THE CONCLVSION. 141 



is> is the noblest he h ghtlt, and the rooce of: all other notions, it is 

 Bcing&nA Exiftence ic (Ure.I my (elte.whilcj I am, have my cxittencc 

 determined but co one poore inltant of time ; and beyond that, 1 am 

 adored of nothing. My (lender thiiddeof Being mjybreakellttll 

 find that it may brcake a (under,as neere to that inttant.as 1 can liip- 

 ,pofe utiy thing to be ncei e unto ic : and when J (hall have fuppoted a 

 Hefe\s. may .breake neerer and ncefcr ; aiul that J cm never arrive to 

 fettle the neertft point where it may (nap in two.But when time (hal 

 be no more; or attheleaft (hall in rcfpeft of me a bc turned into Eter- 

 nity ; then this fraile Exigence ot minCjWill be ttretched out beyond 

 the extent or ail conquering time. Wrut Itrange thing then, is this 

 admirable multiplycation of exiftence? or how may i bee able to 

 comprehend ic . ? Exiftence is that which comprehendeth all things 

 and if God be not comprehended in it, thereby it is, that he is in- 

 coniprehenfibleofua: and he is not comprehended in it , becau(e 

 himiclte is it. He is Exiftence : and by being io, hee equalcth, not 

 comprehendeth ir. From hence then I may gather the excellency 

 and valt empire of exiftence, in itsowne nature: and fo conclude 

 how admirable a change and betterment that muftbee, which en- 

 creaieth, and mukiplyeth fo infinitely the extttance I now enjoy 

 for be it never fo f^ecious ; be it never fo glorious ; be it what it is, 

 exiftence, the top, the flower , the perfection of all created things ; 

 dill there is a flaw, there is a defeft, a (liortneHe, a limitation in it * 

 for nowi my foule, thou art buc a part of me and doft exift in fuch 

 amannerby fucccffion, that thefecurity and poflcffionofit isof 

 Icffe then of any thing wha-tfoever in the world ; for it is of nothing 

 more, then of an indivifible ; which being fuch, in truth is nothing. 

 But when the walls (hall be broken downe, that here confine thee to 

 fuch a nothing of exiftence, ( which yet is infinitely more noble, 

 then all other degrees of notions) then thou (halt fumme up time in 

 formall being ^ and not be limiced, as now th ou art, to this fo divi- 

 ded a fucceffion. Thou (halt bee an houre wichout divilibility : 

 and if an houre, a yeare : if fo, an age : an if and age* then for ever, 

 for all eternity. 



But whither art thou fbwne, my foule? towhatadazeling 

 height art thou mounted? Thou art now foaredtofuch a leflen- 

 ing pitch, as my f ait.it eyes are no longer able to follow thy touring 

 flight: my head groweth giddy, with gazing up ; whiles thou 

 looked downe, to fee time runne an infinite diltance beneath thee; 



(Lll 2) wafting 



