Part 12

Nothing should better represent unto us the four worlds namely the white which is supercelestial, the blew celestiall, the match fired, the Elementary, and the burning darknesse, Hell: which abundantly shews us the body. Rednes, the vitall spirits, resident in the bloud; the blew, the soul; the white, the intellect, and the divine character imprinted in the soul: and as the blew light doth quickly change into yellow, quickly into white, the soul also can doe the same according as it shall incline it self to good or to evill: or whether thee follows the provocations of the flesh or the invitations and exhortations of the intellect, following that which is written in the 4. _Gen._ 7. _If thou doe well, shalt thou not bee accepted? and if thou dost not well, sin lieth at the dore. And unto thee shall bee his desire, and thou shalt rule over him._ The white flame is alwayes the same, without variation or change, as doth the blew: So the fire in this respect is fourfold. Black in the lower part of its weik, where the flame that is fastened to it, is blew. Red in the top of the weik, and the flame white. This which relates also, to the four Elements, black, materiall, to the Earth: Blew more spirituall to the air, Red to fire, and white to water. For heaven is composed of fire and water, which is above the heavens. _Let the waters that are above the heavens praise the Lord._ Yet neverthelesse all this is but fire, as _Moses_ the son of _Maynon_ declares very well in the second Book of his _Mor._ chap. 31. where he saith that under the name of Earth are comprised the four Elements, and by darknesse was understood the first fire: for it is said in the 4. of _Deut._ _You have heard his words out of the midst of fire_, and then he adds of a sodain, _You have heard his voice out of darknesse_: This fire moreover, was called the first fire, because that is not it which is shining and clear, but it is only, so transparent to the sight, as is the Air: and could not comprehend it self therewith, for if it were shining wee should in the night see all the air shine as fire. And for that the darknesse, which was first named, denoted fire, namely that whereof it is said, that _darknesse was upon the face of the Abysse_: because the fire was under the three Elements; comprised under this word _Abyssus_. There are other darknesses which follow after: then when the separation of things was made, and the Darknesses he called Night. All this, the foresaid _Rabbin_ put out. To which that would touch, which the _Alcoran_ carries in _Azoare._ 65. _I will send you a clear and beautifull fire._ All this which adheres then to the low black part, is therwith consumed & destroyed, and holdeth place of death: after which, cometh true life: the blue flame likewise if it therein degenerate, and lets it predominate; but the white doth not endeavor but to uncover it self here below to transport it self upwards: and not suffer it self to bee over mastered by others. And doth not devoure nor destroy, nor is not thereby devoured, nor his clear shining splendor altered, as are those of the others: By reason whereof wee must adhere and let our selves be salted with this white fire, and bee illuminated with this fair white light that never varies, following that which is said in the 4. of _Deu._ _You which adhere to the Lord your God, you are all living also, as at this day._ But if our blew light the soul, adhere to the black, and to the red, which are our sensualities and concupiscences, the strange fire will force it selfe into us, and will devoure and consume us. This knowledge of the Elements, and of their colours, doth not insist only in composed bodies, here below, but thereby wee may mount as by _Jacobs_ Ladder, the height of this celestiall world, where the Elements are also, yet of another sort, more simple and depured: and from thence to passe beyond into the intelligible world, where they are in their true essence; for all consists in the four Elements. Sons of wisdome understand (saith _Hermes_ in his Tract of 7. chapters) not only corporally, but also spiritually, the science of the four Elements, whose secret apparition is in no wise signified, except they bee first compounded, because of the Elements; there is nothing made without their composition and Regiment. Will we dive more deeply into the secrets of this Caball? This Composition and Regiment of the Elements, is no other thing then the _Sacrosanct_ four-lettered ineffable _Jehovah_: which comprehends all that which is, was, and shall bee: where the little and finall ה notes the body and matter, or other the like, where the Fire cleaveth or fasteneth unto: The ו _vou_ or cloud copulative which assembles the two ה the intelligible and the sensible, are the spirits that join the Soul with the Body: the red inflammation of the coal or weik, with the azure flame, doe signifie the soul: and the Jod is the white unchangeable and permanent flame of the intellect, where all at length comes to terminate, which whitenesse is the seat of the true spirituall hidden light, which is not seen nor known, but by it self: for indeed our nature to take it in it self, is but a dark substance; right resembling the Moon, which hath no light but what it receives from the Sun, which she is apt to receive, as our soul is that of the intellectuall light: And there is not a creature whatsoever, which is of it self a substantiall light; but only a participation of the only true light, which shineth in all, and through all, plainly and sensibly. It is the _Chasmall_ of _Ezechiel_ according to _Zohar_, whence proceeds fire or light assembled of two, which are yet but one thing: the white light, namely which mounteth and cleareth that, which no mortall eye could suffer, that of which is written in 46. _Psal._ _Light is risen to the just, and gladnesse to the upright in heart_: which corresponds to the intelligible world, and the inward man. The other is a twinckling and flaming light, of a red fiery colour, joined and united to a coal, or a weik, signifying the sensible world, and the ontward corporall man. The soul is placed in the middle, namely the blew light, part whereof, is fastened to the weik, and part to the white flame; quickly adhering to one, and quickly to another, whence according as shee applies it self it comes to bee