Mundorum Explicatio or, The Explanation of an Hieroglyphical Figure: Wherein are couched the Mysteries of the External, Internal, and Eternal Worlds, shewing the true progress of a Soul from the Court of Jerusalem; from the Adamical fallen state to the Regenerate and Angelical. Being A Sacred Poem, written by S. P. [i.e. Samuel Pordage] |
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Mundus Luminosus, vel Paradisiacus.
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Mundus Luminosus, vel Paradisiacus.
Here lacks an Angel's Tongue to Trumpet forth,In his best Layes, blest Paradise's worth;
That by those sweet straines he a tast might give
To you, what pleasures there for ever Live.
Here lacks a Tasso, or a Bartas, or
A Spencer's Muse, a Quarles, or Silvester:
Or some such Laureate: But since their skil
Is wanting to my Pen, accept my Will:
For though my Muse cann't reach their lofty vein,
Child-like the Truth speaks in a stammering strain.
Thus far sh' has waded, and she th'rough must go,
Although the style is for the Theame too low.
The horrid Mansion of Æternal Night
Our Pilgrim now forsakes; the blessed Light
Of Paradise his eyes salutes; the smell
Of Arabie, drives back the sent of Hell.
Thorow that breach made by the Hand of Love,
Still by the Angel guided he doth move,
And mounting up from that infernal pit,
Upon the skirts of Paradise doth sit.
O blessed rise! no foes he now may fear,
For over Hell, and Death he's Conquerour.
This Resurrection is the first, and He
That rises thus may ever happy be.
Our Pilgrim's nosethrils which Hel's horrid stink
Of Sulphur had drunk, Odors now do drink
Of Paradise; now from Ælysium
Clouds of perfumes, and rapting smels do come.
But whilst upon the very verge they stay'd,
Th' Angel unlock'd his Ruby Lips and said.
Our Pilgrim now forsakes; the blessed Light
Of Paradise his eyes salutes; the smell
Of Arabie, drives back the sent of Hell.
Thorow that breach made by the Hand of Love,
Still by the Angel guided he doth move,
And mounting up from that infernal pit,
Upon the skirts of Paradise doth sit.
O blessed rise! no foes he now may fear,
For over Hell, and Death he's Conquerour.
This Resurrection is the first, and He
That rises thus may ever happy be.
Our Pilgrim's nosethrils which Hel's horrid stink
Of Sulphur had drunk, Odors now do drink
Of Paradise; now from Ælysium
Clouds of perfumes, and rapting smels do come.
But whilst upon the very verge they stay'd,
Th' Angel unlock'd his Ruby Lips and said.
O new-born Pilgrim, thou the Grave hast seen,
Thou know'st now what 'tis to be born again.
This is the happy, and the blessed state,
Where thou may'st say thou art Regenerate.
Thou art a child become, and now must learn
Those Lessons which thy eyes did ne'r discern.
Whilst in the World, and in thy sins thou wert.
Christ is thy Master, thou his Scholar art.
But in one moment thou shalt profit more
Now, than in all thy Life thou didst before.
Thou here shalt gain more in an hour, than all
The Scholars in their great Lycæums shall.
No vain Disputes shall studied be, by thee,
But God, and Nature shall thy study be:
To such as thee, he giveth leave to go
Among his Treasures, and his secrets know.
There's not a Leaf, there's not a spire of Grass,
There's not a clod of Earth, nor Tree, but has
A Tongue to speak, which doth Arcana's show;
But th' ignorant doth not their Language know.
Nor can they know the cloathing they have on,
Till they wash in the Fountain of the Sun,
O're which the Golden Apples hang, but this
By a ne'r sleeping Dragon, watched is.
Defiled persons never can come to 't:
Polluted hands can never tuck those fruit.
To thee, and such as thee these things are shown:
Who live in Paradise unseen, unknown.
But let me warn thee Pilgrim, that thou mayst
Not of that Tree, as once did Adam tast,
Lest thou dost lose those Blessings which the Lord,
If thou fal'st not, will unto thee afford:
Those secret blessings which we do not dare
For fear of curses to the World declare.
Thou know'st now what 'tis to be born again.
This is the happy, and the blessed state,
Where thou may'st say thou art Regenerate.
