My Son, let not the Eye of Nature with the Will of the Wonders depart
from that Eye which is introverted into the Divine Liberty, and into the
Eternal Light of the Holy Majesty. But let it draw to thee by union
with that heavenly internal Eye those wonders which are externally
wrought out and manifested in visible Nature. For while thou art in the
world, and hast an honest employment, thou art certainly by the Order of
Providence obliged to labour in it, and to finish the work given thee,
according to thy best ability, without repining in the least; seeking
out and manifesting for God's glory the Wonders of Nature and Art. Since
let the Nature be what it will it is all the Work and Art of God. And
let the Art also be what it will, it is still God's Work and his Art,
rather than any art or cunning of man. And all both in Art and Nature
serveth but abundantly to manifest the wonderful Works of God, that he
for all and in all may be glorified. Yea, all serveth, if thou knowest
rightly how to use them, only to recollect thee more inwards, and to
draw thy Spirit into that majestic Light wherein the original patterns
and forms of things visible are to be seen. Keep, therefore, in the
Centre, and stir not from the Presence of God revealed within thy Soul;
let the world and the devil make never so great a noise and bustle to
draw thee out, mind them not; they cannot hurt thee. It is permitted to
the Eye of thy Reason to seek food, and to thy hands by their labour to
get food for the terrestrial body. But then this Eye ought not with its
desire to enter into the food prepared, which would be covetousness; but
must in resignation simply bring it before the Eye of God in thy Spirit,
and then thou must seek to place it close to this very Eye, without
letting it go. Mark this lesson well.
Let the hands or the head be at labour, thy Heart ought nevertheless to
rest in God. God is a Spirit; dwell in the Spirit; work in the Spirit;
pray in the Spirit; and do every thing in the Spirit; for remember thou
also art a Spirit, and thereby created in the Image of God. Therefore
see thou attract not in thy desire _Matter_ unto thee, but as much as
possible abstract thyself from all Matter whatever; and so, standing in
the Centre, present thyself as a naked Spirit before God, in simplicity
and purity; and be sure thy Spirit draw in nothing but Spirit.
Thou wilt yet be greatly enticed to draw Matter, and to gather that
which the World calls _substance_; thereby to have somewhat visible to
trust to. But by no means consent to the Tempter, nor yield to the
lustings of thy Flesh against the Spirit. For in so doing thou wilt
infallibly obscure the Divine Light in thee; thy Spirit will stick in
the dark Covetous Root, and from the fiery Source of thy soul will it
blaze out in pride and anger; thy Will shall be chained in Earthliness,
and shall sink through the Anguish into Darkness and Materiality; and
never shalt thou be able to reach the still Liberty, or to stand before
the Majesty of God. It will be all darkness to thee, as much Matter as
is drawn in by the Desire of thy Will. It will darken God's Majesty to
thee, and will close the seeing Eye, by hiding from thee the light of
his beloved countenance. This the Serpent longeth to do, but in vain,
except thou permittest thy _Imagination_, upon his suggestion, to
receive in the alluring Matter; else he can never get in. Behold then,
if thou desirest to see God's Light in thy Soul, and be divinely
illuminated and conducted, this is the short way that thou art to take;
not to let the Eye of thy Spirit enter into Matter, or fill itself with
any Thing whatever, either in Heaven or Earth, but to let it enter by a
_naked faith_ into the Light of the Majesty; and so receive by _pure
love_ the Light of God, and attract the Divine Power into itself,
putting on the Divine Body, and growing up in it to the full maturity of
the Humanity of Christ.