Book IH. T^he Temple a/ VVifdome. 1239

the Sun, and tlie Conjiinftiou ot Saturn^ and Jufiter oppoling his Afcendenc, and was new- ly gone to bed, be faid chat the fpirit would HOC let him alone till he had raifed hint a* gain, and told him he was falfly accufedj wherefore he watched and Prayed all that night, the day af- ter he efcaped the hands of his perfecutors in a wonderful manner ; one diedjand the other arc very fick ; then came a voice to him faying, ling, guifeJrt in Lntihulo Altijfimi^ many other paflTagcs happen to thisparty daily, as a hundred will teftifie, but kis an endlefs labour to recite them all, the man being now alive, and in good health and well known a- mong all men to be a friend to all, anddefiresto do good. See the Hcly Guide,
^ Now it is the condition of ^fitiis themfelves^ who cannot appear vifible without fome violence done to their own Naturey\t being as troublefometo them to keep in one fieady viftble confiftency^ in the Aire^ as it is for men that dive, to hold their breath in the ^ater.
The Guardion Genii feem to me to be as the Benigne EyeofGody running too and fro in the world, with love and pitty, beholding the innocent endeavours of harmlcfs and iingle hearted men,ever ready to do them good, and to help them, andthefemuftbcno 'Euchites that Prophecy by familiarity of evit ffirits, for they deny goodnefs and honefty, and their prin- ciples, and are of a different nature from goodnefs.
It is lawful to pray to God for fuch a good Geniits or Angel, and to purge the mind from fride and Hipocrifie, which is one reafon that all men are noc capable of Confociation with thc{e good Geniiy for faith and delire, ought to be full faile, to make fuch Voyages frofferous^T^ndom^nd and purpofe pure and
fincerf,
240 7be Temple ^/Wifdome. Book III^
fincere, but \i F ride and Cone eitednefsy or afFeftion of fome peculiar priviledge above other mortals, fpur a man up to fo bold an Enterprife, his devotions will no more move either God or the good Genii : then the whining voyce of the counterfeit will ftir the affeftion of the difcreetly charitable ; Nay, this prefumption may invite fome real Fiend to deceive him^ and be their deftruftion.
But the fafeft Wifdome is the fincere confecrating mans Soul to God, and the afpiring to nothing, but fo profound a pitch of humility, as not to beCon^ fcious to our fel ves, of being at all touched with the praife and applaufe of men : and to fuch a free and univerfal fenfe of Charity^ as to be delighted with the well fare of another, as much as his own, they that folely have their Eye upon thefe, will find comming in what ever their heart can defire,but they that put forth their hand to catch at high things, as they fan- cy and negleft thefe^ prove at laft but a plague to themfelves, and a laughing ftock to the world 5 Let none doubt I am well affured of the cxiftence of a Spirit.
Chaf^.
BooiClIL Tibe Temple g/Wifdomc. 24.1
CHAP, xxxvii.
of God^of AngeU^ and of Spirits^ ofGodsWif^ dome^ Angels of lllumincttions of Light^ of Earth and Man^ and hts inventive faculties^ a journey to the Earth through Heaven^ and firji Mover ike Region of Angels^ the fluid heaven^ through the Etherial Region^ the Re* gionof fire^ through the Kegion of the Aire and Blew Sea^ the nature of theKegions^ and of the Spirits of Ad^m^ of Cain, andAbt\ of Ages before the fiood^ of Ag^.s jincc^ ofMo- fesj of Job, of Salomon the King , of our Saviour Chriji , of St. Paul, of the Koman Empire^ of Charles Stuart, our Gracious afid Glorious King.
NOw i am come to the knowledge concernmg God, fuch as I had by the L'^ght of Nature^ and the contemplation of the Creature^ which may- be called Divine in the rcfpeftof the OhjeB-^ and naturallinrefpeftof the light '^ thi^ Etherial Voyage was afcended to Adams firfl being in his firjl Moifiure^ deerlydircoveredand fet forth) to the confuta- tion and convii!^ion of Atheifnie, and the informa- tion of the Law of Nature ; but may not be drawn to the confirmation of Religion. Therefore there was never Miracle wrought by God to convert au Atheift, becaAife the light of Nature might have led him to confefs a God^ but Miracles are defigned to convert idoiaicrs, and the fuperftitious, who have acknowledged a Diety,but erred in his Adoration % becaufe no light of Nature extends to declare the Will and true Worfhipof God. For as works do
2 4^ v/9g Temple
fhcvv forth the power and skill of the workman, but nochis ImagCj fothe works of God do (hew the Omniporency and Wifdomeofthe Maker, but no way exprefs his Ima£;e. And in this Arifiotle^ Plata Pythagoras^ ■jndJppolinius differ from me j forthey^ would have the world to be the Image of God, Mail the Image of the world. But I cannot find in my heart, to afford the world that honour, a? once to thinke it the Image of God, buconlythe work of his hands : I apprehend fubftitute Man, the immediate Image of God, wherefore that there is a God^ that he raines and rules the world, that he is mod Potent, Wife, and Provident; That he isarewarder, a Revenger, that he is to be adored, ( now faith ) the Genius or Angell^ you cannot com- prehend further then I have told you, and when you are to fpeak of Opd y you are to beleeve an vbiquity: but then how^are you able to conceive that this vbiquity is^ \ fpealc to Reafon not Faith,for 1 know this beleevech what it fees not, your veffell is not able to comprehend the waies of the moft Hjgh God,
Let us (^ faith ) the ftherial Genius jiprocecd from God to Angells whofe Nature in Order of Dignity is nexcGcds. The firii place or degree is given to the Serafhim^ that is Angells of Love. The fecond to t\it Chsruhim^ t\\^t'\%j Angells of Illumination. The third and £o follow ing^ -places to Jhroyfes^PrincipalitieSy and the Reft, which are Angells of Tower and Mini- frry as ycnn- Guardian Genius knowes of us in the Etherial Region^ (o you fee as from this order and diftribution, it appears that the Angells of l^owledge and illumination are placed before the Angells of Office zwd Domination,
Lee us defcend from Angels at the Throne of God, and in the Solid ChrijiaUitte Heaven^ and Pitch in the Etherial Region^ Among thofe Angells or bleffed
Sprits^