It is an especial wonderfull favour from Iesus , to thy two poor sisters , to have opportunity to speak again with thee , even with thee that art risen from the dead ; Ah , my Brother ( my altered Brother Lazarus ) tell me somewhat of heaven and happiness , and of the world to come , and of my soul , and where it goeth when it departeth out of the body ; for thou hast had experience for four dayes thereof .

Mary , The dead may speak in another manner then the living do ; I am restored to thee again , and to thy sister , for the information of the faithfull under the Sun , and as a witness for Iesus Christ , against the whole world of unbelievers and Atheists , that know not the inhabitants of eternity , nor them that dwell in heaven , in earth .

Where then do the souls of people go when they are out of the body : for thenceforwards we hear nothing from them , nor they from us in this life ( that we know of ) and which way do spirits go out ?

Immortall souls do not go out at the mouth , for they came not in at that entrance ; the way souls come into their bodies the same way they go out . But the world and Christians have hitherto been much blinded , in this matter , that so much concerneth their whole substance and being of their soul and body , not knowing the eternall nature with us , which is the very root of us ( in which we all live , and move , and have our beings ) but they ignorantly conceit , when they see the fome of the gall go out at the mouth ( of some more visibly ) that it is the soul departing : whereas the spirits and souls of all people enter first into the naturall root of their own tree , into the bottom of their own naturall constitution , in the great deep . I am Lazarus , and though dead , yet I speak as Abel ; yea , it is possible for some on earth ( whether in the body , or out of the body , they cannot tell ) to demonstrate to others the estate of souls , if they themselves be passed quite through the gulf of the new-birth ; for that spirit once born in man , searcheth all things , yea , the deeps of God .

But do not spirits go out in time of death at the five senses , and so at the eyes , mouth , and through the rest of those parts ( as now in this life they run forth through the senses , and man can hardly retain them within ? )

Think not so at thy perill ; for while man is in this life , he is putting forth through the life which is sensuall , by reason of the first fall ; but at his departure from the body , he is drawing inward to his root , as a tree in Winter . But this withdrawing is by degrees ; for as ye may see some bodies some at the mouth , and swell at the belly , after that the breath is gone out of their nostrils , which is a plain proof , even to meer men , that all life is not then out of the body ; for no life , no working ; but for that time the soul is gone to the heart ( the mans first and last living corporeity ) so from the heart it doth by the like graduall withdrawing , walk some turns on the face of the great deep , in the inward elements ( being withdrawn from the outward , as from its exteriour branch , like limbs ) before it goes into eternity , unless it be hastened by the prevalency of light and darkness within it self ; and yet every soul goeth quick to eternity , yea , very suddenly , without delay , considering the while it must tarry there .

Do all souls travell the same way , or the same pace in their way ?

No , because they are not of the same nature , they have not the same guilt of sin one as another , and so they sink not so soon as some do ; or they have not the same strengthened wings of heavenly desires in earnest ; for as the hearts desires to good or evill are stronger or weaker , even so the spirit of the heart of man shall hasten to his prepared lodging in eternity ; they that are cloathed with the Divine nature , pass through the fire into God . And through that fire no unclean or mixed spirits could ever pass ; and for any to dream of another foundation in this matter , is a vanity and vexation of spirit .

Brother Lazarus , What pain hadst thou in and after thy late corporeal lamented death ?

I know my words may be abused by many , yet hear , or hear not , I will testifie : my naturall life was put out like a candle , or as if one did fall asleep into sensible visions of the night But ( Mary ) thou dost remember that Iesus loved me , and I love him again dearly : otherwise my spirit should not have been so easie in and after my departure . I found my self full of thoughts , but very quiet , having no lust , or will , or motion of my own , but my mind breathed in Gods own will all the while ; I waited only for his pleasure in the quiet region of holy Angels , hearing ( by an inward ear ) the heavenly melody , and seeing ( with the spirit of my mind ) the unutterable wonders of the God-head : It was a sleep to me , yet I was very sensible all the while of the love of God , and of my own nothingness ; so sweet was it , that I never felt before , nor since the like ; because Iesus loved me first , I slept and nodded in his love , not in his wrath .

