &houghts and to put them awa%! 8% which means the Will of its 3eason was bro#en, and the evil Inclinations inherent in it were #illed and e:tirpated more and more! &his Process was ver% severe and painful to the /ature of the 8od%, for it made it faint and wea#, as if it had been ver% sic#; and %et it was no natural Sic#ness that it had, but onl% the 0elanchol% of its earthl% /ature which was feeling and lamenting the Destruction of its evil 2usts! /ow when the earthl% 3eason found itself thus forsa#en, and the poor Soul saw that it was despised outwardl%, and derided b% the World, because it would no longer wal# in the Wa% of Wic#edness and >anit%; and also that it was inwardl% assaulted b% the 1ccuser, Satan, who moc#ed it, and continuall% set before it the 8eaut%, 3iches, and .lor% of the World, and called it a 6ool for not embracing them; it began to thin# and sa% thus within itself; *, eternal $od8 What shall 4 now do to come to +est-* !he enlightened Soul met it again, and s'oke to it While it was in this onsideration, the enlightened Soul met with it again, and said, "What ailest thou, m% 8rother, that thou art so heav% and sad?" -* !he distressed Soul said, I have followed th% ounsel, and thereb% attained a 3a%, or $manation of the Divine Sweetness, but it is gone from me again! and I am now deserted! 0oreover I have outwardl% ver% great &rials and 1fflictions in the World; for all m% good 6riends forsa#e and scorn me; and am also inwardl% assaulted with 1nguish and Doubt, and #now not what to do!

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!he enlightened Soul said, /ow I li#e thee ver% well; for now our beloved 2ord ?esus hrist is performing that same Pilgrimage or Process on $arth with thee and in thee, which "e did "imself when "e was in this World, Who was continuall% reviled, despised, and evil spo#en of and had nothing of "is own in it; and now thou bearest "is 0ar# or 8adge! 8ut do not wonder at it, or thin# it strange; for it must be so, in order that thou ma%est be tried, refined, and purified! In this 1nguish and Distress thou wilt necessaril% hunger and cr% after Deliverance; and b% such "unger and Pra%er thou wilt attract .race to thee both from within and from without! 6or thou must grow from above and from beneath to be the Image of .od again! ?ust as a %oung Plant is agitated b% the Wind, and must stand its .round in "eat and old, drawing Strength and >irtue to it from above and from beneath b% that 1gitation, and must endure man% a &empest, and undergo much Danger before it can come to be a &ree, and bring forth 6ruit! 6or through that 1gitation the >irtue of the Sun moveth in the Plant, whereb% its wild Properties come to be penetrated and tinctured with the Solar >irtue, and grow thereb%! 1nd this is the &ime wherein thou must pla% the Part of a valiant Soldier in the Spirit of hrist, and co9operate th%self &herewith! 6or now the $ternal 6ather b% "is fier% Power begetteth "is Son in thee, who changeth the 6ire of the 6ather, namel%, the first Principle, or wrathful Propert% of the Soul, into the 6lame of 2ove, so that out of 6ire and 2ight 4#i(! Wrath and 2ove5 there cometh to be '/$ $ssence, 8eing, or Substance, which is the true &emple of .od! 1nd now thou shalt bud forth out of the >ine hrist, in the >ine%ard of .od, and bring forth 6ruit in th% 2ife, and b% assisting and instructing others, show forth th% 2ove in 1bundance, as a good &ree! 6or Paradise must thus spring up again in thee, through the Wrath of .od, and "ell be changed into "eaven in thee! &herefore be not disma%ed at the &emptations of the Devil, who see#eth and striveth for the Kingdom which he once had in thee; but having now lost it, he must be confounded, and depart from thee! 1nd he covereth thee outwardl% with the Shame and 3eproach of the World, that his own Shame ma% not be #nown, and that thou ma%est be hidden to the World! 6or with th% new 8irth or regenerated /ature, thou art in the Divine "armon% in "eaven! 8e patient, therefore, and wait upon the 2ord; and whatsoever shall befall thee, ta#e it all from "is "ands, as intended b% "im for th% highest .ood! 1nd so the enlightened Soul departed from it! !he distressed Soul's Course &he distressed soul began its ourse now under the patient Suffering of hrist, and depending solel% upon the Strength and Power of .od in it, entered into "ope! &henceforth it grew stronger ever% Da%, and its evil Inclinations died more and more in it! So that it arrived at length to a "igh State or Degree of .race; and the .ates of the

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Divine 3evelation and the Kingdom of "eaven, were opened to, and manifested in it! 1nd thus the Soul through 3epentance, 6aith, and Pra%er, returned to its 'riginal and &rue 3est, and became a 3ight and 8eloved hild of .od again; to which ma% "e of "is Infinite 0erc% help us all! Amen!

)* "But ye are a chosen Generation, a royal Priesthood, a holy Nation, a peculiar People; that ye should show forth the Praises of Him Who hath called you out of Darkness into His marvellous i!ht""

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