§ 70. On the contrary, if there were any of these compounded Bodies, in which the Nature of one Element did not prevail over the rest, but they were all equally mix'd, and a match one for the other; then one of them would not abate the Force of the other, any more than its own Force is abated by it, but they would work upon one another with equal Power, and the Operation of any one of them would not be more conspicuous than that of the rest; and this Body would be far from being like to any one of the Elements, but would be as if it had nothing contrary to its Form, and consequently the more dispos'd for Life; and the greater this Equality of Temperature was, and by how much the more perfect, and further distant from inclining oneway or other, by so much the farther it is distant from having any contrary to it, and its Life is the more perfect. Now since that Animal Spirit which is seated in the Heart is of a most exact Temperature, as being finer than Earth and Water, and grosser than Fire and Air, it has the Nature of a Mean between them all, and which has no manifest Opposition to any of the Elements, and by this means is fitted to become that Form which constitutes an Animal. And he saw that it follow'd from hence, that those Animal Spirits which were of the most even Temperature, were the best dispos'd for the most perfect Life in this World, of Generation and Corruption, and that this Spirit was very near having no opposite to its Forms, and did in this respect resemble the Heavenly Bodies which have no opposite to their Forms; and was therefore the Spirit of the Animal, because it was a Mean between all the Elements, and had no absolute Tendency, either upwards or downwards; but that, if it were possible it should be plac'd in the middle Space, between the Center and the highest Bounds of the Region of Fire, and not be destroy'd, it would continue in the same place, and move neither upwards nor downwards; but if it should be locally mov'd, it would move in a round, as the Heavenly Bodies do, and if it mov'd in its place, it would be round its own Center, and that it was impossible for it to be of any other Figure but Spherical, and for that reason it is very much like to the Heavenly Bodies.
§ 71. And when he had consider'd the Properties of Animals, and could not see any one among them, concerning which he could in the least suspect that it had any Knowledge of this necessarily self-existent Being; but he knew that his own Essence had the Knowledge of it: He concluded from hence that he was an Animal, endu'd with a Spirit of an equal Temperature, as all the Heavenly Bodies are, and that he was of a distinct Species from the rest of Animals, and that he was created for another end, and design'd for something greater than what they were capable of. And this was enough to satisfie him of the Nobility of his Nature; namely, that his viler Part, i.e. the Corporeal, was most like of all to the Heavenly Substances, which are without this World of Generation and Corruption, and free from all accidents that cause any Defect, Change or Alteration: And that his noble Part, viz., that by which he attain'd the Knowledge of the necessarily self-existent Being, was something Heroical and Divine, not subject to Change or Dissolution, nor capable of being describ'd by any of the Properties or Attributes of Bodies: Not to be apprehended by any of the Senses, or by the Imagination; nor to be known by the means of any other Instrument but it self alone, and that it attains the Knowledge of it self by it self, and was at once the Knower the Knowledge, and the Thing known, the Faculty and the Object. Neither was there any difference between any of these because Diversity and Separation are Properties and Adjuncts of Bodies; but Body was no way concern'd here, nor any Property or Adjunct of Body.
§ 72. Having apprehended the manner by which the being like the Heavenly Bodies, was peculiar to him above all other kinds of Animals whatever; he perceiv'd that it was a Duty necessarily incumbent upon him to resemble them, and imitate their Actions, and endeavour to the utmost to become like them: He perceiv'd also that in respect: of his nobler Part, by which he had attain'd the Knowledge of that necessarily self existent Being, he did in some measure resemble it, because he was separated from the Attributes of Bodies, as the necessarily self-existent Being is separated from them. He saw also that it was his Duty to endeavour to make himself Master of the Properties of that Being by all possible means, and put on his Qualities, and imitate his Actions, and labour in the doing his Will, and resign himself wholly to him, and submit to his Dispensations heartily and unfeignedly, so as to rejoice in him, tho' he should lay Afflictions upon his Body, and hurt, or totally destroy it.
