Lumen de Lumine

Within this Phantastic Circle stands a Lamp, and it typifies the Light of Nature. This is the secret Candle of God, which hee hath tin'd in the Elements, it burns and is not seen, for it shines in a dark place. Every naturall Body is a kind of Black Lanthorne, it carries this Candle within it, but the Light appears not, it is Eclips'd with the Grossnesse of the matter. The Effects of this Light are apparent in all things, but the Light it self is denyed, or else not followed. The great world hath the Sun for his Life and Candle; according to the Absence and presence of this Fire all things in the world flourish or wither. We know by Experience and this in our own Bodies, that as long as life lasts, there is a continuall Coction, a certain seething or Boyling within us. This makes us sweat, and expire in perpetuall Defluxions at the pores, and if we lay our hands to our skin, we can feel our own Heat, which must needs proceed from an inclosed Fire, or Light. All Vegetables grow, and augment themselves, they put forth their fruits and Flowers, which could not bee, if some Heat did not stir up, and alter the Matter; wee see moreover that in Vegetables, this Light is sometimes discovered to the Eye, as it appears in rotten wood, where the star-fire shines after Night. As for Minerals, their first matter is coagulated by this firie spirit, and altered from one Complexion to Another. To which may be added this Truth for Manifestation: if the Minerall Principles be artificially dissolved, that their fire and spirit may be at Liberty, even Metals themselves may be made Vegetable.