either burned or illuminated, following that which _Origen_ sets down upon the 14. of _Jer._ _That God is a red burning fire, consuming and destroying, as concerning sinners, and to holy and just persons, a white rejoycing and vivifying light_: _Jamblicus_, that doth not soar so high as _Zohar_, being not assisted but by the light and instinct of nature, said very well, but afterwards the _Phœnician_ Theologie, that al which we can perceive of goodnesse and contentment, in this sensible world, comes from the light which is imparted to us from the Sun, and Stars illustrated with it. And as the Sun imparts his light to the Moon, to the Stars, and to the Heavens: so God (communicates his to the intelligible world:) the lively Fountain of all others, to his blessed Intelligences: So that, all what our souls can have of good, of joy, of beatitude, be it whilest they are annexed to the bodies, or separated therefrom, comes from this primordiall light, which shineth in them by reflexion, as the Sun beams in a basin, a concave looking glasse, or in water, or twhart a looking glass, according as St. _Denys_ sets it down, in his 4 chapter of divine names: which proceeding from the Soveraign good, carries therewith the same appellation. And _Rabbi Eliezer_ in his chapters sets down, that the heavens were created with the light of the Creators vestment, grounding himself upon the Psalmist, 204. 2. _Clad with light as with a vestment, and the Earth with snow, which was under the throne of his glory._ All Rabinique Allegories, may men say, but where doe the great mysteries consist, from which St. _Denys_ doth not straddle far in the place alledged? for even as this fair great and clear shining Sun, that hath in it self such a manifest representation and image of Soveraign good, extends its light throughout the Univers, and doth communicate it to all that are capable to receive it. So that there is nothing, which doth not participate of his light, and vivifying heat: there is nothing, that can hide it self from the heat thereof. In the same manner this Eternall supercelestiall light, illustrates, vivifies, and perfects all that which hath being, and banisheth darknesses and all softning hoarinesse, that may bee brought thereinto, lightning our souls with a desire alwayes to participate more and more of this light: for when she comes to prove it by little and little, and by degrees that helps it and conducts to the joy and fruition of a Soveraign good, which is the light of the Soul, namely the Intellect that clears it, to be able to apprehend the living spring from whence it came; for light is not seen, but by her self: the most worthy and excellent property of fire, with which it hath this in particular and proper, that shee makes her self to see, as it doth, and by her means manifesteth all that which our sight may apprehend. Yet there is nothing harder to comprehend, then that which is either of the one or of the other, for in shewing us, and revealing us all it is then, when shee hides her self most from us, even to blinde us and to reduce our brightnesse into darknesse; As is his darknesse, so is his light.

Wee must then not speak of God without light, because he is the true light because, O Lord, thou art my Lantern: which doth enlighten us, by thy word, _Thy word is a Lantern to my feet_, the splendor of the Father, and the living fountain of life: as holy St. _Augustine_ after St. _John_. _In him was life, and the life was the light of men, and light shined in darknesse, and the darknesse comprehended it not._ So that from this light, wee have double commodity: the one, that life, by which wee live, the other the light by which wee see, that which enlightens us. The spirituall man, the true man enjoyes the one and the other: the Carnall man, life onely: for touching the rest, _hee is in darknesse, because they have been rebells to light_, saith _Job_, _because they have not her wayes_. Even as if one should inclose a torch within a Lantern of cut-stone, or the like obscure and dark matter, where its light would remain as quenched and buried, without ability to extend it self abroad for the obstacle that hinders it. And if we want light (saith St. _Ambrose_) there would bee no more comelinesse, beauty, or pleasure in our house: for it is it which makes all seem agreeable: which he borrowed from _Homer_ according to what was attributed in _Suidas_, who through an unseasonable time of cold, and rain having been received into an Inne, where they made him a fire, hee sodainly made verses containing in substance, that children were the ornament and Crown of the Father; Towers, of walls; horses, of the fields; ships, of the Sea; Magistrates, of the places of the Assembly, where they administred justice to the people; and a fair burning and lighted fire, the comelinesse and rejoicing of an house, which renders it so much the more honorable. To see a burning fire in an old house. Some attribute them to, _Hesiod_: _Trismegistus_ amongst the rest cals light the father of all, who hath procreated man like unto it, participant of light, and of life depending thereon: and life was the light of men. The Father is as the Sun in his Essence: from whence comes splendor and heat, which three are not separated one from another, but remain united together, although they are distinct: in this fire then our souls are warmed in the Love and fear of God, and lightened in his knowledge. Whereupon Pope _Innocent_ the 3. in a Sermon upon the Holy Spirit sets down, that hee was sent to the Disciples in shape of fire, to make them shine by wisdome, and to warm them by charity, that which regulates and forms life, and wisdom forms doctrine, and as this fire hath life, and heat by which it purifieth and cleanseth: so the Holy Ghost by its light illuminates the spirit of man by wisdome, and repurgeth it by its ardent charity. This is the fire with which the inner man, should be salted, for to salt, bake, and burn, doe communicate their appellations and significations, by their consemblable proprieties and effects: because that Salt boils in the tastes by reason of its acrimony, and fire the sense when it burnes, and a thing salted is half boiled, as is before said: as well to make it of more easie digestion, as to conserve it longer, which are the proprieties and effects of fire.

