Zike to the heavenly Bodies. 12 Thos Pe ect. 66. And when he had confider'd the Propebich ties of Animals, and could not ſee any one ame. them, concerning which he could in the leaſt ſuſpe Au that it had any Knowledge of this neseſſarily ſelf.eiteſes: Being; but he knew that his own Eſſence had t Knowledge of it: He concluded from hence that was an Animal, endu'd with a Spirit of an equ Temperature. as all the heavenly Bodies are, and that was of a diſtinct Species from the reſt of Animals, al that he was created for another end, and deſign'd ff ſomething greater than what they were — 5 Bad his . LY — ag a F his Nature; namely, that his viler Part, i. e. the r th it h whi men fnowledge of the neceſſarily ſelf exiſtent Being Sifſolution, nor capable of being deſcrib'd by any of Pprehended by any of the Senſes, or by the Imagina- Iſtrument but itſelf alone, and that it attains the - Mnowledge of itſelf by itſelf, and was at once the Knower, the Knowledge, and the Thing known. the Ficulty and the Object. Neither was there any Dif- erence between any of theſe, becauſe Diverſty and Sepa- Mdjunct of Body - Ind endeavour to the utmoſt to become like them: auſe he was ſeparated from the Attributes of Bo- Will, and refign himſelf wholly to him, and ſubmic to rejoice in him, tho' he ſhould lay Afflictions upon | | as Body, and Hurt, or totallydeſtroy it. n 1 Hai Ebn Yokdn® 353- + Ia this was enough to ſatisfie him of the Nobility 0 Srporeal, was moſt like of all to the heavenly Sub- Inces, which are without this World of Generation d Corruption, and free from all Accidents that Suſe any Defe&, Change or Alteration: And that noble Part, viz. that by which he attain'd the „was ſome- ing heroical and divine, not 1ubje& to Change or r.
* NY .
5 * ; f : F 3 1 IS e Properties or Attributes: of Bodies: Not to be on; nor to be known by the means of any other tion are Properties and Adjuncts of Bodies; but Body as no way concern d here, nor any Property or Sect. 67. Having apprehended the manner by which ie being like the heavenly Bodies, was peculiar to im above all other Kinds of Animals whatever; he erceiv'd that it was a-Duty-neceflarily incumbent don him to reſemble them; and imitate their Actions, e perceiv'd alſo that in reſpect of his nobler Part, by mich he had attain'd the Knowledge of that neceſſari- elfe xiſten Being, he did in ſome Meaſure reſemble it, lies, as the neceſſarily ſelf-exiſtent Being is ſeparated from hem. He ſaw alſo that it was his Duty to endeavour o make himſelf Maſter of the Properties of that Be- ng by all poſſible means, and put on his Qualities, nd imitate his Actions, and labour in the doing his o his Diſpenſations heartily and unfeignedly, ſo as Sect. +89. He alſo perceiv d that he reſembled lis fo Beaſts in his viler Bart, which, belong d to ithis genni ich H ble and corraptille World, vis. this dark, groſs:Bodyfcond: which ſollicited him with the Deſire of Variety © fenſtble Objects, and excited him to Eating, Drinking and Copulation; and hecknew that his Body was:ng created and join d to him in vain, but that he wlfly, / oblig'd to preſerve it and take care of it, which bi faw could not be done without ſome of thoſe Actioiter. which are common toi the reſt of the Animals. 