Brother , The people expect to hear much news from thee that wast dead and buried four dayes , and many honest hearts would gladly know where , or into what life their souls will pass , as where thine was , what thou didst think of , wha●… thou didest see and hear , which flesh and blood cannot ; yea , some now deny the immortality of the soul , supposing thou wert as if thou hadst never been : also , some feel not their own minds , nor any thoughts in them at all , when they are swounding or sleeping , or in a convulsion , or stunned , or wounded in the head , yet they come to themselves afterwards .

I am risen from the dead , yet the people ( thou seest ) care not what I say ; for unless they hear Moses and the Prophets , it is in vain for me to speak to such , although I have seen by experience what the Prophets have writ of . My dear and deep Lord Jesus told them so in his parable of Dives , and of my brother Lazarus ( who is yet where I was , and not returned where I am . ) Yet if those knew they should return as I did , they would possibly be content to be absent four dayes from their bodies ; but let them be absent four hours from self ( that wofull body , and house self ) and they shall see what I have seen , and hear what I have heard ; for I have seen the root of the immortality of the soul in God himself ; and how every Angel , every man , yea , every foul , fish , beast , plant , mettall , or other Creatures , all grow up from their root , all spring from their fountain , every one in his kind , as at the resurrection .

This doctrine all proud Priests ( falsly called Saints ) will laugh at as notions ; they will not see it , but they shall feel it after their death ; for they are proud , knowing nothing ; they see not how God is the father of all this world , and of all spirits in it ; some are his immediate off-spring , and some more remote : All Saints are his children , growing on the same tree of God , and in him as he is properly called God : all the naturall spirits of Adams children , are children removed ; and some other spirits of creatures , and things are yet farther distant in nature from his being . The blind guides are drunk with vain traditions without , and notions within , of their naturall or spirituall fathers ( as they call them ) they see not , neither will they understand how all this Creation came out of God ( as a birth of time , from the womb of eternity ) and that of him are all things , as my beloved Paul saith , They know not God that sitteth on the circle of the earth , in the chair of the center of this creation ; they think and teach their disciples , that heaven and hell are far off from them in this world , somewhere above the firmament , or under the earth ; but they consider not that God in heaven , or Satan in hell is in them , in their own hearts and minds , and that really and eternally .

But I am still doubtfull , how one should be dead four dayes , and not be all that while in the highest heaven , nor in the nethermost hell , or not sensible of somewhat to speak of to others more then ordinary .

Why dost thou ( Mary ) run about as a swift Dromedary , traversing her wayes ? Dost thou not yet see that either heaven or hell beginneth in every heart in this life ? What is heaven , but a fixed sweet heavenly eternall nature , in and with Gods love ? What hell can be more hellish then a fixed fiery malicious gnawing dunghill nature and condition of a soul excommunicated from the pleasant love of God ? Dost thou first of all consider what a soul or mind is ? It can step in a minute , yea , in the twinkling of an eye , millions of miles , as to a locality ( it is far swifter then the wind , and no room or locality can contain it . ) Dost thou not see how the Bats and Blind-guides set forth heaven as a place they know not themselves , where above or about the orbe of this world it is , nor who , nor what is there ? They may sooner makes shooes for the whirlwinde , and provide a bed-chamber in some outward house for the winds of the heavens , then a locality for the mind and soul of one departed ; they know not their own spirits , neither do they note the ranges and chases of their own thoughts , sleeping and waking all day and all night : he that knoweth not what his mind is , how can he discern what the mansion and dwelling place of his mind must be ? Of what materials is that house made ? O Mary , think not of places , but understand thy own thoughts ( though ( mark this also ) beyond the compass of the Creation of God , there is that which is uncreated ; for the creature is not eternity , and in eternity there is no place , neither time nor change . ) Now where is that that is most fitting thy affections ? Thou sayest it is above , and thou sayest true . It is above thy apprehensions . And what is that above ? Is it a place ? It is not . Is not this Heaven , Earth and Sea , all one piece of Gods workmanship , round as a globe ? Is not our firmament above ( as thou fanciest ) to them that live in our Antipodes , who yet lift up their eyes to heavens over them where they live and breath ? And did not Iesus Christ , standing in Palestina , lift up his face to pray ? And shall they in the other side of the globe of the earth , look asquint or downwards with their bodily eyes ? ( I speak all this to thy understanding ) and Christ would have thee when thou prayest , to look into the same heavens which we saw open when he prayed . He as Mediator saw the father to be above him , and looked to that nature ( or to him who is God by nature , as Paul saith ) filling the lower as well , and as essentially as the upper part of the earth or heaven . Do not follow false fancies of heaven , paradise , & the upper countreyes of God , but get thou up thy heart to the upper and higher things , even the things that are at the right hand , and high esteem of the invisible , incomprehensible being ; for spirits departed enter deeper into their own root , whether it be good or evil .