236
Those Lessons which thy eyes did ne'r discern.
Whilst in the World, and in thy sins thou wert.
Christ is thy Master, thou his Scholar art.
But in one moment thou shalt profit more
Now, than in all thy Life thou didst before.
Thou here shalt gain more in an hour, than all
The Scholars in their great Lycæums shall.
No vain Disputes shall studied be, by thee,
But God, and Nature shall thy study be:
To such as thee, he giveth leave to go
Among his Treasures, and his secrets know.
There's not a Leaf, there's not a spire of Grass,
There's not a clod of Earth, nor Tree, but has
A Tongue to speak, which doth Arcana's show;
But th' ignorant doth not their Language know.
Nor can they know the cloathing they have on,
Till they wash in the Fountain of the Sun,
O're which the Golden Apples hang, but this
By a ne'r sleeping Dragon, watched is.
Defiled persons never can come to 't:
Polluted hands can never tuck those fruit.
To thee, and such as thee these things are shown:
Who live in Paradise unseen, unknown.
But let me warn thee Pilgrim, that thou mayst
Not of that Tree, as once did Adam tast,
Lest thou dost lose those Blessings which the Lord,
If thou fal'st not, will unto thee afford:
Those secret blessings which we do not dare
For fear of curses to the World declare.
The Tri-une God hath generated from
Æternity, in 's own Æternal Womb
Two Principles (so cal'd because they be
Th' out-spoken Word of the great Deity,
So their PRINCIPIUM is (else they have none)
Their breathing out, or manifestation)
The Dark, and Light: That we call First, and This,
The holy Light World, and the Second is.
God in the First is known a Judge severe,
Angry, and Jealous, Wrathful and Austere;
But in the Second he doth solely move
In Light, in Meekness, gentleness and Love:
The First gives being to the Dark-world, and
The Light doth in the Second's Essence stand.
Nor can that be cal'd Evil: Harmonize
The Second with 't, and it makes Paradise:
For 'tis as 'twere the Life of it; its seat,
And office there, is as in Man the heat
Or Spirit, which his body quickens, and
Maketh the joynts so nimbly move, and Bend;
But let this be w'thout its due Temprament,
Unharmoniz'd; and th' other humours spent,
How soon it Rages, and to fire doth turn,
And with intolerable Feavers burn
Distemper'd Man: So the first Principle
If separate, and that the Second quell
Doth not its acritude; it then is like
Nay, 'tis the Fire which doth the damned strike.
In discord Sulphure, Salt, and Mercury,
Is Hell: but Paradise in Harmony.
For this end therefore did the mighty Lord
Them Generate, that they might still accord,
And Harmoniz'd, might make this Paradise,
In which should spring Æternal Loves, and Joyes.
Æternity, in 's own Æternal Womb
Two Principles (so cal'd because they be
Th' out-spoken Word of the great Deity,
So their PRINCIPIUM is (else they have none)
Their breathing out, or manifestation)
The Dark, and Light: That we call First, and This,
The holy Light World, and the Second is.
God in the First is known a Judge severe,
Angry, and Jealous, Wrathful and Austere;
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In Light, in Meekness, gentleness and Love:
The First gives being to the Dark-world, and
The Light doth in the Second's Essence stand.
Nor can that be cal'd Evil: Harmonize
The Second with 't, and it makes Paradise:
For 'tis as 'twere the Life of it; its seat,
And office there, is as in Man the heat
Or Spirit, which his body quickens, and
Maketh the joynts so nimbly move, and Bend;
But let this be w'thout its due Temprament,
Unharmoniz'd; and th' other humours spent,
How soon it Rages, and to fire doth turn,
And with intolerable Feavers burn
Distemper'd Man: So the first Principle
If separate, and that the Second quell
Doth not its acritude; it then is like
Nay, 'tis the Fire which doth the damned strike.
In discord Sulphure, Salt, and Mercury,
Is Hell: but Paradise in Harmony.
For this end therefore did the mighty Lord
Them Generate, that they might still accord,
And Harmoniz'd, might make this Paradise,
In which should spring Æternal Loves, and Joyes.
Thus did the Tri-une God himself display
In making of this place his Orb of Day;
For here the Spirit's influence doth flow,
And the great Wonders of the Godhead show.