§ 73. He also perceiv'd that he resembled the Beasts in his viler part, which belong'd to this Generable and Corruptible World, viz. this dark, gross Body, which sollicited him with the Desire of Variety of sensible Objects, and excited him to eating, drinking, and Copulation; and he knew that his Body was not created and join'd to him in vain, but that he was oblig'd to preserve it and take care of it, which he saw could not be done without some of those Actions which are common to the rest of the Animals. Thus it was plain to him, that there were three sorts of Actions which he was obliged to, viz. 1. Either those by which he resembled the Irrational Animals. Or, 2. Those by which he resembled the Heavenly Bodies. Or, 3. Those by which he resembled the necessarily self-existent Being: And that he was oblig'd to the first, as having a gross Body, consisting of several Parts, and different Faculties, and variety of Motions. To the second, as having an Animal Spirit, which had its Seat in the Heart, and was the first beginning of the Body and all its Faculties. To the third, as he was what he was, viz. as he was that Being, by which he knew the necessarily self-existent Being. And he was very well assur'd before, that his Happiness and Freedom from Misery, consisted in the perpetual Vision of that necessarily self-existent Being, without being averted from it so much as the twinkling of an Eye.
§ 74. Then he weigh'd with himself, by what means a Continuation of this Vision might be attain'd, and the Result of his Contemplation was this, viz. That he was obliged to keep himself constantly exercis'd in these three kinds of Resemblance. Not that the first of them did any way contribute to the helping him to the Vision(but was rather an Impediment and Hindrance, because it was concern'd only in sensible Objects, which are all of them a sort of Veil or Curtain interpos'd between us and it;) but because it was necessary for the Preservation of the Animal Spirit, whereby the second Resemblance, which he had with the Heavenly Bodies was acquir'd, and was for this reason necessary, though incumbred with Hindrances and Inconveniences. But as to the second Conformity, he saw indeed that a great share of that continu'd Vision was attain'd by it, but that it was not without Mixture; because, whatsoever contemplates the Vision after this manner continually, does, together with it, have regard to, and call a Look upon his own Essence, as shall be shewn hereafter. But that the third Conformity was that by which he obtain'd the pure and entire Vision, so as to be wholly taken up with it, without being diverted from it one way or other, by any means whatsoever, but being still intent upon that necessarily self-existent Being; which whosoever enjoys, has no regard to any thing else, and his own Essence is altogether neglected, and vanish'd out of fight, and become as nothing; and so are all other Essences both great and small, except only the Essence of that One, True, Necessarily Self-existent, High and Powerful Being.
§ 75. Now when he was assur'd that the utmost Bound of all his Desires consisted in this third Conformity, and that it was not to be attain'd, without being a long time exercis'd in the second; and that there was no continuing so long as was necessary for that Purpose, but by means of the first; (which, how necessary soever, he knew was an Hindrance in itself, and an Help only by Accident.) He resolved to allow himself no more of that first Conformity than needs must, which was only just so much as would keep the Animal Spirit alive. Now, in order to this, he found there were two Things necessary; The former, to help it inwardly, and supply the Defect of that Nourishment which was wasted; The latter, to preserve it from without, against the Extremities of Heat and Cold, Rain and Sun, hurtful Animals, and such like; and he perceiv'd, that if he should allow himself to use these things, though necessary, unadvisedly and at Adventure, it might chance to expose him to Excess, and by that means he might do 'himself an Injury unawares; whereupon he concluded it the safest way to set Bounds to himself, which he resolv'd not to pass; both as to the Kind of Meat which he was to eat, and the Quantity and Quality of it, and the Times of returning to it.