Dost thou my brother Justifie the Papists Purgatory at all ? Dost thou give a resurrection to that doctrine that lay long dead among the Protestants ?

I justifie not their conceits of merits at all , nor their several Limbus , and chambers of torments ; yea , when they talk of purgatory , they know not what it is , nor where it is ( whether in the air , earth or sea ) nor who are tormented there , nor who torments them , nor how far they go in , nor when they may come out ; they dream , but cannot give account of what they hold : and both Papists and Protestants speak very much of what they neither know experimentally , nor yet by a certain foresight ; Now I say that the godly souls immediately are in paradise without their bodies , but not in the most perfect eternall state , till God be all in all .

Dost thou distinguish between heaven and paradise ? what ground is there for this ?

It is plain . The repenting thief on the cross was that day with Christ in Paradise ( which is the Kingdom of Christ , the fifth Monarch ) but not in highest joy or heaven , till his body came to him . And it is evident that Christs paradise will first be revealed in the last dayes , before he deliver up the Kingdom to the father , that so Christ first , and the father after may be all in all .

What doth the word paradise signifie ?

As Eden doth in one language signifie pleasure and private rest with God , so doth paradise in another . The figure of it was a plot of ground in Mesopotamia , that is ( being interpreted ) between the four rivers mentioned by Moses . In it were two chief trees , figuring two natures , and there our first parents also before their fall , lived in the paradisicall nature , without sin , or sweat , or mixtures of sorrows , cares and fears ; of which inward nature that outward paradise was but a shadow , yet reall representation . Now that nature is near every one of us everywhere in this life time , and not far from any of us . But thou Martha being full of dunghill cares and vexations of this world , canst not perceive this land that is very far off from the worldly , neither do the eyes of thy mind see the King in his beauty , sitting in his throne here : But as for thy thought and mind , while it should walk on the earth , it sinketh over breast into it , and is fitter for earth then heaven .

Who is fit for paradise ?

They that are dead to this world , and the world crucified to them . If thou ( Martha ) continue thy thoughts in the thorn-hedge of this world , thou canst not go in there ; None enter into heaven but such as are made meet for that inheritance beforehand : and suppose thou wert admitted there , art thou able ( Martha ) to abide in heaven , and to dwell with the everlasting burnings ?

Yea , I trust I could gladly stay and abide in heaven , if I could once get in through the gate ?

Light cannot stay in darkness ; for when the night cometh , the day flieth away ; when death comes , life is gone ; when cold cometh , heat taketh its leave ; when sadness entereth , then joy is turned into mourning ; and if thou be darkness , and night , and death , and dirt , and a meer muckworm , laden with thick clay ; how canst thou inhabit the most excellent glory and light in the greatest clarity , and everlasting burnings ? Is it fit for a beast to be Lord of a curious garden , or for the night to intrude into the Sun ? Or for sin and sinners to get into Gods bosome or paradise ? Examine thy own thoughts : Go , try , kneel and pray to God in secret , and there see whether thou canst keep thy mind one hour , or one half hour , yea , or one quarter of an hour upon God and good things only , without stealing out , and thinking of the world , and the lusts , or businesses , or hopes , or fears , or things of this life ; and now thou wilt say thy self , that thou art full of wandring thoughts , even in prayer before God . How then can that mind stay with God in heaven ( if it were admitted there ) until first its vagabonding principle be changed ? and if it must have a change of nature and thoughts , when shall it be ? why not now ? wilt thou put it to the adventure at the hour of death ? Grim death ( mistake it not ) is no such Saviour as will change any soul or spirit in its gate of passage ; for it leaves the mind in the nature where he found it ; only his work is 〈◇〉 ●ut and loosen the corporeal marriage-knot between soul and body ; that only is the office of death that is abroad as executioner of wrath : or wilt thou ( poor soul ) adventure on the Popish purpagory ? ( that fals meritorious fiery airy pit ) yea , thou art like to delay . O Martha , thou art asleep in earth , the bottomless pit is not awakened in thee ; thou art in the world snoring in the snare for the present . Thou wouldst fain serve two Masters ; thy combustible wit is pleading for the things of time , and lawfull callings and occasions , to the forgetting of the things of Eternity . Thou art lull'd asleep with the pleasant song of flesh , earth and deceit ; but thou spendest all thy time in a continued dream . O Lord Jesus , that hast awaked me ( by thy mighty voice of power ) out of the sleep of the grave ; do thou awake poor Martha ( whom thou knowest ) out of her sleep and incumbrances ; touch her from heaven , and rouze up her spirit , that she may once forget the vanities and vexations of spirit that are in this outward creation .