'Thihi it was plain to him, that there were Three Sorts « Actions which he was oblig'd to, viz. 1. Either tho Dy which he reſembled the irrational Animals. Or, Thoſe by which he reſembled the heavenly Bodied Or, 3. Thoſe by which he reſenibled rhe meceſſerily i exiſtent Being: And that he was oblig'd to the 5ſt, Having a groſs Body, conſiſting of ſeveral- Parts, anſſſhi different Faculties, and Variety of Motions. To ii ſecond. as having an animal Spirit, Which had its Sei in the Heart and was the firſt beginning of the Bod and all its Faculties. To the third, as he: was what Was. viz.' as he was, that Being, by which he kneſß the neceſſarily ſelf.esiſtent Being- And he was very we aſſur d before, that his Happineſs and Freedom frogſhere Miſery, conſiſted in the perpetual Viſion of that nar: ſarily ſelf.eiſtem Being, without being averted: from o much as the twinkling of an Eye. Sec. 69. Then he weigh'd wich himſelf, by wh means a Continuation of this Viſion might be attui ed, and the Reſult of his Contemplation was the -wiz. That he was obliged to keep hymfetf conſtant exercis'd in theſe three Kinds of Reſemblance. Ner, t that the firſt of them did any way contribute to at N hel ging him to the Von (but was rather an Impe i ment and Hindrance, becauſe it was coneern'd on in ſenſihle Objects, which are all of them a Sort Þ Veil or Curtain iriterpos'd between us and it;) bl - becauſe it was neceſſary for the Prefervation of tFiſed!z animat Spirit, whereby the ſecond Reſemblance. whiq im te he had with the heavenly Bodies was acquir'd,, If ar th f tf hig im to Exceſs, and by that means he might do him- Aa Sinſe)f to uſe: theſe: things. though neceſſary, unadx for this Rèaſon neceſſary, though incumbred ich Hindranoes and Incon veniencies. But as to the cord Conformity, he ſaw indeed that a great Share of that continu d Viſion was attainꝭd by it, but that was not without Mixture; becauſe.” whatſoever ntemplates the Viſion after this manner continu- „does, together with it, have regard to, and caſt Look upon his own Eſſenee, as ſhall be ſnewn here- ter, - But that the third Conformity was that by hich he / obtain di the pure and entire Vun, ſo as to- wholly:caken up with it. without being diverted mm it one Waylon other, by any means whatſoe ver, © being ſtilll intent upon that neceſſzrily felf-exiſtent: m3 which whoſoever enjoys, has no regard to any ; ling elſe, and his own Eſſence is altogether neglecd, and vaniſh'd out of Sight and become as no- ing; and ſo are all other Eſſences both great and Wall, ercept only the Eſſence: of that one, true, nereſſaſelf=exiftent, bigh and powerful Being.
ect. 70. Now when he was affur'd that the ut“ oft Bound of all his Deſires conſiſted in this thirf on formity and that it was not to be attain d, with- Sit being a long time exercis'd in the ſecond; and that ere was no continuing ſo long as was neceſſary for Sar: Purpoſe but by means of the fri; (which, how ce ſſary ſoever/ he knew) was an Hindrancs in itſelf, id an Help only by Accident.) He reſolved to alwöhimſelf no more of that firſt Conformity than ds muſt,. which was only juſt ſo much as would ep the animal Spirit alive. Now. in order to this, found there were two Things neceſſary; The for- er, to help it inwardly, and ſupply the Defect of xt Nouriſhment which was waſted; The latter, to reſery& it from without, againſt the Extremities of atiand Cold, Rain and sun, hurtful Animals. and ch like; aud he perceiv'd, that if he ſhould allow ſſedly and at Adventure, it might chance to expoſe If an Injury unawares; whereupon he W ; the — ron =. the ſafeſt way to ſet Bounds to himſelf, which he r eonſiſt, and in 'defiring to reſemble him. Now th and Conformity to him, which he fo much defirec «the. leaſt; and do that which contain'd in it the lea had them all at hand, then he would confider wit there would be the. leaſt Oppoſition to the Work q 1 1 Ho h n r ſolv'd not to paſs; both as to the Kind of Meat which he: was to eat, and the Quantity and Qualit) of it, and the Times of returning to it.