God will'd not Hell then for the damned crew
(Although their Fate Æternally he knew)
Nor the black Devils did he so Create.
In the first Principle, or Wrathful state
No one he made: But a transcendant bright,
And mighty Prince; He in the Orb of Light
Or second Principle, Great LUCIFER
Created; here also created were
All other Angels: But he on the Throne
Sat as a King, with great Dominion.
To him we all did Homage do, and he
Ruled the Princes of each Hierarchy.
And this was Heav'n, th' Æternal mansion
Of God, where standeth blessed Jesu's Throne.
Now here, and in this Principle of Light
He only should have shown the Power, and might
Of Love in Paradise; which then was, and
Where the External World does now, did stand.
But this great Prince of Light now Hel's great King
Into that dismal Realm himself did bring;
For in the fiers mighty strength he flew,
Scorning the Second Principle; subdue
The same he would; into the First therefore
He and his following Angels hurled were,
Where they in Anguish, and the Fier's might
Between the third, and second have their site:
Where they for ever must endure with those
Souls, who with that same Principle do close.
Thus Hell did come to be: But we who stood
Enjoy unutterable Sweets; the Food
Immortal eat, the Heart of God, for that
For ever seal'd to us our blessed State.
In making of this place his Orb of Day;
For here the Spirit's influence doth flow,
And the great Wonders of the Godhead show.
God will'd not Hell then for the damned crew
(Although their Fate Æternally he knew)
Nor the black Devils did he so Create.
In the first Principle, or Wrathful state
No one he made: But a transcendant bright,
And mighty Prince; He in the Orb of Light
Or second Principle, Great LUCIFER
Created; here also created were
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Sat as a King, with great Dominion.
To him we all did Homage do, and he
Ruled the Princes of each Hierarchy.
And this was Heav'n, th' Æternal mansion
Of God, where standeth blessed Jesu's Throne.
Now here, and in this Principle of Light
He only should have shown the Power, and might
Of Love in Paradise; which then was, and
Where the External World does now, did stand.
But this great Prince of Light now Hel's great King
Into that dismal Realm himself did bring;
For in the fiers mighty strength he flew,
Scorning the Second Principle; subdue
The same he would; into the First therefore
He and his following Angels hurled were,
Where they in Anguish, and the Fier's might
Between the third, and second have their site:
Where they for ever must endure with those
Souls, who with that same Principle do close.
Thus Hell did come to be: But we who stood
Enjoy unutterable Sweets; the Food
Immortal eat, the Heart of God, for that
For ever seal'd to us our blessed State.
But now when Lucifer in Pride did rove,
The first and second Principles did move,
From whence a Third then came; the First did then
To operate upon it strait begin,
And like it self by its attracting force
It Rocks and stones did form; its bitter source,
The whole masse into such stuff would have brought,
But that the second Principle then wrought,
And harmonizing of the First begat
A watry fluid substance, on which sat
And mov'd the blessed Spirit, and from that
He Heav'ns did create, and separate
From the subsiding Earth: The upper Sea
He from the lower did divide: That's the
Material Water, did divide from those
VVhich being gave to them, from whence arose
All that on Earth doth spring: It's truly say'd
God made from Water all that e'r was made.
And yet we cann't it Water call: but yet
Nothing can better be compar'd to it.
The lower waters Congregate: The Earth
Then to all Plants gave an apparant birth;
Thence Essence visible became, for these
Stood in their forms in blessed Paradise,
As the Idea's of what ever was
Or shall upon this Earthly Globe take place.
Thus is the World Æternal, and shall be
Never dissolved to a nullity:
For the great God will ne'r annihilate
The least thing that he ever did create,
But yet the substance perish shall, but the
Forms shall remain unto Æternity:
Some in one Principle, some in the other,
VVhen all things shall return to their first mother.
On the fourth Day, after the Third-Dayes even
The Sun, the Moon, and all the Lights of Heaven
Created were; the first Day's flitting Light
Now fixed was, and in the Sun took site.
The Heav'n impregnates then the female Earth,
And first her Seas to Fish, and Fowl gave birth.