But for all this , Is it not lawfull for us , and necessary to follow our callings , and live honestly in our imployments ?

Thou seekest an excuse , and a cloak for thy covetousness ; not thy hand only , but thy heart also is in the mire and dirt of earth ; I say all ought diligently to attend to God in some outward convenient calling to the good of all , to the hurt of 〈…〉 one ; but let them use the world as though they used it not ( and pick it as a dry bone , & let the mind be always fixed upon intellectual angelicall glories . ) But thou art serious where thou shouldst be trifling , and thy mind is planted in the world , as a tree planted in a dunghill ; if some fine creatures which thou ●… ovest be taken away from thee , a piece of ●… hy heart goeth with them along , and such a rented heart cannot dwell in heaven . If thou shouldst stand at the sacred entrance , God would cry and say to thee , If thou come here to the heaven of my holiness , here is no worldly lusts , no wanton lusts , no envious lusts , there is not a bit of food sutable to that nature , thou mayest starve in heaven for any meat that nature can find there in eternity ; and also thou shalt in hell finde none of thy sweet lusts , for there is nothing of that in hell but bitter anguish . And for the outward world , thou canst now no more for ever feed upon that third table ; for thy body ( which is the mouth of that life of this sensuall world ) is in the grave an unfit instrument to convey to the mind any outward comfort ; and thus the naturall mind falleth into a perpetual distraction , by reason of an eternall hungring after that which it cannot enjoy nor reach to , and so becomes a wandering vagabond , and a rogue before the face of the Iudge for ever and ever ; and all this because the spirit of the heart is strongly wedded , and sweetly married to the spirit o●… this great world , and cannot willingly par●… with it , and yet it must depart ; and this maketh a sore rupture , and rent in the minde , which will torment for ever .

O Brother Lazarus , Thou sayest true , we are wofully busie about this vain selfish world ; this world is a witch , and unless he that raised thee from the dead speak to us , we remain bewitched out of our right minds . He spake to me , and I sat at his feet in the house within ( in the inward Temple ) but my sister ran into the outward court , riding on the wheels of the spirit of this present world , as Demas .

Dost thou justifie thy self , O Mary ? The first may be last ; Mary may halt , and Martha may come forwards ; the same evil nature thou espyest in her , is with thee as really as in her . Thou seemest to boast of thy sitting at Christs feet ; but what hast thou learnt ?

He opened many wondrous things in the house , I need not tell thee , nor those that live in the spirit he spake by ; for one spirit through all things revealeth all things to one people that walk in the green heavenly way hand in hand , with that only one true discoverer : he is I believe but one , and discerneth them that are fled out of this life , as clearly as he doth those that breath in the air of time , for as night is as day with him , so also the life of many is one , and death of all is but one death also . But how dost thou clearly prove it to me , that I have in me the same nature as Martha hath ? and how may I be last that once was first ? and how wilt thou convince me that I am a boaster ?

If thou couldst commune with thy own heart , and dwell with thy self a little while , thou would soon see that boasting and spirituall pride hath blossomed and budded in thy own garden , and that thou art confident in fine flesh and outward varnish ; a boaster remembreth his own feathers , he despiseth others attainments , he insulteth in words or in carriage , and most of all in swelling thoughts known in his bosome : Yea , the woman compares her self with her self , not with Christ , nor with pure spotless angels ; she is as proud in the dunghill of her vile body , as if she were above all the stars of God ; and the man boaster also thinketh he hath got the vanguard of all Saints besides ; he saith he judgeth all things , and all souls ( though he never heard the words of the last eternal judgement of God ; ) he condemneth in another what he alloweth to creep into himself ( as thou Mary dost despise thy fellow-branch Martha ) for though ye be two sisters in nature , yet ye have two natures that are common to both .