But to mount from fire here below to the Celestiall, which is the Sunne, the eye and heart of the sensible world, and the visible Image of the invisible God. Saint _Denis_ cals it an all-apparent and cleare Statue of God; and _Iamblichus_ the Image of Divine intelligence, the father of life, the Image and portraict of the Prince, and Soveraigne Dominator of all the universe, the light of the one, and the other world, the Celestiall and Elementary. But may we not here alledge at once this brave authority of _Plutarch_ on the interpretation of the word _El_, where after he had turned it, and returned it about a pot by many discourses, which at last concluding nothing, vanished away in smoak: he concludes that this word, as indeed it is, would say nothing else, but thou art? which hath been drawn from the two first letters of the holy four lettered word _JEHOVAH_, transposed the one before the other, in the Greek _E.L._ which sheweth that they have all drunke of this Caballine or Mosaicall fountaine. And at last come to say, We worship God in his essence, by our thoughts, and reverence the Sun, which is its Image, for the vertue which it hath given it, to produce things here below: only representing by its splendor, which he communicates to all, I know not what appearance, or rather shadow of beatitude and mercy, so much as it is possible for a visible Nature to represent an Intelligible, and a moving to that which is immoveable and stable. We see the Sunne, as wel as fire, but not so neare, to be able so exactly to marke it, we shall very well conjecture in our spirit of that which we may well apprehend by sight, that this must be the most admirable peece of worke of all visible Creatures. For although it appears unto us little bigger then a dish or platter, in regard of the great distance betwixt us and it, so that I tremble to conceive it, after the very demonstrations Mathematicall, which are certaine and infallible, yet it is many times greater then the Globe of the Earth and Water joined together, which containeth more then 6000 miles about, an apparent witnesse of the wisdome and greatnesse of its Architect. Of which _Ecclesiasticus_ in the 43. chapter makes this fine Epiphonema, Who is he that can ever satisfie himself to contemplate the glory of the Creator? the Firmament in its height which comprehends all things under it, so pure and cleare? and the forme of this vast and immense hollow of Heaven so faire and admirable to the sight? Is not this an apparent vision of his glorious and triumphant Majesty? The Sunne at his rising shewing the light of the day (an admirable vessell) arrived in the middle of his dayly Carreer, it burns and rosteth the earth, and who is it that can subsist before its extreame heat? It burneth thrice double the mountains, more then the fiery furnaces the pottery which they put to scum off, exhaling from it selfe flaming vapors, and a splendor which darkens the most strong assured sight. Surely the Lord which hath made and formed it of nothing so fair, so great, and admirable, may well say it to be greater then his owne worke, and which hasteth it so speedily, as to measure this incomprehensible space in 24 hours. With the surplus of this discourse, which refers it selfe, and is as a Paraphrase upon the 19. _Psal._ where in few termes, there are touched three principall points of the Sunne: Its beauty compared to a spouse comming out of his bed chamber, and he as a Bridegroome comming out of his chamber, his force and impetuosity as a Giant to runne his course: nor is there any thing that can hide himselfe from the heat thereof. And its extream celerity, his going forth is from the end of the Heaven, and his circuit to the ends of it. So that as Saint _Augustine_ in his third Sermon upon Advent, there are three things in the Sunne, its course, its splendor, and its heat; the heat dries, the splendor illuminates, and its course runs through the universe. And as in man, which is the little world, the heart is the chiefe seat of life, first living, and last dying: So the Sunne in the great man, which is the World, is the spring, the light and heat which vivifieth all things which imparteth to the Starres and to the Moone the light by which they shine; even as Christ, which is the Sunne of Righteousnesse, and the light of our Souls, which without it, would remaine buryed in a blinde obscurity. He that followes me shall not walke in darknesse, but shall have the light of life, which conserves it self for the good, and extinguisheth it selfe against the wicked witnesse, _Job_ 18. _The light of the wicked shall be put out_. Where light is such, that sometimes the evill Angels transform themselves to deceive us; for in as little as we can blow it backe behinde us, it growes dead and dissipates. But the true and right light doth illighten us without variation as well in the knowledge of God, in this which dependeth on our Salvation, as of things sensible and naturall; whereunto the clearnesse of the Sunne and of Fire, and their effects do guide us more then any other thing, to apprehend some sparkle of