Assoon as God his mighty FIAT spake:
Then from the Earth all living Creatures brake,
Made by the same Hand that the Earth had made,
And from the Earth's own Mother being had;
And yet the Earth was their own Mother too,
They from her Mother, in her womb indue
Four Elements, which when the FIAT was
Spake, Essence into living Forms did pass.
And thus the World, and all things God had made,
VVas Good, and in 't no evil being had.
The first and second Principles did move,
From whence a Third then came; the First did then
To operate upon it strait begin,
And like it self by its attracting force
It Rocks and stones did form; its bitter source,
The whole masse into such stuff would have brought,
But that the second Principle then wrought,
And harmonizing of the First begat
A watry fluid substance, on which sat
And mov'd the blessed Spirit, and from that
He Heav'ns did create, and separate
From the subsiding Earth: The upper Sea
He from the lower did divide: That's the
Material Water, did divide from those
VVhich being gave to them, from whence arose
239
God made from Water all that e'r was made.
And yet we cann't it Water call: but yet
Nothing can better be compar'd to it.
The lower waters Congregate: The Earth
Then to all Plants gave an apparant birth;
Thence Essence visible became, for these
Stood in their forms in blessed Paradise,
As the Idea's of what ever was
Or shall upon this Earthly Globe take place.
Thus is the World Æternal, and shall be
Never dissolved to a nullity:
For the great God will ne'r annihilate
The least thing that he ever did create,
But yet the substance perish shall, but the
Forms shall remain unto Æternity:
Some in one Principle, some in the other,
VVhen all things shall return to their first mother.
On the fourth Day, after the Third-Dayes even
The Sun, the Moon, and all the Lights of Heaven
Created were; the first Day's flitting Light
Now fixed was, and in the Sun took site.
The Heav'n impregnates then the female Earth,
And first her Seas to Fish, and Fowl gave birth.
Assoon as God his mighty FIAT spake:
Then from the Earth all living Creatures brake,
Made by the same Hand that the Earth had made,
And from the Earth's own Mother being had;
And yet the Earth was their own Mother too,
They from her Mother, in her womb indue
Four Elements, which when the FIAT was
Spake, Essence into living Forms did pass.
And thus the World, and all things God had made,
VVas Good, and in 't no evil being had.
But the bright Throne from whence the Prince of Hell
(As I have told you) into darkness fell
Stood empty still, and to supply his place
There not one Angel 'counted worthy was,
Therefore conspire the Holy Trinity
To make an Image of the Deity.
This Man we call; to whom a Soul was giv'n
The perfect Image of the God of Heav'n,
He was ordain'd (for God did him prefer)
For to possess the Throne of Lucifer,
Had he but stood. Of Earth this man was made,
But not of such on which you Mortals tread,
It is an Earth which may in secret 'bide
Under the covering of your fleshly hide:
'Tis such an Earth that Stone can penetrate,
'Tis such an Earth as has in Heav'n a seat:
'Tis such an Earth as Man's blest Saviour
Put on, when he rose from the Grave in Power:
As clear as crystal, and as thin as ayr,
As bright as Venus, or the Morning Star.
From the same Mother of your Earth it came,
In which there harmonized doth remain
The quintessence of the four Elements,
In which there are no disagreeing rents:
Such was the Body of the first made Man,
Such cloathing his ennobled Soul had on.
(As I have told you) into darkness fell
Stood empty still, and to supply his place
There not one Angel 'counted worthy was,
Therefore conspire the Holy Trinity
To make an Image of the Deity.
240
The perfect Image of the God of Heav'n,
He was ordain'd (for God did him prefer)
For to possess the Throne of Lucifer,
Had he but stood. Of Earth this man was made,
But not of such on which you Mortals tread,
It is an Earth which may in secret 'bide
Under the covering of your fleshly hide:
'Tis such an Earth that Stone can penetrate,
'Tis such an Earth as has in Heav'n a seat:
'Tis such an Earth as Man's blest Saviour
Put on, when he rose from the Grave in Power:
As clear as crystal, and as thin as ayr,
As bright as Venus, or the Morning Star.
From the same Mother of your Earth it came,
In which there harmonized doth remain
The quintessence of the four Elements,
In which there are no disagreeing rents:
Such was the Body of the first made Man,
Such cloathing his ennobled Soul had on.
In this the Soul the Image of our God
By th' Holy Spirit breathed in abode.
