THE SECOND DIALOGUE

[Way-2-1] ACADEMICUS. I must take the Liberty, Gentlemen, of speaking first this Afternoon; for though I have been much pleased with what passed betwixt Humanus and Theophilus in the Morning, yet I must own to you all, that I was quite disappointed; for I came in full Expectation of hearing every thing, that I wish, and want to know, concerning Jacob Behmen, and his Works. For though I have been reading, for more than two Years, some one or other of his Books, with the utmost Attention, and I everywhere find the greatest Truths of the Gospel most fundamentally asserted, yet presently I am led into such Depths, as I know not where I am, and talked to in such new, intricate, and unintelligible Language, as seems quite impossible to be comprehended. Sometimes I almost suspect, that the Author understood not himself: For I think, if I knew any Truths, though ever so deep or uncommon; yet, if I understand them plainly myself, I could set them before others in the same Plainness, that they appeared to me.

[Way-2-2] All my Acquaintance have the same Complaint that I here make; but some hope, and others say, that if you live to publish any of his Books, you will remove most of his strange and unintelligible Words; and give us Notes and Explications of such as you don't alter. Surely a kind of Commentary upon him, would reconcile many to the reading of him, who, in the State he is in, cannot have Patience to puzzle their Heads about him.

[Way-2-3] Rusticus. Oh this impatient Scholar! How many Troubles do I escape, through the want of his learning? How much better does my old Neighbor John the Shepherd proceed? In Winter Evenings, when he comes out of the Field, his own Eyes being bad, the old Woman his Wife puts on her Spectacles, and reads about an Hour to him, sometimes out of the Scriptures, and sometimes out of Jacob Behmen; for he has had two or three of his Books some Years. I sat by one Evening, when my old Dame, reading Jacob, had much ado to get on: John, said I, do you understand all this? Ah, says he, God bless the Heart of the dear Man, I sometimes understand but little of him; and mayhap Betty does not always read right; but that little which I often do understand, does me so much Good, that I love him where I don't understand him.

[Way-2-4] John, said I, shall I bring a Man to you, that knows the Meaning of all of Jacob's hard Words, and can make all his high Matters as plain to you, as the plainest Things in the World? No, no, replied John, I don't want such a Man, to make a talking about Jacob's words; I had rather have but a little of his own, as it comes from him, than twenty times as much at second-hand. Madam, the Squire's Wife, of our Town, hearing how Betty and I loved the Scriptures, brought us, one Day, a huge expounding Book upon the New Testament; and told us, that we should understand the Scripture a deal better, by reading it in that Book, than the Testament alone.- The next Lord's Day, when two or three Neighbours, according to Custom, came to sit with us in the Evening; Betty, said I, bring out Madam's great Book, and read the fifth Chapter of St. Matthew. When she had done that, I bid her read the fifteenth Chapter of the first Epistle to the Corinthians. The next Morning, said I to Betty, carry this expounding Book again to my Mistress, and tell her, that the Words of Christ, and his Apostles, are best by themselves, and just as they left them.

[Way-2-5] And, as I was that Morning going to my Sheep, thought I to myself, This great expounding Book seems to have done just as much Good to this little Book of the Testament, by being added to it, and mixed with it, as a Gallon of Water would do to a little Cup of true Wine, by being added to it, or mixed with it. The wine indeed would be all there; but its fine Taste, and cordial Spirit, which it had, when drank by itself, would be all lost and drowned in the Coldness and Deadness of the Water.

[Way-2-6] When my Betty used to read this, or some such Words of Christ, 'Blessed are the Poor in Spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven'; she used to stop a little, that my Heart might have time to be affected with them, to love the blessed Thing there spoken of, and lift up itself to God in Desire of it. But this great Book takes this good Work from my Heart; and only calls upon my Mind, to behold the many Parts which the Text may be split into, and the many Meanings, some better and some worse, some higher and some lower, that every Part has, and may be taken in, by some Doctor of some Church or other. Therefore, Rusticus, I sent the great Book to Madam again; and am, for the same Reason, utterly against hearing your Expounder of Jacob Behmen. If Jacob has more Truths than other Folks, he is the best able to tell me what they are; and if he has some Matters too high for me, I don't desire any lesser Man to make them lower.