I know not what thou sayest ; how can natures be thus in common , and yet divided ? for by this rule all will be in pieces , and every one must fall out and be broken within himself , and so no mortall man or woman can have peace on earth .

Thou sayest true , sin is the sting of death , and of the conscience too ; none can enjoy perfect peace till he be perfect , for there is no peace to the wicked , saith my God : no smiles upon the wicked nature in Abraham , David , Peter , Paul , or any other ; and until thou be in pieces in thy self , thou canst not be united to God and his life . Sin will not be destroyed but in a war ; a war cannot be till there be first a falling out between two natures within ; all is at peace within the heart , while Satan is not resisted ; so much corruption , so much seed for division ; so far as any is at peace with self , he is in war with God : but when any is so resolved to fight with his own lusts , as never to leave pursuit till they be conquered , such a one hath the inward stillness and bosom of Abraham .

I hear they speak much of Abrahams bosome that is mentioned by Jesus ; and this is a main usefull question I would ask thee , even thee that hast been traveller in the inward world . What is Abrahams , bosome where Lazarus was carried from the dogs and gates of Dives , the rich dainty glutton ?

By Abrahams bosome ( thou wilt hear divers say ) is meant an inward familiarity ( as of the wife of the bosome , which phrase is used of Uriahs wife , also of Abishag , and of Hagar before ) in the bosome lyeth a a welcome guest , ( as John in Christs bosome , and Jesus in the Fathers bosome ) or a fickly child ( as weak lambs in the shepheards bosome ) where there is special owning and care for preservation ( as is also said of the sinner in that sense , he hideth iniquity in his bosome too . ) But Abrahams bosome is the inward hive where the spiritual souls resort out of this life ; the woe is , the Bee knoweth her way to the hive , but not the fool to the City of God : the City and bosome of Abraham is neer thee ; if thou wert quieted and silent from thy reason ( as was Abraham ) thou shouldst soon arrive there ; but while thou lovest & livest in the passion of flesh and blood , Abraham will have no such whirlwind in his bosome ; there is no such wind in heaven , nor yet in the lower paradise ; neither is there true peace in any conscience where earthliness remains , because earthliness is the mother of winde and trouble : look thou to thy own bosome ; is the faith of Abraham there ? then art thou in his bosome : hast thou believed in hope beyond hope ? then art thou in heaven already unawares to thy self , and in his bosome unknown to thee . But now to some souls it is hard to be quiet and cool-spirited , especially to the cholerick ; hard to the sanguine to be chast and pure-minded ; hard to the stout-hearted to be abased under the feet of all ; hard to the worldly-wise to be loosned , weaned , and cut from the love of this world ; now to them , to all them it is hard to enter through the gate into paradise : but the hardness and difficulty is not in the gate of God , as if Gods love were narrow , but the narrowness is in our own natures ( as Paul saith of & to the Corinthians ) this also is of old established in the heavens , that as nothing unclean shall enter there ( into his love-dwellings ) so the more earthly , lustfull , angry , proud , envious , discontented or unbelieving any soul is , the further he is from the heavenly nature that is from God : Iesus said , It is hard , or very difficult for such to enter into the Kingdom of heaven , because the soul hath a great pack upon it , which is the crooked nature before the gate of God ; which corrupt nature is united to most ( as the Camels bunch to it ) though to a few it s the greatest burthen . Now as heaven is not an earthly City , ho useroom or locality , but a life in the eternall nature of the love of God , in purity , tranquillity , certainty , and all-enjoying ; so far distant then from this glory is a soul , by how much the more unclean and ungodly he is ; though it be possible and usuall with God to make the first last , and last first . Wherefore let none spare his wicked disposition , but kill it , and in so doing , lay hold on the unspeakable mercy , for though they are now sick about questions in this life , and talk and dispute about Christ and his Church without and within , yet Christ is but one , and the Church that is of God is but one in Abrahams bosome .