Sect. 71. And firſt he conſider d the ſeveral Kinds of thoſe things which are fit to eat; and found thai there were three Sorts, viz. either ſuch Plants as were not yet come to their full Growth, nor attained ta Perfection, ſuch as are ſeveral Sorts of green Herb: which are fit to eat: Or, ſecandiy, the Fruits of Trees which were fully ripe, and had Seed fit for the Prof duction of more of: the ſame Kind (and ſuch wer the Kinds of Fruits that were newly gathered an dry:) Or, laſtiy, living Creatures, both Fiſh and Fleſh Now he knew very well, that all theſe things we ereated by that neceſſarsy ſelf-exiſtent Being. in approach ing to whom he was aſſur d that his Happineſs dif Eating of theſe things muſt needs hinder their attain ing to their Perfection, and deprive them of thi End for which they were defign'd; and this would! an. to the working of the fapreme Agen and ſuch an Oppoſition would hinder that Nearnelff Upon this he thought it the beſt way to abſtain fro Eating altogether, if poſſible; but when he ſaw tha; this would not do, and that ſuch an Abſtinence te ded to the Diſſolution of his Body, which was | much a greater Oppoſition to the Agent than the fol mer, by how much he was of a more excellent Natut than thoſe things, whoſe Deſtruction was the Caul, of his Preſervation: Of two Evils he reſolved to chu Oppoſition: to the Creator; and reſolved to partal of any of theſe Sorts, if thoſe he had moſt mind i were not at hand, in fuch' Quantity as he ſhould col, clude upon hereafter; and if it ſo happen'd that himſelf, and chuſe that, in the partaking of whiF 1 e Creator: Such as the Pulp of thoſe Fruits which. ere ful ripe, and had Seeds in them fit to produce jw thers of the like kind, always taking care to pre- nalietve the Seeds, and neither cut them, nor ſpoil em, Kinder throw them into ſuch Places as were not fit for Ich Wints to grow in, as ſmooth Stones, ſalt Earth. and " "1G like. And if ſuch pulpy Fruits, as Apples, Pears, . lumbs, Gg. could not eaſily be come at, he would 1 1 hen take ſuch as had nothing in them fit to eat but Tn ply the Seed, as Almonds and Cheſnuts, or ſuch "D. Wren Herbs as were young and tender; always ob- | Fre rving this Rule, that let him take of which sort VS: would. he ſtill choſe thoſe that there was great - t Plenty of, and which increaſed faſteſt, but ſo as pull up nothing by the Roots, nor ſpoil the : And if none of theſe things could be had. he ould then take ſome living Creature, or eat Eggs; it when he took any Animal. he choſe that Sort of fich there was the greateſt Plenty, ſo as not totals. to deſtroy any Species. +. Sect. 72. Theſe were the Rules which he preſcri- to himſelf, as to the Kinds of his Proviſion; as the Quantity, his Rule was to eat no more than Wit what would ſatisfie his Hunger; and as for the Wine of his Meals, he deſign'd, when he was once isfied, not to eat any more till he found ſome Diſ- Wility in himſelf, which hindred his Exerciſe in the md Conformity, (of which we are now going to ſpeak;) d as for thoſe things which Neceſlity requir'd of towards the Conſervation of his animal Spirit, W Regard of defending it from external Injuries, he as not much troubled about-them. for he was dd with Skins, and had a Houſe ſufficient to ſe- him from thoſe Inconveniences from without, Nich was enough for him; and he thought jt ſu per- vous to take any further Care about thoſe things3 nd as' for his Diet, he obſerv'd thoſe: Rules which bad preſcrib'd to himſelf, namely, thoſe which we Nie juſt-now ſet down. n er Sec?