His Soul (as you'rs are) was created from
Three Principles, and from three Worlds did come:
Of all she did partake, and seem'd to be
Conjoyn'd Rays, or one Beam made out of Three.
By th' Holy Spirit breathed in abode.
His Soul (as you'rs are) was created from
Three Principles, and from three Worlds did come:
Of all she did partake, and seem'd to be
Conjoyn'd Rays, or one Beam made out of Three.
Man being thus created our great King,
The Lord of all things, him to Earth did bring:
Unto the new-made World; and there his God
In Æden bid him to make his abode.
Then in that place this inner World so gay,
Its everlasting Beauties did display,
This place to which thou now art come, did there
With all its lovely Beauties then appear,
In this did Adam live, this is the place
Which ever since was called Paradise.
God had appointed this Felicity,
In Æden only at that time to be,
Because he knew that Adam there would fall,
Which made him not to spread it over all
The new made World: If Adam had brought forth
In innocence then over all the Earth.
Had this World open'd been, and which one day
Th'rough all the whole Globe shall it self display.
Æden was not the Paradise, for there
All sorts of Beasts, and other Creatures were;
Sathan had power to enter there, but in
Bless'd Paradise he, nor the Beasts were seen.
Adam alone did dwell in Paradise,
In Æden; Æden held this World of Joys;
Here Adam dwelt, and happy had he stood,
For neither evil, nor the mundane good
Should he have known; for whilst he here abode
He should have press'd after the Heart of God:
His mind to the Æternal World alone
Should have, and not unto the dark World flown,
Nor to the earthly Orb: He should indeed
The Wonders of the Light World have display'd.
But down a precipice himself he hurl'd;
After the Soul of the terrestrial World
He long'd; which was the Tree forbid, and when
He tasted the material fruit, he then
Was captiv'd by the Spirit of that Orb,
And was indued with a fleshly garb.
And had his Soul not lived in that suit,
He had been metamorphiz'd to a Brute.
Thus Adam fell, thus Paradise and all
His issue feel the effects of his sad fall.
The Lord of all things, him to Earth did bring:
Unto the new-made World; and there his God
In Æden bid him to make his abode.
Then in that place this inner World so gay,
Its everlasting Beauties did display,
This place to which thou now art come, did there
With all its lovely Beauties then appear,
In this did Adam live, this is the place
Which ever since was called Paradise.
God had appointed this Felicity,
In Æden only at that time to be,
Because he knew that Adam there would fall,
Which made him not to spread it over all
241
In innocence then over all the Earth.
Had this World open'd been, and which one day
Th'rough all the whole Globe shall it self display.
Æden was not the Paradise, for there
All sorts of Beasts, and other Creatures were;
Sathan had power to enter there, but in
Bless'd Paradise he, nor the Beasts were seen.
Adam alone did dwell in Paradise,
In Æden; Æden held this World of Joys;
Here Adam dwelt, and happy had he stood,
For neither evil, nor the mundane good
Should he have known; for whilst he here abode
He should have press'd after the Heart of God:
His mind to the Æternal World alone
Should have, and not unto the dark World flown,
Nor to the earthly Orb: He should indeed
The Wonders of the Light World have display'd.
But down a precipice himself he hurl'd;
After the Soul of the terrestrial World
He long'd; which was the Tree forbid, and when
He tasted the material fruit, he then
Was captiv'd by the Spirit of that Orb,
And was indued with a fleshly garb.
And had his Soul not lived in that suit,
He had been metamorphiz'd to a Brute.
Thus Adam fell, thus Paradise and all
His issue feel the effects of his sad fall.
Thus Adam lost that Body which he had
Before he with his fleshly one was clad:
And so 's Soul was, as all the Souls of Men
Imprison'd are within a fleshly Den.
To gain that Body then Man's work should be,
Which Adam lost by the forbidden Tree,
The which must cloth the Soul when she doth flye
The Tabernacle of Mortality;
If not she naked goes to Hell, and there
Doth some black, horrid, ater garment wear.
Thus our King Jesus when he triumph'd had
O're Hell, and Death his humane Soul he clad
With that bright Body, the first Adam lost;
Which could appear altho the doors were fast
Among his Lov'd Disciples. In this place
He forty dayes after his rising was.