My heart longeth for Abrahams bosome and heavenly quiet of faith ; I am often sad and sorrowfull when I hear one passing-bell after another , and I see one grave opening to devour one corps , and another gaping for another ; then think I , where goeth the life and soul of yonder body that is buried ! and though I see one go after another , and dye like beasts , and pass like sheep or goats into some inward fold ; wo is me , I know not where they nor I my self go !

None can perceive his everlasting habitation , but he that is come to be acquainted with the eternal nature in this world , as I said before ; for whilst the soul liveth without in the sensuall life , it remaineth for that time in the outer darkness , cast out from the Bridegrooms love-light ; thou sayest true , that holy Angels ( or powers ) attend upon Nations , and especially upon believers in this world continually ; yet it is written , that they are in heaven on earth , looking on the fathers face while they are thus spirits ministring with the Christians ; if thou enter their life , and continue therein , thou shalt not be to seek when thou dyest : but if any one liveth as doth a sensuall , sleepy , or fierce , crafty , wanton beast , he shall be turned into Hell . Therefore sink down out of the old self into a new self in the inward nature , and so shall ye ( O people ) get within heavens gate in this life , otherwise your work will be a long knocking from without the gate of God , where many horribly freeze for anguish for ever : but blessed are they that do his Commandments , for they do enter through his twelve gates into the one City . Now as God hath at sundry times , and in divers manners appeared , and doth now ( as after Christs resurrection ) manifest himself in the shape or habit of a gardner , a traveller , and so there be severall commands from his throne , that binde not all at one time ; but watchwords , and particular orders there are for every age , nation , or man , woman or child : find it particularly in thy self , and live out of the spirit of this world .

Many now speak of the spirit of the great world , or the spirit of this world ; what is the spirit of this world ? and how doth it work and deal with us in this life ?

The spirit of this world wherein they live , is no Angel , nor the Angelical life of Christ within , nor God , though this spirit be a very great one , swift , cunning , ancient and universall ; He is as broad as the natural heavens , and is filling the earth and Seas , and all created beings at once ; it is the sap and life of nature in all things ; a good servant , but a bad master in the soul : it is naturally an understanding , ambitious , voluptuous principle . This ocean spirit lusteth for the best , greenest , strongest , fairest , tallest , wittiest , and most durable ; and he finds the souls of people fit for his turn : He seeth that souls are eternall and excellent , fair , lovely and lively spirits , as being made after the image and similitude of Gods nature . Now every created being lusteth after somwhat that is of a higher nature then it self , that in the fruition thereof , it self may be perfected , for every creature groaneth and travelleth for its own perfection , but cannot attain it without the assistance of some one above him : hence it is the spirit of this world is become an earnest Sutor to the immortal souls of Adams off-spring . And for to solemnize the marriage feast , he presenteth and layeth on the table of mans nature , all the delicate dishes of pleasure , wealth , honour , ease , imployments , sciences , and noble natural engagements . But when he hath once got the poor soul fully into his possession , & cropt off the flower of the affection of the heart ( which God should have had ) and thus hath spoiled the spirit of the mind in the lusts or cares , fears or reasonings ofnature , then when man comes to dye , this spirit of the world cryeth out to him , saying , Aha , thou soul of man art immortal , I am but temporal . I had my pleasure with thee , go now to eternity , I will turn the ladder ; I was indeed only an occasion of alluring thee to sin , but now thou must answer it thy self , I am but a time , in the end I am annihilated . Thus the lust of time , and prince in the corrupt nature , shall play the hangman with the poor soul , whom he now busily and craftily woeth to all manner of wickedness ; and none escape this cliff of sin and judgement , but such as are here born again from out of the spirit of this world , for that spirit is the prison of minds , and afterwards brings the spirits to the ladder of death , and then he himself turns the ladder ; therefore take heed lest the great spirit of nature deceive and ravish your hearts from the true delight of God .

But of the other Lazarus that lay at the gates of Dives full of sores among the dogs , what are we to think of him yet further ?