RPS 2 Hai Ebn Yokdan. 575 m_ _ "The Hiſtory of + Sec. 73. After this he apply'd' bimſelf to the Þ'*! - cond Operation, viz. the Imitation of the heave Bodies, and expreſſing their proper Qualities in hiff felf; which when he had confider'd, he found to F of Three sorts. The frſt were ſuch as had Relatiſ d to thoſe inferior Bodies, which are plac'd in t World of Generation and Corruption, as Heat whiff they impart to thoſe of their own Nature, and Coff by Accident; Illumination, Rarefaction, and Conde ſation, and all thoſe other things by which they | "fluence theſe inferior Bodies, whereby they are d pos d for the Reception of ſpiritual Forms from t " neceſſarily ſelf-exiſtent Agent. The ſecond Sort of Proper.”.* Which they had, were fuch as coneern'd their on Being, as that they were clear, bright and pure, f from all manner of feculent Matter, and what ver kinds of Impurity: That their Motion circular, ſome of them moving round their o, enter, and ſome. again round the Center of oth Planets. The third Kind of their Properties. ve ſuch as had Relation to the neceſſarily ſeM-exiſte Agent. as their continually beholding him withs any Interritprion. and having a Deſire towards hifi + being bufied in his Service. and moving agreea ble I hr his Will, and not otherwiſe, but as he pleafed, at by his Power. So he began to reſemble them in eve chit one of theſe three Kinds; to the utmoſt of his Pow thei + Se. 74. And as for his firſt Conformity, his In tation of them conſiſted in removing all things ti were hurtful, either from Animals or Plants if th could be remov'd: So that if he faw any Plant whit was depriv'd of the Benefit of the Sun. by the Intq phe poſition. of any other-Body; or that its Growth w 2 hindred by its being twiſted with, or ſtinding t & near any other Plant, he would remove that wh'Yh noi hindred it, if poſſtble- yet ſo as not to hurt eitheſf anc or if it was in Danger of dying for want of Moiltut he took whet Care he could to water it-conſtant| = Or if he ſaw any Creature purſu'd by any wild Beal + che or entangled in a Snare, or prick'd with Thorns.
rams, 1g xc GS oi er the Niet had gotten any thing hurtful fallen into its Eyes xx Ears, or was hungry or thirſty,. he took all poſſi- n de Care to relieve it. And when he ſaw any Water- 'FYcourle ſtopp'd by any Stone, or any thing brought. elar;$90wn, by the Stream, fo that any Plant or Animal vas hindred-of it, he took Care to remove it. And thus he continu'd in this t kind of Imitation of the heavenly Bodies, till he had attain'd it to the * Very Heighth of Perfection. 5 ect. 75. The ſecond Sort of Imitation conſiſted in his continually abliging himſelt to keep himſelf clean from all manner of Dirt and Naſtineſs, and v aſhing hkimſelf often, keeping his Nails and his Tceth-clean, and the ſecret Parts of his Body, which hz uſed to rub ſomerimes with ſweet Herbs and per- me with Odors. He uſed frequently to make clean his Cloths, and perfume them, ſo that he was all over extremely clean and fragrant, Beſides this, he us'd a great many Sorts of + circular Motion, ſome- * s hi + Our Philoſopher's imitating the heavenly Bodies in their circu- ble lar Motion, would ſeem indeed extremely ridiculous, but that we 1 af ve to conſider that the Mahometans have a ſuperſtitious Cuſtom” of going ſeveral times round the Cave of Meccah, when they go —Y — er on Pilgrimage, and 8 it 3 3 yg owe their Duty. Now our Author having refolv'd to bring his Philo- is I ſopher as far at leaſt as was poſſible for one in his Circumſtances, « thi_ i» the Knowledge and PraQtice of all thoſe things which the Ma- hometans account neceſſary, would not let him be ignorant of this f th Practice of moving round; but has brought it under this ſecond whiF Sorr of Imitation of the heavenly Bodies. Now tho' our Philoſo- Inte bi may be excug'd for not going to the Temple at Meccah, a — 5 great a Streſs is laid upon it by the Mahometans, that Alboſain AHallagi Ben Manſour, was, in the 309 Year of the Hegira (of { Chriſt 921.) condemn'd to dye by the Vier Alhamed, who pre- wh nounc'd Sentence upon him, having firſt advis'd with the Bnaums atheW and Doctors, for having aſſerted, That in caſe a Man had a Deſire iſtuf do go on Pilgrimage to Aeccah, and could not; it would be ſuffici- ©. ant ient, if he ſer apart any clean Room of his Houſe for that Pur- poſe; and went round about it, and per form'd in it at the ſame time Bea «when the Pilgrims are at Meocab, the ſame things which they do there, and fed and cloth'd 30 Orphans, and gave te each of 2 n *, a * V3 os ee ea n - and free from any Mixture, and he beheld by it the ner eſferily ſelfciſtent Being: But then again the corporeal ſihle Things, ſhut his Eyes, ſtopp'd his Ears, and reof nothing beſides him; nor to admit together with theſe three Reſpects which we have mention'd; an teven Pieces of Silyer. For which heterodox Poſition he received Whadd, 2 Thouſand Stripes, without ſo much as Si ing of Groaning, and uy had firſt one Hand cut off, and then both his Feet, and then the I Per n than we wes lated __ raph e Aſhes thrown to w - amto the River Tigris, and his Head 1 ſet upon a Pole 1 7 = daa See Abnipharagins, 287 — A - times walking round the Iſland, compaſſing the shore; Ius!
and going round the utmoſt Bounds of it; ſometimes H! walking or running a great many times round about Ruge his Houle or ſome Stone, at other times turning him- g ſelf round fo often that he was dizzy.
