from heights in depths and depths in heights

8/16/2019 from Heights in Depths and Depths in Heights

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(ii) Amongst the Ranters whom George Fox found in the prison at Coventry in 1649 was one oseph

!a"mon who #not "ong after this $$$ put forth a paper% or &oo' of reantation upon whih they were set

at "i&erty*$ From 16+, !a"mon was for some years a minister in -ent% preahing fre.uent"y in

Rohester Cathedra"$ At various stages of his "ife he wrote a num&er of wor's$ /ne of these% it seems%was a Ranter trat a""ed 0ivinity anatomised% whih appears to &e "ost$ he fo""owing extrats% whih

revea" a very onsidera&"e poeti ta"ent% are ta'en from a reantation a""ed 2eights in 0epths and

0epths in 2eights% or ruth no "ess !eret"y than !weet"y spar'"ing out of its G"ory from under a C"oudof /&"o.uie $$$ ogether with a sinere a&diation of ertain enents% either former"y vented &y him% or

now harged upon him% 16+1 (+4 pp$)$

$$$ 3t is not "ong sine wherein that eminent appearane of "ight% whih dawned out of its g"ory upon my

!pirit% and from thene gave a sweet and powerfu"" ref"exe upon the or"d% did shrowd it se"fe under a

most sa&"e and enigmatia"" "oud of dar'nesse% and withdrew for a season% &ehinde the dar' Canopiesof 5arth and F"esh in whih state the 2emispheare of my spirit was so &espread with o&surity% that 3

'new not whither 3 wa"'ed% or what 3 did$

hus was 3 "ed into paths that 3 had not 'nown% and turned from a -ing into a east% and fed upon

hus'es for a season$ After a whi"e posting most furious"y in a &urning 7ea" towards an unattaina&"e end8my manner of wa"'ing &eing adudged &y those in power ontrary to the peae and ivi"" order of the

Commonwea"th 3 was ust"y apprehended as an offender $$$

3 suffered a&ove ha"fe a years imprisonment under the notion of a &"aspheamer whih through want ofair% and many other onvenienes% &eame very ir'some and tedious to my outward man $$$

!a"mon reords how he repented% reanted and was re"eased$

3 now am made to spea'% &eause 3 am a"most weary of spea'ing% and to informe the wor"d that si"ene

hath ta'en ho"d of my spirit$ he thunderstro'es of the A"mighty have to purpose uttered their voies in

me% heaven and earth have trem&"ed at their dreadfu"" sounds8 the A"arm &eing over% ther*s si"ene nowin heaven for how "ong 3 'now not$

3 "ie .uiet"y seure in the :ord whi"e 3 see the who"e wor"d onsuming in the fire of envie one against

another$ 3 heare muh noyse a&out me% &ut it serves one"y to deafen me into the sti"" s"um&ers of 0ivinerest$ he forma"" wor"d is muh affrighted% and e

shrowd it se"fe under a most sa&"e and enigmatia"" "oud of dar'nesse% and withdrew for a season%

&ehinde the dar' Canopies of 5arth and F"esh in whih state the 2emispheare of my spirit was so &espread with o&surity% that 3 'new not whither 3 wa"'ed% or what 3 did$

hus was 3 "ed into paths that 3 had not 'nown% and turned from a -ing into a east% and fed upon

hus'es for a season$ After a whi"e posting most furious"y in a &urning 7ea" towards an unattaina&"e end8my manner of wa"'ing &eing adudged &y those in power ontrary to the peae and ivi"" order of the

Commonwea"th 3 was ust"y apprehended as an offender $$$

3 suffered a&ove ha"fe a years imprisonment under the notion of a &"aspheamer whih through want of

air% and many other onvenienes% &eame very ir'some and tedious to my outward man $$$

