The Signature of All Things — trans. John Ellistone (1651)
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The translator’s English as printed (John Ellistone). The original-language text is not held; names are romanised as the translator printed them.
44. As a Limner that pourtrays his own Image, and does thereby behold what he is, and how his Form and Features are; or as a Musician composes a curious Lesson or Song, and so plays and melodizes with his Life, and Will of Life, viz. with the Sound of his own Life's Mercury, in the Tune of the Song, or upon some musical Instru-ment, as it is agreeable to his Life's Mercury, wherewith his vital Mercury does rejoice and delight itself.
45. Thus likewise God created us to his Love-Consort to his Joy and Glory, whereby he exalts his speaking eternal Word, or plays in the same with us as with his Instrument.
46. Therefore, when this melodious Instrument was broken in its Sound by the wrathful Might of his Anger, that is, when Man's Image would play in its own Might both in Evil and Good, in Love and Anger, viz. in its own Self-Will, and would not yield itself to be used to what the speaking Word had created it, and departed out of Resignation into an Arrogation of Self, and would play as itself pleased, now good, then bad, then this Instrument was against the Love of God, in which no Voice, Breath, or smallest Degree of Anger is manifest or can be, as in the Light of the Fire no Pain of the Fire is manifest.
47. For the Will of the human Mercury went out from the Will of the divine speaking Word into its own Self-Will: Thus it fell into the Center of the Pregnatress of all Essences, viz. into the Anguish, Poison, and Death, where God's Anger, viz. the Speaking in the Wrath, took Possession of it.
Here, now was our Distress, we were forlorn, Opprest in Wrathful Death, and woeful Scorn; If God had not restored us again, We should have still been rowling in Death’s Pain
48. Thus, dear Reader, it is clearly set before you wherein Christ was tempted; Namely, whether the Soul, and the whole Man, viz. the Image of the speaking Word (after that God had introduced the Spark of his Love again into the human Property, and freely given itself again with the Love into it) would now again enter into its first Place, and be God's melodious Instrument in his Love, or not; or whether it would be a Selfish Arrogator in its own Will, and do what its own Speaking would bring forth in the enkindled Mercury of its Life; whether it would suffer God's Will to strike the Signature upon its Instrument, or the Anger of God to strike it, as before came to pass [viz. in the first Adam.]
49. Here it was tried: Therefore said the Devil, viz. the Organist in God's Anger, to Christ, that he should fall down and worship him, and then he would give him all Dominion, Power, and Glory, he should and Might do what he pleased, he should live and Delight in his own Self-Will; he should only give the Devil his Will, and forego Resignation, and depart out of God's Mercy and Love-Will: And if this had come to pass, then had the fair Instrument been once again broken, and the human Melody in God's Love and Deeds of Wonder had ended; but Christ said, Get thee hence, Satan: It, is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and serve him only. Then the Devil left him, and the Angels came and ministered unto him.
The Magical Process.
50. Herein (as it is already mentioned at large) the Magus must well consider his Purpose and Intent; not desiring with the Covetousness of the Devil to possess the earthly Kingdom, also not to fly [or call himself down] from the Temple, much less to Work out his Intent from the Stones; he must think, that he is God's Minister and Servant, not a Selfish Lord, of whom becomes a Fool: If he will help the poor Captive shut up in the Anger of God out of the Bands of Darkness, wherein he is swallowed up in the Curse of the Earth, and deliver him from the Anger of God, then he must think and well observe, how God with his Entrance [viz. into the Humanity] hath redeemed him; he must very exactly and intimately consider the Temptation of Christ, not blindly grope after it with outward Manual Art, and think with himself, I have a dead Stone before me; it neither knows or feels anything, I must by force set upon it, for I may compel it, and take its Jewel, which it has hidden in it.
51. He that does so is a Fool, and goes on in his own Self-Will, and is altogether unfit for the Work; let him not meddle with it; we desire faithfully to admonish him, that if he will seek aright, then let him consider the Process of Christ, how God has again regenerated the Universal shut up in Death in the human Property.