Sect. 76. His Imitation of the third Sort of Attri- ſe C butes, conſiſted in confining his Thoughts to the Con- u! templation of the neceſſarily ſelf exiſtent Being. And in Peet order ta this, he remoy'd alPhis Affections from ſen- "Mimi frain'd himfelf as much as poſſible from followin his Imagination. endeavouring to rhe utmoſt to thin him any other Object of Contemplation. And he Wrts us d to help himſelf in this by violently turning him- ane 100 round, in which when he was very violently exis' d, all manner of ſenſible Objects vaniſh'd-out of Sight, and the Imagination, and all the other Fa- I le: culties Which make any uſe of the Organs of the Body grew weak; and on the other Side, the Operations of Muir his Eſſence, which depended not on the Body, grew fatty ſtrong. ſo that at ſometimes his Meditation was pure Faculties would return upon him; and ſpoil his Con- templation, and bring him down te the loweſt De- — where he was before. Now, when he had any nfirmity upon him which interrupted his Defign, he took fome kind of Meat, but ftill according to the Menc: aforemention'd Rules; and then remov'd again to Wm | that State of Imitation of the heavenly Bodies, in Wope!
d 4 ore; Ius he continu'd for ſome time oppoſing his cor po- mes Faculties, and they oppoſing him, and mutually 8 ggling one againſt another, and at ſuch times as 1im- got the better of them; and his Thoughts were > from Mixture; he did apprehend ſomeching of Condition of thoſe, who have attained to the oO | WAA dect. 77. Then he began to ſeek after this rbir:- 'Mimilation, arſd took Pains in the attaining it. And he conſider'd the Attributes of the neceſſerily ſeſ- tent Being. Now it had appear'd to him, during Time of his theoretical Speculation, before he ter d upon the practical Part; that there were rwe.. - rts of them, viz. Affirmative, as Knowledge, Pow- - and Wiſdom, Cc, and Negative, as Immateriality; - t only ſuch as conſiſted in the not being Body, bur being altogether remoy'd from any thing that had e leaſt Relation to Body, though at never ſo great a ita ice. And that this was a Condition, not only quir'd in the negative Attributes, but in the affit- tive too, viz. that they ſhonld be free from all pperties of Body, of which, re, is one. Now e divine Eſſence is not multiplied by theſe affirma- e Attributes, but all of them together are one and e ſame thing, viz. his real Eſſence. Then he began De- conſider how he might imitate him in both theſe ny ads; and as for the afficmative Attributes, when he ¶ conſider'd that they were nothing elſe but his real the Mence, and that by no means it could be ſaid of to em that they are many (becauſe Multiplicity is a in Woperty of Body) and that the Knowledge of his nd Wn Eſſence was not a Notion ſuperadded to his Eſe but that his Eſſence was the Knowledge of & Eſſence; and ſo vice verſe, it appear'd to him, that he would know his Being, this Knowledge, by dich he knew his Being would not be a Notion ſu- ved Wnadded to his Being, bur be very Being it ſelf. And perceiv'd that his way to make himſelf like to him, vn to what concern'd cs Ama Attributes, voy not excluded his Thoughts, no. not at ſuch rin be to know him alone, abſtrafted wholly from $#5* Properties of Botly.. 