!a"mon reords how he repented% reanted and was re"eased$

3 now am made to spea'% &eause 3 am a"most weary of spea'ing% and to informe the wor"d that si"ene

hath ta'en ho"d of my spirit$ he thunderstro'es of the A"mighty have to purpose uttered their voies in

me% heaven and earth have trem&"ed at their dreadfu"" sounds8 the A"arm &eing over% ther*s si"ene nowin heaven for how "ong 3 'now not$

3 "ie .uiet"y seure in the :ord whi"e 3 see the who"e wor"d onsuming in the fire of envie one against

another$ 3 heare muh noyse a&out me% &ut it serves one"y to deafen me into the sti"" s"um&ers of 0ivine


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rest$ he forma"" wor"d is muh affrighted% and every form is up in Arms to pro"aim open wars against

it se"fe8 he A"mighty power is dashing one thing against another% and onfounding that whih he hath

former"y faed with the g"ory of his own presene8 2ee setteth up and asteth down% and who sha" say%

hat doest thou; Come then% / my sou"e% enter thou into my Cham&er% shut thy doores a&out thee%hide thy se"fe in si"ene for a season ti"" the indignation &ee &"own over$

$$$ e seem to "ive in the !tate of variety% wherein we are not true"y "iving% &ut one"y in appearane8 in


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eing thus "ouded from the presene of the :ord% 3 was vio"ent"y posted through most dar' paths%

where 3 ever and anon stum&"ed and fe"" into the snare of open terror and profaneness%% "ed and hurried%

(&y what power "et the wise udg) in a prinip"e of mad @ea"% to tear and rend the very appearanes ofGod% whih 3 had former"y herished in my &rest$

0e"ighting my se"fe in nothing &ut in that whih rendrd me most vi"e and ug"y in the sight of a"" men%

and g"orying in nought% &ut my own shame $$$3 was indeed fu"" si' of wrath% a via" of wrath was given me to drin' $$$

e"" B drin' 3 must% &ut mar' the ridd"e$

#was given me% that 3 might drin'% 3 dran'% that 3 might stum&"e% 3 stum&"ed% that 3 might fa"" 3 fe""%and through my fa"" was made happy$

3t is strange to thin'% how the hidden and seret presene of God in me% did si"ent"y reoye whi"e f"esh

was thus manifested3 had a sweet rest and refuge in the :ord% even whi"e my f"esh was frying and sorhing in the f"ames of

irefu" fury$

3 was ar'*d up in the eterna" &osome% whi"e the f"esh was tum&"ing in the foaming surges of its own

vanity8 $$$$$$ and this 3 'now is a ridd"e to many% whih none &ut the true a7arite an expound and ti" he is

p"eased to unfo"d it% it p"eases me it shou"d "ie dar'$

ut to on"ude Bhus have 3 &een for*t into the strange paths of o&surity% driven up and down in a tempestuous storm

of wrath% and sp"it upon the ro's of dreadfu" astonishment A"" the waves and &i""ows of the A"mighty

have gone over me$3 am now at rest in the si"ent deeps of eternity% sun' into the a&yss of si"ene% and (having shot this

peri"ous gu"f) am safe"y arrived into the &osome of "ove the "and of rest$

3 sometimes hear from the wor"d% whih 3 have now forsa'en 3 see its 0iurna"s are fraught with the

tydings of the same "amor% strife% and ontention% whih a&ounded in it when 3 "eft it 3 give it thehearing% and that*s a"" $$$

Dy great desire (and that wherein 3 most de"ight) is to see and say nothing$

3 have run round the wor"d of variety% and am now entered in eternity that is the wom& out of whih 3was ta'en% and to whih my desires are now redued $$$

5very thing &eares a onstant and greedy motion towards the enter and when one we are wearied of

the pro"ixity of variety% wee reso"ve into si"ene% where we are as if we had never &een $$$God is one simp"e% sing"e% unompounded g"ory8 nothing "ives in him or f"ows from him% &ut what is

his pure individua" se"f$

from heights in depths and depths in heights

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