Here in this Orb he stay'd, till he did move
Into the bosom of Æternal Love:
Till his Ascension day, till he on high
Did into Heav'n's Æternal Glory flye.
Then his Humanity he in the Throne
That LUCIFER did once possess sat down,
And there he sits at God's right Hand, and makes
Attonement for his dear Beloveds sakes.
O bless'd Jesus! were it not for thee
Not one poor mortal e'r could saved be.
What Adam lost, thou hast regain'd, and now
The World waits when thou thy great Power wilt shew,
When thou in Glory wilt come from the skies,
And Earth convert into a Paradise.
Dear Pilgrim I declare these things to thee,
That thou fore-warn'd, also fore-arm'd might'st be:
For though thou can'st not here, as Adam did
Fal to mortality, yet here forbid
Thou art to joyn unto the World's great Sp'right:
For though thou cann'st not to Eternal Night
Fall back; yet thou that Body may n't indue
Which otherwise may granted be to you.
You may not pass into the upper Sphear,
To see the Glories, and the Wonders there,
If that you should upon the Orb below
Offer your Will, and thirsty mind to throw,
Till you shall flesh put off, Your mind and will
After th' Eternal world press forward still
Must, for there is fixation, and there
In Glory all the Saints new Bodies wear.
Therefore await the pleasure of that Love
Which in due time thy fleshly cloathes remove
Well, and that thou mayst never garments want,
Unto thy Soul a glorious Body grant.
Therefore thy mind upon SOPHIA set
That thou in brightnesse to her Court mayst get:
She questionless whilst thou art here, will spread
Her Bounties, and showr down upon thy Head
Her everlasting Graces; nought deny'd
Shall be by her, who is design'd thy Bride.
But now surveigh thou shalt with thy own eyes,
The splendid Beauties of our PARADISE.
Before he with his fleshly one was clad:
And so 's Soul was, as all the Souls of Men
Imprison'd are within a fleshly Den.
To gain that Body then Man's work should be,
Which Adam lost by the forbidden Tree,
The which must cloth the Soul when she doth flye
The Tabernacle of Mortality;
If not she naked goes to Hell, and there
Doth some black, horrid, ater garment wear.
Thus our King Jesus when he triumph'd had
O're Hell, and Death his humane Soul he clad
242
Which could appear altho the doors were fast
Among his Lov'd Disciples. In this place
He forty dayes after his rising was.
Here in this Orb he stay'd, till he did move
Into the bosom of Æternal Love:
Till his Ascension day, till he on high
Did into Heav'n's Æternal Glory flye.
Then his Humanity he in the Throne
That LUCIFER did once possess sat down,
And there he sits at God's right Hand, and makes
Attonement for his dear Beloveds sakes.
O bless'd Jesus! were it not for thee
Not one poor mortal e'r could saved be.
What Adam lost, thou hast regain'd, and now
The World waits when thou thy great Power wilt shew,
When thou in Glory wilt come from the skies,
And Earth convert into a Paradise.
Dear Pilgrim I declare these things to thee,
That thou fore-warn'd, also fore-arm'd might'st be:
For though thou can'st not here, as Adam did
Fal to mortality, yet here forbid
Thou art to joyn unto the World's great Sp'right:
For though thou cann'st not to Eternal Night
Fall back; yet thou that Body may n't indue
Which otherwise may granted be to you.
You may not pass into the upper Sphear,
To see the Glories, and the Wonders there,
If that you should upon the Orb below
Offer your Will, and thirsty mind to throw,
Till you shall flesh put off, Your mind and will
After th' Eternal world press forward still
Must, for there is fixation, and there
In Glory all the Saints new Bodies wear.
Therefore await the pleasure of that Love
Which in due time thy fleshly cloathes remove
Well, and that thou mayst never garments want,
Unto thy Soul a glorious Body grant.
Therefore thy mind upon SOPHIA set
That thou in brightnesse to her Court mayst get:
243
Her Bounties, and showr down upon thy Head
Her everlasting Graces; nought deny'd
Shall be by her, who is design'd thy Bride.
But now surveigh thou shalt with thy own eyes,
The splendid Beauties of our PARADISE.
| Mundorum Explicatio | |