" which Heavenly and fincere Principle in my felf, immediately occafion'd, that all "my other Studies, in comparison of this, be"came vile and of no Account: And that "infatiable Defire and Thirst of mine after "the Knowledge of things was wholly almost "extinguifh'd in me; as being follicitous

now, about nothing fo much as a more full "Union with this Divine and Cæleftial Prin"ciple, the inward flowing Well-fpring of "Life eternal: With the most fervent Prayers

breathing often unto God, that he would "be pleas'd throughly to fet me free from "the dark Chains, and this fo fordid Cap❝tivity of my own Will.

"But here openly to declare the Thing "6 as it was; When this inordinate Defire "after the Knowledge of things was thus al"lay'd in me, and I afpir'd after nothing but "this fole Purity and Simplicity of Mind, "there fhone in upon me daily a greater 66 Affurance than ever I could have expected, "even of thofe things which before I had "the greatest Defire to know: Infomuch "that within a few Years, I was got into "a moft Joyous and Lucid State of Mind; "and fuch plainly as is ineffable; though, "according to my Custom, I have endea "voured to exprefs it, to my Power, in a"nother Stanza of Eight Verfes, both in "Senfe and Title anfwering in a way of di"rect Oppofition unto the Former; Which "is call'd (as that 'Arogia, * Invioufnefs and "Emptinefs, fo this) 'Eurogia, Fulness and Per"viousness; and is to be found likewife at "the end of my Second Philofophical Volume, the contrary. begining thus;

'En

* Where all is dark and unpaffable;

as

Perviosfnefs is

Εκ θεόθεν γέγονα προθορῶν Θεῖ ἄμβροτΘ ακτίς, &c. [In the Author's own Tranflation as followeth.]

I come from Heav'n; am an immortal Ray Of God; O foy! and back to God fhall goe. And here fweet Love on's Wings me up doth (Stay. I Live, I'm fure; and joy this Life to know. Night and vain Dreams begone: Father of (Lights,

Welive, as Thou, clad with Eternal Day. Faith, Wisdom, Love, fix'd Foy, free winged (Might,

This is true Life: All elfe Death and Decay.

[Both these Stanza's I look upon to contain as Noble a Senfe of Mind, and as fine a Strain of Poetry, as ever fell from the Pen of Man.]

"But to reach now at length the Scope I "I drive at; Not content with this short "Epigram, I did afterwards, about the Be

ginning of the Year 1640, comprise the "chief Speculations and Experiences I fell into, by perfifting in the Enterprise before mention'd, in a pretty full Poem call'd "Pfychozoia, or the Life of the Soul: Stir'd σε up to it, I believe, by fome Heavenly Impulfe of Mind; fince I did it at that "time with no other Defign, than that it "should remain by me a private Record of "the Senfations and Experiences of my own. • Soul.

દ

This was the Occafion of his Writing that firft Part of his Book of Poems. Which that it might lie the better conceal'd, he tells us next, how darkly and obfcurelytit was in feve ral refpects compofed by him. And afterwards he gives an Account of his adding the reft, fome at one time, and fome at another; and then proceeds to a fhort Lift of all his Writ ings whatfoever, with the Times and Occafions of them. Which with the entire Preface would be highly worth the Knowledge of the Eng lifh Reader, if proper to be given in this Place.

Here then I fhall make an end of what I defign'd chiefly to translate from him: And I fhall only advertise the Reader farther, That though this firft Poem of the Life of the Soul was written in the Year 1640. when the Author was between 25 and 26 Years of Age; yet with fome more that he added concerning the Immortality, and both against the Sleep and Unity of Souls, it came not out till 1642. and then he tells us, at the Inftigation of fome Learned and Pious Friends, to whom he had in private accidentally fhew'd them. Nay, for that firft Piece, he feveral times, it seems, thought of burning it, left it fhould fall into the Hands of others. But Providence defign'd not that fuch a Jewel, with the reft that follow'd, fhould be loft to the World; and fo ordered the Matter, as we have seen, otherwife. And these were to be the Firft-fruits, or Primordia of his Studies and a Pledge of his future Performances. If any fhall be here curious to enquire into the more particular extent of his intra C paucos

4

paucos Annos, or thofe few Years wherein he arriv'd to fo admirable a Degree both of Life and Knowledge, and fuch a Divine State of Joy confequent upon them; I can affure him on very good Grounds, or from the Author himself, that it was the Space of between 3 and 4 Years. This short time of Holy Difcipline and Conflict, let him in, it feems, to wonderful Communications; and open'd, as it were, the Gates of Paradife to Him.

Concerning which matter, it is not, I conceive, for any that have not had fome very. confiderable Experiences of this kind to make a true Judgment: Nor will I my felf pretend to a fufficient Knowledge or Experience of it. But it is not, I fhould think, difficult to apprehend; That a Man having once refcued himself from the Obliquity and Captivity of his own Self-will and Self-love, and got, fo far as even this Life fuffers, from the Bondage of Corruption, into the Glorious Liberty of the Children of God; into a high State of Virtue and Divine Purity, with a most Free, Noble, Intelligent, and Univerfal Love of God, and of the whole Creation: I fay, it is not difficult to conceive, that the Life of fuch a Perfon, especially of a Perfon of the Doctor's Parts and Conftitution, must needs be very highly Joyous and Bleffed. A Heart loofed from it felf, is like a Ship failing in the midft of the Seas: And we having recovered our felves into the due Love of God, and of one another, to a State of Freedom and Innocency; what re

mains, but to live in a moft unspeakable Peace, Liberty and Felicity for evermore?

Such will exult in GOD, in this Divine Life communicated to them, and in all Creatures: Whole Numbers, Orders, Happineffes, and Extent, with the Works of Providence in the Universe at large, are unspeakable and unknowable; but will be fhrewdly guefs'd at, and moft magnificently conceiv'd of, by Men of this Character: And indeed even Philofophy it felf doth prefent us with admirable and aftonifhing Profpects

of them.

This then was the Blissful and Glorious Iflue of the Doctor's fo fincere and Heroical Enterprife, in the freeing of his Soul from Sin and Self; it was excellent Wisdom; and that fudden, in a manner, and unexpected a clear Æthereal fort of Temperament of Body and of Mind; a gladfome and even Enthufiaftick Senfe of Joy, in the Nature, Works and Providence of GOD; with a most stable Truth and Rectitude of Nature as to himself. Nor can any deny, but that all these are the nobleft Fruits and Attain ments of Religion; the highest and most pers fect Exercises of it; and that, according to our Powers, we are all of us oblig'd to afpire after this Sincerity and Vir

tue.

Let me only add now, with refpect to that Paetical Defcription of his, touching the fo high Conflict and Victory in Himfelf (Which to its ufeful and pious Serioufnefs hath all the Art and Elegancy added, that an

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in