Book I.

LESSON X.
Read often thefe ten preparatory Leffons to fit thee for the great work, and for the receiving of higher things ; for the more pure thou art in heart and mind, by fo much quicker fhall you perceive thofe high fecrets we teach, and •which are entirely hid from the difcernment of the vicious and depraved, be- cai ife it never can happen that fuch a fource of treafure can be attained merely to fatisfy our more grofs, earthly, and vain defires and inclinations ; becaufe here nothing mull be thought to be grafped, or wrefied out of this book, but to the fulfilling- of a good end and purpofe. When thou fhalt have fo far purified thy heart, as we have fpoken is indifpenfably neceffary for the receiv- ing of every good thing, thou fhalt then fee with other eyes than thou doft at prefent — thy fpiritual eye will be opened, and thou fhalt read man as plain as thou writ our books ; but, for all this, depend not on the ftrength of thy own wifdom, for even then, when we think our hearts fecure, if we do not watch them that they fleep not, the Devil, or his minifters, immediately take us at this unguarded moment, and tempts us into the aftual commiflion of fome fin or other : either he excites our appetite for lufi and concupifcence, or any other deadly fin ; therefore, ufing our blefied Redeemer’s words — “ What 1 fay unto you, I fay unto you all---iwatch 1”
Perhaps, I do not doubt but, there are fome that will fay, when they look at our works, this fellow is all rant, all preaching — he tells us what we knew before as well as himfelf. To fuch I fay, let them read our book but twice ; if they do not gather fomething that they will acknowledge precious, (nay, be convinced that it is precious, to their own fatisfadtion) I will burn thefe writings, and they fhall be no more remembered by me.
To conclude this Part : we fay that the Firft Matter ( Prima Materia ) Adam brought with him out of Paradife, and left it, as an inheritance, to us his fucceffors ; had he remained in his original purity, he would have been permitted to have ufed it himfelf ; but the eternal fiat was pafled, that he was to “ earn his bread by the fweat of his brow therefore he could not effect what was afterwards performed by fome of his offspring.
PIcrmes
ALCIIYMY.