5 e Sect. 78. This he apply'd himſelf to; and as for Nic negative Attributes, they all conſiſted in Separati e * from bodily Things. He began therefore to ſtrip h Ha elf of all bodily Properties, which he had made fond Progreſs in before, during the time of the for Exerciſe, When he was employ'd in the Imitation | dhe heavenly Bodies; bur-chere ſtill remain dia ff many Relicks, as his circular Motion (Motion bei ll d1 one of the moſt proper Attributes of Body, and ee Care of Animals and Plants, "Compaſſion upon tir. and Induſtry in removing whatever inconvenien. & them: Now all thefe things belong to cor pots Attributes, for he could not ſee theſe thing e firſt, but by corporeal Faculties; and he was obi to make ufe of the ſame Faculties in preſerving th f Therefore he began to reject and remove all e things from himſelf, as being in no wiſe confi g with that State which he was now in Search of. If | he continu'd, confining himfelf to reſt in the Bott of his Cave, with his Head bow'd down, and Ne 6 Eyes ſhur. and turning himſelf altogether from 9 f . ſenſible Things and corporea] Faculties, and bendif.”** all his Thoughts and Meditations upon the 2 on - ſelf exiſtent Being, without admitting any thing elſe ſides him; and if any other Object preſenred it to his We he rejected it with his utt ic Force; and exercis'd himſelf in this, and perfiſtel i?” it to. that Degree, that ſometimes he did neither nor ſtir for a great many Days together. And wh he was thus earneſtly taken up in Coritemplatiof ſometimes all manner of Beings whatſoever woull quite out of his Mind and Thoughts, except his o Being only...² "ol Sect. 79. But he found that his own "Being Mar when he was. moſt deeply immers'd in the Conte | plation of the fiſt, rrue, necſſarity ſol exiſtent Beg. W goncern'd him very much, for he knew that even iii; Fe ba Yokdaw\&— © Og rom Is a Mixture in this. Gmple Viſjon, and the Admiſſion, ex traneous Object in that Contemplation. pon nich he endeavour'd to diſappeat from himſelf, and te wholly taken up in the Viſion of that true Being; i ac laſt he attain d it; and then both the Heavens d the Earth, and what ſoe ver is between them and> ſpiritual Forms, and corporeal. Faculties; and all hoſe Powers which are ſeparate from Matter, and are ale Beings, which know the-neceſſarily ſe/f-e-a{tent Being, diſappear'd and vaniſh'd, and. were as if they had Sever: been, and amongſt theſe his own Being diſap- Wear'd too. and there remain d nothing but this O NE, „ RukE perpecually ſelf. exiſtent *Being, who ſpoke + zus in that Saying: of his (which is not a. Notion- peradded to his Eſſęence.) i whom nom belongs the: elan? Jo this One, Almighty.God- Which Words of Wis Hzi- Ebn-Thkdan underſtood, and heard his: Voice; Por was his being unacquainted with, Words, and not * king. able to ſpeak, any Hindrance at all to the un- f. erſtanding him Wherefore he deeply immers'd him- „f into this State, and wirneſs'd that which neither Ne hath ſeen, nor Ear heard; nor hath it ever en- br'd into the Heart of Man to conceive. = Sed; 80 And now, don't expect that I ſhould 2ndif. en e. | e 5 Po jive thee a Deſcription, of that, which, the Heart of ſe Nn cannot conceive. For. if a great many of thoſe. ir (ings which we do conceive are nevertheleſs hard toich cannot be: conceiv/d hy the Heart, nor are cir- Sunſerib'd in the Limits of that World in which it en venſes, Now, when I ſay the Heart, I don't mean he Subſtance of it. nor that Spirits which is contain- in the Cavity of it; hut I mean by it. the Form of bac. Spirit which is diffys'd: by its Faculties through hole Body of Man. Now every one of theſe Nee is ſometimes call'd the Heart, but tis impoſſible Nat this thing which I mean ſhould be comprehen- led by any oY theſe Three; neither can, we expreſs $97 thing by Words, which is, not firſt conceiy d 4 I Alcoran. W g explain'd;. how much more difficult muſt thoſe be ff * * lier, I Nn e MEG POE th. a Lhe. ae N CEC Nl jp ls Met et 9 = IT TO OFT To * een 2 A: J r * ry a WE, ly "Dat. a Ada, Shar; 0 Wy > the Heart. And whoſoever asks to have it explain _ "thee into the right way. But I make this Bargain, to attempt the explaining of that with Words, the nothing in Nature, but