[Way-2-7] "When he, like an Elijah, in his Fiery Chariot, is caught up into such Heights, and sees and relates such Things, as I cannot yet comprehend; I love and reverence him for having been where I never was; and seeing such Things as he cannot make me to see: Just as I love and reverence St. Paul for having been caught up into the third Heaven, and hearing and seeing Things not possible to be uttered in human Words.

[Way-2-8] "As I have but one End in hearing the Scriptures read to me, to fill me with the Love of God, and every Kind of Goodness; so every Part of Scripture, whether plain or mysterious, does me the same Good, is alike good to me, and kindles the same heavenly Flame in my Soul. Thus these plain Words, Learn of me, for I am meek and lowly of Heart; and ye shall find Rest unto your Souls; give me, without any Expounder of their Meaning, such an Aversion and Dislike of all Vanity and Pride, fill me with such sweet Contentment in every Lowliness of Life, that I long to be the Servant of every human Creature. On the other Hand, these lofty Words of Scripture,- Behold, a Throne was set in Heaven; and he that sat thereon, was, to look upon, like a Jasper-stone; and there was a Rainbow round about the Throne; and four-and-twenty Seats; and upon the Seats, four-and-twenty Elders in white Raiment, and Crowns of Gold upon their Heads: and out of the Throne proceeded Lightnings, and Thunders, and Voices: and before the Throne were seven Lamps of Fire, which are the seven Spirits of God: and before the Throne there was a Sea of Glass like unto Crystal: and in the midst of the Throne, and round about it, were four Beasts full of Eyes before and behind: and the first Beast was like a Lion, the second like a Calf, the third had a Face as a Man, and the fourth was like a flying Eagle: and the four Beasts had each of them six Wings, and were full of Eyes; and they rest not Day and Night, saying, Holy, holy, holy Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come. And when these Beasts give Glory, and Honour, and Thanks, to him that sat on the Throne, the four-and-twenty Elders fall down before him that sat on the Throne, and cast their Crowns before the Throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive Glory and Honour, for thou hast created all things' &c.* {*Revelations, iv. ver. 2 &c.}

[Way-2-9] "Now these lofty and mysterious Words, instead of puzzling my Head, lay hold of my Heart, which, all inflamed with them, rises up with the Eyes and Wings of the Beasts in their Song of Praise and Honour; and Bows down with the Elders that worship the high and mighty Lord of Heaven and Earth. And thus I want no Hebrew or Greek Scholar to tell me this or that, what are the seven Spirits of God, why four Kinds of Beasts, why neither more nor less than six Wings, who were the Elders, and why twenty-four; but the whole Matter, as if a Glance of the Majesty of Heaven had just passed by me, strikes my Heart with such good Transports of Wonder and Joy, as makes me all Longing and Desire to be one of those, who are always singing the Praises and Wonders of the Majesty of God. And thus, Rusticus, all that the Scriptures give me to drink, whether high or low, is equally a Cup of Blessing to me, and equally helps forward the Growth of Heaven in my Soul.

[Way-2-10] Bring not therefore your cunning Man, that has Skill in Words, to me; for Words are but Words; and though they be spoken even by the Messengers of God, as Angels, or Prophets, or Apostles; when they do their best, they can only do, as John the Baptist did, bear Witness to the Light: But the Light itself, which can only give Light to the Soul, is God himself. And therefore not he that can best speak with the Tongues of Men and Angels, but he that most loves God, that is, that most loves the Goodness of the Divine Nature; he has most of God, and the Light of God within him.

[Way-2-11] Thus ended honest old John the Shepherd. And now, Academicus, if your learned Curiosity could be as much affected with what he has said, as my ignorant Simplicity is, you would drop all that you had said, as the Effect of such Impatience as is much fitter to bring Darkness than Light into your Soul. You own, that, in the Works of Behmen, the greatest Points of Christianity are most fundamentally opened. And how can you be more self-condemned, than by desiring more?

[Way-2-12] But the Truth is, you have only heard these fundamental Matters; you have only received them as good Notions; are content with the Hearsay of them; and are therefore impatient to have more of this hearsay Knowledge, that you may become more learned in high Matters, and more able to talk about the Ground and Depth of Christian Doctrines. You know, as well as I can tell you, that this is your Joy...