§ 76. And first he consider'd the several Kinds of those things which were fit to eat; and found that there were three sorts, viz. either such Plants as were not yet come to their full Growth, nor attained to Perfection, such as are several sorts of green Herbs which are fit to eat: Or secondly, the Fruits of Trees which were fully ripe, and had Seed fit for the Production of more of the same Kind (and such were the kinds of Fruits that were newly gathered and dry): Or lastly, Living Creatures, both Fish and Flesh. Now he knew very well, that all these things were created by that necessarily self-existent Being, in approaching to whom he was assur'd that his Happiness did consist, and in desiring to resemble him. Now the eating of these things must needs hinder their attaining to their Perfection, and deprive them of that End for which they were design'd; and this would be an Opposition to the working of the Supream Agent, and such an Opposition would hinder that Nearness and Conformity to him, which he so much desir'd. Upon this he thought it the best way to abstain from eating altogether, if possible; but when he saw that this would not do, and that such an Abstinence tended to the Dissolution of his Body, which was so much a greater Opposition to the Agent than the former, by how much he was of a more excellent Nature than those things, whose Destruction was the Cause of his Preservation: Of two Evils he resolved to chuse the least, and do that which contain'd in it the least Opposition to the Creator; and resolved to partake of any of these sorts, if those he had most mind to were not at hand, in such quantity as he should conclude upon hereafter; and if it so happen'd that he had them all at hand, then he would consider with himself, and chuse that, in the partaking of which there would be the least Opposition to the Work of the Creator: Such as the pulp of those Fruits which were full ripe, and had Seeds in them fit to produce others of the like kind, always taking care to preserve the Seeds, and neither cut them, nor spoil them, nor throw them in such places as were not fit for Plants to grow in, as smooth Stones, salt Earth, and the like. And if such pulpy Fruits, as Apples, Pears, Plumbs, &c. could not easily be come at, he would then take such as had nothing in them fit to eat but only the Seed, as Almonds and Chesnuts, or such green Herbs as were young and tender; always observing this Rule, that let him take of which sort he would, he still chose those that there was greatest Plenty of, and which increased fastest, but so as to pull up nothing by the Roots, nor spoil the Seed: And if none of these things could be had, he would then take some living Creature, or eat Eggs; but when he took any Animal, he chose that sort of which there was the greatest Plenty, so as not totally to destroy any Species.
§ 77. These were the Rules which he prescrib'd to himself, as to the Kinds of his Provision; as to the Quantity, his Rule was to eat no more than just what would satisfie his Hunger; and as for the time of his Meals, he design'd, when he was once satisfied, not to eat any more till he found some Disability in himself which hindred his Exercise in the second Conformity, (of which we are now going to speak;) and as for those things which necessity requir'd of him towards the Conservation of his Animal Spirit, in regard of defending it from external Injuries, he was not much troubled about them, for he was cloath'd with Skins, and had a House sufficient to secure him from those Inconveniences from without, which was enough for him; and he thought it superfluous to take any further Care about those things; and as for his Diet, he observ'd those Rules which he had prescrib'd to himself, namely, those which we have just now set down.
§ 78. After this he apply'd himself to the second Operation, viz. the Imitation of the Heavenly Bodies, and expressing their proper Qualities in himself; which when he had consider'd, he found to be of three sorts. The first were such as had relation to those inferior Bodies, which, are plac'd in this World of Generation and Corruption, as Heat, which they impart to those of their own Nature, and Cold by accident, Illumination, Rarefaction, and Condensation, and all those other things, by which they influence these inferior Bodies, whereby they are dispos'd for the Reception of Spiritual Forms from the necessarily self-existent Agent. The second sort of Properties which they had, were such as concern'd their own Being, as that they were clear, bright and pure, free from all manner of feculent Matter, and whatsoever kinds of Impurity: That their Motion was circular, some of them moving round their own Center, and some again round the Center of other Planets. The third kind of their Properties, were such as had relation to the necessarily self-existent Agent, as their continually beholding him without any Interruption, and having a Desire towards him, being busied in his Service, and moving agreeable to his Will, and not otherwise, but as he pleased, and by his Power. So he began to resemble them in every one of these three kinds, to the utmost of his Power.
§ 79. And as for his first Conformity, his Imitation of them consisted in removing all things that were hurtful, either from Animals or Plants if they could be remov'd: So that if he saw any Plant which was depriv'd of the Benefit of the Sun, by the Interposition of any other Body; or that its growth was hindred by its being twisted with, or standing too near any other Plant, he would remove that which hindred it if possible, yet so as not to hurt either; or if it was in danger of dying for want of Moisture, he took what care he could to water it constantly. Or if he saw any Creature pursu'd by any wild Beast, or entangled in a Snare, or prick'd with Thorns, or that had gotten any thing hurtful fallen into its Eyes or Ears, or was hungry or thirsty, he took all possible care to relieve it. And when he saw any Water-course stopp'd by any Stone, or any thing brought down by the Stream, so that any Plant or Animal was hindred of it, he took care to remove it. And thus he continu'd in this first kind of Imitation of the Heavenly Bodies, till he had attain'd it to the very heighth of Perfection.