only that One, living and per- _ manent Being: When he ſaw what he ſaw, and the Upon his coming to himſelf from that State (whici Was like Drunkenneſs) he began to think that hi that TRUE Being, but that they were both one and ken before for his own Eſſence, diſtin& from that true Eſſence, was in reality nothing at all. and that . it be attributed. or may ſeem to belong to that Kew reality. but the Light of the Sun. And if that Body - The Eiflory ff asks an Impoſſibility; for *ris juſt as if a Man: ſhould have a mind to taſte Colors, quatenus Colors. and defire that black ſhovld be either ſweet or ſowre. How ever, I ſhall not diſmiſs you without ſome Limits whereby I ſhall point out to you in ſome Meaſure, what wonderful things he ſaw when in this Conditi- on, but all figuratively; and by way of Parable; not pretending to give a literal Deſeription of that, which is impoſſible.to be known, but by coming thi ther: Attend therefore with the Ears of thy Heart, and look ſharply with the Eyes of thy Underſtand- ing, upon that which I ſhall ſhow thee; it may be thou may'ſt find ſo much in it, as may ſerve ro lead that thou ſhalt not at preſent require any further , Explication of it by Word of Mouth; but reſt thy felf contented with what I ſhall commit to theſe.
Papers. For tis a narrow Field, and *tis dangerous - Nature of which admits no Explication.
Seck 81. I ſay then, when he had abſtracted him-Y ſelf from his own and all other Effences, and beheld afterwards return'd to the beholding of other things.
own Eſſence did not at all differ from the Eſſence o the fame thing; and that the thing which he had ta- there was nothing in him, but this true Eſſence. And that this was like the Light of the Sun, which, when it falls upon Tolid Bodies, ſhines there; and though Body upon which it appears. yet is nothing elſe in be remoy'd, its Light alſo is removed; but the Eigbt A orf e '. _- - "Mat Eda Yokdan, *@ ne of the sun remains tilt afrer the ſame manner, and ang OW ilts Ire, 3 * o at all. FO Bp at LOTS Se&. 82. He was the more confirm'd in this Opint- * = is neither increas'd by the Preſence of that Body, nor Is diminifh'd by its Abſence. Now when there happens to he a Body which is fitted for ſuch a Reception of Mi Light, it receives it; if ſuch a Body be abſent, then lit: J there is no fuch Reception, and it ſignifies nothing ue on, becauſe it appear d to him before, that this TRUE - art, Nee and glorious Being, was not by any thus: thy: ele the Eſſence itſelf.
with it ſelf, and its very Prefence is Efence: and im. therefore he concluded that he was that very Efſence. And to all other Eſſences which were ſeparate from which is natural to Body, and the Dregs of fenſible Wicity, Collection and Separation, are all of them Proper- at Body. But we cannot ſay of theſe ſeparate be prais d) that they are many or one, becauſe they are rence of one Being from another, and there can be underſtood without compound Notions which are wy R NMuſtiplicity, and that his Knowledge of his El- dell ſence, was his very-Effence, from whence he argued I that has the Xiowledge of this Eſtee, har the Eſſence irſelf 3. he but J have the Knowledge of this Eſſence. Ergo, I have.
the Now this Efſence can be preſent no where, bur — Matter, which had the Knowledge of that true Eſſence, though before he had. looked upon them as many, by Wthis way of thinking. appear'd to him to be only one © thing And this miſgrounded Conceit of his, had his ie to have firmly rooted it ſelf in his Mind, unleſs - of Sod hed purſu'd him with his Mercy, and dire&ed& - andi dim by his gracious Guidance; and then he perceiv'd ea. that it aroſe from the Relicks of thar Obſcurity Dbjefts. Becauſe that Much and Little, Unity and u.