this soveraigne Wisdome, wherewith God built this great All by his Word. For every science to which we may attaine by our ratiocination and discourse, proceeds from the knowledge of sensible things, (for there is nothing in the intellect, but was first in the sense) but incertaine and variable, to be in continuall variation and vicissitude. So that the knowledge that comes from the light of Nature, is very weake, and full of doubts, and incertitudes, if it bee not illustrated by Divine Revelation, which makes us see all as it is in its true and reall essence, as the light of the Sunne doth all things corporall. So that the most part of heathen Philosophers, after they have alembeck’t their spirit to the perquisition of naturall causes, they finde themselves so confounded, that they are forced to avow that by the only way of ratiocination you cannot draw truth therefrom. As _Aristotle_ discourseth thereupon well at large, in the 4. of the _Metaphysicks_. _Ptolomie_ also, that we must not ground and rule our conceptions for regard of corporall things above spirituall; for they are farre distant each from other, and there is much disparity and disproportion between them. But yet lesse between intelligible above sensible; although they serve us herein as a ladder, following that which the Apostle saith, That the invisible things of God are seen by the Creation of the world, by things made, also his eternall power and divinity. We must therefore run back to this spiritual light, which holdeth the highest & soveraign place in the knowledge of the understanding; So that light is more properly of things spiritual, then corporal, and more certain and true are the invisible then the visible; for as much as God only is a true light in his essence from whence he derives into our spirit all the knowledg wherewith it can be illustrated, as the potentiall light of our eye is from the brightness of the Sun, or of something artificial, traversing the transparence of the air, the place of which eye the soul holds in spiritualty, as the divine Intelligence maketh that of the Sun, which is a representation and image thereof.

By reason whereof, so long as our understanding shall leave it selfe to be cleansed by the fire of Divine love, he will ever keep its living and luminous brightnesse. But if it suffer it selfe foolishly to go after exterior light, it shall be also obscured and extinguished with the interiour which domineers over it, even as a small candle or wax taper with the twinckling beames of a cleare shining Summer Sunne. Sith then this sensible light, saith Saint _Thomas_ upon the 36. of _Job_, by the absolute Omnipotency of God, who disposeth it as he pleaseth, it is sometimes hid to mortals, sometimes communicated; from whence we may gather that there is another light more perfect and excellent, namely the spiritual, which God reserves for a recompence of good works, following that which _Job_ sets downe, God covereth the light in his hands, and ordaineth it that it should returne againe and manifest it self. He sheweth it to those he loveth, that they may well mount unto it. Whereto that of _Zoroastres_ word for word was conformable. You must mount up to the true light and to the bright beams of your father, from whom the soul was sent you, revested with much intellect. Behold the relations of these Sunnes the sensible and intelligible, and of the two lights that proceed therefrom. For as that of the Sunne obtains the first place in corporall things, saith Saint _Augustine_ in his book of freewill, and that by means thereof, the interiour communicate with the superiour, the same doth the light of the spirituall Sun in regard of intelligibles.

There are also things that have heat, and no light, as that of Animals of quick chalk besprinkled with water, horse and pigeon dung, which _Galen_ writes, he hath seen to wax a fire of it selfe, heapes of oats, and other graines, except Barly, new wines which boil, the lees in the vintage, heaps of Olives, Apples, and Peares, which is a kind of putrefaction, whence also there is engendred some strange heat, as we see in Apostemaes, and in flesh which begins to bee corrupted; and on the contrary wee see others that have light and no heat; as worms that glister in the night, and of little flies that fly in the dark in summer time; of shels and scales of fish, in rotten wood, in stones, and in the eyes of ravenous beasts. _Suidas_ speaking of the visible and invisible, this said he, cannot wel be expressed in words; it is as little flyes which flye in the summer, which by displaying their wings, fly into the eyes with small sparkling fires; the worms also that shine in the night, the shels and scales of some fishes, and other the like, which cannot be perceived in the light, but very well in the darke, for the fire which so shineth from them in the dark, is not a colour, whose property is to make it seene at the brightnesse of the Sunne, or other light, because that the air being transparent and deprived of all colours, the sight might very easily pierce it, and passe through to apprehend them.