These are the vestments which _Zohar_ said were the good works and the nuptiall accoustrements of the soule, which cannot bee washed or cleansed but by Fire, _Every mans work shall bee made manifest, for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire, and the fire shall try every mans worke of what sort it is_, 1 _Cor._ 3. 13. wherein they shall persist without impaire, or consumption, but shall be purified when the soule shall therewith be clothed; from this uncleane scumme, wherein there may remaine some spots that the fire goes on to purge, consuming and defacing them. But what is this fire? It is it which is said in the 4 and 9 of _Deuteronomy_, _our God is a consuming fire_: which as _Irenæus_ interprets, was to strike feare and terror into the Israelites; and this afterwards in the 12 to the _Hebrewes_, 28, 29. _Let us serve God acceptably with feare and reverence, for our God is a consuming fire_. For they had sufficiently understood that the world once perished by the universall deluge, and that it may not incurre the like accident, but suffer its last extermination by fire. Adde that in the 33. of the Mosaicall Law, it is called _The Law of fire_, which is in the right hand of the Almighty, because of its austerity and rigour, all filled with menaces, with feares, with horrors; as much as the Christian is, with sweetnesse and mercy: in his right hand, there is a fiery Law: which the _Chaldean_ Paraphrase interpreteth, for that it was given on _Mount Horeb_, through the middest of fire; according as it is said in the 4 to the purpose touching this feare. _The Lord speake unto me saying, Assemble the people there below, that they may heare my words, and learne to feare me: Then came you neare to the foote that burned even to heaven, and the Lord spake unto you out of the midst of fire._ And _Exodus_ 3. _the burning bush wherein God appeared unto Moses, and was not consumed_. Of this consuming fire, further speaketh _Zohar_ thus in conformity to that received _Maxime_ in naturall Philosophy, that a great flame doth devoure and quench a lesse: as wee may sensibly perceive by a lighted Torch, which is extinguished by the Sunbeams, and by a kettle set neare a great fire that sucks and drawes all out to it selfe: Hee saith then upon this Text of the 35. of _Exod._ _You shall kindle no fire throughout your habitations upon the Sabbath_: To which purpose, said _Rabbi Simeon_, was that ordained? and why was it not lawfull to kindle a fire on the seventh day? because that when men kindle fire, it goeth ever upwards according to its naturall, and moving above every thing, following that of the 7. of Sapience, where it is compared to fire. In Wisdome is the spirit of understanding, holy, one only, manifold, subtill, lively, cleare, undefiled, plaine, moveable above every thing, and overtops all by reason of its purity. The Fire hath two properties, to be moving, and pure, not participating