Eſences, which know this TRUE Being (whoſe Name Immaterizl. Now, Auttiplicity is becauſe.of the Diffe- no Unity but by ConjunFion, and none af theſe can he | 3 mad CC & 3 F „ 4, n xy PI e. p rn 2 n 4 h wa ra: e — —— ad * fl jr” 0 9 r Rx mix'd with Matter. Beſides, that the Explication alen Things in this place is very ſtraight and difficult; be- rar cauſe if you go about to expreſs what«belongs roflind theſe feparate Eſſences, by way of Multitude, or in the plural, according to our way of Speaking. this in · Nilſe Hinuates a Notion of Aàſultiplicity, whereas they are far vi from being many; and if you ſpeak of them by wayſhni\ of Separation, or in tlie Singular, this inſmuates 1 nen 4. Notion of Unity, whereas they are far from being * Sect. 83. And here methinks I ſee one of thoſe - Bates, whoſe Eyes the Sun dazzles, moving himſelf{ni in the Chain of his Folly, and ſaying, This. Subtility pan! yours exceeds all Bounds. for you have withdrawn your ſelf from Vo 3#be State and Condition of -underſtanding Men, and indeed thromiſirt c away the Nature of imellig1ble Things. for this is 4 certain Axi-Wwhic om, that 4 thing mu$ be either one, or more tban one. Soft.
and fair; let that Gentleman be pleas'd to conſiderrhic weith himſelf, and contemplate - this vile, ſenſible{artl World, after the ſame manner which Hai Ebn Tokdaſe u did, who. when he confider'd it one way, found ſuch{Tru! a Multiplicity in it, as was incomprehenſible; andWit is then again conſidering it another way, perceiv*d that Set it was only one thing; and thus he continu'd flucyeulat tuating, and could not determine on one fide moreſll o than another. Now if it were ſo in this ſenſibleſaw i World, which is the proper place of Aultiplicity andes Singularity; and the place where the true Nature oiffing o them is underſtood, and in which are Separation andinor Union, Divifon into Parts, and Diſtinction, Agreement andſike Difference. what would he think of the divine Worldpoli{ in, or concerning which we cannot juſtly fay, Me! nor ſome, nor expreſs any thing belonging to it by|nd Juch Wards as our Ears are used to, without infinuWach ating ſome Notion which is contrary to the Trutnto be of the Thing, which no Man knows but he that has, een it: nor underſtands, but he that has attain'd to - Set. 84. And as for his Srying, That I have gn 2 damn am ſelf from the state and Condition of alte Ea „ - n ahn and thrown away he Nature of intelligible Thing: I. 3 be · rant it, and leave him to his Underſtanding, and iss s toinderſtanding Men he ſpeaks of. For that Under- | r inanding which he, and ſuch as he mean, is nothing s in · Nelſe but that rational Faculty which examines the In- e farffiividuals of ſenſible Things, and from thence gets an univerſal Notion; and thoſe underſtanding Men he means, are thoſe. which make uſe of this Sort of Se- paration. But that kind, which we. are now ſpeak» ing of, is above all this; and therefore let every one that knows nothing but ſenſible Things and their Iniverſals, ſhut his Ears, and pack away to his Com- ny, who know the outſide of the Things of this Weld, - bur, cake no care of the next, But if thou irt one of them to whom theſe Limits and Signs by hich we deſcribe the divine World are ſufficient, ind + doſt not put that Senſe upon my Words in iderflwhich they are commonly us'd, I ſhall give thee ſome ſibleßfarther Account of what Hai Ebn Tokdan ſaw, when ade was in the: State of thoſe who have attain'd to th ſuchhrruth, of which we have made Mention before, and andlit is thus. RE EO | that Sect. 85. After he was wholly immers'd in the Spes fuc.ulation of theſe things, and perfectly abſtracted from ꝛoreſhall other Objects, and in the neareſt * Approach; he 1bleaw in the higheſt Sphere. beyond which there is no andy, a Being free from Matter, which was not the Be- offſiag of that O NE; FR NE ONE, nor the Sphere it ſelf, or yer anything different from them both; but was ike the Image of the Sun which appears in a well poliſh'd Looking-glaſs, which is neither the Sun nor the Looking-glaſs. and yet not diſtinct from them, Ind he ſaw in the Eſſence of that ſeparate Sphere, Wch Perfection, Splendor and Beauty, as is too great to be expreſsd by any Tongue, and too r