That worm Lazarus had a contented mind , weaned from dainties of flesh , thankfull when providence sent a dog to relieve him , longing for the blessed eternity , suffering the beatings & abhorrings of servants , acquainted with the life of angels living above . But Dives ( for Christ counts his particular name unworthy to be named on earth ) he loved his belly , his dinner , his supper , his dishes , cups , parlors , ornaments , walks , recreations , seats , foot-stools , adorations from men , and the like . He loved these things so well , that rather then loose them for a season , he would go to hell for ever , as they all do that live luxuriously , wantonly , slothfully , daintily , easily , idly and proudly in this base miserable life . Now the spirit of this great world is the air where such fowls flie , the Sea to such fish , and the earth to such beasts as live to themselves , not to God that made them , nor to Christ that bought them ; they never knew a new self within them , it is hard for the rich to enter ; of him it is said , he hath received his reward , he hath eaten his sweet morsell in this life time : and of the poor none of them is poor indeed , but the poor in spirit , they only are near the Kingdome of God ; and they alwayes beg long , and praise before the throne of grace ; these are not slothfull , sleepy , conceited , or domineering in this world ; but wo is to the rich in any self , that are not rich towards God : the great gulf is in their own hearts , and separates them from the divine nature , which is heaven indeed .

Whom didst thou see in paradise ? what people are we bound to believe to be in heaven ?

All that were like God and Christ in this world , loving , meek , pure , wise , active , harmless , and spiritual as he is : whether Magistrates , Ministers , Servants , Souldiers , Husbands , Wives , Children , Infants , Idiots , and Off-scourings of this world , they are in the heavens that have in this nature passed their time on earth . But for the dogged souls , cunning beasts , voluptuous hogs , grinning spirits , desperate hearts , scornful dispositions , and ungodly minds , they are shut up ( as I have seen them ) by themselves in their own wills , they are gone to their long homes , to the bottomless pit , where they remain in intollerable flames ; but these are out of this life , yet not out of this world .

If they be not out of this world , do they not converse with their friends and equals , and others in this life ?

They that are spiritual on earth , converse with the Angels of God by day and by night . And as the stars work undeniably upon the outward life of the body , so do Angels operate upon these heavenly spirits ( as they have done all along under the Old and New Testament , much more must they in the New Ierusalem , under the third last dispensation , for those Angels are not dead nor asleep , nor yet far from any of ye : ) also the ghosts of people that are recovered for some minutes to walk on the deep between the gates ( as is said before ) these also may ( with Zim and Iim ) trouble houses , and appear in shapes till they have their errand , or rather until their remaining strings be worn out , to let them down to their deep . But ye in this life cannot or will not know this matter ( the ground whereof is deep ) for ye are already prejudiced . Notwithstanding , some will see that the soul is like a tree in the earth ; though the fruit falls , the leaves are not gone so suddenly ; the root of the tree is the eternal will and pleasure , the body of it is the spirit , soul and body of man , woman or child , the fruit thereof is the thoughts , words and works of the heart , the rine or bark is the outward body , the sap and juice of the tree is the spirit in the natural complexion , the leaves are the outward appearances and true reports of him in his generation , and the fall of the tree is the death of the man , whether to South or North , whether to the South pleasant Sunny life , or to the North , sharp grim gnashing of teeth , where he falleth , there he remaineth O ye trees of the field , and forrest of this world , look , look what fruits your souls bear , and which of both ye incline to ; for there ye shall be ; look I say to your hearts betimes , for Satan looks to have every tree to make up his own fire ; he knew what your grand-fathers and ancestors were , and where you most incline heaven-ward or hell-ward , and he that observes you so sharply in your life-time , will put himself hard to it at your deaths , to force your natures ( if possible ) to himself ; and so thrust the tree to Satans own cold and heat . Be ye therefore wakefull , O ye precious children of men ; take the sword of God , the word or spirit of the Son , and use that in your deep thoughtfull wrastlings ; so shall ye tread the serpent under feet , so shall ye valiantly thurst the devil to his own pit which he digged for you , when you shall have escaped your own sins , and entered the everlasting South light with God in this world , to your comfort eternally .

But now Brother Lazarus , Dost thou delight to live here with us ? wouldst not thou rather return to that unmixed life from whence thou art come ?

My fathers will brought me once from you through death into the other life , and now my Lords will hath fetched me again to you for his own glory ; in both am I in his will , and his will is my heaven and happiness wherever and whatever I be ; my own will is crucified , dead and buried , and shall never rise again . Now it is all one to me to be here as elsewhere , in his will , to his praise ; and all they that are crucified with Christ , are of this my mind : in this perfect will of my God I rest , till my change come from him .